Light and Shadow - Indigo Hill Arches

Indigo Hill Arches

48 x 36 cm

Two black and white images  of  'Hill Arches' sculpture by Henry Moore combined in  Photoshop, printed on hand dyed indigo cotton and silk treated with 'BubbleJet Set'.  Machine quilted with variagated threads, hand stitched with 'House of Embroidery' cotton perle thread .  

There's nothing like a deadline to concentrate the mind! When the theme of 'Light and Shadow' was set  I had lots of grandious ideas of looking at some pewter vases from multiple viewpoints and on  large scale. Then with reveal date looming and nothing started I remembered a  top I'd put together for a demonstration on inkjet printing using 'poster printing' function to split an image over 4 A4 sheets.The Henry Moore sculpture that so inspired me was part of an exhibition at Kew Gardens in 2007. I loved having access to these sculptures for so many months, able to view them in different lights and viewpoints and  I made several journal quilts exploring ways of  intepreting  a 3D piece in 2D textiles. This piece expands on those ideas.

After I'd machine quilted it, it was looking rather drab and uninteresting so I decided to stitch more into by hand. I haven't done much hand stitching in a while and I'd forgotten how addictive it is , sewing away watching BBC4. Still a bit dull ( and perhaps I got carried away with the stitching....) but hugely enjoyable and it's got me thinking again about indigo.

This challenge has been such  a great motivator. Thanks very much to Annabel and Marion for setting up and running it. Looking forward to seeing what everybody else has come up with (and the next challenge!)

Mags

Admin

Firstly, a reminder that this first challenge ends on the 23rd September; if you haven't already finished ( or started...), now would be a good time!


I suspect that the whole 'lets have a group on facebook to keep the boring admin posts away from the interesting art posts' is not working, basically because not everyone in the group is on Facebook. That means that I'm going to end up posting everything twice, once on FB, once here, which defeats the object of the exercise and gives me extra work, which seems a tad silly. The only way I can think of other than FB to keep the boring admin away from here is to start a yahoo group of some kind. I know that not everyone in the world likes yahoogroups , just as not everyone likes FB...but it is the only other option I can see. I would be grateful if you would let me know your preference, either a group or just sticking to the blog for everything.

Meanwhile, I'm collecting ideas for the months to come, intending to draw them from a hat, and record them on the Challenges page...it gives us a bit of extra thinking time on the later challenges. I'd like the ideas by Friday, but if for one reason or another you can't come up with anything by then, I could then add them as they come in. Hopefully, everyone will be happy with this; if not, let me know.

I'm Working On It...

...honest I am. I thought I would show you the revised photograph, here, and make you wait a bit longer to see the stitching, which I started today. I decided that the first version of the photograph I selected was just too dark, and decided to go with the one above, instead. I'm also showing you the original image, or at least, one of them, taken by my friend, Haydn. It's difficult to lay your hands on pictures of people who aren't smiling, or at least looking reasonably happy. Photographs are taken on happy occasions, to freeze a memory. Depression isn't the kind of thing people want to commemorate,or even dwell on too much. Hence, no miserable pictures. So I asked Haydn to take a series of miserable pictures. I was mildly alarmed by just how easy it was to drop into depression, or at least into depressed mode, if you like. I tensed up, hunched my shoulders, dropped my head, tried not to look up...and there I was. A clear lesson, if I needed it, and a reminder of the strong connection between the body and the mind.

As you can see, I cropped the image, and then added a couple of additional layers. One of the layers is a manipulated shot of moss; a rolling stone gathers no moss, but a depressed person slows down so much that moss is a distinct possibility. There is also a layer depicting a crack in a pavement, which seemed appropriate... depression often feels as if I am breaking.

This is the first in a series called 'Inside, Out', which I have been circling for some time now. Sitting down to stitch, today, I realised just how difficult it was to work on an image of oneself, particularly one which is attempting to depict depression. Obvious, huh? Well, yes, but the truly interesting thing was that once I'd started to work on it, and made the key decisions, I relaxed into it, and the image became exactly that...just another image to explore. I'm glad I started. I'm not entirely sure that I have finished, but there's time before the end of the challenge. Watch this space!

Getting In On Time

I am very relieved top say that I managed to finish my first challenge on time. The day before leaving on my trip actually. Here are some pics of my progress. I did have a hard time selecting the thread, especially for the yellow shade. I felt that the yellow was too bright, but didn’t want it too subtle. Happily, I chose the right shade and it turned out the way I wanted.

