Canberra Contemporary Craft Retreat - Laughing and Learning - Dolls

Well it’s been a whirl wind few weeks.  I am exhausted from learning and laughter.  Not to mention travel.

I went to the Contemporary Craft Retreat held in Canberra, ACT in late October and did  workshops with artists Susie McMahan and Janice Laurent. 

Susie is a doll maker from Tasmania.  I only had to travel 3 ½ hours to get to Canberra.   Susie had 3 times the distance to cover.   I am so glad she did.  As well as coming home with 2 completed projects I came home armed with heaps of new skills.

Susie showed us how to make and paint two dolls she has designed:  her Sukeshi Doll and Sorry Doll.  I really wanted to learn how to draw and paint on fabric to create faces.  And I did J .  Not to mention learning some practicalities of soft doll making which I hadn’t done before.     

my Sukeshi Doll

The Sukeshi doll was fun and I learnt how to confidently apply paint to cloth.  The little doll had a simple form so I didn’t get lost – just face and hands outlined then filled in and then other decoration added as desired.  It was fun and Susie is a generous teacher.  It wasn’t until I was on my way home I remembered I had done an online class several years ago with American mixed media artist Suzi Blu on drawing faces.   I had forgotten.   Back to my notes now to combine what I learnt with Susie and Suzi J.

Embroidered but faceless cloth babushka

Some Paint applied

The back - added a kerchief

 Anyway, I got home and painted up a couple of little babushka type dolls which I had embroidered.  I was interested to see what I could apply from Susie McMahon’s lessons.   This is the result.  They need some refinement – and also the ‘canvas’ was not large.  Interestingly, the one I was least happy with and kept overpainting ended up being the one I like the most.  I think the under layers of paint give more depth. 







And that was something Susie talked about and showed us in the Sorry Doll.

My Sorry Doll

The Sorry Doll took 2 days of full on work and concentration.  Susie supplied us with a head and pattern.  The body was sewn and cut out at home.  The fun began at the Retreat.   With the encouragement of new friends Monica and Kay I made hands with separated fingers.  I had opted for a simpler hand but Kay had cut and sewn a spare pair.  Monica and Kay chivied me along when I made mistakes, burst through seams and decided to revert to the original.  Thanks girls – so glad you did!  

On the last day I did a class with Janice Laurent making a relief face in Makins Clay.  I love working with this clay and it has been a while so it was a good fun refresher.   The face is still a work in progress and I hope to finish it before Christmas.  If life events permit (which are also taking lots of time at the mo)  I will finish the face before Christmas and post a photo J.

The weekend following I went to Wagga Wagga to see “Tryp(s)tych” - an embroidery exhibition.  It was put on by a group I belong to and the work the members of the group does is amazing.  I didn’t take any photos and am hoping I can get hold of some to show you.

This last weekend I went to Swan Hill and did a gold work techniques class at the CWA Craft retreat there.   Again I didn’t take any photos. I will write a separate post on this too.      But I did sleep over with these two vintage girls at Carols house :-)

Eyes and Eyelets

Stitching for no other reason than the enjoyment and to see what happens.  In this small sample have used cotton, perle and linen threads drawn from the fabric I am stitching into.  I will continue to add over time until I have a 10cm square to contribute to a challenge.

I have continued exploring eyes in art.   Browsing in cheap book store I came across a book about Indian love stories and some ancient and modern art.  It was a great source of images for eyes and I did some quick sketches.

Rajasthani Miniature Painting

mixed media and themes

Well, I have procrastinated enough about making/stitching/writing.   It is February and I have no more excuses. House sold. Moved to new house. Unpacked just about everything.   Still sorting fabric threads etc. but I know what I have.

My resolution this year (which I started to visit in December last) was to allow myself to play in any medium, explore and have fun.

I have also tried to theme it – and this year will try to build my exploration around “eyes”.  I have had heaps of fun punning - e.g.  the ayes have it, green eyed monster, almond eyes.  And letting explorarion take me where ever.

So far I have

•     sketched and doodled

•     stitched eyelets.  Visit Sharon Boggins on line stitch dictionary for the low down on how to.   She is a fantastic on line resource.

•     and explored on the web looking at how eyes are portrayed.  I came across a blog page featuring sculptor Alfred Parades and this image of his work Side by Side Cylcops.  Just love it :-).                                                       Take time to read the full article here.  

Of course already I have gone off theme already as I have been playing with clay a bit

but I keep returning to it with doodles.  

In between playing with eyes I will work on my pieces for a collaborative exhibition next year with five other textiles artists .   Our group name is temporarily “ Six Running Feet”   - a play on the wall space we each need to fill.  

Another Pear

Been struggling to pick a needle of late.  Been busy with other ventures.  I spent 4 days at the Stitches & Craft Show at the Paverpol exhibtion stand and helping out with workshops.  Had a great time meeting lots of like minded makers and people interested in craft generally.  It was a bit of a culture shock being on the other side table but had a great (if exhausting time).   Got to hand out flyers for my workshops too.

