Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Thread Painting


Fiber Arts...
"A style of fine art which uses textiles such as fabric, yarn, and natural and synthetic fibers. It focuses on the materials and on the manual labour involved as part of its significance ". Wikipedia.

Painting frees my soul. I have enjoyed this art since a very young age. My family has been kind to place their painted gifts in a place of honor.... Imagine how that inflates my ego! I have discovered that you can paint in many different forms. You can sketch a simple scene and make it come alive with just a few threads. For example, here is a study of a canoe in the reeds.... Free motion machine stitching....

Or you can use the quilting medium as a way to paint.... In this hanging quilt, that I made for one of my daughters, I first sketched the idea on paper and used colored pencils to choose my palette....

This was a truly enjoyable project. My daughter is a Marine Biologist and I knew that she would appreciate a marine theme. I used real "Limpets", the little hat looking shells, since she is an expert on limpets (among other things) I glued them at the bottom of the "shore", beaded other elements and applied pearls and crystal beads to resemble waves and foam.

The shore and Limpets....

And some "waves"...


And more waves....


And, always, a little rain must fall!....I used bugle beads for the look....


And when it is all put together ... a pretty little ocean scene... perfect for a Marine Biologist.... A fun house warming gift, completed just in time for Christmas!


The Impressionists

My grandmother Emilia was born in 1889. I find it unbelievable that Van Gogh was hard at work painting Starry Night at the same time that she entered this earth..... what a connection, I am in awe... and so very inspired....

I love the Impressionist Movement of the 19th century. Open composition, visible brush strokes, vivid colors, lights, darks, accuracy. I am a devout fan of Degas, Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cassatt, Renoir.... and so many other geniuses of that time. A few weeks ago, I taught a class on thread painting at our store. If the Impressionists can paint with a brush, why could I not paint with a sewing machine set to free motion, using the needle and thread as my brush and color? It was a fantastic experience. I chose 2 paintings, Van Gogh's "Starry Night" (De sterrennacht c. 1889) , and Degas "Two Dancers at the Barre" (Danseuses à la Barre c.1888). I started with a pencil sketch, chose the right color of fabrics, and using Wonder-Under, fused them to the muslin "canvas". And then, with delicious Floriani Thread as my color palette, I made my sewing machine smoke. For several nights I tested different stitches, the equivalent to a brush stroke. I studied the movement of the strokes on the real paintings, the color highlights, and humbly "replicated" them with thread. Some threads were strong to withstand the force of the sewing machine set on free motion, while others could not handle the stress. Floriani was, by far, the winner. The result was impressive.

Watch the process unfold....

Edgar Degas, Two dancers at the Barre (1888)

Testing colors....


Added hair and a dance "barre" ....

Doodled some lines and eyes....and now she can see!

At this stage I "painted" the ruffles to add a dimensional and full look to her dress.....

"Brushed" the background and shadows and gathered sheer green netting (tulle) on her dance dress, using Floriani gold thread I highlighted the pleats....elegant, isn't it?


And now I present...
Starry Night,
by van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh painted Starry Night while at a sanitarium. It depicts a view from his window at night, although he painted from memory during the day. The Village of Saint-Rémy, was partly invented, the cypress tree an afterthought...and the church spire evokes van Gogh's native land, the Netherlands.

Vincent Van Gogh writes to his brother Theo: "This morning I saw the country from my window a long time before sunrise, with nothing but the morning star, which looked very big."

The process begins...

Selecting the colors....

Watch the thread painting do it's magic....

Adding the cute little church

Studying the brush motion....

Stars and swirling clouds come to life....


There is so much movement in this painting....

Loving this....


A "comparison".... a humbling feeling....



VOILA!!!!







5 comments:

  1. Wonderful job you are one talented wife and I love you.

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  2. Amazing! I want to learn how to do this. You are gifted to see the vision of what could be. I am awed. And inspired.

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  3. Lovely! : ) Thanks for finding me & inviting me over ; )
    ~Monika K.
    sewing in Saskatoon

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  4. Wow! Amazing! Fantastic! Beautiful work!!! :-)

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  5. Absolutely inspiring...and she's MY Mama! Wow.

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