Coast, a collection

I have been going through my sketchbooks and works over the last week, looking at the work I've done on the theme of 'Coast' over the last ten years.  I've been working on this theme for much, much longer, but en years seems far enough to go back.

I have picked out ten pieces that I feel give an overall view of the work, including several from my present sketchbook.

 
This piece dates to around 2005/6 and is waxed paper with found objects attached.  I still have this and it's companion piece as I liked them so much.

This piece is from 2007 and was one of my assessment pieces for my BTEC Fine Art Diploma.  I made several, some much smaller, and most have been sold.

This was painted in 2013.  It is one of a pair, and I love them both, and have them on my wall.

This is one of several I made in 2014, to sell at various exhibitions I was in that year.

I love making books.  This is one I made in 2014 from two full sheets of watercolour paper that were painted prior to cutting down for the book.

I made this book about a week ago, trying out different binding methods.  I plan to bind some of my waxed photographs into a book, together with other decorated and waxed papers.

This is one of my digitally altered photographs.  I like to print them out onto printmakers or watercolour paper, then dip them into natural beeswax.  It gives a lovely soft golden glow to them, as well as making them semi-transluscent.

These last photographs are all from my sketchbook, made over the last month or so.  The first is a collage of photographs, painted papers and inks.

I have then photographed and altered parts of the first collage, and developed it further.

This last is a stitched sample, inspired from the collage above.  I am trying to capture the meditative  feeling I have when walking along the beach in the early morning.  The repeating rhythm of the waves is very calming.

Another month has gone by

I am still not managing to keep this blog going on anything like a regular basis.  It isn't just the blog, but the stitching as well.  I have finally had a few ideas of what I want to do, but just don't seem to have the time to get to the sewing machine.

Now that I have re-organised the studio I had hoped that there might be room for the sewing machine and a few bits and pieces, but there is never a clear space anywhere.  Having said that, I think it is because I fill any available flat surface with stuff, so I think I will have a clear up and then bring the sewing machine down and set it up on the end of the table, then I can use a couple of my baskets to store the fabrics and threads I need under the table - I will do that today and see if it works.

Hopefully, I will post pictures later this week, or even today!

Hoping to catch up soon

I feel very cross with myself that I am still not keeping up with this blog.  This is partly because I am just not keeping up with my textile work, and partly because I just keep forgetting.

I went to the Foston Studio day today and had a lovely time.  I was working on a fabric collage, inspired by one of my paintings.  I hope to take some photographs over the next few days and post them here.

I also made some fabric paper, or is it paper fabric, I can never remember.  Anyway, starting with a fine scrim background I added fabric medium, then a collage of thin papers, then fabric paint and then a top layer of tissue paper.  I had a few ideas whilst on holiday of using this in my fabric collage work.  I think I would have been better making white or natural sheets of fabric paper instead of colouring them, but they do look lovely and I can easily make more later.

More optimistic

Feeling more optimistic today.  I got some new threads this week, some Madeira Lana variegated and also some Oliver Twists variegated machine threads.  I've been looking at my sketches of gardens and woods and want to get on with more work on water soluble.  I hope I have something to show next week.

Foston studio day

This blog is still very erratic with it's postings,  I will try to get back to posting once a week.

I went to the Foston Studio Day today, to work with Rachel and Joan in the village hall.  It's a nice arrangement as we get to chat about our work and actually do some work as well.

I didn't get very much done today (as usual) and don't feel any nearer to finding my way.  I do feel that I have to keep going and hope that I can find 'my thing'.  I feel that I need to do a lot more work than I am doing at the moment, I do keep saying that but still haven't got into just making samples and not worrying about results.

These are the two samples I did today, trying to capture the semi abstract landscapes I have done in paint.  Neither works as I wanted, but I can see what NOT to do.  I think I will try using mostly paper next time.

Stitched landscape 1

 This was patched with raw seams, then some white gouache painted over to key it together, then the Abaca tissue and charcoal pencil added.  It's too fragmented, too many shapes, too many colours.

Stitched landscape 2

This is the second piece, less pieces, less colours, and it works more.  I don't like the light piece half way down the left-hand side, so will alter this.  I used Madeira Lana thread to stitch it and I really like the effect.  I need to get a black or very dark grey thread to imitate charcoal pencil, or perhaps just use charcoal?

Machine embroidery on water-soluble.