I am really looking forward to seeing everyone else’s interpretation of this theme shortly!

3rd time lucky

I'd had an idea about balls bouncing about with their shadows giving them their position within a 3d piece. After tearing up a few pieces of paper, I'm ashamed to say I gave up. What has happened to my tech drawing skills, I thought they were with me forever....

First I applied the shadows on, and then I added the foreground

 It's still not stitched down but I am pleased with the effect of this very simple piece. So tomorrow I might get round to quilting.....

Change of Plan

Forget the pewter pots, I'm inspired by something larger!! In 2007 we had an exhibition of Henry Moore sculptures at Kew Gardens (where I work) which influenced many of my Journal Quilts that year. Yesterday I found a couple of tops I'd printed with Photoshop manipulations using Poster Printing onto indigo. No time to completely handstitch as I did the one above but  maybe a combination of machine and hand quilting?

Progress...

The flu is no respector of schedules, so I have stalled a bit these last 10 days.

Finally I am starting to feel better and have been interested in everyone's ideas here. I don't do Facebook, so that isn't really relevant to me. But - I can say that my piece is A3 sized. This is a good size for me. It might end up being a little bit more or less when finished, but that's where it is.

As for the next piece, I do like the idea of having a set size for myself...but can understand those of you who don't want limitations. I am still very keen on the idea of exhibiting. Or if we decide to sell as we go along, documenting each challenge in a gallery we can distribute / blog / etc via links (like Smug) might be a good idea to keep track of everything?

I can't wait to see all the Sunshine & Shadows lined up at the end of this month...

Light and Shadow 3 - A couple of photos

 I'm working on this challenge very hard...but in my mind!  I've yet to actually sew the piece but deserve and award for brainly devotion!

Just thought I'd  share these 2 photos - one more obvious to the challenge than the other. I love the texture in the stones. Both photos were taken at Kenilworth Castle.

Also I wanted to let you know, that Marion made a wonderful offer to help with the blog, and, being a little busy at the moment, I've gratefully accepted. She is now our new administrator. Thank you Marion and good luck; I'm sure it'll be fabulous!

Just a spot of admin (2)

Please read Marion's posting below.

Is there any interest in doing this in another format besides a blog? I've started a group page on Facebook so you can see what you think.(click here)

If you hadn't thought about size and format yet, could you let me know your thoughts. It seems to come down to whether or not you want to exhibit, in which case a prescribed size is easier to manage, but you may prefer to just do your own thing. (posting on 11th August refers)

quick question...or two...

Was wondering how we were all doing... (or even if we were all doing )...

I also wondered whether we have reached any kind of a view about the size of each piece, or are we leaving that open? I'm intending to make my first piece at A4 size, content that I can make another version larger...

Am I alone in finding the blog format difficult in terms of the administration of this project? It's not designed for conversation; perhaps we might supplement it with a Facebook group to talk this kind of thing over?

ps the image is another in the series 'Inside Out'; probably irrelevent in this context, but interesting, nonetheless.

'Dream'

Here is my first idea for 'Dream'  well, actually my first idea was just to stitch onto  the photo printed onto Lutrador, but then I also printed onto Evelon and decided to combine the two.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them both until yesterday when suddenly the idea sprung into my head to cut up the Lutrador, so everything else got thrown to one side until I had done it.  And this is the result - no stitching yet, but soon...

This is my second idea.  This is fused dupion silk.  I posterized the photo and cut out the shapes in the varying shades.  This is waiting to be stitched too...

Sunshine and Shadow

I already have a quilt called Sunshine & Shadow, which was made around a light and shadow design, so this quilt has been on my mind a lot - whenever I talk or think about the challenge.

It's just about September already and the year is really turning out to be busier than I could have imagined, so I have had to just launch in. Actually I reviving previous thouhgts about shade and light. My challenge work (untitled at this stage) is started, I am also working from a photo for this challenge (which I have just misplaced yesterday...)

I especially liked the idea Annabel raised when she was discussing the challenge theme, concerning shadow being a degree of absence rather than a void.

 I am absolutely

 going to finish this challenge

on time

Apologies...

