Max the Lobster

'Mapping the Future Where are you now'

2012-01-28T07:41:00.001-08:00

Private View invite for this exhibition. Please come along and spread the word! I am so please they have used an image of my textile!!!!

More Maps

2012-01-22T03:22:00.000-08:00

on friday when i was meant to be tackling chapter 2, making lace, i was finalising the way my piece for the Brewhouse would hang. the only great height we have at home is the stairwell so in true Heath Robinson style i have walked up and down the stairs many times and attached a pole to the bannisters! the piece is one long strip looped up so there are essentially 3 lengths hanging side by side.
detail above showing bus stop photograph
playing around with the pieces that will sit on the floor
such wonderful sounding occupations but in reality..........?!

Mapping the Future

2012-01-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

in March last year I attended the Textile Forum South West conference 'Mapping the Future: Where are you now?' Out of this conference an exhibition is due to be held at The Brewhouse in taunton 23 february - 24 March.
i have been working on my piece for a while and these are some of the thoughts behind it. to get to Taunton I usually travel by bus from Exeter going through many villages and towns my ancestors lived in.
i have used this directly to make a modern 'strip map' using the bus ticket shape and incorporating all the textile related occupations of my family.
Each person has a ticket, some have more than one as they changed occupation. they are all colour coded to the type of occupation but all linked with one consistent thread (except for those with multiples)
they each have a momento ticket made from either map, timetable, notes, photographs of the areas or copies of census returns all sprayed black and waxed. i am at the stage of putting the final pieces together. more progress later.

Module 5, Chapter 1 Lace

2012-01-04T02:51:00.001-08:00

for this chapter i chose, after a long deliberation, to study Venetian Raised needlelace. i am very lucky that i have easy access to many books on lace and a wonderful lace collection(RAMM)to study. that probably made it more difficult to choose but i got there eventually.Italian Gros Point has often intrigued me because it looked quite ugly and inconceivable as to how it was made! although there are many books on lace that cover the subject historically, i found it difficult to find detailed working diagrams or instructions.
i did find one book very helpful, Venetian Gros Point Lace by Nenia Lovesey and Catherine Barley. so i made a sample seen below. i used quite a thick thread to that which would have been used originally so it turned out a bit rustic! however i am quite pleased with it for a first attempt.

it's quite appropriate studying this type of lace in the winter because of the resemblence to snowflakes!
i have concentrated mainly on male attire for this study. i love the collars and their attached tassles
i found really detailed instructions on how to document this type of lace here. there are some great photographs of the main features found on all the Venetian raised laces.

Wishing everyone a Happy and productive 2012!

Merry Christmas to all

2011-12-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a peaceful, relaxing and productive New Year.

At last!

2011-12-19T02:15:00.000-08:00

At last after a lot of hard work the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery in Exeter (where I work) has been unlocked and re-opened. Personally I think it's stunning and am very pleased with all our efforts. There were a few sleepless nights thinking of the correct shape for hips and busts!!!! but well worth it. If any Distant Stitchers are in the area anytime and want a guided tour but particularly the textiles and costume I would love to see you.

Better to be busy than bored!

2011-12-11T04:27:00.001-08:00

i have been busy believe it or not but the November sketchbook challenge has slipped and it is unlikely i will get to do anymore with this. i started with the best will in the world with the above sketch of a pile of bowls and cups/saucers however thats as far as it goes! Musem opening and lace and Brewhouse have taken over (more on these another day). However i do hope to work on Sian's competition which sounds fun.
seeing Sian's drawing for her 'o' level(?) reminded me of something i did many years ago too, an illustration of a hearty english breakfast reflected and distorted in shiny teapot. back to the lace now!

I think I've done it!

2011-11-27T05:33:00.001-08:00

just to recap, the above image was my initial inspiration
and here is my finished piece. i photographed it this time with flash which has brought out the reflective thread. i have found it quite difficult making the decisions that have got me here but i at least am pleased with it. after feedback to my last post and thank you everyone who has added comments, i went back to the drawing board and had a rethink. i really felt what i had was far too busy although i was really happy with the plastic spoons! so i simplified my ideas. it is very hard getting rid of things but it has to be done sometimes.
i decided what i really was pleased with was the back panel and the strip of letters. so i thought in order to tie them together (not physically) i would work another piece based on the first panel but re-arrange the letters and possibly cut them out. this time i worked them in the bright colours from the door but still with the reflective thread outlining. i chose a pink, blue, yellow and green and worked the same stitch as the first panel.See above. afterwards i stencilled dots as with the other panel but this time in the space around the letters. you wouldn't believe how long i looked at the 3 pieces hanging together in various configurations before i finally plucked up the courage to CUT! i loved the new piece but didn't feel it worked 'as a whole'.
a detail of the 3 together showing the final cut up piece, it was worth the cutting i feel as now you can really see all 3 layers. it looks slightly grey but i think it is mainly the way i have photographed it.
a side view showing the 3 layers together.
i also thought long and hard bout the hanging mechanism and decided i wanted them to appear 'floating' in the air as if the letters had just come off the door, so they are each individually suspended with fishing line. the first panel has a piece of 'Melinex' or Mylar to the Americans stitched along the reverse at the top and lower edges to stop them curling, again stitched with fishing line so it isn't visible. to give the s&m (Sounds odd)in the next panel stability they also have a Melinex backing. i think with this hanging solution they could all be re arranged if necessary.
Total time taken:
(including pieces made but not used) 100hrs
Costing:
organdie £12.24
reflective yarn £02.00
flourescent yarn £00.50
Fabric paint £01.00
sewing thread £03.00
Melinex £01.50
felt £03.50

TOTAL £23.84

Back to the Door - Assessment panel/hanging

2011-11-11T04:27:00.001-08:00

i started work on this piece way back in the summer after my initial proposal way back when! after Sian's suggestions and feedback i decided to get on with it and work my first section. but just to recap, i proposed to work a series of semi transparent layers, cut them up and try embedding something in resin!
i changed the size to 36.5cm wide x 99cm long (initial proposal too small) but still in proportion to the door. Above first section worked on undyed cotton organdie. outline worked in retroflective thread with brown and purple random hand stitches worked to imitate loosely spray actions.
i then sat with this while i went on to the next panel which incorporated a piece of paper taken from a similar door which was composed of printed circles. i then went back to panel 1 and printed some black circles randomly on the letters.
section 2- thought i would now work with a series of letters taken from a section of the door and went back to a previous idea of letters along an edge. the plan was to make various letters from the words 'feed me' and then attach them to an edge of organdie. once i had made the letters i had an epiphany and decided to just link them to each other
above and below detail of letters some made with felt base and others completely transparent. i used found paper, a print of the door, some of my notes on the project, tissue paper and organdie with hand stitch and polyester film to encapsulate everything.

the next section (apologies for colour but it is on undyed organdie!)i took an image and repeated it by making a stencil and using fabric paint in purple with white spots on top. found plastic spoons were attached (a reference from the door)and some fuzzy felt letters which i still have to attach.
detail
i then made another panel with the same image as the first but stencilled the letters with brown fabric paint and outlines with retroflective thread.
detail
then i tried various mock ups- above mock up shows first panel with second over top. it was at this point i did the brown panel to go under for extra emphasis, but i wasn't sure i liked the outcome.
i then did the above mock up with the brown 'panel' behind, spoons and letters over it and the paper cut outs are a possible idea for cutting up the first panel and linking the letters but i am not sure whether to just use the single layer of organdie or to stitch them onto the clear polyester film to give them rigidity?! i have ruled out the resin idea. some good shadows are possible with this arrangement but i am wondering whether it is all too busy but then so is the door!
for display the sections would be staggered with space between them or cut out and pinned onto a solid backboard so they stand out? any suggestions?

Certainly not Queen Victoria's fig leaf!

2011-10-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

my fig leaf is decidedly crispy now looking a bit like a withered hand, very Halloween! here's a few more concentrating on shapes and repeat patterns. some areas reminded me of cocoons i saw once in a butterfly farm.
working with repeating shapes of the leaf silhouette.

October Sketchbook and its nearly November!

2011-10-27T08:53:00.001-07:00

i chose this month to work with a fig leaf and only really started this half term. we have a fig tree in our garden which usually produces copious amounts of figs which are truly scrumptious. i have always been amazed at the size of the leaves! so first drawing using a basic pencil and outline.
then ink brush and more pencil, the one on the right i didn't look at the page and it was done quite quickly hence the overlaps
then going on to wet paper, water soluble crayon and more quink!
then i started playing around with the veins.
onto colour with koh i nor and looking at small details, i love the shape of the 'u' between the lobes of the leaf
the leaf is now beginning to curl at the edges - i should really take a picture of it.
above working quickly and again not looking at the page
i have now got obsessed with the veins, making barren Christmas trees!

still looking at patterns within the leaf and using it to print with.

Bristol@last

2011-10-23T03:06:00.000-07:00

we got to Bristol at last combining Nelson Street, Louise Bourgeois/Tracey Emin exhibition and relatives! typically we chose a day when there was road resurfacing going on so our views were marred by lorries! however that didn't stop us enjoying it (us being myself and 11 year old). he was doing the directing as to which ones to record! there is an amazing amount of variety and the following are just a small handful.

we were walking down the street and my son said 'that's a good one', i said 'where'? looking all around! how could i have missed it? i have since seen a video on 'the Wooster Collective' where the artist said it was based on 'paint the town red'
beautiful lettering

this chap had 4 arms and legs!
Free Tibet, a cause dear to my heart

dust graffiti!

i hope the Tracey Emin/Louise Bourgeois exhibition at the RWEA hasn't traumatised my son but it was worth it for the Damien Hurst sculpture outside! So that says it all!

Final paperwork and authentication

2011-10-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the final paperwork for this module (i think) as i'm still working on my assessment piece i will fill out the Student evaluation later

Authentication - felt making

Textile artists Felt and text Chapter 13

2011-10-21T03:54:00.001-07:00

I have chosen to study two very different artists! Joan Livingstone who works in mainly 3D felt and Rosalind Wyatt who works directly with script. They are not technically 'embroidery' artists but they do use stitch! I first came across Joan Livingstone when I bought a Portfolio Collection book on her a few years ago. I can group her with other artists like Joseph Beuys and Eva Hesse who I love. I love her precise almost perfect way of piecing things together along with the simplicity of her pieces. You can see more of her work here

the other artist i am looking at i came across only recently when i was searching for people who use text in their work. Originally she was and still is a calligrapher but has branched out into textiles. i have always loved the jacket worked by Agnes Richter in the prinzhorn Collection so when i saw Rosalinds work i loved it. Her website is a must, especially if you love the sound of Bill Nighy's voice!!