I did this piece last week (should have blogged about it then)  It's a long time since I worked with water-soluble and it's not quite right but I am quite pleased with it.  The trees need to be taller, and I need to get some scale (size and tone) into the middle ground to show recession.

I need to think about how it would be mounted.  I did think about enlarging the original photograph, fading it and printing it onto water-colour paper as a background, or just on a plain white background?  I will have to try several out.  I need to work lots more samples before I get what I want.

Mentoring weekend sadly cancelled

Sadly our mentoring weekend was cancelled as Hilary is ill.  I hope she feels better soon.

Rachel and I got together and tried mentoring each other today, it's a very difficult thing to do.  I'm not sure if either of us felt we were further on.  We did have a nice lunch and a chat and then went to Gallery 49 to have a look at the art, so this mitigated our disappointment somewhat.

I had worked very hard over the last week to resolve my dithering about what I wanted to do.  If I hadn't been planning on going to the mentoring class I wouldn't have done that,  so that wasn't wasted.  I have decided that I will keep trying to emulate my painting style in fabric and thread. Rachel did ask me why I would want to do this, and it's difficult to say, other than that I love working with fabric and thread.

I started to improve in my painting when I started painting a lot (at least 4 paintings, and preferably 7 pieces of artwork a week).  I realise that I won't be able to produce that sort of quantity in textiles, but if I can produce one sample piece each week, then I will be very pleased.

The pieces will have to be small - no bigger than say 12 x 12, and probably a lot smaller.  This will be difficult for me as I usually work much bigger, but if I am going to get work done, then I need to do this.

I have also decided that the work, however loosely based, has to have a figurative source.  I don't want to produce realistic pieces, but I don't want to make patterns either at this point, so the source will be still life, landscape or seascape.  My theme of 'Coast' is going to have to take a back seat for a while, as will the conceptual ideas I have had.

This piece is one I started a couple of weeks ago.  I'm not happy with it, but it's a start in the direction I think I need to go towards.

Still Life, 8 x 8 inch, mixed media

The back ground is painted onto calico, then drawn onto with Inktense pencil and some collage added.  Then I machine stitched the pears completely, and the flowers lightly, then outlined some areas.  I wish I had left some of the painted cloth of the pears showing as the dense stitching makes them come too far forward.

I hope to produce lots of this size of work over the next few months, using different techniques and materials, experimenting until I get to a point when I feel OK with them.

I start the Sketchbook Practise course with Jane Davies on Wednesday, which will be huge amounts of work, so I will be pushed over the next six weeks to get everything done.

Sunday instead of Saturday

Even though my shoulder has been very painful, or perhaps because if it, I have managed to get a lot of work done on 'Coast', it being easier to sit at the sewing machine than paint.

I am going, with Rachel, to a mentoring weekend with Hilary Bower this coming weekend, and that has also concentrated my efforts, as otherwise there would be no point in actually going if I am not working on my chosen subject.

I have been working with stitched paper.  A few weeks ago I made a lot monoprints on large sheets of heavy cartridge, which I then worked into with charcoal, pastel and acrylic medium.  I have been experimenting with these, and other papers and fabrics.  I have also included some of my coastal photographs in some work.

three pieces stitched onto canvas

three pieces, various papers, overlapping, stitched to cotton fabric

book signature, mark making outside, stitched collage  inside

more book signatures

book signature showing inside, and possible binding material

book signature showing stitched patchwork inside

another book signature

I had intended to stitch these signatures together, into a book form.  On reflection, I realise that  I want both the outside and inside to show.  I am now thinking of other methods, perhaps simply hanging over a line, or stitched to a narrow tape or cord, dependant upon whether I want them to hang horizontal or vertical.  I could join them together and make an accordion book, but this doesn't feel right.

a double page from my 'Coast' workbook

I have realised this week how important the horizon is in my 'Coast' work.  I have always put stress on the 'edge' where land meets sea, and that is all important, but the horizon is not only infinite and far away, but also the 'above and below' of the two worlds.

I am looking forward to working on these pieces more this week.  I want to explore line, both the ridged horizon line and the wavering line of the tide.

Saturday already.

The time seems to fly by.  

I managed to get the two felted bowls finished this week, and I also brought my Coast workbook up to date, but that's about it.

Felted bowl, approx 7 inch across, 3 inch high

I went to the first meeting of the Foston Studio Art group on Wednesday.  Organised by Rachel, it was a very enjoyable day, the first of many I hope.

