Urban Influences & Artist Research

Figure 1: Irish embroidery machine

I had my introduction on the Irish embroidery machine, it allows me to free stitch zip zap and gives different quality of line to my drawings. This was my first attempt.  I experimented with different types of threads, for example, see figure 1, I have use variegated thread as it changes colour for this thread that I used, it has different shades of blue, not only it gives me different quality lines but also creates an interesting effect.

Because the Irish machine is so powerful, it built up layer on the fabric with threads, I had to be careful with what types of thread that I use. Therefore, I had to work my way round with the circumstances. Such as I cannot stitch onto pieces of fabrics that I stitched together, it has to be one whole piece of fabric. The texture this builds mimics 3D.

 

Figure 2: Machine and hand-stitch

 

After putting together a scene / story line, I have taking apart and putting different subject matters back together. I have moved to personalising the portraits into someone I know rather than a stranger in order to be able to add more detail into the storyline.

In there I have focus on a story telling with my boyfriend, I have done his face separately on two different types of fabric and re-join them back together with the work I have previously done.

Using free stitch for the words, I chose to allow the letters to stand out clearly.  The words represent my narrative to the story.

The original piece has been added into this composition and purposefully does not follow the golden or photographic rules.

 

 Figure 3: The flat

This is a piece I had developed previously and realised its potential to add into this storyline. The work is produced on straight feet stitch. The flat is my own flat and is stitched into the storyboard. I pick my subject matter carefully to match the static. Portraits are free stitch, buildings are straight stitches which is harder to do. Using a piece that had been previously developed links past and present but allows me to speed up my work. It demonstrates my developing skills with different feet and my ability to link the two into one composition.

 

Figure 4: The building site

This is free stitch. As the images show, those are my unsuccessful samples, but in order to save time I have put them together and re work on the colour, scale and recreate a new story telling through fabric, about my boyfriend surrounding, that he lives in that flat with me, that he was working in that building site.

With strangers it is hard to create such a story telling drawing when I know nothing about them, therefore I thought it is useful to create stories about people that I care about and then I thought of myself.

Figure 7: Multihead

I have found the methods of making that is best for myself, for example, the mulithead get my design done and beautifully, but it miss the hand craft textures, what I did was, instead letting the machine do all the work for me, I have skip the second layer, so it shows the understitch. However, this technique it is not for me.  This technique is not necessary for my work.

 

Figure 5: Machine stitch

I compare this to my previous work in black and white and can see my techniques improving and my confidence withy using colour and collage is also developing.

The blue lady is a self-portrait. This is a natural progression from working with strangers, to friends, to the self. The composition blends roads and plays with perspectives.

Sometimes, I experiment with fabric that I have saved previously in order to make new links.  I am confident to use different fabrics together and know how these materials and stitch can work together for different effects.

Figure 6: Marc Chagall (1887-1985)

I have made some connection with Marc Chagall’s work, the imaginative.

I enjoy experimenting with the narrative within my work, sometimes the messages are obvious, other times they are hidden within the work.

I guess I have spent a lot of time thinking, day dreaming, that’s why I like the idea of imagining and be inspired of the realist but put into an imaginative way.

I have used inspiration from narrative and urban and adapted my work to encompass words, images and this helps me communicate with others in a way that is the most common form of expression.