Ta Da

i can't say this has been easy but here it is!

 

It is finished!

this is really an interim report before the final placing of my textile. after talking to Siân at Summer School i came away rethinking the 'site specific' bit, thinking exactly what i wanted to portray with the piece. it dawned on me that what i was really getting at was the fact Skypeing is an enclosed activity so in order for my piece to work it could be placed anywhere.

so to bring you up to date with my production process.....

i rethought the method for display, i really liked the net idea but made a sample which was simpler like a wire fence structure.

i worked out the size i wanted and drew a grid onto newspaper joining the paper where necessary. i wanted the top and lower edges to be re-enforced so i added a strip of Lutrador. i was still going for a long thin 'tape' like shape.
once finished i gently soaked a bit at a time removing the newsprint and hung it to dry.

i rolled it on a roller to keep it straight - deciding to revisit this technique sometime as i quite liked it with the newsprint colours.

i then sprayed the 'net' with Warhammer Chaos black spray paint a bit at a time. above shows the net with only one side sprayed, something else i might revisit.

i attached the windmills with fishing line placing them in a regular pattern. i decided that the windmills didn't need to move independently, the fact that they are possibly moving all together when placed outside is enough.

i wanted to keep it simple and i feel i have achieved this! i attached perspex rods to either end to stabilise and keep the edges straight. i am hoping this is to be displayed soon so my fixing mechanism can work wherever the item goes.

i took it outside to see how it would react en mass, firstly laying it on a path in my garden. the path behind does distract from windmills so when placing it i feel it needs a paler backing to be suspended to keep the lightness visible

i then draped it from a windowsill where i could see how it worked with the breeze. i finally attached it to my washing line and made a short video but i now need to convert the MP4 into something that i can easily attach the sound recording to and upload easily! so watch this space.

as it is still summer holidays and it might be displayed somewhere in October i am going to wait till November to take it out and about to photograph it in various situ's. i will take it to the beach but i now feel it might work best in an urban environment but the video will i hope be the final outcome.  

Plodding on

continuing to make the rest of my windmills. all 64 have been made, they just need to finish the actual construction now!

it takes time cutting them out, not to mention the stitching together in the first place and then removing the excess tissue from the back but i am pleased with what i have achieved so far.

i have found a way to stiffen them without adding wire to the outside. once they have been constructed i paint the tissue side with a liquid resin, it makes the colours more intense and stiffens them at the same time. will show that later. 

Oh the windmills of my mind

i have started making windmills working out that it is probably best to make several in a strip before separating them. before starting this i saved the recording to use at a later date. i can get 10 in a strip and so far i have made 4 so only 2 more to go but i did decide to do this for myself didn't i?

attaching the tape to the Lutrador is quite therapeutic i tell myself.

i have used different words to secure all the layers together. this one says 'silent words'

i have chosen various colours of tissue paper to attach the strips to keeping them quite bright and seasidy.

so onward, need to have something to show at Summer School......


 

Addendum to last post

having posted my ideas i went away and had more thoughts!

windmill behind linen thread net

 i was wondering whether this net was too coarse looking and although i would dye/paint it to be more in keeping i still wanted to investigate a more transparent net.
i decided to try machine stitching a grid with clear nylon thread using newspaper as a support which i would then wash out after.

finished net sample

 i am really pleased with this but realise it is not hugely original and quite delicate so wonder how it might stand up to a windy beach? 

sample details together

 is it also too similar a technique to the windmill? Ideas anyone?