Today I swam 1350 m. I am obviously getting stronger.
I was thinking about my review which is coming up in about 2 weeks. I should call it "I haven't finished thinking yet!" because it is only at this stage, after a year's development, that I am starting to feel I know what my theme is and am starting to draw conclusions about what I want to work on.
I thought about feedback received from Vanda yesterday. I showed her my yokes, which I am starting to embroider. One end of the yoke has a drawing of a kitchen tool, and the other has an embroidered number that is significant to how the tool was used, for example, 140,000 lbs on the yoke with a potato peeler, which is the number of pounds of potatoes peeled by my mother during 42 years of marriage! Vanda liked the work, but stated they needed to be 2.5 x longer. Ratfink! So I need to carefully seam in extra fabric, and even worse, either unpick the embroidery or cut it off. I suspect I will need to cut it off as the markings will show. Having received the feedback, she's right. It will dramatically improve the impact of the work, especially if the yokes reach the floor, thereby demonstrating the burden of women's work.
However I also received feedback on my marmalade piece. This is a large piece of muslin printed with marmalade jars, with embroidery that breaks down how much time it takes to make a batch of marmalade. It will be titled "I wouldn't give you a 'thank you' for it", which is a comment that illustrates how ungrateful recipients are, for time consuming, and highly superior, items made by women. On the one hand, the feedback was totally fair and accurate, and on the other, I'm not going to apply it.
Vanda said the stitching was clunky and too heavy; should be done in cross stitch (not back stitch) to represent traditional women's work; should be in very fine coloured single thread (not variegated double stranded thread) and on a white piece of muslin applied as a jam label (not direct onto the jar). And "are you going to include this in the exhibition at Parndon Mill on Friday?"
There is a lot of stitching - too much to take out, and too likely to damage the muslin in doing it. I loathe cross stitch and even if it represents traditional women's work, I still hate it and it makes me cringe. Also, for me, cross stitch represents middle age, middle class women, stitching decorative items because they are bored. Back stitch is a functional stitch used for mending seams - much more a stitch of the practical working class used from necessity. I identify with this. If I tried to work cross stitch to write all the script that I feel necessary, I could not do it in the space available, to the accuracy required, and on the material (muslin) that suits the message. Also, it is the message of the words that is important, not the technique of cross stitch. Cross stitch would make it much more difficult to read.
I'm not going to unpick the stitching. I've ripped out miles of knitting in my time, because you can reknit the thread and it does not spoil the finished item, but unpicking stitching (particularly on muslin) won't rework to a suitable standard. I will finish the script in back stitch, in order to fully work up the concept to my satisfaction, and consider it a fully functioning learning piece. It is not a resolved product with a high technical finish. I am an artist, not a technician. I need to get the concept and message right first. Technique comes afterwards.
Tuesday 30 April 2013
Thursday 25 April 2013
Art Class
Today's art class was about composing imagery using assorted white papers. I worked with kitchen utensils photographed at Audley End - butter pats and pastry cutters. I found today's class hard because I am not good working in white. I still struggle to identify which parts to portray, although I am getting better at knowing not to try to recreate the whole thing.We started with cut and torn papers alone, then integrating one piece from a colour photo to the composition, then adding some stitch to white papers and a piece of photo.
Key discussions were around "sample", and "celebration". I have been challenged by how I use the word "sample" before. To me, a sample is anything I am working on to explore an idea, a technique, or a concept. It can be worked to a fairly high standard, and enables me to be free in my thinking and working, because I don't get frightened I will wreck a worthy piece of work. However, other people reject the use of the word sample.
Vanda used the word "celebration" about how she wants women's work to be viewed. This had not occurred to me before. All my descriptors are about emotion (often negative). When I think about attitudes to women's work, it is often negative - about it being pushed aside, un-valued, blind to it, belittled etc. I've looked at Caren Garfen's work which I think is absolutely wonderful, and I see wry observations of domestic roles, lightened by witty comments. The observations are very serious about the undervaluing of the domestic female role, and postmodernism uses wit to enable recognition in an acceptable form. When I draw kitchen equipment, sometimes it evokes an affectionate response. But the concept of women's work being celebrated, was something I had not considered. I have not finished thinking about how I want to represent it, or the emotion(s) that go with it. I feel certain emotion is in there somewhere.
Key discussions were around "sample", and "celebration". I have been challenged by how I use the word "sample" before. To me, a sample is anything I am working on to explore an idea, a technique, or a concept. It can be worked to a fairly high standard, and enables me to be free in my thinking and working, because I don't get frightened I will wreck a worthy piece of work. However, other people reject the use of the word sample.
Vanda used the word "celebration" about how she wants women's work to be viewed. This had not occurred to me before. All my descriptors are about emotion (often negative). When I think about attitudes to women's work, it is often negative - about it being pushed aside, un-valued, blind to it, belittled etc. I've looked at Caren Garfen's work which I think is absolutely wonderful, and I see wry observations of domestic roles, lightened by witty comments. The observations are very serious about the undervaluing of the domestic female role, and postmodernism uses wit to enable recognition in an acceptable form. When I draw kitchen equipment, sometimes it evokes an affectionate response. But the concept of women's work being celebrated, was something I had not considered. I have not finished thinking about how I want to represent it, or the emotion(s) that go with it. I feel certain emotion is in there somewhere.
