winter... ice, branches, snow
mostly ice these days
the more i work with this theme the more i realize there is to explore
lately it's ice, specifically cracked ice
last week i sketched a number of patterns of cracked ice - this is the first one to be stitched
a fairly open pattern with an area that oddly enough looks a bit like some of the branches that were trapped in ice
i have a page full of various designs and tonight will get to work stitching a few more of these in a variety of thread colours
there's also been a bit of collage and the one below almost looks like a real scene... the paper I laid it on for photography purposes is khadi paper and through an odd trick of light it looks so much like a painted faint winter sky
then some tissue paper, cloth and lace collage from a while back, painted with some of my own watercolour paint and then pin-pricked and stitched in a pattern reminiscent of wave foam - not wintry at all really though perhaps a storm just before the ice forms???
i'm working away on a couple of pieces for an upcoming member's show at our local arts centre, one is a concertina book that will hang open and the other a wall piece, a collage of sorts - maybe more an "assemblage"... not sure yet exactly so a lot of sampling and stitch/print trials going on just now and some paper-shuffling of the best kind
i think if you click on the images an even larger version will open up and you can see more of the detail... this piece is inspired by winter images collected over the years from the shores of our little lake, in the centre of town... ice, trapped branches, snow, frozen, snow and ice encrusted cattails and tall grasses
another view...
not all of this work will factor in to the finished piece - some is just there as a nudge, a way to get an internal dialogue going... what might work, what's needed - what is the story?
in addition to the ice patterns i've also sketched some branches and will be stitching those in the coming days and when those are done things will get interesting... big decisions will need to be made, a narrowing the scope will likely be needed, and then how to bring it all together into something that is not just a collection of parts
4 comments:
‘Paper shuffling of the best kind’… love it! Certainly there is a hive of activity of the very best kind happening with you just now. It is wonderful to see a gathering of past ideas here and how you are revisiting them to develop and move them forward to new pieces. I love your theme of ice and water and the stitching is stunning. Its minimal and simple application and soft cool colour perfectly reflects the way that winter soothes the clutter of the land to quietness and showcases it’s most basic lines. Absolutely beautiful work.
So many interesting techniques and ideas to explore here!
Your head must be super amazing with all the ideas you have and explore. These pieces are beautiful and so represent the cold frosty winter snow and ice. It would be wonderful to see (and touch ever so lightly) these in person. I hope you take lots of pictures of the show with your pieces of art.
I found myself most fascinated by the last photo. The shadows make the pieces appear as though they're floating...perhaps a thought for mounting in the future?
And the stitching for the ice cracks is absolutely perfect.
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