Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, better than any sun kissed steely buttocks 🙂
This weekend will see it attached to the “borgled” rust circled area on the background.
Taking a it too long to get things done, not because of any intricacy, but because life keeps intruding!
This morning i realized i had better look at the big picture with the Leighton work, and really SEE what was going on. As i’ve mentioned before, when you do intensive hand work, you get rather myopic and can’t see the forest for the trees (or the other way around, i can never remember which as both make sense…).
The first thing i did on the background though was anchor the spot where the segmented moon will go. I don’t usually do this step before i “borgle”, but i need that (almost) perfect circle to be stable enough to get the boning in and to hold steady the moon itself.
Then i tried a couple of layouts with some blocking:
Nope. Too squared off, though those solid blocks of indigo below the moon won’t actually be rectangles.
Better, but now as much as i love that river strip, it doesn’t “work” within the context. I decided it will be a piece unto itself, as narrow as it is. I’ll back and stabilize it, probably have to weight the bottom too, to make it hang “straight”.
Mmm, yes, better without the river strip, BUT now how do i deal with all that space down the side? For this one, i don’t have the usual option of “filler” in the form of personal iconography (bees, honeycombs, roses, body parts). Do i run another strip down the side of some other stitched enhancements?
Well then, TRIM IT. It’s not essential that it stay the background size i started with.
This was the first plan, not something i was entirely happy with, but it was a start.
And what i realized i really wanted to do:
Completely different from what i originally was going to do, but this one feels right. We are after all, supposed to be “inspired” by, not copy or emulate precisely. More borgles, a vertical orientation (for whatever reason i am more comfortable with this than horizontal–i wonder if there are any studies on the reasons people prefer one over the other???), more of the dimensional fabric manipulation and definitely more personal. Those colour blocks of indigo will actually be behind some cut out areas again.
I can breathe again, now that i am on the right track. A long calendar lead is helping this time—i realized that i just can’t make things to fit within the parameters of some exhibits, whether it’s the size, the subject matter, the technique or the colour (fffff!), but this time i’m flowing and floating with it, and perhaps that’s because it’s a subject/feeling i can empathize with.
Why did i title this one that? Because prurience makes for good blog hit numbers, as evidenced in my stats in the previous post……..Seriously, will you read this ONLY because it mentions nudity?
To the 28th of Feb, the blue moon for the Leighton inspired work looked like this:
I also decided i like this orientation better, on the vertical, rather than the horizontal. (Actually the original inspiration is also vertical.) I was also fortunate that the thread i had dyed at the same time as Christine’s hand spun, is almost identical in appearance and weight– even i can barely tell where one ends and the other begins.
As of March 1st, it looks like this. The final stitching in the last arc will be done this evening, and then onto the background. And i have to say that sometimes until i see a photo like this, with all the attendant texture and shadow, i wonder why i am doing things all by hand and so slowly. Well, obviously THIS is why.
I’m quite pleased at how the areas of grevillea ecoprint are accented, but not overwhelmed by the embroidery. And i love that almost granular texture, and am thinking of how that could be strengthened even more, used in other depictions, and wonder how it would be in a contrasting colour. This result is also why i never use a hoop! I feel the fabric is tortured and forced to remain still, unbreathing and static, a condition i cannot see or feel is truly loved. Do we not use fabric precisely because it is alive and soft?
I’m also thinking it might be an interesting experiment to try different weights or weaves of fabric this way—-the stitches may sit higher, or sink the cloth deeper. Scale could be thrown in there as well–how well would this work for large pieces?
And the(yellow/orange) colour added to the indigo overdyed ecoprint–i used to “paint” fabrics to use: why am i not doing more of this? Who cares that one is “Natural”, one “Synthetic”? Would you know if i didn’t tell you? While i doubt i will ever lose my love for the natural processes of rust, ecoprint and natural dye, small doses of colour i can’t do “naturally” (for whatever reason, from cost of material to expertise to conditional recipe), there’s no law that says i can’t mix. I AM a purist about natural dyes–the science behind it IS important to me—but no other art medium is so fraught with “you must not use synthetic/commercial with the natural—it commodifies, bastardizes, cheapens–” and the myriad other Rules set by close minded individuals.