Sunday 21 April 2013
Two Day trips
On Wednesday I went out to London with Pat to see Man Ray portraits at the Tate. Wedesday was a good day to go to the Tate as it was Thatcher's funeral and tourist venues were virtually empty. Man Ray was active in the20s and 30s. I noted that his portraits of men have them staring direct as the camera lens, whereas the portraits of women are in profile or looking upwards or sideways at the lens, in a subservient manner. the portrayal of the gaze varies dramatically, depending on the gender.
Then we went to the Tate, to the Prints &Drawings Room, to see the actual etchings and lithographs of Henry Moore's hand drawings. Wonderful.
The following day Wendy and I went to the Kaffe Fassett exhibition at the Fashion & Textile museum. then we went to the 20th century Portraits room at the National Portrait Gallery. At the beginning of the Century, images were of the great and the good, like wartime leaders, but as the century progressed, scientists, suffragettes, artists, etc were on display in styles of their era. Excellent.
Then we went to the Tate, to the Prints &Drawings Room, to see the actual etchings and lithographs of Henry Moore's hand drawings. Wonderful.
The following day Wendy and I went to the Kaffe Fassett exhibition at the Fashion & Textile museum. then we went to the 20th century Portraits room at the National Portrait Gallery. At the beginning of the Century, images were of the great and the good, like wartime leaders, but as the century progressed, scientists, suffragettes, artists, etc were on display in styles of their era. Excellent.
Monday 15 April 2013
James Hunting lecture at Colchester Embroiderers Guild
I went to hear James Hunting speak at Colchester Embroiderers' Guild on Saturday. Just before attending, a friend said he was not a particularly good speaker so I was less then enthused before the event. As it happens I found him excellent and my notes are worth writing up:
The importance of creative exchange and approach: He is a "stitcher". He was at Goldsmiths in the 1980s. Taught by heavyweights - Eirian Short, Audrey Walker, Constance Howard ... Technical tradition: went beyond , + drawing - leads to evolution to new. Strong on how and why using a particular process. But also directionless. Made you think. Also made you unemployable.
He had a casual work opportunity as an embroiderer. Discovered an affinity to handle needle and thread. In 80s London had a niche embroidery market. He did fashion and theatre for 20 years. Hates Fashion industry. Loves working with beautiful fabrics and skilled knowledgeable people. Petit Mains. Unknown knowledgeable people. Respected their skill and understanding of fabrics. His last 5 years was in Paris. He was an embroiderer for hire. No emotional attachment beyond the fabric. Process enabled him to be with fabric. All hand held, working on completed garments. No frames - marks fabric. Only uses linen and silk.
At 40 needed change. Designers changed - less respect for embroiderer and low cost sought. Trained as teacher. Loved FE. Loved doing own work. "I'm an artist". Nursery garden piece. The gardener. Filling oneself with flowers. Own identity - pretty. He loves pretty. Self portrait. Male embroiderer unusual and gives power. Unnecessarily. He is unpretentious about what he is. Likes pretty flowers.
Flower tattoos. Enjoyed colour, and art and stitch. Applied for EG scholarship. Now a selector for EG scholarship. 2 per year, 1 over and 1 under age 30. £1000 bursary, plus own stall at Knit & Stitch, and mentoring. Shows focus your mind. When judged by your peers, galvanises you into action! People deserve honesty about your work. Then his work was abstract. Looking at pattern. Now too busy and pointless for his taste now. Need to challenge radition.
Masters. This should not be a 4th year of a degree. Goldsmiths used to insist on 5 years experience before masters. His masters was after 20 years. Went to Cumbria to do Contemporary Craft MA, to investigate stitch. Difficult time in life - relationship breakdown - hard work on MA. Horizons important to him. Always lived by sea. Signify escape and potential for what happens over the horizon. No titles, no explanation of his works - for you to decide what it is about, what is going on.
Draws constantly. Uses tracing paper. Conks costantly but does not plan via drawing. Don't pretent to draw with the needle. Stitch with it. Stitch is enough. His work mirrors where he is in life. Uses 3 main stitches. Blanket, couching, stem. Occasional french knot. Important to know how to use them for meaning. Takes lots of close up images. Gesture of making the stitch is important.
Was course leader (?) at Royal School of Needlework degree (?). They are very into "stitch" and "technique and tradition". Very technique based. To him what is important is how to get the gesture of the stitch right, to enable what you want to say. For him there is a place for the technical specialist, but the gesture of the stitch and the message are what is important. Implied this is why he has recently parted company with them. He wants people to look at his work (first), then get a feeling about it (second), then ask how is it done (last). Wants people to understand their feeling, not be focussing on the techniques used. Decorative = fashion (unimportant to him. Technique not important. Reaction is what it is about.
Rant. If a painting is shown - judgement, view, opinion - all seem to be acceptable. If textile, we seem to give people permission not to like our work. If compliments given about textile, makers then point out all the faults, and self criticise our work. Painters and artists don't do this. If textile people receive compliments, just say "thanks".
He returned to drawing. Beckham - metrosexual - in adverts. Liked feminist textile art. Considered how to look at work. Looked at computer tracking of eye movements. How the eye moves around and looks at things people are not aware of. Includes details to provoke. "Stroke them with a brick, don't hit them with it". Major cricitism of modern art colleges - laziness in thought process.
Books show technique, but don't show how to handle and manipulate the fabric. You need teaching. RSN degree very technique based. Their degree is valid but we don't have jobs for embroiders. All gone to China. We need people who understand embroidery. He was very proud of thoughtful output students.
