I don't really have a plan for it, I am experimenting with combining different fine threads together at the moment to see the effect I get. Then I want to try using grasses, and wire, and... I am finding it totally addictive!
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Weaving
Yesterday the textile group I belong to were lucky enough to have Sue Lawty as a visiting tutor. Sue is an amazingly inspiring and generous teacher and her work is fabulous - do go and have a look. I have done a little bit of weaving before but not 'proper' tapestry weaving. Usually after one of these days I am far too tired to do much in the evening but yesterday, tired or not, I was back on the weaving the minute I got home! Here is my little sample, not much, it is only 2" wide and I have been using fine threads so it grows very slowly.
I don't really have a plan for it, I am experimenting with combining different fine threads together at the moment to see the effect I get. Then I want to try using grasses, and wire, and... I am finding it totally addictive!
I don't really have a plan for it, I am experimenting with combining different fine threads together at the moment to see the effect I get. Then I want to try using grasses, and wire, and... I am finding it totally addictive!
Friday, 15 October 2010
This week
So I have survived another week at university! Last week we were out and about drawing and photographing bits of architecture around Wrexham, and I did a bit of drawing at home as well. This week we have been abstracting parts of our drawings and then 'drawing' in 3 dimensions with wire. The brief was to create a form from wire and tissue paper which would work well when lit.
The piece of 'architecture' I decided to use as a starting point was a bridge in my local park. I really like the curves, especially from this angle where they look like they are one inside another.
I have to say I really struggled at first with 'drawing' freehand with the wire. I love the loose scribbley style that some people achieve doing this but it just doesn't seem to work for me.
After several false starts I started to form some nice smooth(ish) curves around a mandrel, and the taper of the mandrel enabled me to make each one smaller than the last - a bit like a tapering slinky! Fixing these together on one side let me fan them out.
And then on to the tissue paper - here I was in my element - well, it's practically fabric, isn't it? I decided I had 2 choices, cover between the rings to end up with something like a snail shell, or cover across the flat of each ring. So I did both.
I made several units and put them together. In fact I had a bit of a production line going and ended up with three pieces instead of one. And here they are with the light - it's all about the shadows really.
The piece of 'architecture' I decided to use as a starting point was a bridge in my local park. I really like the curves, especially from this angle where they look like they are one inside another.I have to say I really struggled at first with 'drawing' freehand with the wire. I love the loose scribbley style that some people achieve doing this but it just doesn't seem to work for me.
After several false starts I started to form some nice smooth(ish) curves around a mandrel, and the taper of the mandrel enabled me to make each one smaller than the last - a bit like a tapering slinky! Fixing these together on one side let me fan them out.
And then on to the tissue paper - here I was in my element - well, it's practically fabric, isn't it? I decided I had 2 choices, cover between the rings to end up with something like a snail shell, or cover across the flat of each ring. So I did both.
I made several units and put them together. In fact I had a bit of a production line going and ended up with three pieces instead of one. And here they are with the light - it's all about the shadows really.
Sunday, 10 October 2010
ffflowers in print again!
The first thing I have to do today is gloat a bit because one of my ffflowers features on the 'Things We Love' page of this month's Sew Hip magazine - on the shelves now! The only slight hiccup is that they have put the price for a bouquet with a picture of a single flower... never mind, definitely a lesson learned - never give editors a choice!
And now... to the question everyone has been asking me... how is the course going? Well, we have had our first 'proper' week, although it was still an introductory week, not quite the usual timetable. And so far, so good... the tutors are all really nice, as are the other students on the course. We have been doing a lot of drawing, which I always struggle with, but I know I have to do it and it's all about practice. The driving in the morning hasn't been too bad at all and even though the car park was completely full one day last week I did manage to find somewhere else to park so I'm feeling a little more relaxed about that.
Something I have found with all this going out drawing is that I didn't have a bag big enough to hold an A3 sketchbook, and which would fit comfortably over my shoulder. So on Friday I took a little trip to Abakhan for some fabric and I have spent rather more time than I should have done this weekend making myself a new bag - making it up as I went along.
It is big enough to hold my sketchbook quite comfortably, and has pockets for absolutely everything, including an emergency chocolate pocket! It will certainly make getting ready in the mornings a lot easier. I've also ordered myself a little folding camping stool - I am just too old to draw standing up!
And now... to the question everyone has been asking me... how is the course going? Well, we have had our first 'proper' week, although it was still an introductory week, not quite the usual timetable. And so far, so good... the tutors are all really nice, as are the other students on the course. We have been doing a lot of drawing, which I always struggle with, but I know I have to do it and it's all about practice. The driving in the morning hasn't been too bad at all and even though the car park was completely full one day last week I did manage to find somewhere else to park so I'm feeling a little more relaxed about that.
Something I have found with all this going out drawing is that I didn't have a bag big enough to hold an A3 sketchbook, and which would fit comfortably over my shoulder. So on Friday I took a little trip to Abakhan for some fabric and I have spent rather more time than I should have done this weekend making myself a new bag - making it up as I went along.
It is big enough to hold my sketchbook quite comfortably, and has pockets for absolutely everything, including an emergency chocolate pocket! It will certainly make getting ready in the mornings a lot easier. I've also ordered myself a little folding camping stool - I am just too old to draw standing up!
Friday, 8 October 2010
Etsy UK Silly Sale!
The UK sellers on Etsy are having a silly sale today with bargains galore at silly silly prices! Why not come and do your Christmas shopping early?
Here are a selection of the goodies you can find in my own silly sale section - click on the image to go to the item - up to one-third off the normal price. Most of these flowers are made with discontinued yarn and have limited availability,so if you've had your eye on them then now is the time to snap up a bargain! My own silly sale will be running until next Wednesday 13th October.
And here are just a few of the great silly sale bargains from other Etsy UK sellers - so much to choose from! Click on the image to go to the item.
Here are a selection of the goodies you can find in my own silly sale section - click on the image to go to the item - up to one-third off the normal price. Most of these flowers are made with discontinued yarn and have limited availability,so if you've had your eye on them then now is the time to snap up a bargain! My own silly sale will be running until next Wednesday 13th October.
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Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.
And here are just a few of the great silly sale bargains from other Etsy UK sellers - so much to choose from! Click on the image to go to the item.
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Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.
Sunday, 3 October 2010
The course begins
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| T-shirt by TheShirtDudes on Etsy |
I was spared the sudden realisation that I really am 'quite old' that hit some of my fellow mature students - I went through that last year so I already know! I think the worst part of last year was finding my teenage years counted as Art History...
I was pleased to discover that there are quite a few mature students on my course this year and I am not the oldest (although I may well be the second oldest) which is a totally different situation from my foundation course last year.
We spent the week on form-filling and getting-to-know-you team-building type exercises - I have learned a few names, spent a fun day on the beach playing in the sand, discovered that Wrexham people are very friendly and that there are far more shopping centres around the place than I thought!
Lectures proper start on Monday, when the second and third year students also return. I am looking forward to starting, but anxious to see what the parking will be like with so many more people - I think I may be getting up very early on Monday morning, just in case!
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