Monochrome

Our exhbition at Lansdown Gallery in Stroud has now ended without me posting photos of the last two sets of my work so this post is set to remedy that. The theme in both series is monochrome and the striking black / white contrast that it offers. 

First is a group of pieces developed from photographs looking up into an outdoor tented theatre space near Cairns in Queensland Australia. These photos were converted to black and white and manipulated and cropped in Photoshop and then digitally printed onto glossy photographic paper. Finally, marks were made with a fibre pen extending lines and detail beyond the photos and a small number of stitches were added to give texture. 

As seen in the gallery this time, Australian Landscapes I - IV* (apologies for the reflections) were the result. 

Details of each are shown below ...

Next is a new series of small abstracts developed from the photo taken in Darling Harbour that I used used for all my other work in this exhibition. I took these to a new level of abstraction and greatly simplified the images, experimenting with how far I could go and still retain a result with impact. I'll be interested to hear views on this!

(Herein lies an important photography lesson about making sure all the pieces in a series are hanging straight before taking a photo - ah well, too late now!)

Individual photos ... (Right clicking on each individual photo will give better sight of all the fine detail.)

Now I'm beginning to think where to go next, as, the more I work in this way, life without stitching and thinking about design is somehow not an option for me! It gives me purpose and pleasure - whether there is a pandemic with lockdowns or not - and seems to be a part of who I am.

*Some viewers who have been following this blog for a long time may recognise the Australian Landscape series from about 2016. It seemed apropriate to show them again in this new setting and in a slightly different format as they make links with current work. It turned out to be a popular choice!