Participated in "Unravelled" (EG?) exhibitions in NT houses, where the theme is to respond to the environment. Life below stairs. Footmen. Paid by height and looks. Eye candy. Set the table, put out flowers, stand attentively while dinner served. Servants had object status. Drew translucent line drawings - you can see through them.
Linen - look of memeories. Grannies. Hates nostalgia. Loathes the terms "vintage", "quirky", and "nostalgia". Linen sheets held women back - cumbersome and time consuming. He uses new linen, with discharge paste. Gives fake history - empties out history. He is into accurate memories - sad, embarrassing, ugly - true. Nostalgia sweetens artificially - so he dislikes it.
Don't show off techniques. Use them to express a mark. Loves stitch. Loves ironing it. Once finished, let go. Relationship is in the making. 5/6 pieces in each series. Constance Howard " if someone wants to buy it, flog it". Don't be precious about your work.
Works better with a deadline. Structures work to finish in time.
Very difficult to work with personal relationships. Feels very exposed. But this makes his work good. Left Paris exhibition. Work has become lighter and celebratory. Returned to silk. Beauty and lightness of touch. In Cumbria his work was heavier and darker. Take risks otherwies you value the process more than the message. Better to unpick, change or cut up to move on work that is mediocre. Eg change colour when you need. Not essential to use up all the thread in your needle first! Less is more. Fewer stitches now. Stitches fast. Free. We are makers. Fallible.
Chanel "The stitches are quite crude. They are done by hand, so they look like they are done by hand".
Puts tracing paper on top of fabric to position image. Works onto discharged fabric. Don't draw on fabric. Always shows. Don't draw on tissue - rips. Trace onto silk organza. Tack on. Stitch imagery and shred out organza. Keeps control of design. Can refine as he goes. Gives very fine lines. Does not pin. Always tacks. Celebrated his love for embroidery. Small scale stitches. Not thick threads. Does not frame. Need to breathe and move. But framed work sells better.
Does lots of research. Does work to commission but finds difficult. Uses much found material eg photos. Textile art getting lost. Needs context and history. A depth behind it. Celebrate the history of textile.
Yoko Ono - "there is no good art and bad art - there is just art"
Controversial is best. Don't want to go there - but he needs to.
He is not a machine operator. Likes the hand.
Very free pricing structure. Discussion with Gavin his partner. Bandies prices between them. Thinks of it as dignified pricing. Must be worth his effort, but not ridiculous.
I very much enjoyed his talk, and he seemed to make a lot of sense.
The importance of creative exchange and approach: He is a "stitcher". He was at Goldsmiths in the 1980s. Taught by heavyweights - Eirian Short, Audrey Walker, Constance Howard ... Technical tradition: went beyond , + drawing - leads to evolution to new. Strong on how and why using a particular process. But also directionless. Made you think. Also made you unemployable.
He had a casual work opportunity as an embroiderer. Discovered an affinity to handle needle and thread. In 80s London had a niche embroidery market. He did fashion and theatre for 20 years. Hates Fashion industry. Loves working with beautiful fabrics and skilled knowledgeable people. Petit Mains. Unknown knowledgeable people. Respected their skill and understanding of fabrics. His last 5 years was in Paris. He was an embroiderer for hire. No emotional attachment beyond the fabric. Process enabled him to be with fabric. All hand held, working on completed garments. No frames - marks fabric. Only uses linen and silk.
At 40 needed change. Designers changed - less respect for embroiderer and low cost sought. Trained as teacher. Loved FE. Loved doing own work. "I'm an artist". Nursery garden piece. The gardener. Filling oneself with flowers. Own identity - pretty. He loves pretty. Self portrait. Male embroiderer unusual and gives power. Unnecessarily. He is unpretentious about what he is. Likes pretty flowers.
Flower tattoos. Enjoyed colour, and art and stitch. Applied for EG scholarship. Now a selector for EG scholarship. 2 per year, 1 over and 1 under age 30. £1000 bursary, plus own stall at Knit & Stitch, and mentoring. Shows focus your mind. When judged by your peers, galvanises you into action! People deserve honesty about your work. Then his work was abstract. Looking at pattern. Now too busy and pointless for his taste now. Need to challenge radition.
Masters. This should not be a 4th year of a degree. Goldsmiths used to insist on 5 years experience before masters. His masters was after 20 years. Went to Cumbria to do Contemporary Craft MA, to investigate stitch. Difficult time in life - relationship breakdown - hard work on MA. Horizons important to him. Always lived by sea. Signify escape and potential for what happens over the horizon. No titles, no explanation of his works - for you to decide what it is about, what is going on.
Draws constantly. Uses tracing paper. Conks costantly but does not plan via drawing. Don't pretent to draw with the needle. Stitch with it. Stitch is enough. His work mirrors where he is in life. Uses 3 main stitches. Blanket, couching, stem. Occasional french knot. Important to know how to use them for meaning. Takes lots of close up images. Gesture of making the stitch is important.
Was course leader (?) at Royal School of Needlework degree (?). They are very into "stitch" and "technique and tradition". Very technique based. To him what is important is how to get the gesture of the stitch right, to enable what you want to say. For him there is a place for the technical specialist, but the gesture of the stitch and the message are what is important. Implied this is why he has recently parted company with them. He wants people to look at his work (first), then get a feeling about it (second), then ask how is it done (last). Wants people to understand their feeling, not be focussing on the techniques used. Decorative = fashion (unimportant to him. Technique not important. Reaction is what it is about.