I have started on a new technique, but based on Still Life rather than 'coast', although some pieces include coastal views.  I have talked a little about it on my other blog lynneporterartmatters.blogspot.co.uk.  It involves painting and collage on thin canvas, which I will then machine stitch, and add mark making with pencils and charcoal.  

Trying out a new technique is by it's nature, a slow process, with many rejects.  So I may not have anything to show by next Saturday, but we can but hope.  The reason for these blogs is to encourage experimentation, without judgement, and I need to grab new ideas and go with them, even if it means leaving 'coast' for a while.

Trying to get organised

The posts on this blog have been very infrequent and haphazard.  This is mostly due to the pressure of working a painting a day plus the Jane Davies workshop that produced around 150 pieces of work over the six weeks it ran.  I wish there was something similar for textiles as she is such a positive influence.  If you would like to see some of that work, visit my other blog, lynneporterartmatters.blogspot.co.uk

I have booked a further two workshops with her this year, and I also have several art and textile workshops coming up this year, in the real world rather than online.

I need to blog here at least once a week, and Saturday seems as good a day as any, so hopefully this will be a regular slot.  In order to have something to blog about, I am also marking Friday down as a textile day.  I will also do some mid-week, perhaps Wednesday afternoon.  I have also decided to concentrate on 'Coast', and look at landscape next year.

I have been fitting in tiny slots here and there, and managed to do some work on the embellisher machine last week, and am in the process of forming the pieces into vessels.  The pictures below are of the first bowl, made a couple of weeks ago.  The bowls have a lovely translucency which I couldn't capture in the photographs. I have three more bowls to finish, hopefully by next week.

Felt bowl

felt bowl side view

I have also been experimenting with book forms, and the photograph below shows a small sample.  The binding method is over cords, and it was then dipped into Quink ink and then watercolour.

Book Form 1

More experimenting with book forms.  I made the strip about a month ago, and have now started to add photographs of the beach near my home, which I have altered in Photoshop, printed then stitched and finally dipped into wax.

I have yet to decide how to display this book form.  I like the scroll format, and may make a rod on which it can be wound.

Book Form 2

Hopefully I will have more work to show next Saturday.

Slow progress

It's over three weeks since I last posted here, mainly because I have been doing a very intense online art course, as well as keeping up with a painting a day!  You can see some of the results over on my other blog

lynneporterartmatters.blogspot.co.uk

I have been doing some work on my textile project, but sadly I have decided to put the 'Landscape' theme to one side for a while and concentrate on 'Coast'.  At first it was easy to run them in tandem, but I have so little time these days that they were both suffering inactivity.

On a more positive note, I am feeling more and more excited with the 'Coast' project.  I am finally coming round to have some belief in myself and my ideas and abilities, which in turn has made me more relaxed and free with my work.

I am working in several different sketchbooks.  The Coast workbook is the main book.  I write notes, ideas, poetry, and anything else relevant in it, and also paste photographs of any work I may have done.  I have an extreme format sketchbook,  12 inch x 5 inch, which I work open so as to give a 24 x 5 inch spread.  These are loose, mark making exercises, trying to capture the SENSE of the coast.  I also have a small sketchbook 'Coast, Fractured' in which I tear photographs of the coast I have taken, then work into them.

I also occasional work in an A5 landscape format sketchbook, titled I'm Searching, which is mark making with no particular theme.  And I have been reworking into two older sketchbooks, 'The Sea' and 'Coast' both of which are 8 x 8.  These are again very loose, some drawing, mostly mark making.

I have also done some 'painting' on large sheets of paper, with long sticks, brushes and squeeze bottles containing paint.  I love doing these, the action is so free but positive, almost like the sea itself.

As a consequence of all the above work, I am gradually finding my way.  Words and phrases such as TIMELINE,  SENSE OF PLACE, and SENSES, re-occur, together with CONTAINED, COLLECTION, LAYERS,  and HELD.  I don't want to write more at this time, but I feel I am beginning to find my way.

I am also feeling content with the way things are going, an unusual state for me.

Haven't managed to do much work since my last post.  I started an online workshop, Extreme Composition by Jane Davies, and it is really stretching me, mentally and physically.  I'm also trying to do 'A painting a day', to post on my other blog 'Art Matters', so at the moment, sadly there isn't much time left for textiles.

