Memories in Black and White (referencing Dennis Smith and Henry Moore)
30 December 2014
I'm just about to wrap this up as a Christmas present.
But I don't think I ever showed you the finished article. So before I wrap it up I thought I should share it with you.
But I don't think I ever showed you the finished article. So before I wrap it up I thought I should share it with you.
This has been a long time in the making. I am sure you know how it is. You start something full of good intentions to progress quickly, but then stuff happens! Work (Paid employment!), life, more art, other ideas - you know, just stuff (and lack of discipline!) So those good intentions fell by the wayside.
This began a good couple of years ago. There was a prompt to enter journal quilts into an exhibition (I forget where and who was running it) and the theme was Memories in Black and White.
I was fiddling about with an image from my childhood.
My father was a very good amateur artist. Had he come from a more middle class background I am sure he would have gone to art school, but for his generation and someone from his background, that was never going to happen.
So a bit later on, when we lived in Leicester in the early 1960s he went to evening school. I remember lots of pots and jugs very much in the style of the day, but his major piece is a large sculpture we lovingly called 'Fred and Mabel', but I have no idea why.
It hangs on my parents garden wall to this day, peeping out from behind the ivy.
It was a technically challenging piece to make. He had to make a clay sculpture first, I think (I never saw that), from which he cast a concrete mold (like an enormous jelly mold) which was huge and heavy. From that he made the final piece, layering up fiberglass with a resin 'glue'. Once set the concrete was broken away and the final, and very light, piece was revealed.
It was initially painted quite a bright bronze, but now it has faded to a more metallic brownish colour. And the fibre glass does need some repairs too. It is coming up to 50 years old. I think he finished it in about 1965 or 1966 (we cannot ask him now as he is suffering from dementia and must be in the final stages I think).
You can see the Henry Moore influence I think. Dad was a huge fan.
So, having started this piece a while ago, but never really finishing it, I got cracking this year and with a bit of an effort managed it in time for Christmas. I gave it to Mum and Dad as a Christmas Present. I am not sure if Mum appreciated it really (Dad certainly didn't - or not obviously) but as an image it means a great deal to me. So I hope they can enjoy it.
The technique was quite simple. The background is tissue bonded to calico with a PVA water mix, and while still wet sprinkled with black Brusho Powdered inks .
Although 'back' the powder is a mix of colours and the effect when spinkled dry onto wet is just lovely. There's a good tutorial here.
Silver highlights were added with foil and bondaweb.
The actual image was mono printed onto lutrador (the finest weave) and then stitched onto the background and the ivy leaves are painted nylon (just acrylic paint in green and yellow) and then stitched with water soluble film so hold them in place while stitching. The leaves were then in part stitched and stuck onto the back ground.
I played about with a few ideas before settling on the lutrador. I chose this because it is very subtle and I wanted to convey the concept of faded memories really.
I love this piece, both the technique and the subject matter. I have other ideas running around in my head, but oh so little time!!
(ps that while line in the picture is a reflection on the blooming glass. I really need to learn how to take decent photos!)
This began a good couple of years ago. There was a prompt to enter journal quilts into an exhibition (I forget where and who was running it) and the theme was Memories in Black and White.
I was fiddling about with an image from my childhood.
My father was a very good amateur artist. Had he come from a more middle class background I am sure he would have gone to art school, but for his generation and someone from his background, that was never going to happen.
So a bit later on, when we lived in Leicester in the early 1960s he went to evening school. I remember lots of pots and jugs very much in the style of the day, but his major piece is a large sculpture we lovingly called 'Fred and Mabel', but I have no idea why.
It hangs on my parents garden wall to this day, peeping out from behind the ivy.
It was a technically challenging piece to make. He had to make a clay sculpture first, I think (I never saw that), from which he cast a concrete mold (like an enormous jelly mold) which was huge and heavy. From that he made the final piece, layering up fiberglass with a resin 'glue'. Once set the concrete was broken away and the final, and very light, piece was revealed.
It was initially painted quite a bright bronze, but now it has faded to a more metallic brownish colour. And the fibre glass does need some repairs too. It is coming up to 50 years old. I think he finished it in about 1965 or 1966 (we cannot ask him now as he is suffering from dementia and must be in the final stages I think).
You can see the Henry Moore influence I think. Dad was a huge fan.
So, having started this piece a while ago, but never really finishing it, I got cracking this year and with a bit of an effort managed it in time for Christmas. I gave it to Mum and Dad as a Christmas Present. I am not sure if Mum appreciated it really (Dad certainly didn't - or not obviously) but as an image it means a great deal to me. So I hope they can enjoy it.
The technique was quite simple. The background is tissue bonded to calico with a PVA water mix, and while still wet sprinkled with black Brusho Powdered inks .
Although 'back' the powder is a mix of colours and the effect when spinkled dry onto wet is just lovely. There's a good tutorial here.
Silver highlights were added with foil and bondaweb.
The actual image was mono printed onto lutrador (the finest weave) and then stitched onto the background and the ivy leaves are painted nylon (just acrylic paint in green and yellow) and then stitched with water soluble film so hold them in place while stitching. The leaves were then in part stitched and stuck onto the back ground.
I played about with a few ideas before settling on the lutrador. I chose this because it is very subtle and I wanted to convey the concept of faded memories really.
I love this piece, both the technique and the subject matter. I have other ideas running around in my head, but oh so little time!!
