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We have been working in our class with Tibetan papers (fibrous but somewhat translucent papers) and rice papers. After creating a collage using handmade papers, fabric, photos and other interesting pieces, we had the choice of using a gel medium or encaustics (beeswax) to attach all the pieces together. Most of us put an extra piece of Tibetan paper on top, forming a sandwich. I guess I didn't add enough gel medium, and the great papers and fabrics I had in the sandwich didn't show well once the medium had dried. The colours are definitely there, but only some of the detail can be seen and only in some spots. Decision time. Do I start over and try another piece, or do I see if I can make something out of this piece. Not wanting to start over, I decided to persevere. After all, sometimes our artistic accidents turn out to be a good thing. And it's only through continuing with the piece that we know if we'll end up with something that will turn out even better than the original plan.  Although this piece is about only half finished (again I took on way too much and have oodles of homework), I'm getting a textured look by adding a design common in the 18th century (the meandering thread line in green) plus the dragonfly as a focal point. The focus is now on the embroidery instead of on the papers and fabric sandwiched in the middle, and which are now a colourful background. The picture here is just a small portion of the piece - about 1/6 of the whole thing.
The Ottawa School of Art is giving us gallery space from March25 to April 8 at the Shenkman Arts Centre - I'm thinking this piece, if finished, will be on display. If not this one, then I better get cracking to start something else!  Our task this week and last was to learn 6-7 new stitches and create a drawing out of them.
I chose to make a colour wheel. I had been wanting to make one anyway to use as a teaching tool, but didn't really want the traditional painted wheel or to buy one at an art store. So I decided to make one using coloured backgrounds and various stitch types. The thread colours I chose to use on each colour in the wheel has a specific purpose; e.g. to show complementary colours or secondary colours or analogous and so on. Rather than 6-7 stitches, I used 12 different stitches (it will actually end up being 14 as I also plan to add neutrals of black and white, which means I have a bit of homework to do to complete the whole project). The coloured bits shown here are not stitched onto the background. I added felt to the back of each piece, then covered a lightweight board with flannel. The felt stays on the flannel and I can move them around and use only a few or however many I need at a time to teach the colour wheel.
I always knew the different colours had the potential to affect one's mood, but never had I felt it so much as the time I walked into an office that was painted purple, had purple carpeting, and purple furniture.
The result was electrifying. The room has so much energy that when I left an hour later, I was exhausted! I have no doubt the office staff got a lot of work done in that environment, but at what cost at the end of the day? I have serious doubts they had any energy left for evening activities. This may be an unusual example, but it does demonstrate the impact colours can have. When you wear red, do you feel your confidence level rise? Or if you're agitated, do you find you gravitate to greens or blues to help put some calmness in your day? My clothes closet used to be a mess. I had tried organizing it by clothing type, as recommended by the organizing professionals, but that didn't work for me. It wasn't until I put my clothes in order of colour that I was able to keep it tidy. And it's been tidy now for years. I realized that each morning, while deciding what to wear, it was actually a colour choice I was looking for first. And my eyes would go to that colour in the closet, conscious or not. Notice the colours you choose today, the colour you choose to wear, colours of rooms you are in. And how do they make you feel? |
Artist - Anne Warburton
 
 
  
About MeIt's taken years to discover the medium I enjoy the most. And how what I have learned before somehow fits into what I am doing now. Even when I travel my needles and threads are with me so I can continue to create while away. Archives
June 2016
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