Rant. If a painting is shown - judgement, view, opinion - all seem to be acceptable. If textile, we seem to give people permission not to like our work. If compliments given about textile, makers then point out all the faults, and self criticise our work. Painters and artists don't do this. If textile people receive compliments, just say "thanks".
He returned to drawing. Beckham - metrosexual - in adverts. Liked feminist textile art. Considered how to look at work. Looked at computer tracking of eye movements. How the eye moves around and looks at things people are not aware of. Includes details to provoke. "Stroke them with a brick, don't hit them with it". Major cricitism of modern art colleges - laziness in thought process.
Books show technique, but don't show how to handle and manipulate the fabric. You need teaching. RSN degree very technique based. Their degree is valid but we don't have jobs for embroiders. All gone to China. We need people who understand embroidery. He was very proud of thoughtful output students.
Participated in "Unravelled" (EG?) exhibitions in NT houses, where the theme is to respond to the environment. Life below stairs. Footmen. Paid by height and looks. Eye candy. Set the table, put out flowers, stand attentively while dinner served. Servants had object status. Drew translucent line drawings - you can see through them.
Linen - look of memeories. Grannies. Hates nostalgia. Loathes the terms "vintage", "quirky", and "nostalgia". Linen sheets held women back - cumbersome and time consuming. He uses new linen, with discharge paste. Gives fake history - empties out history. He is into accurate memories - sad, embarrassing, ugly - true. Nostalgia sweetens artificially - so he dislikes it.
Don't show off techniques. Use them to express a mark. Loves stitch. Loves ironing it. Once finished, let go. Relationship is in the making. 5/6 pieces in each series. Constance Howard " if someone wants to buy it, flog it". Don't be precious about your work.
Works better with a deadline. Structures work to finish in time.
Very difficult to work with personal relationships. Feels very exposed. But this makes his work good. Left Paris exhibition. Work has become lighter and celebratory. Returned to silk. Beauty and lightness of touch. In Cumbria his work was heavier and darker. Take risks otherwies you value the process more than the message. Better to unpick, change or cut up to move on work that is mediocre. Eg change colour when you need. Not essential to use up all the thread in your needle first! Less is more. Fewer stitches now. Stitches fast. Free. We are makers. Fallible.
Chanel "The stitches are quite crude. They are done by hand, so they look like they are done by hand".
Puts tracing paper on top of fabric to position image. Works onto discharged fabric. Don't draw on fabric. Always shows. Don't draw on tissue - rips. Trace onto silk organza. Tack on. Stitch imagery and shred out organza. Keeps control of design. Can refine as he goes. Gives very fine lines. Does not pin. Always tacks. Celebrated his love for embroidery. Small scale stitches. Not thick threads. Does not frame. Need to breathe and move. But framed work sells better.
Does lots of research. Does work to commission but finds difficult. Uses much found material eg photos. Textile art getting lost. Needs context and history. A depth behind it. Celebrate the history of textile.
Yoko Ono - "there is no good art and bad art - there is just art"
Controversial is best. Don't want to go there - but he needs to.
He is not a machine operator. Likes the hand.
Very free pricing structure. Discussion with Gavin his partner. Bandies prices between them. Thinks of it as dignified pricing. Must be worth his effort, but not ridiculous.
I very much enjoyed his talk, and he seemed to make a lot of sense.
Friday 12 April 2013
Art Class - now I'm exhausted
Yesterday I went to art class again. It was an absolutely brilliant day, and left me totally mindblown and exhausted. What I like about this class is that it is with a small group of intelligent women and we discuss all sorts of art issues. It enables me to draw some fundmental conclusions about my artwork, and to watch others working, and learn from what they do too.
I started by showing Vanda my yoke fabric printed with the kitchen utensils, and the 12" cushion. The yokes work quite well - I just need to have the confidence to cut them apart. I was not very happy with the cushions printed with the kitchen scales but could not quite identify why. I know I did not like the style in which they were drawn - I am a bit fed up of the fine lining. I can do it quite well, but feel I am a strong gutsy personality and the fine lines do not represent me - they need to be used selectively rather than constantly. The drawings at present are too neat. Too much like a "nice little drawing". I am not a "nice little person". I am strong, noisy, gutsy, opinionated, and inspire strong reactions in people. I made up the cushions because I wanted to make something (instead of constant angst, thinking about my artwork) and I definitely needed to improve my cushion making technique. However, Vanda took one look at them and said "You state you do not want to appeal to the middle age, middle class women market. This is the market to which these cushions will appeal". Spot on feedback in 2 sentences! Also:
- Push the boundaries of the cushion. Could they be back cushions that are tied on?
- Redefine the cushion, if this is what you are focussing on.
- Redefine yokes
- ALWAYS CHALLENGE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS
- Focus on creating interesting artwork and reasons why you want to apply your artwork to textile.
- Stop thinking about applications. That comes after your degree. "Safe" work can be done by someone else.
- Concentrate on creating lots of collections.
- Think of a collection as being a multiple.
I had my money's worth for the day, just with this feedback. And the day just got better and better!
Yesterday's class was about blending greys. I'm not sure that I agree with the term "grey". I would have called it blending neutrals, or more accurately blending complex colours. This made me think about how to define grey. To me, grey is a tonally variable colour, but is basically a dirty, complex blue. Beige is a dirty, complex yellow, which can vary in tonal value. So this means a dirty complex red must be brown. Whereas I think Vanda was using the term grey to mean a dirty complex colour.
