Mackerel Drawing

Since working on the commission for Compass Inn and therefore working around a nautical theme I've been wanting to produce some work of a similiar theme that is also relevant to Plymouth - my local area. I decided to explore local fish, such as common names like mackerel and pollack that are both caught and eaten in Plymouth but are rarely appraised for beauty.

Bunting

I went wild and created a bunch of bunting for my friends wedding, they requested that the bunting be creative and reflect the personality of the maker. Since there were no material restrictions I've made pieces using painted canvas, carpet, foam, duct tape, blind fabric, pinweaving and denim. I think I've got the crazy bunting niche covered. Below is a selection of the bunting I've produced. 

"square" Rag Rug

approx. 50 x 40cm

As a change from rag rugging in the round I decided to attempt a square rug. I didn't quite get the tension/stitch ratio right however so the top of the rug is somewhat curved, lesson learnt for next time though...

Framed

 Appliqué artificial flowers, mixed textile piece 

(14x14cm)

Chair

Fineliners & Pro-markers (21 x 15cm)

Teapot

Fineliners & Pro-Markers (15 x 21cm)

Bathroom Beauty 2

Fineliners & Pro-markers (15 x 21cm)

Bathroom Beauty

 Acrylic & Gouache (15 x 21cm) 

Teal Teddy

The newest teddy in the collection. 

He's made from teal glazed cotton with hand embroidered seams and eyes (approx. 16cm tall)

Splat Bear Pin Cushion

I made this little splat bear specially for my mother

 (a keen cross-stitcher and fan of my work - naturally) 

He's approx. 3 inches tall. Made with denim and plush fabric.

Denim is great for pin cushions because it gently polishes the pins/needles as they move through the fabric. 

Feeling blue Teddy?

This teddy is one of a kind, made from a pattern I drafted myself and later altered. For some reason he reminds me a little of a clanger (might be because of his nose) 

Cross-hatching Craze

 The latest cross-hatched drawing completed - first mentioned here 

Rag Rug Coaster

Another Rag Rug coaster, this one is made with thicker cream fabric.

Rag Rug Vessels

My most recent rag rug creations

A little storage/trinket pot - perfect for keeping my desk a little tidier

Hanging Bauble - fill it with pot pourri or hang on a christmas tree,
or even weight two and play rag rug conkers! 

Mini wall hanging

Measuring approx. 7x17cm, this mini wall hanging is the first in a series of appliqué flower panels. Each panel is created using artificial flowers, embroidery techniques and added embellishments such as beads. The panel sizes vary - some will be the same as this mini panel whilst others will be considerably larger.

A place to rest my coffee mug...

This is my Rag Rug coaster, it sits pride of place on my studio desk...

 I plan to make more, maybe even placemats too.

Pin Cushion

My new quilted pin cushion, made using tiny samples of upholstery fabric 

Fizzy - Reworked

A Mixed media canvas, featuring a salvaged piece from a previous painting and a finger knitted/ couched border

And Back to work...

Its been a bit of a rough couple weeks for me, so my creative production level dropped to bare minimum - a bit of spinning and one brief foray into watercolour were about the best it got.

Happily, the art engines are now ticking over once more (or at least revving) ,  so last night I got some of my older paintings up onto the hallway wall which means they're both stored and displayed rather than stacked on various surfaces, pushed from pillar to post and inevitably damaged.  Since it's the upstairs hallway the ceiling is nice and high allowing plenty of room for lots more paintings in the future: I intend the hallway to function as a working progress storage/gallery so not all the space will be used all the time and the paintings can be from different series or maybe even unfinished.  This is helped/hindered (depending on perspective) by my tendency to hang paintings close together (much like old estate houses with collections of dark oil paintings).

Strangely, ever since hanging these last night I've felt like painting, something I have't had the inclination to do since February (when I restarted the produce patterns canvas - enthusiasm for which is somewhat tidal = it comes and goes), I've been so absorbed in the school work and a major textile vibe that painting got sidelined a fair bit - hopefully not for much longer...   

So to begin (finally) ...

This blog has been a long time in the planning, or rather intending:

I intend this to space to be filled with processes, on the go artworks, sketches, sketchbooks, finished pieces, craft projects, doodles, discussions and generally brimming with my creative outpourings.  I greatly value the opinions of others and therefore welcome comments, likewise feel free to drop me an email.

So without further waffle, heres an image to get this going -

'Wall Carpet' (6 x 8ft) summer 2011

This mammoth piece was created using sections of different carpets, hand cut and arranged in a manner similar to marquetry - or a big puzzle.