Light and Dark, Sun and Moon

Winter Solstice: Sun and Winter Solstice: Moon
Wax, collage, feathers and stitch 2018

For several years now I've taken part in Surface Gallery's excellent 'International Postcard Exhibition.' I really like this project as it's a great way to start a new year; it's manageable, affordable and a great way to test out new ideas and get them out into the world. Technically I ended the year with this project as I made my postcards last month but the exhibition is this month so I'm going to let myself off.

Winter Solstice: Sun
Wax, collage, feathers and stitch 2018

As I've been experimenting with wax and collage recently I decided that I would use the postcard show as an opportunity to create a couple of small pieces exploring this technique. I've also become very interested in using the sun and the moon in my work over the last year or so (continuing my interest in dichotomies) and again thought this would be an ideal opportunity to experiment a little with these ideas.

Winter Solstice: Moon
Wax, collage, feathers and stitch 2018

I made a pair of postcards, they're designed to work together but I think they also work apart from each other. I made them on the solstice, being inspired by the idea of the turning point of the year and how even in our 'advanced' technology saturated lives the cycle of light and dark is still so important to us.

Winter Solstice: Sun (Detail)
Wax, collage, feathers and stitch 2018

Winter Solstice: Sun (Detail)
Wax, collage, feathers and stitch 2018

Winter Solstice: Sun and Winter Solstice: Moon
Wax, collage, feathers and stitch 2018

One postcard is entitled Winter Solstice: Sun and the other Winter Solstice: Moon, representing the dark and the light, night and day. I love the way cloud can diffuse the light of the celestial bodies, creating an ethereal effect and I wanted to try and capture this in my pieces. I used metallic paper and layers of tissue paper, all held together with wax. I tore rather than cut the paper to try and capture that hazy quality. It's been partially successful and I think it's an idea worth pursuing. I incorporated feathers in my pieces to represent us and the importance of our relationship to the light and the cycle of the seasons and of night and day.

Winter Solstice: Moon (Detail)
Wax, collage, feathers and stitch 2018

Winter Solstice: Moon (Detail)
Wax, collage, feathers and stitch 2018

Winter Solstice: Moon (Detail)
Wax, collage, feathers and stitch 2018

Although theses postcards haven't come out exactly as I'd hoped it's given me a start on some ideas I've been wanting to explore for a while and I hope that over the course of this year I will be developing this work further. In the meantime, if you're in Nottingham do go and look at the show and see the amazing diversity and skill of all the artists who've submitted their work.

Creative Beginings

The Dark and the Light, 2018

As in previous years (see here and here) I decided to start the year creatively by making a postcard for Surface Gallery's annual International Postcard Show.  I really like this project at the start of the year as it's small and achievable so I can begin the year with that cathartic sense of having finished something!

The Dark and the Light, 2018
Detail

Last years postcard ended being a bit of a turning point for me, it gave me the confidence to pursue a way of making I'd been dabbling with and have ended up developing a lot over the last year. It's also one of the first pieces I felt confident enough to write about more openly in terms of meaning rather than just techniques.

Feather, 2018

This years postcards continue my feather drawing explorations and use of collage. I've been doing a lot of drawing on tracing paper as I like to exploit the transparent qualities and both postcards feature feathers drawn on tracing paper, one of which I've used 'wrong' side up. For the collage I've used some of my handmade paper as well as bits of gold paper and my handmade silk paper.

Feather, 2018
Detail

The first postcard is called 'The Dark and the Light' and reflects my interest in contrasts and dichotomies. There are two sides to every story so they say and it's good to know both sides before making any judgements or decisions. The second postcard is simply titled 'Feather' and features a single feather embellished with hand embroidery. I'm a bit sad we've left 2017 and moved into 2018 because the number 7 is a heck of a lot easier to stitch than an eight. And on that philosophical bombshell I shall leave you, until next time...

