Experimentation with Colour and Stitch

In an earlier post I mentioned how I don’t use colour and that if I did use colour it would be to represent areas of my body that I like and dislike. For example, red is a warm colour so I would use red in the areas of my body that I like. Colours inbetween the primary colours, like purple and green are difficult. I have been using greens as positive colours and purples as negatives. Through experimentation, I noticed that the reds and blues stayed in the same places whereas greens and purples have been changing. I don’t know whether this is due to me beginning to love areas of my body or that I got bored of painting the same areas the same colour. I think it may be the latter however, I began to realise that it may have been to how I was feeling that day. This is very personal and exactly why I use colour to represent my feelings towards myself.

I thought using ink would be a good idea to start as it would create soft works as the ink dispersed into the wetted paper. Using the representations of colour, I found these were abstract although some were still direct to the body. I particularly like the few that are not obvious images of the body.

I began with watercolours on tracing paper. I wanted to show the curves and folds of my body but as I mixed the powder myself, I got too excited with throwing it around my studio and got distracted with what I was supposed to be doing.

Using machine stitch on tracing paper is difficult, as the paper is so thin. I ripped a lot of the drawings with my machine so I tried hand stitching – also didn’t go too well. I know that it would have been difficult and needs patience – something I didn’t have after sewing on many photographs earlier that day.

Using the machine on photographs were much easier as the paper is thicker and doesn’t rip as easily, or at all. These are the photographs that were taken in the AV studio. I have selected about 20 that I feel are the best to be framed. They are all black and white which I think makes them softer and more professional.

I chose some that would only have paint on them, others just stitch and others both paint and stitch. Some that I initially wanted stitch and paint on them, I found that I preferred with just paint and left them as they were. I have loads of originals left which I plan to collage. These photographs will be displayed in homemade sketchbooks. I don’t know what sketchbooks they will be yet, whether it’s constantines or books with pockets etc. I still need to experiment with these on a larger scale.