Over this summer I took the opportunity to do some screen printing. I created a few pieces of art out of the resulting prints and this is one of them. Coronation uses text from the British monarchy crowning ceremony, machine and hand embroidery and a little beaded trim :-)
I ♥ screenprinting!
Another piece derived from my experiences at Rosie James' workshop. This piece started out life as an experiment and finished as this fabric collage.
The figures come from a photo I took in Hawaii of my dancer friend. They are stitched on sheer fabrics and layered to create the illusion of movement.
The photo was taken on a beach so I ran with this idea when choosing my colour pallet and creating the collage. I used textured fabrics in silvers and blues. I free machine stitched a wave shape on silver lame to add to the collage.
I finished this piece off with the phrase 'To Be Free' which the figures inspired. I free machine stitched these through the blue and silver net layers.
I like the funky colours and textures I used in this piece. I am currently trying to find my signature style and this boldness might be it!
I made this piece while on Rosie James' machine embroidery workshop.
Watched By The Lady (2008)
I started with this photo that I took on my travels in 2008. I then used machine embroidery techniques from the class to reproduce it.
The Lady was transferred to metallic organza and free machine embroidered with black thread.
The grate was sewn from the back of the piece with wool in the bobbin of the machine to give the raised effect. The figures were cut out of bondaweb applied to lining fabric and attached over the top.
The flowers were not part of my original design. I needed to make the piece bigger for the canvas I had and found the floral backing. When I placed the whole piece on top it just happened to fall with the yellow square over the flower. I decided to embroider over the top to incorporate it into my design.
I'm a big fan of these techniques now so expect to see more work like this from me - thanks Rosie!
Last weekend I went down to Brighton to attend a work shop with the embroidery artist Rosie James. If you are not familiar with her work, Rosie uses stitch to draw her pieces, often on sheer layers. I love her work and was very excited!
Over Saturday and Sunday, Rosie showed us her process and let us experiment with various different ways of making marks on fabric using a sewing machine. There were several techniques I would not have thought of, like putting wool in the bobbin and sewing from the back and loosening the tension to create different effects.
By the end of the weekend I had two pieces almost finished, several samples and a bunch of pieces in mind for the future! I even had a go at quilting which I really want to pursue.
It was a really fun weekend. I met a lot of interesting people and now I get to call Rosie my friend because she gave me a lift home! I've finished the two pieces and mounted them. I've got a sneak preview of them here. I like both pieces a lot so I'm going to blog about them seperatly.
A big thank you to Rosie for an excellent weekend! If you want to see more of her work, check out her blog StitchDraw here.
I managed to get to the opening of the Sketchbook Project 2011 opening at the Brooklyn Art Library the other week. I was very excited to see my sketchbook in amongst the thousands of others contributed by artists from all over the world!
The Brooklyn Art Library
Checking in with your library card
The check out desk where you select the sketchbooks you want to see
People enjoying our sketchbooks
I didn't find my sketchbook right away as I had apparently forgotten what the spine looked like (I thought it was orange but it was actually grey and red!) but after a thorough search I found it proudly in the Jackets, Blankets and Sheets section.
Right in the middle of the shelf!
I looked through a few other sketchbooks while I was there. I was particularly taken with Rachel Smith's and Jennifer McBrien's books. Rachel's was all sketches of people as she wants to be a fashion illustrator. I connected with Jennifer through her sketchbook, half way through she wrote about how she is in a creative job but is trying to make herself be more artistic and the sketchbook was a way of doing that. I used the Sketchbook Project for a similar reason and found her work very relatable and beautiful. I have found her on Etsy and am going to message her. Please check out her wares as they are as beautiful as her sketchbook here: JennyJen42
Left: Jennifer McBrien's Sketchbook Right: Rachel Smith's Sketchbook
I am very proud to have my work in the Sketchbook Project 2011 and would love it if you, my readers could go see it. The tour takes it to the following venues:
March 12th: Austin Museum of Art, Austin TX (during the SXSW festival)
March 30th: April 2nd: SPACE Gallery, Portland ME
April 8th-9th: The Granite Room, Atlanta GA
April 11th - 30th: Transformer Gallery, Washington DC
June 10th-12: Form/Space Atelier, Seattle WA
June 18th: 111Minna Gallery, San Francisco CA
July 14th-17th: Hyde Park Arts Center, Chicago IL
July 29th - 31st: Full Sall University, Winter Park FL
Just ask for Joanne Donn's Sketchbook and they'll find it for you!
