Variety is the spice of life...
Almost a year has passed since I last posted here, and looking back there never seems to be a dull moment. Working in stitch & running your own business, is nothing but varied!
I am now continuing to work regularly with the charity WORTH, have connected with a local wool shop to run workshops there, re-introduced my own studio workshops here in Chesterfield.
Harlequin Arts studio
facilitated banners for young dancers with Disability Dance, run workshops for Sheffield Children’s Hospital, project managed & led a new Arts on Prescription project in a health centre as well as worked with Derbyshire primary schools on a couple of larger projects.
Juggling act...
Being freelance is always a juggling act...not enough paid work, too much work at the same time, juggling paperwork with promotion, cash flow with creativity. Its very rarely the idyllic scenario of artist beavering away creatively in a beautifully organised studio. (You obviously haven't been in my studio recently... it has been far too busy to tidy!)
I can't believe it has been two months since I last posted here. It has seemed a chaotic couple of months, mostly preparing, planning and delivering workshop sessions around the region.
I have finished the Creative Cuppa Project in Nottinghamshire and begun working with new people in the Arts at the HeART of Wellbeing Project in Derbyshire.
Projects beginning with "C"
I have spent less time in the studio this month on my own work, and more time preparing and planning for workshops...all, co-incidentally, beginning with "C"!
I have started my after school club sessions at Calow Primary school, looking at Asian art. We have had a great time creating kites, fans, dragons, lanterns and printing.
Fabric Transfer Paint
This week I have begun a new piece in my journey series and used some transfer printed background as a basis for the piece.
Here, I have used fabric transfer paint on several pieces of thin copier paper. Some were simply painted with a brush: others were sponged or printed on using bubble wrap. Once dry, I tore the papers, arranged them onto a long piece of paper & glued them down using a glue stick.
With the image face down onto the fabric that I wanted to print, I then ironed the image carefully onto the fabric.
When ironing transfer paints onto fabric, you have to remember that you will need to use a synthetic fabric for the colours to transfer boldly. I like the effect on cotton voile or evalon best. Try a few experiments to see which work for you.
I've been working increasingly with fabric paper & have been using small amounts in my textile art for a while.
I discovered the technique about five years ago and it seemed to combine my love of fabric, paper and collage.
I like how the paper creases when I make it and the fact that I can collage or paint, print or stitch into its robust surface and I'm quite pleased with the effect I've managed to recreate of the look of wooden boards in this piece.
Here's what I did...
I've used watered down PVA glue over a layer of muslin, which is covered with tissue paper, then more PVA glue. You can use any coloured tissue or magazine papers, but here I wanted to paint it later so have used white...