The Study of Tone

I tried out 12 tonal columns (8x21cm) and particularly enjoyed using pen and ink the most.

Image 1 & 2 - Pen and ink lines:

     

Image 3 & 4 – White hole punches on black paper and an electoral newspaper cutting:

    

Images 5 & 6 – White paint layers built up firstly as smooth layers and secondly stamped and smudged; both on black paper, letting each layer dry between applications:

    

Images 7 & 8 – White paint stamped onto black paper using a ‘bubblewrap’ stamp and black marker pen on white paper:

    

Images 9 & 10 -  Handmade line stamp (from string wrapped evenly around a cassette tape case) firstly black paint on white paper and then white paint stamped on black paper.  In Image 10 some black lines were lastly stamped at the bottom:

    

Images 11 & 12: White oil pastel on black paper and charcoal pencil on white paper:

    

These are all mounted into my sketchbook and the last two have a protective layer of baking paper between the pages to stop them smearing all over the opposite page.

Module 2 – Introduction

So to begin with I started gathering images of animal markings and made a few word lists.  I decided for this module I’d try using a sketchbook for some things.  At the end of module 1 I ended up with a large bundle of papers and many samples etc and whilst that’s great I want to think ahead to almost after the course when I’ll be drawing on this work for inspiration.  Looking through the work I did towards the C&G level 2 (I did this a few years ago with the then Opus School of Textile Arts) I learnt that some things are good in a sketchbook, other things are not.  So when I’m not sure what to do with something it’s going to get pinned in.  That way I can whip it out again if I change my mind! 

When I was hunting out images from my existing stash I took a look at the image ‘sourcebook’ I produced for the Level 2 C&G.  I came across some interesting pages so I pulled them out (eek!) and entered them into my sketchbook as useful source pages.  I’ll add more images as I come across them.

Image 1 - Inside front cover of sketchbook with image and word list:

Image 2 – Page taken from C&G L2 ‘Sourcebook’ for images:

Image 3 – Page taken from C&G L2 ‘Sourcebook’ for images:

Image 4 – Page taken from C&G L2 ‘Sourcebook’ for images:

Image 5 – Page taken from C&G L2 ‘Sourcebook’ for images:

Image 6 – Page taken from C&G L2 ‘Sourcebook’ for images:

Image 7 – Page taken from C&G L2 ‘Sourcebook’ for images:

Image 8 – Page taken from C&G L2 ‘Sourcebook’ for images:

Image 9 – Image with word list:

Image 10 – Image with word list.  It’s not clear from this image but this iguana has some incredible textures and I’ll investigate them further for chapter 4:

Image 11 – Image with word list:

Image 12 – The patterns in the wings here are super:

Rebecca Crompton (1895–1947)

Rebecca Crompton (was Soar) was born on 7th August 1895 in Derby.  She studied drawing and design at Derby School of Art and became a teacher of ‘embroidery and women’s crafts’ and Northampton School of Art.  Rebecca went on to teach embroidery and dress design at Croydon School of Art and by 1930 had become an examiner for the Industrial Design examination in Embroidery and Women’s Crafts set by the Board of Education.  Rebecca was also an examiner in Embroidery for other institutions and was involved in the City and Guilds of London Institute.  She also lectured at the Royal College of Art. 

Above: Celebration.  Hand embroidery worked on linen in Russian drawn ground and laid work stitches.  Given to Derby Museums and Art Gallery in 1998.  Source: www.derby.gov.uk (click on image to open direct source)

In 1935 Rebecca retired from teaching to focus on her own work and published ‘Modern Design in Embroidery’ the following year.  A major exhibition of her work at the Batsford Gallery and the Derby Art Gallery accompanied the book.

Rebecca spent a lot of time with the Embroidery Department of the Singer sewing machine company between 1937 and 1939 and developed designs that were machine stitched by Dorothy Benson.  Here Rebecca learnt about the relatively unexplored machine embroidery.

Above: Adam and Eve.  Hand embroidery.  Acquired by Derby Museums and Art Gallery in 1971.  Source: www.derby.gov.uk (click on image to open direct source)

Rebecca was deeply affected by the Second World War (1939-1945) and sadly suffered a complete breakdown.  She died in August 1947.

Above: The Magic Garden.  Applique and hand embroidery.  Source: Embroidered Pictures by Dorothy Tucker (see references).

Rebecca has been credited with revolutionising the traditional craft of embroidery and taking it into the 20th century, using bright (often clashing) colours and patterns and using non-traditional fabrics (e.g gauze). 

