I've been experimenting today with the shadow grids I posted at the end of last week ... much to think about.
To start with, I printed some of the grids onto white cotton using my injet printer so I could play with the width, intensity and orderliness of the line. I machine stitched over the solid, structural lines of the grid with random fine lines meandering in no particular direction. The idea was to disrupt the formality of the clear cut grid and edge into the negative spaces to add interest and contrast.
I used fine white machine thread, perhaps to suggest the ripples of the water flowing under the bridge, but I also accentuated the black grid lines with perlé running stitch to break up the continuous line and increase the contrast still further.
I then tried out the fine white cotton perlé over variations of the grid ...
I'm not quite sure the contrast in stitching always works as I wanted, but it's a start ...
To start with, I printed some of the grids onto white cotton using my injet printer so I could play with the width, intensity and orderliness of the line. I machine stitched over the solid, structural lines of the grid with random fine lines meandering in no particular direction. The idea was to disrupt the formality of the clear cut grid and edge into the negative spaces to add interest and contrast.I used fine white machine thread, perhaps to suggest the ripples of the water flowing under the bridge, but I also accentuated the black grid lines with perlé running stitch to break up the continuous line and increase the contrast still further.
I then tried out the fine white cotton perlé over variations of the grid ...
I'm not quite sure the contrast in stitching always works as I wanted, but it's a start ...
Great studies! Love the photos, love the stitching! Do you know Natalya Aikens' work? Check it out: http://www.artbynatalya.com/
ReplyDeleteHi Connie - no, I didn't know Natalya Aiken's work - but I've just checked out her website and it looks most interesting, as does her blog. I shall follow her for a while, I think. I especially liked her NYC work with it emphasis on structure. VMT indeed for the link.
DeleteI do like your idea of disruption, and taking the notion of reflected water. I think that the machined zigzags capture that suggestion.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Olga, for your encouraging comments. This disruption-over-apparent-order idea is something I've been thinking about for a while. I'm hoping it might be a rich vein ... but who knows?
DeleteYou have such great ideas ! I find this new idea tantalizing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharron. The idea is tantalising for me too. I'm sure there's the possibility of something quite large within so now I need to now work out how to scale up from these small studies ... which way to go?? Much thinking going on. Meanwhile I have a quite different piece to finish for an exhibition at the beginning of November.
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