Module 4 chapter 9 Section C

Umm - these videos were supposed to be much further down the post but somehow they have ended up here as well.  I have no idea why and now I can neither delete nor move them, which rather spoils my layout, but I can't face doing the whole post again.  I just hope they work  - please let me know if they don't.

Exercise 1 - using a simple shape to make a series of 3d shapes.  I started with a set of squares torn from watercolour paper and folded them in sequence.  Photo 1 shows the way they were folded, photo 2 is one way of arranging them and photo 3 is the final choice with the pieces tied together - I omitted the last one as it didn't seem to fit in.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Exercise 2 Graded positive and negative shapes. Photo 4 shows the cut shapes, which I repeated many times.

Photo 4

Photo 5 - the chunky shape curved by gentle rubbing and speared on a dowel in a spiral.

Photo 5

Photo 6 - another view with stronger shadows.

Photo 6

Photo 7 - the skinny shape spiralling on a dowel - I took it outside to get stronger shadows which adds an extra layer.  Photo 8 is included so you can see from a different angle how is spirals round along 3 or 4 inches of the doweland how the short and long ends create patterns.

photo 7

Photo 8

 When I was trying to photograph this one from above, it wouldn't keep still until I stuck it in the ground.  However, as you know I love to have things moving and watching kinetic sculptures*, so I took a short video to see the effect - this could be fun with colour effects or with some kind of background that is glimpsed as it turns (back on animations and cogs again).

Exercise 3 Using colour and 3d shapes.  For this exercise, I returned to the petal shape and used two photocopies of painted papers stuck together. Photo 9 shows the shape simply slotted together.

Photo 9

 Photo 10 a more interesting arrangement - it puts me in mind of dancers practising at the barre.

Photo 10

Again, a short video to show how it looks from different angles and the effect of the colours moving around.

*you can see some here and here.

Module 4 chapter 9 section B Ex 2

Using the same shape and colours as before in this chapter but with water soluble crayons to explore the negative space. Just changing the medium gives a very different effect even though the designs are similar to the earlier exercises.

Photo 1 from left to right - running the crayons off the edge of parts of the stencil then moving and repeating, leaving a series of incomplete shapes; colouring around the stencils then washing with water to blend the colours and let them spread into the spaces; as before but washing with the stencil in place so the edges are softened but the white space retained.  

Photo 1

Photo 2

 Photo 2 - left and also photo 3 -replacing cut shapes slightly offset.  Photo 2 right, I placed the coloured cut shapes on the background and used a wet brush to sweep colour over the edge, then moved the shape and repeated. 

Photo 3

Of these, my favourites are the two that just use outlines (left in photo 1 and right in photo 2).  I like the delicacy of them both, contrasting with the strong shapes and colours in exercise 1, and the first in particular would translate easily to stitch.

Summer School 2011

I' m having one of my periodic catch up days so this will be the first of several posts - hopefully in the right order!

Going back to Urchfont Manor, it is as if we have never been away, it is such a wonderful few days.  This year we split into two groups, some working with Jan Evans and I was with Mary Sleigh, learning about textiles from Africa.  Mary shared her knowledge of the materials, the stitches and the people who make them and then we each spent time closely studying an item chosen from her collection.  This led on to stitching samples using aspects of the style but making it relevant to us as individuals.

A strong feature of the cloth I looked at were the hems turned to the right side and the piece was made from joined squares of raffia so I reflected this in the samples and used the stitches Mary had shown us for joining and hemming. I also incorporated the idea of using what is to hand - in this case the random items that live in my sewing box - so you can see a hook and eye as decoration and cut up fragments of bobbin lace (samples I made years ago) and paper.

Sections for the final strip before assembling

The final strip on the left and small samples on the right.

Module 4 Chapter 9 Section A Exercise 3 again

Something odd has been happening with these photos so I have re-posted them in the hope that this time they will enlarge for a closer look.

Module 4 Chapter 9 Section B

Exercise 1
The shape I chose to use is taken from the petals of the flower photos used earlier in this module - I cut  out templates in graduated sizes. Image 1   - looking at just the shape by arranging the templates.

Image 11

Arranging cut out shapes on contrasting backgrounds - images 12 and 13, both A5 size.  Image 12 has turned into a bird, image 13 could do with more contrast to show the shapes more clearly.

Image 12

Image 13

 Combining cut outs with negative shapes on different backgrounds - images 14 and 15.

Image 14

Image 15

Image 15 also show some arrangements on copies of the tonal paper.

Module 4 Chapter 9 Section A - part 2

I was going to put this section all in one post but last night I was having trouble uploading and arranging photos so I have split it up.  So carrying on from the last post -

These are the two arrangments on backgrounds that I decided to keep.  Image 6 slightly art deco/skyscraper shapes against swirling colour and image 7 which is a much brighter green than it looks here.

Image 6

Image 7

Exercise 3

Image 8

  Using the green in the centre I gradually added white at one end and black at the other, then cut a couple of thin strips from the edges and played with rearranging them and adding scraps from the earlier exercises (I have left this photo full size so you can enlarge by clicking on it).

