Summer School 2013

This  year we were lucky to  have Sue Dove as out tutor who taught us a new approach to collage. Sue also supported us by making her teaching relevant to our module [in my cases spirals]

We started by tearing strips from glossy magazines – any which were attractive to us – and then stuck them down onto cartridge paper with PVA. We then coloured in the spaces around the papers with oil pastels changing and blending colours / tones as we went.

Then we chopped up the collages and re-arranged them. This meant that the movement of colour became important forming abstract shapes and colours. whatever pleased the eye.

My first attempts:

Becomes:

and:

Another try:

Becomes:

And one of my favourites:

Becomes:

 

We tried adding text:

Becomes:

I love the clock!

And this:  Too nice to cut!

We also tried adding a stencil and stippling over it with black acrylic paint:

Then I added spiral shapes from magazine and a border made up of oil pastels over painted with black acrylic and then scratched away to form a contrasting pattern:

Next we made some monoprints and used a stencil shape as a resist before adding some more monoprinted spiral shapes on top.

Monoprinted paper overlaid with monoprinted tissue paper plus cut spiral stencil.

Monoprinted calico overlaid with tissue paper as before plus printed spiral shape:

The underlayer here is calico which has been monoprinted using a tile base and then monoprinted tissue paper added on  top:

We then chose a piece to which we would add stitching [monoprinted calico with fabric spirals and strip added on top:

And with stitching:

 

When I got home I was concerned that I’d needed to keep what I’d learnt alive and so I decided to try and make a collage a week. I also want to get into the habit of using my sketchbook to record my thoughts or response to the world around me.

Collage 1

Brighton Seafront…….A walk along the Prom

Collage 2:

Inspired by my garden…..

I forgot to photograph this before I cut it so have placed it back together!

Becomes:

With this on the facing page:

Collage no 3:

Memories of the Costume Museum in Sevilla……..

Became:

I had some papers left over so …..

Collage No 4:

It’s been a summer no-one saw coming:

So far so good!

Now I will return to Module 3 course work and keep my weekly collages going…….

Chapter 2b. Designs using the monoprinting method. Spiral drawing using a computer paint programme

I love monoprinting so was delighted to revisit this technique and this time in colour.

I love the element of the unexpected in the result

I made lots of samples using my chosen colours and experimenting with adding additional layers including lighter tints and darker shades. I arranged these in this spiral shape for the purpose of photographing them for the blog.

Spiral drawing using a computer paint programme

I was entering a technique entirely new to me so I asked my friends on our Distant Stitch Facebook network for advice. Ros suggested the Scribbler programme .

The fun began……………….

More experiments:

I was really pleased with this top image:

I discovered this effect with Scribbler and wanted to develop it further:

 

Formation of a spiral by rotating a shape:

I then had a go at filling spaces with colour:

I realised that I wanted to understand the Fibonacci theory more fully so I decided to take a closer look:

I love the idea of the Fibonacci sequence represented in flowers especially the rose, so decided to have a go at constructing one now that I understand more:

I made a paper sample:

And then I drew the petal shapes on the computer, layered and rotated them and filled them with colour:

Using the Photoshop computer paint programme to modify a basic scribble into exciting spirals:

Creating positive and negative images on Photoshop:

I’ve acquired a drawing tablet [so much easier] and now my drawing a little more mature!!

This has been a great learning curve but I have learned such a lot. The time spent will be an investment for future work!

Sitting at the computer takes its toll and I’m looking forward to playing with fabric and threads in the next chapter………..

Summer School very soon too, wonderful!