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Post by ScarletThistle on Jul 28, 2021 20:07:56 GMT
Hi everyone. I am now officially retired and have been enjoy the lovely weather we've been having here in Scotland. I spent the first part of July thinking about the 3rd quarter challenge but finally had to admit I was stuck. I have decided I just don't have enough skills yet and thought I might just spend some time 'playing' with some techniques. I recently attempted two pictures. The first one I made by laying down a layer of green batting and then merino on top. I used some locks, nepps and Angelina to make it 'interesting '. I was disappointed with how this turned out. The fibres from the green layer came through and muted all my top colours. I needle felted some purple to the top which helped a little. Here is the finished item. www.dropbox.com/s/d8s0frnxza2xb4c/20210728_164224.jpg?dl=0Close up of bottom section: www.dropbox.com/s/h35nl35tqx0qcc4/20210728_163253.jpg?dl=0In the second one I used merino and stricken Andes top. I used the Andes top as I wanted a light colour at the top of the picture but didn't have any merino in the right colours. I found this interesting as the Andes top felt very different from the merino top when felting. It was much thicker and 'poufy' when wet and took more time to felt. I used sari silk and nepps for the plant life. Once dry I needle felted some merino and Sari silk to create detail. I am now thinking about adding some beading. www.dropbox.com/s/8ig4rpzibvsfs35/20210728_164315.jpg?dl=0www.dropbox.com/s/9aum3o0yrkruhy9/20210728_164014.jpg?dl=0www.dropbox.com/s/4h8aa9y704buiun/20210728_164055.jpg?dl=0Would love to hear what you think.
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Post by lyn on Jul 28, 2021 20:42:55 GMT
Don't be disappointed in your first one - I love it! It's a glorious landscape to my eyes. And your 'meadow' is wonderful with such pretty plants.
Go ahead with the beading. If you like the effect then all well and good. But if you're not happy with the beading it's so easy to remove. You have nothing to lose in trying it out.
I'm really looking forward to seeing more of your work.
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Post by caterina on Jul 28, 2021 21:31:31 GMT
Actually, I like both. The first one seems very interesting to me, and I like the colours, they do not seem muted..but maybe the photo gives a brightening effect? I like your use of different types of wool for texture.
The second one feels to me an underwater landscape, I don't know why! Beads may be an interesting addition, and much easier to apply and remove than stitches. I really like the flowers on the right, they seem poppy-like, and the ondulating stems. Is the sky the Andes wool? It sounds a peculiar wool to try.
Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to your next experiments. Caterina
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on Jul 28, 2021 21:50:19 GMT
I like both of them too. Try beading and perhaps some stitching too. I thought the first one looked a bit under-water-ish, you could neelefelt some fishes on to it and perhaps also some more locks for seaweed. Not bad at all for a first go, a really good effort. Ann
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Post by ScarletThistle on Jul 29, 2021 17:45:59 GMT
Don't be disappointed in your first one - I love it! It's a glorious landscape to my eyes. And your 'meadow' is wonderful with such pretty plants. Go ahead with the beading. If you like the effect then all well and good. But if you're not happy with the beading it's so easy to remove. You have nothing to lose in trying it out. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of your work. Thanks Lyn. I think you're right I will add some beading and see what happens. I am experimenting after all! 😊
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Post by ScarletThistle on Jul 29, 2021 17:55:19 GMT
Actually, I like both. The first one seems very interesting to me, and I like the colours, they do not seem muted..but maybe the photo gives a brightening effect? I like your use of different types of wool for texture. The second one feels to me an underwater landscape, I don't know why! Beads may be an interesting addition, and much easier to apply and remove than stitches. I really like the flowers on the right, they seem poppy-like, and the ondulating stems. Is the sky the Andes wool? It sounds a peculiar wool to try. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to your next experiments. Caterina Yes, Caterina, I used the Andes wool for the sky. I have been 'aquiring' lits of different wools and fibres over the last few months. I can't resist them but I am still finding out how to use them. I bought some nepps a while back and have been learning how to add them. I think I put some on the little bag I made last time but I had trouble getting them to attach. They worked much better in these pictures. I really like the effects you can get with them. I dont know much about Andes top. It felt much coarser than the other wools I have tried but I do like how it felted. Thank you for your comment.
