Module 3 chapter 9

Extending the page.

I was sitting at my daughters one evening with nothing to do so I decided to make a start on this chapter.  I had been reading a very tatty copy of 'Testament of Youth' which I had got from a charity stall and as it wasn't in any state to pass on again, I tore out three pages and with some scrounged sewing thread from my daughter I joined them together.  Of course, you can't read them now as they don't follow on but I quite liked the effect and it is something to remember for the future.

In view of the content of the book the flowers are meant to be poppies and the black lines are barbed wire.

As I only have one page left in my sketchbook, I decided to make one long piece of work which I will add into the book when I have finished all the writing and notes I want to do.

The first half reads as follows:
Staples in a zig zag pattern.
Running stitch in cotton pearle.
French knots in cotton pearle
Plain machine stitching
Punched holes fastened with bows of cotton pearle
Safety pins
Machine stitched pattern

The second half starts with:
Large single stitches in cotton pearle
A plain seam done in back stitch with cotton pearle
Large cross stitches in cotton pearle
Fine wire with beads threaded on
Three strands of mixed threads stitched through punched holes
Small cross stitches in a polyester thread

All joined together I thought this made an interesting piece.

I don't have much in the way of metal fastenings or trimmings so I hope the use of stitching is OK.
The papers I have used vary from magazine to hand made, kitchen towel, paper bags, wrapping paper, newspaper and pleated tissue paper to make it strong enough to hold the stitches.
You have to be careful when joining pages together to make sure that it is right for both sides of the page, which is where I start for the next chapter.

Module 3 Chapter 8

String Prints

We have a large number of maps of varying sorts in the house, partly because I used to subscribe to National Geographic who include maps in their magazines on a regular basis.

The 'Cartographies' is from a museum in Palma, Majorca where there was a fantastic exhibition of old maps. The one to the left of it is called the 'Bawden' map of Scarborough.  It has recently been restored and is on display in the library.

The photography of Yann Arthus Bertrand is fantastic.  I had to choose the first picture of the Hiram Bingham Road at Machu Pichu as I think I have been up and down that road in a coach!

I have used both an ordnance survey map and a street map to make my drawings.

By doing this, you can see clearly how the streets are straighter and in a more rigid format than the country roads in Cumbria.

These are my string prints.  The one on the left is from the map and the one on the right is my own design.

Next are my rubbings done on the blocks.

This is wax crayon with a wash of Koh i Noor on computer paper.  All the prints had washes of Koh i Noor. I have used both stamps here

This is Markel stick on hand made paper.  The paper soaked up the paint and although the Markel stick shows through, it doesn't have the same look as a resist.

 This was two colours of Markel stick without a wash. Overprinted with both stamps.

Both these are Markel stick, one on recyled envelope and the other on brown paper.  I like the brown paper one.  The colour wash ran down the paper and stopped at the edge of the resist.

Printing with the blocks.

Block one on its own and seperated prints.

Block one overlapped.

Block one overlapped and printed randomly. I particularly like the top one.

Block one and block 2 printed together

I think this is block one and two overprinted.  I keep forgetting to write on the back what I have done.

This again is both blocks printed randomly.

I was quite suprised how good the prints were.  The first block taken from the map really made a good repeat pattern.  When time permits I might take this exercise further and try it on fabric, especially some of the new man made ones that can be distressed easily.