Collage Possibilities

I often use a collage type technique to make my art works,  cutting shapes and fusing them in place,  but as I discovered this week, collage can be so much more! 

Wikipedia defines collage (from the French:  coller "to glue")  as a technique where an artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms to create a new whole.  At last weeks drawing class we made 5 quick drawings of coats, shawls and draped fabric forms,  some using ink with a calligraphy brush and one using a permanent marker, to create a set of source material.

Our task .... to tear or cut up these drawings to create a new work with a variety of tone, shape, texture and line.  Here is my effort   .....

This was a very fun project and the results so different from the subject of the source material. The process was to start by gluing down a couple of torn  pieces and then seeing what was needed without any image or specific content in mind ..... very liberating!  

Now I'm contemplating how I could  use this type of process in my textile art ... and  it seems it might offer some interesting possibilities for my recent monoprints .....

Inspired by History

After my experiments a couple of weeks ago, I decided to try using text to create the background for the next Stepping Stones piece.  My first efforts with my handwriting left a little to be desired and then I recalled some letters my mother had passed on to me, written to my Great Grandmother by her  "forbidden love"   (apparently not considered a suitable match!)  in 1865.  In those days in the colonies,  paper was in short supply and letters were written in a cross hatched form  (luckily the handwriting is very neat and they are quiet readable!! )  These letters were the inspiration for using the cross hatched format in my text background.

I used a pigma pen to write on the chosen hand dyed fabric and being in a philosophical frame of mind decided on the first couple of line of the poem 'Desiderata'  .... not that it is legible in the end!

This composition uses two merging roads and a narrow strip of contrasting fabric at the horizon.  Here's the result .......

        Stepping Stones # 11  Written Road   12" x 12"  © Carolyn Collins 2016

Past & Present!

This piece Leaflines #20  has just returned from exhibition at the 2016 Sydney Quilt Show .... and it has a bit of history!  

The original composition was completed in February this year but there was something that made me hesitate when it came to the quilting stage ...... and after much contemplation I decided on some modifications .....  as a result I had to scramble to make the delivery deadline for the Sydney Quilt Show!!

Original Composition

Final Version

While it's always interesting to see both versions side by side .... I am much happier with the final version!

This piece was hung on a rod for the Show ... now it is returned I plan to mount it on a stretched canvas.

Painting Fabric

I've been trying our some ideas for painted backgrounds this week as part of my plan to only use fabrics only my own fabrics .....    In each of the samples I painted Permaset Textile Ink applied with a sponge/palette knife, a stamp and a brayer .....

Text

Gesso

Collograph

Seed Stitch

In the text sample I used a Pigma 05  micron pen in black and rust to write on the fabric before painting.  The Pigma pen works well without leaving any build up of ink.  Writing on hand dyed fabric works well ... in this sample I wanted to test the effect of painting over the written text.

For the gesso sample I painted white gesso with a paintbrush across areas of fabric and allowed it to dry before painting.  The gesso adds a subtle texture.

The collograph plate was made with a hot glue gun - the plate didn't work as a stamp directly onto fabric, so this time I stamped onto a Gelliplate and then printed the sample as a monoprint which produced an interesting result.

The seed stitching used Perle 8 and Perle 12 threads prior to painting. This results in a nice texture .... I have contemplated removing the stitching to see the result.

I'm going to use the handwritten text for the background in the next Stepping Stones series piece .....