Art class with Vanda

We had a great art class at the Shedio.  One of my best ever.  We were working from our own objects, using inspirational techniques from artists who exhibited at the Jerwood Drawing Exhibition.  Not only did we have our usual people (Vanda, Jane and Karin) but Brenda dropped in before uni for an hour, and we had Lesley and Sheila as well.  

We used 4/5 different techniques - paper cuts, piercing, prints, before lunch.  Then after lunch, we reviewed what went well/badly and had to decide whether to use 5 more artist inspired techniques, or whether to explore the first ones further. I was a wuss, and wanted to be told what to do, so was instructed to explore one or two techniques further.  I ended up stitching on paper, changing one thing at a time.  Without thread, with thread, small, large, with black thread, with white thread, with both colours. I had a lovely time.

Papercuts.  Inspired by a sweater image from Aunt Joan's knitting book
They could vary in scale, be piled up, be used as stencils and templates

Papercuts piled up.  Could be pushed further .

(Unthreaded) Machine stitching knitted patterns, through paper

Drawing the shapes of the patterns - lobster claw cable, stocking stitch and rib.

Making a slipknot, and a series of chain stitches from newspaper.
Using these to print, to see what pattern results.

A single print on a page to see what happens when it is positioned to privilege it.

Unthreaded machine stitching to create line drawing of a series of chain stitches in paper

The printing implement and the stitch drawing

What happens on the back when you forget to put the presser foot down.
Every machinist will recognise it!

Line drawing by machine stitching (with thread)

Machine stitch drawing enlarged to page size

Machine stitch drawing using black thread, followed by white thread.