Chapter 10 and 11 Felt Making or how not to stab yourself while needlefelting!

2011-10-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

these 2 chapters cover felt making and resolved samples of said felt. before i started i thought i would like to continue with the above image i made for the chapter on 'slips' and experiment with lettering again.
when i did my certificate i was taught a method for felt making using a container and a potato masher so i had never made felt the more traditional way - so this time round i made some samples using the rolling method. there are also lots of you tube video's showing the many and varied methods of felt making. the above photo shows my first 3 samples. top left made with black merino has strips of cellophane embedded in the layers, the cellophane obviously stays the same size when the wool shrinks and gives an interesting texture, the cellophane also pokes out quite interestingly. top left sample is my attempt at felt seersucker! i bought i think last year at Ally Pally a piece of melted nylon/plastic stuff which i embedded in this piece of felt. the white/natural coloured piece has fine plastic tubing embedded in it.
i then branched out to colour, the green one i used for one of my resolved pieces.
the above pink piece is double sided with black
i then discovered needle felting! it was one of those eureka moments i absolutely love it. i was going to experiment with an embellishing machine but once i had started with the single needles i realised how controllable it is, until you stab yourself, not once, not twice but a few more! the above photo and one below are some test samples in needle felting using pre-felts, fibres from tops and samples of 'nuno' felting onto organdie.
i wanted to try and enclose items and make pockets by needle felting around things, hence the lollipop stick

Chapter 11
Resolved sample based on the image at the front of this post. when you needle felt you basically end up with two surfaces, the front and back and once i had done some experiments i realised how much i loved the tufty reverse side, so i decided to utilise this in the above sample. i wanted to see how precise i could be needle felting and experimenting with various ways of making letter forms using just the front and reverse of the needle felting technique. this piece was worked on undyed wool flannel with the green felt i made earlier, some pre-felt and machine made felt. i used card shapes inside the sandwich for the letter definitions.
above detail at an angle of 'L' shape
detail 'R'
Sample 2 i wanted to see how paper would work in the felting process so with this piece i enclosed torn strips of newspaper sprayed black in the base felt and as i wanted to be able to see it in the finished piece it is only covered with a fine layer of wool fibres. i also wanted to experiment with needle felting paper and even more so since seeing Lizzy's work at summer school. so this sample uses undyed merino wool, pre-felts and newspaper. the base felt and the 3 pockets were all made individually (i wanted very random shapes and wiggly edges) it was quite difficult judging the size that the felt would shrink to!
the letters are made of a sandwich of felt with a larger letter of newspaper in the middle and needle felted to hold them all together they are then needle felted to the base felt in a few areas (so they stand proud). to the right of the above photo you can see some of the newspaper strips and added stitch!
i then took myself off to see a beautiful exhibition at The Devon Guild of Crafstmen in Bovey Tracey called 'Signs for Sounds'. it shows the work of various artists using the letterform. the work that particularly caught my eye was by Julien Breton who makes light calligraphy. it is touring but on at Bovey till 31 October, an absolute must. i treated myself to a wonderful book there 'Shapes for sounds' by Timothy Donaldson who explores various alphabets and more so i am inspired now to use even more letters in the future!

more sketchbook

2011-09-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

still working slowly with the baby dresses, above using Ko i nor dyes
Sian suggested holding areas up to the light, so i draped one over my lamp so i could see all the layers a bit like an x ray (husband said 'oh you're going to burn the house down'!) so the above and below are straight drawings through a light source

then i got the Quink out (do they still make it?)and worked quickly looking at creases and tucks

finally a rubbing over a sleeve on tissuetex with a wax crayon, would love to try the idea of pressing in damp paper. Now to finish making felt!

September Sketchbook

2011-09-10T08:02:00.001-07:00

i haven't really done much of this but made a start the other day with some old baby dresses that apparently i once wore! i can see that embroidery is really good for this project but i am hoping to get to draw some inner construction, labels and seams soon!

Chapter 9 Section C more playing with paper

2011-09-10T07:26:00.001-07:00

wow! this is going to be a long one!
Section C Exercise 1 was the formation of graded 3D shapes, working with simple shapes all of the same size, manipulating and connecting them in some way. #1 i used thick water colour paper with rectangular shapes and gradually curled an edge, connecting them with staples
#2 and 3 i used the same rectangular shape but curled and de-laminated the paper more with each step this was connected with string tied between each step with loops.

#4 i used tracing paper, again with a rectangle and linking each with string. each was gradually twisted more tightly.
#5 and 6 was worked with tracing paper again and rectangles. each was folded in half and stapled at the sides to make a pocket, then they were gradually opened and folded with a creases in the middle.
hanging up by the connecting string
Exercise 2 was to rip/cut several simple shapes and then divide it into two again and work with each shape separately (positive and negative)
#7 and 8 were with negative shapes and the aim was to make an undulating 'caterpillar'. #7 the pieces were connected with double sided tape and a spacer while #8 were threaded with metal wire.
#9 and 10 are the positive shapes folded and connected with shop tags. they look a bit Elizabethan ruff like.

Exercise 2 using colour and 3D shape. for this i went back to my 'R's' and stuck the yellow to the purple so they were double sided, joining up the graded yellows with the purples. i wanted again to make a sort of 'caterpillar' and found an old spiral for binding and stuck the 'R's' upright in the slots. i used 3 different sizes.
somehow from a distance they look quite bird like all with open beaks. the following are various viewpoints.

#5 changing the positioning
#6 i then decided to fold them and linked them together in various ways

#9 is working with the smaller 'R's linking them into shapes. i have found this chapter quite long to do! but this is possibly due to my lack of spare time at the moment however i hope i can now make some felt!

Chapter 9Section B

2011-08-31T11:38:00.001-07:00

Section B colour and shape: Exercise 1. i chose for my shape (something that has an interesting silhouette) an 'R' and made 2 stencils of differing sizes. i then cut out numerous 'R's' and arranged them in various ways on my coloured papers from the previous exercise.
they are all fairly self explanatory, here grouped together
above randomly sprinkled
opposites
i used the stencil and cut some voids and arranged various cut 'R's' on top
more arrangement and ways of linking shapes
above 2 'R's' slotted together to make a group of 8's
Exercise 2. i used the negative piece i cut from my stencil to make some overlapping shapes with chalk pastels and my fingers
then above using various cut 'R's' offset
then more above
to which i coloured the voids in with the stencil and then below added more cut shapes.
it was at this point i discovered i had missed Bristol's Graffiti festival! but hopefully the work will still be on the wall when we go next. i am now folding paper for the rest of Chapter 9 so more to follow.

Chapter 9 a long time coming Section A

2011-08-28T03:18:00.000-07:00

Chapter 9 is a design exercise with the aim to explore ways of using colour. two contrasting colours were chosen, i made a conscious decision to avoid green! so i chose a Lemon yellow and Deep violet. the aim was to paint one section of paper with each 'neat' and then mix the two equally for the colour in the middle and then work with this mixed colour adding a bit each time to the originals to create a tonal range. i loved the brown colours that were created even though i don't particularly like brown! i used the paints straight out of the tube and used a decorating brush so there are some interesting striations in the paint samples.
next was to make interesting combinations using the painted pieces. somehow i seem to have created some 1950's designs made all the more interesting because of my wood panelling effect!

Exercise 2 these were then added to different backgrounds created with the same colours. i kept the painterly quality of the brush strokes and did in fact dilute the paint this time.
having said i was avoiding green i seem to have achieved it slightly with the use of the lemon yellow over the violet!

#2 Exercise 3 using the same choice of colours and with the addition of white i created a gradual tonal effect from yellow to pale yellow. strips from other tonal pieces were then added. the middle one was cut from a strip using yellow and payne's grey.
#3 the same exercise but using an added tonal strip of violet and payne's grey. More of chapter 9 to follow

sketchbook Day 30

2011-08-21T03:19:00.001-07:00

for this final piece using stitch i went back to my feather but this time grouped a few together. for the first piece i used a fineish thread as i thought feathers were a bit spidery. on the left page i had coloured it with some left over acrylic paint from my latest chapter 'in my real work'! i closed the book for an imprint. the watercolour didn't take too well to the acrylic and i could work into it further (at some point!)
this next one doesn't have any stitching but i noticed the paint had come through the needle holes which added something interesting. i thought the thread i had chosen was natural but it didn't take the paint so well
for the final piece i used a thicker thread which worked beautifully. i also drew the feathers very freely and of course shut the book to get the impression on the left page.
Looking forward to see what Sian has in mind for September! but meanwhile back to my Module.

nearing the end!

2011-08-14T04:45:00.001-07:00

yesterday and this morning i have been working on mono printing. i chose firstly to use some ceramics i have and the first 2 were quite clear. i found that i got a better impression when the paint was near to drying, although the paper i was using tended to stick and if not careful would tear.
i started working with the koh i nor paints to enhance (i hope) the image.
i also went off track with some Warhol printing and splodges
so back on track! above mono print with added colour on top and quite a bit of the background visible. the technique of getting the paint on the glass needs to be worked on but i think printmaking inks definitely work best. i used acrylic paints.
then i did some in my actual sketchbook which has quite thick paper (above) with added washes.
i then used a combination of mono printing and Warhol and wash for the above.
i then went on to draw some empty bottles, i like the way you can see through them, although some had labels. above a direct impression from the plate with scraped off lines added wash and splodges.
more above using the residue on the plate
and finally 2 mono prints on top of each other with added wash. can't wait to see what is in store for us tomorrow!

sketchbook days 25 - 27

2011-08-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

just catching up with a few days. above perspective drawing of a bag.
next i chose to look at a stack of boxes and above using 'carbon copies'
and using heavy carbon with a rubber and the image below using the graphite as a carbon paper but i will work into this.

hope you don't mind Sian but i woke up this morning thinking 'Andy Warhol blotted lines' and remembered Alistair Sooke being shown how to do them. Basically you draw a line on non-absorbent paper/ card and then blot it off onto another piece. i was a bit heavy handed with the above but i used a cocktail stick dipped in Quink and quite pleased with the result. i added an offset image with a lighter wash. there is a video on the BBC website of this technique. in a way i am quite pleased this will only continue for 30 days as coursework is suffering! but once a week would be good.

sketchbook days 18-22 all in one!

