Master Class Diary

The Doors Keep Coming

2008-04-06T03:33:00.000-07:00

Finally finished off door 4 this week and then started on door 5. The pictures below give you a close up and a wide view of the whole fabric. You can just see door 5 border.

More Doors

2008-03-24T03:14:00.000-07:00

At last door 3 is finished, well I still need to add the furnature. A friend asked me if I was going to stitch the directly on the fabric (which I was) or stitch the furnature on another piece than tranfer to give more depth..... ERRmmmmm nice idea, so I am planning to explore that.

The hoop has been moved ready to start door4. I have until the border is finished to select a pattern. I wouldlike todo more hardanger this time. Door 3 almost felt like it was never going to end.

A few weekends ago we visited Shropshire including a morning at Blist Hill victorian village were I took lots of photos of doors. Shall be using those for inspiration for door 4.

More on Doors

2008-03-16T02:02:00.000-07:00

I am almost there with door 3. As you can see below, this one does not have any hardanger, but is meant to represent a paneled door !

Also been experimenting with creating door furniture. Here are some I think work. Generally I think stitching them in gold thread works well.

Been busy creating a very personnel piece of art. The latest issue of Cloth Paper Scissors had an article about creating a collaged affirmation piece of work which would show positive messages. I was quite inspired with this and as there was a boxed canvas waiting in my studio I set about creating my verion, as you can see below. I liked that the head is off the top edge as faces are not my strong point. It is going to be hung in my studio. It was fun playing with paint and mix media instead of thread =)

More Doors !

2008-03-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

More time over the last two weeks to start working on my final piece. The spider as you can see is now black. I am not sure if I will add more colour. I thought about adding metalic either in paint or cream but felt that this could make it look too much like a piece of jewerly. I have toyed with the idea that I add shadows with greys, but may now wait until the doors are made then see how the doors add shadows first.

I have also made progress on the book about Louise. It is concatena style with windows cut into the pages. Now I have coloured both sides , added charcoal drawings and quotes from Louise... as well as my own notes.

The front is yellows and greens, while the back is red, blue and purple. The pages are made from water colour paper and painted in fabric dye.

Now for the doors. I calculated that the doors need to be 4" by 14" !!!
Thus I now have all the materials and have started to make the doors. Mean while been making a few drawings of doors.

As you can see there are two here. A close up of the white one below. I plan each door to be a different colour. Which showed how hard it is to find colours other than white and echu in 8 and 12 cotton. After looking in the library for books on hardanger, I finally ended up in a second hand store with three great books for new patterns.
It has been pointed out that these are a little light around the edge. Thus been also making some samples to improve this ! The idea I like most is below, where two edges has added to , feel this gives a dimensional quality.

I am also considering door furnature. Started while stitching on the train. Above you can see a thread covered bead as a door knob. Also looking at using wire .

Then there is the whole throught round how to join the doors at the end. Wire is coming back as an idea which would work better with the style of the dummy and spider.. Better than the ribbon I had first thought!

I am already forming plans of how this should be displayed. A high pondum which stops the viewer from looking down into the work. Forcing them to look though the windows.

Sunday ~ Update

Been working on the covers for the book. My original cover idea was just not working out then I saw some tisue I had with images of Paris on and an idea formed.

So here it is. I was not planning to add anything more to this... Well not yet. The back contains a copy of my notes from a visit to the V&A. Includes comments from a friend who attended too !

Doors and spiders !

2008-02-10T02:11:00.000-08:00

Yes two weeks to catch up on. A weekend at my parent-in-laws limited the output a little but I have been making headway with the doors !

First I have been looking at the dummy and spider shape I have already made. While in London yesterday (went to see Prism 2008 - see my main blog), bought some milliput to give the spider a little more body.

Had a test run creating windows using machine lace and disolveable fabrics. As you can see have not gone very far. Need to look again, as I felt this piece was pulled out of shape too much for the look I was after.

I have been putting a few more sketches for the final item together.

I want to have the dummy with the spider and pins only just spied !! I may add a tape measure or a length of ribbon. I keep thinking about the ribbon coming out between the doors as the lead in for the viewer ?!?!?!

