Wishing you all the happiest Christmas and and peaceful, healthy and happy 2015. Will try very hard to be a more regular blogger next year! - Hilary xx

Playing with other peoples toys

One of the bonuses of demonstrating at the big shows, is that sometimes other people ask you to see what you can do with their toys. This happened at Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show this last November. Jamie from Colouriscious has gorgeous wooden printing blocks in an extraordinary choice of designs. She handed me a few to have a play with on my gelli. So I did - I like playing

  

plain old positive and negatives .. always full of possibilities ... especially with all the texture the gelli plate adds

So I did the same onto thick khadi paper. This was the 6" x 6" gelli and I picked it up and applied it to the paper like a stamp. This allowed me to still get a good print on the thicker material

So then I  tried using the same block with my baby gelli .. I really like the partial print it makes

So I made some more of those

 

then I got out a couple of different blocks, another colour of paint and my 5" x 7" gelli as well - using them all picked up and applied to the thick khadi like a stamp

 

Another piece of khadi paper, stamped and then overdyed

 

Some fabric also stamped and overdyed. Some areas also have detail added with neocolour 1 crayons as I was showing someone that they do work on fabric (not machine washable though) and will resist the dye

 

then - whilst I had the crayons out, I did some rubbings from the blocks - neocolour 1 not 2 (the latter are water soluble)

 

and of course all the off prints had to go somewhere .. so here they are, also overdyed.

A very small play - but lots of possibilities for design here. I'm finding the combination of different size gellis very interesting  and especially love the ability ot pick up those small boys. 

I'll show you some more examples of printing done at Harrogate next time .. some of the materials shown below. I'm trying to keep posts a bit shorter, in the hope I might manage to get them done more often!

Talk soon -Hilary x

out of time .. pics now, words Monday .. well OK Wednesday!

Totally run out of time but wanted to at least get these images put up. They are from session 6 of Make it Personal . I will add words and details on Monday xx

 

And here I am .. on Wednesday in fact ... not a bad effort really. Thank you for the lovely comments already left - I know the students will appreciate them. It is not so easy to be asked to work to access your own style and creativity, but without exception the girls have risen to that challenge and excelled. You would ever look at these images and assume they had all been on the same workshop would you? And that proves the point - each of them has gone out on that scary limp and resisted the temptation to work with my style .. and found their own. I am so proud of them.

 

First up is Alison - who I first met at the two day workshop 'Make it Personal' at Festival of Quilts 2013. Alison has a beautiful gentle way of making marks and pattern - quite unlike any one else. Very gestural and expressive, I also love her way of putting unusual colour combinations into her work. I really hope she will carry on and stitch into these pieces and continue to follow her won artists path 

 

 

 

 

Another student who has been with me all year is Dorothy. I shall not mention actual ages, but I know Dorothy would say herself she is into her '3rd age' and she constantly surprises and impresses me with her enthusiasm for new things and ideas, not to mention her technological capabilities, which far out weigh mine. Dorothy has a wicked collection of fabulous art journal type stencils and stamps, which are fabulous, but which she was banned from using in this particular course (she took this very well - on the chin!) - as I really wanted a more personal expression. She has kept to this, and produced these lovely pieces, which are also beautifully stitched (first two), plus some more ideas in her sketchbook to keep her going ... well done my 'duck head eater'!

 

 

 

 

 

Helen G has also been with me since January and I have loved watching her grow in both skill and confidence ... the last the hardest trip, but looking at these pieces, I reckon she should feel pretty pleased with herself. Helen started form a position of virtually no 'art quilting' knowledge and I know this has sometimes made her feel a little insecure alongside more experienced group members. Well firstly - well done for staying the course Helen - sticking with something that you find hard, when you feel unsure is not easy at all - it takes a person with tough mettle - and that is you. Secondly, it can actually be easier to develop your won style and processes when you are not already 'cluttered up' with lots of (often conflicting) knowledge. A good example would be that Helen told me in the last session that her favourite technique was screen printing, particularly breakdown printing (and she has stunning prints from her play days). Screen printing can be viewed with trepidation by even quite experienced contemporary quilters - and Helen only got two days of tuition - in which we did a dash through many many screen printing technique. But the point is - she never learnt that it could be complicated - so she doesn't think it is (and done in my rather irreverent way - it isn't). To me, that is perfect - and gives so much freedom. Anyway - I will stop shut up now and let you admire her work .. still to be stitched, but stunning

 

 

 

 

 

Another regular since the start of the year is Pat, who chose fruit and veg markets as her theme - which could last her for the rest of her life if she chooses - it is so rich in imagery and history. Pat does beautiful drawings and paintings and utilised many of these to work into images for linocuts. This is such a good way of moving from a beautiful set of vignettes .. such as these ..