Yesterday I spent the day at Marrickville Market as a stall holder - well part of the day.  It thundered, lightening and poured and I packed up and left at 1:30.  The stall haolder next to me said they had been coming for 2 years and it was the first time they had to leave early.  

Anyway - it was a beautiful autumn morning and I got to chat to folk, make a few toadstools and a little lady and listen to reggae.  Can't ask for much more pleasant morning really.

On the stitching side of things, it seems to me the more I should do something (in this case start my part of a joint work for Stitchers Plus group in the upcoming Guild exhibition later this year) the more I procrastinate.  Have done a bit of  crochet and watched quite a few DVD's.  Watched The Artist  a little while ago - an absolute non stitching movie - black and white, no words and a few speech bubbles.  It was good but long - not sure I would have made it through the entire film at the cinema without a few serious wiggles.

Last night I still hadn't prepared any sewing and was not up to crochet so I finally picked up a pencil and drew ... some more pears :-)

girly faces

In between doing letters for the Guild Fund Raising project I have been drawing girly faces.  I have a yen to do some more canvas work faces and these drawings may yet be the prototypes. Some are imagined, some copied and some composites:

elephant in the corner

Watercolour pencil drawing - a fun experiment in mixing shapes and colour.

I have been been wanting to play with crewel work but have been hampered by my desire to do my own design,   I think I overwork things in my mind and get tied up in my own doubts and lack of knowledge.   This is a step in the right direction.

In the interim I have been working on small piece for a challenge by my Guild  home group Stitchers Plus where finally I pulled out some crewel wool and had a go.   I am nearly finished an will put a photo up at the end of the week after the entry date passes.

Meeting with like minds

Spent Saturday with Stitchers Plus and came home happy and inspired.  It is always great to catch up with friends and see what we have been up to stitch wise - click on the side bar link to see some of our show and tell.   It will reveal that I have actually put a needle into fabric since return from holidays - but I haven't been active on the Cloth Garden blog.

As well as working on a journal cover - which was really a stitch pay that got turned into something - I have been working on Stitchers Plus Members Challenge which is due in this week - we asked members of the Embroiderers' Guild NSW  what 'changing of the seasons' meant to them and asked them to stitch a response to it. Our local libraries (Concord and Five Dock) are going to display the works in October and November this year.  I will post some photos after closing date.

I have also been busy getting a web page together for my small framing business - hopefully it will be live at the end of the month!

In the interim, in between stitch the challenge pieces I have pulled out my watercolour pencils and had a play with colour and shape.    The colours are not as rich in the photo  as they are in the original but  I can see some play with overlaid organza, chiffon and stitch happening in the future:

sketch club

Our model Kit is a tall lanky guy - though the men in my family are tall I am not used to seeing such a thin body and I had great difficulty drawing him - all the poses from where I was sitting seemed impossible and the last one was the worst but turned out by far the best drawing.  I had a view which contained challenges of hair, foreshortened arms and there were fingers! Being too lazy to move I worked on drawing and was really chuffed with my result.  PS - I used a pastel pencil

Cheers

progressing with pears

1. 

Played with charcoal and then added some pastel to ground it.

stitchers plus

My home group at the Embroiderers' Guild NSW  met on Saturday.  Much chat and show and tell took place.  Jenny has posted some of the 'show' on Stitchers Plus blog.   Charterhouse rules apply to the 'tell' bit.

shadows

Had a pear on the table this morning and was captivated by the shadows cast by the overhead lights - think I need to darken th shadows a bit more but this will do for the time being  -  I could do another I guess and see how it goes.

The shadow lines  and patterns could be echoed very nicely in appliqué and  stitch  - I should try that too I guess :-)  I haven't posted much embroidery of late but have been working on a number of pieces for an exhibition which opens at the end of the month.  For more on this visit the MAPS link on the side bar.

sketching

Tuesday night is sketch club night.  I have only been twice this year and, as I only draw that night,  I am right out of  practice.  I was happy with one quick sketch and am wondering how I can employ stitches to render a version of it. 


I have been reading a couple of interesting books which have got me thinking - one on the history of crewel work and another called Embroidery Studio (Embroiderers Guild).  Embroidery Studio  features a number of textile artists who consider an old embroideries or textile and the pattern, stitch , composition etc and interpret and creation of new works inspired by those textiles.

more on where does the time go?

Creative time has been consumed in the organisation of an exhibition - and it has become clear to me the amount of creative energy required just to get such things off the ground.  Anyway we are nearly there and the works will be hung on Tuesday 4.10.11 and the opening on 6.10.11.  Then it will al be over save for bump out and moving to next venue and a small amount of promotion for same - I hope.

In the interim I have been doodling to get some inspiration of same hand work:

And procrastinating about commencing some small machined panels which I have drafted but put off doing.

