More Inspiration for backgrounds
31 January 2015
More inspirational videos to share with you.
First up a little tag. Now what I love about this is the texture.
Have a little look and see what you think. I keep coming back to this. I need to add more texture and depth to some of my work I think. This could be the way to go.
First up a little tag. Now what I love about this is the texture.
Have a little look and see what you think. I keep coming back to this. I need to add more texture and depth to some of my work I think. This could be the way to go.
And here is another one by the same artist.
I don't know much about Nicoletta, though I suspect she may be sponsored by Faber Castelle as she uses their products most of the time (great if you want to know what the products do), but I love the textures she creates.
I am off to explore that a bit more.
Making Backgrounds (because you can never have enough backgrounds)
27 January 2015
It feels as though it has been all about backgrounds so far this year.
First of all there were the printed backgrounds here and here. Very satisfactory, but a bit slow.
But you know me - always one to peruse the web to find techniques to share.
And I found these videos on You Tube.
So lets bring in a bit more colour. A bit of a zing.
Oh yes indeedy. I just love how that Gesso adds to the texture.
A little pile of tags to use in a future project (I do have another book forming in my mind)
Ok - so let's get out of the usual greens/yellows/oranges comfort zone!
And then to add a bit more colour.
I am not so sure about that golf emulsion paint here.
I think I might invest in some Treasure Gold from Paperartsy. The emulsion paint does not quite cut the mustard. in my opinion.
Anyway, a great morning and some lovely tags for future work.
First of all there were the printed backgrounds here and here. Very satisfactory, but a bit slow.
But you know me - always one to peruse the web to find techniques to share.
And I found these videos on You Tube.
Now, if you are a frequent visitor to my blog you will know that I am rather smitten with these Fresco Finish paints. I love them, and though I also use more heavy bodied acrylics, when it is art acrylics I want, then these are my go to paints.
Anyway, I am not going to repeat the whole brayer tutorial here. I really do recommend you watch the videos.
But I did have a go so be warned, this post is a bit photo heavy.
I started with some manilla tags. I splodged on some gesso with a sponge (technical term that, and it was just sponged on using a cheap washing up sponge cut in half).
A small spot of paint on my large tile (I use if for mono printing sometimes).
From my selected palette.
Hmm - I'm liking this and so quick and easy.
A little pile of tags to use in a future project (I do have another book forming in my mind)
Ok - so let's get out of the usual greens/yellows/oranges comfort zone!
The same technique, this time on a bit of card stock without the gesso.
Which give me this. (Is it clear? There are three papers here)
And out came the Grunge Paste and a few stencils. (you can colour the grunge paste with the paint, in case this does not quite make sense).
I used a couple of different stencils and the I used a bit of gold acrylic emulsion (one of those tester pots that you can get at DIY shops) to add a bit of highlight.
.
I am not so sure about that golf emulsion paint here.
Anyway, a great morning and some lovely tags for future work.
Grow Your Blog Party 2015
25 January 2015
Whoops!!
I am a bit late to the party!
All the best plans.........
Anyway, better late than never! So here I go - plunging in.
Hello, my name is Hilary - nice to meet you.
Why do I blog?
I started to blog for two reasons:
About Me (because I guess we're all a bit nosey and anyway it's a good way to break the ice)
My blog has a slightly bonkers title - Living to Work - Working to Live. Nothing about me or textiles or art in there at all!
And that is because I lead a slightly bonkers life!
I live on the South Coast of England - Gosport, Hampshire - a small town just across the harbour from Portsmouth (home to Nelson's flagship 'The Victory' and Henry VIII ship 'The Mary Rose').
I live here in the official sense, because it is where I am registered to vote etc. But I spend most of my time in Milton Keynes some 120 miles north, because that is where the day job is. So my studio (my materials, my sewing machine and my creative mess) is in the rented house just outside MK.
My work/life balance used to be well out of kilter, and my kids would say to me that I lived to work. And now that I have an additional drive to create textile based art, the obvious choice for my blog name was Living to Work - Working to Live. I was trying to be a bit ironic.
Anyhow it stuck.
So now I troll up and down to Milton Keynes. Sometimes I spend all weekend there but usually I come down to Portsmouth on a Saturday evening (but go back on a Sunday).
