This piece - Liz One - was made a few years ago when I started studying design (in textiles). While looking for a workshop to attend, I discovered it would be less expensive to hire Liz Berg for a private workshop in my studio than to fly to California for a group one, so that's what I did.
Everyone has a color range that they prefer. I'm the most comfortable working in the medium to dark value range. Light and especially predominately light is more of a struggle. Liz One started with the light background. When my friend Lori Jane first saw the piece, she said that she didn't like it and it didn't look like me. She was right.
Up until the thread work , I struggled and then I decided to use lines and shapes that were familiar and see what happened. It worked. So much so that it became her favourite and Lori Jane bought the piece. Later, when she saw my work mounted on canvasses, she asked if I could order one and mount this piece too. I did order the canvas - months ago - but I only got around to painting it yesterday.
The first layer is a light turquoise painted in streaks (above). Next, I added a layer of green lifted off with paper towel patted over the wet paint and then picked up leaving behind a dotted spiral design with the lighter color showing through.
Once that layer was dry, I repeated the motion adding a thin layer of black. The canvas is now similar in color to the blue-green in the design with touches of the lightest value showing through. It's rich looking.
The spirals mimic the circles in the background stitching and are a lot more interesting than a plain canvas. While I was painting it, ideas began flowing for the three texture pieces for the January exhibit - ideas around combining painting and textile techniques. Exciting!
The canvass is 1 and 1/2" deep. Once I attached the piece, it will stand away from the wall and have a lot more presence than it did before. I - LOVE - WORKING - WITH - CANVASSES!
Lori Jane also owns Not Always Greener. I ordered a canvas for it too and today I'll experiment with different colors and see what I can come up with. Originally, we'd thought a light purple but that seems too predictable. Something different would be more interesting. IMHO - the lime of the stem would be fabulous however, I think the orange-ish pink of the vase will be more Lori Jane's thing. She's in an "orange" phase.
Aryck, Kyle, and I made a quick trip to Salmon Arm. We ended up rushing out the door because my relatives were running an hour early. That's okay. They waited for us and when we got there, we had a delightful coffee and lots of hugs.
My cousin and her Dad didn't tell my aunt that it was me they were meeting so I was a complete surprise and the boys a bonus. There are family dynamics that made her think that she wasn't going to get to see me. The boys more than got the message that everyone appreciated them making the effort to come. I really did. I was especially impressed that Aryck took four hours off work to come. I must be getting old because I got all teary eyed thinking of introducing my aunt to my boys and then she got all teary eyed when she saw them.
The boys agreed that my cousin and I looked alike and have many similarities. The differences are fun to explore especially as we've never spent a lot of time together. We both look like our Aunt however, I'm the most like her in body movements and personality. We have the same flippy hands and the same way of talking and we both love color, clothes, jewelry, make-up and "stuff" like that. I said to Aryck, this is the Aunt I'm just like and he said no kidding. Kyle said, she can come to visit but she can't stay too long, I don't need two mothers. What fun.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful: that the boys come with me to Salmon Arm
Everyone has a color range that they prefer. I'm the most comfortable working in the medium to dark value range. Light and especially predominately light is more of a struggle. Liz One started with the light background. When my friend Lori Jane first saw the piece, she said that she didn't like it and it didn't look like me. She was right.
Up until the thread work , I struggled and then I decided to use lines and shapes that were familiar and see what happened. It worked. So much so that it became her favourite and Lori Jane bought the piece. Later, when she saw my work mounted on canvasses, she asked if I could order one and mount this piece too. I did order the canvas - months ago - but I only got around to painting it yesterday.
The first layer is a light turquoise painted in streaks (above). Next, I added a layer of green lifted off with paper towel patted over the wet paint and then picked up leaving behind a dotted spiral design with the lighter color showing through.
Once that layer was dry, I repeated the motion adding a thin layer of black. The canvas is now similar in color to the blue-green in the design with touches of the lightest value showing through. It's rich looking.
The spirals mimic the circles in the background stitching and are a lot more interesting than a plain canvas. While I was painting it, ideas began flowing for the three texture pieces for the January exhibit - ideas around combining painting and textile techniques. Exciting!
The canvass is 1 and 1/2" deep. Once I attached the piece, it will stand away from the wall and have a lot more presence than it did before. I - LOVE - WORKING - WITH - CANVASSES!
Lori Jane also owns Not Always Greener. I ordered a canvas for it too and today I'll experiment with different colors and see what I can come up with. Originally, we'd thought a light purple but that seems too predictable. Something different would be more interesting. IMHO - the lime of the stem would be fabulous however, I think the orange-ish pink of the vase will be more Lori Jane's thing. She's in an "orange" phase.
Aryck, Kyle, and I made a quick trip to Salmon Arm. We ended up rushing out the door because my relatives were running an hour early. That's okay. They waited for us and when we got there, we had a delightful coffee and lots of hugs.
My cousin and her Dad didn't tell my aunt that it was me they were meeting so I was a complete surprise and the boys a bonus. There are family dynamics that made her think that she wasn't going to get to see me. The boys more than got the message that everyone appreciated them making the effort to come. I really did. I was especially impressed that Aryck took four hours off work to come. I must be getting old because I got all teary eyed thinking of introducing my aunt to my boys and then she got all teary eyed when she saw them.
The boys agreed that my cousin and I looked alike and have many similarities. The differences are fun to explore especially as we've never spent a lot of time together. We both look like our Aunt however, I'm the most like her in body movements and personality. We have the same flippy hands and the same way of talking and we both love color, clothes, jewelry, make-up and "stuff" like that. I said to Aryck, this is the Aunt I'm just like and he said no kidding. Kyle said, she can come to visit but she can't stay too long, I don't need two mothers. What fun.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful: that the boys come with me to Salmon Arm
Hi Myrna,
ReplyDeleteI love this quilt and the canvas you mounted it on. How did you get the little circles of dots on the canvas - stamps? Or is that a trade secret? The combination of the quilt and canvas are stunning. Great job!
Kristin F. in SC
Myrna,
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh! I love the "Liz One" piece. The colors spoke to me and made my heart sing. Those shades of greens and blues (if my computer monitor is accurate) represent peace and calm...qualities that I am nurturing in myself and my environment. Funny...many of my more recent fabric pieces are bright and I do love using the color orange but viewing this piece is calling me... Thanks for sharing!
Cassy
What a great blog!There have a chance that we can have an furthur exchanges and cooperation.I will always pay attention to your blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mini-tutorial. I've been meaning to mount some of my smaller experimental pieces on canvas, too.
ReplyDeleteHowever, can you tell me how you mount the textile art to the canvas?
At first, I couldn't figure out how you got the spiral dot design. Then I thought, "I've seen those dots before, but where?" Then I realized that our paper towels are embossed with that design! LOL.