The Dye Police can go to hell. Follow your own rules. I’ll make my own, because in the end, the “average” audience doesn’t give a flying you know what at the moon, what the medium was, as long as they like the whole. And i never understood that “recipe” thing we have to do when we describe our textile work : “hand embroidered with gnat hair, naturally dyed with snipe leaves on organically grown banana skin silk and bathed in a seaside stream, while chanting/channelling Rumi.” On one leg in six feet of snow, uphill facing.
AHEM. There i go again, “defending” myself. But no, i’m not actually: we all have parameters we work within, and these are mine, trying to stretch and fly. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I’m in week seven of the Jane Dunnewold Creative Strength Training class, and have much to think about. Jane’s gentle but insistent style of guidance is the impetus i needed to really look and think about what i do, and why, and how.
Usually i am the student who rushes through things because i know it all already :), but i find now that i am taking time to do the writing, the analyzing (not that angsty kind i’m semi-famous for, though i’m pretty sure that will still come into play once in awhile, truthfully……….) and the internal debate without harsh self criticism. This is not to say intuition doesn’t still come into play: there is no way anyone worth their salt who spends time with cloth seriously, can tell me that Step A must lead to Step B must follow Step A, rinse and repeat. Nope, nuh uh, ain’t gonna work. This isn’t about “giving oneself Permission” either—who died and made Permission the Queen of the Universe? I/we do what i/we do because i/we must–there’s no allowance paid, or diploma handed out for toeing the line—- because Permission is Concession. Either do it or don’t.
On a side note, the body painters almost completely changed their designs. I’m not doing more damned sketches for it: my time is valuable too, and again within defined parameters of the changes, you’ll get what you get. This ain’t no damn game.
As a florist/floral designer of 38 years experience, i have often had to meet challenges large and small. Most are mundane, involving logistics of time and budget, and some are more educational in teaching someone the realities of floral procurement and care, but this current one is something that really got my juices flowing! A truly creative endeavour, i don’t have to worry if it has to match someone’s decor, fits in a Bridezilla’s vision of the Perfect Wedding with 5 foot floral swans on a budget of $700.00, or any elder’s expectation that i should be able to just go out in the garden in January in Alberta and pick 14 supreme specimens of pink with lime edges roses (and do an arrangement for $25 with them).
The ffFlower Mine(s) is participating in a group business promotional day mid March, with photographers, videographers, body painters, body painted models and obviously us, the floral designers.
For the record, where i work is not called the fffFlower Mines: it’s just always been a descriptor of my day job—“dainty, clean, easy and stress free, giggle, giggle, teehee” it ain’t, as any floral designer will tell you if they are honest. It is however a creative job involving a lot more than merely throwing a bunch of flowers in a vase, with line, colour, shape, texture, spatial characteristics, mood, time, art and science all coming into play. I am always reminded of a scene in “Little Shop of Horrors”, Audrey tossing some white callas in a vase and sprinkling them with black glitter, for a funeral “arrangement”—GAH. Let’s not go any further!
As with any industry, the jargon changes, especially now with the “Millennials”, the “cool people” and social media. We don’t make corsages, wristlets, hair bands anymore: we make “Floral Body Jewellry”. So, in accordance with what 2 of the body painters are doing, i had to come up with 2 different styles/renditions of flowers that their particular models could wear. Since the flowers cannot be done AT the time, they have to be pre-made–as are MOST flower works. I worked up some sketches, submitted them for the final “approval”–hell, you’ll get what you get, within the parameters, because i’m the Artiste and this is my part of the Gig :)–and then had to think of the logistics in creating them. Firstly, flower knowledge aside, they have to FIT and stay on a naked body.
