Soft Sculpture with Tina Marais
This was an inspiring Take Two Art online program lead by Tina Marais who now lives in Le Mans, France. There were myriad techniques in the course from wrapping buttons to gathering fabric on the bias. In this piece I used wrapped buttons as in the first gallery progress photo below, wrapping them with a piece of printed silk organza where I had not been happy with the print. These would make excellent textural river stones in a landscape, but this piece is designed on an abstract circle. The gathered fabric is a lightweight organza which I have added beads to for effect. It is interesting to be using other than natural fabric (which is my norm) and has allowed me to dip into some of the fabrics in my stash. The gathering completely changes the look of the pattern on the fabric. Tina had advocated using heavier (curtain weight) for the gathering but, on this piece, I wanted to experiment with the lighter fabric. The back substrate is black polyester velvet which gives a nice contrast to the slight sheen of the patterned polyester.
What is my current Textile Focus
My interest in textile art is wide and varied. My focus at the moment is on completing panels for my scholarship project Parallels in Maori and Celtic customs and art. I am currently working on a Tromp L’oeil piece that represents the Winter solstice coming through a gap in the hills that was important to both cultures in mapping their seasonal world. the centre piece is hand embroidered and now I am trying to complete the effect of adding small pieces fabrics to create the effect I am looking for