Sketchbook Project Limited Edition

Goodness, it has been a long time! I have been settling in on my new ship, the install of the new cast was very busy and there is still soem work to be done, but I have five minutes right now to post a blog so I thought I's better pop in!

I'm currently in Alaska, enjoying the crisp air, inspiration and beer :-) I've already bought some lovely dyed fabrics from Juneau that I have plans for. I also have an embroidery piece in mind for a friend, now I just need to find time to start it.

Until then here is a little art to tide you over. I worked on a Sketchbook for the Art House Co-Op's Limited Edition project where one spread from each book entered will be put into a series of art books. I tried to express my process and show some experimentation with the theme Thread and Surface.

I experimented with surface design techniques and then used the fabrics I created to make mixed media collages at the end of the book. Some of the techniques worked really well and others need some work. I really liked flour paste resist once I got the hang of it and silk painting is always a winner.

I think I might turn some of these into prints at some point, or greetings cards - what do you think?

Sketchbook Project 2012

My Sketchbook project is finally finished! After four months I have finished my sampler with 70 different stitches on it!

My theme this year was Stitches and Folds which gave me the chance to experiment with shibori dyeing and new stitches. I set myself the goal of trying out all the stitches for fabric in Betty Barnden's Embroidery Stitch Bible. I think I did pretty much every one and then a few more I found online. Some I like and think I will use again and others don't really work with my style.

My one challenge this year was the new restriction that the sketchbook could only be 1 inch thick when finished. This is because the sketchbooks are touring to Canada, the UK and Australia this year, but it meant I had to think really hard about my presentation. No quilted pages for me this year! Instead I decided on a fold-out sampler (because of folds, right?!) attached inside the cover. I'm pretty impressed with how this came out in the end, I didn't think it was going to work for a while!

I'm proud of the work, but I'm also very glad it's finished and I can move on to something else now. Usually my projects are pretty short or varied so this one took a lot of effort for me to keep going on!

More photos can be seen on my Flickr page here

Work In Progress

Everything is a little hectic around here at the moment, but I thought I'd show you what I'm working on right now. Here's a sneak peek at my Sketchbook Project 2012 - enjoy!

Exhibition Report: The Sketchbook Project 2011!

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!

Sketchbook Project: The Final Few

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

Sketchbook Project: Decoration

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 :-)

Sketchbook Project: Materials...

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!

Sketchbook Project: Ideas, Words and Stitches

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.

Sketchbook Project: Finished!

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.