Wow! It has taken more time than I wanted to finish these three pieces. Life just kept getting in the way. They are part of a group show at a community sports complex so I decided to frame them behind glass to protect them from 'little fingers'. I prefer them without glass as the colours become muted and not as bright but caution prevailed.
Each piece incorporates fabric, wool, beads, Shiva oil sticks and pastel into the mix to create a range of different textures. Though inspired by photos the style is abstract. I have developed a new method to finish the edges that I think looks tidy but is not too obtrusive. Each piece measures 14"x18" and is framed with a matt border and final sizing of 20"x24".
'Silver Moon' has an analogous colour scheme of blues, pinks and reddish tones that are meant to suggest a nighttime scene of sand, water, landforms and sky.
'Summer Day' has a more complementary colour scheme of greens and pinks with a dash of blue and yellow in the sky. I wanted to convey the feeling of a bright sun shining over green fields.
'Leafy Canopy' depicts the heavy green canopy of leaves over a green carpet.
All three pieces have a flatter profile than 'Red Sky", a previous textile piece. This is in part because of my desire to avoid so much needle breakage by reducing the number of fabric layers. I have also used grey wool as a base fabric. This has created a softer feel to the work. Summer holidays are fast approaching so my time to work will pretty spotty, but I plan on continuing to experiment with various fabrics and techniques. The goal is to find an approach that integrates the different materials in a harmonious and practical way without an excess of needle breakage. I will also work with different images and styles.