2011-08-07T09:52:00.001-07:00

well the weekend came and my guys went off to Edinburgh for 2 weeks so i have the kitchen table to myself, so i made a start with catching up on the sketchbook. i went round the garden and realised that some of the best areas to work with were not easy for sitting in front of and then it rained so i thought i would look out the window to the herb box. above using chalk pastels after scratching into the paper, they are water soluble so i wet areas of the right one and then closed the book, hence the mirror image.
then wet using the koh i nor dyes which i notice are really vibrant when wet but dry slightly powdery in feel unless its my paper.
i added some aqua wax to the right hand page above and reworked with water colours, something suitably dark as it has been on and off today.
above again using koh i nor but using aqua wax on the page before (right) and closing the book (left) Can we do mono printing please Sian?
then to scraffito and i remembered when a child layering up wax crayons with black over the top so above left 'omage to childhood' i have worked here with Markal paint sticks for the base and painted Stewart Gill fabric paints over the top. still slightly sticky!
and lastly using wax candle under the top section, Markal on the bottom and Stewart gill again over. at the end of all this i realised i was looking at fennel too but baby stuff.

Sketchbook days 14,15, 16 and an extra

2011-08-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

i went back to my feather for heavy water soluble crayons with some water soluble chalk added above. i have run out of printer ink so have not been able to print out the larger pieces to colour in.
Scribble day above using fine felt tip pens
ripping and sticking! i liked doing this one
then i added an extra using koh i nor, still trying to do highlights and using the edge of a piece of card for the feather lines. i am rather busy at work at the moment so by the time i come home the garden is not really an option. i will store these up for the weekend when hopefully the weather will be better?

fIBREfEST August 20th and 21st

2011-07-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

Just thought i would mention Fibrefest on 20th and 21st August at Bicton College in Devon. Usually a great shopping experience! if anyone is going and wants to meet for coffee let me know.

Day 12 and 13 sketchbook slow but enjoying

2011-07-29T05:45:00.000-07:00

for colour i chose the above, my favourite mug, one of my spray painted tulips and a sprig from a tree
like Sian i used Koh i nor dyes which i bought at Urchfont and have fallen in love with them. i also applied chalk over the top.
first attempt, i didn't really read the instructions so this is what i came up with!
i then changed the tulip to my feather which had a few highlights to follow the instructions on using water and merging. for this one i used the Koh i nor and chalk for the background and water colours for the counting by numbers bit.

sketchbook pattern

2011-07-24T08:53:00.001-07:00

i wanted to try some lettering so got out a wagamama t. shirt
first one above wasn't really working, so i continued below
and now i think i prefer the first ones simplicity anyway i am calling a halt for today

Sketchbook Day 7?

2011-07-24T03:28:00.001-07:00

i'm getting confused with the days here but above feather pattern, however it could also be the individual shafts!
i chose a paper bag for the next challenge and below finished bit, i used a brush ink pen.
decided to try a piece of newsprint with the feather pattern.

Chapter 8, mainly option A or perhaps not after looking back at the post!

2011-07-24T01:39:00.000-07:00

Foolishly perhaps i mentioned to Sian in my tutorial at summer school that i really wasn't sure which option to choose for this chapter, option A transferred images or option B heat set shibori. she suggested i could do both! so i came home thinking 'why had i opened my big mouth' and decided to go with option B only, however i kept thinking of the shibori and so the following is inevitably a mixture. Option A, make a slip from a printed image using transferred or direct digital printing. I have Maggie Grey's book 'From Image to stitch' so i have already tried direct printing onto Japanese tissue and organza. For this i chose a method which uses a bonding agent as a transfer adhesive with a printed image. I enlarged my slip slightly for this chapter. basically a piece of Bondaweb is ironed onto fabric, then the printed image face down is ironed to the Bondaweb and then the paper sponged gently to absorb water and the paper rubbed off (i used my finger) to reveal the print layer. care has to be taken not to wet it too much as the ink will bleed and the image can also be rubbed off if you are too heavy handed. i chose initially 2 pages from my sketchbook seen in the photo above. i used cotton organdie and silk organza. i liked the process of this method and can see myself using it. the slip on the bottom right was from a shiny photo print which gave a duller image so i applied a layer of varnish which showed the brush marks too much.
it was at this stage i thought of shibori, i liked the idea of a series of slips all lined up like growing flowers. i experimented with a few 'methods' thinking how to achieve a slim slip with just a stalk so image 2 and 3 is my 'wrapping a parcel' method! the finished slip is in image 1. i cut a wooden slip which afterwards i thought should not be wood as it could transfer staining in the 10 minute steaming process. i was lucky.
once the slip was dry i undid the cotton ties and voila it stayed put but i did find the silk organza worked best.
# 4 and 5 i then made an experiment of stitching round the image, placing the wood slip inside and pulling it tight and then securing the reverse like a seam.
and then steaming.
#6 i decided to make a series based on the stitched paper i made for chapter 5. with the lettering i had to remember to flip the image before printing otherwise the letters would be back to front. the plan was to superimpose the slips onto the original photo.
#7 shows the slips on their sides and the thickness of the form. with these slips i applied a layer of PVA to the image which made it a bit fresher looking. i also tried colouring the silk before transfering the image but that didnt look right!
#8 the actual slips had added hand stitch which was basically a looped back stitch worked along the original stitch lines of the paper. i worked this while the slips were still tied to their wood form. the stitching was continued on the same lines on the background photo but just a simple over under.
#9 the best way to keep the slips in their correct places was to suspend them on fishing line from a frame above the original print some are slightly out but it wasn't easy to get them in the exact place. i was helped by an amazing book 'Memory on cloth Shibori now' by Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada its well work the money.

Sketchbook Day 6 i think

2011-07-22T02:57:00.001-07:00

shadow achieved with lamp! not sunshine unfortunately. i used a mixture of biro and pencil with water. hope it cheers up for tonight's year 6 leaving party at the open air pool!!!
working bigger using chalk pastels which are square so easy to get fine and thick areas. Off to work internal lines now.

Summer Sketchbook challenge- first few days

2011-07-20T10:08:00.001-07:00

i seem to be rather behind everyone else but here goes so far. i chose a feather as my object and contrary to my ideas with coffee which might be rather messy i used a tea bag of my husbands to colour the pages with dabs of gesso and masking tape masks. not sure i have followed your instructions to the letter Sian but the above is using graphite line and a bit of shadow with water to merge the line.
i then chose a second feather using fine brush with added lettering
Day ? using pencil with water and ink. so i am now off to put a strong lamp on as it is sooooo miserable out there

No time like the present

2011-07-10T06:08:00.001-07:00

thought i would finish my sampler from summer school while the ideas were still fresh! I had a wonderful time at Urchfont with Mary Sleigh as our tutor learning about African textiles. before i went i had never really considered African textiles but now i am definitely a convert, especially the raffia pieces made in the Republic of the Democratic Congo and the strip woven cloths of West Africa. it was great to see everyone again who i met last year and to meet new people. Thank you Sian, Mary and Jan for a great few days. excuse the posie picture but i thought it looked good with a stripped branch courtesy of my son!

There is life after Summer School!! Chapter 5 and 6

2011-07-09T03:31:00.000-07:00

for those of you who didn't come to summer school and therefore didn't see my cut out 'slips' from the fabrics made in the previous post, here they are! I attached them in various ways to a piece of painted and stencilled organdie (i love the stuff!). i decided to attach them in a long 'sampler' like strip which is proving difficult to store!
anyway in detail #1 i have used flower making stamens from a cook shop to finish off the edge and it has been attached with lines of hand stitching across the slip itself. #2 edges neatened with fluffy iridescent thread over sewing and it is attached through a couple of layers of felt so it hovers off the surface, #3 edges shaped and finished by punching out circles. it is attached with sequins and some of the circles cut out and used as 'sequins', #4 edges finished with random uneven over sewing trapping black tissue in place, it is attached with a row of vertical machine stitch echoing its construction and extra hand stitched lines added.
#5 attached with a contracting piece of organdie and bonda web, #6 finished by trapping between two layers of nylon net randomly stitched and then the excess cut away, it is attached with hand stitch echoing the original zig zags, #7 attached and finished as one with two layers one felt and one organdie with Letraset type letters added and all sandwiched to the background with bondaweb.
#8 finished by sandwiching between plastic, stitched and then cut back and edges melted slightly, it is attached top and bottom with tied orange colour thread. #9 finished with random 'messy' over sewing and attached with lines of fishing line hand stitch.
Chapter 6 was on 3D slips. by this time my tulips were dying and i wanted to achieve a shrivelled 'dead' look so i firstly worked with wire, laying it down onto card like a traditional stumpwork 'slip' still using the same shape of slip as before. the 2 on the left above are stitched with various zig-zag lines encapsulating off cuts of organdie. the one top right uses a thicker wire with a complete layer of organdie and various layers of tissue.
then i thought of shrink plastic which i have used before and thought could produce some interesting shapes. the one above with the lime green thread was punched with holes before shrinking and threaded after, the other 4 have been stitched with straight machine stitch and then zapped which leaves the stitching with a pile like feel, 2 have been coloured with felt tip pens prior to stitching. the shape was enlarged before shrinking.
in my tutorial at summer school Sian suggested trying to form the plastic over a mould so i tried!!!! i cut my slip shape from some ply wood.#1 was my first attempt where i placed the mould under the plastic, which although much larger originally shrunk smaller than the mould and i had to shape it around the mould when still warm. #2 i then thought what if i actually stitch the mould onto the plastic and then shrink, this time i put the mould on top of the plastic and i was really pleased with the result, however i can't get the mould out!!!! but then that adds something to the piece. #3 then i thought i would stitch before shrinking in the same way as #2 but it went horribly wrong!!! but it has potential for something else in the future?!
above showing the mould trapped in the plastic!
so finally i think my tulips have definitely earned there moneys worth! they are beautifully crispy and some are green from spray paint.
above i have mounted 3 of the 3D slips to a photograph of the dead tulips
i am hoping to call a halt to this chapter and move on now! i have achieved what i wanted to with these. do i keep the dead tulips?!!!

Chapter 5 slips from stitched surfaces, the surfaces first!

