Cutting and sticking.

Having spent the best part of an insomniac night making a basket which ended up in the bin this morning, I decided to play around with collage this afternoon.

I was inspired by a statement in one of BBC4’s art programmes, that contemporary art seeks to convey the artist’s feelings [I paraphrase]. That led to a discussion of how you convey ‘confused and uncertain’.

So after reading up automatic drawing [which led to some very odd websites], and wanting to play with my graphics pad – I tried to draw ‘confused and uncertain’.

It certainly wasn’t automatic, because after the first few tentative wobbles, I was thinking about it.

Looks like archipelagos to me.

 

Today I collaged some archipelagos – and some negative archipelagos. This was a piece of paper with a rather odd pattern on it, that had been hanging around waiting for its time to come. I think they need a bit of computer manipulation to make them more interesting.

That led to another experiment, with a piece of painted disposable tablecloth [can’t remember why I painted a disposable tablecloth – it may have had something to do with Creative Sketchbooks], some Bondaweb and some hand-dyed fabric. 

These two I really like – although I think I may have been under the influence of the hyperbolic coral reef at the time.The tablecloth bonded to the fabric really well [or it did when I remembered to take the release paper off], and the texture shows up well. These may get some stitch – when I can decide what sort.

 

Following on the theme of collaging my computer ‘drawings’ – this 

 

 

 

 

 

 

morphed into these two  -sort of.

 

 

The base of these was a scrumpled, painted, paper bag, [I think – it’s a long time since I did it]. Not sure about the dimensional paint on the one above, but - ‘they're only samples’. I wish I’d scanned the bag before I cut it up.

 

 

 

I did also fulfil my promise to try making kirigami in Sumopaint – but I think that may be another post. 

Rising to a Challenge

I tell myself I shouldn't because it gets in the way of what I 'really' want to do [if I only knew what that was] but I keep signing up for challenges.


I have mentioned the BQL challenge before - this is February's. One for the pink and lime green fans out there.


I think it looks a bit boring and probably needs some stitch.

I am also a member of the Textile Challenges Yahoo group, although I haven't, up till now, got my act together to participate. I found February's challenge a bit scary as it required - nay insisted - on spontaneity - to make an ATC in 15 minutes from whatever was available. Then I realised I could use the left overs from the BQL challenge - so I did. Actually it took me 25 minutes, partly because I had machine problems - you can see that the bobbin thread was pulled up to the surface despite slackening off the top tension.

Then there are my personal challenges. This is the result of the first lot of snow dyeing. [The lump of crud is the threads I dyed, which, despite putting them in a net bag to wash, still ended up tangled together. Good job I enjoy untangling threads.

The top piece is the viscose velvet which has come out beautifully. Bottom left is cotton jersey, bottom right is UK muslin. I seem to be in a pink and green phase.

There is some bluey purple muslin in the washing machine right now, which may be the last snow dyeing for this year. There is still some snow outside but I don't have time to do more today and it is thawing. More snow was forecast for later in the week but that has been downgraded to rain - can't say I'm sorry.

Speaking of rain - that was this week's challenge on 'The title is ...' if you want to look at my effort and several others.

And my stamp making challenge today involves minimal stamp making. Jackie commented that she liked yesterday's image of weeds in the snow - and so do I. So that is today's image, although it doesn't lend itself easily to stamps because the lines are so fine.



On Creative Sketchbooks we were taught credit card painting - not the type where you smoosh paint around with a credit card, but the type where you print with the edge.

That technique seemed to me to lend itself well to this image.










The current challenge on yet another group is to make a journal quilt which is painted - this design may actually be translated into fabric - white satin, I think.

I added some nature printing, using the seed heads of the plant in the photo - not sure what it is, a long stemmed dandelion-like weed. [My mother, who taught me a lot about wild flowers, would not be pleased with my inability to remember what this one is.]

I also tried using the seed heads on their own - they gradually collapsed as I printed giving some interesting shapes.

Of shoes, and string stamps, and sealing wax ...

well - mostly string stamps.

Wendy commented on the string stamp I used in my cushion designs – although when I looked at the picture I think the one she mentioned is a carved eraser!

So in the absence of anything very creative happening chez Cheese, I thought I would show you some of the stamps I have made, all bar one influenced by Klimt. [The other one is a long way after Mondrian.]

The two larger swirls on the right are positive/negative [and reversed] images cut from funky foam, which is one of my favourite methods, not least because you get two stamps for the price of one. The trees and the swirls top left are string, and the double swirl is a carved eraser. You can tell that I am not punctilious about cleaning my stamps – but it is difficult to clean the string or foam ones as you can’t get them wet, and I think a coat of paint helps to strengthen them. [And I’m lazy.]

I had tried making string stamps in the past using glue but found I ended up with a sticky mess. This much easier method of making them was taught to me on my Sketchbooks course by Susan Chapman. I use cotton parcel string.

First you draw your design on a piece of mat board – I find simple designs work best. Avoid crossing lines if you can.

Then cover the surface with double sided sticky tape. [Recently I have been using left over carpet tape which is more difficult to handle but the price was right.]

Remove the backing of the tape and press the string onto the design. If lines in your design do cross, cut the string at that point and restart on the other side - you don’t want a raised section or the stamp won’t print properly.

When you have finished outlining the design, paint the string and the exposed sticky tape with PVA glue. This seals the string and desticks the sticky tape.

