2017

We move forward from two successful exhibitions in 2016 in Prague and in the USA to the challenge of an exhibition in the Netherlands in the Autumn. We continue to work on A2 sized pieces in portrait format and will be producing four pieces over the year with the theme of 'Freedom'. An essential part of our art is working in series to a common format which does give us all a framework for our creative endeavours.

Monday 27 February 2012

Where I am

I had quite some trouble interpreting this theme- as I took the theme quite literally. As the place where I am presently living, is not my preferred place and simply a place for treading water whilst my youngest daughter finishes high school, it is not a place I embrace with my heart though there are pleasant aspects of the city and I am learning to live here and enjoy it's good qualities. But it is not like the bush where I used to live with occasional forays to other places in the world. I made a mind map to map, to map out where I am but that proved and unsatisfactory list of  positives and negatives with no clear idea of imagery.

Then we got a week of extremely hot weather- and there is nothing to do but hole up inside and move little- and wait for the heat to burst into rain and bring cool relief. Machine stitching is entirely too frenetic an activity in the heat- and we do have an aircon but it is so noisy that  i have  come to associate heat with a droning  noise of ghastly proportions- so I don't use it.

So ultimately my piece  "where I am" grew out of what I am making at present- a series of sentinelles to express my concerns about the environment and the state of our world. They are influenced by byzantine madonnas and other mythical figures and they are decorated by hand in rich colour.I printed the face with a Print Gocco-  actually the print is a bit of a failed print but with stitching it comes out a bit more, and because of size limitation of the Gocco screens and because I also wanted to  create a medallion portrait- as medallions were carried by travellers in medieval times to protect and suggest they were part of a certain pilgrimage they  are the size they are. I did a trial run of printing on lime green fabric not thinking I would use them, but lately I have been using everything that is at hand without  making new dyed fabrics- so here they are in al their lime green brilliance! I still have to put on thebinding but at least they are all stitched.


10 comments:

  1. I love the colours you have used and I am very impressed with all the hand stitching

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  2. Well you got it done despite your hectic schedule Dijanne! How cleverly you have pulled the colours from the tie dyed pieces into the stitching - I love the lime green it really 'illuminates' the madonnas. The stitching must have taken ages!
    Jean

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  3. I think you have absolutely succeesded with this piece Dijanne. I love the colours and the hand-stitching and the sentinelles do seem illuminated. I recently did not even a quarter of the hand-stitching you did on this piece, and have been suffering from tendonitis since - very painful. So it's the machine for me!

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  4. Well done Dijanne - A beautiful piece. They really do glow!

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  5. Lime Green is almost my favourite colour to add some spice to a piece of work. I love your piece Dijanne as I have similarly enjoyed seeing your other sentinelles on your Blog and Website. One day perhaps I shall see some in the flesh! It's beautifully sunny and warm down here in the Gard today, Dijanne ,just to let you know!

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  6. Beautiful!! The use of lime green is so right!

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  7. I love the way you used the colors

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  8. Beautiful, and as another embroider, I love the way you used the stitches.
    Trish

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  9. I'm so impressed with this piece and your description is amazing. Your imagery is right on the mark! I can also identify with your response to the hot weather. We are bracing for six months of desert heat and enjoying our last two months of pleasant temperatures. Your colors and composition are perfect and the fabrics are gorgeous. Great job.

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  10. Your step outside your usual colours is excellent - the lime green is a stand out

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