"I begin with an idea ... and then it becomes something else"
~ Picasso

Saturday 23 October 2010

Textiles, rusty boats and peeling paint

Thank you for visiting me and for all comments on recent posts. It's lovely to hear from you and to see new followers

I have a few things to share today ...













Firstly, a couple of pages from my "sketchbook" which isn't really a sketchbook, but more like a sample book! I do draw and sketch a little, mainly still life. When I'm out and about I tend to use my camera for visual recording and a notebook for scribbling thoughts and ideas. Are you the same?

There are so many ways of recording observation, the name "sketchbook" can be daunting. I like to think of mine more as an inspiration book really, just full of my ideas and things I try and recording things I notice with photography, collage, samples, paint and stitch



















On the left I stuck an image in my book that inspired me. I was drawn to the colours and detail in the rocks. Top left I painted a couple of Tyvek tags with acrylics in the same blues as the image, heated them and stitched into them. A few of these Tyvek tags layered on top of each other in my book give a bit of texture and interest

















I made a textile piece using a base layer of dyed cotton, silk, scrim and tissue paper. I was able to stitch into the paper because it had a supporting fabric layer behind

















On top of that I added lots of threads and curly wool tops bonded with bondaweb. Then I embroidered into the surface with hundreds of french knots in a variety of textured yarns of varying thickness, added some lazy daisy stitches and beads


















I love french knots. I find them very therapeutic to stitch. They appear on most things I make. I do like the colours of the sea in this little piece :o)

Another thing I'd love to share is my new favourite thing of layering and adding textures in Photoshop! I've always wanted to know how to do it and it's one of those things that's very easy when you know, so everything is getting the treatment!

St. Ives harbour
















I soon realised that all those texture photos I've taken over the years, all that focusing in on rust and peeling paint etc., would come in handy for adding highlights and interest to otherwise dull photos, of which I have loads!

So ...

This ...






















plus ...

this ...

















can, with a bit of manipulation, become this ...

texture multiplied





















or this ...

texture multiplied with pin light added





















or this painterly look ...

texture overlay plus hard light





















or this more vibrant rusty look ...

texture with vibrant light





















or the same image with the colours reversed and made a little more red (love red)

rust texture vibrant light colours altered





















Using these photos for inspiration I made some samples on my embellisher on a recent Crow Day with my friend Jo. First was a piece of dyed felt which Jo gave me. This gorgeous piece of pre-felt came all the way from Arizona and it's very soft and beautiful






















This is how a small piece of the fabric reacted to being needle punched in the embellisher









The pulled threads look just like little lazy daisy stitches and create great texture and movement. I like it just as it is and the colours remind me so much of rusty boats in St. Ives harbour

















The next few samples were made on the embellisher using felted backgrounds to which I added wool tops, silk tops, snippets of metallic fabrics, chiffons and ladder yarns






















To this one I added some ladder yarns and cellophane sweet wrappers before embellishing. Then I free machine stitched on both samples using a variegated metallic thread






















Below ... you can see I got my inspiration from the colours in my boat photo (the vibrant rust coloured version)






















To take the samples further I cut them up so there were 16 little pieces and re-arranged them. On each little piece I added more snippets of cellophane, fabrics, hand stitching, copper curls, beads and bits of orange netting (like fishing nets)


















I think they look more interesting grouped together like this


















I made them into cards for friends but they would also make interesting little brooches for anyone who liked a St. Ives boat/fishing net sort of thing lol :o)

Another sample where the vertical yarns were embedded in the felt with the embellisher. On top there is machine stitching and lots of "flotsam and jetsam" consisting of copper curls, gem stones, beads and french knots

















The sample below doesn't have a pre-felt backing. I used the embellisher to join wool tops and silk tops together. I enjoyed this one. You could go on forever ... keep adding bits to the side and watching it grow






















I made holes in a piece of blue seawashed plastic I picked up on the harbour beach recently and sewed it to the felt

paint was peeling














Talking of beaches ... I never did show the results of the seaside inchy swap that some of us girls took part in over the summer, so here they are ...

Mine is the top row, second along ... made with a vintage image, text, orange fishing net and a shell

Seaside inchy swap at inchybyinch





















... and finally ... some pebbles ...

















... with free machine stitching into watercolour paper






















I said there would be some blue and orange coming soon didn't I? Well, that's it for now

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful Autumn sunshine we are having or else enjoy being creative and cosy indoors. Happy weekend :o)

Carolyn ♥

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29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love it all as always. Your sketchbook page is especially gorgeous.And the seasise mosaic is very nostalgic. Embellishing is such a lot of fun don't you find, and full of surprising results. Enjoy a wonderful weekend.
Penny

Caterina Giglio said...

oh Carolyn, wonderful post, the colors are yummy and I am in love with your water piece at the top, all your pieces are just fantastic, and I agree, french knots seem to work out the kinks in life don't they, a meditation for sure! xo

Vanilla said...

