Saturday 23 June 2012

Back to full flow

I have been back to creative flow this week - that is when I haven't been putting things away -  dishes and cutlery, pots and pans, the ironing, gardening tools, sewing stuff, groceries, bills, jars of spices and herbs, empty jam jars, pencils, pens and paint brushes, books, and so on and so on and so on. How come I get all this STUFF out in the first place? There are only two of us in this house and I wonder how we manage to fill every surface.  I never did cultivate good domestic habits despite my mother's best efforts, but I do try to put things away when I have finished with them, however they still seem to pile up on me.  Still, after a good tidying session I can feel vindicated in getting a lot more stuff out.
Firstly it was all the sewing threads and beads.  I have added to my splattered pieces from my last post with French knots, seed stitch and beads. These are for my C&G course.




I am pleased with this carnation piece and feel it could make a panel on a cushion cover, if I had the right colour fabric to go with it.

I thought you might like to see my work using the photograph I took of the planter also in my last post.

First I did a bit of colour analysis.

I printed up some black and white versions and worked on some pencil studies - the right hand piece is a slice of elm that used to be a rustic coffee table, but is now slowly rotting in the garden.

I took advantage of the one sunny afternoon we've had to do some pen drawings of foliage. By copying the drawings I have been experimenting with some compositions.


I drew the planter by first tracing the photograph and then using the tracing to print out a line drawing for adding colour to.


I'm thinking of how I can translate this into a textile piece.  Trying to do the whole thing is a bit too ambitious for my skill level so I'm thinking of selecting an area to concentrate on - watch this space.
Just going to put away the pencils, pens, paints, scissors, glue, camera and sketchbook before I get out the sewing machine for some fabric piecing practice.
Hope you are enjoying your weekend,
Jill



10 comments:

Marigold Jam said...

Oh Jill how clever youa re - I love those drawings and the stitching on your spatter prints. Your C&G course sounds really interesting and with your artistic skills I am sure you will be showing us all manner of wonderful creations as you progress. I know what you mean about needing to tidy up all the time - somebody once called it "flat surface syndrome" where any flat space seems to require to be filled with this or that! Certainly happens here a lot. It's almost worth it though for the sense of achievement when you can look round and just for a moment everything is tidied away and all is as it should be till you start on something else which requires every piece of fabric, all the threads and beads etc..... Enjoy your weekend.

Joanna said...

Your sketches are delightful and I enjoy reading about how your work develops. The carnation pieces are beautiful, particularly the last one with the swathe of shimmer.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,

x

Unknown said...

You certainly are back in full creative flow. Lovely work - the sketchbook pages really stand out for me. Love the combinations of detail and space, colour and bw. Great work Jill!

Clare Wassermann said...

This planter piece is looking amazing....the photo already looks like a draping lustrous fabric to me.
I have the same problem with stuff. I reckon I just need far more tables! I've just eaten my tea off my sketchbook!!!!!!!

vintagerockchick said...

What lovely drawings, well done! And, I don't know about you, but I think the whole tidying up/putting away thing is a bit of a displacement activity. I spend more time tidying and reorganising my 'studio' than I ever do creating in it x

Thimble Fingers said...

Great work. Love how your drawings evolved - can't wait to see where it leads to next.

flutterbycrafter said...

Your sketches are an absolute delight, I love reading about how you do about your art, thanks xx

menopausalmusing said...

That planter pot work is still grabbing me.... what a lovely thing to work with!

LAC EMP 2020 said...

I am always fascinated by the way in which textiles are created but even more so by sketchbook activity as you know Jill. I think these sketchbook pages are wonderful. I particularly admire the drawing of the piece of elm. You've captured the textures here and the colours in the planter to perfection.

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Super work Jill :-) Oh I think I have 'flat surface syndrome' as Marigold Jam says - I'm so glad it has a name, won't feel gulity any more haha
Anne x