I have also spent some time framing memorabilia and photo collages.  Again taking time away from embroidery and depleting creative energy.   Will keep doodling, drawing and taking photos and try and fill the well!   The fighting fish in the tank near my computer is a collection of wonderful reds, blues and purples or reads black depending on angle and sunlight.  No doubt the colours and fin shapes will inspire something soon!

sketch club

finally got back to sketch club after missing it for a couple of months - only to find out that there is a two week recess starting next week! This time round I abandoned charcoal and used a graphite stick on quality paper . This week I seemed to get awkward poses so I concentrated on different aspects like elbows and hands. My best sketch was this portrait of the model as she held a 20 minutes pose.

Been knitting slippers (well it is cold and they are needed) and working on my cnavas piece 'party girls' and will try and post a pic of progress at the weekend. Haven't got to doing the faces yet but the background is falling into place.

Today I have spent time creating a page on facebook to promote my framing business worth a thousand words. Please have a look.

Cheers

painting and stitching

started stitching again - inspired by colours and designs of a semi abstract painting I did in art class - one of a pair - to be one of three if I get another canvas

this is one of the pair - not the inspiration piece - I will post that when I finish the embroidery



I have really enjoyed painting these abstract distractions. below is one of triptych. will add them all another time when the light is better and i set up a tripod (rather than a tissue box) to photograph them


Cheers all

the month is at an end ...

it has been a busy month - been to painting lessons and was very pleased with this effort - every time I see water I want to record it it. I finally got an idea of how to do it in thread - though the sample below is small and rather close up I was happy with what I achieved and will have yet another go at an embroidered water scene.

Also been to sketch club off and on and came home and worked up a sketch with more charcoal and pastel.

The month was marred by the death of my daughter's kitten Chi Chi - who went missing and found in the back lane - hit by a car . We were/are all very sad. Chi Chi now lies underneath a newly planted azalea bush n the garden.

Sketch club is pretty much a constant in my life - I am not Leonardo but each time I go I do a better drawing. (Of course I only post the more reasonable ones I do.) And I love the fact that I can crop the photo so that I have something proportionate to the ground that it is on. I seemed to get mostly back views for the longer poses last night - which means I had to work on shadow to give contrast/form. One day I post a first and last drawing of the night.


There is discussion on the radio at the moment to the effect that anyone can became good at something if they practise for 10,000 hours. As I tend to only draw when I go to sketch club I have a lot of hours to clock up!

According to the fellow speaking it is important to try and extend your limitations and push yourself to the outer limits of your boundary (and change the molecular structure of the brain). The second important thing was to have rigorous critical feedback.

I have enrolled in acrylic painting class and had one enjoyable lesson. Its the first time I have really picked up a paint brush with the intention of doing something other than a background was for a journal or paint fabric on which to embroider. Jan, our teacher , set up a wonderful still life of simple lush primary colours and round shapes - all I could think was what a wonderful idea for an embroidered work! So I won't throw away my painting - or at least I will take a photo of it before I do - so I have a resource to call on when I get around to doing that.

I am clocking up my hours with hand stitching - my current embroidery project is a play with blue, grey and creamish threads on canvas using limited stitch types to create a mandala effect.

more of the same

I have been stitching but it takes a bit of time for the result to come to light.

I have also been going to sketch club - this is a 10 min sketch from a couple of weeks ago. I keep promising myself I will go back and work on it some more but time has passed and I think the moment is gone.

I am back working on Daintree Dreaming but an hour of work gives me about an inch of coverage so it will be a while before I have much to show.

drawing and sewing again

Not that creative in the stitching line but very good for the soul. Been working on a small canvas which will become a footstool when done. It has been good to do this before venturing into the big portrait piece I intend to do - my tension has been all over the place and thread a bit thin in places. And yes, before you say anything, I have been working this free in my hand and don't have the canvas taunt which does affect the tension - I will need to block it before it becomes a little stool.

I got to sketch club for the first time in over a month. My drawing is progressing. The one above needs more work - I forgot to take a paper stub with me and the charcoal needs to be worked more. But what I was pleased with was the fact that I actually got the hint of feet. I avoid hands and feet like the plague as I find them so difficult. It is interesting looking at what you do after it is photographed - it shows there is lots of room for improvement!!!

I have been looking at paintings by Hunterwasser and have been inspired by his use of colour (not that that is reflected in the above) and will have a play with colour and shape -maybe play with a paper collage. I am trying to encourage myself to play with colour but seem to run out of time and energy. In fact, I am off to have a little snooze once I have done here.

life drawing

K & I went to life drawing on Tuesday. It was a scary process - not a classroom and no teacher. We started out with 2 minutes sketches and then 5 and then 10 and, finally, three 20 minute ones. My first efforts were very scratchy - I began in charcoal and quickly reverted to pencil. By the time I got to the third 20 min session we were exhausted and packed it in. We got to stand back and look at what we did when we got home and were quite pleased with our efforts.

I am already trying to work out how to translate this one to cloth.