2011-06-26T05:50:00.001-07:00

'Make expanses of stitched surfaces from which to cut your 'slips' from' the module said and so i did! the first one above was made onto a layer of lilac felt, placing various pieces of 'materials' onto it before stitching. in order to hold them in position i bonded them to the felt first. i used bits of left over felt, paper coloured with chalk pastels, nylon net, organdie, cotton lawn and tissue paper strips. i placed a layer of lilac coloured tissue over the top and stitched basic zig zag and 'straight' stitches through all layers. i then tore off areas of the tissue to reveal the colours below. since working with tissue i realise like paper in general it gives different effects depending on which way you tear it. with the above piece the 'grain' went with the lines of stitching to give clean tears.
couldn't resist playing with letters and thinking of 'black' tulips so the next piece i made was worked entirely in paper, on a layer of white waxed tissue, layered with random newspaper letters from the word 'tulip' (also waxed) and then a layer of black tissue, all stitched through fairly randomly with lines imitating those seen on tulip petals. i then tore off the tissue in areas to reveal the letters. with this one i was tearing against the grain which produced bits that reminded me of parrot tulip tops. a layer of aqua wax was worked over the top. both pieces roughly 20cm square. i have since cut them up and made various 'slips' with them which i am bringing to summer school.

How can a 'slip' be re-invented! Chapter 4

2011-06-10T04:56:00.000-07:00

it seems ages since my last post but i have been busy! Chapter 4 asks how you can re-invent the slip. the plan was to choose a simple shape from my study of tulips to use as a slip, so far so good, i did a page of ideas then changed my slip shape so i did another one (above), then as you can see when i actually came to work the slips i had changed my mind again! but the ideas are still the same! i am hoping when this is posted it will be possible to read!
this chapter is all about stitched slips, hand and machine stitched. i don't have a computerised machine which was one of Sian's suggestions so my slips are quite basic but bright which i think is more ME anyway! the shape i eventually chose is very simple because i thought their construction would be quite busy. they are 12cm long. so (above) top row from left to right:1. part of a counted thread cross stitch 'don't slip up', 2.part of a flier which happened to have a tulip printed on it stitched onto vilene with long stitches, 3.layers of felt and organdie with lines of machine stitch left with loops, 4. layers of organdie and tissue stitched and tissue ripped away then painted, 5.felt base with layers of foil wrapping straight stitched, 6. as 4, 7.pieces of thread and fabric with tissue stitched together, 8.more layers of felt and organdie hand stitched randomly, bottom row left to right, 9. layers hand chain stitched together, 10. random hand stitching on organdie and felt, 11. layers encapsulated in plastic, 12. felt,paper,silk heavily stitched by machine and then attached to each other with zig-zag stitch.
i decided to attach the slips to a piece of paper sprayed with a mask of tulips (they are getting crispier with all the spray paint they have been subjected to!).
all attached with various methods, 1. a displaced slip shape, 2. more zig-zag stitch and 3. likewise attached with more, 4. a row of onyx beads, 5. has cake decorating stamens couched across its width, 6. has a mirror square securing it in place and 7. three strips of plastic looped over the slip.
8. in contrast to the random stitches has been secured using a rigid grid of cross stitches, 9. more random hand stitches, 10. stitched over with the same, 10. invisible floating attachment, 11. wiggly line of chain stitch. i might keep the next lot to bring to summer school. looking forward.

Couldn't resist sharing this one

2011-05-21T02:00:00.000-07:00

Haven't quite worked out how to get the actual video on my blog yet but thought this one was amazing, could work well with stitch!

Chapter 3, part 1 creating a slip design, digital manipulation

2011-05-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

it took me quite a while to choose which flower to concentrate on. i wanted to choose a flower that would have been found in 17th century embroidery so i took lots of photographs of pansies, daisies etc. i quite liked the idea of the pansy with its potential for faces but went for the tulip! above was my inspiration, a bunch of variegated tulips, i kept them until they began to smell rather nasty (still have them but not in water!) until....
they looked like this. i wanted to use the full range of shape.
firstly i concentrated on this one which was a beautiful delicate lilac pink colour, and took various pictures of it in its various stages of decay.
i wanted to work with light coming through the petals where i could.
Using 'Photoshop elements 7' the above is a fairly simple manipulation which gives it an art nouveau look. changeing the lighting, then the hue and finally giving it drawn outlines.
above is similar to the first but changing it to black and white.
haven't got a clue what i did with this but i did use the distort to make the top edge more parrot tulip like!
above giving it a neon glow
above what i call the punk version rendered into black and white with added drawn lines
a solarised and distorted 'parrot'
as you can see i love the solarise function which makes colours zing! the above one is looking into a tulip head
the above and below are again solarised with distorted edges and different ranges of lighting.

above is the same tulip in a growing state of decay. i based the next 3 manipulations on this one.
above using twirl, expansion and solarise
the next 2 above and below i have altered the lighting and then the hue/saturation and finally i distorted the sepals and stamen.

above solarise again and extra distortion
i then based one on the above of the same tulip
using shrink wrap! and pinch
finally for this post i used the above one to achieve the lower image
using hue/saturation with a speckled draw. i did scan some of the petals but it was a complete disaster, however as you will see in the next post i took a photograph of the petals...... see part 2

Chapter 3, part 2

2011-05-15T02:44:00.000-07:00

this is a continuation of chapter 3 manipulating digital images. to recap i have chosen to concentrate on tulip/s. the above shows one tulip's petals after they have fallen and i photographed them laid in a circle.
the following 3 show how it can be manipulated using 'Photoshop Elements 7' i am still a novice but am getting to grips with changing colour and form and i tend to do things and then can't remember what i have done!! but i know the top one i have used a 'pinch' button.
above using glow edges and distort.
above changing the hue/saturation and twirl. i could have gone on for ages but thought i had better stop and work on some drawing/painting.
before i chose which flower to concentrate on i took myself into the garden with my watercolours and looked at various flowers we have growing. this was a perfect time of year to start this study, although the UK is suffering from an early spring so i got the end of the tulips. in fact the last bunch in the shop! #1 shows our abundance of dandelions, we must be quite rare in the gardening world in that we actually like dandelions and daisies growing on our lawn! and after about 10 years here we finally had our first daisy and now some speedwell!
#2 shows Spanish bluebells and lizieanthus but i was keen to choose a flower that would have been encountered in 17th century embroidery so i eventually chose tulips which i love. i got rather carried away hence there are so many!!
#3 basic water colour washes on A3 paper
#4 as #3
#5 as 3 and 4 but a bit more wishy washy
#6 i then moved onto chalk in my A5 sketchpad
the next 2 although not numbered are worked on an A4 black papered sketchbook. i love the way the chalks really come alive on black.

#8 back to A3 using a mixture of Markal oil sticks and chalks
#9 using a brush pen (A5)
#10 i sacrificed one tulip and got out the favourite spray paint!
#11 i worked with the tulips through the whole of their life!! so the rest are based on 'dead' tulips! #11 watercolour
#12 and #13 watercolour although #13 worked with a stick and brush.

#14 and 15 are back to chalk (A5)
the above one i used a white chinagraph crayon to draw with. its amazing how a dead dried tulip can look like a courgette flower! i know i have concentrated on the whole flower but i just loved the shapes they made!

Chapter 3 Part 3 extra one

2011-05-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

#7 A3 the final decorated paper based on tulips. watercolour, acrylic ink, chalk using various torn paper masks.

Chapter 3 Part 3 in reverse order!

2011-05-14T08:40:00.001-07:00

this is just an interim report and in reverse order! it will eventually over the next few days consist of 3 posts so when my tutor sees them she can read through from start to finish without having to go backwards. at least that's my wonderful plan!!! so for those of you (if any) are reading this one first Chapter 3 is all about choosing a flower with the intention of developing a 'slip' design. not the kind of slip you put on pots but a small textile motif made to be applied to another textile. i have chosen tulips.
#16 above shows my bunch of tulips towards the end of their life. the outlines have been drawn with a kebab stick and/or a brush and aqua wax and once dry i have applied water colour washes.
#17 detail of #16!
#18 i have used an actual petal as a mask with chalk to produce a random pattern
#19 more aqua wax
#20 detail of #16
Part 3 of the chapter has asked for decorated papers based on the chosen flower. there are many stripes and striations in tulips, especially the older they get and more dried up the petals are. so many of my papers are stripey!
#1 A4 piece of tracing paper coloured with acrylic ink with strips of torn tissue stuck down. it crinkles beautifully when dry.
#2 using aqua wax drawn with the kebab stick, then acrylic ink, fabric paint and chalk applied.
#3 A3 stripes of watery watercolour with fabric paint and varnish applied with a roller to give a squidgy appearance!
#4 and the next one down. i have used my by now dead tulips as masks and sprayed the paper. i have left it very plain as i can see it has potential for applying 'slips' to.

#5 A3 i cut a stencil from one of the aqua wax drawings and randomly stencilled using fabric paints, white gesso and water colour.
#6 A3 not sure about this one. again i used the tulips as random masks and sprayed the background. i then took some dead petals as masks with chalk and finger smudged them. however i think they look more like bananas than petals! it might be useful! and of course i have got to the end of this and realised i have left one off!! well planed that one

Chapter 1 addendum.......

2011-05-08T07:47:00.001-07:00

this addendum to my last post is so anyone who wants can actually see and read my study of English 17th century flower embroidery. i realise that it doesn't pay to work large when blogging work! Last time i use A3 for text etc. anyway it might be wise to read the last blog first and then this one. each A3 has been split into 5 working from top left to bottom left, then top right and blootm right. the main text panel comes first with each section. so firstly we have 'inspiration'

'Costume'

'Samplers and flat embroidery'

'Raised work'

i do hope this lot is legible!

