Wednesday, 18 February 2015

AND HERE

Next stage - non horse inspired pieces.  This one just popped out, not the best way, I cannot resist the pleasure of mark making on the silk.  But I did try to stick to some of the colours in my still life. I might use a black background to get this very dramatic effect (picture 2)



Piece 8 digitally enhanced

Piece 8 again with dye added, still wet and mottly

Piece 9 My textile take on the painting project

Pleased with this one (above), it looks like a real painting! I just did an "abstract" of the still life I am working on.  This is much better than the actual painting.  It looked a bit paler when dry today but I am hoping steaming has brightened it a bit. Actually it needed a bit more work, so I painted over it (below), using dark red and green. See what like when dry and steamed.

Second version of Piece 9  (before steaming)

Issues with a few small marks, which I brushed over with black dye



Piece 10 inspiration

Grhhh   Piece 10 did not work

Wanted to create something that would reflect the colours and textures of the "inspiration", but should have done the blue wet on wet first, let it dry, then put in black lines.  Effect is all about texture and contrast.  I will have to do more on this one, but it will lose the connection with the idea. Actually when steamed and washed and viewed through tie template, it is OK.
It was uneven because I had not dissolved the black dye properly, so made up some more dye and added some marks.  I steamed and washed this today and so far it looks OK.
Great breakthrough with the tin sheeting for the steamer.  It works very well, there is hardly washout of loose dye in most cases.

Piece 11 first stage


Losing a bit of focus today, had a play instead of thinking a lot (Piece 11)  but at least I used colours from the painting project.  Will review this one tomorrow, but it looks OK through tie template, will probably require building up.  It is still wet in photo. Still damp next day, left to dry.  This looks paler when dry but has some nice marks and colours so will let it go through as is.


Well, duh!  I was trying to get a mottly effect with the blue dye (as in Piece 10 inspiration), so painted strips of clear water onto silk , then drew into it with pale dye.  It did not really run as I wanted.  Maybe I need salt or something for that.  It might just work as a pale and minimal tie.  Let's see how it dries. It came out exquisite, now need to wash it without getting any marks and have another look.

 This was supposed to be a simple but sophisticated one using the frayed edge of fabric across the tie.  But although it started out like this, I felt it might not work when cut, so I built it up in blue black and grey stripes.  It looks OK. To do as I intended would be quite complex and need photo stencil screen printing techniques to acchieve the perfection and sharpness to make it effective.


Piece 14   detail

Here I have just played with brush marks, using about 4 colours.  It probably works OK, have to wait till it is dry.  I intended to do another fray piece, but felt tired and decided just to do this.  Realising from the painting exercise that tonal patterns matter in textiles.  I have never understood that properly and often had difficulties.

Piece 15  Another wild one


 I intended to do another still life one, but again became seduced by the marks a brush makes.  This started as red and orange flowers, very loose, suggested by the fabric flowers in the still life, but it then morped into something else  It does bear relation to the painting through the colours, maybe this is a way I should try with the painting.

Saturday, 7 February 2015

THE YEAR STARTS HERE





These are sections of some silk pieces I did for ties last year. It was a very busy year as I had a lot of other work to do at the same time.  I am now starting to make more for this year's shows. This time I would like to try and find a theme or subject that will hold for wall pieces as well as ties and scarves, as well as perhaps a framed piece on paper or other medium. As usual it is a rush because the tie maker needs the ties at least 6 weeks in advance and my first show is mid-April.

Tuesday, 27 January 2015

TRIP TO LOLLDAIGA








At Christmas 2014 I spent a week in this beautiful safari ranch in Africa.  My, does it seem a long time ago now.  For more pictures click on this link

PS  This blogger rode horse for 80 miles over 5 days.

MY PAINTING PROJECT - SURPRISE RESULT

My surprise still life

The greyscale

Aiming for the simplicity of abstract painter William Scott (see his 1959 painting below) in this OCA exercise using only yellow ochre, white and black, I despaired of my attempt and scrubbed it out, only to reveal the washy sketch above.  Which I like!!  For the full (ongoing) story, see my new blog My Painting Project.

William Scott painting 1959

Friday, 16 January 2015

MY PAINTING PROJECT. MOVED TO A NEW BLOG


THIS BLOG HAS NOW MOVED TO A NEW HOME -  MY PAINTING BLOG


Setting up a still life
Changing it to greyscale on my phone app

My first tonal drawing (without greyscale app)

Back to basics.  I  wrote a book on equestrian drawing last year and want to develop ideas and skills I learnt and understood better by now working through a painting manual (Open College of the Arts Painting 1). I have tried this before but this time I feel confident enough to follow the exercises with more detachment, and I will see where it takes me.

I set up the still life for the first exercise today and made my first drawing.  The aim was to establish the tones rather than shapes, but looking at the greyscale photo it is clear that my perception of tone is not particularly accurate, and that I was not thinking where the principal light source was (the daylight on the right)..  I will make another drawing from a different viewpoint next time, and use the app as well.  

I am not following the tutored course, but plan to work through the book at my pace.

Sunday, 7 December 2014

http://www.lendwithcare.org



lendwithcare is an organisation that helps to finance small businesses, mainly individuals, throughout poorer parts of the world.  Click on the link to discover how simple it is to lend a small (or larger) amount that will transform somebody's life, and to read about the different projects.

PS   26th January

I recently made my first loan of £30 to a cooperative looking for around £1000, and have heard that they already have their full amount and that I will be paid back soon.

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

SSA Annual Exhibition 2014



 
  Diana Hand   Tang Horse 2   Charcoal on paper
 

I am pleased to announce that my drawing "Tang Horse 2" has been selected for this important exhibition with the Society of Scottish Artists at the Royal Scottish Academy, National Galleries of Scotland, The Mound, Edinburgh, EG2 2EL.  The exhibition is open from 5th December to 20th December, 2014.
For more information please click here.

This drawing was inspired by by trip to China a year ago.  I visited the main art museum in the ancient city of Xian to look at the ceramic horses of the Tang dynasty.  The elaborate mane plaiting is still used today, as can be seen in this photograph.