onsdag den 30. november 2011

A forest is born

Today was just a good day! The sun shining outside all the time, gave me a lot of light to work with my art quilt which I haven't decided on a title yet, but is about walking in nature, with your dogs and enjoying the freedom there is to it.

So today I 'gave birth' to a forest. Well, it's not finished yet, but it's pretty much on the way. :-) I'm using a new technique this time. Since I printed on the previous layers, I wouldn't want to have to wash the whole work if I used my old method: layering would just continue until I was satisfied, and then I would spread a piece of soluble plastic over the whole thing, stich throu it very tightly with invisible thread and then wash the piece, so the plastic would dissolve.

Today I just changed things a bit. I put a layer of soluble plastic under the first new layers and when I had to stop working, I put another piece of plastic on top. Tomorrow I'll layer on, until the forest is finished. And then I'll be able to stich the layers separetly from the bottom picture itself. Does it make sense for you who is reading? Mmmm. Maybe it's too much nerd talking without images to show! :-)

Anyway her is the forest so far:




I really really love that the printing behind, in the bottom layers, is still visible. I hope they still will be tomorrow, once I've finished the forest. I need some more layers on with the other orange and reddish colours of the autumn.



Her is an overall picture of the whole piece so far... Once I'm finished with the forest on the left, I'll have to do something about the sudden vertical sharp line on the right, I think... And I have to add teksture to the main tree and... yes, many other things.... Just wait and see! :-)


fredag den 18. november 2011

A walk with the dogs

Efter a long while I'm back working with my art! It feels great! My trip to Brazil in October brought med inspiration and most important, life experience which actually makes it easier for me to do what I do: my art! :-) But that's another long story...


Today's story is about the joys of walking in the forest with the company of our best friends - dogs or even cats, as it often happens to me. Pets are wonderful and bring a new dimension to our lives.

In spring time I took a photo of one of my friends while she was walking with her three dogs past my house. Some of the pictures were quite good, so I managed to change it into a couple of nice hard black and white version that later were made into two Thermofax frames. If you are wondering what this is, I can tell you it's a frame similar to those used in silk screen. I wrote a post about printing with Thermofax frames in february 2011 - the pictures speak for themselves!




I printed the motif on a cotton piece I'd used to try other prints on for some time ago. I chose some pastel and autum colours. And when I felt it was time, I stopped and now I'm having fun finding some motifs to work on some time later:






It's fun to move my card strips to find new possibilities. But I have to choose at a time... But undtil then, I'll work on my bigger project, an art quilt I've been working on since 2009 for my vet. Now it's time to finish it. And since I've seen how the two frames with the dog walking lady have been tried on, I have a much clearer idea of how I'm going to use the print in the large art quilt... I'm ready to work again in my studio. Paints and frames, her I go!  And soon a new post about this big art quilt will come!