Collage Course

 A couple of months ago I signed up to a Collage class called Process and Possibilities- Connecting Through Collage. The teacher was Cordula Kagemann from Germany and it was through the Fibre Arts Take Two group. They run fantastic workshops.

People from all over the world took the class and we had a private Facebook group. I decided to take the lessons slowly and really immerse myself into the techniques. It was interesting that most of the other participants did the same thing. Nobody wanted to rush through the lessons.

We worked with sketchbooks at first, trying out different compositions and techniques. We were encouraged to use lots of different papers especially Chinese, Japanese and transparent papers. I had to buy most of the papers on-line.

Here are a couple of sketchbook pages where I was trying out an Image transfer.

Sketchbook Page

Image Transfer

The image transfer is done with a laser print, so I had to go the Officeworks to get the photocopies done, apparently inkjet prints are not waterproof and smudge as you try and do the transfers. I found the image transfers difficult but effective. The first time I tried one, I made my finger bleed from rubbing too hard!

We did monoprinting onto transparent papers, which was a first for me, I have always done it on printer paper.

Mono print tissue paper

After a lot of practice we were encouraged to try a collage on an artist canvas. here was my first try, it is mainly in Cordula's style.

Collage 1

Then I tried another one, this one was called a low relief collage, I did mine in Autumn Colours and used the techniques that Cordula taught us.

Late Autumn Collage

Next we were encouraged to try and use our own inspiration and see where it took us. We had to use a day in our life as inspiration.

I had recently come back from my short stay in Adelaide when I judged the South Australian Quilt Show. I chose photos from the day that I visited the cemetery and Art Gallery with my brother. I had by chance taken photos of doors and windows when I was there and it was a perfect focal point.

Journey triptych

I was really happy with what I had done but it still felt a little bit like Cordula's work. I had another canvas and tried again, this time just trying to do my own thing. 

I loved the result, it is hard to explain what happened but I felt as if it was coming from me and was truly my work.

Journey Home by Linda Steele

Now I have all these artist canvasses around the house, I realise why painters have to sell their work, it is much easier to store a quilt than a bulky canvas.

The course is over now, although we have a lifetime access to the lessons. I really want to try and translate what I have learnt onto fabric. That is on my list of things to do. It's a long list though.

It has been quite drama filled around here, we have just had a 4th lockdown and last week there was a terrible storm that caused a lot of damage and power outages. We lost power for 2 days, it was cold and dark, so we stayed at my daughter's house until the power was restored. Grandchildren Jack and Anna loved having us stay. It just so happened that shopping Centres were allowed to open on that first day, so we went to see the sparkly magical Beasts display.

Apparently Blogger is not going to send blog posts by email anymore from June 30. I don't know why, maybe blogs aren't in fashion now. I read most blog posts that I follow by email, so I think it is really annoying.

Sorry to those people that usually read my posts by email. I am going to continue to write my blog because I find it really handy as a record of what I am doing. Maybe I'll start doing more posts on Facebook and Instagram now. I might change and start writing a newsletter to send by email. I'll see what happens.

I have a Facebook page- www.facebook.com/LindaSteeleQuilts 

and Instagram is instagram.com/lindabsteele

Bye for now,

Linda

Thread Painting

I have been busy making some coral and fish using the free machine thread painting technique.

I've been making a series of Coral Reef quilts for a few years now and often make coral with hand embroidery because that is what I did for years with my crazy quilts. But I don't want to make things the same way all the time, I want to change and improve all the time. I can't help it, it's just the way I am.

I am loving using the sewing machine to make coral, it is still time consuming but it allows me to make my motifs in a larger size.

I have also made some fish, it really is good fun.

I have finished the quilt now and entered it in an exhibition, so I cannot show the quilt yet. I think that it might be too pictorial to be accepted though. It won't be the end of the world if it isn't accepted, I can enter it in something else.

We have been put into lockdown again! This is our second week but I am using the time wisely. I am powering through my to-do list and having a big tidy up. In fact, I am going to be ruthless and get rid of things that I haven't used or not going to use, especially if its traditional flowery fabric. I am quite sure that I won't be making traditional quilts anymore, art quilts are too much fun.

Bye for now,

Linda