Portable Art- Four Inuksuk

As I'm going north for a long weekend, I need to take some work with me (so I don't go crazy with the peace and quiet?) I'm in the process of assembling some small works that I can free motion. I don't want to be hauling materials that I might have to cut. They just take up too much space.

These four pieces are going to be a set of Inuksuk destined for the gallery in Golden. Raw edge applique and probably some of my NEW pearlized paint to give them a little sparkle in the dull Arctic situ.
Recognize the sky? I chopped my fat quarter piece of gray into four equal sized pieces. I think it works very well here.

 

 

 To simplify things I used the same ground materials in different amounts in each of the four. They are unified by that but contain different Inuksuk.

 

Tweeking the Colour

This piece was not the right colour. It was too green. Last night I added browns and orange in stages.

 

I started with a very pale wash off grey. Muddy water, no more. This was let dry and ironed.
I mixed some brown and with a very fine brush applied it selectively, dried it and ironed.
Still wasn't happy so this morning I mixed some olive green by combining the brown wash and some remaining green wash and got the colour I wanted. This too was applied with a fine brush. And as a last act of bravado I splashed fine drops of the olive over more of the surface by striking the brush above the cloth.

 

Now I have something closer to what I envision. Swamp or Wetlands.

Sunshine = Fabric Painting

Today got HOT quickly and unexpectantly. We were out shopping and I made hubby turn around and take me home.

(It's all his fault anyway. He encourages me...........and we'd hit the limit at Costco.......... Evil Store).

Last evening I was sitting in the garden noting how the understory branches of my elm tree were turning mottled shades of yellow and green. I thought the next chance I get I would make material suitable for leaves. And I did. These are both fat quarters. (Have to ration my materials.)

This may seem a little intense in colour but when only pieces are used, there will be some nice blends. A keeper.

The second piece I had a specific locale in mind, marshland or wetland. I deepened the green toward a muddy shade but didn't quite get there. An over wash of sienna or orange should do the trick. I don't need the sun for that. Sky is a little pale but grey. This one's a keeper too.

I'm learning how to get a hard line as I go. An application of a thin line of concentrated paint is laid down and then not brushed out. The subsequent application of wetter paint around it draws out the paint but generally leave a thin line. There is one at the top that looks like horizon with trees in the distance and a couple in the body separating the orange/gold.
To get a distinct grey sky I let the green dry and then starting at the top I gradually added a grey wash to within an inch of the green edge.

Red Fox - Final

When I look at this guy I feel I should give it a title reminiscent of Aesop!

       " The Fox and the Cardinal"

It took me a couple of false starts to quilt this piece. I love this material as it has so much potential, even though it seems rather dull and drab at first glance.The diagonal is not even and starts and ends to often. So I went with horizontal, up to where I wanted to imply foliage. I change the spacing and created small squares.

I added 6 leaves from the same background material and over painted them for a little punch. This was much more in keeping with the subtle feeling I wanted. If I had used a different colour I thought it would detract from the characters.

I auditioned the simple teardrop Cardinal in the same colour as the fox but went instead with a bright orange red. It is so small that it doesn't weigh the piece down, the Fox still commands centre place. Finished with a simple narrow binding in the background colour.

 

 

 

Perhaps this scene is not feasible in the real world but............what fun is that!

Back to Work

Yesterday, I wasn't in the zone. Today I am. Yea!

Again an image had been percolating at the back of my brain for months. I was trying to find the proper way to express it. I suppose there is no proper way, but it has to appeal to me first.

I came across a lovely little water colour of a fox that I reduced to this. 3 colours.

 

I wasn't in the mood to do my usual fusible web applique so I tried another method. A friend had just finished using this different method to do a very attractive cut away applique.
After drawing out a template I layered all the materials that I was going to use, this time simple quilting cottons.

 

A full size cartoon went on the backside and I stitched all the lines in the picture.

 

Then I spent a very peaceful couple of hours listening to some Loreena McKenna and snipping out the excess fabric. Then another 3 hours satin stitching all the edges.

Who is this dear Reynard looking at? That's for tomorrow.