Blog

Hi everyone. Check out my new video on 'how to use an embellisher.

Click the link below.

If you like what you see, or want to see more detailed videos on this or any other techniques or subjects, let me know by leaving a comment below the video or get in touch via Facebook, Twitter or my website here.

I would love to hear from you and talk about what would empower your art!

Bye for now Anni

Ok I know I'm late with my Friday post. But I do have a good excuse. (Well I think I do!) I was in a clas for three days this week with Angelika Werth.http://www.angelikawerth.ca

She is an amazing designer of clothing and costumes and any time she comes to teach in Vancouver I can't resist taking her classes.

I find her so inspirational and just love her and her work!

We created several design by draping on the mannequin. The class was a great bunch of ladies also. Most were members of the Vancouver Guild of Fibre Arts http://vgfa.org

and several were members of the guild's focus groups, the Sew Whats! and the Sew'n'Sews!

We learned a lot from each others ideas and had a lot of fun doing it. It was held in Deep Cove on the North Shore in Vancouver at a beautiful gallery called Artemis. http://artemisgallery.ca

Here are some pictures of us in action at the workshop.

 

Hey everyone!

It has been a busy week for me. I have been volunteering all week so not much art done. However I did get to finish my piece for "Talking Heads" . A show at the North Vancouver Art Gallery 'City Scapes'.

My piece is called 'Shaman's Shroud' and is a linen open weave fabric and mud cloth, hand embroidered and embellished with porcupine quills and Hanji paper threads. It was then dipped in bees wax and shaped to a gentle curve. See image below.

I also dipped a piece that was cut up an put back together again on wax board. I am going to do some more mark making into the wax so stay tuned!

See working images below.

 

 

 

I just read this amazing blog post on CreativeSomething.net

It's all about focus................well it turns out that trying to focus actually kills creativity!

Who would have thought it? 

But it makes sense if you actually think about it. Read the article and tell me what you think...

Also worth a look is http://www.creativesomething.net/post/36889631722/a-few-thoughts-on-creative-flow about creative flow.

So stop beating yourself up about not focusing and play away!

Anni

Well!, have you been playing along in the game? This is the beginning of what I have been playing with. A nest made up of letters and some words. I want to enlarge this and print it out onto fabric...............then.......where to go next, any suggestions for me?

I follow Linda & Laura Kemshall closely on DMTV as well as their blogs etc. I am a great fan of their work.

Today Laura posted on her blog http://laurakemshall.blogspot.ca about starting to sketch again. She is an amazing artist who not only manages a new baby but TV shows, Exhibits, talks to guilds......and the list goes on.

Anyway, I have decided that my focus on words and the nest should now be documented in my sketchbook. Drawing on my words as it were!

It has been so long since I have done any real sketching that I am really looking forward to getting back into it.

Want to join me in scribbling down anything that comes to mind? Send me some of your sketches.....I would love to see them.

Anni

 

Over these past few months, I've been working with an image of a birds nest, and drawing upon it as a source of inspiration. I've drawn from it in various contexts, in both 3-dimentional and 2-dimentional pieces. I've taken advantage of many different interpretations of the nest, via various techniques; including:

 

• Hanji paper yarn,
• Discharging through silk screens,
• Image transfers onto board,
• Covering with transparent encaustic wax.

 

Materials

I'm still enjoying the shape and form of the nest, but I've turned to unconventional materials to complete my nest-inspired pieces. I've utilized:

• Found objects,
• Paper cuttings from shredders,
• Postage stamps,
• Old ribbons.

 

Including Text

I've also started to incorporate text into my work with the nests. Text has been a facination of mine for a long time, and I've been studying calligraphy for the last few months, including researching complex lettering styles. I've been cutting my own stencils of lettering, (I've got an upcoming AHTV episode on this!) I've taken my customized stenciles and used these to incorporate text into the work. I've done this using:

• Paint,
• Dyes,
• Colour discharge,
• Shiva sticks,
• And moulding paste to give some texture and dimention to the 2D pieces.

 

The 3D pieces are beginning to take on a life of their own! I've turned to combining techniques for this; by dipping them in transparent wax, (encaustics,) they've developed an unusual fossil-like appearance. Here's an example of silk dipped in wax:

 

Frameworks

It's amazing how you can limit the theme (e.g. create a tangible framework by defining a limited scope,) and yet still have lots of fun by exploring creative facets of the theme in depth! (Funny how a limitation can set you free; seems like quite a paradox!)

I'm enthusiastic to hear how you feel about this 'hybrid' approach. I'd love to hear back from you with ideas like:

• How do you keep yourself focused and on track with a textile project?
• Do you enjoy working with various permutations of text in your pieces?
• Have you tried 'remixing' and cross-polenating various techniques like this?
• If so, what kinds of results have you come up with?

​Please post your comments below! - Anni

Spring into action with themes for your art!

I was recently at a meeting of the BC chapter of Surface Designers. It was a great meeting; everyone was participating by sharing their latest ideas and what they had beem working on, however, a recurring theme of the discussion was about losing focus.

I continued thinking about this. Don't most of us textile artists feel the same way? There are so many amazing ideas out there to explore. But how can we keep up with all this and continue to focus on expressing our art?

Then I thought, what about... themes! Themes are very powerful because they help us focus our energy, regardless of the media or techniques we are using. If you choose a theme to explore, then anything goes as long as the theme is maintained. Hey presto... no more guilt about getting sidetracked! So I have decided to focus my blog on themes. I want to help myself and others to stay on track with their art, yet also be able to explore new and exciting things too.

So every Friday I pledge to you to write in my blog about how to explore your art with themes. See you on Friday!

Hey There! Surface Design Meeting!

This weekend I attended a 'Surface Design' meeting of the Vancouver and Sunshine Coast chapters. We combined our meeting so that we could all meet and get to know one another more. It was such a great success that everyone was calling for it be an annual event!

We had a pot-luck dinner on the Saturday and then a lunch meeting on the Sunday with show and tell  at the Fiberworks Yurts

http://www.fibreworksgallery.com

One of our members, Jennifer Love, was having an exhibit there so we all got to see and share in that also.

http://www.fibreworksgallery.com/current-exhibit/ it is an amzing show and if you are in the area you must check it out.

We have an amazing group of talented women and they are all so willing to share and talk art. I have been a member of the SDA for several years now but have not really attended any local meetings to speak of. So I'm so glad I plucked up the courage to go and make some new friends and re-connect with some old ones.

 

 

I recently did a tutorial video on using stencils and shiva sticks.

Here is a link to a great stencil site if you are not sure about cutting your own stencils, you can  start with a purchased one here.

http://stencilgirlproducts.com

Also check out this great book by Ruth Issett on shiva stcks.

"Paintsticks" Marvellous Markal: Sumptuous Shiva!

You also might like:

Colours on Cloth by Ruth Issett