References

Derby City Council: http://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/MuseumsGalleries/ArtTreasureRebeccaCromptonCollection.htm

Craft Council: http://collection.britishcouncil.org/collection/artist/5/18861

Tucker, D., 1994. Embroidered Pictures. London: A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd.

Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944)

Wassily Kandinsky was a painter and art therapist and painted the first abstract paintings.  He started his painting studies of life-drawing, sketching and anatomy at the age of 30.

Here are the studies in my contextual studies workbook:

I have tried to illustrate two areas of overlaying on Composition IX by using tissue paper (it didn’t work as well as I would have liked as I used wet glue).

Herta Puls (1915- )

The details for Herta in the Crafts Council Craft Directory are that she takes her inspiration from drawings of objects in nature and on travel.  Herta interprets using layered applique (mola work) and uses layered threads and embroidery, 100% cotton-poplin, thai-silk, handmade paper, embroidery threads, fabric paints and dyes. 

Herta is an expert on Kuna textiles and has travelled widely in the area, collecting samples of the embroidery on their molas.  The main study in my contextual studies workbook has been on molas.

References

Course Guide: Page 46

Craft Council: http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/craft-directory/makers/view/?guid=eef16eb2-fcdf-4c&maker_ref=11084&page=41&from_page=/craft-directory/makers/list/&sortby=name&sortdir=desc

Indigenous Art from Panama: www.panart.com

Museum of Anthropology – Mola microsite: http://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/minigalleries/panamamolas/intro.shtml

VADS (online resource for visual arts): www.vads.ac.uk

Module 1 – Evaluation of Completed Resolved Sample

Cost and Time

It’s very difficult to cost this resolved sample as much of the materials used were ‘recycled’ from my scrap boxes!  It’s tough to cost fabric that was free (people donate old clothes etc to me to cut up).  So I guess one way to look at it would be to think about how much things would cost from new.  So let’s assume I’ve used the equivalent of 4 fat quarters cut up, so that’s approximately £2 per fat quarter.  I used maybe a tenth of a piece of gold organza from a set of two organza curtains I bought from a charity shop for £3.99 (bargain or what!). An eighth of a reel of thread which was on offer at £1 for 4 reels (end of stock deal). Oh and I mustn’t forget that I broke a needle on my machine and needed to replace it so that’s 1 from a set of five value needles purchased for £1.50.

In Summary:

• Fabric: £8.00 + £0.20 = £8.20
• Thread: £0.03 (crikey!)
• Machine needle: £0.30
• TOTAL COST: £8.50

Date the work was started: 6th February 2011

Date the work was completed: 23rd April 2011

Date when embroidered piece was started:  7th February 2011

Date when embroidered piece was completed: 23rd April 2011

Total hours spent on design work: 7 hours

Total hours spent on stitched work: 18 hours

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Evaluation

Tutor Question: How do you feel about the resulting conclusion?

I have mixed feelings about my resolved sample.  I am pleased with the slashing and clean cutting lines showing the texture/contrast but I don’t feel like they run into each other particularly well.  Though if I ran the slashing too far up into the more cutwork areas it would be too much so left an area of ‘background’ untouched to provide some kind of contrast.  Looking at it now, though, the area untouched in the middle shows a shape that I didn’t notice before (see image below)!  That’s only revealed because it’s untouched so actually I quite like that.

Tutor Question: If you were asked to make it again, what changes would you make to the way you designed it and the way you made it?

If I did this task again I would probably put more thought into my plans before I picked up any fabric.  I had an ‘idea’ in my  head from the paper design work but I wasn’t 100% sure of what I was going to do.  As a result of this halfway through making the piece I came up with different ideas which I think I could have done instead.  I made the mistake of just having a bottom layer of blue and then lots of layers of yellow.  I think my original idea was to cut away to reveal the blue in various ways but now realise that perhaps I should have layered the blue/yellow throughout.  There were lots of layers of gold etc but you can’t really see that at all from what I’ve done.  Although the images don’t really do the piece justice if I’m honest.  If I did this again I would plan my layers more carefully.  And add green.  For some reason I feel this is crying out for some green!  I don’t know why, I just feel that way!  I would enlarge one section and just work with that too.  I love slashing so maybe I would just come up with a design that involved the piece going from mega-slashed (as in the bottom left of my existing piece) and then gradually getting less slashed so the shapes become more and more visible with no other technique.  Having said that I have ideas about having layers of drawn thread work which is entirely different altogether!  The ultimate thing I have learnt here, though, is that whilst it’s lovely to have ideas evolve in front of your eyes, I need to plan much better! 