The dummy images take me back to the pin cushions created by Louise B, but I feel the dummy is pointing towards me too. I have a dressmaking back ground, the colourful and fun shape and the ribbon is me !! The spider though is the item which really shows where the starting point has been.

I have made the first same for the doors, all in hand worked hardanger.
I experimented with different thickness thread for the blanket stitched edges.

This morning it went into the Paverpol !

Shame I was not able to have a video camera running. As you would have seen me blowing on the holes to ensure the Paverpol did not fill/close the holes up !! LOL ..

Now just waiting for the drying to finish. I'll use the time to work on the spider and think about the stitches for the door panels.

Update : Been busy this morning !

After finally washing the milliput off my hands I now have more body to my spider =) Now you have to imagine it black !!

Also the door is drying well. Here it is stood up by the window. What is holding it up ?? It is just leaning against a book but it is holding the shape !! Next I need to make one the right size for the dummy I have been making and see if the door will still hold.

Fabric Cells !

2008-01-26T00:46:00.000-08:00

Most of January has past by and the master class work went with it. I felt quite lost with no direction and no inspiration. Although I have been stitching - see my main blog for the January finishes. http://witchypoos.blogspot.com/
I also spent time looking at egg plants as part of a true colour challenge from Cloth Paper Scissors. So far I have made a paper quilt and a fabric version too. I have added a slide show of this work on the right hand side bar.

Friday - had my first tutorial of the year ... The discussion came round to Louise B's work and other elements in the exhibtion. We were talking about the book of another artist work which I have been planning to do on Louise, and we discussed adding windows to the pages of the book.

Afterwards I looked at Louise's work that uses windows. Below is one of her Cells. Louise has made a whole series of cells, where she was aiming to make her own architecture rather than depending on the musuem space. The cell hold different displays of times in her life. As you walk round these you cannot go in,only peek in though the the windows. Although the one I have shown here has a lot of windows some are make up of more solid doors where you only have a letter box to look at the contents at different angles.

This started me thinking and the sketch book finally came out. YEY !!!
Here is the first page were I was thinking about shapes which have struture (like a sculpture) with windows. Ialso thought about how this could be created in fabric. On the right although you may not be able to read the writing I was looking at creating windows with machine lace or hardanger.
Next I used a lngth of water colour paper to create a cell.

Then started to sketch the shape, how the shadows fall inside and create more window shapes.
Finally worked a small sample of stitched windows.

So where next ? Want to follow this cell idea more. Look at creating the walls and then stiffening the fabric so that it holds itself up. At the moment it would only be for in door display until I can sort out how to stop the items going limp outside.

What is inside my cell ?? Looking to go back to my fold work/sketches. I have made a creature before using kantha running stitch and stuffing to create a shape. So if I take silk then create a shape which uses folds and running stitch to create walls. I would need stuffing to hold it up. Again I am back to Louise's 3D work, although not sure how organic mine will be.... you never know ;)

Also want to make a start on the book about Louise. It will be concentina, with a window or two, sketches of her work and notes about her written around the sketches which is how Louise herself keeps notes about her work.

Update~ Sunday 27th Jan~

Been looking at the items to go inside the cell. Started to think about a dressmaking dummy and other items which would be in Louise's version... But I was looking at creating a dummy which is more my kind of style. So here is the body need to speak with hubby to create a wooden stand.

As you may just be able to see I have a wire spider on the shoulder !!

Been thinking about creating door shapes in hardanger/machine lace, then making then solid with the glue ... then hanging them together with hinges !?!?? To go round this body need to be quite tall. But as the fabric would be an evenweave it would be slightly opac and you would see outlines from the shapes !!

Happy New Year !

2008-01-01T06:37:00.000-08:00

Nothing new to post , just marking the year !

Frosty Installation

2007-12-23T00:34:00.001-08:00

It has been SO COLD here we have had a lot of ground frost. So here is the sculpture with ice on !

In the sketch book been working on more images of Louise's work. Planning a small sketch book on her which will be filled with images and notes round them. All the books I have read say that Louise adds notes to what ever she has to hand, thus they appear on the back of art, in the margins of books etc etc ...so I will be adding comments from the artist and my own feelings about the piece of work in the image.... AND there will be a spider , well you have to have a spider !