Image 9

Just reversing the strip (bottom left corner) was too harsh so I experimented with using parts and  moving them part way along.  I found the dark end was too dominant and heavy, and the arrangements that work best are ones where it is lightened, especially when some of the scraps of violet shapes are included.  Image 10 is my favourite, it has drama with the upward movement and colours but a satisfying symmetry.  I could see this as a very large, lightweight hanging.

Image 10

Module 4 chapter 9 Section A - part 1

Image 1

Section A Exercise 1
For these exercises, I worked with two colours of acrylic paint - quincridone violet and pthalo green. Image 1 shows the range of colours from mixing the two and image 2 is a combination of photos showing various ways I tried of combining colours.

Image 2

Image 3 below shows the final choices pinned on a board.

Image 3

I particularly like the stormy blue/greens in this colour scheme, although they haven't photographed well, and the calmness of the composition top left in image 3.   I think the pair in the centre of the top row of image 3 could be the start point for a hanging  (it isn't very clear but the top and bottom sections are different colours) and I like the  "cityscape" on the bottom left.  I cheated a bit with these last two and added some silver lines to give them a bit more definition.
Exercise 2

I used the same paints to make some backgrounds on A4 sheets, using sponges to mix the colours freely on the paper in contrast to the rectilinear blocks of colour from exercise 1.  I played with lots of combinations of the torn papers on backgrounds, shown in image 4, and then selected two to keep.

Image 4

Chelsea Flower Show

My DH had a big birthday this year, and one of his presents was a trip to Chelsea Flower Show and since it's no fun on your own, I got to go too.

Some of the inspiring gardens..

These boxes provide habitats for insects etc

I took this photo to get the name of the flowers but I love the display too

I've never had much interest in floristry but these displays were stunning. 

This tree was built from sections of driftwood and filled with cut flowers and recyled items.

Can you see the teabags in this picture?

And the bottles in this one?

Fabric Samples

Quick update - I now have samples of the fabric designs I uploaded to Spoonflower.  The massed flower heads have come out a little more orange than I anticipated and looking closely, I can see where the repeat could do with finetuning but is is rather fun.

Drawing v Photography

I love the internet! I accidentally hit the Stumble! button on my browser when I was trying to go back one page, and it took me to this wonderful blog post about an artist called Ben Heine who combines drawings with photographs in a creative and amusing way.

Origami

A little diversion - relax and enjoy this delightful video of origami unfolding in water.

Flottille (detail) from Etienne Cliquet on Vimeo.

Module 4 Chapter 8

For this chapter, I have made a few samples of slips created from digital images.  I decided to use two methods - printing onto printer-ready fabrics and using Ario transfer paper.
I started with one of my flower drawings from an earlier chapter and tried combining lots of copies, coming up with the image in photo 1.

Photo 1

 I printed this onto cotton  - it came out in lovely clear colours but didn't seem to lend itself to being cut up for slips.  I liked it so much as a piece of fabric that I reworked the image into a pattern repeat, uploaded it to Spoonflower for printing and ordered a sample.  It will be a couple of weeks before it arrives but I am hoping it will be a cheerful summer print.

 

Photo 2

Photo 2 Here I used single copies of the flower printed onto silk which gives much more faded colours.  I found that the act of cutting them out gave a hard edge that I thought spoilt the drawing so  I tried to overcome this. On the left, I have free machined  over the slip colouring in the flower and going over the edge.  On the right, I used an embellisher to attach and distress the flowers.  The background for both samples are some embellisher samples from my collection.  I chose these to suggest flowers on a trellis or stake, continuing the theme from some of the chapter 5 samples.

Photo 3 For the next two samples, I used as backgrounds some monoprints I made last summer  (featured in this blog post).  2p coin in the corner for scale.

Photo 3

 Some of the flower head images from earlier work printed onto transfer paper and ironed onto scraps of printed fabric which were then stitched onto a printed silk background - I thought the pattern reminiscent of a winding path and trellis.  I added a few painted details to the flowers after transferring.

Photo 4

Photo 4

 For this one, I thought it would be fun to combine the 'flowers on a trellis' theme with my course theme of 'machinery and industrial landscape.'  I printed small copies of one of my pylon photos from module 1 and transferred them onto more monoprinted scraps.  The stitching they are trapped in is layers of a digitised version of the same photo - something I had played with a while ago but not used.  Photo 5 is a close up to show the stitching more clearly.

Photo 5

Photo 6 Back to flowers - this time using unaltered photos.  The flower head is double-sided - on the outside rose petals and inside the unidentified flower I used in chapter 3.  I transferred the images onto some stiff fabric that can be manipulated when wet and retains it shape, then bonded them together and moulded the shape over a fingertip.  Underneath is the same image transferred onto a drinks can - it came out indistinctly but I liked the grungy effect enough to keep it.  I mounted the two pieces onto some mulberry bark and a dressmaking remnant backed with pelmet vilene, and stitched them down with french knots.

 

Photo 6

  Photo 7 is a sideways on shot to show the outside of the flower.