The first is an Alice in Wonderland theme, the Disney movie feel, not the classic or the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp versions. (Although it’s a pretty sexy version here!)
As i ran through the check list of what is needed for this one, i realized it would be just as easy to make those cards. More cool-ness 🙂 I also have to fashion the “fascinator” from some black tulle to attach two colours of rose to –i’ll be using Freedoms which are a deep red, and either Baccara or Black Magic which are a deep red with a black tinge to them. THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS AS BLACK ROSES! Forgot to add to the sketch that there will be some Pieris blooms as well.
The second is Asian themed.
This one will be pale pink and pale green Dendrobium orchids, Equisetum and Pieris blooms.
When i was speaking to the body painters, we had to take into consideration the hair styles of the models as well. The first above would be easy to fit to whatever the stylist did, the second had me thinking that if we were using the hackneyed chopsticks through the hair bun (sorry, i know they aren’t actually chopsticks, and yes it’s a pretty look if done authentically, but it is a bit of a cliche you must admit….), we might as well go a bit structural, hence the horsetail (Equisetum, a dyer’s fave 🙂 ). It also gives the flavour of bamboo.
How am i to create these a day ahead without an actual body and knowing the size of various body bits? Press Madame LaToussa into service:
No doubt, this will be quite a conversation starter on a morning train, as i take her upper half and one arm to work to be my fitting model! Madame LaToussa has had a long and interesting life–from the 70’s, she was the “natural coloured” model in a flower shop window for many years for wedding work, and when the shop downsized in the early 90’s, they offered her to me. (To that point, she was snarkily referred to as “The Bitch”, as she was a pain to take apart, dress, put back together and move. Greyman named her when we met, a brain fart of some sort due to the aphasia he was suffering at the time, after a serious head injury. He still doesn’t know what he actually meant, but the moniker stuck.). A coat of black paint that has started chipping off now, due to her travels to Bowen Island BC, the Sunshine Coast BC, Edmonton AB, back to BC, and finally to Calgary! On her maiden voyage to my home, she was laid down in the back of a pick up truck, and we were stopped on the Upper Levels Highway in West Vancouver by the local constabulary who wanted to fine us and the “unsafe rider” in the back–he was even less amused when he realized the passenger was a mannequin.
The flowers have been ordered from the wholesaler, and on the 11th, i’ll be making the actual “Floral Body Jewellry”. Stay tuned.
See that beautifully spun silk thread on the left? That was literally hand made by my friend Christine in BC! (The dime and spool of machine thread are for size reference.) Fine, fine work! I dyed it with some indigo in small dips to create some colour variation, and that’s what i’ve used to date on the blue moon. Alas, i ran out last night and will have to switch to another thread that is fortunately very similar.
Changed my mind about using the sewing machine weight Aurifil for hand stitch when i dropped this hand dyed silk thread near the piece—it’s got a slight variegation going on and being a perle type adds more dimension and glisten. It’s slightly thicker than the original stitch plan, but not enough to lose the details.
I’m still surprised and pleased when stitch is added to a fabric, making it come alive.
Though i have pulled old work to finish and am excited about that, i am still working on new work to keep the juices flowing, and prevent the stagnation that occurs for me when i work only on one work!
The upcoming Leighton Art Centre exhibition is the “big piece” this year (so far). I got a bit bogged down with it and decided to forgo the “companion piece” (“Body of Water”). The figure has a bit of work on her which i am letting puzzle for awhile, but i decided the background she was on is perfect for the actual exhibit piece. (I can always make more blue fabric for her.)
This is the original inspiration:
I have gone many ways since seeing it last year, with copious notes, sketches and samplings.Riffing off your own work is hard enough, but to use someone else’s deliberately WITHOUT COPYING, is even more problematic. One does not wish to copy, emulate or reproduce, one wishes to “respond”. Blech. In the final analysis, it was the sketch of the parts that fired the stove:
I’m therefore pretending that the bare bones shapes are mine. How would i translate them into cloth and technique?
