Inspired by the sea

Since starting my coral project I have really got inspired by the sea, well more under the sea than the sea itself. I have always loved coral reefs because of their colour and diversity of life and they lend themselves to textiles because of their amazing colours and textures.

I have also been finishing off a seascape as following on from our endless landscape at last years Hardingham Textile Exhibition this year we are doing an endless seascape and I've just finished mine which will be displayed alongside all the others at this years exhibition. We were given the measurements and colours where they have to meet at the edge but can do anything in the middle.

 

I also went a little Dali-esque and did a sea vessel and I'm sure it shows what a warped mind I have.

 

 

I enjoy manipulating fabric to add texture and decided to make a shell shaped manipulated fabric picture using fabrics, leather, beads and stitch.

 

 

I enjoyed making my purple coral reef so much I wanted to see if it would be workable in other colours and shapes. As my original piece is costing over £100 to frame using museum glass I wanted to try putting one on a canvas to make it more affordable and the result is below. Think I might make a box with a reef on the top next.

 

 

 

 

City and Guilds work

The course is going well and keeping me really busy but such good fun. I love a bit of bling so got quite hooked on making a book with metal experiments in which I intend to fill when I get time but just a small selection shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

For my second project I decided to make a coral reef as they are so beautiful because of the colours and textures. I did some experiments in a sketchbook on trying to make different sorts of corals and instead of making the work a multitude of colours decided to use my favourtites of purple, turquoise and jade. I made a trial piece which I quite liked which is below.

 

 

As our finished piece has to be A3 I made a wet felted background as before and started working on it by putting on layers of organza, machine sewing and adding coral pieces I had made.

 

 

 

However I wasn't really happy with it but wasn't sure why so I asked my Jane to take a look and she thought it looked out of proportion and rather flat and suggested I cut off a corner and build up layers of texture. After waking up at 2.30 am that night thinking about ways to improve it I spent the next 5 days on and off working on it. The result is below.