Module 1 – Health and Safety Notes

Tools

Sharp Tools (scissors, blades, pokey-tools, rotary cutter, stitch-unpick etc):

• Use sharp tools with full focus to reduce the opportunity for accidents
• Make sure tools are as sharp as they should be – using a blunt blade, for example, means applying more pressure etc and overzealous action can be dangerous
• Stating the obvious – keep fingers (and other items of the body!) away from the sharp edges
• When using a poking tool make sure pressure is applied away from the body to avoid being accidentally stabbed
• Use a cutting mat, or similar protective surface, to avoid damage to furniture and ensure cutting takes place on a firm flat surface

Hot tools:

• When ironing use a suitable surface underneath.  I use an ironing board with a cover that is only used for creative purposes as it’s covered in dye, wonderweb and so forth.  I wouldn’t want any of that on my clothes!
• Take care when using a soldering iron for slashing/burning – use on a protective surface and place the iron carefully when not in use so that it doesn’t roll onto the floor and, say, melt your carpet
• Visually inspect the wires on electrical items for damage, starting from where the wire enters the equipment and working right through to the plug.  Inspect the plug also.
• Visually inspect the socket that the item is being plugged into for damage – do not attempt to fix any electrical sockets/items unless you are properly qualified to do so
• Ensure there are no trailing wires when using electrical equipment to avoid trip hazards
• Use the right temperature for the fabric to prevent singeing or a possible fire event
• When burning fabric deliberately do so in a well ventilated area and avoid breathing in the smoke – especially when using manmade fibres.

Mediums

When using paints/inks:

• Ensure that surfaces are protected (I used a lot of scrap paper on a dedicated desk that I don’t mind getting covered in paint splatters)
• If using your hands to directly apply the point make sure that non-toxic paint is used
• Wash hands thoroughly after use
• Protect clothing from accidental stains (I have an old top that I use for this)
• Take care to keep mediums away from pets (I do not have any pets) – they could be poisonous or the animal could just cause spillage chaos!
• When using paints with a fume, including spray paints, do so in a well ventilated area – lots of windows open or outside is preferable.  Use a face mask when necessary

Glue

• As with other mediums protect your surfaces
• Check the instructions on the glue and follow implicitly
• Only use a glue if it’s suitable for the purpose – test a small sample if necessary to avoid any major gluing disaster
• When using adhesive with a fume ensure the area is well ventilated – use a face mask where necessary
• Keep all glues away from the mouth, nose, ears and especially the eyes

 Sewing

• Do not put pins or needles in the mouth.  My late grandmother once swallowed a pin and had to go to hospital so it does happen!
• Use the right needle for the job to make things easier
• Use a thimble if necessary (although I, personally, cannot get on with thimbles) and when pushing a needle through a thick layer using force do this over a surface so you don’t stab yourself in the leg
• When using a sewing machine it may be an idea to tie long hair back to avoid it getting caught in moving parts of the machine
• It can be useful to have a magnet handy in the case of dropped pins and needles – depending on the metal the magnet can sometimes pick these up quickly and easily

Storage

• Keep all items stored safely away from children and pets.  I have neither so I don’t have to worry about that!
• When storing paints etc ensure that the surface they are housed on is flat and level so that nothing falls on the floor and spills
• Store lose sequins, beads and buttons in pots/jars to avoid any accidental spillage (and choking hazards if you have children or pets)

Resolved Design

I started my resolved piece by making a base piece of blue fabric scraps stitched together.

Image 1 – Blue base

Then I layered up yellow fabric scraps holding them down with pins (the fabric is on a piece of corrugated cardboard so that I could stab the pins into it) .

Image 2:

Image 3:

After putting down a few layers of yellow scraps I then placed six 8x8cm squares of fabric on top…

Image 4:

…and then covered the entire piece with gold organza and tacked it all into place.

Image 5:

I traced my chosen pattern onto tissue paper, tacked this onto the piece and stitched with my sewing machine (small running stitch).

Image 6:

After all the lines were stitched I carefully removed the tissue paper.

Image 7:

With all the preparation done I started slashing! 

And then stopped. 

I decided halfway through that I didn’t like what I was doing.  I left it a while and returned to it today in a far better mood about it!  So I carried on slashing!

Image 8 – The resolved piece:

Image 9 – The bottom left part of the piece which is very textured and the shapes are difficult to see clearly:

Image 10 – The top right corner where the layers are cut away to show clear distinction in shape: