I sometimes think I was dreadfully scarred by growing up in the 70's. I look at the things I make and I can see the legacy of string pictures and macramé.
3 Score & 10 vs crazy 70's macramé birdcage.
Kirsty Hall: 3 Score & 10, Jan 2006
Random Macrame found on internet but unfortunately I've lost the link
I rest my case!
Well, what can I say? Apart from reproduction prints of paintings or images in books, string pictures and macramé were the primary examples of art that I saw as a child. My parents aren't big art people plus I had three noisy younger brothers so although I'm sure I must have seen paintings in museums, I don't remember visiting an actual art gallery until I was in my teens. By the time I was 15, I had started taking myself off to galleries at every opportunity and had broadened my art horizons a little but before then, pins and string had featured highly in my formative visual experiences.
Ha, you should think yourselves lucky that I don't feel an overwhelming urge to make all my art in shades of orange and brown!
I started a new piece on Wednesday and to my eyes it's got a distinctly 70's look, probably because it's on brown linen. It's another thread drawing but from a brand new series. I've been contemplating this particular series for a while now; it's all to do with pithy phrases, emotional tension, domesticity and lots and lots of red thread. For ages I've been collecting strange trite sayings that people use - things like "well, I suppose it could be worse" or "but apart from that, how are you". I'm fascinated by the emotional gaps in language, the way we use clichés and meaningless phrases, especially in Britain, to cover a vastness of things unsaid. For some reason, this is connected in my mind with endless images of red thread.
Kirsty Hall: Red Drawing, May 2008
I had an image in my head of a red thread drawing on raw linen that I wanted to test out. I found a natural framed linen canvas that may work although I'm not entirely sure about it because it's sized with clear primer and I think it might be too glossy and stiff. For some reason, I'm a lot more comfortable sewing on framed canvases meant for painting than on loose fabric and when I was in the craft shop, I got scared by the proper linen embroidery fabric and coped out and bought a sized canvas instead. This one is my test piece to see if I can live with the sized surface or if I need to make that intellectual leap and do 'proper embroidery' on 'real fabric'.
It's odd: intellectually I know that what I'm doing is probably embroidery but I don't think of it as sewing. Instead, I always think of it as a very slow and laborious way of drawing.
With little bits of thread.
On fabric.
I mean, obviously I know it is sewing. Except that in my head, it isn't. I cannot explain this.
Kirsty Hall: Red Drawing, May 2008
I don't know why I feel this way about using cloth. A couple of years ago, I started doing sewn drawings on felt and that didn't bother me so it's clearly something to do with the fabric. When I was about 7 or 8, I had a scary primary school teacher who endlessly criticising the sloppiness of my stitches and I suspect this has a lot to do with my fear of using 'real fabric' and doing 'real sewing'. I did like threading shoelaces through pictures with holes in them though (did anyone else do that, what was it supposed to teach us?) and I don't think it's a coincidence that I now pierce holes in my canvases before threading my needle through. Actually, you have to when using sized canvas because if you make a mistake, the hole doesn't close up again but I also think it takes me to a safer, happier place than the word 'embroidery' does.
Tina Mammoser
Oh, I'm excited to see you working again! (or rather, sharing your work with us) Funny, I just podcasted yesterday about drawing and how I include my pencil drawings, marker, collages, pastels, drypoint and even photography in that category. :)
A tip for the glossy finish - you could put down a quick thin layer of matte medium or matte varnish on the canvas to take away that glossy finish. A spray varnish would probably be easiest and wouldn't add any discernable heaviness to the surface. Oh, and I like the idea of seeing the holes from so-called mistakes. I think that would be quite interesting actually.
Tina Mammoser
Oh, I'm excited to see you working again! (or rather, sharing your work with us) Funny, I just podcasted yesterday about drawing and how I include my pencil drawings, marker, collages, pastels, drypoint and even photography in that category. :)
A tip for the glossy finish - you could put down a quick thin layer of matte medium or matte varnish on the canvas to take away that glossy finish. A spray varnish would probably be easiest and wouldn't add any discernable heaviness to the surface. Oh, and I like the idea of seeing the holes from so-called mistakes. I think that would be quite interesting actually.
tammy vitale
Since you're on alyson's tour and I'm on Alyson's tour (see my May 23 post), I decided to come visit. I love the idea of being influence by the 70s - I'm actually a 60s child (at least I was a teenager then), but you can bet I did my share of macrame - I had a table that was a bigger version of your birdcage - I had rope fiber in my house for months while I was working on that! And the comment on orange and brown made me laugh out loud. I hope you get rid of that old teacher's voice and just follow your red thread - I have a feeling something wonderful is going to happen!
Kirsty Hall
Hi Tina, thanks for the comment. Yeah, I'm glad to be working again at last. I have been drawing since the start of the year but nothing else. I enjoyed your podcast yesterday. Thanks for the tip about varnish, I'll keep it in mind although I think I'm going to go with unsized fabric for the rest of the series - it feels like the right decision.
Kirsty
Post authorHi Tina, thanks for the comment. Yeah, I'm glad to be working again at last. I have been drawing since the start of the year but nothing else. I enjoyed your podcast yesterday. Thanks for the tip about varnish, I'll keep it in mind although I think I'm going to go with unsized fabric for the rest of the series - it feels like the right decision.
Kirsty Hall
Hi Tammy, welcome to the blog. I'm glad the post made you laugh. I enjoyed reading your book tour question with Alyson and I'll be checking out the rest of your blog.
Kirsty
Post authorHi Tammy, welcome to the blog. I'm glad the post made you laugh. I enjoyed reading your book tour question with Alyson and I'll be checking out the rest of your blog.
tammy vitale
Since you're on alyson's tour and I'm on Alyson's tour (see my May 23 post), I decided to come visit. I love the idea of being influence by the 70s - I'm actually a 60s child (at least I was a teenager then), but you can bet I did my share of macrame - I had a table that was a bigger version of your birdcage - I had rope fiber in my house for months while I was working on that! And the comment on orange and brown made me laugh out loud. I hope you get rid of that old teacher's voice and just follow your red thread - I have a feeling something wonderful is going to happen!