That blue background already has a vague moon shape in the form of a rusted ring. Play off that then.
I made fabrics deliberately for this work, drag ’em out.
The grevillea ecoprint perfectly reflects the batik cracks in the original Leighton cloth.
Looks a little dry though:
I used to paint, paint with paint, paint with dye. So paint with some dye:
Now it’s juicy. Picks up the colour again of the original.
I then got hung up on what stitch to use, what colour the stitching should be, where should i put the stitch………
Well, duh. Blue, on the blue sections, and teeny crackle effect as i did on “All Water Under the Bridge” in 2014:
For reference sake, those stitches are probably 30-40 per square inch. Using a 20wt cotton was more than myopic but the effect is fantastic.
Onwards and upwards. On March 12th, the participating artists are going out to the Centre again to again review the originals. Think i’ll take this moon piece with me, there’ll be some stitch done on it by then–not going to let the original scare me, just want to see how approximate my take is without being too much of an approximation!
I never finished this piece:
From 2010, it never seemed to say anything beyond TEXTURE! COLOUR! 🙂 I see no story in it, so never went further.
This however……
I have used those “cell wings” on other work as well. (Detail above is from “Padded Cell: Boro’d Time” 2011) They showed up on my SDA “Materialities” exhibit piece “How the Light Bends” 2015 as well:
What if i adapted these again and used them on that red piece? I’m thinking of strong(er) colours —– and may take the scissors to the piece before or after adding them. I want this heretofore untitled piece to have something to say.
I also have been working on Body of Water–and progressing not all….i’m not happy with it yet, even as a companion piece. Have been diddling around in the stoodio with dumb ideas and the gelling is taking its time…..BUT the actual piece for the Leighton exhibit is almost solidifed in my head–which means i best get to it SOON. Like NOW!
THIS is why i love hand embroidery. You are just not going to get that texture with a machine.
You can sort of see in the above photo that the “moon” is not really flat. Another bonus of my hand embroidery is that because i use no hoop, some areas will become more relief than others. While some may find this difficult to control and end up with bunchies, pulled in areas and uneven edges, i’ve done it so many times, that i know when the tension of my needle and thread has to be sparing.
The way the fabric moves on its own is another part of the joy.
And now i am looking at this piece from 2012, never finished. It’s quite crunchy as it is, due to the heavier silk and the netting over some areas, but i’m thinking i’d like to do something with it now too.
Done.
Not that happy with either photo–i need mid afternoon light to do it justice–that’s when the true colours and texture are best! Will probably repost then.
So. What did i learn? Colour didn’t kill me. Even though the last few years have alternated between colour pieces and naturals, the colours were usually monochromatic (with the exception of “All the Gardens Dreaming”) . I can use what i have and not have to buy more–not that i have deliberately bought any fabrics other than white in a long long long time. I can work a background, then turn it into something without a lot of pre-planning. Hand embroidery CAN be cut up. Scale can become an inspiration or an issue–i’d be happier to see these figures *much* larger–and in neutrals 🙂
Though i am not as pleased as usual when i’ve finished something, i’m still quite happy with it, as an exercise and as a finished piece. I have no emotional attachment to this one, and THAT is what means to me that something is meaningful art. I’m sure however, that i could do something this way, in colour or not, that would be psychically linked. And i think *i* stretched a bit with this as well: colour, “story/subject”, time line. (15 days from initial idea and layout to completion.)
I have a lot of ideas in the sketch/notebook about how and where i can do this type of work in my more “serious” work. It definitely WAS a break for my brain though, not worrying about concept, what fit with what design wise, and no size or theme limitations.
Along with Jane Dunnewold’s current class, i have been reading other “thinking” blogs. I may not agree with all said there but this particularly bitey fangy post made me laugh and nod my head.
And now it’s time to get back to the other stuff: Leighton plans, translations of current lessons learned, and yes, still more “Screwing Around, With Intent”.
albedo too 
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