The day job has nothing to do with the arts in anyway, though some of my creativity is able to be expressed in more commercial ways. Its a good job and I really enjoy it. Could I give it up? Well no - I need the money and I could not live off my art but sometime, as we all must do, I dream of winning the lottery and having more time to be creative.
About My Work
If you had asked me what I did a few years ago, I would have said I am a Quilter. But really I am a mixed media/textile artist. Most of my work includes stitch, but my materials are moving away from traditional fabric and I am now much more likely to be embroidering onto paper or tissue backed with wadding or felt. Snippets of fabric still find their way in, but mostly I start with paper now.
I also use a lot of paint and print techniques, and bit of good old cutting and pasting. Hence the description mixed media/textile.
I am a member of the Contemporary Quilt group of the Quilters Guild of the UK, and I go to Embroiders Guild meetings in Milton Keynes.
And what next?
Well. I am beginning to accumulate a bit of a body of work so I am thinking that I need to be a bit more business like about my art. Clear the decks a bit and allow me to buy more materials etc.
So this year I am doing an Open Studio event with two other MK based artists. This is potentially a big thing for me. I hope to get some feedback on my work that will then give me enough confidence to, perhaps, approach a gallery (golly - there I have said it! Getting all grown up about my work).
But, one step at a time! And I have to fit all of this in around the 'day job', helping my grown up kids from time to time. visiting aged parents, walking various hounds and trekking up and down to Milton Keynes (2 hours in the car is 2 hours when I could be at my sewing machine!)
Have a look around my blog - see what you like and perhaps say hi so I can find your blog too.
Hilary
ps - these pieces below are machine embroideries - all framed.
I am a bit late to the party!
All the best plans.........
Anyway, better late than never! So here I go - plunging in.
Hello, my name is Hilary - nice to meet you.
Why do I blog?
I started to blog for two reasons:
- I have an urge to get my work out there, to show it to people and to see what they have to say about it. Is that being egotistical or just a natural instinct? I am not sure.
- As a discipline. I find that knowing that people do visit my blog (the stats are always fascinating) spurs me on to be creative. I feel guilty if I have not blogged for a while - I feel I am letting my readers down. It is fantastic discipline when otherwise 'life' would just get in the way.
But now that I have been blogging for a little while, you know the most amazing thing? It's such a great way to meet people. Through my blog I am in regular communication with people who I would never have met - and all over the world too! How fabulous is that??
Mono print with stitch embellishement
About Me (because I guess we're all a bit nosey and anyway it's a good way to break the ice)
My blog has a slightly bonkers title - Living to Work - Working to Live. Nothing about me or textiles or art in there at all!
And that is because I lead a slightly bonkers life!
I live on the South Coast of England - Gosport, Hampshire - a small town just across the harbour from Portsmouth (home to Nelson's flagship 'The Victory' and Henry VIII ship 'The Mary Rose').
I live here in the official sense, because it is where I am registered to vote etc. But I spend most of my time in Milton Keynes some 120 miles north, because that is where the day job is. So my studio (my materials, my sewing machine and my creative mess) is in the rented house just outside MK.
My work/life balance used to be well out of kilter, and my kids would say to me that I lived to work. And now that I have an additional drive to create textile based art, the obvious choice for my blog name was Living to Work - Working to Live. I was trying to be a bit ironic.
Anyhow it stuck.
So now I troll up and down to Milton Keynes. Sometimes I spend all weekend there but usually I come down to Portsmouth on a Saturday evening (but go back on a Sunday).
The day job has nothing to do with the arts in anyway, though some of my creativity is able to be expressed in more commercial ways. Its a good job and I really enjoy it. Could I give it up? Well no - I need the money and I could not live off my art but sometime, as we all must do, I dream of winning the lottery and having more time to be creative.
About My Work
If you had asked me what I did a few years ago, I would have said I am a Quilter. But really I am a mixed media/textile artist. Most of my work includes stitch, but my materials are moving away from traditional fabric and I am now much more likely to be embroidering onto paper or tissue backed with wadding or felt. Snippets of fabric still find their way in, but mostly I start with paper now.
I also use a lot of paint and print techniques, and bit of good old cutting and pasting. Hence the description mixed media/textile.
