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.