Here are the final six pages of my Sketchbook Project. I think these are some of my favourites as they are less literal and much more artistic.
Page 13 – Blood Spatter
This is one of my favourite pages. This is because I leave the interpretation up to the viewer. Sheets made me think of the word blood. But where does the blood come from? You must make up your own mind on that. I used layers of watered down acrylic paint to create the blood spatter on my cotton sheet. I then hand embroidered the shape of a blood spatter pattern into it. I added the words ‘birth’ and ‘innocence’ to the piece. Is this the creation of innocence, or is it being taken away? What is being born?
Page 14 – Illness
Not all imagery that came to mind on this theme was positive or light. Combining ideas related to jackets and blankets made me think of padded rooms and straight jackets. I diagonally quilted this page with machine stitches then added repurposed shoe buckles and straps to show restraint.
Page 15 – Between the Sheets
Sheets make me think of certain activities. For a while I have wanted to create a piece around an adult theme, and sheets seemed to call for it. Between the Sheets shows a couple together in bed – literally between the sheets. They are hand embroidered in white, melting them into the sheet, not only becoming one but becoming part of the sheets as well. The title is hand embroidered in pale pink to express love, rather than lust.
Page 16 – Family
Going back to the idea of quilts I wanted to create a page that looked at the artistry that can be put into quilt making and the generations these items can encompass. Family is a quilted family tree – four generations of my family are represented in the hand stitched names on the leaves. They dance around the solid trunk showing how we are individuals, but are also part of a whole – my family.
Page 17 – Snow
The phrase ‘blanket of snow’ started this piece. While thinking of snow I also thought of the phrases ‘snow white sheets’ and ‘winter jacket’. I combined all of these on a piece invoking the colours and sparkle of a winter scene. Silver sparkle snow flakes adorn the background surrounded by scraps of white net decorated with silver sequins. A layer of silver net secures them in place with free form machine embroidered squiggles in silver thread. The phrases are hand stitched over the top in a light grey tone.
Page 18 – Picnic
Blankets are not only used on beds – they can also be taken outside of the home. This final page was inspired not by the word but by the fabrics I found. The right side of the piece uses a fabric that made me think of tree bark and the outdoors – which in turn made me think of picnics. I combined it with a subtle floral print fabric in a sunny yellow and used it as a chance to practice some floral stitches. The woven roses are stitched in harmonious colours and the wells in the bark fabric are emphasised by a subtle backstitch.
More photos of my Sketchbook project can be seen in the Sketchbook Project photo album here
Back to my Sketchbook! Here are a few more pages for you to peruse!
Page 9 – Pattern….. 1
Some words have double meanings, even with this theme. Pattern is one of those words. In this piece I look at printed patterns in fabric. These can be used to advantage in clothing and linens. I took a busily printed piece of cotton and emphasised parts of it with gold and silver free form machine embroidery. The lanterns now sparkle in the light and the birds and flowers are gilded by their gleam.
Page 10 – Pattern… 2
Another type of pattern adorns this piece – a jacket pattern. I chose a fabric in a tartan print which would be a good choice for a jacket. I shrunk down a dress-making pattern for a jacket and hand embroidered the lines onto the fabric. The thick black lines emphasise the contours of the jacket pattern and show its shape, what it will become, its potential.
Page 11 – Buttons
From materials we turn to function. Buttons are mainly associated with jackets here, but can also be used for decoration. I took inspiration from trimming on 60’s jackets for this page – simple, clean lines that make an impact. The black buttons against the yellow background also catch the eye.
Page 12 – Pocket
What can be found within the pocket? Lint? Money? A forgotten note? A key? So many things can be hidden within a pocket, or forgotten, then found again. Pockets are simple, functional additions that we cannot be without.
The date for the first stop of the tour has changed - the Sketchbook Project tour will now begin in NYC on February 19th - go check it out :-)
More pages from my Sketchbook Project! These pages start to look at materials and decoration...
Page 5 – Quilted
Quilted is another word that can be used for both jackets and blankets. Here it is for blankets – the kind we find on our beds that have been passed down through the family or made by our mothers to keep us warm. I chose fabrics in warm colours with a simple feminine pattern and created a basic quilt pattern. The piece is even backed with batting like a real quilt. I hand embroidered the word ‘quilted’ in a harmonious orange tone and used a rounded font to evoke the idea of children and family.
