Sketchbook Project V 14: Thread Trails (combining pages )

 This is my final sketchbook 'Thread Trails' before posting back  to Brooklyn Art Library - I just had time before the deadline to put it back in it's original cover and show it to  fellow EDAMers  and friends Hazel and Teddy but neglected to take a photo !  Just have to wait until its digitised. 

I'm constantly  amazed how different  the individual pages look in juxtaposition with others ( but then  did spend ages playing with different combinations) . Keen to explore further possibilities of drawing and stitch.   

EDAM Term 2: Monoprint and Artists Books

 I missed  the first of the 3 sessions  with Claire Hynds  on 'Experiments with hand printing'  as I was up in the Lake District on annual  NWCQ  retreat but as it was monoprinting ( which I've done a lot of)  I was able to take some samples  I'd done previously to the next class which was on artists books. I took along some of the 65 (!) prints  on fabric   at Studio 11 in Eastbourne ( above)  and some on paper from City Lit monoprint course  (below)

Claire started the session  with looking at the history of Artists books  from the early  20th century onwards  including Dada and Surrealism , Kurt Schwitters and Max Ernst ,  Italian Futurism early 'Zines'  and the '26 Gaseline stations' of Ed Ruscha   ( which I'd seen in BM  'American Dream' exhibition)

 She then showed   photos of various  book structures by contemporary  artists  : Alisa Golden  Fishbone fold and Fibonacci ( above)

Jenny Smith laser cut folded books ( above and below)

 Stef Mitchell  ' Field and Hedgerow'  fold out books  ( above and below) 

 Claire  had a number of print outs of instructions for different  structures,   and made photocopies of  our  monoprints /drawings to work with , time to have a go! 

I was pleased  with  nested accordion/ 'slinky book'   folds  and my first attempt  at covering  boards with paper, definately one to explore further. 

Mostly though I experimented with the simple folded one sheet - this one   was made from  failed painting from earlier EDAM  class  based on  photo from Puglia  with  photocopy of the same painting glued to the back. I cut through   in various places inspired by Jenny Smiths books

 The same approach used on another failed painting didn't work so well - the round holes a bit  clunky in comparison  with the slots and lines of the  drawing of the bamboo structure. 

The second  session of making artists  books was a workshop  where we explored ideas further.

I wanted  to have a go at making a ' star tunnel book' following  instructions in my copy of ' cover to cover'  by Shereen Laplantz only to find  it didn't  meet up ! Patti explained that  it would  if  I  added on more paper , it takes a lot more strips than you think ( her  wonderful  version ( below)   showed how it should look like!)   

  I then  tried different variations of   meander accordion sketchbooks ,  folding and cutting 1 sheet of paper.  I particular  like the one I did  using a photocopy of a print from collage class.

 I'd  brought in examples of previous book making including the  sewn ones from Dorothy Caldwell  masterclass  ( above)  and the  ' Australian reverse accordion piano hinge' booklets from Alice Fox workshop  ( and my  subsequent home -steamed drawings ) 

This   cunning   method  of combining simple  1 page book structures  proved popular and I  showed several people how to do it

 It worked particularly well  with  photocopies of my  prints ( 'zine' approach) , exploring  1  structure and letting  the prints speak for themselves. 

Festival of Quilts 2018 : Nancy Crow and Maria Harryman

The exhibition  of   75 monoprints   by Nancy Crow was by far the biggest  gallery at Festival of Quilts.  Knowing  how addictive  monoprinting is, the large  board  outside the gallery explaining her methods and process  was a fascinating insight  into her  work.   She has been so influential in  quiltmaking ,  I think she was very brave  to  show  her personal explorations in this medium, so different to her pieced works.  However  while I  am full of admiration  for the  scale of her vision, I didn't love it , the repetitions  and subtle changes  obviously mean a lot to her  but didn't excite me.  The most interesting parts for me was zooming  in on the details of some of the marks, particularly on the black and white pieces .

In contrast , my    favourite   work   at  FoQ  by far ,  were   2 pieces  by   Maria  Harryman,  ' Ubiquitous  1' in the Art Quilt section   (details above)   and 'Ubiquitous 3' in the  CQ West gallery ( below)  

In both pieces  I was drawn to their abstract compositions  of  painterly  layers of colour, with the subtle variations  in  hand stitch and  marks providing emphasis  in  key areas. It's so easy to go too far, I  really admire her constraint.  Then I discovered her website which I've spent  quite a while reading for her insights into  her work.  I too am inspired by  mussels and limpets  but  she's achieved  what I've so far failed to do in my own interpretations ,  producing masterly abstract compositions, successfully scaling up marks, textures  and colours, making the leap from observational drawings to large scale textile  works.    She's inspired me to go back to drawing my 'small treasures' and revisit my sketchbooks  and earlier explorations ( below) .