Earlier this month I went to France to do a week’s course on collagraphy with Val Holmes. Collagraphy is a form of printing whereby, instead of etching into the plate, you build up the surface, so as to produce both intaglio and relief forms. Val has just published her book on the subject ‘Collage, Stitch, Print’.
Chapter 4 – Fastenings
It’s fun making cords and I can see that you could use them in a practical way to tie things, eg books, bags etc, but also in a purely decorative way, as a bookmark, an edging or simply to enhance the look of the object. Braids too can be used in the same way. Here you are letting the yarn or fabric used to be visible as an integral part of the design.
Further experiments for backgrounds and edges
I was feeling a bit daunted and uninspired so I did some reading, in particular Maggie Grey’s books and did a bit more experimenting. It’s amazing what you can do with nappy liners!
Chapter 3 – Fancy Edges
Both the above samples stitched using hand-dyed cotton.
More work for module 4
Apples – I had only worked on the right-hand page so felt it needed something more. The heap of apples is stencilled in using pastels. I used a stamp made from funky foam for the ‘branches and an expanded foam stamp for the leaves. I also used some gesso on the top part of the phot to blend it in better with the page. I am not toally satisfied with the page – I’m not sure it really hangs together very well.