The Bride Series - The Bride Painted

This is the last of this series of pieces - and this one is different to the other two in that it is a framed piece, rather than a 3D mask.

The inspiration came from a photo of a young South American girl, her face painted and her head part shaved, that I found on Pinterest.

I used the 'quilt as you go' method using my hand dyed fabrics to represent the painted markings on her face and the bluish shaved part of her head.  A mask shape made from painted and heat treated tyvek continued the Mask theme and a flutter of fabric leaf shapes decorated her hair.

This piece was framed to protect the fabrics.

Before it was framed - I couldn't get a decent shot after it was framed because the light kept reflecting off the glass.

The Bride 1 – Painted

Height:   85 cm

Width:    90 cm

Depth:    4 cm

Materials:             

·         Tyvek, painted with acrylic

·         Hand dyed cotton fabric

·         Cotton batting

·         Silk cord

·         Cotton threads

·         Perle embroidery threads

·         Linen threads

·         Silk threads

The Bride Series was my contribution to our first, 'real' exhibition - 'our' being my Textile Arts cohort, collectively known as Stitch Theorem.

It was a huge learning curve and the experience held us in good stead for our Graduate Exhibition - and what I'll be talking about from next week.

The Bride Series - The Bride Masked

Continuing with the theme, inspiration came from many women/girls who are masked or veiled for the ceremony - which also has comparisons to the veil worn at traditional western weddings....

Beaded, painted and adorned with precious threads and fabrics, all eyes are on her as she makes her way to her destiny.

Height:   69 cm

Width:    60 cm

Depth:    20.5 cm

Materials:             

·         Wood

·         Sun dyed cotton fabric

·         Cotton batting

·         Silk cord

·         Cotton threads

·         Perle embroidery threads

·         Linen threads

·         Silk threads

·         Steel

·         Corflute

·         Beads

·         Commercially printed fabric

·         Fencing wire

The Bride Series: The Bride Scarred

The theme for this exhibition, held at Manningham 29 January to 22 February 2014, was ADORNED.

Quite a few thoughts went through my head about how to represent Adorned...

I thought about continuing work on my felted fat lady, which had been started some time before for another exhibition, then abandoned...

..but she was again assigned to the WIP box....

...and then flitting through Pinterest, I saw some beautiful faces of young women/girls which had been decorated and adorned to either attract a mate or to meet their new spouse in marriage...and I got to thinking about how they might feel about it...whether it was with joy or trepidation...whether if it was possible, would they still choose to marry or would they choose another life for themselves if the boundaries imposed by tradition, opportunity and geography...and what the carefully crafted adornment masked...............

...and I had it - the Bride Series...

The Bride Scarred

Photo courtesy of Carol O'Loughlin

Adorned with feathers, she waits to see what will unfold, whether the pain she endured through scarification was worth it or was simply a forerunner of things to come...

Height:   118 cm

Width:    64 cm

Depth:    23 cm

Materials:             

·        Wood

·         Sun dyed cotton fabric

·         Cotton batting

·         Paper cord

·         Silk cord

·         Hessian

·         Fencing wire

·         Cotton threads

·         Perle embroidery threads

·         Linen threads

·         Silk threads

·         Corflute

·         Beads

·         Feathers

·         Commercially printed fabric

Come back next week for the next in the series....

Textiles

We're getting to the tail end of the Diploma of Textile Arts; we've got an exhibition in January 2014 (that I haven't yet made anything for...) and our graduate exhibition in May ish (dates and venue hasn't been finalised yet).  We've learned many techniques and processes and some I've loved and some I'm not enjoyed so much.

Before today, I didn't enjoy felting at all - I thought it was all wet dog smells and strange results (well, mine were very strange) however, we had to make a 3D form today using the dry felting method and while I started the day thinking, "Hmmm, another process, wonder what crap result I can get today" and after many stabbed fingers with a cruel and unusual tool (it has a sharp point and barbs!!) I so love my 3D form.....meet Elvis the Alpaca..

before his nose was added

He actually started life as a sheep - but I made his neck too long so he became an alpaca - so much fun - so I'm thinking I might make one of my fat ladies in felt for the January exhibition.....best buy myself some leather finger protectors too.....