We compiled a grid of blends, using a column of grey/blue/purple colours, and a row of orange/umber/sienna colours. This made a wonderful selection of purply/greyish/brownish colours. All lovely complex colours. Then we took a postcard image, and reinterpreted it, using all the colours from one row in the grid, including one of the pure original colours in the blend. If we are interested, Vanda suggested we should repeat the exercise with other combinations from the water colour box. I have blended combinations around the colour wheel, using primaries and contrasts, but not in this way before.
I had created my grid and blotted out some of the colour, so I could see what happened when the excess paint was removed - you get a very pale version of the wet colour. When I painted my postcard image, I forgot to try blotting out some colour. I sat watching Jane opposite me, painting a landscape, flooding with colour and very confidently blotting it away, and it worked wonderfully.
Then we had to paint an object using drier paint and texture. I struggled with this. I found it really hard as I keep wanting to draw the whole object, and it is not necessary! You don't need to draw it all in order to convey the nature of the object. (which was another thing I disliked about my kitchen scales cushions). I finally managed a wooden spatula which was ok, by using fluid paint on the handle, and drier paint using the brush horizontally to texture part of the head. The hole for the hook was painted by manipulating the brush hairs into an interesting shape, then creating a dark, shaped, spot, rather than carefully drawing the circle of the hole. I frequently struggle with the application of accurate observational drawing, and interpretative drawing. When I try too hard, I end up doing accurate observational drawing, but I know my best work is free interpretative drawing. Then Vanda suggested drawing into it with pen, or drawing over it with pen, and I could see how it could all come together.
Finally I spent time looking at the watercolours of Michael Morgan. This book was simply amazing. I love the gutsy, energetic colouring, and the detailed free texturing of the paint. I don't normally like landscapes but these were intriguing, and made me realise how often I look at ploughed fields when travelling by motorway with my husband. I also realised that this type of coloured and textured art technique would work very, very well in digital print, to give an effect that would be very difficult to achieve using screen print. It could be done in screen print but would need high skill levels and a lot of layering (and time) but would also required many screens to be prepared and a lot of screen washing, which is not actually very eco-friendly. Digital print is slow (1m per hour) and requires queueing time to process but is probably more efficient for layered colour and texture.
No wonder I was exhausted by the end of the day.
I started by showing Vanda my yoke fabric printed with the kitchen utensils, and the 12" cushion. The yokes work quite well - I just need to have the confidence to cut them apart. I was not very happy with the cushions printed with the kitchen scales but could not quite identify why. I know I did not like the style in which they were drawn - I am a bit fed up of the fine lining. I can do it quite well, but feel I am a strong gutsy personality and the fine lines do not represent me - they need to be used selectively rather than constantly. The drawings at present are too neat. Too much like a "nice little drawing". I am not a "nice little person". I am strong, noisy, gutsy, opinionated, and inspire strong reactions in people. I made up the cushions because I wanted to make something (instead of constant angst, thinking about my artwork) and I definitely needed to improve my cushion making technique. However, Vanda took one look at them and said "You state you do not want to appeal to the middle age, middle class women market. This is the market to which these cushions will appeal". Spot on feedback in 2 sentences! Also:
- Push the boundaries of the cushion. Could they be back cushions that are tied on?
- Redefine the cushion, if this is what you are focussing on.
- Redefine yokes
- ALWAYS CHALLENGE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS
- Focus on creating interesting artwork and reasons why you want to apply your artwork to textile.
- Stop thinking about applications. That comes after your degree. "Safe" work can be done by someone else.
- Concentrate on creating lots of collections.
- Think of a collection as being a multiple.
I had my money's worth for the day, just with this feedback. And the day just got better and better!
Yesterday's class was about blending greys. I'm not sure that I agree with the term "grey". I would have called it blending neutrals, or more accurately blending complex colours. This made me think about how to define grey. To me, grey is a tonally variable colour, but is basically a dirty, complex blue. Beige is a dirty, complex yellow, which can vary in tonal value. So this means a dirty complex red must be brown. Whereas I think Vanda was using the term grey to mean a dirty complex colour.
We compiled a grid of blends, using a column of grey/blue/purple colours, and a row of orange/umber/sienna colours. This made a wonderful selection of purply/greyish/brownish colours. All lovely complex colours. Then we took a postcard image, and reinterpreted it, using all the colours from one row in the grid, including one of the pure original colours in the blend. If we are interested, Vanda suggested we should repeat the exercise with other combinations from the water colour box. I have blended combinations around the colour wheel, using primaries and contrasts, but not in this way before.
I had created my grid and blotted out some of the colour, so I could see what happened when the excess paint was removed - you get a very pale version of the wet colour. When I painted my postcard image, I forgot to try blotting out some colour. I sat watching Jane opposite me, painting a landscape, flooding with colour and very confidently blotting it away, and it worked wonderfully.
Then we had to paint an object using drier paint and texture. I struggled with this. I found it really hard as I keep wanting to draw the whole object, and it is not necessary! You don't need to draw it all in order to convey the nature of the object. (which was another thing I disliked about my kitchen scales cushions). I finally managed a wooden spatula which was ok, by using fluid paint on the handle, and drier paint using the brush horizontally to texture part of the head. The hole for the hook was painted by manipulating the brush hairs into an interesting shape, then creating a dark, shaped, spot, rather than carefully drawing the circle of the hole. I frequently struggle with the application of accurate observational drawing, and interpretative drawing. When I try too hard, I end up doing accurate observational drawing, but I know my best work is free interpretative drawing. Then Vanda suggested drawing into it with pen, or drawing over it with pen, and I could see how it could all come together.
