EDAM Term 2: Drawing with manipulated paper and stitch

Most of the  drawing  projects  of  EDAM  course  so far have really pushed me out of my comfort zone, trying  new techniques, media and approaches.  But  part of the benefit of  that is that I've not been afraid  to try things out, to experiment , to be prepared to fail.  So I was really looking forward  to the  2 sessions with Ruth Brison  on drawing with manipulated paper and stitch  as textiles are my favourite medium.  In  many ways though it was the most difficult so far , knowing so much  about the subject , it was really  hard to try and put aside my experience and knowledge and look at the techniques with fresh eyes and try something new. 

Ruth has explored using paper and stitch a lot   in  fine art drawing  with links to sculpture and textiles," developing the idea of using the fluidity of paper as structure and seeing stitch as a link or a line  to draw, divine. mould, trace or forge a commentary or idea about something" 

 Many of the artists she mentioned  I was familiar with : Alice Fox; Gwen Hedley; Ian McKeever.  Ones new to me included Noami Kobayashi; Heather Tribe ; Mia Pearlman;  Kate Ward . Work by Ines Siedel I found particularly exciting.    

 The first morning was about exploring the process , choosing methods  to make  several paper structures  and practicing ways to use sewing machine and/or hand stitch. Resources included a variety of papers, acetate , string  etc and   lots of ideas for paper manipulation ,layering with collage , stitching and linking  with pins, staples, tapes. 

 I mainly concentrated on  sewing  tubes of paper and scrunching them  around  cardboard  tubes  in a similar method to  the what I use for indigo shibori)   and  tearing paper  where it was perforated from stitching.  I also  stitched layers of  pages from 'Time Out'   and cut through them in 'faux chenille' effect  ( much quicker than using fabric! )   

 The sewing machines provided were sturdy mechanical  Bernina's and although  not exactly the same as my machines, I was familiar with the threading etc so  was able to assist several people when they  were having problems with tension etc. Other peoples work where they were new to the techniques seemed much more exciting than my efforts .  I rescued  a piece of  stitched drawing that Asli had thrown in the bin  as the  loops  on the underside   where the tension had  gone wrong  produced wonderful marks! As a novice she had persevered in stitching whereas I would have realised there was a problem straight away and corrected it  (  she abandoned using the machine and produced some lovely work using hand stitch ) 

 Back of Asli's drawing with looped stitches

At home , I took photos of some the pieces I produced against the background of Asli's  'failed' drawing:   stitching on acetate ( above) has possibilities ( I had tension issues too!) ;  crumpled 'shibori' paper (below) 

 In the afternoon of the  first session  we were encouraged to  choose a direction  developed in the morning leading to a sculptural drawing, hanging  or mobile  choosing  2-3 key areas of interest , creating a mind map .

 Following up the idea of vessels  from my tutorial with Ute , I used  some of the  stitched papers from the morning to construct some 3D structures.

 Then at home  in the evening   for my daily drawing in sketchbook,  to record my day I explored layering with torn stitched paper, rubbings on colour catchers and tracing paper ( below)

The second session  the following week was devoted to developing  a single theme or idea  from drawings , sketchbook work , photographic information or found materials.  Given my usual  problem of having too many ideas, I decided to return to the subject material of limpet shells  which I've used  several times before  ( eg in Large Scale Sketchbook)  but so far not satisfactorily.  Plus I had some new ones in my collection thanks to my visit to Birchington -on- Sea! 

 I used my time on the train profitably  in recording the   paper structures I'd made the week before ( above)   and in making a 'mind map'  of what methods I might  explore ( below) .  

And here are some of the results: 

Pleated and gathered photocopy of thread monoprint  ( from session on bookmaking ) 

  Cone  of  textured khadi paper  wrapped with linen thread 

 Disc of grey watercolour paper, ink lines, wrapped  with variegated crochet thread 

 In my daily drawing sketchbook I repeated  some of these ideas, drawing on a disc of paper, gluing it on sketchbook page and cutting out hole  then stitching and wrapping linen thread  around it. Interesting from the back too, with glimpses of the page  below ( lessons from Large Scale Sketchbook   if on an A6 scale ! ) 

With a plan, concentrating on  exploring just one idea and the beginnings of understanding mind maps  , it was a far more relaxed , productive session  with time to have a long  discussion with Ruth  and talk with others  about their ideas for the project next term on the theme of 'meanwhile'. 

Drawing Tuesday: Irons at the Science Museum ( plus V&A Exhbitions)

Drawing Tuesday   this week was at the Science Museum - very busy and noisy with families ( tho marginally quieter than when there are school groups), slightly less  frantic  in the ' Secret Life of the Home' gallery in the basement. It's a treasure trove of  household appliances, ancient and modern.  I tore myself away from the sewing machines  to find something a bit easier to draw  and found another  textile related display  dear to our hearts - irons !

 It was interesting to see the innards  of a steam iron  and see the early models of the electric iron ( my mum had one identical to the canary yellow one  below) 

 I was initially tempted by the idea of drawing the damage done to synthetic fabrics with a hot iron  ( above) but settled for the range of old metal flat irons 

The 'goffering iron ' looked  quite space age . It was made to shape ruffs and frills  with a hot metal poker placed  in the iron to heat it up. 

 With lots of rubbing out and   redrawing in 2h and 2b pencils  it was a relief to finish off  with a quick sketch  of box irons using a 6b graphite stick ! 

 After catching up with the others in the cafe and revived  by lunch I headed  over to the other side of  Exhibition  Road, to the V&A .  Using my Museums Association   membership  card I got into the  Frida  Kahlo  exhibition ( despite   all tickets being sold out)  and then 'Fashioned from Nature'.   I'm not sure  that I would have paid  to see the Frida Kahlo exhibition ( I tend to agree with the reviews) but as I'm coincidentally re-reading ' The Lacuna' by Barbara Kingsolver, it was fascinating to see the early photos and short  film clips including one  with Trotsky. 

It also brought back fond memories  of  going to Mexico for work   in 1997. I taught an orchid growing workshop in Puebla  then  had a few days in Mexico City gracefully hosted by Robert Bye and Edelmira Linares . ( contributers to the  book associated  with 'Frida Kahlo's Garden' . Now that's an exhibition I wished I'd seen) .   Besides the usual museums and galleries , Edelmira ( who's an ethnobotanist)  took me to some fascinating craft places. 

 More to my taste was the 'Fashioned from  Nature' exhibition  - so much  exquisitely  stitched  clothing and a fascinating glimpse into materials  and methods both used in the past and new innovations. Being  a textile exhibition with many fragile pieces, light levels were low  so photography was a bit  limited. I was rather struck by the Gucci handbag inspired by stag beetles ( noble beasts!)  and the darned clothing  ' Visible History'  by designer John Alexander Skelton. 

  Finally, I  had  a quick look at the gallery showing the finalists of the 'Jameel Prize 5' . I was particularly struck by the woven details in the  work by Hala Kaiksow ( below)

  I wonder whether those folds involved  a goffering iron?!