Module 1 - Chapter 2

This chapter is all about painting and printing papers - being a somewhat messy person, I found this particularly challenging.  Somehow the paint never goes on evenly or else you try to make it blotchy and artistic and it just looks a bit of a mess.  Still, I have now made copious amounts of paper in varying thickness.   Of course my favourite is tissue paper - since it is reminiscent of organza, I suppose this should not be a surprise.  So far I have not used any of the tissue paper, but will look forward to using some perhaps in the next chapter.

Printing is also challenging of course, a bit like Goldilocks - too little paint, or too much, hard to get it "just right".  Still, the more I did, the more control I had; less I found was much more.

Then of course there is the making of the stamps - something I really enjoy.  Mostly I made way too many stamps because you just don't know how they will turn out.  Too simplistic and they are boring, too detailed and they just don't work.  So - on to the pictures.

A- Making Coloured Papers

Picture 1 - Red plus colours either side - reddy orange and violet

Picture 2 Green and colours either side, Lime and Turquoise

 

B - Printing onto Coloured Papers                                                                                               

Picture 3 - stamping all the same direction

Picture 4 - same direction but closer together

Picture 5 - stamp rotated 

Picture 6 - rotated  by quarter turns

Picture 7 - blank spaces between stamping

 (my personal favourite being a less is more type of person)

 

C - Cross Shapes from Coloured Papers                                                                                 

Picture 8 -

Crosses cut from different coloured papers and overlapped or interwoven.

 

(I think the middle one could have some applications, it turned out to stay together when woven slightly. My favourite is still the crossed vine on the simple turquoise cross, just with one arm of the top cross tucked under)

Picture 9 - Different Cross Shapes cut from complementary red paper and glued onto green.  

 

(I love the flowered cross from a photo I took in Quebec City, but it was very fiddly to do, but worth the effort I felt.  I still like my crossed branches and lichen the best, but they may be difficult to use in a lot of circumstances.  I made stamps of them, so will have to play around with them a bit further.  I think I went the "safe" route with the stamp I chose and perhaps should be a bit more adventurous but time was short this week.  I will play around with them a bit more and add my findings to the next post)

Module 1 Chapter 1 colour wheels and rubbings

Last post of the day before I get back to some other work.  Instead of using cool and warm colours together, I tried doing separate colour wheels.

Cool colours (picture 8)

Warm colours (picture 9)

 I did a few rubbings - not terribly successful. You obviously need some significant texture for this to work well.  I will try and do some more in the next few days.  Unfortunately there is not much opportunity to do any outside rubbings as everything is completely covered in snow! I will have to wait for spring.

Tile rubbing (picture 10)

More rubbings (picture 11)

Drawings of Cross Designs

Here are a few Cross words:
cross legged, cross patch, crisscross, hot cross buns, star crossed, crosswise, boarder cross, cross eyed, cross iron, cross bar, cross walk, traffic crossing, cross country, cross purposes, cross stitch, cross bill, cross beam, cross hatch, cross word, crossbow, level crossing, iron cross, silver cross mother, Southern Cross, Celtic cross, cross over, cross bridge, Charring Cross, cross ties, cross out, double cross, Carrickmacross (lace), cross wire, cross bred, cross pollination, cross brace, border crossing, cross dresser.

Cross Drawing (picture 3)

Cross Drawing (picture 4)

Cross Drawing (picture 5)

Cross Drawing (picture 6)

Cross Drawing (picture 7)

One thing I found interesting copying these drawings - I need to take more care in taking photographs so they are square on as many of these pictures were quite foreshortened. Sometimes this isn't possible if you take photographs in museums where the work is angled, but generally there is some control.  The other thing,  some pictures were very plain and boring and others much too complex.  I actually really quite like the ones of lichen and twigs as they are quite funky.  It will be interesting to experiment and see how they work.

Module 1 Chapter 1

The first task was to collect a wide variety of either stars or crosses.

I looked up the definitions to both:
CROSS:
Mark, object or figure formed by two short intersecting lines or pieces.
An upright post with transfer bar as used in antiquity for crucifixion. Emblem for Christianity.
Pass in opposite directions
Intersect
Annoyed
Something unavoidable that has to be endured
Cross shaped decoration awarded for personal valour
Constellation - Southern Cross
Hybrid
Soccer - pass of ball across field
Boxing - a right cross

STAR:
Fixed luminous light in night sky
Stylized representation of a star, typically having 5 or more points
Asterisk
Star symbol used as a category of excellence
White patch on horse or other animal
Star connection (electrical)
Star network (data network)
Famous entertainer or sportsperson
Successful person
Astrology/horoscope

I elected to collect crosses since I am also working on a piece on war where I am using a series of crosses on both organza and knitting, so I am already in Cross mode as it were.  Once you start, there are cross shapes everywhere you look.

Cross Selection 1

Cross Selection 2