Final Dots....

Here I have painted the final bit on the blank silk screen. The fabric piece is placed under a sheet of glass (with edges taped for safety) and the screen is resting on small blocks on top of the glass. The fabric piece is visible through the screen and I can be quite specific where and what I paint on the screen.

This is the result of screening on the fabric - it fits perfectly (of course!).

The above photo is pretty good but in reality I have a little concern that the tonal values of the bottom bit are too close, particularly when viewed at a distance. To help me make a decision on this I photocopied this area using the 'grey scale'. It doesn't look too bad and I may just leave it. However, if I do decide to do something about it I can discharge the lower bottom area. The dots here are turquoise which is the only fiber reactive dye colour that will not discharge, but the blue background would become paler.

The tonal value photocopy.

I will put this piece away and think about it again in due course. This piece is the second in my series on well-known artists whose work I admire. And just in case you haven't worked out who this piece represents, it is the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama who describes herself as 'the modern Alice in Wonderland'. As with my Frida Kahlo piece I am attempting to acknowledge their work and produce a hybrid using my own personal style and input.

Going Dotty... continued

As predicted the somewhat washed out colours on the screen printed much brighter on the fabric.

The lower portion masked off with freezer paper.

Back to the screen which was painted with a colour wash.

Once printed this blended the top portion which now looks much better.

Here I have discharged the colours at the bottom which were previously masked off.

Yet more to come......keep tuned!

Going dotty....

My next work is to feature dots. I find the concentration of a single unit quite restrictive so aim to loosen things up a bit. Earlier this week, without much direction in mind, I worked with dots on paper. Sometimes just making a start, however vague, gets the ideas flowing. Some of the initial ideas may get abandoned and it is important not to regards these as a waste of time. Everything, whether eventually used or not, is of value, and should be regarded as part of the journey.

The outcome of my exercise, paper and felt pen.

I made a cartoon of the original dots to match the size of the silk screen I wished to use. The cartoon was placed under the screen which was supported on small blocks so that the screen and cartoon did not touch. I started painting in some of the areas with a dye and water mix (Procion MX).

A second and third colour have been added. These colours, at this stage dry on the screen, look very weak but I know they will be stronger when printed. The overlapping of the colours around the dots also made very nice halos which aren't visible in the photo.

The final colour added.

Now.... to be continued....

Home again, home again....

Here I am back home again. It was lovely to see so many of my family over four days. Such ventures certainly feed the soul and the weather was very summery but, alas, here at home it is again cold and raining!

I am keen to get started again on some new work. Driving long distances on one's own certainly gives time for thinking through ideas and approaches. Ideas seem to float in out and just as quickly move on as other thoughts take over. So everything is a bit of a jumble at the moment. Hopefully I can retrieve the ideas when I have pen and paper in hand.

By the way, I did manage two gallery visits while away, although one was closed due to renovations but peeping through the large windows did give me a good view of their new space.

No pics this time, but my next blog should have something. Keep looking....

Moving on....

I am now ready to move on. My latest work is the third attempt at this piece and I feel the happiest with this one. Previous attempts had too much detail and didn't quite portray what I wanted. I have kept this one simple. It is still based on the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907 - 1954) and acknowledges the way she painted leaves with the veins running red, red with blood signifying the health problems she had throughout her life. This piece, along with her lino-cut portrait (featured here) is part of a proposed series looking at women artists and their work. I now feel ready to start on a second artist.

I am up and away to visit family for a few days so the long drives will be conducive for the thinking that pre-empts the hands-on.

1943 Frida Kahlo, Roots, size 30.5 x 49cm / 12 x 19½in) Note that the leaves are 'bleeding'.

2009 Diana Parkes, untitled, dye and pigment on cotton, size 32 x 25cm / 12½ x 10in.

Films, progress and tree

I have been to two movies in the last five days. And a bigger contrast I can't quite imagine. Avatar is the BIG 3D film, nothing spared, full-on-life in 2154 with aliens, the invaders from planet world, and the Avatars who move between the two societies. The visual and sound effects are stunning. It is of course the universal cops and robbers scenario and guess who wins! So much is parallelled in today's world. Total entertainment, don't spare the horses, especially when they each have six legs! Go see....
Morris - A Life with Bells On is a mockumentary on Morris dancing and is as subtle as they can get. The talent that wants to re-invent the Morris dance is 'rusticated' by the traditionalists, but it turns out all right in the end.

Another layer about to be screened on to my latest Frida Kahlo piece. Note the F clamp used to secure the frame so that I can use two hands on the squeegee.

Almost finished.....

For my overseas readers, this tree is a Pohutukawa. It is commonly called NZ's Christmas Tree for obvious reasons. This one in my garden, still fairly young.

All that table and the New Year

Following my previous blog in which I showed a photo of my work table; this sits in the middle of my studio and was made by one of my boys many years ago when he started his furniture joinery apprenticeship. It is rather like an altar to me but for playing, not for praying, although there have been moments I have submitted a prayer in the hope that something will work! If this table could talk it would have a lot to say, about successes, failures and things in between. It is almost waist high (and I am tall) so that I never have to bend over, and I even stand while operating my sewing machine and serger. I always work/think better when on my feet. It becomes cluttered with the paraphernalia of current projects and every so often it gets a make over to start afresh. I consider it one of my most valued assets.

All blogs seem to have thoughts about the coming New Year, so here is my tuppence worth. I have never been too ambitious with New Year resolutions but have begun to recognise that I repeat the same 'mores' each year; namely, to produce more art; read, visit, view more art; attend more art house movies; more gardening, more exercise, more travel.

Also there is the love and friendship of family and friends; the more I travel the more I realise that everyone, anywhere in the world just wants peace, love, enough food, good health, warmth and shelter.

Let's hope we may all find this in 2010. My best wishes to everyone for a safe and creative 2010.

A progress image of latest piece. If this looks somewhat familiar it is because this is my third attempt at this piece! I need to get this 'right' as it may be a series I intend to pursue.