No time for art work today. The fine morning drew me outside to get on with some gardening which was desperately needed and this afternoon I had a great time round at a friend's getting the low-down on the Janome Embellisher. I think I'm in love! :)) I wasn't able to use the machine (probably I should have asked but the group was large so it was more of a demo) but I am hoping to test one at the Festival of Quilts in 2 weeks time. The possibilities seem endless with this machine, especially when the resulting fibre/fabric can in turn be painted, embossed, embellished and beaded.
While it's in my mind I'll mention a technique Gill described. She buys copper plant labels from the garden centre and then layers them into a bowl with crushed salt and vinegar crisps - no, I don't think she was joking. Once the labels are thoroughly covered with the crisps she sprays them with water, covers the container with cling film and after a couple of days removes the tags and rinses them thoroughly. This is not the time to sample the crisps, they should be thrown away. The copper tags should emerge with a nice verdigris effect and can be further coloured by holding in a naked flame. Guess where I'm going tomorrow? The supermarket and the garden centre!! If anyone knows any other way of doing this and controlling the amount of salt to vinegar I'd loved to know about it. (Crisps are way too tempting for DH).
On the subject applying texture to canvas the pic below is a canvas I started last year, I think. I chose all the fabrics for their textural qualities and then coated them in gesso to get a uniform colour. At that point it told me it wanted to be blue but now I feel it needs something else. I think I may well change some areas with brighter colours or an irridescent glaze. I am not even sure at this stage which way up it should be. I favour the view on the right but I keep seeing a face in it in its present form. I think it has sat on my easel for long enough so I shall have to bring it to the top of my to do list.
5 comments:
You're right - the one on the right looks better.
I love this as it is, its fantastic, why do you feel you need to do something else to it?
Thank you Lynda. I think I was a bit bothered that it is all blue and also my brain keeps saying "face". After your comments I think I'll live with it a bit longer and maybe call it finished. :)
Julie, I love that blue canvas - agree with Lynda, are you sure it needs anything else?
Hello Julie
I hope you don't think I am presumptuous if I offer a suggestion or two with regard to the blue collage.
I think the overall textured approach has a lot going for it. However I wonder if the distribution of the colours and tones are preventing the visual effect from holding together. What I mean is the two dark, grey/purple areas (the top image shows them running down the left side and at bottom right), are 'visually' pulling the design apart leaving the two paler blue rectangles alongside each other as the only means of 'support in the upper centre.
It is my belief that any image whether collage, painted or a photograph, needs a point of interest or focus to hold the whole thing together, such that all other tones, colours shapes and directions are there to support that focus.
Forgive me if I have said too much.
John
Come and visit me, I'll let you play with my embellisher...
Post a Comment