Page 6 – Embroidered
This page was the first one I completed. I looked at jackets in fashion magazines and found images that I liked and inspired me. I found a current trend for embroidered detailing. Embroidery can be used on jackets, blankets or sheets and is obviously very important to my work. I took inspiration from one particular jacket and created a flourishing design based on natural elements. I used free form machine embroidery to build up the design in several harmonious autumnal colours. I included the image that had originally inspired me in the piece, free form machine stitched in place under gold sparkle netting. Embroidery on jackets can be ornate and historical costume is a good source of this. I used this idea when hand embroidering the words on the piece in gold embroidery floss.
Page 7 – Skins
I thought about the materials that could be used for the manufacture of Jackets, Blankets and Sheets. Animal skins have been used for centuries as body covers and for warmth at night. I made an abstract piece incorporating synthetic leather and leopard skin, inspired by the idea of detailing on jacket collars, cuffs and pockets. Floating on the surface are the words ‘skins’, ‘leather’ and ‘fur’ that helped me to realise the piece.
Page 8 – Wool
Continuing looking at materials I also thought of wool felt. Another animal by-product, though more humane, wool can be transformed into entire garments or blankets or just embellishment. I took this as an opportunity to practice some needle felting techniques. I used quilt batting as a base and needle felted wisps of wool to it in varying shapes and contours. I would like to continue this practice, perhaps as decoration for a garment, in the future.
The first leg of the Sketchbook Tour opens on February 11th in Brooklyn, NY so come check it out!
Here are some more pages from my Sketchbook Project...
Page 2 - Spider Diagram
When I got my theme I made a spider diagram to record my thoughts. I often do this when starting work, especially when it has a specific theme or title. I decided to add this to my sketchbook and display it in keeping with the other sewn pages. I chose a patterned background (which I then later used for the inside covers also) and sewed the words on computer paper to the background. I then used red embroidery floss to join them to the diagram. I used the full 6 strands of floss to really make it stand out and show the ties these words have for me to my subject.
I then chose my favourite words from this thought bubble to create my pages.
Page 3 - Warmth
When I think of jackets and blankets I think of warmth. Jackets keep you warm outside and blankets are added to your bed to keep the chill out. When I thin of warmth I see red as its colour, and fleece is a very warm fabric. I had a scrap of fleece from an old dressing gown, which I repurposed for this page. I followed the lines of the original pattern and added red stripes to symbolise the warmth within. I stitched the word ‘warmth’ in chunky text to represent being bundled up in jackets and blankets. I finished the piece with a blanket stitched edge to elude to the blankets that can create the warmth.
Page 4 - Bed Sheets
Bed sheets can seem plain. That is until you think about what happens in them. Several words came to mind when thinking of sheets. The prevailing colour that always came to mind for me though, was white. I took several words that I thought of in the context of sheets – sleep, sex, sweat, love – and embroidered them onto a sheet in white. They become part of the sheet as we ourselves do. They are repeated throughout the piece as these are not actions that only happen once, but repeatedly.
I finally finished and posted off my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project 2011! I am going to share the pages with you here over the next few weeks. You can find my Art House Co-Op profile page here and you can see more photos of my sketchbook on my Flickr page here
Cover
The cover of my sketchbook was inspired by blankets I found in my research. In particular, Mexican blankets with their striped patterns caught my eye. I am taking part in some online workshops called The Smashees, and the first lesson was to make a folio cover. I took this idea and used it for my cover. The background fabric was painted with watered down acrylic paint in colours from my chosen scheme (red, black, white, gold and silver) and then printed over with a rubber stamp. I then added stripes in interesting fabrics in matching colours and layered them under silver net. I free form machine stitched these down in silver and gold thread trying to evoke the idea of anchor stitches. I added a ribbon closure which I decorated with silver machine embroidery.
Inside Cover
I was originally going to attach each sewn page to the paper pages of the sketchbook, but when it came to the final construction I decided this wouldn’t work. I removed the paper pages and sewed all of my sewn pages back to back. I then attached a front and back inside cover piece which I glued to the cardboard cover of the sketchbook. I found the middle page of all my sewn pages and attached this to the middle of the card cover.
Page 1 - Title Page
The first page in my sketchbook is the title page displaying my theme – Jackets, Blankets and Sheets. I took this as an opportunity to experiment with free form machine embroidery and embroidered the words on to cotton in black thread. I enjoyed the process – although it took a long time It was quite satisfying in the end. I think on the whole I prefer hand embroidery, but I can see where machine embroidery will have a place in my work.