Quick make......all about procrastination.....

I've been doing lots of reports and project plans and stuff in readiness for two exhibitions myself and my fellow textile artist students are going to hold in January 2014 and May 2014.  Seems like miles away but it's about now that publications need information for magazines coming our around that time, not to mention I have at least 6 pieces to make......and......sometimes, you just have to stop, get up, plant some veggies (which I have done - love Spring - and the Fat Bastard purple asparagus I thought I'd killed has popped up everywhere - bliss!) and sew something simple.

I was with my sister the other day, in Ikea, and she mentioned she needed a make-up bag.  The one's at Ikea were quite cute and very cheap, but she didn't want hot pink (the only one in that size) so of course I said, "You're kidding, that's what I do...." (well, they're cute, but not cheap and I can make one that's not hot pink)

So, instead of writing a magazine article and updating my project plan (and 50,000,000 other things), I made a little pouch for my sister.  A little Echino, some Kona and a pretty zip.  Done...

Right, back to it then......

Quilt show bounty

Like many, many others, I joined the throngs at AQC in the beautiful Royal Exhibition Buildings to view quilts and NOT buy anything.

I actually drove a bus full of the wonderful ladies who come to my classes and we had a fabulous day - of course I forgot to get a photo of us all but I remembered the camera to take photos of the quilts...I especially enjoyed the twelveby12 exhibition - the artistry and work(wo)manship of the miniatures is very inspiring - I think I'd be breaching their copyright if I added photos of their quilts so I've linked to their website instead.  If you get a chance to view these beauties 'in the flesh', you should - photos really don't do them justice - especially not the way I take photos anyway :)

Another exhibition was from Korea - I had hoped to see a piece or 2 in the traditional pojagi style but unfortunately there wasn't one - but it didn't take away from the pieces on display.  I was particularly drawn to this next one...

It appears to be influenced by pojagi and the use of colour and the method of assembly is just brilliant - love it.

Given it's shaky beginning, AQC continues to get bigger and better and I really am glad I went - there was more quilts and they weren't limited to the 'traditional' - lots of 'art' quilts and different techniques displayed - something for everyone....here's a little montage of others that caught my eye...

I did take photos of the makers of these so if anyone wants info, please let me know :)

...and of course, best laid plans and all that......I bought stuff, including fabric (of which I have thousands of metres already....)

I bought fabric paint, gorgeous shot cotton applique pieces from Reece Scanell, English paper piecing templates, stamping foam, printable silk sheets, silk sari strips (to make cords from), aluminium for mixed media and some fat quarters: including Pure, Comma, Zen Chic, Urban Mod, a little Flea Market Fancy and a fabulous stencil of old London town.  I told myself that most of what I bought is for an upcoming exhibition piece, so I shouldn't feel so guilty.....

.....and now I have to go and get some work done - I've client quilts to quilt, some screen printing to do for my work-book as well as a portfolio cover to make, then after that some items for 2 upcoming markets........good job I like being busy :)

On the Friday night I attended a lecture by Judy Coates Perez, a mixed media artist from America who shared her inspirations and her works with us - lots of inspiration there - she also had a booth within the show so we could watch her work - and she is the reason I bought the aluminium sheets....

ps - Box Hill TAFE are advertising another Diploma of Textile Arts course to start mid-year - if you're interested, have a look at their website for more information.

Sewing, sewing, sewing...

In between keeping up with my Textile Art Diploma course requirements (creating a repeat design using hand carved stamps),

preparing sessions for my Community Classes (my themes this semester are Colour Theory and Techniques),

and other sundry domestic chores,

including removal of some water hyacinth from the fish pond - but that had to stop when I was bitten by a very large, and very aggressive bullant....

I have been organising business cards and advertising postcards, and sewing up a storm for my upcoming stall at Red Hill Market on 2nd March...

large cushion cover with zipped opening

boxy, zipped pouches

journal covers

cushion cover with buttoned opening

There's still a few other admin type issues to sort out (source and buy paper bags, signage, still need to finalise the display etc etc) and I want to have 100 items for sale - so I have another 20 to make........

Best get back to it......