Finally I spent time looking at the watercolours of Michael Morgan. This book was simply amazing. I love the gutsy, energetic colouring, and the detailed free texturing of the paint. I don't normally like landscapes but these were intriguing, and made me realise how often I look at ploughed fields when travelling by motorway with my husband. I also realised that this type of coloured and textured art technique would work very, very well in digital print, to give an effect that would be very difficult to achieve using screen print. It could be done in screen print but would need high skill levels and a lot of layering (and time) but would also required many screens to be prepared and a lot of screen washing, which is not actually very eco-friendly. Digital print is slow (1m per hour) and requires queueing time to process but is probably more efficient for layered colour and texture.
No wonder I was exhausted by the end of the day.
Tuesday 9 April 2013
The Foundling Museum
On Sunday I went to the Foundling Museum to hear a lecture about "Stories from the Tokens". I am interested in the stories behind objects, so this fitted my interests.
Destitute people gave their children to the Foundling Hospital when they were no longer able to care for their offspring. When children were given to the Hospital, they were allowed to submit a token to be stored with the admission record, so that, if circumstances changed, and the child was able to reunited with the parent, both parent and child could be certain who each other were. The admission record was folded into an envelope that contained the token. Tokens varied from scraps of fabric to pierced coins - items of no value to high value. The Foundling Hospital was founded in the mid 1700s.
Each child, when admitted, was allocated a number, and renamed. Thus Child 10493, Oliver, was renamed Luke Perkins.
One of the ways in which the Foundling Hospital raised funds in Victorian times was by identifying which Admissions Records had a hard token inside, opening the Admissions sheet envelope and displaying the tokens - thereby breaking the link between the record and the token. The researcher observed that curatorial practice had changed considerably, and now would not be separated, even to the extent of unpinning fabric samples to see what was underneath! However, the researcher had discovered that many admissions records had the impression of the hard token pressed into the paper's surface, and diligent study had reunited quite a few records.
The general display at the Museum gave a lot of detail about who supported the Hospital (particularly Hogarth) and Victorian philanthropists, and the type of diet available to the children. The food seemed very basic by today's standards, but for destitute children of the 1700s, 3 reliable meals a day must have been amazing, even if only bread or gruel.
Then the following day, I spent time making up cushions from the wool gauze that had been printed with Mum's old cooking scales. The wool gauze is a wonderful soft material, that feels fantastic, but is too soft to be used on its own. So I backed it with white cotton, and am making up 3 samples - 12", 14" and 16". Each cushion is piped around the edge, and I need the practice to get the piping really well applied. Also I wanted to see the different effects of the same size image on different cushion sizes. So far I have completed the 12", and half way through the 14".
Destitute people gave their children to the Foundling Hospital when they were no longer able to care for their offspring. When children were given to the Hospital, they were allowed to submit a token to be stored with the admission record, so that, if circumstances changed, and the child was able to reunited with the parent, both parent and child could be certain who each other were. The admission record was folded into an envelope that contained the token. Tokens varied from scraps of fabric to pierced coins - items of no value to high value. The Foundling Hospital was founded in the mid 1700s.
Each child, when admitted, was allocated a number, and renamed. Thus Child 10493, Oliver, was renamed Luke Perkins.
One of the ways in which the Foundling Hospital raised funds in Victorian times was by identifying which Admissions Records had a hard token inside, opening the Admissions sheet envelope and displaying the tokens - thereby breaking the link between the record and the token. The researcher observed that curatorial practice had changed considerably, and now would not be separated, even to the extent of unpinning fabric samples to see what was underneath! However, the researcher had discovered that many admissions records had the impression of the hard token pressed into the paper's surface, and diligent study had reunited quite a few records.
The general display at the Museum gave a lot of detail about who supported the Hospital (particularly Hogarth) and Victorian philanthropists, and the type of diet available to the children. The food seemed very basic by today's standards, but for destitute children of the 1700s, 3 reliable meals a day must have been amazing, even if only bread or gruel.
Then the following day, I spent time making up cushions from the wool gauze that had been printed with Mum's old cooking scales. The wool gauze is a wonderful soft material, that feels fantastic, but is too soft to be used on its own. So I backed it with white cotton, and am making up 3 samples - 12", 14" and 16". Each cushion is piped around the edge, and I need the practice to get the piping really well applied. Also I wanted to see the different effects of the same size image on different cushion sizes. So far I have completed the 12", and half way through the 14".
Sunday 7 April 2013
The Fitzwilliam Museum to see Quentin Blake "Drawn By Hand"
Yesterday, Jim, Maurice and I went to Cambridge for the day, to go to the Quentin Blake exhibition "Drawn by Hand" at the Fitzwilliam Museum. It was free entry too!
This was a tiny exhibition, in one room, but absolutely brilliant. There were 26 of Quentin Blake's original artworks on display, all completed in the last 10 years. A couple were of artworks that had subsequently been used for book covers, including David Walliams "A Boy in a Dress". There was also work on display that celebrated the 800th anniversary of the the founding of Cambridge university. All his artwork is very freely drawn, giving the impression of the subject, rather than closely observed and tightly drawn. There was a confidence and exuberance in every illustration.
