Journal quilts 2017, January to March, completed

I did not take part in last year’s journal challenge organised by the Contemporary Quilt Group, mostly down to problems with my Yahoo account. These problems’ to be partially resolved, so I signed up for this year’s challenge.  This year, the size is 11” square, with a theme to be decided by each participant.  On the last date of signing up, there were 170 participants for 2017.

My theme is “Microscopic” and I will be attempting to work in 4 series with 3 quilts on each theme.

The first is “Plankton” as I already had some shapes in mind from previous work and from current sketchbook activities. The plan is to start with a shoal of plankton ( is that the correct term?), then focus on an individual plankton (I think plankton is both a singular and a plural noun) and then show a close-up detail of the single plankton. the additional challenge I have set myself is to buy no new materials, and to use my hand-dyed cloth wherever possible.

January

Planning

Deconstruction-printed cloth, then masks and stencils applied and overlaid with oil paint sticks.

Machine-quilting

Back

Overlapping stencil and mask

Finished. I really enjoy random textile processes, and interpreting these when I use them in a final piece. In this one, I like how the circular blobs suggest the plastic waste polluting our oceans, affecting even the smallest life forms.

February

Appliqué cut with scissors and scalpel

Experimenting with foiling ( the foil a generous gift from Helen Howes)

Choosing the orientation of the appliqué - first time using Steam-a-Seam 2- I’m impressed - the temporary surface stickieness, makes this very easy to use.

Quilting before stitching the applique

Machine applique

 

Finished. I like how the foil dots can suggest either the light on the water or the dots of micro plastic pollution - depending on how optimistic one feels!

March

A magnified detail of the single plankton, machine appliqué again

More foiling

Finished, but pondering  whether I should go back and quilt the lower edge.  I’ll live with it for a few days then decide.

On top of all of that, I went to see the exhibition by LondonQuilters on until 15th April. Very generously, there are photos of all of the quilts on their website, here. I was drawn to the works by Jane Steward, Rachel Tyndall, Vivien Kernath and Martha Crouch.  Well worth a visit.

Exhibitions to lift the spirits

October Gallery, until 30th July, Eddy Kamauanga Ilunga.  Very thought-provoking use of circuit diagrams on the human body, and fantastic depiction of African fabrics.

Morley College, textiles foundation until 7th July, wonderful work by all students, beautifully staged, and with a chance to pore over sketchbooks.

 Debora Jedwab

Nikki Sims

Bridged Hall

Margaret Scott

Liz Clamp

Textile Alchemy, Waterloo Art Centre, until 02 July, where the influence of new Morley tutor with an interest in dyes form natural materials is very evident.

 

 

Exhibition round-up- journals, tanks, textiles and glass

I realise I've send  few exhibitions this month and haven't posted anything about them.  So this is a quick reminder for me really of what I've seen.

First up, the contemporary Quilt Group journal quilt exhibition at the Creative Stitching show at the Excel in London.  I wasn't too taken with this show, not sure why, it seemed a real miss mash of too many different crafts with little focus on showcasing any particular one.  These journals really caught my eye

The week after a visit to the White Cube gallery to see the leather tank.  This was really amazing and I did manage to sneak a photo as those on the website  do not give any idea of the scale.  This is full size,stitched completely by hand by an "army" of stitchers.  once again, my mind rang with thoughts of the artist versus the artisan.

Lovely railings and reflections on the way

Then on to Artist Textiles, Picsaso to Warhol  at the Fashion and Textile Museum.  This is on until 17 May and is well worth a visit.  Lots of lovely fabrics, beautifully curated with really informative posters accompanying the cloth.  By the end I did wonder why there seem to be so few contemporary, named artists working with cloth manufacturers now.  It may be to do with the change from screen printing to roller printing of cloth, as many of the designs below were screen printed, so perhaps the artist maintains more control in that circumstance.

Salvador Dali - I love those swirly lines that build up the dancers

Dali again - bony spines?

Can't remember this one

Picasso - given as a freebie to attendees at a student conference

Joan Miro

Andy Warhol

John Piper- yes, this is cloth

As evr, when I'm on that street, I finished the day with a dash into the London GlassBlowing Studio.  When will someone notice my obsession with Peter Layton and the colours of his glass?  I have a significant birthday coming up in 4 years if any of my family are reading!

On the print table

At Morley this week, I was lacking inspiration for my long term project based on a collaboration between the college and The Garden Museum, commemorating the start of the First World War.  I managed to do some colour testing, and then ,using these colours, set up a deconstructed screen to print from next week.

Colour testing

Deconstructed screen in preparation, using large and small bubble wrap

I then decided to see what would happen if I put one of my feather drawings on to a screen.  I wanted an indistinct mark rather than a sharp line.
Partial screen

Full screen against the light panel

Printed on top of earlier print from a deconstructed screen.

Water back in its right place

The lurgy has gone, so I got out to Henley on Thames, usually associated with rowing, to see the Water, Water exhibition, curated by Kate Findlay, she of the series of quilts based on the Large Hadron Collider.    I did my helper stint with Kate and with Delia Salter, she of "The Shipping Forecast" fame, ( blog post by Margaret Cooter, here).  The venue was lovely, lots of natural light from roof windows, and a nifty front door that slides down the side of the building.  Not surprisingly given the theme, the overwhelming impression of this exhibition is blue, in all shades, with some taupes, greens and flashes of red and orange.  Photos below of my favourites ( and my own quilts in situ) not in any particular order.  I didn't get  a photo of the lovely piece based on Skye, by Delia Salter, as it was tricky to photograph and I didn't get every artists' name, so apologies.

Kate Findlay

Brenda Wroe

Mary Munday ( and me)

Amanda Wright

Penny Kurowski

Caroline Wilkinson

Annelize Littlefair

Joanna O'Neill

Sue Hotchkis

Alicia Merrett ( that's the radiator at the bottom, no matter how much it looks like two lines of stitching)

 

Jane Wheeler

Chris Dobson

Hilary Richardson

Artists' names not noted

Even after all of that inspiration, the quilter in me couldn't resist these pavement slabs round the corner.