I am a member of the Contemporary Quilt group of the Quilters Guild of the UK, and I go to Embroiders Guild meetings in Milton Keynes.
And what next?
Well. I am beginning to accumulate a bit of a body of work so I am thinking that I need to be a bit more business like about my art. Clear the decks a bit and allow me to buy more materials etc.
So this year I am doing an Open Studio event with two other MK based artists. This is potentially a big thing for me. I hope to get some feedback on my work that will then give me enough confidence to, perhaps, approach a gallery (golly - there I have said it! Getting all grown up about my work).
But, one step at a time! And I have to fit all of this in around the 'day job', helping my grown up kids from time to time. visiting aged parents, walking various hounds and trekking up and down to Milton Keynes (2 hours in the car is 2 hours when I could be at my sewing machine!)
Have a look around my blog - see what you like and perhaps say hi so I can find your blog too.
Hilary
ps - these pieces below are machine embroideries - all framed.
Getting Ready To Sell
19 January 2015
For many years I lived in South London and worked in Westminster. I commuted either by bus or latterly by bicycle.
And every work day I passed Morley College.
And I never, ever went in. In truth, at the time, I probably wasn't really aware of the sorts of courses offered by Morley.
Well if you read Kim Winter's blog or Avril Horn's blog then you might have heard of Morley before, for both these talented ladies have done courses there.
And every work day I passed Morley College.
And I never, ever went in. In truth, at the time, I probably wasn't really aware of the sorts of courses offered by Morley.
Well if you read Kim Winter's blog or Avril Horn's blog then you might have heard of Morley before, for both these talented ladies have done courses there.
Before Christmas you may recall that I met Kim in the flesh. I blogged about it here. Prior to that meeting we were just cyber buddies.
Kim told me about a day course being held at Morley to help artists learn how to sell - directly to the public, via open houses and to galleries.
So I signed up and went along to the course, which was held last Saturday.
And what a brilliant day it was.
First of all we had a very interesting session lead by Steven Sparling from The Thriving Creative. Steven used interactive workshops to get us to 'think' about how we communicate with each other and how to overcome some of the awkwardness many of us have when we are 'selling' - and lets be honest, most of us are not at all comfortable with the idea of selling, especially our own work.
Steven is a lovely guy, and I found it a very inspiring session.
Then we had a session by Gabriela Szulman on how to prepare for and run an Open Studio/Open House. You may recall that in November it was Gabriela who hosted the Open House where I met Kim.
Gabriela is a power house when it comes to selling both her work and providing a venue and an event for other artists. It turned out that a few years ago, working with another artist, she ran a series of events in run down buildings in central London, including the amazing Gilbert Scott building that is now the St Pancras Hotel.
Kim told me about a day course being held at Morley to help artists learn how to sell - directly to the public, via open houses and to galleries.
So I signed up and went along to the course, which was held last Saturday.
And what a brilliant day it was.
First of all we had a very interesting session lead by Steven Sparling from The Thriving Creative. Steven used interactive workshops to get us to 'think' about how we communicate with each other and how to overcome some of the awkwardness many of us have when we are 'selling' - and lets be honest, most of us are not at all comfortable with the idea of selling, especially our own work.
Steven is a lovely guy, and I found it a very inspiring session.
Then we had a session by Gabriela Szulman on how to prepare for and run an Open Studio/Open House. You may recall that in November it was Gabriela who hosted the Open House where I met Kim.
Gabriela is a power house when it comes to selling both her work and providing a venue and an event for other artists. It turned out that a few years ago, working with another artist, she ran a series of events in run down buildings in central London, including the amazing Gilbert Scott building that is now the St Pancras Hotel.
She is also an old hand at running Open Studio events. And she is very generous with her knowledge, passing on to us lots of tips and techniques to make an open studio event a success. I took copious notes.
With a couple of colleagues who I met doing adult education courses, I hope to partake in my first opened studios event later this year. Following Gabriellas comprehensive session I can tell you that there will be a comprehensive project plan!
And the final session of the day was hosted by Gita Joshi of Orsa Major gallery.