I must apologise for not being an active member of the group so far!  I do have my idea ready and I've even started the first stages of putting it together, but I'm afraid life overtook me for a short while!

First it was the FoQ which dragged my attention away and then as soon as I got home I was asked by my manager at work to make a child's quilt for her newborn twin nephews - she needed it for today, giving me 10 days to design and make it!  Luckily I have a huge stash of fabrics to choose from so I didn't have to order any and I designed it on EQ7.  At the end of last week she asked me if I would make a smaller quilt for her niece too, so she wouldn't feel left out - so that was more pressure!  I've been sewing up to 10pm all week so far to get them finished (as well as doing my day job!) and today I presented them to her...thank goodness she liked them!!

So there you are - that's my excuse!  Now I have to work out why my machine's automatic needle threader suddenly decided to give up the ghost - my poor old eyes are struggling!  But I shall spend a couple of quiet evenings now preparing the dupion silk I have planned to make my challenge piece.  It's based on the sculpture 'Dream'...  http://www.dreamsthelens.com/ - and here's the photo I'll be working from...

It will only be quite simple as we go away on holiday on 18th September...so I'd better get cracking!!

Angela

Annabel-posting 2. Light and Shadow.

 Light and Shadow, stage 2

I'd left you last in the middle of my brainstorm.  Light and Shadow evolved into lots and lots of ideas, but nothing madly motivated me. This is partly because I had an idea right at the start, but which would be too vast a challenge for 6 weeks. It won't leave my head though - very frustrating!

But, pressing on, I went through the brainstorm notes. At the side of the sketchbook page, I drew some little boxes and jotted down a pictorial representation of whatever came into my head from reading the notes. I now had at least 7 possibilities for a piece.

I decided to go with the idea shown here on the right. In my little box, I have two panels, one light, one darker (in shadow), one large, one smaller,  stitched into a background cloth.

The idea was to embellish this cloth with weaving lines of colour and shapes. It would be burnt, or cut away.

So I made a start. The panels are done by putting torn masking tape on white cloth, and then using various markal sticks to rub colour onto the cloth in waves.   The panels were stitched in situ through the backing and wadding.

However, my boat is not floated, and I have stopped working on them. Not sure if I'll continue.

So I had a play with 3D which only makes sense to the eye with heightened use of light and shadow colours.

Blah too. I will muse some more.

Pavement Shadow

Seen on a walk to Nowhere and beyond, this afternoon.

some ideas

i have been playing with the tiltshiftgen app on my phone and coming up with some ideas for my piece -

 at the moment i'm thinking of using transparencies, plastic shopping bags and silk

Sales, Sizes and Yes I've Started!

With just a few weeks until the first deadline, I have been giving more thought to size and sale. I really like the idea of having all the quilts I make about the same size – especially if we do decide to exhibit.

I definitely love the idea of exhibiting. Which makes me wonder about sales, because I would like to sell too…maybe.

What’s does everyone else think? Am I the only one thinking about this too much?

In more interesting news, I have been idea struck and have started the first challenge. Initial photos to follow shortly...

Introducing Esther Aliu

Hello, I am Esther, 55 this year, married with 3 children and a cantankerous cat. 2 adult DDs at home with us at the moment. I have been quilting for 11 years, before that I was in the fashion industry.

I love traditional work, especially applique. I am drawn to stylistic folk elements and embroideries and try to create old fashioned style quilts. I especially like exploring current notions of what old fashioned is, as I do think quilters were more experimental ‘back then’ than they are credited for.

I do a lot of stenciling and painting on fabrics. Lutrador is my next experiment…I think.

I get side tracked too easily and start new projects all the time. I hate deadlines but definitely need them to get anything accomplished. I usually wait until a week before any show or exhibit and then I work 20 hours a day to get it done.

Although I have slowed down a bit in the last 6 months, I am choosing what I commit to doing a bit more carefully. I have a quilting To Do List which I am faithfully working through on my blog. As it is planned ahead, I do find that I still need a challenge to keep me motivated – so this project / challenge/ blog is going to be a great outlet for me to be spontaneous.

I love the idea of exhibiting our ideas at the end of it all and mostly, just can’t wait to get started!

Just a spot of admin (1)

I thought I'd just post and keep you up to date with some admin and other stuff.

Pages

You might have noticed that some free standing pages have been added at the top of the blog. One if for links to your websites and blogs, and I need you to say if it's ok to add your links, which websites you want linked, and which images you want to use next to your name.