Such beautiful pictures!
And the colors! OMG!
I love your work

Lyn said...

Carolyn I love your experiments, your work is so inspiring.
love
Lyn
xxx

Caroline said...

One of your most beautiful posts, Carolyn - a real gem! You are so very creative - love it all.

Julie Shackson said...

Great post Carolyn; love all of the images.
Your French knots are fabulous; I did some myself recently and they are trickier than they look. You obviously have the knack though!

PeggyR said...

Great post and I love what you did!

Lynn Cohen said...

All of your art work makes me so happy.
It's just a joy to revel in your colors textures and techniques you so generously share here. Thank you. Such inspiration will keep me going for days.

Becca said...

Wow! All beautiful pieces! I love the first one with the blues it reminds me of water/ocean, and the french knots in the light color adds so much reflection! I also love your texture for your boat photo, isn't Photoshop fun, and it's amazing how you can make an ok picture into something worth saving? Thanks for the inspiration!

Christine Harding said...

Your blog is so inspiring. I really like the pieces at the top - as other people have said, it remins of the sea. And I love your French knots! I adore working with them, but your's are so much neater than mine.

Jan said...

I love this whole post very much, from all the sea colors to the boat photos and all the needle felting experiments. Thanks for sharing your work, it is very inspiring.

Heloise said...

Great post. You have created many lovely pieces of work.

Julie said...

So much beauty in one post! The first piece from your sketchbook is right up my street! Too beautiful to be hidden away! The altered photos look good and have reminded to get my finger out and have a go too. The watercolour pebbles are so clever too, inspired! xx

Anonymous said...

that water textile piece at the top makes my chest fill up and feel wide open at the same time... saying I love it sounds too trite - it makes me feel whole...

artymess said...

Oh my GOSH Carolyn you have outdone yourself this time these samples are so YUMMY loved this post ......x

Doreen G said...

So much to see here Caroline I will have to go and make a cuppa and relax while I read it.

Nancilyn (Fiberdabbler) said...

Wonderful, wonderful post, well worth the wait!
I'm hooked on all the eye candy you provide on both blogs. I'm very fond of your sketches and finally am taking a class to learn. I'm not a fan of digital manipulation, but I like what you did with the boat and rust images. One more thing. I'd be inclined to refer to your book with sketches, samples, etc. (and I love it when you show pages!) as an artist's journal, or working art journal.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous work!

artangel said...

Just finished drooling over all these glorious pieces! I adore rust and texture - the boat photos in particular are divine.

My old art teacher used to encourage us to call our sketchbooks different things - mine I remember was an "ideas and experiments book"!

Anonymous said...

The colors are marvelous and your creativity holds no ends, do you sleep? I cannot imagine how with all that you do. Love the digi work,
how perfect the boat on the shingle beach. xox Corrine

Twiglet said...

I really love this post Carolyn - the colours and textures are perfect and I now want to see what I can do with Photoshop too - what an inspiration you are, thanks for sharing!!

JP said...

wow you have been so busy - I am so glad as this means you must be feeing really well again after earlier in the year - a great post

mano said...

so fabulous work and so beautiful boat images - thank you for this great post!

Clare Wassermann said...

o o o I can't add anything to all of that but well...what a joy!

Lisa Le Quelenec said...

Rusty boats, Cornish blues, stitchery magic - what a treat for the eyes. I loved this post thank you for sharing.

Jackie said...

Wow! I haven't had time to do the skinny mini lessons and you are ahead of the class already with your amazing textures. beautiful. I love the way you work through the process.

Robin Olsen said...

Love seeing your process of playing with Photoshop and then developing your fiber work based on that--beautiful stuff. I would love to see all the little fiber bits stitched together into long pieces--they look fabulous all mixed up together.

Jade said...

Hi im jade, in my last year of 6 form doing art textiles. i have to write an essay and compare artists. i found you on here and thought that i could really relate to your work on rusty boats and peeling paint also distressed planet earth in textiles. and more. I was wondering could you tell me "what attracted you to this area of work" and "do you look at other artists, if you do which ones and why" also "where do you come up with the ideas to create these textiles pieces"
if you can please get back to me soon. through an email
jadeholly@hotmail.co.uk
Thank you and very much appreciated
Jade

gunnelsvensson said...

Carolyn, I really love what you are doing !!!!!