Chapter 1 Historical study of flower embroidery

2011-05-08T04:16:00.000-07:00

For my study i chose 'complete' embroidered flowers in England in the seventeenth century. In a period when rather a lot happened politically, civil war, beheading, Commonwealth, Restoration and abdication it is surprising such a diverse range of amazing embroidery was produced. I have covered costume and domestic textiles but not furnishings and the later crewelwork. it took a long time to choose my area of study but as i had no knowledge of this period i thought it would be good to learn. The large sheets are A3 in size. i firstly started with inspiration and got carried away! i found the story behind John Tradescant, his cabinet of curiosities, his wife's demise and the start of The Ashmolean Museum quite fascinating but not hugely relevant to the study! anyway bedtime reading!
Costume after a certain date seems to mainly be accessories but some amazing ones.
since undertaking this study i have discovered the large sale of textiles previously owned by Sir Frank Richmond. The sale at Bonhams in March showed exactly how important and valued these textiles are now considered. in the sale there was an identical piece of embroidery to the three ladies in the bottom right corner, showing how designs were copied often more than once. the sale items and how much they went for can be seen at Bonhams in Sale #18761.
one of the stitches often seen in samplers is Rococo stitch. i thought i would work an actual flower to show how 'square' this type of stitch renders flowers etc. sample measures 7.5cm x 6.5cm.
although my Weldon's shows this stitch in the chapter 'Canvas Work' the instances in the 17th century appear to be worked on fine linen and also silk satin!!! Still not sure how!
i also consentrated on Raised work (Stump work). the basket in the top right and the casket (lid shown with mica covering) i actually conserved when i was at the V&A so i remember them quite well!
as part of this study i went to Exeter Cathedral to see Lady Dorothy Dodderidge who is beautifully regailed. unfortunately although she died in 1614 her jacket and petticoat date to an earlier design of flowers within tendrils which did not come into my study. a precursor for anyone else who is doing this study!
i am very lucky working in a museum with a large collection of books on costume/textiles! i was also told about a very useful website on the study of early textiles which could be included in the Module for future reference.
Hours taken: 52

Inspiration for flower head shapes

2011-05-01T05:25:00.001-07:00

the above photo of a 'flower garden' by Tom Skinner was my inspiration for Chapter 2 stitched flowers.

Module 4 Chapter 2

2011-04-24T08:18:00.001-07:00

While Chapter 1 is still ongoing i have been working on the stitched samples for Chapter 2. i chose two flower shapes freely drawn. A postage stamp size was recommended, hence the stamp to show scale!
#1 3D wire work, i can't tell you how pleased i am with this sample!! i got very carried away although the lesson to be learned is never let an 11 year old boy near your work as what was a 3D piece ended up as 2D till i squealed at him and readjusted it!! the background is satin stitch with stem stitch outline.
#2 rococo stitch one of my favourites. here worked on canvas although most of the pieces i have studied appear to be worked on a counted linen.
#3 detached needlelooping of various kinds.
#4 long and short stitch.
#5 a slip with a couched thread to neaten the outline.
#6 using waste canvas.
#7 a sample based on a stumpwork stitch which uses a silk wrapped bullion thread. in the original the loops lie flatter to the fabric and i think this is because it is a steel wire without any spring unlike the modern silver one.
#8 chain stitch
#9 padded satin stitch. i used felt for the padding.
#10 Kantha stitch.
#11 speckling and running stitch outlined in stem stitch.
above shows the working method of the waste canvas flower.
above the slip cut out but before applying to the ground fabric.
above shows the wire outline couched in place before the needleloop stitches were worked. i followed 'Beginner's guide to Stumpwork' by Kay Dennis and Mary Thomas's Dictionary of Embroidery stitches was invaluable.

Total 36 hrs.

Authentication Module 3

2011-04-24T08:15:00.001-07:00

hope this is ok! i am working on the samples for my 3rd assessment piece.

Module 3 Final paperwork

2011-04-01T05:59:00.001-07:00

These are all self explanatory!!! Although the colour range is quite interesting!

Textile artists using Knitting

2011-03-27T07:29:00.001-07:00

i have many articles and books on knitting, in particular Ruth Lee's 'Contemporary Knitting' is a great source of inspiration. i have used some of her techniques in my samples previously posted.
there are a lot of artists using knit at the moment and i found it difficult not to go wild! however i have chosen a few that appeal to the quirky side of me and to their techniques some of which i experimented with in my chapter on knitting. i first came across Susie Freeman i think just after she had graduated when a friend asked me to make her wedding dress using some of Susie's fabric. it was great to be presented with a huge roll of this knitted construction and then realise i had to cut it to go into a 'v' at the centre front waistline!!! anyway it turned out beautifully. i also attended a couple of Knit days at the V&A organised by John Allen, this is where i discovered Nora Fok and Jan Truman. Nora has a touring exhibition on at the moment so do check it out, they are beautiful creations.
Rhian Solomon, Adrienne Sloane
Marie-Rose Lortet i encountered in a book on 'Outsider Art' i believe she is self taught, there is nothing traditional about her work which is why it is so fresh.
thought i had better include some 'outdoor' work in keeping with my graffiti theme.Suzumi noda, Super Blue, Fay McCaul uses fibre optics to knit with.

The Door - proposal for hanging/panel

2011-03-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

i have been monitoring this door for a few years now! it is a back door to my local library where various people 'hang out' and sometimes it smells quite savoury or un!!! initially it started with a few words/splodges etc and gradually layers built up and although it looked a bit of a mess i quite liked it .
although it was random the colours worked and you could work out some of the individual layers.
as a conservator i am quite interested in the idea behind 'how things were made', discovering their history and analysing their materials. with graffiti, layers are often built up, painted over/white washed, and painted over again. so the phrase 'you don't know it but its still there' has stuck in my mind. the council's anti graffiti unit has since made a complete hash of the door by trying to remove the graffiti! so it isn't there anymore!
i started working out some of the letter layers on tracing paper with the intention of building something up, taking samples and embedding them in resin (like analysing paint layers). i love the lettering, individual words and shapes so i am not sure how far to adjust them to my own design or whether i can simply 'borrow' them.
i would use a basic range of colours taken from the door as well as retroflective and phosphorescent threads and use a combination of cotton organdie and cellophane for my semi/transparent layers.
as the graffiti is drawn by hand i want to recreate the colours with a mixture of stencils, sandwiched items and hand stitch, working randomly within the desired shapes.

after many thoughts, ideas and designs i have come up with this. the initial piece would be directly in proportion to the original door and at the moment cut up systematically. although i have also thought of just taking a few samples and leaving the original as a hanging and ending up with 2 pieces. the samples would be laid on their sides and stuck into resin so part sticks out. i would then arrange them as a linked hanging. although i haven't totally got rid of the idea of turning it from a hanging to a panel. thought i would get feedback first.

Chapter 10 Option B 'folded cut lace'

2011-03-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

this option develops the use of stencils to create designs. Using paper folded and cut with shapes various 'doily' designs were created. the shapes i used were letters, arrows and random torn shapes. 'faces' above was based on the wonderful letters i used in the 'edge' chapter. i concertina'd the paper randomly to get a repeat that was not uniform. much to my surprise i created a row of faces which looked quite graffiti like. for this one i used 2 stencils, the background of folded and torn holes. i used spray paint, chalk pastels, markal paint sticks, acrylic paint and a new find 'uni posca' pens which give a brilliant colour. the pink and green lines above. i transferred the cut designs from thin paper to card which was easier to work with.
'letters' above uses 2 stencils and only parts of them. again using the same materials.
'y's' similar to 'letters'
'm' using both positive and negative stencils.
'flower' using 3 stencils randomly placed.
'arrows' not so pleased with this one but it has a certain 1950's look. i used biro to give a more lacy appearance to the arrows.
'grin' was based on an actual doily folded and cut randomly. it was quite difficult to use this as it was very flimsy to stencil over.
i also worked various strips using the stencils, cut pieces from the stencils and the stencils themselves to create stripes. top stripe uses an actual stencil with pieces cut from the doily. next one down another stencil made from 'The Radio Times' and cut outs looped through it. the lower one using just stencils.
this last one shows top created with positive and negative stencils with cutout bits of photos. next one down uses various sizes of arrow both positive and negative and cut outs. i still have a section designing on the computer but that will follow.

Hidden Treasures of Indian Art

2011-03-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

I know Sian has sent an email to all Diploma students, but anyone else out there who is interested. What could be an interesting programme is on BBC2 this Friday 11th March at 9.00pm. Presented by Griff Rhys Jones; he is looking at the textile and embroidery traditions of India.

Chapter 8, Section 3 and exhibitions

2011-02-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

the final part of chapter 8 (think i called it chapter 7 in my last post!!) required taking one of the designs from Part 1 and converting it into 'stitch'. i chose this one.
i decided i wanted to make it light and lacy which was far removed from the original t shirt and the above design. so i took my original adaptation and printed it onto a cotton organdie (a la Maggie Grey method). i decided to concentrate mainly on the 'R's and the swirly bits. each R is made individually using a combination of photo's from the original piece, machine stitch, tissue, cellophane, the paper the organdie was printed onto and plain organdie. each R, except for the organdie ones has a base layer of yellow felt.
the swirly bits are crocheted with a fine wire, looping randomly. the design is followed through by linking the image on the photograph with the original (if that makes sense). all outlines are machine stitched uniformally and the R's stitched together where they overlap with an invisible nylon thread so they look as if they are floating i hope. the whole thing measures 28cm wide and each R is 5.5cm high. as a postscript to this post i wanted to share some exhibition experiences.
in my last post i said i was off to see 'Taking Time, Craft and the Slow Revolution'. i have in fact seen 3 exhibitions recently. when we left the somewhat disappointing slow craft (which i had waited over a year to see)! we found opposite one of the most stimulating exhibitions i have seen in a long while. 'Dominion' by Angela Cockayne at The Peninsula Art Gallery was based around the whale and only 2 textiles in sight! she reminded me of Joseph beuys with her use of fur, wax and resin. i find i am very critical of contemporary textile exhibitions now, also working in a museum i always end up looking at the way things are displayed and presented which can ruin the exhibition for me. the 3rd exhibition was in Bath, '50/50: working in parallel' at the Victoria Art Gallery was a joint exhibition by Cleo Mussi a mosaic artist (who made the above face and Matthew Harris who makes wonderful painterly textiles and whom i chose for one of my textile artists. the work was based around a trip to Japan, a very colourful (Cleo's side) and exciting exhibition but i still enjoyed Angela Cockaynes best.

