Drawing with the sewing machine.

After I was introduced to iMovie, I wanted to explore on iStopmotion, but the university does not have the software I need to work with iMovie, which means live action movies. I then realized filming with live action I am still able to make it look like still images and really expand on the idea of time.

I have realized my strong point is within the embroidery area, I have started to use the rides in Blackpool Pleasure Beach as templates, to help me to develop. I have used line drawing to draw out the ride then used the sewing machine as a tool to draw and overlap them.



Figure 1: Personal image, drawing of the ride.

 

 

Figure 2: Personal image, my overlapping experiment.

 

 

 

I see film as a ground to work with, but with limited budget, what I did was to photocopy the film onto paper, then cut them out into the same size as a roll of film, then I stitched on top of it with both machine stitch and handstitch. See figure 3 and 4.

 

 

Figure 3: Personal image, Stitching onto papers.



Figure 4: Personal image, stitching onto papers.

From a distance people actually thought I used real film instead of paper. With the filming, I was filming about the process of making, but then I was interested in the performers in Blackpool Pleasure Beach, but when I tried to combine the film of the process of making and the dance performance together in iMovie, it does not feel related.

 



Figure 5: Personal image, the overall view of the long scroll paper/ Working space.

I photocopied some sections that I like on the long scroll paper and this way it helps me to capture the moment and it helps me to develop sections that work more.

 

 



Experimenting with film

During the process of this project, I planned to introduce embroidery within my works. As in the last unit – Sampling -, sadly I did not have a chance to combine embroidery and Print together, as I intended to.

I have been inspired by La Cineteca Del Comune Di Bologna’s film - Danza Serpentina, 1869.

Danza Sperpentina, 1869

 

 

This has led me to think of ways to combine drawings, film and embroidery together.

I experimented with painting nail vanish on top of the film and rolling it back and playing it.

 

 

Figure 1, personal photograph, applied nail vanish on top of the 16mm films.

 



 

Figure 2, personal photograph. 16mm film.

 

 

 

 

Video of the film playing.



Drawing, Distort and Warp

On Friday (17/1/14)  ‘drawing, distort and warp’ really helped me to understand the process of print making, because the task was to develop an awareness of colour and composition by observing with no tonal drawing. I brought my seashell for still life drawing, because it related to data, the way a seashell grows in a spiral. I drew it from different perspectives. 

Then I used gouache paint to fill in the drawing. If I looked at my drawing from a printer point of view, black and white, I would be able to see where the colours transferred onto the fabric. I have been trying to do this.

Although at first it seems that I am still using paint to draw lines, as I go on, it becomes clearer where the negatives and where the positives are, the balance between black and white. Then I used photocopying to help create collages. 

I used this new process to help me to look back on my drawings that I have done for my motif designs, then I used sharpies to fill in any areas where colour would be. It is a bit like colouring, because I used a pencil as a guide line, then used a fine-liner to draw continuous line drawing on top. Overlapping these two I get the positive, then I use a sharpie to fill in any areas that I want to be negative. I think, in print, you have to be able to see where the balance is. On my first attempt there was too much positive and not enough negative. Also, I need to think ahead, to be able to transfer positive and negative space the other way round, because I think in print, everything is backward.

 

 

I had another go at the flat colours (the bottom image above), but I was having difficulty in getting the flat colours, using flat colours is a bit like pop art, no blending. I thought of using the photocopier to photocopy my painting then using a pen knife to cut out the flat colour bits and representing these in a collage way. I thought this would be another way of working around it, in a way that I am most comfortable with.   

Combining drawings and hand stitch

I was inspired by Alice Kettle. Her work involves combining drawings, prints, hand stitch into contemporary textiles.

In the Guise of an Angel

I have found this piece very inspiring, the use of colours, the textures and the energy within have bought movements in to this piece. I was trying to create the sketchy feel in my work by using mainly drawing and use little hand stitch just to bring out the details.  

The making of my works.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=704698019540472&l=3135599664767579340

Series of work, transferring chance card drawing into textiles

I have decided to work with the environment around me, in this case, my plants. I have observed different parts of the plant and used hand stitch to creates line drawings on the found object, receipt. 

I have first wet the recipes then used indian ink and dripping it on top, let the ink soak in, put it under the water and soften the colours and let it dry. 

  

I like the feel of papers and the marks it left of where the needles has been, I think papers requires looking after while working with it. However, tears marks can be interesting too. Working with receipts, it gives an idea of mapping the city, creating a connection outside the studio and ''leaving a foot print of where I have been.''

Transferring chance cards drawing in textile work (part 2)

This is a photocopy of what I have done in overall, on the left hand side is my textile work inspired by a mushroom, in the middle is some ribbons I have found and I have started to loop them together, because I have been taugh to do the open blanket stitch, but I have found it difficult to remember which way I should put my needle, therefore, I have thought of recreating this hand stitch technique without having to use the needle.

This is my without needle open blanket stitch, or looping.

Transferring chance card drawing into textiles work

This is a photograph of a mushroom that I have found in Withworth Park, I have taken this as my inspiration and starting point.

This is a photograph of my samplings, I have picked out one of the chance cards: draw with 20 lines. I have first drew a mushroom, then adding my own instruction to, which was: draw with 20 lines, after that use a rubber to rub out the drawing and repeat as many times as needed. Therefore, the drawing would ended up with rubbed out lines as well as the new ones. 

Then I have transformed that into textile work, first I have studied the colour of the mushroom and decided to use a rather light weighted fabric to represent that, however, I have later on added threads onto it ,but leaving the middle empty, because in the picture above, all the lines based around and leaving the middle part empty.