I had a very indulgent day playing with paper, only drawback is the need to clean up the floor afterwards! But I love love love these - no project in mind as yet, its enough to do and sit and stroke.
Tomorrow sees "Ruby Stitches" Exhibition open. Its my local Branch, South & East Essex, of the Embroiderers' Guild. Over 60 pieces - contemporary, traditional, 3d showing the wide range of techniques which embroidery encompasses, proving that the Embroiderers' Guild has something for everyone. Do come along and see - on until 17th June with Members in the Gallery at varying times, and a 'Make and Take' day free to all, on Wednesday 31st May.
So whilst its all so fresh I thought I'd show the piece I made for The Material Girls, the why, a bit of how, and what.
When we were given the brief of Environment, I thought 'oh dear' - I'm sooo not good at real, and a visitor last year made comment on the artistic interpretations of real design sources. Of course it IS artistic interpretation, but it set up a dread inside. So on my 50 minute drive home I'm mulling this all over and trying to think how on earth as a primarily abstract person can I do this, and what environment. A short distance from home is a traffic light controlled one car width road, I stopped in the queue, to my right are fields, in front of me a railway line and right next to me, on the left, right beside the road, a Churchyard. Still contemplating, the thought went through my head "what a dead end project this will be for me" - one more glance left and then lights changed and off home. At home the irony of my thought at that place struck me - and ting, I could chose Churchyards.
So off on adventures to investigate local churches, and take photos. Had several lovely trips out, time spent chatting with a volunteer groundsman, local dog walkers, and one very isolated church in a one street village, was suddenly interrupted by a group of walkers appearing over the fields, who were very bemused at my taking close up photos of lichen.
Discarded Memorials
Overgrown graves
And then amongst all my images I found the inspiration
And who better to be inspired by then someone who makes 'pots'
and Essex born - Grayson Perry.
So I constructed my pot, from card and calico
Abandoned any hope of being botanically accurate with my plants
as I've said, I don't do real...
Free machine stitching on paper - lots of paint of various colours and layers,
touch of crackle medium, and this emerged.
Him indoors loves his photography, and playing with images
So this original image
became this
I don't think Grayson will be troubled by this effort.
Having been swamped by too much realism, its time to immerse myself
back into the abstract, and just go where the mood takes me.
