More Raised Patterns

Raised Patten 2, 20 x 20cm rag paper, coloured pencil, ink, embroidery thread and glass beads

I have been doing some more of the raised patterns and this time I have included some stitching into the work.  I have really enjoyed blurring the line between paper and fabric and using familiar mediums in unfamiliar ways.

Raised Pattern 3, 20 x 20cm rag paper, coloured pencil, ink, embroidery thread and glass beads

I was inspired by some art work I saw on the internet that was a plaid design done in watercolour with line stitched on them.  I can’t find the images again and for some reason I did not save them, how annoying!

 

Raised Patten 2, Detail 20 x 20cm rag paper, coloured pencil, ink, embroidery thread and glass beads

Raised Pattern 3 Detail 20 x 20cm rag paper, coloured pencil, ink, embroidery thread and glass beads

So these are patterns that I like, made out of cut paper coloured with coloured pencils, some with a pattern drawn on them, embroidery thread and beads.  I like the more muted colours of these ones, I have used some colour palettes taken from nature for them.  The colour palettes are from a great company called Design Seeds the green palette is based on leeks and the blue one is from a garden bench.  These palettes are a great inspiration as I have problems coming up with colourways straight out of my head and these inspire me to use different and more muted combinations.

Design Sees Palette ‘Leeks’ Pattern 2

Design Sees Palette ‘Garden Bench’ Pattern 3

I plan to enter a few of these little patterns into the 30 x 30cm exhibition at the Brunswick Gallery in Melbourne, so I will make a few and pick out the ones that work best.  My main problem is that I don’t know what to call them, I want a names that will link them together yet make each one separate.  I would be very grateful for any assistance that any of you out there can offer.

Karen

Case Binding, another book made

Case Binding Sturt Desert Pea Book A5

This is the first book I made.  I did a class earlier in February and learnt to do case binding.  This is (in my mind) the real book binding, with spine, headbands and end papers.  Just like a real book.  The book we did in class was very basic and black and while I was happy with it, (despite the few wobbles); I didn’t actually like it.

The basic book before I reworked it.

Like all my works that I am having trouble with, I left it to one side and made the coptic bound book that I showed you in my previous blog.  But thinking over it and considering a number of options I came up with some ideas.

The plain black book-cloth covering was very boring, especially for a handmade book so I got out my silver gel pen and went to work on the cover.

Added a little decoration

I did a simple dot and dash design and then glued on another one of my prints of previous art work.  This one got the Sturt Desert Peas and I am now loving my little book.

Case Binding Sturt Desert Pea Book A5 size

Karen

Playing with Pattern

Sticks and stones blue hues 30 x 30cm Coloured pencil and ink

As I promised to show you in my last post, I have  designed and coloured in some of my own patterns.  So much fun.  I have designed a few patterns with two colour ways.  I wanted one design for the top of the box with another design for the bottom.  I have always loved pattern and this has been a great time just playing with form and colour.

Daisy Chain blue and green 30 x 30cm Coloured pencil and ink

 

Squared, blue and green 30 x 30cm Coloured pencil and ink

The colours were a bit of concern, I wanted to push them a little, not just to use my usual ones, so I did what I normally do and looked at colours that I liked.  In this case it was mid-century designs.  I downloaded some on Pinterest and picked out the colours on the computer (Photoshop, although I am only a wee grasshopper in the working of this program, it did the job.)

Mid century colour swatches

Funny, although these colours have changed I can still recognise them as my palette.  I was worried that I had lost their integrity so I showed the patterns to a friend of mine who really knows her mid-century designs and she assured me that they were authentic colours.

Daisy Chain gold and green 30 x 30cm Coloured pencil and ink

 

Squared gold and green 30 x 30cm Coloured pencil and ink

So I am happy with the samples and am in the process of making larger drawing so I can scan and print them.  I already have plans on how else I can use these papers and am getting orders from friends who also want some.

Working on designs Australia Day

Yesterday was Australia Day and we had the most perfect day to celebrate, sunny, still and 30C.    Happy Australia day to my fellow Aussies I hope you had a lovely day.

Karen

 

Paper Art

Rogan Brown Kernal Detail

As my print making has come to a bit of a halt, I have been investigating some other areas of interest, and one of these I have found out comes under the heading of paper art.  Where the paper stops just being a surface for my chosen medium to rest upon, but is the medium for the art to be made out of itself.  I love this twist on things.

I have long been thinking of cutting out the shapes of my work, especially the grevilleas and I have gone part of the way with cutting out the last one from its failed background and intend to take this concept further.  But investigating this I have found a whole new world of creativity, which just make me smile.

The amazing things that artists around the world are doing is so inspiring, so I thought I would share some of them with you and show you what is inspiring me at the moment.

One of the first Paper Artist I found was Rogan Brown and he has a number of these amazing works, the first picture is a close up of his work Kernal.  The intricate details of his cutting and the layers that build up to his images are so elegant.

Kirsten Hassenfeld Paper Art Installations 4

These delicately lit installations by Kirsten Hassenfeld also blew my mind.  I love that the paper essentially a two dimensional object has been made into a three dimensional creation and the adding of lights just takes it a further step.  I want one!

Giselle, réalisée pour la galerie de l’ Opéra Garnier, 2009
(hauteur 65 cm)

I found this lovely paper sculpture lamp on a french blog, how ethereal and beautiful is this.

Kristi Malakoff
Maibaum (detail)
2009
Black paper, black foam core, hardware

I love the sheer joy of this installations, and to think it is life sized.

Here are a few images I adore, but I can’t find who the artists are.

From a website catalog but no artist named

I could go on and on, but if you want to see more images you can visit my pinterest site for more images I have of delicious paper art.  I have found pinterest very useful for gathering images for my work and you will find many other boards that I have for different projects and interests.

Jelly fish lights – unknown

New Portrait underway

Paper Lace

Here is a quick preview of the latest portrait I am working on.  It has incorporated my newest fascination (such a kinder word than obsession) with paper cut art.

I have cut out some of this paper lace which I will probably use over the portrait.  Really enjoyed doing this and it was an extension from cutting out my grevillea.

Backgound

 

The person I am doing the portrait of is a lovely friend who has a fantastic style, I see her pattern as a beautiful, french baroque in clear, pastel colours, I am channeling the divine palette that was used in the movie Marie Antoinette.  Then I will use the lovely lace overlay in dark grey, to give further style and mystery to the work.

As you can see I have only started to add the colour to the background, it is being done in oil pastels this time, for something different.  I hope to make it a little soft on the edges rather than my usual crisp style, it is fun to break out the pastels again and they give a certain lushness to the work which is rather baroque.

I still longingly look at my lino cutting tools, but the wrist is still giving me trouble so I must keep away from them until I can get it sorted.

Karen