Tree Fern - I'm still going!

I finally had a bit more time...

so I've made a bit more progress.

There is still a lot I can see that I want to do...and this is far more time consuming than I had anticipated. This is about 3 hours work since the last entry - so I am really slow...this is a classic example of "slow cloth". But I am really enjoying stitching this and feel very challenged by it.

In many ways this feels like painting with threads and I am having to think how I can represent each mark with a stitch, before I do it.

February Take It Further Challenge

I have been struggling to find a topic for the February Take It Further Challenge!
The topic is "what are you old enough to remember?"

I remember:

• the introduction of photocopiers (with shiny paper that curled, went yellow and faded), video players, the first computers, TV games, playing vinyl albums, the first Walkman, mobile phones the size and weight of bricks (before them you had to arrange in advance where you would meet and be there on time!)
• the fall of the Berlin Wall and the release of Nelson Mandela
• penny chews, Bagpuss, the Clangers, Mr Ben
• going to the library to look things up in books
• Roller skates that go over your shoes ...see freeflyinglady's work
• Hopscotch in the playground...See flyingcolours beautiful work

I remember so many things...
I did think I might do something about blue-tits stealing the cream from the milk when it was snowy in Winter, when we had the milk delivered when I was a child. We had to race down to get there first in the mornings before these charming, but cheeky, little birds did! But apparently they still do it...

Then I was going to do something on a derelict gypsy caravan that I used to play on in the woods when I was little. The woods were ploughed up for farming fields in the late 1970s and only a thin strip remains along the roadside. I have happy memories of exploring those woods.

But now, I have finally settled on something!!
I am old enough to remember the introduction of mini-roundabouts! A little strange I know but somehow this topic has captured my imagination...
At first we were not sure whether we had to go around then or just to drive straight over the bump in the middle of the road.
What better way to remember the mini-roundabout than to do a piece based on the famous "Magic Roundabout" in Swindon.
For a while I lived in Swindon in the UK which has few claims to fame but one is the Magic Roundabout - which I have been told consists of 13 mini-roundabouts in one. It is pretty daunting the first time you go across it. I was told to work out where you want to go and just keep going! It actually keeps the traffic flowing pretty well.

Since moving to Australia and learning about Aboriginal art, I am intrigued by the idea of aerial view maps for design and explaining about where you have been as part of your personal history.
I have now found some aerial views of the Magic Roundabout in Swindon (which is surprisingly interesting) and will do a design based on this.

Admiration

Here is my finished piece for January - Admiration.

It is based on a rangoli design from Mandana, Gujarat, India. From the book "Designs and Motifs from India" by Marty Noble.

A rangoli is a colourful design made on the floor near the entrance to a house to welcome guests. At Diwali, Hindus draw bright rangoli to encourage the goddess Lakshmi to enter their houses. Traditionally the floor painting is only done by women. Red sand and chalk powder are used to make the designs. They are also now found on block printed textiles.

This is my homage to the countless, nameless craftswomen in India who embroider our skirts, bags and cushion covers.

I am pleased that I kept to the colour scheme and have used a couple of TAST stitches from last year - pistil and arrowhead, with couching and beads. The background is fern green sheer over purple linen. It is 9x9 cms (3.5x3.5 inches)

I confess that this was to be the centrepiece in a larger piece - but life got in the way this month - and I have also signed up for Sharon B's Sumptuous Surfaces class (more in the next post) so this was as far as I got.

Still I am very pleased with the result and may use it as it is - or add it to the WISP pile - as part of my original design, when time permits!

I am looking forward to the February challenge.

Admiration: Take It Further Challenge

It is month 1 of Sharon B's new challenge: Take It Further. She has given us a choice of a colour pallet and a concept. It is a great combination - and one to make us all think!
The concept is: Who do you look up to and admire? Why? What is it that you admire about them? Interpret your design in fiber or paper.

When I saw the colour pallet I thought that I wouldn't have much. They aren't colours I normally use, but look what I found in my mixed media stash!!

I have interpreted the pallet loosely - purples, olive green, limey-yellow green, soft green and grey/silver.

As I do have all these lovely goodies I will try to use the pallet in my design. The colours to me are earthy and remind me of woodland shade - all mossy and cool, but also the shades in mother-of-pearl from seashell linings too. So I am going to call it woodland-pearl.

Now for the concept:

Who do I look up to and admire - lots of people - Nelson Mandela, Barbara Hepworth, Anita Roddick.... No-one person jumps out that I would like to do a piece of work about. So I am thinking generic - who do people look up to? Idols, gods/godesses. I went to a great art exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney last year about Indian godesses and have wanted to do a piece of work inspired by that for a while. My next leap of logic - is that I greatly admire the work of many nameless and very talented Indian textile artists and would enjoy doing a hommage to them. I admire their talent and skill, which is rarely recognised and often poorly rewarded.

So here is my theme... a mixed media piece using the woodland-pearl colour scheme to celebrate the work of Indian textile artists. Though I have no hope of achieving the quality of their work.

I want to use diverse stitches, varied materials and create patterns. I am not yet sure about size - a postcard doesn't feel big enough; A4 may be a little big. Perhaps a fabric book page, somewhere in between...

Here is a photo of some of my source inspirations:
This feels a huge challenge - but it will be a lot of fun.