Work in Progress: Wearable Paper Art Part 2

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These lovely red things are what I started working on after I set aside the cut paper strips. I love these so much, but it may be the colour, because red is my favourite. I started by cutting about twelve or so, and then cut another bunch to bring the number up to thirty. It’s hard to tell in the first two photos but some of the paper is in two different shades of orange and not red. They range in size from an inch in diameter to two and a half (I think).

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Work in progress, cut paper pieces

These will all come together into a wearable piece, when I finally figure out what shape and size of base I want to attach them to. I’ve been prototyping these but haven’t yet settled on one I’m satisfied with.

Work in progress, cut paper pieces

This will end up as a ridiculously elaborate paper wearable, but I wanted to make something spectacular for the show in September.

Work In Progress: Wearable Paper Art

With the tyvek installation completed, last week I launched into prototyping ideas for some of the other work I need to create for the same show. I’ve agreed to make wearable pieces from paper for Hammer Cut Stitch Repeat in September. The show is organized by jewellery designers, Patsy Kay Kolesar and Simone Richmond, around the common theme of pattern and repetitive work.

The photos pictured here are from last week when I was exploring an idea around making an elaborate collar piece from strips of cut paper. It didn’t work out so well, so I played around with curling the paper and seeing what happens. I did not come up with an idea I am happy with so I’ve set this one aside for now.

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I do like the organic forms I can create this way, and of course the shadows. I set this idea aside this week to forge ahead on something else that is actually going well so far. More on that in another blog post.

A Repetition of Triangles

My attention has been shifting between working on prototypes for wearable paper pieces for a fall show, and a small series of repetitive drawings. Those started as a diversion (read that as procrastination) from the tyvek piece, and then became a series of its own. Last week I worked on the fourth in the series (the rest of which you can see here and here) and finished it as well.

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I went with triangles this time, and worked it into a circle as I did with the others. The finished piece is metallic gel pen on 12″ x 12″ archival black paper.

I lined up the four pieces on my easel and took the above photo. I love all the texture and pattern in a row. A friend commented on Instagram that it reminded her of the phases of the moon. It was exactly what I was thinking.

Revisiting Sashiko Stitching with The Craft Lab

On the weekend I attended another Sashiko Stitching workshop taught by Heather Young of the Craft Lab, this time at Collage Collage. A lot of time has passed since the first workshop at Opus, and I wasn’t feeling like I had a full grasp of the technique, which is why I enrolled in this longer, more in-depth class. Now I think I’ve got it, and I have a clearer idea of what I want to do.

We did two projects in the class, both of which are pictured here. We did a sampler to practice making the stitches in straight lines, and then we had to come up with our own design in a circle to make a small pot holder. I ran out of time before getting to try a repair on a piece of clothing I brought with me. I took a photo of Heather’s sampler (below) to remind myself of the different ways to approach a visible repair. I’m going to try one of these on my favourite jeans.

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I’m committed to doing more with sashiko stitching going forward, and even put my supplies together in their own little container.

Reaching the Summit

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Last week I returned to work on the tyvek installation, and managed to get through the last few inches to bring it to completion. As I reached the end I felt like putting on Eye of the Tiger and doing a few laps around the studio as I waved my hands triumphantly the air. Woo hoo!

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It didn’t occur to me until I was almost at the end to count the number of circle designs that made up this piece. At that point it was thirty-three, and by the end it was thirty-eight. I went back and added two more to bring the number up to forty.

No wonder this piece made me so crazy. It’s a piece of work made up of forty individual designs, and each one was a whole lot of work. I’m glad I did this, and I am happy with the result, but I will never take this approach to something on this scale again.

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This piece will be part of an upcoming exhibit in September at Circle Craft Gallery, titled Hammer, Cut, Stitch, Repeat.

Circles, Repetition, and Pattern

In taking a break from working on the cut tyvek installation I went on a bender of repetitive drawing and suddenly I had started a new series.

I feel these are a continuation of the tiny drawings I was doing around the same time last year on circle cut pieces of black card stock. While those were around 3 to 4 inches in diameter, these latest ones are 10.5 inches in diameter on 12″ x 12″ square acid-free paper, and drawn with metallic gel pen.

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Repetition of tiny circles

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Repetition of a leaf shape

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Repetition of double half circles

This work makes me feel crazy, and frustrated, but I love where it gets to in the end. I can probably say this about all of the work I do…

Repetitive Drawings

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Two weeks ago I set aside the tyvek installation because it was feeling stale to work on, and did a little side trip into drawing again. I decided to do a series of repetitive drawings using metallic gel pen on black paper. To date I’ve made three of these on 12″ x 12″ black paper, and I have plans to do one or two more.

I experimented with shooting short process videos using my iPhone while working on two of the three pieces. For the top one I held the phone in my left hand while I drew with my right. That was awkward and felt unnatural because I normally use my left hand to rotate the paper as I draw. With the video below I used the Hyperlapse app to do a timelapse version of me drawing, and attached it to a lamp instead of trying to hand hold and shoot. Both videos are mesmerizing to watch because I love the smooth motion of pen on paper.

I’ll share the drawings themselves in another post.

Kirigami Workshop at the Vancouver Art Gallery

On Sunday you can find me on the fourth floor of the Vancouver Art Gallery teaching people how to create kirigami paper cut work. I’ll be there as part of the Family Weekly Program in conjunction with Mashup: The Birth of Modern Culture, the current massive show occupying every floor of the VAG. This is a drop-in activity for all ages.

Kirigami paper cuts

Kirigami paper cuts

Kirigami, The Art of Folding and Cutting Paper
Date: Sunday April 17th, 2016
Time: noon to 4pm
Cost: Free with admission to the gallery
Location: Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Street

Scenes From A Paper Cutting Workshop at Opus

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It’s been almost a year since I last did a demonstration of paper cutting techniques at Opus Art Supplies. I was feeling a bit nervous before I started because I was going to try something new, and more hands-on this time. In the past it’s been a demonstration only, and this time it was to be a workshop with people making things. I decided to use Japanese and Islamic patterns as printed templates to guide participants through the paper cutting activity, and I was a little worried this wouldn’t be interesting for them to work on.

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It turned out to be the best thing for the amount of time we had for the class. I went through my information, did a quick paper cutting demonstration, and then got everyone working on a pattern paper cut selected from the printed templates I provided. It was interesting to see everyone choose a Japanese design over the Islamic ones. I suspect this is because they are perceived as easier to work with.

I had a fun group of participants in the class, and they seemed to enjoy and get inspired by everything I taught them. There were many converts to my beloved Olfa art knife, after each of them compared cutting with it versus an xacto with a #11 blade (they are the worst!)

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Above are some of the work-in-progress by participants in the class.

This group was a pleasure to teach, and I left afterwards feeling inspired and incredibly satisfied with a teaching job well done.

Art Supply Giveaway 2016

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It’s spring cleaning time in the studio, and this Sunday I will be part of an art supply giveaway with a group of artists in Strathcona. Drop by 800 Keefer Street to browse a selection of unwanted (but still viable) supplies. I think this is the fourth year in a row my friends and I have held this event.

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Everything is free because we just want someone to make use of the materials. At this time I have no idea what supplies will be available from each artist so come see for yourself. There’s always something for everyone.