Stitch and collage

Far too many hours spent on the internet, but I did find this little snippet which I thought was interesting and had to give it a quick try.  It was from Linda Vincent's blog - she made randomly painted paper, using her sewing machine to "draw" simple motifs which she then tore out and collaged onto her creations.

My machine is quite basic and doesn't have a "free sewing" facility, so it was a bit fiddly to achieve the shapes, but I think the wonkiness is part of its charm.  I cut round some of my shapes as it is easy to tear away the stitching if you are not careful.

Virtual Sketch Crawl - Rome

It was suggested our Urban Sketchers group might like to participate in a virtual sketch crawl using Google Street View of Rome.  I must admit I got a a bit lost trying to find a view I liked -  so opted for a photo from a travel company's site.  At least it prompted me to put aside some time for my art today.

Pen, watercolour and gouache in the Hahnemuhle cappuccino sketchbook

Glued spine instructions

Someone was asking me about the glued spine book I posted a few days ago.  Although it is quite a simple structure, it is not so easy to explain.  I have made a short video which I hope will help.  It is preferable to make up pairs of pages then go on to glue the pairs together to complete your book. Here I have used some scrapbooking paper.

With your first page make a fold on the lefthand edge (I have allowed 3/4" or 20 mm), turn it towards the back.    On the second page, using the same allowance, make your fold and turn to the front.  Tuck your second page into the fold of the first, only glueing the fold of page 2 to the body of page 1, i.e. leaving the 3/4" fold of page 1 free.

Once all your page pairs are completed, they can be joined by glueing the free flap of the first set to the front of the next pair, and so on.  All clear so far?

In the video below, I have used paper clips in place of glue.

Cardboard covers

This little book is from a while back.  My first (and last) attempt at coptic stitch, but I  liked the treatment of the covers - a reminder to use this method again (and perhaps give coptic stitch another go!).

Corrugated cardboard packaging with some of the top layer stripped away.
Gesso, acrylic paint, lino print, stamping and splatter.

Roughly 5" square

Facial pencil sketches

With all this time in lockdown mode, I should be ramping up the art activities, but it just doesn't seem to be happening.  Some days I have been really busy - gardening, cleaning windows, clearing cupboards, touching up paintwork, sewing, etc. - and then other days I seem to achieve very little.

However, here are a couple of pencil portraits done from the Sketchbook Revival videos, the other from the television, I think.

Paste grain fold book

Another attempt at using up old art supplies.

This piece of paste grain paper is probably about 16 years old!  It was made on a painted paper course and the paper we were given was rather stiff and shiny.  Also, I wasn't particularly impressed with the colours I used, but liked the pattern.  As anticipated, the surface cracked a bit with folding, but at last it's found a use.

Size approx. 4.5" x 6"

Glued spine book

This one is from quite some time ago but I have posted it on the Crafting Handmade Books Facebook page in response to April's challenge - " to use something that's been in your craft closet for more than ONE YEAR!"

Certainly when I made this book most of the papers and sketches, etc. were at least that old.

A friend had made me a a small watercolour book with a glued spine, plus instructions on how to make it. I had quite a few strips of painted papers left over from a longstanding project and decided to use them to test out this construction. I also added some discarded lino and foam prints, tiny sketchbook doodles, pockets and papercasts. The finished book measures approx. 5” x 4”.

I have had to cut the video (below) by half a dozen pages
as the file was bigger than allowed on the blog

Urban Sketching - April 2020

Despite finally seeing some nice Spring weather, we cannot wander far from home for our Urban Sketch meeting this month.  Some of us are finding views from our windows, others finding inspiration on the internet.  At least I can get out and enjoy the garden.

Pen, watercolour, gouache and oil pastel in the Cappuccino Hahnemeuhle sketchbook

Drawing Attention - April

A link to the monthly on-line publication of the global Urban Sketchers movement. (Don't forget to click the "full-screen" icon.)

Drawing Attention