Also on display were his materials, so you could see that he used quill pens, bamboo pens, chinagraph markers and pen & ink. This is why he has a very free style - the implements give a more irregular mark than fine liners and other pens. His mark making sample sheets were also displayed. His watercolours were not in a commercial box. He had bought whole pans, and stuck them on a large sheet of card, slightly spaced out, and named. There were in 5 columns of blacks, blues, red/oranges, browns, and greens. The whole sheet was liberally paint spattered.
Then Maurice and I went on to look at paintings in the Fitzwilliam Museum. We were very taken with a pair of images by Hogarth "Before" and "After". The Before image was of a 17th century couple, with the woman striking a "I couldn't possibly" pose. The After pose was of the same couple, flush faced, and with strategic clothing awry, in a "Maybe I could" (or "Did") pose. I sniggered, noted some details of the imagery, and told Maurice, who went back for second look, and he also came back, sniggering! There were also some lovely 20th century works by Holman Hunt and Millais (The Twins, Kate & Grace Hoare). Really lovely.
Then Maurice and I went to Kings College to look at the fan vaulted roof of the cathedral. Here I was very much taken with the hinges, other door furniture and ancient grafitti on the inside of the entrance door. This was so beautiful that I think I will have a trip back there once Jim is off on his next cycle tour, to sit and draw the details. We had a lovely peaceful wander around Cambridge in the sunshine, when Jim bought various essentials for his next cycle tour and went to a church cafe for lunch. Maurice bought us the best lunch I have had in years - home made hummus, olive roll and 3 imaginative salads. We had a wonderful, soul-enriching day, and I was exhausted by the end of it.
This was a tiny exhibition, in one room, but absolutely brilliant. There were 26 of Quentin Blake's original artworks on display, all completed in the last 10 years. A couple were of artworks that had subsequently been used for book covers, including David Walliams "A Boy in a Dress". There was also work on display that celebrated the 800th anniversary of the the founding of Cambridge university. All his artwork is very freely drawn, giving the impression of the subject, rather than closely observed and tightly drawn. There was a confidence and exuberance in every illustration.
Also on display were his materials, so you could see that he used quill pens, bamboo pens, chinagraph markers and pen & ink. This is why he has a very free style - the implements give a more irregular mark than fine liners and other pens. His mark making sample sheets were also displayed. His watercolours were not in a commercial box. He had bought whole pans, and stuck them on a large sheet of card, slightly spaced out, and named. There were in 5 columns of blacks, blues, red/oranges, browns, and greens. The whole sheet was liberally paint spattered.
Then Maurice and I went on to look at paintings in the Fitzwilliam Museum. We were very taken with a pair of images by Hogarth "Before" and "After". The Before image was of a 17th century couple, with the woman striking a "I couldn't possibly" pose. The After pose was of the same couple, flush faced, and with strategic clothing awry, in a "Maybe I could" (or "Did") pose. I sniggered, noted some details of the imagery, and told Maurice, who went back for second look, and he also came back, sniggering! There were also some lovely 20th century works by Holman Hunt and Millais (The Twins, Kate & Grace Hoare). Really lovely.
Then Maurice and I went to Kings College to look at the fan vaulted roof of the cathedral. Here I was very much taken with the hinges, other door furniture and ancient grafitti on the inside of the entrance door. This was so beautiful that I think I will have a trip back there once Jim is off on his next cycle tour, to sit and draw the details. We had a lovely peaceful wander around Cambridge in the sunshine, when Jim bought various essentials for his next cycle tour and went to a church cafe for lunch. Maurice bought us the best lunch I have had in years - home made hummus, olive roll and 3 imaginative salads. We had a wonderful, soul-enriching day, and I was exhausted by the end of it.
Saturday 6 April 2013
A Productive Day's Printing
I dropped my latest print job into the studio on Wednesday, and it was ready to collect on Thursday. I had hand drawn a masher, potato peeler, draining spoon, whisk and wooden jam spoon and the digital printer transferred them to wool gauze. This is a delightful fine wool. I also had space to print 3 images of old fashioned balance scales and weights. the steaming process went very well and now I have washed the cloth, it is ready to cut. I want to cut 5 "yokes" with a kitchen tool on one end and a caption appropriate to each one on the other end, such as 3,200 lbs jam.
The scales unfortunately have a fault in the design, where I suspect is due to a mistake on my part. I need to be more careful using Photoshop, changing pointer tool more carefully. Still, they are good learning exercises.
The scales unfortunately have a fault in the design, where I suspect is due to a mistake on my part. I need to be more careful using Photoshop, changing pointer tool more carefully. Still, they are good learning exercises.
Monday 1 April 2013
Exhibitions at the Tate Modern and the Fashion & Textile Museum
On Saturday, I met up with a former work colleague, Jan, and we went to the Tate in the morning and the Fashion & Textile Museum in the afternoon.
At the Tate I was quite taken with the work of Marisa Merz, who worked in the style of Arte Povera. Arte Povera was active from 1967-72, and was "the art of poverty" in Italy. It reflected simple objects and messages, made the everyday meaningful, embodied dynamism and energy, and the body, behaviour and nature were art. Marisa Merz was the only female in this movement. Her work focussed specifically on organic forms, a focus on subjectivity, the use of lower forms of art, such as the crafts, and the relationship between art and life. I was very much taken with her work. On display was a piece of circular knitting - made from found objects in her home - wooden sticks and recycled nylon. To me, it showed the beauty in the domestic environment - using the type of ordinary materials used by many women - but considered and displayed as art. Most of the other Arte Povera work on display left me completely cold, but her work was brilliant because of how it reflected women's work.
