The images of the work below are large-scale, rubber moulded pieces were made in the 1970s. He is obsessed with creating imperfect work, embellishing in the detail observes. The moulds are taken from everyday objects, everything from walls to socks. I find these works intriguing, they do not appear like rubber, the imperfections he has tried to hard to create make the work beautiful. My current work is inspired be decay and rust, this is a new approach.
These are two paintings by Peter Krauskopf. He uses a broad brush or palette knife to create large areas of colour. His paintings consist of an old picture which has been discarded, and over paints them to produce something new. Using layers he managed to bring together the old and the new. I like these painting because of their metallic, colourfull and dense look to them.
In my own work I am interested in layering yarns, bringing together the traditional technique of hand weaving with contemporary materials.
For my current project at uni I am investigating erosion, decay and in particular rust. I love the way the layers peel back and reveal something: what was there before, what used to be there, the history of something. As things decay they have a new beauty, areas transform in to new textures and colours. Within my own work I am interested in woven textiles with layers and revealing things. I am also interested in playing with light, they way it changes and come through the fabric. I have also been greatly inspired by contemporary Japanese textiles. Many of the artists play with light and space, as well as the idea of burning out areas of their work.
This weaving below has just come off the loom; using monofilament, silk and cotton I have created woven pieces which play with the idea of light and layers. These have yet to be devored. They have been designed so that when decored they will reveal different colours beneath. Some of the pieces have separately woven cloths of different colours, have areas that will/will not burn away creating a colour change and transparancy, and in others i have played with warp/weft faced weaves. I am really pleased with the way they have come out, they are beautiful the way they are. I need to be careful when using devore, to enhance and add interest to my fabrics with out taking away the qualities they already have.
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This is a warp i have been working with, it has an interesting quality with the solid cotton and transparent monfilament almost adding a hairy look. It was a bit of a nightmare to work with, it is stretchy (unlike the cotton) making tensioning difficult, it also does not like being tied in knots. It is definately work working with though, the end result will be really interesting, hopefully.
This is a warp i have been working with, it has an interesting quality with the solid cotton and transparent monfilament almost adding a hairy look. It was a bit of a nightmare to work with, it is stretchy (unlike the cotton) making tensioning difficult, it also does not like being tied in knots. It is definately work working with though, the end result will be really interesting, hopefully.
I have been inspired by rust recently. I have been exploring how rust is layers which decay and reveal/ change what is beneath. areas become amazing colours and can show what was hidden underneath the paint, the history of the object.
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These are my initial drawings for my uni project. I am really pleased with how they have turned out. Using watercolour and pen I have created loose drawings which I haven’t experimented with before, I am going to carry on developing this method of drawing as it seems to be working for me. I have found the seeds interesting to draw but after a few I am becoming less enthusiastic. Moving on to other drawing subjects will give me more ideas and inform my weaves.
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Helena Loerma is a weaver based in Odemira, Portugal. She uses hand and computer aided looms to create her own collections, as well as teaching workshops and courses in her studio. To keep herself up to date with techniques she visits the Liso Foundation in Florence, Italy. Her work is very open and textural, she produces it for a range of things such as scarves, window dressings etc.
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All of my life I have loved teddy bears. I collect them from places I have been. Each of them, whether a traditional teddy or more contemporary animal shape they all mean something to me and hold many memories. I have taken the opportunity (while I have the time) to make a teddy bear, something I have wanted to do for a long time.
This teddy bear if called Rusty and he is made from mohair. He as fully working arm, leg and head joints (Cotterpin joints) and glass eyes. It was more fiddly than I thought it would be, which might be due to his size of only 4inches. The most difficult bit was stitching him up once stuffed. My first attempt is a bit messy but I am pleased with the overall result. Making Rusty has given me a new enthusiasm, I am now going to try weaving my own fabric for my next teddy bear.
