Adding a bit of Colour to my Life or Autumn Colours Part II

This image is AFTER I have toned down the colour – I am much happier but does it reflect my source material? How important is this or is artistic licence a greater force?

The question is ‘is there really one set of true colours or do we all see them same thing differently – and if we do how could we tell?’ I have always liked strong, bright colours so have I a selectively ‘seen’ just these and phased out the real colours of Autumn?

Do you see the same colours as say David Hockney or are they all just from his imagination?

Autumn Colours (Part I)

Whilst driving around last year I became very interested in the colours of Autumn.

Having selected a few that I really liked I started to experiment with dyeing – these samples were coloured with Acid Dyes. This is my original take on Autumn Colours but even for me they are too bright.

Wearable Art?

Following the felting idea, I decided to try wet and needle felting – I wanted to source old woollen blankets as a base but unfortunately had sent some to the Dogs Home, for use as bedding, only a few weeks earlier. It’s always the way if you decide to get rid of something then you can bet you’ll find you needed it after all!

Anyway instead of a blanket I used the sleeve of a wool jacket, which was left over from a deconstruct/reconstruct project.  Again I was exploring my bark patterns.

I am really pleased with this and, what is more, other people are too. They have been laying in on their arms and talking about cuffs and textile jewellery. Definitely the start of something here – yey!

Can I Knit Bark?

I find myself drawn back to the traditional skills I learnt as a child.  The question is how well will knitted bark samples work?

This one features knitted bobbles before the whole piece was felted and needle felting to (unsuccessfully) add carded wool onto the surface.

This time I tied resists into the knit before felting (Shibori) – which I really do like – and then added hand embroidery to the surface.

Finally an attempt at knitting some of the bark texture – possibly some potential in this but I’m keen to explore the Shibori felting method as this seems to give the strongest samples so far.

Into the Woods

A charcoal sketch of a group of trees ….

Becomes a discharge print – a ghostly image but not sure about this one!

Bark, bark and more bark!

As well as seeking out new bark surfaces I like to draw them in different media, which in turn gives me more interesting patterns and textures to turn into my textile designs.

A Knotty Problem?

Will this charcoal drawing of knots ..

Look better as a discharge print

Or by using applique, machine embroidery, couching and hand stitch?

What do you think? More work needed, maybe.

The Ancient Tree’s Tale

Thinking about my ancient tree I decided to explore its unique patterns, first through drawing and then with stitch, using machine embroidery.

  

I Love This Tree

I was really taken by this ancient and unusual tree – I wondered what it had seen in its long liftetime and what stories it could tell.

My Creative Eye

In my drawings I am not looking to create a photographic interpretation of what is in front of me, rather to reproduce – on paper – how I feel about my inspirational source and what I see with my creative eye.