It's all about seeing possibilities isn't it ...

You can tell I'm enjoying myself when I need to blog two days in a row, because I just have to show you how it's all going ..

So here are some images of trying out various arrangements of my blue gelli prints and coppery leaves on my canvas ..

 

 

I finally decided on this background - which is none of the above .. but that is just typical of me .. I am always open to a quick nudge and slip

 

 

I sealed it all with matt medium and then glued on the leaves using matte gel - which is thicker and stronger. I've just recoated it in medium to get everything well sealed and then I shall be getting back in with crayons and some metallic buffings (yes spello - I do mean buffings). It will then get stitched

 

- I'll post again when it's done.

  

 

Moving on a bit (about 2 minutes in real time), yesterday I made these pages in a sketchbook. I was inspired by an article in Quilting Arts magazine - which frequently inspires and enthuses me about techniques both old and new. I used to be a member of a yahoo site for quilters and they had a discussion  a year or so ago, where they were rather disparaging about Quilting Arts magazine - sort of saying that unless you were fairly new to contemporary quilting and green behind the ears - it didn't have much to offer. I disagreed at the time, and still do. I am moderately new to art quilting, but have been around in modern textiles for many years and have obviously come across most techniques and ideas already. But I try to stay open enough to be able to still see possibilities in all sorts of things. I have always got Q Arts and still do, and it is rare issue that doesn't get my little brain ticking off down new paths - and this was a classic example. I have made fabric books, I have included fabric in my sketchbooks and included papers in my fabric books. I have even covered a board book with fabric - but I had not actually stuck fabric all over the pages of a paper sketchbook as background to work over. I wasn't overly enamoured of the actual examples shown (not a criticism - just not necessarily my thing) - BUT I didn't let that put me off. I read the article and it sparked the thought off - and I immediately got out a nice big posh A3 sketchbook and started preparing some pages with fabric (another lesson here - use your expensive sketchbooks!).

 

 

 

 

That in itself was enjoyable enough to justify the time - but I really wanted to get past the fact I already quite liked them - and use them. So last night I splobbed (yes - splobbed) gesso over page 1 . I used a cheap gesso (the works) so it is pretty translucent ... and no .. it doesn't look as pretty any more - but I'm holding the faith ...

 

 

 

then today, whilst making my canvas, I chucked - sorry, stored the excess blue printed paper on my sketch book ... and it looked rather nice!!

 

 

 

 

I also had a piece of scrap paper I  had been using to blot up dye and gesso - a classic 'duffer' - and this seemed to look ok too

 

 

 

the next image is especially for Sam Packer - a close up of the DUFFER - anyone else ignore of you wish ... Sam has a soft spot for them

 

 

 

so I started chopping and trying out bits on the page, whilst the canvas dried

 

 

I had traced the leaves before painting them, in order to make some stencils for the Make it Personal course in January and February .. which was very handy, as I was able to just trace onto my duffer and cut out more leaves

 

(quick interjection here - we have an extra Make it Personal, day one class running on 5th/6th February 2014, to take the overflow from Day 1. It still has some spaces if you fancy coming and playing ... my big gelli is coming too if that helps)

 

 interjection over - back to laying out bits .. lovely job

 

 

Happy with the pattern - I stuck them all down and then coated it all in matte medium. When this dries, I can go back into it if I wish  (almost certainly will - I'm liking it, and I left gaps between pages, so I could stitch)

 

 

but even as it stands - it is already setting off thoughts and ideas - some of these crops could be printed of and stitched for a start .. or used as patterns for larger work .. or .. or ...

 



 

 

 

 

 

so I think it all depends on you and how open you are to seeing the possibilities. Always look for that little spark of an idea, then play and experiment (what if?, what about?) and see where it takes you - so often it is somewhere good.

 

For instance - when walking Dixter this morning I spotted these lovely passion flower leaves (excuse the dye stained drop cloth) .. aren't they gorgeous?? You know what I'm going to have to do don't you??!!

 

 

thank you for visiting - Hilary x