Installation Update

2007-12-16T00:10:00.000-08:00

The pieces have not changed shape. The silk element seems to be getting dirty ! The colour of the word Cotton seems to be loosing its colour ??

I have added a picture of the whole area. You can see how small these are.

Louise Bourgeois

2007-12-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

Joined my friend L on Friday afternoon at Tate Modern to see the Louise Bourgeois exhibition.

Mamman was waiting outside.
No camera were allowed in the exhibition but I spent some of the time drawing the oganic shapes in someof her work.
Buildings and how they relate to the family as been a whole area of her work. These tall building based sculptures were created when she lived in New York.
More recently she has move to fabric as a lighter medium than the wood and steel she used to use. Born in 1911, she now needs the lighter materials. This is a tall tower of stuffed tapestry blocks.
Within many of the installations there were pink pin cushions which grew in size between each piece of work. One of the last times the cushion is seen it is the hieght of a human. Needles and threads appear in much of her work as her parents had a business restoring tapestries.
Spiders feature quite a bit. This is a close sketch ofhow she forms the legs and the joints.

Using the leg joint sketch to create a wholespider.

Finally, notes from the day. Louise is reported to write notes and diaries on any available paper. Many of the her drawings have notes in the margins or round the edge.

DISTURBING .... this was the word which L and I agree upon at the end. Louise work needs a broad mind as she deals with organic forms mostly body parts. As Louise willmostlikely become a focus artist for this module, I see these notes being printed on fabric then mounted on an end board for a consatina book. More work on spider legs I think !!

Well there has been a change outside with the sculpture.... Its falling over !!

No I don't mean its been blown over, the points are slowly falling to one side as if the rain has beaten them down. BUT when you touch it, it is still firm ??

Looks worse in this shot but you can see how the silk & cotton are almost laying on their side !

Copper stitching and an Installation

2007-12-02T09:55:00.001-08:00

The cotton sample has now totally dried. Here it is sitting on my DH's PC.

Now you can also have a closer look. Unlike the silk, now it is dried you can not tell that this fabric has a hardener on !!!

Anyway I spent some time working on the copper weave to add some embroidery. Being copper you can not use a hoop and you have to be very careful not to bend the copper as you stitch !!

Here is a close up of the copper stitching =)
It took a little time to mould the copper into a simular shape to that made by the drying cotton !

AND FINALLY - the three pieces were install outside. I really think they look like three pieces of fabric have been dropped bit have not quite settled. I have added a few rocks to the edge of the copper sheet to ensure if does not blow away ! This was Saturday morning.... since then we have had LOTS of rain and the last time I popped out to check everything was still in place and looking very much as you see above although wetter !!! =)

Another photo next week and each week as the pieces live in that spot !!
Truely "public art"...well if the public came round my back garden .

Copper and Cotton

2007-11-18T04:41:00.000-08:00

Time to get messy again. Started to look at working with cotton. First perpared the fabric square with a little stitching.
Then added a LONG thread to one corner to allow the fabric to beheld up while the fabric was drying.
Next pulled out the Pacerpol, plastic and a bowl.
Poured a little of the guck into the bowl.
Fabric is pushed and squashed into the paverpol. Making sure everything is soaked but not soaking. They say you can use gloves but you can not get the feel of when the fabric is ready that way. Finally, pulled the fabric out and set up to harden. This is where the fabric in the corner comes in as this can be tied to a pole. Hint: Crabtree & Everlyn garden scrub is great for getting paverpol of your hands.

Also started to investigate if the copper fabric can be stitched ?? And YES it can. You have to watch for the odd threads on the edge catching your thread or your hands. Plus you cannot use a hoop...

The fabric is VERY sheeras you can see where I have made french notes but the linkingthreads can be seen, although this could be an useful effect to use !!
Gathering the fabric works too...Above pulled tight and below not so tight. The fabric creates interesting shapes as the light falls on it !!
Now to wait the Paverpol to dry !!!

Fabric Folds

2007-11-11T11:03:00.001-08:00

Been a slow two weeks, what with being ill last weekend and lots of work to get done. I have been doing some stitching , have a look at my main Blog.

