It’s been a busy couple of weeks and I’ve been working on multiple pieces on the lead up till the final exhibition. To start off with I added some embroidery to the wall hanging I was working on previously. I wanted to reinforce the dream like imagery through stars and a moon.
Later on in the week I also added some contrasting red to the yellow sky and some written text surrounding the memories that this piece evoked for me. The text has been painted on but after reflection I think I will embroider over the top of it to integrate it better into this work and within my body of work.
This week I also decided on the space in which I will be exhibiting my work. All the works will go along one wall to create the feeling of an even larger quilt, composing all these memories into one, revisiting the idea of a memory-image which was so crucial to my research component of this project. So I rearranged some on my current pieces on the gallery wall to get a sense for how it was progressing.
Meanwhile I also started working on a new work. This one was inspired by a childhood memory of being at my father’s studio, where I would crawl through a hedge to get to the play-park on the other side. In this work this gap in the hedge morphs into the door imagery that I was exploring in my first piece. I feel like doors symbolise movements and passages of change, they lead to different scenes, moments of experience and are therefore associated with the planes of memory that I am trying to dissect within my work.
I had to build up several layers of paint, creating a strong separation from the door, the hedge and the sky. I am also still really enjoying this looser style of painting, which is much more expressive through its texture, layering and colour. Part way through I decided to completely cut through the fabric above the hedge-line to create a stronger break between the hedge and sky.
So that the two piece of fabric could hang together as one piece I have started to stitch the two together with thick pink wool which adds further texture like the bear pieces which I integrated into the quilt.
I haven’t yet decided wether to incorporate text within this work. I like how the white of the door currently creates a completely different atmosphere to the heavy load of colour. Next week I will have to complete all remaining sewing and embroidery whilst clearing the studios and prepping the exhibition space. Let the exhibition countdown begin!