More SLOW edges

2011-02-11T02:48:00.000-08:00

these seem to have taken ages to do! anyway here goes with examples of edges.
#1 two using a combination of paper and cotton organdie, cutting, folding and looping up in the lower one.
#2 i have been collecting milk bottle tops for ages and wanting to do something with them! they have been folded in half here and 'enclose' the edge. they are attached by a circular die and just held by the cutting (probably not very stable!). the lower one is a knitted zig-zag of silver wire, then folded to enclose the edge and secured with staples (catching both sides of the knitting).
#3 newsprint folded to enclose the edge with holes stamped through and all secured with a scoobie
#4 top one is basically a bound edge of clear plastic with a wire 'spring' threaded through afterwards. Lower one a bound edge enclosing paper twists.
#5 top edge uses a mask to form the letters/squiggles, the organdie then painted, a metal wire chain applied with additional running stitch and sprayed using lolly stick masks! hope that makes sense! the middle one simple wire wrapped around a square shape many times and then opened out and loosely stitched to the edge of some ramie. lower edge composed of 2 layers, organdie and lutrador (sprayed with cap masks), attached paper strips, hand chain stitch and fishing line crochet to attach the dangling caps.
#6 for Christmas i was given a wonderful book 'Just my Type' by Simon Garfield. its a book about fonts, the history of etc. the above 2 edges have use 'Totally Gothic' designed by Zuzana Licko. i loved it as soon as i saw it so there might be overkill! top edge used cut out shapes laid on felt and sprayed in layers with the final edge formed by cutting round the letters. the lower edge also on the same felt uses bits of paper, fabric, cellophane, melted straws etc to layer up applique letters.
#7 top edge made up of 3 layers, lutrador, waxed newspaper and organdie on top. gathered with fishing line, tissue stuck over the ridges and iridescent shapes stitched into the ridges. the lower edge, more sprayed newspaper with cellophane gathered up and melted and stitched to felt.
#8 more letters! top similar to #6 more newspaper and cellophane applied to organdie. the lower edge a combination of stencil and cut organdie.
#9 top edge uses recycled metal, papers, sweet wrappers and net enclosed in acetate all joined together with other bits and stitched to edge of florist cellophane.lower edge based on sketches from my sketchbook, using card, painted organdie, sequins, paper and cellophane.
#10 i took one of the braids i had made for a previous chapter and applied it to some black organdie. the lower edge used layers of tissue and random paint like marks worked with machine stitch.
it occurred to me after working so many edges looking downwards, that they look quite different when turned the other way! i have made cacti!! anyway after my SLOW edges i am treating myself to 'Craft and the Slow Revolution' at Plymouth Museum tomorrow.

Chapter 8 'To the Edge' and beyond! Sounds like Buzz Lightyear!

2011-01-16T04:23:00.000-08:00

Chapter 8 part 1 asks you to choose a piece of textile to cut into 4 and extend the design in any way so it can eventually be made into an 'edge'. i chose, after a lovely saturday visiting the Gloucester Road charity shops in Bristol, a child's T-shirt. i love things that are slightly asymmetrical or quirky so this was ideal. the module says it can be scanned and 'made your own' which i did and as you can see in the last two pictures i have changed it completely.
#1 quite simple using chalk pastels, tissue paper and pen.
#2 using stencils based on the original shapes with paint, chalk and pen.
#3 i turned the image into black and white, playing with the contrast. using quink ink over aquawax stripes with paint and chalk over masks. i was given an electric whizzy 'dymo' for Christmas, so the added stripe is printed with that!!
#4 more adaptation to the original, the extension being worked with chalk, paint on stencils and felt tip. great fun to do! now onwards to some actual edges and possibly some stitch!

Background!!

2011-01-07T03:52:00.001-08:00

Clouds! after some suggestions from Sian i have a wallpaper like background! i made a stencil of a simplified/graffiti like cloud and sprayed it onto a 'pretty' blue painted paper. i thought the black clouds were in keeping with the subject of the finished piece.

Metallic assessment item

2011-01-03T04:26:00.000-08:00

metallic assessment piece finished (?) after hearing Sian's comments on my proposed assessment item using metal/metallics i went back and thought further. Sian suggested possibly thinking of a 2D shape emerging out of the surface into an implied 3D form. after many drawings and ideas i came up with the above, which is still quite 3D but less a brace of birds or dead bird but something more deconstructed and still umbrella like!!! she also suggested i include some stitch!
#1 i started working on the main spokes while thinking, as i knew they were a definite part of the piece. i used 0.15mm thick copper sheet which i could cut with scissors. i enlarged my design to the required size, took a tracing and then applied it to the metal with double sided sellotape and then cut the shape out. this method is very accurate.
#2 some of the 'spokes' were cut in one whilst some were cut in 3 pieces which were then joined through punched holes with silver wire, metal beads and crimps. once the pieces were cut they were flattened and the surface and edges filed.
#3 shows pieces cut but before they were joined and oxidised. i was working along the lines of having a fairly structured piece so i placed them into a piece of polystyrene so they stood upright and it helped to keep them from getting lost!
#4 my original proposal was to use a fine metal mesh for the 'lining' but as i was working on Module 3 knitting i thought that a fine knitted wire worked very well and more in keeping with me! i took the shape found in umbrella linings (a tapering wedge) and worked out a plan on graph paper which i roughly used to knit 8 pieces. 8 being the number of spokes used and the number of notches in the original runner used. after they were knitted they were scrunched up like old umbrella linings and oxidised too. feather-like stitches in a green metallic thread were worked on these pieces.
#5 above shows work in progress
#6 finished piece is a bit like a deconstructed wing. it is very fluid and articulated so can be changed into different shapes. i wanted to have the linking wires working their way back through the spokes and lining pieces, through the runner which was cut in half to give it a 2D appearance and ending in small labels embroidered with the words; umbra, wing, feather, unfold, unfurl, deconstruct, transform and broken. these were in response to the tape that encloses the umbrella when closed. i was originally going to have the piece attached to a backing support to which the labels and runner would be attached. i have tried many colours/ photographs of pavements/newspaper etc but all seem to distract from the piece itself. so i have left it on a cream paper (any suggestions?) i am very pleased with it as it is!
#7,8,9 and 10 all show details of the finished piece. above shows a fine copper tube through which wire links all the pieces together.
#8 i was originally going to make the labels from a punched paper i found in a charity shop but decided instead that metal would work better so i used the punched paper as a template and punched holes in the metal much to my families annoyance!the stitching was also worked in green and silver which is not amazingly visible but is in keeping with iridescent bird wings.
#9 detail of joining
#10 shows a detail of the coarse stitching on the knitted bits.

Time taken so far: 61 hours.
Cost: £9.85

Ho Ho Xmas

2010-12-21T08:56:00.001-08:00

wishing everyone a very merry snowy xmas and productive new year! thank you all for the wonderful comments you have left over the past year too they are really appreciated.

I am a Scavenger - Sketchbook Project

2010-12-18T06:40:00.000-08:00

at last i have finished my sketchbook! the title i chose was 'i am a scavenger' which i thought was quite suitable for me as i'm always scavenging and collecting things. the idea behind the book was to see what i could scavenge from the pavement on my usual route to work from home on a few random days. the idea being that the objects have a past history and now a future. after much deliberation i took all the pages out of the sketchbook as the paper was!!!!!! i will use it for something else. so the first page is a map of my route. i then enlarged the route into a fold out map numbering my finds. i wanted to actually include the objects in the book rather than photographing or drawing them they are enclosed in windows so you can see both sides
all the pages have been scavenged from other things. as well as scavenging objects i also scavenged 'sound graffiti' along the way which i have added to the pages. so here are the pages

i now seem to see glass lenses a lot!

the final entry was collected outside the registry office near my place of work. i hope it was a happy occasion! when and if the sketchbook is borrowed i would like people to add their comments to the pages!!

and yet more! Resolved knitting

2010-12-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

resolved knitted piece with clear perspex rods inserted.
i was recently given the above frames as a present from my very considerate husband, who i think wants to try them out himself! we had seen them in the Argos catalogue not realising when he got them that the largest was 27cm across!!! an ideal excuse to do something large.
so for my resolved knitted piece i chose to work from the above photograph of an obscured shop window but if you look closely you can still see various reflections. i thought the brush strokes lent themselves well to rows of knitting and french knitting in particular.
i chose a basic range of 3 colours, white, black and pink. the 'white' is fishing line in two weights (8lb and 17lb), black was coated wire and a textured cotton yarn and the pink more fishing line (17lb). details were worked with sequins, small rubber rings (row counters) and strips of metal coke can. finally selected areas were dipped in paper pulp. i used the largest frame but fishing line relaxes and doesn't stay put which is why i like using it (it has a life of its own)! the piece measures 23cm long. i found this extremely difficult to photograph and i have to apologise for the erratic numbering system!
#5 shows the tube sitting upright
#2 looking from the top down
#3,6 and 4 are all details. above also looking through the centre
#6 shows the pulp, wire, fishing line and the black cotton
#4 shows the 'tangled' end. i am not 100% sure about this piece although i am very pleased with the technique and materials i used. at the end i inserted some perspex rods to 'tie' it all together although i was wondering what else i could have added like bits of glass or mirror but perhaps that would be too much. will wait and hear!!!

More knitting!

2010-11-28T02:19:00.001-08:00

continuing on from the last post these are the less conventional pieces! #11 was knitted silver wire, knitted plastic bag, the two fused together with a hot iron then cut up and free machined together with water soluble fabric(11cm x 8cm). not sure about the colour; the plastic bag was a beautiful purple/pink but white on the inside.
#12 in true graffiti style i thought of yarn bombing! and french knitting lends itself very well to this. the piece in the middle has been pulled over a twirly whirly drinking straw (22cm long). i've been french knitting with fishing line for a long time mainly for jewelry pieces but the two pieces on the left are experiments, top using paper pulp and the lower adding pieces of cut up metal cans made into 'sequins'. the piece on the right i started as a double sided fabric but gave up as it was rather difficult with the fishing line, so i pulled it off the needles and left it and i love it just as it is!
#13 more paper and shaping. the lower section in home made newspaper yarn and the top in flat paper yarn (9cm x 5cm).
#14 worked on size 20mm needles and worked with a handful of machine threads as one in a large braid with the needle woven through the gaps.
#15 i discovered some stretchy fishing line the other day which i knitted in a 'lace faggot chain' from Mary Thomas and then pinned out. it has potential but is very strong! perhaps stretch elastic might be better but the fluorescent orange caught my eye.
#16 tried some felted knitting with cut out shapes and more melted knitted plastic bag fused onto the reverse. didn't quite turn out as expected although i think it could be thought about further. the colours are good though.
#17 when i was doing my certificate we were each given an item from a charity shop to 'turn into something else' mine was a shirt but that's another story! so i thought it would be interesting to try this idea with a knitted item, cut it up and re knit it. hence the M&S tie above. it had a few moth holes in it so i didn't mind cutting it.
#18 this is what i have so far but probably won't take it any further. its interesting to see how it is retaining the shape of the tie but obviously it can't be used any more!!
thought i would include dear Marilyn even though i knitted her more years ago than i would like to admit! so she's not really part of this chapter but somewhat graffiti like! she's about 47cm high. and so now onwards to the resolved knitted piece which i am working on now.

