A Picture A Day: March 2018 Visual Diary

 Here is my month in one photo collage. Please click on the image to see a larger version.

My New Shop on Redbubble!

My artwork and photographic images are now available on a variety of merchandise at Redbubble.

Here are a few examples from the eclectic collection! Please click on the link beneath the image to go to the items for sale. There are many more designs available and they can be printed onto different items, such as wall art, t-shirts, pouches, mugs, cushions, and more.

 Grumpy Girl Studio Pouch

Woven Denim Hardcover Journal

Woven Denim Throw Pillow/Cushion

Rainbow Colours Art Board

Buttercups Travel Mug

Cherry Blossom Spiral Notebook

Bricks Long T-shirt 

Black & White Tyre Tracks Tote Bag

Black & White Stripes Canvas Print

Tumbling Blocks Quilt i-Pad Skin

Red In Tooth And Claw Photographic Print

Skin World Tote Bag

To browse the whole shop, please visit this link.

Colourful Collages

I have taken a short break from textiles to work on another area of interest: paper collages, specifically with found papers (eg, from junk mail, magazines etc).

This piece was made from cut pieces of paper:-

Orange Explosion, cut paper collage

These two were made from torn pieces of paper:-

Blue Moon, torn paper collage

Pink, Blue, Orange Spiral, torn paper collage

And this is what I'm working on at present. It is a skin-tone map of the world:-

Despots (work in progress), cut and torn paper collage

A Visit To New Lanark and The Artist Textiles Exhibition

Rob, Brock and I had a day out at New Lanark today. We started off with a walk to the Falls of Clyde, along the riverbank.

 You pass a hydro-electric power station at one point.

After that, we had a tasty jacket potato with beans in the Mill Café, followed by Americano coffee and tray bakes. Pretty good value for under £19.

I love the old cotton mill buildings and the lovely homes built for the workers by manager, Robert Owen. There is a roof garden on top of one of the buildings, which we haven't yet visited. Today, however, we were here to see the Artist Textiles Exhibition, which is running until 29/4/18.

 Henri Matisse Echarpe No 1 headscarf, 1947

 Salvador Dali dress in Flower Ballet (detail), 1947

 Pablo Picasso scarf designed for Berlin Peace Festival, 1951

Georges Braque furnishing textile from the Saison Happily Married range, c. 1956

John Piper Foliate Head furnishing textile, 1954

Barbara Hepworth screen-printed linen table mat, c.1957

Zandra Rhodes Top Brass furnishing textile, 1964

Andy Warhol William Tell Apple on skirt, 1950s

Andy Warhol Happy Bug Day, mid 1950s

Andy Warhol Ice Cream Cones cocktail dress, c.1963 -1964

This was a really enjoyable exhibition for me, as a lover of both textiles and art. The biggest surprise for me, was Andy Warhol's work - so colourful, full of humour, and with great colour palettes. It still looks very contemporary.

This is a tiny sample of the 200 pieces on display, so there is plenty more to see.

We ended our visit to New Lanark with the obligatory look around the gift shop and Village Shop, where we bought some caramels for the journey home.

Latest Projects ...

Following on from the abstract landscape I made with a prodded rag rug technique, I also made a hooked and needle punched version. This piece is made from repurposed textiles and mixed fibre yarn.

I sewed the piece to mount board, 'ready for framing'.  It is currently listed for sale in my Folksy shop.

Another small piece, inspired by colour palettes that I have collected on my travels... This piece was based on the colours found on an old, rusting, painted metal fence with bright green algae on it.

A painted, gouache version of the palette, set against an orange background (A3 size).

Version #1: fairly two-dimensional, matt felts with thick wool fabric (from a repurposed coat); made using the techniques of reverse appliqué and embroidery. Available in my Folksy shop.

Version #2: more three-dimensional appliqué, some with added embroidery. This piece is a bit more 'shiny' and features a variety of repurposed textiles. 

This piece is available from my Etsy shop.

Next, a piece based on some beach colours...