Friday 29 February 2008

Floating Fossils Part Two

Interesting about the circles Carol. How do you suppose they find out these things? Do they ask ‘Why do you like circles?’ and get the reply - ‘Well, it looks like my mum’.

Thanks, Artisue, you always say the right thing.

Thank you for the kind words Corryna. I like the look of the metal voile you showed on your blog. It looks like gold leaf flakes. Who makes it?


I’m in a state of controlled panic as I’ve just realised that it’s almost March and next week I have two classes, all my exhibition work to finish and preparations to make for the Jersey Textile Showcase. So it’s been nose to the grindstone all week.
Yesterday was ‘hissy fit’ day as several vital teaching samples went missing. My usual calm deserted me as I searched high and low and considered having to remake them (they were made from quite complex layers, in the form of stitched books). Poor Clive could do nothing right - if he tried to help he got in the way and if he didn’t he was accused of not caring. He retired to the shed. An appeal to St Anthony always works and, sure enough, they turned up. What a relief.

I am now ready for the classes and most of the Jersey stuff is done. The exhibition work is on-going, mostly because I got so carried away with the ‘quicky’, hopefully saleable, items. Here are some more floating fossils.
A background of ammonite drawings, with a little colour added using tinted charcoal.





Then some cast paper fossils, painted with grey mica and brushed with blue and verdigris wax when dry. Then I drew some tiny fossil-like shapes and digitised them. I spaced them out so that I could free machine in between them.





A little hand stitching and finally I cut them out with a soldering iron.








Stitched together they were float mounted over the background drawings.





I’d found some really deep frames and they look OK now they are finished. I have priced them quite cheaply as they were not supposed to be so much work. Pricing is so difficult and you don’t want to put the work out of people’s reach. On the other hand, it devalues everyone’s efforts if it is too cheap. The gallery, quite rightly, also has to take a share. Everyone is saying that it is hard to sell anything now so they may not go anyway.

I am going to put the labels on the five finished pieces. That always makes me feel virtuous. Four more to go but two of them are mixed media, which I am teaching at the Jersey festival so they can be finished over there.

12 comments:

chrissythreads said...

Hi Maggie
Just to say how great the 'fossils' look in those deep frames. I agree about the pricing issue -you can never win. If you price them for their true value half the people tut-tut about the price but if you lower the price people just don't appreciate them.
I had a disaster this week when our computer died taking half my degree work and all my favourite websites,etc... with it - luckily I managed to retrieve everything with a little luck & a quick prayer so i was able to find you again.

artisbliss said...

I hate it when things get backed up to the point you're panick stricken when you think about all your deadlines. Looks like the hard work has paid off, though. The framed fossil piece is really nice; I like the deep frame. Hope they sell for you.

Vicki W said...

Doesn't everything always come due at once? Personally, I think it's good to get all disasters over in one week so you can follow it with a peaceful and creative week! I love the framed fossils!

gilby said...

Hi Maggie
The fossils look fantastic and i am sure you will have no trouble selling your work. Love the deep frames.

pascale putz said...

What a beautiful piece of art Maggie. I'm already looking for the March Workshopontheweb.

pascale putz said...

What a beautiful piece of art Maggie. I'm already looking for the March Workshopontheweb.

pascale putz said...

Sorry, I wanted to say "look forward to"

Carol said...

I know, how do they know, and who are they! I am a teacher and I was told it on a course once. The people doing the course were telling the kids about revision and advertisers - how they get things to stick in our memory!

Aussie Jo said...

The fossils are very effective Maggie, I love the 3D shapes on the charcoal drawings. Hopefully your gallery visitors will think the same.
I am about to begin my Master of Education doing a research thesis, and they have told us to back up multiple times: to external hard drive, to memory sticks, to CD and give copies to your mother & mother in law etc. Probably a good idea for anyone with important information stored on computer.

Gina said...

Love the fossils in those deep frames Maggie.

stitching in the sun said...

Hallo Maggie, your floating fossils are absolutely gorgeous, I always love your work, but these pieces are particularly outstanding, so rich and delicate. About prices, in Italy there is (almost) no textile art as such on show, textile based works are sold in art galleries as mixed media, sculptural pieces etc and only in this way they can get valued as art and be paid accordingly ...
I've just come back from a fantastic sky week on the Dolomites, not much snow anymore but a beautiful sun and fantastic Austrian food!

SewIknit2 said...

I nominated you as blog "which bring you inspiration and make you appreciate the blogosphere ! " If you wish to participate please nominate your choice of 10blogs and let them know.

I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog almost believing it might be possible to achieve something like the effects you do, but its a damn good read about it while I'm waiting for my nerve to strenghten!!
Sue