Chapter 6 'I love Knitting'

2010-11-26T06:41:00.000-08:00

i've decided to split this chapter into a few blogs as i have so many samples i thought i would be a) here all day and b) everyone would be bored rigid or turned to another blog! so here goes installment 1. Chapter 6 is all about construction either knitted or woven. i chose as you can see knitting! the first samples in #1 are quite straightforward. the two on the right using twisted newspaper strips threaded through and paint details added. going clockwise the blue sample has been worked with random holes through which a knitted metal thread 'braid' has been randomly threaded. extra embroidery has been added to the braid. the last sample is knitted paper thread (home made and very therapeutic to do)with paper and threads stuck to the surface.samples all approx 11cm x 9cm.
i have included some detail shots as i am not sure the larger ones are good enough.

#4 top sample based on paint drips and working with double layered fabric (instructions in Ruth Lee's book 'Contemporary knitting for textile artists') the crocheted edge is worked with metal wire so the drips can be manipulated (14cm x 8cm). the lower two have been 'shiboried'. the right one knitted with a pull ring tied in place and sample felted then 'swiss darning' worked only on top where pull ring was. the idea behind the orange sample was to use the shibori technique (with coke bottle top) and then boil it to death which worked wonderfully on something else a while ago where the fibres became slimey and rock solid when dried. but after a couple of hours boiling this one it was still very sound! i think i need some soda crystals. so i just added a led light in the void instead.
#5 these two samples based on slipped stitches reminded me of brick walls. top one worked with paper tape yarn and rolled up dried PVA threaded through the slipped stitches. the lower one has strips of coloured newsprint threaded through (13cm x 9cm).
i love the idea of enclosing things between semi transparent layers so these two samples are based on this with double layered knitting. top one just worked to make tubes and the lower one worked in enclosed pockets.
#7 reverse of pockets.
i love knitting with wire. two of the above with 'swiss darning' worked afterwards. the skirted sample worked to shape and undulate. i have twisted some of the threads to tighten the shaped area. the sample on the lower left is not knitted but just twisted wire interlinked.
#9 detail of twisted wire.
#10 i was trying to think of things to link in to 'graffiti' and thought bead knitting would lend itself very well. these two samples are very tiny (larger one 8cm x 6cm), knitted on size 1 3/4mm needles. i worked out a pattern from my sketchbook on graph paper. the thing to remember with bead knitting is to thread the beads on in the right order otherwise it will be a horrible mess!
apart from Ruth Lee's book i used Mary Thomas's Book of Knitting patterns. more to follow.

I am here honest I am!!!! Stitching away!

2010-11-19T01:16:00.001-08:00

Chapter 5 stitched braids. i have been beavering away but what with visitors, birthday and colds i decided to take a day off work and concentrate on braids. i am determined not to take a year on this module! As usual i have used more paper than textile. the braids in #1 are my 'straight' braids. Using newsprint for the top four, sprayed and masked, the top two and fourth before i worked them and the third one after. the decoration on the fourth one are gun caps courtesy of my son, they look much better for decorative use than the noise they produce from the gun! they have been used as a mask on the top one. fifth one down worked with printed calico and the lower one with tufts of paper and textile on cellophane. All measure approx. 20cm long.
#2 detail
#3 still straight braids. as i have been knitting at the same time i worked the top braid in metal wire and then threaded hand embroidered paper through the links. the next two are worked on thin strips of beer can. the first with twisted wire giving edge decoration and fibres (taken from organza used in braid from # 7). the plainer one has been wrapped with paper and more twisted wire. the final one and the close up in #4 is worked using parcel cords (i am sure they have a name).
the central braid was made with lots of fluorescent fibres stitched onto organdie. the 3 braids have been anchored together to make a thicker braid but it could be continued for a whole fabric!
#5 instead of using water soluble fabric i used layers of tissue and other leftover pieces.
#6 based on graffiti lettering and worked through used baking parchment and newsprint.
#7 wrapped frame braids. i made a frame from cardboard and cut the end off to remove them. top one not stitched but stapled! newsprint with fine ribbon and fibres. second one worked with printed organza that has been frayed and various coloured bits secured with machine stitching. last one wire, cut up crisp packet and cellophane. could make a whole load for Christmas!
#8 i then moved onto shapes linked by braid. top one self explanatory? last one is upside down but uses the letters Q, R and S believe it or not on a simple french knitted braid (worked in Gutterman thread).
# 8.1 using 'A's. think i would like to work a whole word or sentence but it is quite difficult devising alphabets with a 'loop' in every letter but i am thinking.
#9,9.1 and 10 all show some of the braids presented on the backgrounds i made in the last chapter.

i did wonder as i was making these whether some would be better in the chapter to come on edges but i quite like non-uniform structures! Chapter 6 to follow soon

Chapter 4 stencilled designs

2010-10-22T08:05:00.001-07:00

for this chapter i used cut and folded strips to use as 'masks' to colour fabric and of course some paper too! i used a mix of freezer paper and sugar paper.
#1 was worked on a piece of ramie i had painted with fabric paint and then used Markal paint sticks which the more i use the more i love them, although sitting here at the computer i am feeling slightly sick from the smell of oil paint! Sian suggested using the masks and then displacing them, which i have done.
#2 i was interested to see how the Markal would work on wool. this is a thick wool flannel and i am pleased with the simple effect achieved, it looks a bit like spray paint .
#3 is worked on cotton organdie, again painted with fabric paints in simple brush strokes so the white cloth is still visible between the two different stencils used.
#4 both worked on newspaper, one coloured and the other plain.
#5 i was looking at papers to re-use and came across a sheet from an exhibition i had seen in the summer and hated, so hopefully something good came out of it but i think i might have messed it up with the orange varnish brushstrokes! i was trying to include a jarring colour as everything alse seems very harmonius.
#6 two green papers, again worked on exhibition leaflets. i really like the simpler one! whilst looking out my papers a thought came into my head that i possibly need never buy any paper ever again as i am forever picking up leaflets etc. which could be reused more usefully than putting in the recycling tub(see the previous post!).
#7 the remains of my 'masks' which i think i might utilise in the next chapter of making braids.

Material Actions Exhibition and Seminar

2010-10-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

i recently attended a day seminar at Plymouth College of Art on the exhibition 'Material Actions'. the exhibition was developed by the college and Textile Forum South West and at the time was on show at the college before it travels to CCANW (Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World). the artists selected for the exhibition represented 'different approaches to questioning how textiles are used to affect and contribute to ethical, social, cultural and environmental change'.
the day consisted of talks by 4 of the exhibitors, Emma Neuberg, Charlotte Squire, Jonnet Middleton and Lucy Brown.
it was a fascinating day and addressed some of the issues of recycling or rather 'upcycling' that is dear to my heart, although i won't go as far as Jonnet's manifesto never to buy any new clothes ever again!!
Emma Neuberg talked mainly about the use of plastic in her work and her blogs are well worth a visit. Charlotte Squire discussed her work 'so far' as she feels it is continually evolving, from her initial work in fashion to her 'lampshade forms' saying that 'I think in a climate of uncertainty that flexibility is a necessary strategy for survival'. lucy Brown showed her work and method of construction, by deconstructing items of underwear and re-weaving them into 'abstract' shapes, exploring their unknown histories. Jonnet Middleton was a breath of fresh air with her Unity Panda experiment in 'social media aesthetics' by creating a community to knit 100 panda's to send to china.
my main disappointment was that both Emma and Lucy's works were at least 10 years old and i am sure there are many textile artists out there with more recent work addressing these questions.
Do go and see the exhibition if you can. 27th November 2010 - 27th February 2011

Ally Pally again and so soon

2010-10-15T04:04:00.001-07:00

a whole year came around very quickly and I wasn't going to go this year but fairly near the last minute changed my mind.
the first stall i saw was Ruth lee of 'Contemporary Knitting for textile artists' fame which was something of a coincidence as the other night i had sat down with said book on my lap trying to figure out double sided knitting (i have chosen the knitting option in Module 3 which i have started while sitting in front of tv at night). i have never seen her before and obviously missed her last year if she was at AP!

The highlight of the show, apart from my stash of goodies above (half of the Habu stall!) were 3 very small textiles by Elisabeth Rutt in the 'Hue' display, absolutely amazing. one shown above, i hope she doesn't mind me including it in this post but it was one of those momentous epiphanies!!!

It was great seeing Madeleine Millington (my tutor for the certificate), Ruth demonstrating and Jen from Ferinbroidery, to whom i had to confess that the large stitches on canvas in my last post were actually Sian's idea!

the 'World Paper Exhibition' and the knitted Textile Awards (its amazing what you can do with Lego and cable ties! were also very inspirational, so onwards and upwards and better get down to Chapter 4 with the Markal paintsticks shown above.

Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 more braids and paper!

2010-10-02T07:47:00.001-07:00

Chapter 2 is developing work from research into braids by working enlarged stitches on rug canvas for use as printing blocks. the top 'block' was worked with braid stitch in thick paper yarn and the lower two, plaited braid stitch and ladder stitch with string.
i printed using mainly metallic fabric paint on ramie (bottom right), organza (top right), newspaper (top left) and some kind of paper that came wrapped around a bunch of flowers.
i used scoobies to make braid samples. from left to right are 'square knot macrame braid', Josephine or true lovers knot, french sennit, common sennit and english or flat sennit. i have a wonderful book called 'knots, splices and fancy work' by C.L.Spencer (printed in 1934) which i used for most of the instructions.
Chapter 3 asked for exploration of paper braids. luckily we have a huge bag of paper which has been shredded! and photo 4 shows braids made by weaving some of these paper strips (each about half a centimetre wide). the one at the bottom nearest to the 4 is a random 'weave' reminding me of barbed wire. i sort of missed out the open structures do i NEED to do them?!
Shaped bands in the next 3 photos i could have continued doing for ages, i really enjoyed this. in my research of Tudor strapwork i looked closely at Arabic influences and in particular lettering which i would like to investigate further hence the pointy bits in these cut and folded bands.all about 20cm wide.
photo 5 and 6 shows combinations of two bands woven in and out using japanese paper printed with photoshoped graffiti patterns.
#7 combines 3 bands together.
the final photos show the use of single hollow paper shapes linked together with paper strips.all these pieces are about 10cm wide.
left in photo 9 and that in 10 are also influenced by Arabic lettering.