Allow to dry and print your stamp. I use acrylic paint or ink pads.

The same method works for funky foam. I have also made some using pre-cut funky foam shapes, as suggested in Ruth Issett’s newest book, but I haven’t actually tried those out yet.

Sketchbooks Part 3

In the third term we had to make a book of our own – ‘book’ being pretty broadly defined!

We had already made a couple of books by this time. This accordion book on 'Line' was the result of a Saturday school when we drew and painted in all sorts of ways – without looking, using brushes tied to long canes, with wire etc. Good fun – especially for those like me who can’t draw and find it scary.

The wiggly cream line on the right is string dipped in paper pulp.

The second book was a holiday task between term 2 and 3. This is mine on India – one of my favourite holiday destinations. It has a stick and elastic band binding, which you can only just see see because the cover has a ‘door’ cut in it. You will see that I incorporated some Indian bits. [For Brit embroiderers,they came from a Glitterati goody bag.]

My final book was also inspired by other good holidays – Egypt, in case you hadn’t guessed. It is constructed from papyrus paper I bought on the web. The images are tracings, stamps, transferred images and some drawings. I really had fun with this, and became more confident about my drawing and painting skills. Nor completely confident, you understand, just more confident!












Maz asked about the cost of a course like this compared with on-line courses. I can’t remember how much I paid, but the college [Eastleigh] is currently advertising the cost at £392. The Kemshalls’ advertise it for a minimum of £650.

I don’t think this is a rip-off – overheads are different and some colleges do still seem to subsidise Adult Ed courses. [I used to work in FE and could bore for Britain on the subject of funding but having been out of it for nearly 2 years I am out of touch now, thank goodness.]

I just came across this blog:

http://carpediem-marion.blogspot.com/

which gives a day to day account of someone taking the course. This is a slightly different approach – but looks just as much fun!

Creative Sketchbooks Part 2

Sorry for the break – Wensleydale and I went to Bournemouth yesterday and got back worn out – all the sea air, you know. Or carrying all the books we bought at Borders and the birthday presents from a shop I won’t name. [Both daughters in law have birthdays in March – all the Cheese women do apart from the new one!]

So – back to Creative Sketchbooks. In the second term we completed a bought sketch book on a theme of our choice – mine was ‘Doors and Windows’.

This is the front of the book – we were encouraged to decorate the covers. The window frame uses a technique from Maggie Grey’s ‘Raising the Surface with Machine Embroidery’ – plastic canvas embroidered with string and covered with tissue paper. The spine is decorated with keys and key fobs made with Scoubidous [or however you spell it!]

The book makers amongst my readers may be cringing at the way I have wrecked this but I love the sight of a work book bursting at the seams – I suspect many textile artisans would agree with me. The wavy line at the bottom is a page added by tying it to the coil. We were encouraged to tear, cut or even burn the pages – it is actually written into the syllabus!




This is the first page – the door mat says ‘Welcome’ -wonkily. The drawing is of a local door – it was the wealth of beautiful architectural features in the city that made me choose this theme. The background was done with a stamp made from polystyrene







This is the door of my sewing room – with some sayings about doors on the left. The background is Koh-i-noor - which I may have mentioned before ...



I meant to do another page about windows but couldn’t produce a drawing I was satisfied with!

This was inspired by the door of our cathedral. It isn’t obvious but there are three pages here, two of which have archways cut into them, the first one larger than the second.

This is only a small selection of pages – it was a 50 page sketchbook. We didn’t have to fill it – but of course I wanted to [anal personality or what?]

Some are not fit to be shown in public, especially when real artists read my blog, but I learned a lot from doing it, and there was a big spin off into my embroidery design, which is what I’d hoped. It is also what got me into making books. I would love to do a real bookbinding course and learn how to make them properly!

Creative Sketchbooks

A couple of people have asked about the ‘Creative Sketchbooks’ C&G course I took last year, and I promised I would blog about it – so here is Part 1. [I have divided it into sections because my posts seem to be getting longer and I don’t want to bore everyone silly!]

Which reminds me that I have been meaning to comment on the number of visits to my blog – nearly 1300 when I last looked. I never thought when I started this that there would be so many [or any, really!] Thank you all – you encourage me to keep going.

So – back to Creative Sketchbooks. This course was pioneered by the Kemshalls and you can see lots of other people’s work on their website:

http://www.lindakemshall.com/StudentExhibitionMenuBooks.htm

However I took the course at my local college, with Susan Chapman:

http://www.quilters.fsbusiness.co.uk/

In the first term we looked at the C&G design staples :

colour

form

shape

line

and texture

and made samples for a portfolio.

We also looked at lots of different techniques, including sloshing Koh-i-noor on blank pages, printing, air brushing, sloshing Koh-i-noor on blank pages, making rubbings, making stamps etc etc etc - oh, and did i mention sloshing Koh-i-noor on blank pages?

If you have read my blog before you will probably not be surprised that I didn’t just put these in a portfolio …

I made one of these little books as an experiment:

And discovered that it fitted neatly into this box:

So all my technique samples ended up in it. [The box had a bottle of wine in it originally and hung around my workroom for years because it was too good to throw away.]

I painted it with Brusho mixed with meths, as described in the leaflet that came with the Brusho. Not recommended - the colour ran - although it does show off the grain.


Part 2 will follow when I get a moment ...