There is also a link to a page which will allow you to swap, or sell a piece (either for yourself or for charity) This will be done challenge by challenge. You will need to let me have a picture of the piece concerned, together with a price. Contact with you can be through this blog or by email, or you might like to put a Paypal button on. The charity price should include an allowance for p&p and give brief details of the charity you wish to donate to.

Sizes

I've left a comment on Esther's posting but thought it ought to be on this posting too.

"It's early days yet, but I've had a couple of emails asking about the size of quilts so thought I'd mention it again here.

No size was set for the challenges as the idea was to allow free reign rather than restrict work to something quite small - or put everyone off by going too large. Sometimes ideas lead to something which a size rule would spoil. BUT, I guess if the blog evolves and exhibiting becomes a possibility (I'm thinking for example of the 12x12 group at foq.,) then a uniform size would make things easier both to hang and to look at."

Of course if sales and swaps get going, there might not be a full set of pieces in each challenge, to exhibit!

Any thoughts on the above or other things please leave a comment or email me. Thanks, A xx

Not sure about this

I spent a day doing this and I'm not sure about it yet. I started by drawing a feather.

Then spread the colour,

Then added a few more.

My thinking is for me to do this challenge I must be true to the quilter I am.

I have always thought of the quilting as the part of the process which gives texture to a piece by giving it light and shadow. This feeling of dimension is what shadows give us, a sense of depth. They, and the light give is the ability to see depth even with one eye closed.

This piece looks better in the photo than it actually is. It needs another try on another day. I want the colour to emphasize the depth of  the piece more than just plain stitching would i.e. the shadows in the valleys of the stitch to appear darker than pure shadow would give them.....

Well...

I still don't have much in the way of energy, but I've been thinking about this challenge, both in general and particular. In general, I wondered how to approach it, and finally decided that I would take it as it comes, but wherever possible, I would use the challenges to work within my existing themes. I think that it will encourage me to go further than I would otherwise go, and would give me a set of works that fits in with the body of work I would be making if I wasn't so damn tired...

So... I then wondered about the specific challenge. The first thought was to find a shadow and express it somehow... look for the shadow of a door, or a set of shelves, or a window, and explore the colour and patterning around it. That didn't really go anywhere, as I didn't find any likely shadows... there were plenty around in the house in Strathpeffer, but this house is not so interesting for that kind of thing. Then, I found myself thinking about work projecting shadows; working with silk organza in grey and white, structured to cast shadows on itself, and on the wall. Might still do that, but it has been done before, and by better artists than me. Which isn't really a good reason for not doing it, but...

Then, this afternoon, I was looking for a particular image for a different purpose entirely, and came across this one. It's part of the ongoing work I'm doing for the 'Outside In' series, exploring depression, and how easy it would be for people to recognise people with mental health issues if they showed what they felt, inside, on the outside, instead. I think this will fit in nicely with the challenge theme, and at the same time, contribute to the development of the series. Or, not using artist speak, give me the kick up the bum I need to get on with this work. All comments welcome.

Festival of Quilts

Anyone going this year?  First I wasn't going to, then I thought I might go on Sunday as it is apparently much quieter, but now I think I might venture into the dangerous waters of Thursday because several peeps I know are going....  Anyone fancy pushing my wheelchair and getting in free?!

I think inspiration may have struck!

I have been very restricted by my injured forefinger: gashed as a result of it being shut in a car door, it was healing nicely but then developed an infection: most owww-y and tender.  The antibiotics seem to be kicking in now so I hope it will soon co-operate with me in my creative urges as I have a lot of things I want to be getting on with.

Anyway, I was surfing through the www using my nine-fingered typing, and was once again failing to find a print of David Hockney's Garrowby Hill painting, when I came across the lovely black and white photography of William Guion, (more here) which fed nicely into thoughts I had been having about our Light and Shadow theme.  Also, dear Elma kindly put up her post and I could see that her take on trees would be different to mine, so I felt better about it.  However, Elma, I really hope you don't feel I'm treading on your toes...  One of the photos (I will not disclose which as yet) was particularly inspiring and I felt I could see how I would get the effect I want, which kind of related to the painting I posted recently.  My fingers have been busy, ordering some materials from eBay and I feel very excited about starting work when they arrive and my finger allows, hopefully before our holiday starts in 9 days time...!