I did start to use the quiet times in my working day to to quick sketches of fabric folds. Sitting behide someone gives you a good chance to sketch their clothing. Thus all these sketches are on lined paper as that is what my work note book contains !!!

Fabric Sculpture

2007-10-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

Been looking at fabric and folds. Started with looking at sketching folded fabric.

For these I held the fabric up on a string.

Where next with the fabric ??
Creating a sculpture. I have had my first play with the Paverpol. Messy or what !!! The jar contains a thick white gloopy liquid. You place the fabric into the gloop and work it into the fabric. Then leave it tpharden off... for THREE DAYS !!! Not used to waiting =)

This is my first piece held in place with string until it sets. Then I wondered bout mixing fabric and metal. I have plans to using the copper cloth I bought at Ally Pally... but then remembered a sheet of 0.1mm copper I had had for ages. Thus started to form the copper into the shape of a piece of fabric.
I also cut a few smaller pieces of the copper cloth. Found that like the copper sheet the copper cloth can also be molded into shapes, although
it does not have the same strength. Will have to try paverpol on it !!

Louise Bourgeois

2007-10-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

No, I have not attended the exhibition yet, but been looking over the Tate Modern web site to check the details.

They now have images showing some of the piece on display. I am surprised to see how much fabric she uses in her work. OK , so I tend to think of her metal spiders and do not know much more about her work beyond those !

The website details the contents of the 10 rooms.
Room 9 :http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/louisebourgeois/rooms/room09.shtm
Shows a fabric tower made of blocks. Below is a direct link to it !

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/louisebourgeois/images/works/106a.jpg

Reply to L's comment in the last post ....
The copper fabric came from CrazyWire Company. http://www.crazywireco.co.uk/
They do the copper , bronze and steel cloth as well as knitted metals too.

Exploring the Line

2007-10-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

Moved on to the next assignment looking at line. Started this by investigating all the different pen, crayons, pencils, paints etc etc in the art box. This is the bio page.Although some of the others covered more than one page due to the thickness of the line. The paint was great fun as even more ideas could be tried out. Liked this one of dropping thread into paint then dropping the thread onto the page to create the shapes. Having paint out had to create line with my fingers ... =)
Next will be moving on to look at making line drawings on architechural forms.

Last week at the Knit and Stitch Show picked up some Paverpol. It is a textile hardener which they were selling for create garden statues....Errrmmm can see this needs to be played with. Watch out for updates here.
I have been to look for art made using Paverpol .... Try one or two of these links.
http://home.planet.nl/~emiel.smulders/h-kunstwerk2.htm
http://www.crazywireco.co.uk/13.html This is the company I bought my pot from.
http://www.paverpolaustralia.com/instruct.html
http://www.mouseandmoon.com/Fabstatuegallery.htm - whole gallery
I also bought a fat quarter of copper cloth..yup woven copper. Hubby and I had a long chat about if metal creates a cloth or not...Is this a textile ?? Well YES, we loked up textile and its definded as a woven material.... =)

"Textile Perspectives in Mixed-media Scultpure " by Jac Scott has arrived so started to read that.... WOW!!!

Drawing on Fabric

2007-10-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

Started to look at creating the work from the paper and stitched samples on to fabric. I started in the same way I had done with the paper, glue down paper text samples and then paint dye over. Using the dye would give me the same colours as the paper.

What I found was that as the fabric took the water more the colours merged to give different shapes to the edges. Also I was able to stitch much more heavy into the fabric so the black stitching is more dense than the paper versions.
With each sample I tried slightly different ways to add the dye looking at how much water had tobe applied before the colours started to weaken.
With all of them adding the black stitching really brought the shapeout and changed the colour of the dye.
These could look great as the side of a bag where the dyes are used to colour the rest of the fabric.

Next - handstitching along the same lines...This time I wanted to try using layers of chiffon to create the colours.. plus the useof a varigated thread and running stitch created textures direction and holds the chiffon down. Under the chiffon are more paper text samples.The close upbelow you can see the effect better.

This is the sample finished.
Tate Modern will open a Louise Bourgeois exhibtion next week. One of her Maman spiders has been errected outside the Tate building.... Through work I have tickets for myself and my friend L to visit. Work have a corperate membership so we get to borrow the cards for an evening.