This made me consider the contrast between my feelings for Arte Povera, and the Arts & Crafts movements. I really get her focus on the domestic subject from a female perspective, utilisation of craft techniques like knitting, and seeing art in the domestic. Yet I had thought this was largely what Arts & Crafts was about. However, now I have reflected on Arts & Crafts, this was much more about the decoration of the beautifully made object, rather than the utilisation of what was available. Arts & Crafts was highly historically referenced, and authentic in its use of correct materials and techniques, and would therefore have been much more expensive, unlike Arte Povera. However Arts & Crafts also valued the usefulness of domestic items, but spent more time and effort decorating them.
Then Jan and I went to the Kaffe Fassett retrospective at the Fashion & Textile Musuem. I have seen this heavily promoted, yet there were comparatively few people there. I wonder whether most visitors are from school trips, and therefore in term time? His work is highly coloured and patterned, and is needlepoint, knitting or quilting. I had heard that there had been considerable debate between Kaffe Fassett and the exhibitors about how to best display the works. I think the exhibitors won, but I could see how there might have been differences of opinion on display technique. I found it all rather over-powering. Highly coloured and busy quilts were displayed on walls that had been painted a matching, but very bright colour. Spotlights were used extensively, giving deep shadows and bright highlights. Some beautifully worked needlepoint items were displayed in cylindrical glass tabletops, bunched up together and detracting from each other. Cushions were displayed in black and white tubes, suspended 5 above each other, reaching 20 feet up the wall, so you could only see the bottom 2 clearly, and needed to stand on the other side of the room, looking between two pillars, to see them all. Other quilts were displayed, wound around the pillars, but about 10 feet above ground level, so you could not see them clearly.
The knitting was better displayed, spaced out so you could see the workmanship, although I don't think his knitting is his best work. I like his needlepoint where he represents ordinary objects in stitch, celebrating things that are often very ordinary and overlooked - like fruit and veg. I find his quilts too bright and busy, although if a single quilt were used on a bed I am sure it would look much better in an ordinary setting than cluttered with many other busy objects.
I will see this exhibition again, with another friend who is a quilter, and I am looking forward to having another chance to reflect on a very intriguing set of work.
At the Tate I was quite taken with the work of Marisa Merz, who worked in the style of Arte Povera. Arte Povera was active from 1967-72, and was "the art of poverty" in Italy. It reflected simple objects and messages, made the everyday meaningful, embodied dynamism and energy, and the body, behaviour and nature were art. Marisa Merz was the only female in this movement. Her work focussed specifically on organic forms, a focus on subjectivity, the use of lower forms of art, such as the crafts, and the relationship between art and life. I was very much taken with her work. On display was a piece of circular knitting - made from found objects in her home - wooden sticks and recycled nylon. To me, it showed the beauty in the domestic environment - using the type of ordinary materials used by many women - but considered and displayed as art. Most of the other Arte Povera work on display left me completely cold, but her work was brilliant because of how it reflected women's work.
This made me consider the contrast between my feelings for Arte Povera, and the Arts & Crafts movements. I really get her focus on the domestic subject from a female perspective, utilisation of craft techniques like knitting, and seeing art in the domestic. Yet I had thought this was largely what Arts & Crafts was about. However, now I have reflected on Arts & Crafts, this was much more about the decoration of the beautifully made object, rather than the utilisation of what was available. Arts & Crafts was highly historically referenced, and authentic in its use of correct materials and techniques, and would therefore have been much more expensive, unlike Arte Povera. However Arts & Crafts also valued the usefulness of domestic items, but spent more time and effort decorating them.
Then Jan and I went to the Kaffe Fassett retrospective at the Fashion & Textile Musuem. I have seen this heavily promoted, yet there were comparatively few people there. I wonder whether most visitors are from school trips, and therefore in term time? His work is highly coloured and patterned, and is needlepoint, knitting or quilting. I had heard that there had been considerable debate between Kaffe Fassett and the exhibitors about how to best display the works. I think the exhibitors won, but I could see how there might have been differences of opinion on display technique. I found it all rather over-powering. Highly coloured and busy quilts were displayed on walls that had been painted a matching, but very bright colour. Spotlights were used extensively, giving deep shadows and bright highlights. Some beautifully worked needlepoint items were displayed in cylindrical glass tabletops, bunched up together and detracting from each other. Cushions were displayed in black and white tubes, suspended 5 above each other, reaching 20 feet up the wall, so you could only see the bottom 2 clearly, and needed to stand on the other side of the room, looking between two pillars, to see them all. Other quilts were displayed, wound around the pillars, but about 10 feet above ground level, so you could not see them clearly.
The knitting was better displayed, spaced out so you could see the workmanship, although I don't think his knitting is his best work. I like his needlepoint where he represents ordinary objects in stitch, celebrating things that are often very ordinary and overlooked - like fruit and veg. I find his quilts too bright and busy, although if a single quilt were used on a bed I am sure it would look much better in an ordinary setting than cluttered with many other busy objects.
I will see this exhibition again, with another friend who is a quilter, and I am looking forward to having another chance to reflect on a very intriguing set of work.
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