Fabric Collages

I completed a couple of fabric collages this weekend - they are for a special project I am involved with (its a tiny book...4 1/2" x 3 1/2"). I painted the dove and its background on cotton fabric using acrylic paints.
I also went to The Beetroot Tree gallery and had a wander around their brilliant new exhibition called Mutual Support. It features 'Up Front' - a group of 8 female artists who create beautifully adorned bras, corsets and other pieces of mixed media art. You can see some here and here.
Its all in aid of Breast Cancer research and they have all kinds of activities going on including a raffle where you can win pieces of their art (they even have a 'booby prize' haha!!) I went with DH and so couldn't dwell too long...I may have to go back for another look this week!
Corinne Phillips is a friend I met through blogging....she shows some of her fabulous work from the exhibition here.
These are the 8 artists involved.... (click to read names)

The Lady of Shalott

I've received quite a few emails regarding my last post and it seems many of us are Lady of Shalott fans. I love the poem...such a fascinating story...and there have been many versons of her recorded by artists.
Thanks to Wendy I have discovered the fabulous Loreena McKennitt who sings the poem...this is glorious............I'm off to YouTube to find more of her songs!

Coffee and chat......

Tried to be fancy with my coffee today and made a clover leaf stencil - just humour me please. Over at Kimmie's place (and Pat and Patty's) its 'Tea on Tuesday', plus a bit of chat.

Well .... did any of you watch the new series on TV last night about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? I'm a big fan of the PRB and it encouraged me to get out all my gorgeous books on the subject. Even DH became quite interested.
I have a very old book about Rossetti which I bought about 30 years ago from a junk shop.

I've never really flicked all the way through it before and was rather surprised when this fell out...a postcard dated 1904. Its a picture of Bournemouth (where the book was first purchased).

The book was published in 1906 and the inscription inside is 1908.Here's the man himself...a self-portrait from inside the book (it has tissue papers covering the pictures).
Here are my favourite paintings from this - which is my favourite PRB book.
Just look at those fabric folds in the detail!
Then I began to realise that one of the reasons I'd chosen all those paintings was because of fabric - the velvets, the satin and the embroidered cloth. And the worn and tattered skirt of Millais' 'The Blind Girl'. (Plus the lady in blue reminds me of how I feel in the mornings.)
They were certainly a talented bunch of artists.....if you want to find out more about them look here.
I'm hoping to take DH to see one of the best collections of PRB paintings this Saturday - at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (fabulous place - and its all free!)

Just wanted to thank Tara at www.aquamarineart.blogspot.com (a new friend I met through Suzi's class) for giving info on her blog about Photoscape which you can download for free here. Thats how I've put some of my pictures into groups!!

5, 6 and 7....

Here are my last three attempts before we start using colour. I've just downloaded the new videos....so I'd better go and get started!
Many thanks to all of you who have left such positive comments - they mean a lot. xx

....And Four

I think thats it for today.... shame I didn't start this one lower down the page!! Hopefully there's an improvement from number one....

Practice Piece Number Three

Another Suzi Blu Workshop

Last year I did the SuziBlu 'Les Petits Dolls' workshop and loved it.....so when I saw she was going to run another portrait class, but this time with more realistic-looking faces, I thought I'd join in the fun again. Above is my second attempt at a face (first attempt is at the bottom of this post). The workshop is called The Goddess and the Poet; the idea being that we shall use the images in a journal and write poetry as well. This should be hilarious - I'm rubbish at poetry!!
Below is our first piece of homework - cross-hatching with a pencil with the intention of creating shadows and spheres.

Second assignment.......drawing eyes, noses and mouths. I'm getting there! (Slowly)

Then the final instruction was to put it all together and create a face, just using a pencil. This is my first attempt and the face is too long and out of proportion. For my second attempt (at the top) I printed out the grid that Suzi gave us and measured out the proportions properly. Can't wait for the next set of instructions.....

Catching Up.....

A few months ago I subscribed to Quilting Arts magazine digitally; it saves a lot of bother and is cheaper that way! The June/July edition is full of gorgeous things including an article from the very talented Jackie whose blog I love to visit plus a very inspiring little 'workshop' from Jill A. Kennedy (whose glorious work you can see here).
I tried out some of her techniques involving using wax crayons and inks on thickish hand-made paper which you then screw up and iron until it becomes almost like fabric. I then played around with it......cutting it up, piecing bits back together, machining over, adding fibres, cutting out flower shapes etc.

Its quite small ......4" x 5". I was going to neaten up all the ends but I rather like them tatty.

Another of my favourite blogs is Michelle Ward's and last week she gave a link to a wonderful website called Villainess. They sell gorgeous products like perfumed oils, scrubs, soaps and body creams....which are just that bit different. The way the products are described is brilliant; I recommend you go and have a read. I even like the names.......Decadence, Byzantium, Silk and Cyanide, Scintillating, Paradise Misplaced. I treated myself to a few items (well, it is my birthday soon!) The black envelopes contain small soap samples which you can buy for $1 (you also get two free) - the labels are rather lovely and may be seen on future ATCs etc! (Pictures shown with permission from Brooke, who runs the company)

This week I have been making things for Liz with her 'Marie Antoinette' photos on.

A 5" x 5" chunky canvas .......... (I printed her photo onto tissue paper so the text underneath shows through)

an ATC.....

and a mixed media collage....

I hope she likes them........ (haven't seen much of her for the past few days as she's been with the new boyfriend)