Saturday 9 May 2015

A Sketchbook Day

 Yesterday we had great fun in the studio. Two of my level 2 students, Julie and Tracey are finishing their Patchwork and Quilting course. We decided that it would be fun to start a new sketchbook so that they have a starting point for their own work.

You may have seen this photo from my Seville post a few weeks ago, Taken in the Real Alcazar palace. I love the textures and pattern in this tile and it was the focus for a sketchbook day.


We started by preparing pages by painting, adding scrunched tissue paper, salt and cling film to give different textures. This is a page which has tissue paper a paint wash and then highlighted with wax crayon.


When the pages were dry we made printing blocks using polystyrene pizza bases ( nothing gets thrown away in my house ) These are a great way of making a quick printing block. Using a sharp pencil you can carve lines and marks very easily. Don't forget to add a masking tape handle on the back. I have printed twice on this page which I think gives a depth to the print.



 The print had such a depth after printing that when I rubbed over the reverse side with wax crayons I got this lovely textured page.



This page was very uninspiring when it started. I had excess paint on a roller so I just painted a page with it. Over printing though has made it into a more interesting page. I really like the faded edges. Don't you love serendipity.



I have made this page the front cover of my sketchbook.. It has a line of tissue paper painted with a blue ink wash. The rest or the page was painted with an acrylic paint wash, printed and then wax crayon added


 
Here is a selection of my pages



And some of Julie's pages


And some of Tracey's pages



 We now have an exciting start to some new sketchbooks.

Bev 

Saturday 2 May 2015

A Parrot Post


Thanks for dropping by. Post will be a little sporadic at the moment as my mother was taken into hospital last week.

I did manage to get a sample for a new workshop started this week though.
It is based on a picture I took at the Real Alcazar in Seville just before Easter. One of my students came for a catch up day in my studio and it gave me the impetus to get started, thank you Mark.


This faded tapestry with colourful parrots and cockatoo's is the inspiration for a parrot panel. I have to also thank my husband for the wonderful camera he gave me for Christmas. The trip to Seville will be inspiration for many projects over the coming months.


A playful pair of parrots are for a workshop on Monday 28th September at Tudor Rose Patchwork. As you can see it is a work in progress at the moment.


Work that has been put on hold is my quilt for the Festival of Quilts this year. It will just have to be for 2016. It will be called Bluebells and blossom and is inspired by the walks into and around Ferry Meadows in Peterborough. And this year the cherry blossom and bluebells are putting on a wonderful show.


I have done a full working drawing and have started piecing the fabric but I know that I will not manage now to get it completed in time for this years deadline.


I also want to share with you this lovely book given to us for our Wedding Anniversary. Sue has spent many hours folding the pages of a book into a heart and I now want to give it a go. There are just not enough hours in the day for everything I want to do. Do you have the same problem?



See you soon

Bev