Leighton work – Page 3

in progress, Indigo Dreams, Leighton work

revision, revision

Posted on April 3, 2016April 3, 2016 by arlee

Well, first i cut the bottom half off. The borgles are wonderful, but are doing nothing for this one as i had intended. That’s okay because it can be pressed into service in other work. You have to know when to “cut your losses” 😉

The moon is progressing. I shall have to pull out that bungled running stitch on top of the outer ring, looking more petal than sky.

I’m getting “blue-ed out” as well, and need to turn my attention to something else to pace myself and keep the flow going. Interrupting myself is one of the ways i actually continue.

My computer and keyboard are having issues, so that’s enough today…………………………………….

ice dyeing, Leighton work

she grows slowly

Posted on March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 by arlee

Back to the serious stitching. Some photos due today for the exhibit promotions!

Third batch of ice dyeing was mostly BLECH, so disappointing that my camera ran away after taking a shot of the one piece i like. Lesson learned: the fabric i used for the first batch was the best.

Contextural Fibre Arts Co-operative, Indigo Dreams, Leighton work

one down/done……

Posted on March 31, 2016April 3, 2016 by arlee

Too many pots on the hob for the moment, i have to start concentrating again on the Leighton exhibit work!

7×7″ this one, to be mounted on a small canvas. Indigo, potassium permanganate on cotton, rhubarb root and indigo threads.

Leighton work

when a screenshot tells you something :)

Posted on March 27, 2016March 28, 2016 by arlee

Of course, it would be impossible for her *not* to “go” with the moon, as she’s done from the same fabrics and threads, but it’s still nice to see the play that will occur in two separate pieces!

I must remember too that to harmonize her into the background nearing the end of this piece of the project, i have to leave the bottom a bit more open and not turn the edge.

in progress, Indigo Dreams, Leighton work

mother of moon

Posted on March 26, 2016March 26, 2016 by arlee

I was going to do just the indigo blue “crackle” stitching on this lovely figure, but decided that since she is a mother archetype for me, that the roots could strengthen the story. The moon will reflect on her, and she on the moon, and the mountains and river will enter the story easily as well.

This indigo dyed grevillea ecoprint could be one of my favourite fabrics now. Did i subconsciously choose the perfect layout for the roots across her? They twine across her body, cross over her breasts, even mirror her face. Only my subconscious knows.

Creative Strength Training with Jane Dunnewold, journal: lessons to learn, Leighton work

16 car pile-up, more mumbling and grumbling

Posted on March 23, 2016March 23, 2016 by arlee

My Leighton exhibit work is turning into a 16 car pile-up on my worktable. There may even be blood under the wreckage, because there sure are tears and sweat….. It’s not that this piece is the be-all and end-all for my work, it is however a part of the process i haven’t gone through before.

Yesterday morning the above was my own arrogant assumption that everything belonged together, albeit with some judicious spacing.

BAh. Poop. Damn. Poop.

The small piece on top is planned and is going to be just a small piece, slated for the Centre’s gallery shop. The other three Things have started fighting and yelling at each other, resulting in distracted driving and the afore-mentioned 16 car pile-up. I’m trying too hard to marry these elements: as much as they reflect each other, i think they are now going to have to stand on their own.

Because, who said it has to be ONE piece? There’s no set requirement for this exhibit that says i have to show only one work–so do a diptych, a triptych, hell, an 11tybilliontych if that’s what it takes. We do logistically have a bit of space restriction, but three pieces is not going to take much more space than the one i had started envisioning. I said to myself yesterday that this one was evolving–so let each one evolve on its own!

Practical considerations: i have enough of the indigo dyed silk to work the figure, but do i have enough of the rhubarb root dyed silk and cotton threads to finish all the accent stitching on 3 pieces? (Did inventory–probably have JUST enough.) What fabric do i have to set the figure on for background since she will now be standing alone? (Damn, nuttin’.) Do i need to revive the indigo vat? (Obviously.) How can i present the narrow river and roots strip? (Scroll?) (Answer the question, damn it.) Have i added more time to the project by splitting it like this? (Not at this point, as i still have slightly over 4 months before set up.)

Wandering off now, bruised and bleeding, but not completely battered.

Deliberation--do something you don't do--or haven't in awhile, Leighton work

figure painting

Posted on March 22, 2016March 22, 2016 by arlee

Yup. Yup. Yup.

