Dreamscapes

Creative day 6 already:)

Today, after a good nights sleep, I felt much more up to tackling yesterday's rainbow challenge - as this mini knit is now being called!  As a bonus, the sun came out adding the feel good factor so I indulged in sitting in the garden knitting and writing my own version of the pattern. As this pretty much took most of the afternoon and is a pretty boring process to photograph, I thought I'd show you an afternoon's colour sketching I've been working on instead and save the rainbow bag for later on this week. Sound ok to you?  Cool :)

The idea behind this sketch was freeform drawing to music. I wanted to loosen up and not be so precious and considered in my way of working and see what happened. So no structure of composition beforehand, no choice of colours even, just whatever the music evoked in me. In fact, I even decided just to see what music was on the radio and pick something that took my mood.

I happened upon a Russian ballet, a nice long piece, I think it was Stravinsky. I love how these pieces visually tell a story - they flow and swirl, and move you along in their wake. I started drawing organic, soft, swirly shapes, soft colour fields in pastel, building up a tenuous dreamscape with suggestions of dancing figures, flowing with the melody. As the mood changed so did the colours, as a theme became more prominant, I accented it's presence. I smudged and reworked, I tried to capture the layers of story and emotion. And then it was over. Too quickly!!

And I stood back and looked. For me, it captured the feeling the music evoked in me and a transient, ethereal quality of figures not quite visible, partially emerging, then quietly disappearing back into the nebulous background. As a whole compositionally it doesn't work but I like the essence of it overall. It's the capturing of feelings, emotions, the less tangible elements that are such a big part of us. How to honestly express that?

It also inspires me to think how I could take this further. It makes me think of space nebulas, inner dreamscapes, fantasy illustration with printing, stitch and mixed media embellishments. Dreamlike vistas with layered felt as a base - or painted and hand dyed fabrics with applied layers of pattern and decoration. So many ideas just from a little sketch.

This small section makes me think of drawing with felt, seems the next logical step into textiles don't you think? It's been a while though so I'll have to brush up my felting skills and hunt out that fleece:) Hmm, what if I just drew with fleece to music? Added threads, fabrics, sequins, netting, layers of colour. Then went mad with the stitch and embellishment after? Ooh, a rich vein maybe!

Let's see where this goes. I think I might give this project some space to grow into itself over this month and post as I go. It might be nice to dye some fleece or fabrics to work with too. Maybe hand paint some yarns as well so I can knit some new organic vessels inspired by the music. I can see 'the firebird' colourway now, hehe. Time to hunt out some more inspiring music I think :)

Thanks for the company and see you all tomorrow!  elaine x

Coloured Abstract

Felt is a lovely medium to draw with. It gives you instant blocks of colour, but can blend, act as a see-through filter to diffuse colour intensity and trap threads, lace, and fabrics. I also love the fact that you have to be a bit more spontaneous when drawing with fleece. Although there is definite care taken with balance of composition, detail and colour palette, I find it more expansive a medium to draw with.


This piece starts looking at abstraction, colour and drawing landscapes with felt and the intention is to take these initial studies further with stitch and collage embellishment. But I think I like this one as it is. The majority of the fleece is hand dyed shetland and wensleydale (curly bits) with some pre-dyed merino. I also have some silk tops I'd like to dye and use as a cobweb filter in places too.


The amazing thing about felt is the detail that the fibres give you close up - they could even be mini compositions in their own right. I also like the fact that felt isn't precious. If it doesn't flow as well as you intended then you can always take a viewfinder and find a new composition within, then chop it up!! I haven't done that here - this one is a birthday present - but the one before this has become a smaller composition, a birthday card and three small cards. Hey, it's flexible!


Another quandry I have with felt though is how to present it. Felt by nature tends to produce uneven edges and I like this element but I also love wall to wall colour with no white to distract the intensity/depth of colour. So, edges or no edges? (compare pic 1 and pic 5)
Also should it be behind glass or suspended as a wall hanging? Textiles as wall decorations will trap dust and are then difficult to clean so maybe glass should be used but then it acts as a barrier to the textile itself and it has such a tactile quality - touchy feely. Thoughts anyone?


So more of these to follow. I would like to gather some more source on natural forms and abstract elements in nature or landscapes - microscopic aspects would work here too. More development in the sketchbook and more playing with felt, I think!

Happy Birthday John! I hope you like your felted abstract landscape:-)

Hats and Holidays

After a busy week so far, there are now more things on the website. Please feel free to have a gander! My new camera has been a godsend for sharp photos - shame the light isn't quite so good now that summer has definitely left us. But on the good side, all the beaches in Cornwall are now relately empty which means I can wander about with my camera snapping away, testing all the buttons.

This is Crantock beach, near Newquay - the tide is way out and has left lots of rippling sand patterns to photograph.

I did try out the new macro lens on my camera and got some good close-ups of the madly coloured seaweed/moss washed onto the beach.

I thought these offered interesting colour combinations, possibly for dip dyeing yarns or fabric for new projects. The colours are subtle but still manage to retain a bright pink element - I like that. Nature is very clever in her colour choices - can't beat it!

Of course, we couldn't go to the beach without some drawing on the best free canvas!

A photo heavy post today - back soon hopefully with more progress and some images from the Angie Lewin exhibition I visited today.

Caio for now,
elaine