SEWING BOX

 Back in 2007 I went on a workshop to create a collage that was printed on to fabric, I came away with two collages of my parents and they sat in my UFO box for over 3 years. I spent along time deciding what to do with them and then when my youngest daughter gave me her old sewing box I decided to cover it with the said collage after embroidering it with items relevant to Emily and Bert.It was my way of creating an heirloom that hopefully one of my daughters will cherish.

Mum was a seamstress all her life and career and this cover reflected that.

They married on the 20th March 1949.

Bright Summers Day

How about this for memories of summer.

I have been experimenting with new ways of using silk in my work. Just painting it had lost interest for me so I have started to manipulate it first and then paint it. Very pleased with the result. I orginally intended to complete the centre using thread and silk cocoons but time ran away with me and to finish it in time for the latest Silk-n-Threads exhibition I had to use acrylics instead.

SKETCHBOOK CHALLENGE

I have been taking part in the Sketchbook Challenge set by Sue Bleiweiss http://sketchbookchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/01/sketchbook-challenge-begins.html and this is my first page of doodles under the title 'Highly Prized'. I also made the sketchbook to house the sketches and I am very plesed with the effect gained by stencilling over an old purple disposable tablecloth with Markal oil sticks and Treasure Gold products. To protect the surface I acrylic waxed the final result.

THE PRESIDENT - CLEMATIS

                                                                          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.

Bye Bye "End of Season"

"End of the Season" has been hanging in my art room for a few months now and I had really begun to like it again. It was a piece that I completed for the Textile 21 exhibition at Norton Priory last year, before all my operations and because it was done whilst I was not feeling 100% I dismissed it. It is a peaceful piece and was a success in terms of techniques that worked. The background is a piece of dry felted velvet using silk and wool tops. In particular I liked the effect achieved by the silk noil. The stems were trusty tyvek rolled painted heated and then painted again for highlights. As with most of my pieces the finishing touches were hand stitches for the seed heads.
Well it has gone, sold at the Holmfirth Art Week. When I found out the buyer I was very excited as it is the local Yorkshire artist Jill Moynan, check out her pictures. Even more surprising was the fact that of all the 500+ pictures on show it was one of hers that I would have chosen as my favourite and given wall space to. Must contact her to share this revelation with!!

Here is detail of the seed head the smaller stems are machine wrapped cords that I then painted.

I also sold lots of my knitted necklaces and scarves, it is so gratifying to know that individuals out there appreciate my work and choose to wear them. Thankyou so much, it makes me want to continue with creating.

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!

Been away too long, health and family got in the way as they do!

However here is my latest piece that is in the Holmfirth ArtWeek (Yorkshire) starting the 5th -11th July. Well worth a visit if you live in the vacinity. Entitled "Green Silks", fairly obvious as it is entirely silk and I used yellow and turquoise procion dyes.

This is the finished piece, ignore the shelves behind I forgot to edit before posting!!

I painted a box canvas in mixes of white, burnt senna and lemon yellow to get rid of the spark white of the canvas, works well!

I entered and was selected for the Derbyshire Open with a piece entitled 'Golden Strata' that was inspired by the Blue John stone that can be found in the Blue John Caverns in the Peak District. It is achieved by painting tyvek gold and then heating until it resembles molten metal. the bulk of the purple is free machine embroidery. The preview was last Friday and it was great to see my piece on view.

Will post more very soon now that I am back to normal!!

TEXTILE 21 EXHIBITION

Here is my latest piece of work for the up and coming Textile 21 exhibition at the New Vic in Newcastle under Lyne from the 23rd March until the 25 April 2009.

The exhibition title 'Recollections' brought to mind colours that my mum used to favour when I was child in her work. She was a seamtress and of course like so many children of the 50s I never had anything on my back that wasn't homemade be it fabric or wool. I still have a piece of cotton guaze like fabric that she was saving for something 'special'. The day never came and my children ended up using it to dress up in when they stayed with her. I still treasure that fabric and it gave me the inspiration for this latest piece - hence its title, 'Memory Shades'.

I embellished two layers of synthetic organza with trapped fibres between, leaving large areas unembellished to creat the raised effects. Then set to work on the hand embroidery, again a hommage to Mum as she enjoyed her embroidery so.

Below is a closeup of the section of french knots that works so well.

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