Now she works with the moon, and the moonlight is on her. Stitching commences this evening after the Day Job.

a collusion of ideas, in progress, Leighton work

mumbling

Posted on March 21, 2016March 21, 2016 by arlee

I’ve wanted to start something else while i work on the Leighton Art Centre exhibit piece, as i have enough time before the deadline to implement other ideas for separate work. This one has sat in my sketchbook since 2012 0r 2013 (?), and i’ve been wanting to do something with it for a long time obviously.

And since i tend to alternate “natural” with COLOUR when i make things, first i wanted to do this :

(And i will, because that is lovely. Maybe even two of the figures as shown, on that parfait dyed cotton i did a couple of years ago.)

BUT, then i realized this might work with the Leighton thing too.

OO, if i flip the fabric, she has an eye!

Thread choice because it’s springy:

NOPE. Too dark, wrong flavour, thread choice wouldn’t work either.

Hey, there’s still some of the moon fabric left, and the indigo dyed silk thread as well!

Muchly better-er.

I think she needs a bit of enhancement as well, but not sure if i’ll add the safrrony-yellow-orange— or maybe a violet for shading.

And maybe i can add the long roots piece back as well, IF i space things out a bit more, so they don’t look so crowded.

I might do this one as well. Perhaps there could be a series of these, in different moods and treatments.

embrilting, Leighton work, Shows/Publications

small pleasures

Posted on March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 by arlee

I’ve started small pieces for the Leighton Art Centre’s Gallery shop as i think about the changes needed in the exhibit piece.

These are manageable in terms of time–a full day of concentration to execute. Seven inches square when they are mounted on their canvases, i have lots of ideas due to the size and time frame.

And what a lovely little surprise this was:

I picked up a copy of the Alberta Craft Council’s “Alberta Craft” magazine and was pleased to see a detail of “A Birth of Silence” used in the article about the X3 Exhibit.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve noticed that since i moved here from the old space, my stats are WAY WAY WAY down, abysmally so………….. This is disheartening in one respect, but then, i mostly talk to myself anyways, so wth, i’m just going to keep going. FaceBook i think has taken over for most people, though i still love a good blog.

Contextural Fibre Arts Co-operative, Leighton work

Second Leighton visit, memory and perception

Posted on March 13, 2016March 13, 2016 by arlee

Contextural’s participating artists in the Leighton exhibit decided to go out again to the Art Centre on the 12th of March, and view the space we’ll be using, and the actual textile pieces we are relating to. I of course took my pieces to see how i was doing. Again, not meaning to copy or emulate, i wanted to see if i’m on the right track.

Firstly i admit to a big embarrassing mistake. The piece that has inspired me is NOT by Barbara Leighton, but by Marian Nicoll!!!!!!!!!!!!! Her work was much more graphic, geometrical and large scale than Leighton’s and i would guess then, that’s why i was attracted. I “saw” areas that could be interpreted into stitch!

Second mistake, though not really a “mistake” was going from secondary source material without taking into consideration things like the time of day the photo was taken and the light behind it.This is the original photograph of the work:

Ah, perception and memory! I “remembered” it as a lot of blue, dark areas and the whole much smaller. Here are the photos taken yesterday:

More browns, the yellow and some very light areas than i had perceived from the original photo.

(Sorry about the angle on the second one, we didn’t have enough room to hang it and get a straight on shot.)

I thought the moon was twice the size of the one i have done–it’s actually huge!!!

My work looks so small now and insignificant in comparison. However, it is on the right track, so i may be rethinking a few considerations of size and colour. There’s always dye that can be added and areas that can be cut away and patched into 🙂 I do NOT want to copy, as literal and physical interpretation is not the point, but the mission has been somewhat sidetracked by my own reading of the photo from last year. (It was taken by someone else and emailed to me, so i can’t say my camera settings were wrong.)

IF i wanted to, i could also start from the beginning again. The actual exhibit is not until the beginning of August, which technically allows time for a complete revamp of the mission personally. That’s not to say this couldn’t still be part of my contribution. We have been encouraged also to add to the gallery’s shop, and this possibly might work for that end.

This post is mostly babble for my own benefit, by the way. The Big Girl Panties are on and decisions have to be made.