I guess for me this last session was jumping ahead a bit. I would be lying if I said that I did not want to sell some of my work and that I wasn't interested in finding a gallery. But my inclination is that I should walk before I run and so I suppose, realistically, this is a little way down the line.
That said, this was still very interesting session. Gita was also very generous with her time and her knowledge. The key thing I took away from the session is that you have to be very professional before you approach any gallery or shop. She advised that a Gallery isn't going to take an artist on unless that artist can demonstrate that their work actually sells.
Clearly that is a bit of a challenge. In order to establish that work does sell you need a sales channel. However, that sales channel does not have to be formal . It would seem that having an on line shop or doing an open studio would be perfectly acceptable.
This is quite acceptable when you think about it. Galleries are also businesses and need to survive. To pay the rent they need to sell work and take commission. Space has cost attached to it so the gallery is going to have to be confident that it can sell your work to cover its costs before taking you on.
All in all a very interesting, useful and informative way to spend a Saturday.
Watch this space as the Open Studios plans develop.
Cricket Pavilion Envy
Which probably sounds like a bonkers title for a blog post.
But it is true - I have got Cricket Pavilion envy. It's a genuine condition - I know! I have got it!
Ok - pause and breath. I do have people from foreign shores who read my blog (thank you to all of you - I love how 'international' blogging can be) and to be frank, I have no idea how familiar the Canadians or Americans or indeed anyone other than Australians, Indians and Pakistanis are with that great English export, Cricket (is that all the cricketing nations covered? And I specifically use the term English, because the Scots and the Irish don't seem to play much).
Come to that, just because you might be Australian and used to whipping us English in the Ashes (please don't ask me to explain if you are American etc. I don't follow cricket at all and have no idea what the Ashes are - but Australia seems to be involved so I am guessing they're a bit like the Americas Cup - but on land and with cricket bats rather than at sea and in yachts!) even you might not be familiar with the concept of the Cricket Pavilion. All of which is showing up my ignorance shamefully.
Basically - and any cricket aficionados out there might start cringing at this - from what I can tell Cricket Pavilions are really just swanky wooden huts (often rather lovely) on village greens etc. All very 'cucumber sandwiches' and 'jelly for tea'. The sort of place you would expect to see Miss Marple and her knitting or the vicar (probably without any knitting). How terribly English!!
Anyway, bear with!
The key thing is that they can be rather lovely buildings.
So, you are probably wondering why I have gone off on a bit of a ramble about Cricket Pavilions and indeed why I have CPE. Well - I blame Laura Kemshall!
Laura is a lady with a pavilion - and with a garden (nay a meadow by all accounts) large enough to house said pavilion. Now you probably see why I have CPE!
And the most exciting thing of all is that Laura is doing workshops in her pavilion and I am going to one!
In April (which seems ages away but no doubt will soon creep up) Laura is doing another Altered Book workshop and I am booked on.
Laura has a whole programme of workshops. You can find details here.
I am really sorry if you are too far away and if all this talk of pavilions has whetted your appetite too.
But it is true - I have got Cricket Pavilion envy. It's a genuine condition - I know! I have got it!
Ok - pause and breath. I do have people from foreign shores who read my blog (thank you to all of you - I love how 'international' blogging can be) and to be frank, I have no idea how familiar the Canadians or Americans or indeed anyone other than Australians, Indians and Pakistanis are with that great English export, Cricket (is that all the cricketing nations covered? And I specifically use the term English, because the Scots and the Irish don't seem to play much).
Come to that, just because you might be Australian and used to whipping us English in the Ashes (please don't ask me to explain if you are American etc. I don't follow cricket at all and have no idea what the Ashes are - but Australia seems to be involved so I am guessing they're a bit like the Americas Cup - but on land and with cricket bats rather than at sea and in yachts!) even you might not be familiar with the concept of the Cricket Pavilion. All of which is showing up my ignorance shamefully.
Basically - and any cricket aficionados out there might start cringing at this - from what I can tell Cricket Pavilions are really just swanky wooden huts (often rather lovely) on village greens etc. All very 'cucumber sandwiches' and 'jelly for tea'. The sort of place you would expect to see Miss Marple and her knitting or the vicar (probably without any knitting). How terribly English!!
Anyway, bear with!
The key thing is that they can be rather lovely buildings.
