After my tutorial with Sian I had every intention of returning to Chapter 3: Texture and Relief in Paper, however . . . she had suggested, and we had discussed so many very intriguing ideas that I have not got there yet. So, this post is mostly about scrolls and the very lovely time I've spent creating them.
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| High Contrast Hedgerow Image |
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| 3:74 Sample 2 |
3:75 Sample 1
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| 3:76 Sample 3 |
Above are three versions of the same idea, in fact 3:75 was the first, but my computer seems to protest the images in that order! Here are three attached strips: newsprint, a narrow band of black tissue and above that a strip of white tissue with dry-bushed ink markings. I took my two metre strip along to my field and folded it and scrumpled it to create the fan-like wave you see.
In 3:76, the second sample, I took three narrower strips and this time tore the edges, creating undulations. I used Japanese paper at the bottom, newsprint, then tissue dry-brushed as in Sample 1. This narrower strip made for some nice angles in the dry-brushed area. I also thought the very roughly torn edges were much more effective. Another rather lovely effect is where the newsprint came unstuck producing some attractive irregular loops.
In 3:77, the third sample, I made a deeper strip and tore two newsprint bands which I overlapped. There is the loveliest sense of movement in this piece, though I do think as in the previous two samples that the dry brushing is too uniform and because it's wider that I've been able been unable to achieve those lovely angles of Sample 2.
Seeing these samples on the screen I'm reminded of two other pieces I've made: a drawn thread work piece dipped in paper pulp from Module 4 had similar undulations and ragged character, and the Fish Collar from Module 2 where shibori and embroidered fabric is pieced together.
I've included the hedgerow image I took in early spring to explain the trajectory for these pieces.
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Now to more scrolls:
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| 3:77 |
This time, a series of drawings in walnut ink of plants in the field. These were done at home where a little extra detail was added with fine artist's pens in sanguine. They're drawn on rag paper and are a little heavy handed, compounded by an attempt to add bird song using charcoal. I stitched the individual pieces together with linen thread.
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| 3:78 |
Better were the sketches done in situ on the backs of envelopes:they have a lighter touch. These I also stitched together, but because the envelopes were all different sizes the scroll would not stand unaided, nor would it roll onto the cotton reel. Many lessons learnt!
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I had really enjoyed manipulating the tissue paper and it seemed natural to create a scroll of tissue close-ups again observing plants within my field.
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| 3:79 |
Some of the plants are repeats: blackthorn and dandelion. Others explore hips, plantain, grasses, oil seed rape pods and dog rose canes. These samples are mounted, labeled with the attribute I think they express -- wiry, pleated, tubular etc. The individual cards are then punched and tied and knotted at the back with black hemp.
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I've been studiously avoiding trying this last suggestion of Sian's; I wasn't sure that I'd understood and maybe I haven't and this is entirely my own invention. Either way, I think the results are interesting.
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| 3:80 |
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| 3:81 |
In version 3:80 two irregularly torn strips of black sugar paper and tracing paper are glued lengthways. The black sugar paper is cut into to create spikes of paper of varying lengths, looking something like blackthorn spikes in early spring.
In version 3:81 the waste paper spikes have been placed randomly underneath the tracing paper simulating shadows.
A third version, 3:82, shows this more clearly: the waste spikes are glued to the under side of the tracing paper, giving the piece a range of tones. Their placement though should have been a little less irregular.
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| 3:82 |
