Ever get stuck in a rut with your creativity? I think it happens to everyone! When I felt stuck recently, I decided to combine some techniques to see what I could come up with. I started out by mono-printing four panels on Sulky Cut-Away Plus: I used a variety of found objects for the prints. Feathers, bubble wrap, prescription bottles. whatever was handy. Next, I used some large rubber stamps with script and stamped in black to add some visual texture and layers. Then, I had the idea of adding some free motion embroidered flowers. Rather than risking messing up my printed panels, I made the flower outlines on Sulky Tear-Away stabilizer and then pinned those in place. The added stabilizer also helped with the weight of the free motion stitching. Above, you can see that I started with a marigold flower. Using 30wt cotton threads from Sulky in the needle, and 60wt Poly Lite in the bobbin, I stitched the black outline first and then used the rust for the petals. Once I got to the center, I switched to the "school bus yellow". After finishing the stitching, I tore the stabilizer away and voila! On to the cosmos! For the cosmos flower, I used three different colors of violet thread and blended them into each other while I stitched to achieve the gradient shading. For the final two panels, I stitched a sunflower and a morning glory. Again, using variations of colors to achieve some shading. Here are the four stitched panels. I hesitate to say they are finished, because I would like to go back and add some more textural layers with modeling paste and guilding. After those steps are completed, there's a pesky question lingering in my mind: What do I do with them? I have considered mounting them on canvases or framing them for a grouping, using them as journal covers or???? What do you think?
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I think people shy away from fiber art at times, because it isn't like "typical" art.
You know what I mean. Art that you frame, stick a nail in the wall and hang it up. In the past, at my exhibitions, I have been asked by people, "How would I hang that in my home?" I always show them the hanging sleeve and the aluminum rod that I provide and I can tell that some "get it," while others still don't. And that's okay. Fiber art is different. That's one of the things I enjoy about it. :) Lately, I have started wondering about alternative hanging methods and I stumbled across some other SAQA members that attach their smaller fiber art pieces to stretched artist canvases. Intrigued, I decided to try it out for myself... |
About MeFiber artist, wife to a wonderful husband and mom to 2 awesome, grown kids Archives
July 2023
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