Exciting new work

After a bit of a hiatus I'm getting back into really focusing on producing work, and there's been a bit of a change of direction for me too, which is very refreshing. I've been distracted by other things in my life over the past few months, but this work feels really fresh to me, and has really helped to rejuvenate my motivation.

Recently I've become more interested in drawing than in painting, and this is what I want to concentrate on for now - to the point that I left my paint and brushes in storage in Stockholm! A few months ago I worked on some smudged and layered charcoal drawings, really enjoyed this, and felt that this was something I'd like to take further. As I'm currently between England and Sweden as well, it seems logical to make work that can be moved around more easily than large canvasses. Further to this, rather than concentrating on images of faces, I'm experimenting with drawing body parts, just to bring something new into my work.

Weathering is still of interest to me, and using paper rather than canvas allows me to explore this theme in a new way. I've been weathering the drawings using various combinations of screwing up the paper, and getting it wet, building up layers of charcoal. I particular like screwing up the paper before drawing, as the textured surface guides the drawing in some ways. I really enjoy working with charcoal and getting quite messy - I see the smudges and shadows in these drawings as a positive, something to build up texture and layering within the drawing. Fixing the images at different stages also contributes to the effect. 

I'm planning to experiment with different types of paper, and keen to also try scratching or scrubbing the image once I have some stronger paper or thin card. I'd also like to experiment with drawing and sewing whilst the paper is still a bit damp - this isn't really possible with the brown paper I'm currently using because it's very thin and fragile, especially when wet.

Embroidery is still important in the work, and I've been using embroidery as a means of repair, not using it to embellish the imagery in these pieces. To contrast with the smudged, dark charcoal, I'm intentionally using embroidery thread in bright, vibrant colours. I'm full of enthusiasm about this new body of work - it's a departure from my previous work, and feels like it's something a bit new for me. 

Although these pieces can stand up for themselves, they're also preparation for a new work I have in mind, which is very different to anything I've produced before, and which I also feel very excited about. I'm still thinking it through now, but I feel like it could be something quite special. 

I've received a really positive response to these pieces so far, and I'm really in the right frame of mind to keep working on these ideas. I think I needed something new to really grab me and make me throw myself back into my work, and this idea is really working for me now. I think this body of work has relevance to work I've produced previously, but is still bringing in a new angle.

Current Works in Progress

 I'm really happy with how the fibre piece is developing. It's been outside for about a week now and is quickly becoming stained. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this piece, as it's brand new for me, but I'm liking the progress so far. I wasn't expecting the pigment from the thread to bleed onto the fabric in some places, as the embroidery has always come after the weathering process, so this is really interesting.
The fabric has become stained quickly, and as this piece has so  much negative space I really want to push this as far as possible, and make the surface as discoloured as it can be. I think this piece could

potentially be really impressive, so although I initially hoped that this piece would be finished quite quickly, I'm happy to wait to make sure this piece really makes an impact.
Today I've also completed a new shredded piece. I was really happy with the small scale experiment I made in this way before going to Iceland, so I've been keen to re purpose larger canvasses that I was unhappy with. This piece had already been embroidered, and the loose embroidery threads look great with the shredded strips on canvas, it makes the work much more intense. I have another canvas I want to alter in this way, and I love reworking something I was unhappy with into something I'm pleased to show.

My residency has begun!

I arrived in Iceland on Tuesday, and in Skagastrond yesterday to start my residency! I really am so happy to be here, and just having a proper studio space again after quite some time is inspiring me to get working. As soon as I arrived yesterday afternoon, despite being exhausted, I got started on my work, and already I've manged to get a few things done. This is exactly what I want, as my time here unfortunately is limited, and therefore I don't want to waste a moment.
So far I've done a few sketches in preparation for the first two paintings I'm planning, and have made several abstract pieces on paper, which have been left in various locations in the village to become weathered. Already, after less than 24 hours, I've noticed that most of them are becoming damp, and hopefully this will have an affect on the surface. Working in this manner is also giving me an opportunity to gauge which locations work best for what I want to do.
As I was walking back from the studio last night I unfortunately found that one of the pieces had been torn up! It would appear that this was done intentionally by an unknown person, as the conditions have certainly not been extreme enough to cause this naturally, and none of the other sheets have been affected at all. This morning I gathered the ripped up pieces, and got to work. As I stated in my proposal for this residency, I'd be keen to look into embroidery as a means of repair where necessary, and this was certainly necessary. The paper may not have been weathered naturally, but there was certainly an effect. I suppose that's a risk you take when leaving work in public.
I've spent a good few hours today reassembling the paper - working out which piece went where was surprisingly challenging. I find the result quite interesting, even though it was not what I had initially had in mind. I'm looking forward to seeing the progression of the other five works that are outside, and looking forward to getting canvasses outside too. I'm planning to start the background for one or two pieces this afternoon, meaning that I can complete the portraits soon.
All in all, I've been here a very short time but I'm already so glad to be here. Although I wouldn't choose to live in Skagastrond on a long term basis it really is beautiful, and I'm really enjoying myself. The other artists here are all really nice, and I'm so grateful to have this time to focus on my work, and to think and reflect more generally. I hope that my whole trip is as successful as the past couple of days have been.
For more images of the work I'm making here please visit my Facebook page.

Embroidered memories

I've been working on the piece I mentioned, embroidering memories onto a blanket. I'm hand sewing everything, because using a mechanical machine method feels completely out of place with something about very personal moments. I'm also really loving the fact that hand sewing allows for imperfections in the lettering, allowing for a really personal feel, and the wonderful texture I'm creating. The downside is that it is extremely time-consuming and labourious.
I'm really happy with how it's looking, even though I've got a long way to go before it's finished. I think the completed piece will look really impressive, and the amount of hard work that's gone into it will be evident. I'm working on it for a few hours every day, and looking forward to the end result.

Changes

I still have no internet! That'll change next week, and hopefully after that I can write more often. This week I've continued on the painting of Emmi, but the general direction has also undergone some changes. The poetry will now be written over the painting, rather than on a separate board, and embroidery will then be on top of that. As layering seemed to become more and more important in the work, this seemed like a logical progression. In the past I've been nervous of doing too much and overloading a piece, but now I want to push it. I have a bit more embroidery to do today, and then I'm done with this one. I'm thinking about tying additional hanging strings to the embroidery, just to add to the intensity.
Then I'll be moving on to a new portrait, this time of my boyfriend. This time I've decided to be more experimental with colour, and work with grey, yellow, and orange. The idea is to create something which may confuse the viewer, or create an unusual effect with the colour combinations. I like the idea of a dull grey background combined with the shock of the bright tones.
Below is an image of this portrait, prior to the addition of the line drawing, text, and embroidery. As I added more the face took on a tribal, mask-like appearance, which I find very interesting. This wasn't a conscious choice - just a natural formation. I'm really pleased so far. When everything is finished I'll post a picture.

Embroidery experiments

I have continued preparatory work by experimenting with embroidery, and the idea of physically connecting the portrait to the poem. I think it's worked well. The embroidery works to add higlights to the image and provide extra definition. I like the contrast between the tight, controlled stitching and the loose, fluid strings connecting the two pieces. I think the strings, running across the subject's face, could be interpreted as a block between the viewer and the subject, however fragile it may be, which reinforces the idea of separation.
The loose strings are tangled here, which I'm not sure about. I would prefer them to simply overlap and hang freely. However, the idea just popped into my head to weave strings together
where they hang loosely. I'd need to ensure the web obscured the image, but didn't block it completely.
I also think that, considering the final piece will be on a larger scale, it might be interesting to combine cotton thread and wool as they hang between the pieces.