#11 uses the ampersand which is something like a knot in itself.
finally more letters!

It seems an awful long time in producing this! Module 3 Chapter 1

2010-09-25T03:16:00.000-07:00

Strapwork - I have really enjoyed researching this subject, something I have never studied before or even thought I was interested in! But it has been fascinating. I looked at the obvious things first such as costume and as you can see I have taken it chronologically. I was going to separate the men from the women but in the end mixed them together. It is interesting to see the progression of the designs and also Henry and Elizabeth.
I left many of the images whole as they are such wonderful examples of the whole image.
Hope you can understand my writing! I probably took this too far in as much as I copied Queen Elizabeth's hand although somewhat squatter.

Note the lovely E R on the cushion in the above portrait
I became fascinated by armour and also this wonderful little jewel above from Torre Abbey in Devon.
Then a friend said did I know about Exeter Communion Cups - NO! but I do now. We are lucky in Exeter with St. Nicholas Priory which was turned into a Tudor home and has recently been refurbished in Tudor style. I was able to see an example of this silver and draw the design.
Tudor lettering and illumination was also a rich source for study.
then there was the influence of carpets!
and Spain.
I looked at domestic textiles and Blackwork separately.

I am interested in Ceylon stitch which I found on this coif above. Would it have been called that in Tudor times? I have to admit I never want to do these stitches EVER again! I was almost in tears till I discovered PIN TANGLE and two great videos showing me Plaited Braid stitch.

Now i have posted this I feel I am getting somewhere!

Back at last!

2010-09-03T03:10:00.001-07:00

it seems a long time since my last blog entry but i am back now and ready to go!!! so before any new course work blogs, thought i would share a few Edinburgh notes. new find for us on the streets of Edinburgh and it tied in with my recent study of faces! these stickers are by Sam Knest an australian. he also did some monumental faces which i am sure i took a photo of but can't seem to find, anyway he has a blog with some awesome faces on.
also this little chap!!
as usual we went to numerous exhibitions! 'Another World' Surrealists at the Dean Gallery which i am ashamed to say above child found boring (sooner he goes back to school the better!), Joan Mitchell at the Botanical gardens which he related to better, Atsuo Okamoto at the Corn Exchange (one of my favourites),Craigie Aicheson and Martin Creed to name but a very few. Martin Creed at the Fruitmarket Gallery was quite amusing and one that my son did find interesting. there were musical stairs and a wonderful lift, which had to be re-booted every so often because so many people were using it to hear the tonal installation.
the main reason we went up earlier was to catch the '62 Group' exhibition 'Bending the Line'at the Collins Gallery in Glasgow - I WENT BY MYSELF!!!! it was great i had a chance to really absorb work by people i had seen in photos but not in the thread (or not in some cases). Sian had a piece that she had talked about at Summer School but there were also pieces by Hannah Streefkerk who repairs nature and Jan Miller whose installation i loved. Unfortunately i found the lighting a bit dull in places (rich coming from a textile conservator!) but nevertheless a great exhibition.

Yesterday i caught up with another Collins Gallery exhibition 'Sashiko' at Plymouth Museum. Do go its really comprehensive and such wonderful textiles but only until I think till the end of this month.

A Study in Black and White

2010-08-11T02:42:00.001-07:00

to mark my 70th posting i thought i would keep it all in black and white NO colour!
my son is at his happiest when he is either watching incredibly horrible and gory films or painting his Warhammer figures. being a responsible mum i get the job of spraying the undercoat onto the models. we often end up with some amazing patterns on the board or newspaper where they are sprayed, hence these two pictures and my new heading.
the one below was from summer school and one i left without colour
perhaps i am subconsciously thinking about blackwork in anticipation of Module 3

The Lady from Del Monte she say yes!

2010-07-31T02:28:00.000-07:00

whilst waiting for feedback from Sian i thought i would finish off a piece i had started at Urchfont. i cut it up, cut bits out and inserted new 'frills' of paper and organdie and one of my all time favourites paper 'string' which is great to make.
i then applied these to a japanese tissue and made it undulate! hoping to take it outside sometime for a photo shoot!
Meanwhile Sian has said ok to my initial thoughts for the next resolved item so watch this space and hope she doesn't mind being associated with orange juice! i am having a break over the summer to concentrate on my 'Sketchbook Project' sketchbook and hope to see Sian's (62 Group) exhibition in Glasgow. Happy Hols everyone.

Metallic assessment item (Proposal)

2010-07-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Thought i would try and get some feed back before the summer holidays on the metallic assessment piece which in my module is Chapter 10 but really its Chapter 14! An 'item' of my choice mainly of metallic materials. I have in my possession a collection of umbrella bits that have never been used and i have always wanted to use them for something so this was my first choice when approaching this proposal. Initially i looked at umbrellas and 'dead' or broken umbrellas.
looking at umbrellas it appeared to me that the ribs are very much like bird wing skeletons and Tom Waits sang of 'broken umbrellas like dead birds'.
so i started looking at dead birds/ wings etc.
as part of my face study i drew numerous overlapping faces and then filled in the voids which i really liked and hoped to use at some point. after seeing Sian at Urchfont i realised how much these shapes echoed the bird wing shapes.
i then started playing around with these shapes, drawing various ideas.
image 6 shows some of the metal pieces and card cut outs of the face shapes.
thought i ought to mock up some shapes. 7 with the 'wings' closed.
8 with some of the 'wings' open like 'dead' umbrellas. the wing on the right is jointed which i might explore further.
i then thought about a book i was reading, Paul Auster's 'New York Trilogy' where the language of words was explored, citing an umbrella and whether it can still be called an umbrella once it is broken and can no longer function (sorry if this is too deep)! 'it has changed into something else'. i then started thinking of how umbrellas are stored and i usually hang mine (which is almost broken) on a door handle. then thinking of dead birds, i would like to make a 'brace of umbrella birds'. i intend to make the 'wings' from copper sheet, cut and oxidised black. i want to also use very fine copper mesh which pleats and crinkles like umbrella lining. tape ties would have relevant phrases embroidered on them and they would be hung in some way. i still need to work out exactly how and where to include the mesh which might have a degraded appearance. what do you think?

Textile artist profiles (or not!)

2010-07-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

for my two textile artists i have chosen unconventional artists. the first El Anatsui because he uses metal and found metal at that. He also proves that you can create something of great beauty with a simple group of materials. here are two great videos of him and his work. One installing 'Between Earth and Heaven' at the Met and at the Rice Gallery in Houston.

my second choice is Maurizio Anzeri who i have just discovered and who is still quite 'new'. i chose him because he embroiders photographs (which i like to do too)and quite disturbing ones at that!

Finishing faces and resolved sample

2010-07-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

For the final part of Chapter 12 i did some self portraits. Sian has seen some of these but i thought i would share with my fellow students. drawing with a candle and without looking at the page, could be disastrous but i quite liked what i came up with!
after about 6 pages of these i got a bit bored and started making faces! the page was then washed with colour and the faces worked into with paint, chalk and pen.
then various images were cut in half and mixed up, oh i have often thought i had a split personality and now i know!
looks like i have 2 mouths on the above one.
then i started playing with torn parts of the face and the next 2 (blue and red) were playing with words relating to the torn piece, such as old blue eyes, eye contact and risk phrases (R36)
'lips' with words such as botox and ruby etc.
Sian had suggested i embellished some magazine adverts but i found the following two photos, one of marilyn monroe and samuel beckett, who i thought looked great with blue hair!
i decided to make my own advert for which i must apologise profusely to Grayson Perry(who i hasten to add i love very much)and mean no disrespect to him but it was such a great image.
Chapter 13, Resolved sample
i chose for my resolved sample the previous image of 'lips'. i played around with photoshop and solarised the image.
i worked mainly in paper! and decided to lay the image on a bed of sequins, i thought the solarised colours lent themselves to the richness of the sequins which i couched down with fishing line. various letters were made from drinks cans, metal sheet and shi-sha. I used metallic threads and machine embroidery on hand made paper and tissue, transfoils were used to highlight areas and the lips(after much trial and error) were made from a lager can. The whole measures 19cm x 10cm and it took 20 hours. hoping this is ok!

the answer is blowing in the wind

2010-07-08T11:52:00.001-07:00

i, like many of the Distant Stitch stitchers or should i say printers have just got back from Summer School at Urchfont Manor in Wiltshire. i had a wonderful time meeting lots of people i only knew previously from their blogs. anyway this blog entry shows one of the products of the 2 and 1/2 days 'in situ' around the amazing gardens.
colour was the main theme of the workshop after an initial day of working in
black and white!
waiting for me when i got home was my SKETCHBOOK from the Art House Gallery and the Sketchbook project (see previous posting). the title i have chosen is 'i am a scavenger' which i thought was in keeping with my research of graffiti. can't wait to get going sometime. but meanwhile i need to speed up on Module 2!!!! and will post more later

The Sketchbook Project: 2011 » Art House Co-op | We build art projects and communities

2010-07-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Sketchbook Project: 2011 » Art House Co-op | We build art projects and communities

Ventosa Siamesis

2010-06-27T08:02:00.001-07:00

well to say it was hot is an understatement and what i really wanted to do was sit under a tree with a nice long cold gin and tonic or something equally cool! However we suffer for our art and headed to Exmouth beach: so did everyone else!
as in a previous blog i had mentioned Theo Jansen's Strandbeests (beach animals) and the fact he was showing one at Exmouth this June.
it took him almost 2 years to make this 'skeleton', which as he explained is in fact 2 joined together, hence the name Siamesis.
he also explained (above) that they are constructed from plastic tubes and plastic bottles which store energy from the wind in the form of compressed air and then are pumped up by the wind powered wings.
the wings are amazing,the sails expand and they then move around in the wind, much like the cape worn by one of the 'scissor sisters's singers at Glastonbury last night! i wish i could have recorded the noise the creaking plastic and the movement the wings made, somewhat boat like and mesmerizing. i wanted to be transported to a desert island , under my tree again (oh and yes of course with the gin)!!
this looks like some sort of backbone.
the only problem with Exmouth was that it didn't like our 'fluffy' sand! its feet are quite small and there wasn't enough wind so they had to resort to a compressor!
there was also a smaller beast you could try moving for yourself. this is my son moving far too fast to be captured by a decent camera shot! i still think they lend themselves best to deserted wintry beaches (with hard sand) but it was great to see one in the 'flesh/plastic'!