 

 

 

to wonderful, vibrant cloth like this .. that is just begging to be made into work

 

 

 

some of these were worked into wonderful colourful collages (below) which may, or may not have the larger silhouette type images added

 

 

 

here Pat is playing with layering different sizes and chopped up images

 

 

 

 

and here with taking some crops out of those gorgeous sweet pea drawings. These are beautiful, both in colour and in B+W .. I so hope Pat goes on to make these as finished pieces - she did promise she would ..

 

 

 

 

Pat obviously loves her sketchbooks - we all ogled many of them over the year .. but this one, which is an altered book which she started in our re-cycling session is just stunning. Amazed she didn't get it snitched at some point.

 

 

 

 

 

I think Pat also had a canvas from the previous session, which she managed to sneak by me .. but I'll get it from last times photos for you to see in my next post.

 

Sitting opposite Pat for all six session was my other Helen - Helen M, who was working with a theme of flowers. Another sketchbook lover, she produced some beautiful pages over the course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many many possible designs here and Helen was planning to take some cropped portions of the above drawing for some more. Sadly she was poorly for one 'working into design' session - but still has plenty to go at .. and this is some of her beautiful pile of materials made - so plenty to go at it with too

 

 

 

And so the  last, but most definitely not least of my year long students, was Christine. What a glorious feel for colour and pattern she has. Working with w theme of rainforests and their foliage in particular, she printed, stamped and stencilled the most extraordinary collection of vibrant materials during the year. And lots - it was a real pleasure to watch her enthusiasm and joy in making patterns and colour. Christine wonders if she should tone it down a bit? add a bit of blanker space? Only she can know the answer to whether that is what she likes - but for me - it's a big NOOOOOOO ... we all need to celebrate who we are. Design principles are there to guide only - never be afraid to break them if that is what you like. A prolific worker - she made all of theses in the last two sessions ... many of which are fully stitched too. I can't wait to see where she goes in the future

 

 

 

 

That is true of all the girls who I have had with me since January .. I feel I know them now and they all have huge talent and potential - I so look forward to seeing where they travel from now on.

Bernice had to miss the last session (gadding off on holiday - tut), but in my next post I will go through all the stuff made at the last MIP session, which was also working into design - so you can see her beautiful work then.

 

Not all students are able to come to every class and some dropped in and out during the year. Brenda is one of those - my Brenda ... another far too modest girl who makes some gorgeous work. Brenda bought back some of the materials made in earlier sessions, plus some she had added to the stash. Born and bred in Wales, she wanted to work using an image form near where she lives (wait till you see it - you will be jealous - I was). First of all, she worked to interpret this in a collage in her sketchbook ...

 

 

and then went to make this beautiful atmospheric collage on felt ...

 

 

 

this is already stunning and I cant wait to see it with stitch added

 

Brenda travels over form Wales with her friend Linda .. another hugely talented girl. Like me, Linda struggles to actually focus on any one thing, as the ideas just keep popping up. This can be great (never short of ideas) but also frustrating sometimes, if you don't learn to control it and make sure you see things through before leaping to a new idea (well sometimes anyway!) Another one with sketchbooks to die for, Linda focussed on staying OUT of them, and into some pieces for the two days - including this wonderful collage on to paper - which she intends to back and stitch

 

 

 

 

beautiful silhouettes over collage

 

 

 

and this glorious piece - which actually ended up with a large pot of ferns, in colour over the top. Dixter was just posed to see how things were working in the background. I'm so cross I didn't get the final piece photographed, as it was amazing. Please send it to me Linda ....

 

 

Linda also bought some work done using materials made in the previous session she attended

 

 

 

 

Kath attended the first two workshops and then returned for the last one as well. ON her first sessions she made some beautiful printed and stencilled fabrics in a wonderful range of blues. This time, she bought a collage with her, made using some of those materials - so delicate ...

 

 

In the final session. Kath decided to work using an image of some puffins, to make a background with silhouette foreground. Again, I put my camera away before the puffins arrived (some had to leave early so we took photos before the end) ... it is beautiful without them though and I hope Kath will send me an image of the piece when completed

 

 

And this time, Kath bought her sister, Pat , who was staying with her to come and play with us. Very brave, as she had not been to any previous sessions, so was jumping right in at the deep end. Pat had bought some gorgeous fabrics dyed during a day with Edwina Mackinnon and with the addition of a few of my papers, decided to make a collage on khadi paper, loosely based on a log cabin block. Both her fabric and my paper had spiral shapes in them, so she used this for some foreground shapes. I think this is amazing .. well done Pat and is going to look even more amazing when stitched.

 

 

So that was the last session for this year. I still have images to show you form previous sessions and will do that soon. Until then - here are two of my very camera shy girls - caught unawares - I shall miss them all - Hilary xx