'Transform,Change,Disintegrate'.

I am enjoying my workshop with Louise Baldwin at City Lit. in London; it is over three Saturdays but with a one week break for half term, which is nice as it gives one time to think things through a little. 

The theme is Transform, Change, and Disintegrate. In the first session we were shown pictures of work by artists who work with this theme, starting with a time lapsed film made by Sam Taylor-Wood. There was also a good list of artists whose work we could research, of course the internet now makes this so much easier. I particularly liked this aspect of the workshop because when you are out of the loop it’s good to be reminded of all the inspiring work which is around.

We then picked a few words to illustrate in samples. I worked with ‘peeling’ and slashed, and tore various papers before waxing them.

 Louise suggested that I look at the work of Antoni Tapies. I had never seen his work but this week he has been in the news having just died.

I then burned and waxed various papers to play around with. The resulting sample was not really successful, but the resulting photographs are interesting. There was also a lot of wire brushing of fabrics.

More Paper and Fabric Samples

On the last session of Louise Baldwin’s course the theme was distressed paper. We had suggestions, one being machining a grid on the paper and then crumpling it before rubbing areas away. I first heard of this technique from Val Campbell- Harding and like to think she first came up with it. It is fun and you can try it on a variety of different papers to make an open grid. In fact one of the first pictures I posted was of a photo album which I made using this technique; with the open grid areas layered on top of a newspaper which I had picked up in China Town New York.

This sample is layered over a piece of woven fabric and generally distressed to the point where I have forgotten exactly what I did. There is some dyed wool in there and some metal pieces.

The second technique was Faux Chenille but using paper for the layers rather than the usual layers of material. You machine the layers and then cut through to the areas you choose to have showing. This sample was also covered in wax. It opens up like a book.

This is a tiny photo of the album I mentioned. The sky has some wonderful colours in between flurries of snow, and its difficult to get good photos today so this is an old photo. At least I feel that my photos have improved. My other excuse is that I have been in bed for two days with the lurgie. I can’t wait to have some energy again.

Painted Papers

These are another couple of samples from my recent course. The idea was to take in an image, paint papers and then layer marks to make interesting surfaces for stitch.

I enjoyed the course but I feel there was a gap about how to move these samples along, and how to develop ideas. Perhaps that is just my mood having been snowed in for weeks. This is what it look like from my window in deepest Hampshire. Very pretty, but I've had enough now.What wimps we must seem to those of you in areas with hugh snow falls every winter.

The Day Service Centre where I work two days a week has been closed and my car snowed in. I have been to another course and spent most of the week’ ifing and butting’ about whether it would be cancelled and if I went might I get stranded. As it was in central London there was no problem at all on Sunday and thanks to my husband I had a lift to the station and back. It was great to be out and about and with people.