When I started reading this chapter my work from Module 2 Chapter 6 immediately came to mind (was it really November 2017!). So I revisited Decorative Details from a Shisha Textile, particularly the results from prints on tissue paper taken from a gelli plate. Three designs were selected which I hoped would give me scope for an interesting extended design.
On acetate sheet I made a rectangle 4x10cm and found four sections on these designs that caught my attention:
I decided to work with 9-7 (from 9-3).
First stage
9-8 The small section was positioned vertically on A4. Masking tape with torn edges of different widths was placed vertically to extend the lines containing the 'stitches'. Ochre acrylic was dry-sponged on the extended surface and also drag-rolled with a printing roller. Red oil pastel was rubbed over a textured mat covered with raised circles to form larger red circles. Additional lines were added at 90 degrees to these circles mimicking the original pattern.
9-11 The cut design places on a backing made from Anthropologie tissue (I love the colour) PVAd onto paper. The design no longer 'pops' but becomes muted.
Second Stage
9-15 The new A4 design was placed an angle on a piece of larger, A2, paper.
9-17 This one has lost the structure of the original.
9-18 Getting better but the right hand side was too light weight and so the design was losing balance.
9-19 Better. I decided to go with something like this layout.
9-21 Looking at the design, there was one part of it that didn't work - is circled in black. On my quick line drawings, the left hand section contained smaller shisha-like circles and I shouldn't have strayed from this. This large broken curve is too dominant and removing this section and replacing it with a smaller circle would give me a more satisfying design.
9-22 More like this. However, given that small sections of the final design will be taken this probably isn't an issue.
I looked for interesting portions of this design using first using the Google editor on my phone
and then in Photoshop Elements on my laptop, a more powerful editing tool. Images were sometimes rotated. Image 9-34 is a transformation of Image 9-30.
Looking at the above images, it became apparent that the images that caught my attention were not necessarily those that contained say 'stitch' detail, but those that had interesting surface marks from the the way in which the different media has been applied to the paper. It wasn't until the design elements began to blend into the overall design that they became appealing, as in 9-29.
9-34 was the design I decided to take further and redrew this (9-35).
9-35 The colours on the design were built up in layers using Windsor and Newton Art Masking Fluid for water colour, SeaWhite's medium yellow acrylic applied with a sponge and red oil pastel. I decided to go for a brighter yellow as I felt the colours were becoming rather drab. The media used I hoped would create interesting marks. The masking fluid was removed in two ways, in some cases with a silicon rubbing tool sometimes it was scratched off with a scalpel and the oil pastel was manipulated/scratched with the scalpel at the same time to reveal the yellow beneath. In the way the media were applied I tried to get an underlying movement into the design from the bottom right to the middle left and the to the top right of the design
Fourth Stage
Using this design I drew up plans to make a curved shape to contain an LED light strip, making it in a similar way to making a light box. The design chosen has lost the 'stitched' element but this could be used to attach the various sections of the design together (9-36). These inserts would cast interesting shadows when the shape was illuminated. From previous experiments (6-68), this could be make from waxed calico and holes to stitch into could either be cut, or made using an awl or a hole punch. As the sections were waxed, they could be curved before the wax dried to give an interesting shape.
Using Photoshop Elements I tried various combinations of shapes, sizes and orientations that could make up the curved light 9-37/9.
Of the above layouts I probably am drawn to 9-37 the most, but sadly even that is too busy.
Fifth Stage
From the enlargement 9-35 a further section was taken and different colourways were tested on this section using Photoshop (9-40/3).
and...
I knew if I kept enlarging sections for long enough the gulls would fly in!!! (9-44). Welcome back.
Looking back on this chapter, my preferred designs here are leading to an assessment piece that is probably a panel. I still like the idea that it could incorporate an LED strip to make the most of shadows created by either lines of joining stitch or cut outs, rather like a light box. The fact I reverted to my design theme of 'gulls with an emphasis on shadows' and my chosen colour palette in the later images is probably an indication I wasn't invested enough in the design originally chosen for this chapter and where it was leading. Even 9-49 is too busy for me and an enlarged panel could incorporate constructed pieces but on a larger scale than used in my resolved sample 6-67 to give simple but interesting quieter space between the main design focus.
In terms of my research, this is the section that probably ties in most to my body of work. It is also the design most in line with the things that appeal to me: its strength lies in its simplicity.
Taking a step back I remind myself of what draws me to a design:
- a neutral/limited palette with little splashes of colour
- non-symmetry
- layers of pattern and shape
- ripped/cut edge
- changes in scale
- introduction of quiet space - keep it simple.
I was going to finish this section here but...
9-49 I redrew 9-44 in selected colours from my palette using oil pastels in white grey black yellow and red. Then layer upon layer of Golden Open acrylic in Prussian Blue were built up for the background. On top of the pastel on the wings I added Koh-i-Noor dyes in grey and black and then scratched them with the blade of a scalpel to build up texture. When I was happy with the result I played with the images in Photoshop.
9-46 Distorting multiple images in Photoshop horizontally.
9-47 More image distortion and varied placement of images in Photoshop.
9-48 9-47 with image separation.
9-49 Simple 'stitch' marks on 9-48.
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