So, you are probably wondering why I have gone off on a bit of a ramble about Cricket Pavilions and indeed why I have CPE. Well - I blame Laura Kemshall!
Laura is a lady with a pavilion - and with a garden (nay a meadow by all accounts) large enough to house said pavilion. Now you probably see why I have CPE!
And the most exciting thing of all is that Laura is doing workshops in her pavilion and I am going to one!
In April (which seems ages away but no doubt will soon creep up) Laura is doing another Altered Book workshop and I am booked on.
Laura has a whole programme of workshops. You can find details here.
I am really sorry if you are too far away and if all this talk of pavilions has whetted your appetite too.
Mark Hearld Part 3 and Finish
13 January 2015
And what a great way to get back into the swing of things! A bit of pattern making and some gentle card making.
On reflection, it would probably have been better if I had used black for the pigeons. Lovely as the inky blue is, with such a busy background the birds were a bit lost.
I also intended to cheat by getting a ready made stamp that said 'Thank you', but I couldn't find one, so instead bought these mini, min letter stamps (too mini really as it turns out as they are so very fiddly. I would have been better with an old fashioned John Bull Printing press thingy!)
Any way, I chose tags from the selection pack, stamped on the letters (not the best stamping I have ever done!) and then used an ink pad just to dab on a bit of extra colour.
Tags adhered with matt medium again.
Very faint black lines around the edge to make them stand out a bit more (faint, but trust me it is there).
Then I just drew on little strings to attach the tags to the pigeons.
Pigeon post after Mark Hearld finished.
I am rather please with them. I think one addition would be to add a border (perhaps a contracting printed one) but we'll see.
Anyway, that little mini project got the old grey matter going again, post Christmas.
What have you done to get back into the swing?
On reflection, it would probably have been better if I had used black for the pigeons. Lovely as the inky blue is, with such a busy background the birds were a bit lost.
So I shaded around them with a glaze of paint and Matt medium. It's very
subtle. Then I made them pop out of the background a bit more by using black ink.
subtle. Then I made them pop out of the background a bit more by using black ink.
Next a few provisions.
I wanted banners or tags and I could have made my own, but honestly you can pick them up cheaply so a little selection was acquired.
I also intended to cheat by getting a ready made stamp that said 'Thank you', but I couldn't find one, so instead bought these mini, min letter stamps (too mini really as it turns out as they are so very fiddly. I would have been better with an old fashioned John Bull Printing press thingy!)
Any way, I chose tags from the selection pack, stamped on the letters (not the best stamping I have ever done!) and then used an ink pad just to dab on a bit of extra colour.
Tags adhered with matt medium again.
Very faint black lines around the edge to make them stand out a bit more (faint, but trust me it is there).
Then I just drew on little strings to attach the tags to the pigeons.
Pigeon post after Mark Hearld finished.
I am rather please with them. I think one addition would be to add a border (perhaps a contracting printed one) but we'll see.
Anyway, that little mini project got the old grey matter going again, post Christmas.
What have you done to get back into the swing?
Mark Hearld Part 2
11 January 2015
This is a bit of a pattern heavy post. Get your sunglasses out!
But to break you in gently, here's a bird!
\
If you are familiar with the work of Mark Hearld, you will recognise the style. I got out the RSPB book of bird identification which shows birds in flight, turned to the pigeons and doves and did a little sketch (on the right hand side) but the proper tail did not give enough impact so there is a bit of artistic licence with the tail! (in truth this bird probably wouldn't be able to fly!)
And then I got out my favourite paints. Now I am not sure if you can tell, but all of the paints I chose are opaque rather than matt colours (with the exception of the black in front).
By mixing them with a bit of matt medium I made them even more opaque.
And if you remember in the last post I made some little stamps, and here they are in use.
The only consistent thing I did was to print the blue first and always used the triangle stamp for the orange.
Otherwise, these are all different.
Very mid century.
So, back to the bird.
I cut a little stencil (the body, tail and wings ae all separate), stencilled this onto white paper, added a bit of decoration with black paint and a white highlighter pen, and then cut and paste the birds onto the patterns (I am making cards - I forgot to mention that!)
The birds are a bit lost against all that pattern, so I need to make them pop a bit more.
To be continued.
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