Toe in the water

This is my preliminary idea. The background "sky" is a my own hand dye. the shadow is layered organza fused

. I am sure this will change as time goes on, but at least I have made a start before FoQ, where I hope to find more inspiration :-)

Elma

returning to the light

hi all
i am a bit awed at being part of this group - so full of people whose work i admire and find incredibly inspiring. i have been making art textiles/quilts for about 5 years and am really moving away from the 'quilt' aspect to more freeform layered pieces. my blog is textileseahorse and has been rather neglected over the last few months as i reassemble my life after a marriage disintegration, resigning from my job, meeting my new partner and moving house.

the timing for this challenge is fabulous for me - i am really moving from a time of shadow and low creativity back into the light.

playing around with some ideas around light and shadow, i made this piece this afternoon. i am interested in the play of light over textures and in manipulating fabrics in different weights to distort and disconcert.

this is silk chiffon layered over tyvek and silk dupion - contour stitched with a gathering foot and heated.

Pewter Pots and Paths not Travelled

 Every time we eat in the dining-room, I admire the pewter vases that my mum collected ( we used to have a vast ugly pewter tea urn but that was sold) . I've been thinking of sketching them for the 'Grey side of life' theme of Sketchbook Project 2012. I love the subtlety of form and light and shadow so it fit well with this challenge too. I've already used them in 'Lunaria' quilt ( see below before the honesty seed cases smothered it! ) but they deserve to star in their own piece!

 Then there's the Taplow Vase for 'Whatever Floats Your Boat' at Slough Museum

 I don't know quite how I ended up with this when something on the lines of this Picasso painting was what I had in mind. Time to revisit it I think.

Light and shadow. First thoughts.

When I set this challenge I had an immediate image in my mind, of what I would like to do, and whilst those thoughts have lead to something I intend to work on in the future, there's not enough time in the challenge for me to do such a complicated and involved piece. (well, perhaps not that complicated and involved, but it's summer, and I'm out and about a lot eating cake in various places and not paying enough attention to things artistic!) And someone said I was supposed to be having fun. Oh yes, me.

So, today I thought I'd better start again and in a more inventive and constructive way.  As ever I always begin with definitions. Very useful to get the dictionary out at this point and look up the exact meanings of words.

Light: The natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible. A source of illumination. Little weight, not heavy. Not strongly or heavily built, low in density, small in quantity, gentle or delicate, not bold, not solemn or unhappy, and this one, which I didn't know, promiscuous.

Shadow: Dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface. Used in reference to proximity, ominous, oppressive. Sadness and gloom. An inseparable attendant or companion. A person secretly following another. Envelop in shadow: cast a shadow over.

So, clearly, lots of fun to be had, and where on earth to start or what to choose. One of my first thoughts is for the way light plays in paintings, because I love the power painters have to play around with light.

My understanding is that the eye picks up refractions and reflections when light bounces off of things, and the brain interprets them.

We can only see because there is light bouncing around, and latest research suggest we might see things differently especially colour.  Without light we are, of course, blind. We would be living in a shadow.

The way the light bounces off of things and reflects gives us colour as well as shape, leading to the well-known idea that black and white aren't colours. White is all of light with no refraction and therefore no colour, and black is absence of light and therefore can have no colour. (Thought: Light and shadow, therefore equate to black and white)

Using light and shadow

A circle turns into a ball. The ball can be given the illusion of all sorts of things by adding shadow.

There are such interesting shapes in buildings that cast shadows.

Using light and shadow gives a 2D piece of paper or cloth the illusion of 3D or of distance and size; it tricks the brain that the eye is seeing something it's not, and I love that; it's so clever.

Edward Hopper is known for using light and shadow to good effect. He creates emotional responses and feelings as well as illusions.

Next stage is to find a large piece of paper and brain storm. Write down all the things that come to mind and see what springs forth.

(slight pause, whilst sketch book found and coffee made)

Plenty of ideas emerged over my cup of coffee, but I'm still not madly enthused by anything yet; slightly liking the idea of a shadow being a degree of absence and not absence itself.

The sun is calling me and so is the need for some shopping, so I'll keep the next stage for another posting, when hopefully I'll have a better direction and clearer idea of what I'm doing.


Thanks for reading!