I have also had a chance to take some photos of the sculpture at Guildford University. Its called Knife Birds by Bridget McCrum. Follow the link and look at her portfolio the Knife Birds are currently the first image shown. The slide show below are my photos.

Books and more sketches

2007-09-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

Last week worked on more of the sketches on paper. Used really bright colours and looked at different sculptures from both Germany and UK. The dragon is still my favourite , looked at elements and worked to add more details with the stitches.
This is the sculpture I saw in Guildford Uni... The second one I have started to add detail in the back ground.
Really need to get on with the reproducing these on fabric. I can use heavier stitching as I did not want to loose the paper by over stitching !

Using birthday token from my Mother in Law , I have order from Amazon a book.

"Textile Perspectives in Mixed-media Scultpure " by Jac Scott .

Click here to view

The reviews are good and Amazon allows you to view a few pages. So now just waiting for it to be delivered.

Sketching in Thread

2007-09-22T00:31:00.001-07:00

From my sketches of German art, I took two strong images. The dragon being the favourite. Created in heavy water colour paper with solid dyes.

After making a couple with the right type of colours, I tried a few with bright colours. These I really loved. Using dyes rather than water colour paints gave very strong colours.

These were such fun,watch out for more to come.

As I used dyes ... it prob also time to think about creating the same thing on fabric as well.

Spiders

2007-09-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

After removing wires from a few pieces of ribbon for a project, twisted them together to form a creature ... Do I have Maman on the brain !

Been thinking about materials which can be left outside for extended lengths of time. You have the natural ones like wood and stone which are traditionally used for sculpture. Then there is metals and concrete. Been looking at canvas, plastics and hemp. The fibrecraft do a bronze and stainless steel fabric - see here...

Research on Henry Moore has unearthed his current working methods. This is very much about found objects and working with the natural form. He generally will create a maquette (small version - he calls them 3d sketchs) of a piece he is planning rather than a whole series of drawings.
Often these are made up of found objects: flint, driftwood, shells or bones. To his found objects he will add clay or plasticine.

This is starting to feel like quite an interesting avenue to follow, both from the point of view of added found objects into my work but also for creating a series of sketches of a maquette made from a found object and clay which could become a piece of work too.

Tutorials, York and beyond

2007-09-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

My first tutorial went well. Sculpture as a subject was agreed and we talked round the first few elements in the course booklet. So I now have an idea what I will be doing over the next couple of months. Key areas to start working on are : Artist and their working methods, a study of artist, research on textile artists who create structures and consider the materials which would survive outside...

I am not sure I will complete the work in 4-6 months due to being able to get to visit displays. Plus there is so much too =)

Good news : Kew Gardens are holding a Henry Moore exhibition which opens on 15 Sept until 30 March next year =) YEEY !!! Perfect timing. It is now on my list of places to visit. The Nash conservatory have an display which explains the artists working process and the developement of some of the pieces in the gardens.... They have a selection of 28 outdoor sculptures.

Last weekend visited York (see my main blog for details) but was disappointed at the lack of public art. Granted we did not go roaming round the parks , but my friend and I walked round most of the town .... =(

Wednesday - DH and I went to Surrey University for an opening evening for their adult education Language school. We were thinking of taking a German course.... Now signed up to Intermediate 1 =), while I was waiting for him to bring the car round sat looking at the sculpture outside the building. Made a quick sketch on the only paper I had - the campus map. As we will be going back there I will have a chance to capture a photo or two.

No idea of the artist or title ....I did a web search but no details !?!?!?

One thing I have found out about was a textile research project by the Surrey Institue of Art. Textural Space was a project involving contemporary Japanese textile artists. It featured large-scale work which explored the 3D potential of textiles within an installation format. I have contacted the department to see if they still have copies of the catalogue.

The department moved on from there to the Through the Surface project which was a series of Mentoring collaborations between 14 textile artists from Britain and Japan. 4 young artists from Britain and 3 from Japan travelled to work with 7 established artists from the opposite country.

