Playing with paint and paper

I bought some cheap water colours and painted over a photocopy of part of a charcolal drawing I did some time ago. I have reworked copies of this drawing a coupel of times now and soething different happens each time. I will keep playing with it and reduce it to stitch at some stage in the future.

Sea urchins and sea shells -more drawings

I have been continuing to work on my drawings - the first is yet another sketch of a sea urchin (in charcoal), the second is pen drawings of a few shells. I am still playing with how I can express the shell form in stitch without creating a replica.

The shells are mostly white with a few markings so I find them difficult to draw.

I have just finished reading an interesting, small autobiography by a painter, textile designer and manufacturer Bernat Klein called Eye for Colour (Scotland and Collins, London 1965). I was particularly interested in looking at the paintings and how Bernat Klein interpreted the colours in his woven fabric.

In his book Klein attributed the following quote to Klee:

The object of a painting is not to reflect the visible but to make the invisible visable.

Pop Music

I spent Saturday last at the Guild with my friends from Stitchers Plus. Took all day to chat, catch up and lay out some fabric on felt to start a embroidered abstract wall hanging. At the moment I am thinking I will call it "Pop Music" It has that feel to it - much, much more work to go before it becomes anything. Already I am wishing I hadn't use cheap commercial felt as a backing and that I had made it smaller - it is about 75 cm square.

I have since done some big stitches in purple to hold down the purple line and stitched a purple shadow in one place - I will work it across the row and trust that it falls into place as I envisage. I have also done a couple of yellow swirls in the yellow area in the middle but they are lost at the moment - might need some grape or ruby to bring it out. I will add another pic when I have done more.

sea urchins

I have been working on a sea shell theme - patterns from the sea. Got plenty of source material from all those walks on the beach - and pleanty of shells to incorporate if I feel the need.

Buoyed with encouragement from Jean Draper (a wonderful woman with many positive things to say) I have managed to get myself actually drawing/recording ideas and sampling!!! Hard for me as I always want to jump right in with the idea and then wonder why I am not happy with what I have done.

Jean is a UK embroiderer who (in my mind) acts a mentor rather than a teacher. I first met Jean in 2007 when I did a class at the Embroiderers' Guild NSW and she came out to Australia again this year.

I have posted a few photos to show you what I have done so far.