A blog about making art and other things using cloth, paper, paint, colour, stitch, and all sorts of exciting techniques, some of which I'm sure I still have to discover! I hope that the joy all this gives me is visible in what you can see here.

Saturday 21 April 2012

Agonise and Accessorise


I've spent quite a few hours on a panel, part of which I'm showing here. I'm really agonising over it, and have decided to put it away for a time, because I just cannot seem to resolve what my next move should be. The inspiration for it is another one of those photos I took in my nephews barn, (shown below). I've used 100% rag paper for each of five sections, with a narrow strip of cotton mounted silk in between. I painted the rag paper with silk paints, then cut through for the reflections, with a strip of cotton mouted silk behind. I felt that the white was too stark, so also painted these strips with silk paint. Something still isn't right though, and I just can't seem to resolve it. Maybe in a few weeks a fresh eye will spot the problem......fingers crossed!



My husband has been decorating the smallest room, and the bathroom. I chose the colours for these two rooms, but the colour I picked for the loo, which I think is a rather lovely shade of teal, my husband thinks is too dark! I've had to convince him that once I've accessorised it, it will be an oasis of calm and beauty!! I decided to make some small textile art pieces to frame in white, and the first three are now finished and ready to hang. I made the mistake of framing them before taking photos, so you may be able to notice my reflection in a couple of them!




Finally, I've also been working on some ideas for journal quilts, and the next four are to be in shades of yellow. I think that yellow can be quite a difficult colour, so  my idea for May, may be based on the top sketch below! Watch this space, and happy stitching/art making, and thankyou for reading!

Sunday 1 April 2012

April Journal Quilt. Flavoured with a pinch of Picasso ll.

Again, I have used khadi paper for this portrait. I sprayed a combination of red, orange and pink silk paint onto the surface which I had previously scrunched up. The self portrait was drawn in front of a mirror, and I tried very hard not to look down at what my pencil was doing! I then stitched through the drawing from the back of the khadi paper, and then couched down black knitting wool with free motion zig zag stitch from the front. I quilted the remainder of the surfaces with orange thread, and used Markal sticks to colour the eyes, mouth and earings. I rubbed a Markal blender over the face and neck before finishing with a binding. I was rather dismayed however, when my husband saw it and recognised it straight away as being me, because after finishing it, I had thought, 'well thank goodness I don't really look like that!!!!!' What an April Fool I must be eh!?

Be Happy, until next time!