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Post by ScarletThistle on Jul 29, 2021 17:58:33 GMT
I like both of them too. Try beading and perhaps some stitching too. I thought the first one looked a bit under-water-ish, you could neelefelt some fishes on to it and perhaps also some more locks for seaweed. Not bad at all for a first go, a really good effort. Ann Now that you mention it, Ann, the first one does have a sort of underwater feel. I'll see what I can do with that. I have just bought myself a second hand sewing machine. It is a very long time since I used a sewing machine so I think stitching may be a while off for me yet. Actually these are not my first attempts at making pictures. I tried some a few months ago. I think the difference is the first time I just made a random felt back ground and then needle felted the picture on top. In the blue one I made a clay puffin and sewed it on. With the new ones I was trying to make the picture as I wet felted. I hope that makes sense. www.dropbox.com/s/01tfgl7s6eyhdfh/img_20210522_154152_095.jpg?dl=0www.dropbox.com/s/sfgyykyfptzjkrk/IMG_20210522_153509.jpg?dl=0Thanks for the comment.
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on Jul 29, 2021 20:35:43 GMT
WOW, I love both of those pictures. Adding the puffin is a great idea. There actually is no right or wrong way of making pictures (or any felt for that matter), so long as you are happy with what you do - and if you aren't don't bin it because you're sure to find a use for it sometime, even if it is to cut it up and add it so something else. I think you'll find that as you make more and more pictures, your techniques will change and develop in different directions. I do a lot of felt pictures myself, I now use a mixture of wet and needle felt; I roughly lay out the background and wet felt it, and then needle the rest on, adding hand stitches for extra detail as I go. I have done a couple of posts on the Studio about the one I am (intermittently) working on at the moment: feltingandfiberstudio.com/2021/03/24/felt-painting-glorious-devon-by-ann-b/ feltingandfiberstudio.com/2021/06/24/glorious-devon-part-2/I hope to be adding an update in a couple of months time. And this is a link to the last picture I completed in 1919 before we went into lockdown over here, when I lost my mojo. www.dropbox.com/s/tlk8rrs4kr8h944/P1030515e.jpg?dl=0If you enlarge the picture you can see what I mean about adding detail with stitches. I know a lot of people use machine stitching to add to their pictures, but I've never really got the hang of free machine stitching, I prefer to be "hands on". There are obviously as many techniques as there are artists in all the different media. Keep the pictures coming. Ann
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Post by caterina on Jul 30, 2021 6:06:55 GMT
I like both of them too. Try beading and perhaps some stitching too. I thought the first one looked a bit under-water-ish, you could neelefelt some fishes on to it and perhaps also some more locks for seaweed. Not bad at all for a first go, a really good effort. Ann Now that you mention it, Ann, the first one does have a sort of underwater feel. I'll see what I can do with that. I have just bought myself a second hand sewing machine. It is a very long time since I used a sewing machine so I think stitching may be a while off for me yet. Actually these are not my first attempts at making pictures. I tried some a few months ago. I think the difference is the first time I just made a random felt back ground and then needle felted the picture on top. In the blue one I made a clay puffin and sewed it on. With the new ones I was trying to make the picture as I wet felted. I hope that makes sense. www.dropbox.com/s/01tfgl7s6eyhdfh/img_20210522_154152_095.jpg?dl=0www.dropbox.com/s/sfgyykyfptzjkrk/IMG_20210522_153509.jpg?dl=0Thanks for the comment. I love those two as well, it is a totally different technique and result, how fascinating! The clay puffin is a lovely touch, and the needlefelted mushroom castle is juicy and absolutely right with the background:-) It is fantastic that one can actually combine the two in any kind of proportion, and the results are totally personal, just like the choice. Can't wait to see your new or old creations. Caterina
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Post by caterina on Jul 30, 2021 6:11:02 GMT
