Artichokes

Artichoke Heart Journal Page Pen and watercolour pencil

Been doing some more drawing of vegetables on pattern and I just love the colours in purple artichokes and such a great winter veg.  They are the most bizarre things not only in how they look, but the fact we are eating unformed thistle flowers is just weird.  I look at some of the foods we eat and wonder who was the first person who thought this might be a good thing to eat.  Its like olives you have to soak and brine them for weeks before they are eatable, someone must have been very hungry to go to so much trouble.

Artichoke Journal Page Pen and watercolour pencil

I have also included the other side of the page even though it not finished, which is the outside of the artichoke, just to make a matching pair.

Blood Bean on Wood Ink and Watercolour pencil 25 x 30cm

I want to do a little series of winter vegetable on pattern. Larger drawing of the artichokes, the blood bean and pumpkin from earlier posts and I am just trying to see what I want to draw on.  I have done this quick one of the blood bean on plywood to see if I like it better than paper.  Not sure if I like it, but the already mounted ply means there is no problems with mounting it.

Karen

Pattern 4

 

Pattern 4, Paper, coloured pencil and thread. 21 x 21cm

Pattern No 4 is complete.  Well in fact I completed it a couple of weeks ago, but had not got around to photographing and posting it until now.  There is always that pull between making the art and posting it.  I am going to be doing at least six of these for an exhibition in August.

I finally found the work that inspired me to start sewing into paper and another artist doing similar work.

Michelle Forsyth did this great series of watercolours where she sewed lines onto the paper with threads called Dark Watercolours.  I saw the close up below and just loved it.

 

Michelle Forsyth. Dark Watercolor 05 17 x 17 inches

Michelle Forsyth. Dark Watercolors 04 40 x 40 inches

Later in my wanderings around Pinterest I found this other artisit Emily Barletta who does very intricate sewing into paper.  How exciting are these!  Well you can tell I loved them.

 

Emily Bartlett Untitled 73

Emily Bartlett Untitled 57

 

I thought I would get some inspirations from the names these artist had called their work, but no so luck they just numbered them.

I will leave you with a close up of my work and continue on with the next.

Pattern 4 Detail , Paper, coloured pencil and thread. 21 x 21cm

Karen

Coral Bean

Coral Bean double Journal Page watercolour pencil and ink.

Here is my picture of a coral bean.  The picture of the coral bean has been a favourite of mine for ages and is adapted from a photo by John Petranka.

I wasn’t sure how I wanted to do the background so I have a few different version for you.

Coral Bean black and White. Ink drawing in journal.

The one I most like is this one with the simple background.

Coral Bean Plain pattern Journal Page Watercolour pencil and ink

Though this one with the fully coloured in background has merit.

Coral Bean Full Background Watercolour pencil and ink

 

I will let you decide which one you like best.

Karen

Another Pattern Done

Pattern No 3, coloured Pencils, glass beads and embroidery thread 21 x 21cm

I finished another of my patterns the other day and have just got around to taking a photo of the finished piece.  As I love a good show and tell on how art is created I did some of my own this time to share.

I started with the background and drew a grid and drew some pattern on it with pen, then coloured it in with coloured pencils, for this one I them chopped them up into squares and glued them down, I wanted them to look like tiles.

Pattern 3 Construction 1

When ever I cut out a paper shape I make sure that I colour the edges, it gives the shape more definition and finish.  I find the PITT artist pens with the brush end the best for this and they come in such a great range of colours too.  The brush ends will also go over pencil fairly well.

Next I did the squares using some of the colours from the colour scheme below.  The top square also had a pen design on it to give more texture to the design.

Colour Scheme from Design Seeds

Each tile goes through a number of processes, the are drawn, a pattern put on it, coloured in with at least three different colours and these have white or a pale colour over the top to blend them, the edges are inked, then a hole if punched into the centre then they are embossed to make them curve for more interest and texture.

Pattern 3 Construction 2 Embossing the tiles

Next step is to sew on the background with the embroidery thread and then finally sew on the tiles and add the bead to the centre.  it is weird, but fun to be sewing onto paper, it takes me way back to kindergarten and we would sew into cards with wool to make pictures.  I love the mix of mediums and the twist it gives the work.

Pattern 3 Construction 3 Sewing the tiles and beads on.

There it is done!  approximately 10 hours of work all up.  Well not all done, I still have to figure out how it is to be hung or framed and what to call it.  Anna Warren kindly suggested ‘Grid Series’ which I liked but grid sounded a bit short or harsh to me so I did a bit of wandering through the dictionary and starting with grid wandered around and came up with reticulated – to form a network and interlaced and motifs.  So at the moment I am considering Reticulated Motifs, Interlaced Patterns or Interlaced Motifs for the series and then individual names for each one.  Feedback on name very welcome.

Karen