Light and Shadow- Indigo Hill Arches

Indigo Hill Arches

48 x 36 cm

Two black and white images  of  'Hill Arches' sculpture by Henry Moore combined in  Photoshop, printed on hand dyed indigo cotton and silk treated with 'BubbleJet Set'.  Machine quilted with variagated threads, hand stitched with 'House of Embroidery' Cotton perle thread .  

There's nothing like a deadline to concentrate the mind! When the theme of 'Light and Shadow was set in the 'International Quilt Challenge' I had lots of grandious ideas of continuing  the idea of the 'Taplow Vase' in looking at some pewter vases from multiple viewpoints and on  large scale. Then with reveal date looming and nothing started I remembered a  top I'd put together for a demonstration on inkjet printing using 'poster printing' function to split an image over 4 A4 sheets ( I subsequently used that technique to print 16 sheets of organza for my  'Rich as Honesty' quilt)  

After I'd machine quilted it, it was looking rather drab and uninteresting so I decided to stitch more into by hand. I haven't done much hand stitching in a while and I'd forgotten how addictive it is , sewing away watching BBC4.  My wrist is a bit sore despite using a 'Creative Comfort' Crafters Glove for support (although that could be the use of secateurs on Sunday on a serious hack of the garden)

The Henry Moore sculpture that so inspired me was part of an exhibition at Kew Gardens in 2007. I loved having access to these sculptures for so many months, able to view them in different lights and viewpoints and  I made several journal quilts exploring ways of  intepreting  a 3D piece in 2D textiles.
Next year there will be a major exhibition at Kew of work by David Nash.  Can't wait!!

It's been a while but I've had a session updating my website with  a gallery of new work - do stop by and say hello!

Inspired, Influenced, Informed Indigo Seas

 Perhaps because I've been stitching on indigo all weekend as part of International Quilt Challenge ( sore fingers but I'm fallen in love all over again with hand stitching with 'mystique' cotton perle thread) but I felt the need to raid my indigo stash and start to build a seascape. Hope to get it assembled before going to Weymouth so I can stitch it in situ!! Still a lot of work to do on the bottom half beneath what's above but for my eyes only at the moment.

 Partly inspired by the fabrics themselves ( especially the ones I  dyed at Summer School last year) , mainly by the patterns created when cutting curves into striped/shibori  as in these journal quilts.

 Influenced also by previous indigo seascapes such as 'Serifos Storm'and informed by recent paintings of the sea at Slapton in acrylics.

A Productive Day

 Got lots done today -  finished off my 'text' journal quilts , all 6 of them ( only supposed to be 4 so September has 3!) and posted them on CQ Yahoo group. 'The' is I think my favourite - the simplest and one with potential for scaling up. Don't really work as a group without spacing but perhaps I'll play with that - might mount them on canvases.

 In contrast to the gaudiness of peeling posters, I machine quilted my 'light and shadow' piece into submission( sneaky peak below) Am wondering how I could introduce a bit of colour through hand stitch, it's a bit dull at the moment (b&w on indigo)  Perhaps I'll print some copies and try a bit of colouring in!

Very disappointed  that I won't be doing Abstract Painting evening class as planned as I was the only one that registered!! Have I the self discipline to try some of the exercises from 'Drawing Projects: an exploration of the language of drawing'  instead?

A Weekend in Cardiff - not just work

 Arthur Giardelli  "The Sea's Edge"

 Max Ernst " The Wood'

A weekend in Cardiff  for the annual meeting of British Bryological Society, with bonus of  amazing sound of 500 voices AngloWelsh Male Voice Choirs at St David's Hall and just as I was leaving for the train, cheering on the runners of the Cardiff 10K as they streamed past Cardiff Castle.

In between committee meetings and listening to scientific papers , I made the most of being in the National Museum of Wales to spend time among the fantastic work in the newly opened galleries devoted to contemporary art. I particularly enjoyed seeing the sketches and photographs of Graham Sutherland and work by Ceri Richards. There was one small painting "Welsh Coastline" using the same 'grattage' techniques as the work of Max Ernst which was just so atmospheric, I could have taken it home.  Makes me want to try those techniques on fabric.

Making good progress on my 'Text' journal quilts, adding hand stitch while on the train. I'll be spending Thursday and Friday finishing them off and working on my International Quilt Challenge piece on 'light and Shadow.  

Moss on my mind

I never thought I'd become so entranced  by mosses!! I did  a course on them in North Wales while I was at University (my chief memory being a goat underneath a table at a cafe we went to) and tried to get to grips with them in my survey days on Salisbury Plain. For several years I managed a project on their ex situ conservation but it wasn't until I was responsible for growing them myself that I was really smitten (these photos from down the microscope  are some I grew from tiny pieces of leaf)  So much to discover and now potential for a Very Big Project on the cards.  They may start creeping into my quilts.Perhaps I'm turning into a Moss Witch, if so Ian beware!!