Sapling

'You're Not Gonna Reach My Telephone...'

The phone box has lots of space surrounding it and I think another focal point is missing. I am however, drawn to the feeling of isolation that this piece suggests and the unfinished quality of the railings; it is as though they have jus been abandoned. This piece does need further work and I will think carefully about adding another element.

A Little Bit Sketchy

Initial sketches, recording objects and animals that I have abstracted from their natural surroundings. These drawings can be worked further onto larger pieces of paper; thinking about composition, space and the placement and pairings of specific images.

Chickens

Handstitched samples of chickens in different settings. The surrounding space affects the composition of each sample and the relation between the images. The smaller sample I feel works better in terms of composition and narrative as the chickens work together and tell a story. The colour blending and shading of the chickens gives them a realistic feeling, a suggestion that they have been taken from real life and captured in stitch.

Moorhens, Pigeons and Wheelie Bins...

More black work samples, which are very time consuming. The stitched birds seem to work better than the inanimate objects; the wheelie bin seems to be missing depth and texture which I could add through applique of hand painted screen print. I have been playing around with these images in compositions and patterns for commercial designs for childrens interior fabrics or wrapping paper... pictures to follow!

Blackwork has begun...

Experimenting with various methods of reinterpreting the same image in fabric. The 'blackwork-ed' bird has more appeal than the appliqued one, however I do like the handpainted silk screen leaves which add depth to the otherwise flat image. From these samples I have realised that scale and detail of the image is an important factor in my work, and in the next weeks I will revert back to my original style of drawing and capturing images.

Watercolours...

I enjoy working with watercolour as I can layer the various tones and shades. These two images are contrasts of the country and urban environments and from these I intend to interpret them into stitched pieces. In the next few weeks I would like to experiment using different techniques with the same image to see how it changes the perception and reading of the illustration.