(ps that while line in the picture is a reflection on the blooming glass. I really need to learn how to take decent photos!)
A Celebration Of Artists and Makers
16 December 2014
I think I have just discovered a new collective noun!!
In my last post I told you about this years workshop sale, the annual retail jamboree in South East London when I go and help my friends Rob and Andy.
Well, that same weekend was the Camberwell Open House event- where a number of artist/makers throw open their doors and welcome in the adoring public.
I did not have time to go to everyone, but I did seek out the house of Gabriela Szulman.
Kim and I have known each other via our blogs for a few years now and we have been watching each other grow as artists and makers. She has fallen in love with felt and shibori and has a wonderful range of recycled scarves that she then gives the beautiful shibori treatment and a good old dunk in the Indigo bath.
The results are stunning and up-cycled. Perfect.
"When I read this quote by shop keepers who’d recently closed their gallery I thought - enough is enough - we need to fight back! As an artist and designer, who also makes cards, I know just how valuable each and every sale is, not only to independent shops and galleries which make our High Streets unique, but to their artists and designer suppliers. Regrettably it’s too late for that gallery, but others need our valuable support, and this is why we started our campaign JUST A CARD - to encourage people to appreciate just how invaluable every single purchase is."
But I cannot tell you any more at this stage - it would spoil the surprise!
The Last weekend in November was a celebration of makers.
In my last post I told you about this years workshop sale, the annual retail jamboree in South East London when I go and help my friends Rob and Andy.
Well, that same weekend was the Camberwell Open House event- where a number of artist/makers throw open their doors and welcome in the adoring public.
I did not have time to go to everyone, but I did seek out the house of Gabriela Szulman.
Now, until that weekend Gabriela was unknown to me, but by various convoluted connections over the web I discovered that a) she existed and b) was hosting an open house. I was overcome by temptation. Pop over to her website and have a look at her blog.
Gabriella had tucked artist makers into every corner of her lovely house. All floors of her town house were taken over. She herself was in the kitchen - I mean she was using the kitchen to display her work. Three artists were in the living room on the first floor and two more were up in the bedrooms on the second floor.
So, who did I meet ( apart from Gabriela herself)?
Well first up I have to mention Kim Winter, also known as Flextiles.
Kim and I have known each other via our blogs for a few years now and we have been watching each other grow as artists and makers. She has fallen in love with felt and shibori and has a wonderful range of recycled scarves that she then gives the beautiful shibori treatment and a good old dunk in the Indigo bath.
The results are stunning and up-cycled. Perfect.
And what was so amazing, was that although we had never met before it was like meeting an old friend. We sat and chatted for ages. I still find the Internet quite amazing because, in all honesty, without it I cannot see how Kim and I would ever have met!
This little design house produce cushions, clutch bags and other textile items but the key point is that the patterns used are the most vivid kaleidoscopes of colour. Each pattern tells the story and you have to really dig deep into the pattern to find that story. Robyn the designer is a lovely person, to boot. So pop over to the website for a bit of insiration.
And finally a big hurrah for Sarah Hamilton of http://www.sarahhamiltonprints.com.
And finally a big hurrah for Sarah Hamilton of http://www.sarahhamiltonprints.com.
Now Sarah is worth knowing for herself - her prints are just lovely. They have a very mid century feel to them. But Sarah is the driving force behind a fabulous new campaign to get us shopping locally and supporting local artists and makers.
Here is the inspirational quote that set her on her way.
“If everyone who’d complimented our beautiful gallery had bought just a card we’d still be open.”
"When I read this quote by shop keepers who’d recently closed their gallery I thought - enough is enough - we need to fight back! As an artist and designer, who also makes cards, I know just how valuable each and every sale is, not only to independent shops and galleries which make our High Streets unique, but to their artists and designer suppliers. Regrettably it’s too late for that gallery, but others need our valuable support, and this is why we started our campaign JUST A CARD - to encourage people to appreciate just how invaluable every single purchase is."
The initiative has the support of Mollie Makes and the Design Trust.
You can find out all about it at http://www.justacard.org
Meanwhile, back in the studio the sewing machine has been primed up!
And we're being all creative with rip stop nylon and tartan.
But I cannot tell you any more at this stage - it would spoil the surprise!
The Workshop Sale 2014
6 December 2014
Its that time of year again - one that I have shared before.
My friends Rob and Andy run Rob Turner China and every year we go to South East London and set up The Workshop Sale with other makers.
This year we were at a new venue and Rob brought the Christmas lights!
In fact he brought so many Christmas lights I though we might fuse the rest of East Dulwich!
This was out stand and as you can see Rob has been experimenting with some Day of the Dead images.
And some lovely fish images. I love the glazes on these fish platters.
Pazuki was also there with some stunning printed garments (I treated myself to 2 scarves. They are lovely for work and pep up a rather boring top brilliantly).
And the lovely Anna Lovell was also there. She does lovely wearable jewellery (does that make sense?)
And finally the lovely textile queen, Linda Miller - who had a lovely stand but somehow all I managed to photograph was this tea cosy!
Other makers were there, but I only managed to photograph these. But pop over to the Workshop Sale website where you can find links to everyone. It may be possible to still pick up a Christmas bargain if you are quick.
Well, that's if for another year. But Rob has already booked the venue for next year.
And maybe, one year, I will find the impetus to do a stand of my own.
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