The Mystery Project

The finished piece

The final project in the Art House Co-op's 10x10 series is the Mystery Project. You get sent a theme and a marker and have to make a piece of art and leave it somewhere for a stranger to find. My theme was 'The Future of the Year' and I really struggled to think of something. So, I left it to the last minute! Last night I thought I really should do something as the deadline is today so I thought about what a good future would be like; recycled and handmade, obviously! I decided my signature style of crocheting and melting plastic bags would be good so I made a pretty flower with a chain so that whoever finds it and takes it home can hang it up. A little card explaining what the piece is and it was ready to go.

In my window

Detail

Detail

Crocheted plastic bag flower

The whole thing

Detail of card

The Map Project

Detail of my Palm Map

Sometimes work just doesn't work. You have a great idea, you know how you want to do it but for some reason it's just not right. I had this problem whilst working on my piece for the Art House Co-op's Map Project. I had, it's true, left it a little to the last minute as life generally seems to have been insanely hectic recently. However, I had a pretty clear idea what I was going to do and how I wanted it to look. But it just wasn't happening, whatever I did it just didn't work which was very frustrating. I tried changing media and technique but to no avail. So, I left it alone which is sometimes the only option (well, that or complete insanity.)

Had I still had plenty of time to work on the project I wouldn't have been so bothered but as it was I only had a very small window to complete it if I was going to meet the postage deadline. As sometimes happens in these situations I rattled off a piece of work and ended up being far more pleased with the results than with all the other failed experiments. So, here is my completed piece. I had originally intended to do a large drawn and stitched map 'of experience' incorporating images of my hands and various layers of text, image and stitch. This piece would then have folded down to 4x6 inches, as stipulated in the brief. However, things did not go according to plan but I still wanted to keep the basic idea the same; to make a personal map of experience and what is more personal than your hands?

My Map 

Detail

I began by photocopying my hand as I liked the correlation between fingerprints and map contours and the palm readers ideas about love lines and life lines and being able to tell a lot about a person from their hand. I then added washes of white paint and ink and when that was dry I began writing my experiences over where the lines in my hand would be. Some of the stuff I wrote was positive, these are the lighter areas, and some was negative, the darker, more densely written areas. I then added some stitching and cut it down to 4x6 and got it posted. Although it is not how I envisaged it I am pleased with it as it is personal and I think visually it is quite interesting.

Stitch Detail

4x6 Exchange

4x6 Exchange piece

I've just finished my piece for the 4x6 exchange, run by Brooklyn based Art House Coop (find out more here.) I did several ball point pen drawings of my hands, all overlapping and in different positions and then cut out my favourite bit to the required size (4x6 inches.) I then pleated and insertion stitched some tracing paper over the top and then backed it all with a piece of plain white paper and blanket stitched the whole lot together. I find it quite difficult and a little restrictive to work on such a small scale and I like the way the blanket stitch acts like a barrier, making it feel enclosed and trapped. I also like the layers and how the tracing paper slightly but not totally obscures the drawing. I hope whoever gets my work likes it! I'm really looking forward to seeing what work I get in return, it could be anything from anywhere which is very exciting.

Stitching the tracing paper

The cut up drawing

Tracing paper over the drawing

Blanket stitching the edges

Corner view