Studio Kit

working title "Briar Rose".

Because it's a "Little Kit" piece, Emmy Elephant has to put in a re-appearance as well, too, right?

I wanted her head in this specific position because Little Kit* is going to tuck in there in that empty space.

Clearly, I've changed Emmy's eye shape rather drastically, ...

I had a really busy weekend! Got a lot done (though none of it a "finish"), but am happy with it, starting with this little needle case I made.

Lots of good stuff here this week, so let's begin!

An article from Marie-Therese Wisniowski about the history of fabric and dyes, HERE

An article over on Textile Artist with James Fox about his machine embroidery HERE

Elizabeth Barton has written a very interesting blog about learning, and discovering style, and the value of imitating other artists HERE (I haven't gone back to read the comments, but I'm sure they'll be interesting too!)

(This week's lunch-time project is sadly unfinished, I'll have to catch up over the weekend!)

The Tafa Forum has an article about men learning to embroider in prison HERE

Here's another article (a rather good one, I think) at Art Business.com on how to price your art HERE

In this week's eye candy, there's a stunningly beautiful book sculpture at Steampunk Tendencies HERE

In this week's "discomfitting art" link (lol) Figure/Ground Communication has done an interview (pictures at the bottom) with Anne Harris HERE

Over at Big Red and Shiny there is a review of Sonia Almeida's recent show "The Event We Call Seeing" at the Simone Subal Gallery in NYC (I'm sorry I didn't link to it before the show was over - it slipped through the cracks over the holidays), but I still think it's well worth reading as the review itself feels like you're talking to a friend and it's informative and offers a fresh perspective (Note: if you mouse over the picture in the header, you will be shown other pictures you can look at and click on). That article is HERE

And then my favourite this week (I must have gone back to that article 20 times since it was posted at Colossal); the wonderfully beautiful and totally temporary sculptures of Martin Hill over HERE

Hope you've had a great week and that your weekend is even better.

See you on Monday with...? 'Til then!

It's the big (or in this case), little, finish! My first one of 2014, and I'm quite pleased with it (even if I do say so myself), but the reasons for that later. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

This one was an interesting process for me. As you know, when I started it last week, it was with a concrete, yet somewhat nebulous purpose. One, I wanted to make something for the SAQA trunk show; two, the brief was a 10 x 7 inch piece, that showed our "artistic purpose", and three, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. lol

Generally, when I do a figure, I sketch him in my sketch book, trace over him/her with tracing paper, use the tracing paper as a pattern, and then cut out the figure on my lutradur (or whatever substrate it is that I'm using).

But that's a fairly laborious process, and this was just a little rabbit, so I decided to draw him directly on the lutradur this time. It meant that I had to draw him twice (I screwed up the first one), but it was still much faster this way.

And then it was time to paint. First I picked my paint palette...

Good morning.

Happy Friday, and welcome to the linky post!

First up, we have Bella May Leonard's unusual "sculptural embroidery". As the name might imply it’s 3D, but in addition to her taking her embroidery up and out, she also uses unusual substrates, 'thread" and a collage/assemblage technique. Check it out HERE

Next we have simply eye candy. No interview, and just a small amount of text, but evocative photographs using a multiple exposure technique with surprising results. Check out Christopher Relander’s photography at his website HERE

It's an "oldie but a goodie" but since I pulled it up to remind myself about the corners this week, I thought you might be interested as well if you haven't seen it - check out Lyric Kinard's tutorial for gallery wrapped canvas HERE .

Next up, there's an interview with local Toronto artist Catherine Heard about her ... discomfiting work, HERE

Next: you may already be familiar with the work of "Mr. Finch" (and if you're not, I suggest you follow his blog - he doesn't post often, but when he does, his work is glorious!); but whether you're a follower or not, Colossal has done a feature on him, and I think you'll enjoy the peek. You can check it out HERE

And last but not least, Lithuanian artist Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė embroiders and cross-stitches metal objects (no really!) Check out her work and an interview with here HERE

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And... as you can see with my work this week, I didn't have a plan. (It's been the week's theme when it comes to my art.)

Over my lunches this week, I was mostly talking, giggling and indulging in a small amount of harmless gossip with my work chum through our lunches this week, rather than concentrating on my work.

So the resulting work doesn’t make a lot of sense, and I can't say there’s anything linking these disparate bits of stitchery (not to mention, the stitches holding my circles down are TERRIBLE, lol) but there’s something sort of charming about it. (At least, I think so!)

More work on the “winter birch” scene on Monday – it’s coming along and I’m quite pleased with it!

Until then, have a great weekend. Be safe out there!