wooden lacework

autumn is here at long last

... with its cooler mornings and evenings. Of all the seasons I think I like autumn the best.

Its been ages since I posted and I was thinking that I had done nothing much but on reflection it is not true. I have still been drawing. I finished the journalling workshop and I have managed to get a bit of canvas work done. I have also been playing with ideas for a quilt for Filament's exhibition later in the year and an embroidery challenge.

I turn ed up to life drawing last Tuesday to discover that it was not on. Fortunately Mook (the convener for want of a better description) was there drawing a drapery he had set up. Having made the effort I stayed for an hour. Here is the result:

I am rather pleased with it -as a novice I find drapery a real challenge and my eye is not so good. This drawing was done starting with some rough outlines in pencil and ten I moved onto pastels.

I learnt quite a bit doing this including what the texts books referred to as "muddying" colour when it is over applied. I was trying to make the bottom area dark and kept putting more and more brown on the area. I ended up with an area that has a very flat dull look to it - and to my eye it tens to come forward rather than recede. I will work it again and see if I can improve on it.

what are you trying to say?

I have been busy but not much embroidery in the last month. Happy to say there has been a bit in the back of the brain which has been thinking about what I have been doing and where I have been going.

Have been doing quite a bit of drawing and also started a journal ling/book making type class with Gillian Hand at the Ashfield Artist in residence program. We had a play with collage last week. Not easy for me at the best of times. I have been seduced by and purchased a number of books on artists books, journal and mixed media collage and have rarely been happy with what I have produced.

As I was saying, last week we played with collage. I tore pictures out of various magazines that attracted me and laid them down ... I was not prepared so it was material from old mags that were available to me at the time. Whilst we were playing with these pictures Gillian talked about the elements of design. Something which I have read about but hadn't really clicked. I wasn't happy with what I had done and Gllian asked the sixty-four dollar question - What are you trying to say?

Here is what I came up with on the night:

I had a play at home a bit later in the week. I had palyed with an ink wash ages ago and the page was waiting for something - the result is the eagle at the beginning at this post.

whats up

I have had a more than average busy February and not posted much. Been playing learning and faffing about. Hopefully I will have some photos by the end of the month. Still sewing, drawing, started attending a class about journaling and book binding. Early days yet in the latter but I can see the cross over for thread and fabric.

fall of icarus

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A4 sized quilt done for online group - this is January's - the theme heat.

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.

googling and drawing in the cool of the morning

with thanks to Henry Moore and his drawing Forest Elephants