I  did get an afternoon working on the embellisher.  I still think it has lots of possibilities.  Broke another needle though, so I need to learn to keep my foot down whilst moving my hands VERY slowly.

I have since experimented with one felted piece,  a sort of semi-felting around a mold.  It's very soft and unstable, and needs more work, either felting or adding another medium to the equation.   I like the idea of it being like translucent porcelain, either very smooth on the inside and felt-like outside, or the reverse.

I recently found a blog,
http://yearsrisingmaryoliver.blogspot.co.uk/ by Lorakim Joyner.  A poem from Mary Oliver every day.  I like many of Mary Oliver's poems.  The following poem struck a chord, as did Lorakim's words

I go down to the shore in the morning

and depending on the hour the waves

are rolling in or moving out,

and I say, oh, I am miserable,

what shall-

What should I do?  

And the sea says

in its lovely voice:

Excuse me, I have work to do.

-Mary Oliver

"I think God knows no particulars of this and that work.  That is a box we humans create, and into which we attempt to stuff as much activity as possible. What's the use of damning the river, caging the bird, or boxing ourselves into this or that?  

We are here to be beautiful useless." - Lorakim Joyner

I would like to be able to make things which are 'beautiful useless'.  Made only to fill someone with joy for a short span of time.

I wonder, sometimes, what it would be like to be filled with confidence, like a strong, rushing river, to know where you are going, not adrift, floating like an empty seashell, at the will of the tide.  

Of course, neither the river, nor the seashell, nor the tide care about such things.

Landscape monoprints

I enjoyed working with the Coast theme and monoprints so much that I did some on the Landscape theme a few days after.

I used acrylic and retarder for these, its not as spontaneous as using oil paint.  I had to add a little water and more retarder half way through.

Landscape monoprint 1

 I had in mind a photograph of a barn in Wensleydale,  but didn't have any source material in front of me.

Landscape monoprint 6

Turned the format to portrait, much looser.

Landscape monoprint 10

I like the flow of this one, and can see it in stitch.  Will do some on fabric next.

Experimenting with monoprints

I'm trying to find the essence of the subject,  and making several monoprints help to loosen me up, the mark making becomes less about realism and more about form.

I use either oil paint or acrylic with retarder.  Oil paint gives a better result but does mean that I need to leave them for at least 24 hours before I can work on them again.

I roll out the paint onto a glass plate then place my paper on top and draw with a pencil or my finger on the back of the paper, making sure that I don't rest my hand on it.  I have an image in my mind, but I don't work with either photographs or drawings.

first print in the coast series

For the coast series I had in mind a painting I did some time ago of boats in Bridlington Harbour.

coast series, print 5

About half way through there is less detail.  I like the way that the marks from previous prints show on later ones.

Coast series, print 11

Less and less detail, I have added the net, inspired by the previous print marks.

Coast series, print 12

When the oil paint was dry, I added some collage and gesso.  It's still not quite what I want, but I'll do some more monoprints onto fabric next time.

A New Year, but following the same themes

I have been exploring the themes of 'Coast' and 'Landscape' for several years (probably at least ten).  I still find both of them an endless source of inspiration. I live within 100 yards of the North Sea, and am surrounded by the diverse and beautiful countryside of Yorkshire. 

I took a Fine Art Diploma a few years ago, and found myself doing more painting than textiles because of it.  This means that over the last couple of years I haven’t done so much on the textile side. I now want to redress the balance.  I hope I can run the painting and the textiles alongside each other, particularly as the textile pieces I have made in the last couple of years include painting and collage.

I find it difficult to know what to call the work I do, as it can be made of anything which seems appropriate, and may not contain any fibre at all, but for want of a better title, they are textiles. 

I also make Artist books; enjoy printmaking, photography and basic digital art, and these are part of the exploration.

Time and place are important in my work.  I see history as a series of transparent layers, although some layers may be blurred; accidentally or intentionally, obscuring what lies in the past.  

It’s essential for me to have a sense of place. Although this expression is rather hackneyed, I mean it literally.  To stand on a beach; to be still, to take in with one’s sense all that is happening around you, that is what is important.  To smell the sea, hear the sound of the seagulls, to feel the touch of the wind and taste the salt.  Most important of all is that inner feeling you can only get by being there, connecting with the place.

That is a challenge.  I hope to post at least once a week, chronicling my progress.