Stitched signature

Ready to Fly

Ready to Fly, 2017

I wrote in my last post that my aims for this year included prioritising creativity. To that end I have started the year off with a small submission project. I have taken part in Surface Gallery's International Postcard Show three times before (2013,14 and 15) but didn't take part last year for reasons I can't really recall. I really like this project as it is small enough to fit in around even a busy schedule but there is still the satisfaction of making a piece of work and knowing it will be on show.

Ready to stitch

Layering Fabrics

Last year I really enjoyed working on my feather and textile pieces so I decided to continue working in this way for my postcard. I feel like I'm starting to really develop a personal vocabulary working in this way, with particular colours, stitches and fabrics signifying specific things. It doesn't matter whether or not this vocabulary is understood by other people, it is part of my creative process and way of exploring my ideas.

Detail

Detail

In my recent work birds (and feathers) have become a symbol of transcendence, a belief found in many cultural systems across the world due to their ability to fly into the heavens. In this piece and in other recent pieces the blues represent the sky and freedom, the feather symbolises the soul and the red symbolises life. For me this piece is about spreading your wings and rising up to meet life's challenges.

Detail

Detail

I used a piece of felted wool blanket as a base and layered it up with pieces of silk organza. All the fabrics I used were ones that I'd dyed with indigo. I used a combination of fly stitch, running stitch, seeding stitch and beading to hold the layers together. I love the way the stitches sink into the felted wool, creating another layer of texture. I'm pleased with how this piece has worked out and it has got my new year off to a creative and positive start. If you're in Nottingham the show is on from 14th January to 11th February.

Detail

International Postcard Show 2014

Postcard: Drawing, print and stitch

Last year I took part in the International Postcard Show 2013 at Surface Gallery which I really enjoyed so I decided to enter a postcard again for this years show. I like this project because it is small enough that it doesn't feel to intimidating or overwhelming but at the same time it gives me an incentive to stop thinking about doing some work and actually get on and do it.

The original layers; cyanotype, lace print, drawing and stitch

I had some cyanotype prints I'd done last year of lace and buttons so I started off layering these prints up with lace prints I'd done on tracing paper. I also did some continuous line drawings of hands stitching on tracing paper and added one of these as another layer. Having stuck it all together and added some stitching I then decided I didn't like it so I peeled apart the layers, which left some bits stuck to my tracing paper drawings, and layered it on top of a different print made using bubbles. I liked this much better and was pleased with the traces left from the original layering so I added a bit of detached blanket stitch and packaged it up ready to post.

Detail of detached blanket stitch

Detail of drawing

Last year was a very exciting and busy one for me, I got to work on some great projects with some great people and I have been able to expand my freelance work greatly. The slight downside to this is that I haven't had much time for my own practice so as part of trying to get a good balance in my life this year I am hoping to be able to spend some more time creating my own art. I find little projects like this are a good way to kick start the process and help me build up my confidence and enthusiasm.

Postcard Art

Pencil drawing

Whilst avoiding doing any work by looking for work (thus bypassing the need to feel guilty, so the theory goes) I came across The International Postcard Show being run by Surface Gallery in Nottingham. The basic premise is you do a postcard sized piece of artwork, send it to them and they will display it in their exhibition. The postcards are for sale and any not sold are sent to another participating artist. It sounded like a fun idea and a good excuse to get myself working so I thought I'd have a go. The postcards have to be there by this Friday so I've been working on mine today, ready to post off on Monday.

The finished postcard

I started off by preparing some paper with paint, newspaper and lace (to make a pattern in the paint surface.) When the paint was dry I used pencil to draw hands stitching. The paint gives a really smooth surface so the graphite slides along really easily making nice smudgy effects. I used red pencil for the thread to add a bit of contrast and stitched around the edge of the postcard with blanket stitch. I then mounted my drawing onto a fabriano postcard to make it a bit stiffer and postcard like.

Detail

Detail

Small projects like this I think are great because they get the creative juices flowing and get me working without the fear of committing to a large piece of work or feeling overwhelmed. Also, it's a nice thought that people are going to see what I've done and someone else is going to end up with it.

Back of the postcard

So, if you find yourself in Nottingham between 16th January and February go along and see what people around the world have sent in.