This week I have been busy with lesson one of the latest
Sharon Boggon class
'Sumptuous Surfaces' . Sharon has had us consider our concept for the class. After nearly a week of deliberation I think I am there. My brainstorm centred around BEACHCOMBING.
I then spent some time looking through my collection of shells and beach debris from over the years and photocopied them for my sketch book and to act as an aide memoire in developing my designs.
I started to develop certain aspects in more detail. The first was based around some sea urchins. I realised that they could be simplied into five sections and noted the different textures of the surface. I played around with design manipulation as can be seen here.
These sketches were based around shell skeletons as I realised that I had picked up just as many eroded shells as perfect ones. The skeletal form had obviously intrigued and attracted me. Ideal for positive and negative shapes and as Sharon had shown us how to develop such shapes I played around with isolating and superimposing them on to other shapes. It was then I realised that there was a difference between the smoothness of these shell skeletons and the roughness of the sea urchins.
A concept was emerging
'The response to my memories of beachcombing and collection of shells over many years. Especially that of the opposing form and texture of the perfect and the eroded structure of shells.'
I then got carried away and wanted to see whether I could incorporate beach vegetation. So these sketches utilise the solidness of the sea urchins and the flowing lines of a stylised sea holly and lichen hybrid.
So another concept evolved 'The response to my memories of beachcombing and collection of shells and beach debris over many years. Especially that of the opposing form and texure of shells and the sinuous, fibrous nature of beach vegetation.'
To finalise my design for embroidering I chose sketch A5 as I thought that the overlapping and recession achieved leant itself to an interesting well balanced result. It was necessary to add the second element though and this proved to be anything but easy.
C2 was my preferred result as it has recession, scale, overlapping, movement and balance. I'm hoping that Sharon agrees with me!!!!!
It has been a while since I last posted but I have been busy creating and just to prove it here is a silk embellished picture of a clematis that used to climb throughout a quince at our last house. Sadly it is no longer there as the new owner has pulled up most of the garden for an extension!! So glad I have a reminder of this stunning clematis 'The President'. I've bought a new one for a trellis at our new house.
This closeup shows in more detail the texture I achieved with the embellisher and the finishing off on the sewing machine as well as the beaded centre.
