Dekuntsboer

I came across this brand whilst shopping in Brambles, Norwich. They cover gift, home wear, fashion and accessories. I am inspired by the bright vintage imagery combined with pepped up photo images of animals with photo-shopped hats on....funny and beautiful.  The colours and the quirky imagery completely strike a cord within my own work, particularly my digital creations.

Mrs Lily; Sampling, context and development

I made Mrs Lily as a direct result of my second tutorial with Louise Richardson. I have had some of my drawings printed on the sublimation printer and wanted to pad them and bring them 'to life' with embellishments, hand and machine embroidery. I bought a variety of needles for my Janome Harmony 2041 including thin needles for polyesters and synthetics (sublimation materials), quilting needles and metallic thread embroidery needles.

To create Mrs Lily I used polyester sourced from an old shirt in a charity shop and backed it onto a piece of cotton found fabric. I love the idea of utilising unwanted materials. I then highlighted my drawing with a straight black stitch. I did struggle to actually quilt the bird because I need to reach a compromise between using freehand and a structured stitch with a normal foot/ quilting foot.

I left loose threads on my embellishments because of the trend research on WGSN 'Archaic Threads'. I think it added charm to Mrs Lily. I also experimented with embroidery silks (2 strand and 4 strand) to create varying sizes of French knotting building up textures in different colours. This creates a more textured base to then embellish, representing a hint of the animals genuine appearance (wings). My sequins are sourced from www.josyrose.com because the sequins seem so much stronger and symmetrical than others I have used. I would like to try and source some sort of vintage beading to use in partnership with the sequins in the future.

 

 

I love that drawing onto a magazine page means that there is this little face peeking through although I would have to be careful with doing this with illustrations because obviously that little face is someone else's work.

I still really want to take this peeping idea forwards using vintage imagery from photographs I sourced over the summer.

Context

I'm finding myself getting really excited about the work I am producing. I can imagine this bird a bit flatter as part of a collar as a shoulder on a dress. Swans on the side of shoes, embroidered animals wrapped round necks and lamps and cushions ahhhhhhhh the possibilities of accessories!!! I also think my drawings have the potential to be developed into transfers for ceramics, simple wallpaper repeats and quirky giftwear/ stationary/ fine art dolls and childrenswear. Why pen myself in to fashion or interiors or art when I can and want to do all three?

Initial Drawings

From my photographs I have been exploring drawing methods and subject matter.

I like the idea of the story of the fairground/ vintage fairground so I did some research on my Pinterest into the old fashioned carousel animals. I am drawn to drawing animals and it seems I need to explore this further.

www.pinterest.com/bethy666

The drawing method I find most productive for me is a layered approach of mixed media such as pen, ink, stitch and bleach. I then like to take this further with stand out, fun elements such as glitter and sequins.

The freehand machine stitch works well as a fluid continuous line within a drawing. It lends itself well to my drawings of the swing because it portrays movement.

The pen continuous line drawing doesn't work as well for me. It looks toot rigid and colouring book like. It lacks the softness of the stitch.

The inks are easily blend-able and I like that they are a bit stronger than watercolour yet can still be softened.

My favourite material to work on is canvas roll as it has the foldable and fragile elements of paper combined with the weave of a fabric, making it strong to both sew and draw on.

Over the holidays I have collected more materials such as WOW glitters which are made of fine dust. This gives the glitter fun appeal without looking as childish!

Now for initial development ...

Mister 'Fabulous' Finch

'Storytelling creatures for people who are also a little lost, found and forgotten'…

I absolutely adore the work of the elusive artist who makes under the name of Mister Finch. He creates these mysterious animal characters through fabric sculpture, that seem to come alive under his magical stitching hands. I find his work very emotive, beautiful crying hares, eerie smiling moons, majestic swans. The muted sometimes grubby colours of his art add to the depth of feeling within his pieces. Ink stains in tea and rich jewel colours are included within my favourite pieces, I feel these add to the archaic impression the fabrics give.  His collections have an antique-like preciousness to them.

 I first came across Mister Finch after reading an article in Making magazine, May 2013. This quote has since been imbedded in my own marking during my making processes....

 

...and like Mister Finch I truly believe in magic.

 

 

Mister Finch's inspirations come from nature and he returns to certain ideas again and again.
Flowers, insects and birds, along with fungi regularly make an appearance. 




The artist says of his inspiration 'British folklore is also so beautifully rich in fabulous stories and warnings and never ceases to be at the heart of what I make.  Shape shifting witches, moon gazing hares and a smartly dressed devil ready to invite you to stray from the path.' The fact that narrative is a key theme both during concept development and within materials and processes means that Mister Finch may be interesting to study for my research report.




'Humanizing animals with shoes and clothes is something I’ve always done and I imagine them to come alive at night. Getting dressed and helping an elderly shoemaker or the tired housewife.'

I feel that I can relate to what Mister Finch says about his work. I have always put a story to my work as well as everyday things around me. I can look at an animal in the garden or someone's pet and before I know it, I have a narrative buzzing around my head.



 'It’s a joy to hunt for things for my work…the lost, found and forgotten all have places in what I make.'

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He uses found materials, such as pre-embroidered fabrics and scraps. The story of the fabric seems to translate into the narrative and seem to combine with his own narratives to create the characters back story.

 'Most of my pieces use recycled materials, not only as an ethical statement, but I believe they add more authenticity and charm. A story sewn in, woven in.  Velvet curtains from an old hotel, a threadbare wedding dress and a vintage apron become birds and beasts, looking for new owners and adventures to have.' 

The materials seem to speak to him and indicate what they want to be made into, rather that using a pre-conceived idea and then choosing fabrics.






http://www.facebook.com/Makingmagazine

http://www.mister-finch.com/portfolio

http://mynameisfinch.blogspot.co.uk/