Over this week, apart from the web searches I have been able to do while at work, I have been completeing the sketch work from Germany using my photos, added comments into the sketch book and starting to add work from UK.... I did add a page about Maman which we discovered in Montreal. Maman is a sculpture by Louise Bourgeois of a giant spider. This is just one , others are in places like New York. When Tate modern opened they had a Maman in the main turbine hall. My photo below.

The Sculpture Sketch Book

2007-09-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

Spent a little adding photos to my sketch book from Germany along with some notes and translations. Also completed a few sketches using the photos...=)
Below are two of my favourite sculptures from the holiday and my sketches of them.

I have also borrowed a couple of books from the library to start reading up on sculpture, plus reading the 3D Embroidery book. Still not sure if public sculpture fits as a subject. My tutorial has been bounced to next week as Liz and I have to fit round the rest of our life too...

In the meantime, I had arranged to meet a friend in London to see an exhibition at the V&A in the afternoon.. but now we are meeting in the morning to follow a planned walk in Poplar of the public art. I found a great web site which covers only part of London but gives you a guided walk to public sculpture. http://exploringeastlondon.co.uk/index.htm
Even if I end up changing the subject we'll still be going on the walk.... Fingers cross for clear skys !

Back in the UK =)

2007-08-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Had a ten day holiday in Germany ... Wonderful time. But came back with the possiblity that I might change my personnel study topic !! [More about the holiday in my main Blog]

" What ?? " , your thinking !

Yes, while touring in the Mosel valley I became fasinated with the public art. Now in the UK our cities are very good as putting up statues etc , but in Germany it was everywhere. You stop in a small village/hamlet and find at least 2 or 3 pieces of work !

As the area was mostly Catholic for so long there are many shrines and pieces of work which relates to the church, but then you'll find fountains and modern art work. Some relate to a historical event and some are just there !

I have already started to quite a few pages of my sketch book with either detail or over all drawings of a number of the piece we found. As normal I had my camera with me , so have reference pictures of ALL we found.

I'll put up some images for you soon (still have a little unpacking to get done) .

Now wondering if the sketch book should expand to look at the difference in the public art found in the UK ?? Canary Wharf has published a walk to view all the public art they have which I guess I now need to do soon, before the bad weather sets in.

What do I like about them ?? Well that their there at all, the textures and the design of them.

Well have my first phone tutoral next Thursday, so I guess that these are questions for my tutor.

++++ Update ++++

The slide show below has most of the public art pictures I took during my stay in Germany. Watch out for the name of the place and check how many each place has. ALL were taken mostly in villages and a couple of small towns.

I have started to work on my sketch book of these. Some drawn while we were away, most will be drawn over the next few weeks.

I have started my research and found the The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association and the Cass Sculpture Foundation

A Tutor

2007-08-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

Only a quick update. I have heard from my Tutor for Module 1 who is Liz Harding.
http://mnlg.com/art/artists/liz_h.html click to see work by Liz.

Getting started

2007-07-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Well the first module book has been here a whole week so I guess I should get started. Started on what your thinking?? OPUS Master Class in Stitched Textiles. This is where I have started to head after completing my full City and Guilds course.

I thought I should consider writing a diary but as I am totally bad at keeping a hand written version going I thought I would come here as my main Blog is generally updated weekly. This one will be a little more hit and miss. Posts could come daily or there might a month wait as it will be as I work on the course.

So this is Module 1 all about Process =)
OK Assignment 1 asks for a sketch book to be created which relate to a personnel theme....

Errrmmm .... what shall I select ?
Been thinking about this all week. At first I started with trees or roses or medieval art but these are subjects I have worked on during the C&G course and I would like to move into a different direction. OK so next I looked at what subjects I have not already done to death ...
Mother Earth
Coast Lines
Pattern of landscapes
Discover the Goddess

Coast lines may be harder to research. I am not near the coast and this years holiday takes us off to Trier in Germany.
Researching Mother Earth mysteries could be interesting and would allow me to bring nature back in ....
I quite liked Pattern Of Landscape ...
But Discover the Goddess has my interest right now. It pulls at the Mother Earth idea although feels like it can expand to be larger to look at faith from a different angle.

So there you go ... right now the subject will be "Discover the Goddess"

A while ago I create some ATCs for an exchange which said on them "Discover your inner Goddess" =) Will dig out the photo for the side bar.