WOW, I love both of those pictures. Adding the puffin is a great idea. There actually is no right or wrong way of making pictures (or any felt for that matter), so long as you are happy with what you do - and if you aren't don't bin it because you're sure to find a use for it sometime, even if it is to cut it up and add it so something else. I think you'll find that as you make more and more pictures, your techniques will change and develop in different directions. I do a lot of felt pictures myself, I now use a mixture of wet and needle felt; I roughly lay out the background and wet felt it, and then needle the rest on, adding hand stitches for extra detail as I go. I have done a couple of posts on the Studio about the one I am (intermittently) working on at the moment: feltingandfiberstudio.com/2021/03/24/felt-painting-glorious-devon-by-ann-b/ feltingandfiberstudio.com/2021/06/24/glorious-devon-part-2/I hope to be adding an update in a couple of months time. And this is a link to the last picture I completed in 1919 before we went into lockdown over here, when I lost my mojo.  www.dropbox.com/s/tlk8rrs4kr8h944/P1030515e.jpg?dl=0If you enlarge the picture you can see what I mean about adding detail with stitches. I know a lot of people use machine stitching to add to their pictures, but I've never really got the hang of free machine stitching, I prefer to be "hands on". There are obviously as many techniques as there are artists in all the different media. Keep the pictures coming. Ann I love the stitched details in your pre-lockdown painting, Ann! Did you work from a photo with that one as well, or was it a mind picture, a memory? It has a feeling of nostalgic memory. Thanks. Caterina
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on Jul 30, 2021 8:24:34 GMT
Thanks Caterina. It was from a photo I took while on a walk several years ago, plus a bit of artistic license in that I moved things around a bit to get the composition right and I made more of the path going into the distance. It's called "The Road Goes Ever On And On" which is the title of a poem written by JRR Tolkien and used in both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I can't do anything much from memory and I can't draw with anything other than a felting needle! I like to add things in the undergrowth at the front of the picture by using random stitches. Ann
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Post by ScarletThistle on Jul 30, 2021 11:34:48 GMT
Thank you for sharing your work, Ann. The path is lovely and I will look forward to seeing the finished landscape. I especially want to see how you tackle the horse.
I was interested to read that you used a white prefelt as your backing. I have been trying to figure out the best way to do this. In three of the pictures I have made so far I have just used a layer of wool at the back in the same main colours as the front. The puffin picture was then needle felted onto a piece of rough felt I had made whilst practicing. This worked quite well. In the underwater one I made a sheet of felt from green batting then laid the picture on top but as I I said I felt the green came through too much and dulled the foreground a bit.
It is interesting to see how someone else approaches their work. You do a lot of planning and preparation. I tend to just plunge in and see what happens. I think one of the things that has really drawn me into felting is the scope of what you can do with it.
I am learning so much from this forum. Thank you.
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on Jul 30, 2021 12:07:48 GMT
I've always used white as a backing because it's cheaper than the dyed merino, which is mainly what I use for the actual picture. Although you can get lots of colours in merino, it can be quite expensive to buy some of all colours. I have in the past bought mixed colour packs from Wingham Wool Work in Yorkshire, which is quite a good way of getting small amounts of lots of colours, but now that I don't buy so often (I've stopped running workshops), if I don't have the exact shade that I need I make it by blending other colours - a bit like mixing paint really.
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Post by caterina on Jul 30, 2021 19:06:07 GMT
I am following this conversation, as I also was wondering about the backing.
I started by making it with layers of the same colours of the actual background, but quickly found out that you need quite a bit of it and it is less expensive and wasteful to use cheaper wool. Also, I find that I want to use combinations of colours for my backgrounds, and I have to painstakingly blend the colours by hand: too slow for me to get bigger amounts of background colours by themselves without a cheaper faster backing.
So,now I prepare a quick backing with white wool tops at a prefelt stage, then I put the actual background and foreground on it and felt it all together. It seems to work fine, but maybe I should use batts or ready-made backing. Sometimes the backing prefelt does not attach properly to the background wool and it takes me a while to have it properly felted together.
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Post by Ann @ frabjous fabrica on Jul 30, 2021 22:45:53 GMT
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