New Year & New Work

This piece entitled "Snow on Snow" is inspired by the poem In The Bleak Mid Winter by Christina Rossetti.
I made many sketches after a walk in the snow over the fields near us, which then led to a painting.
The work above measuring 45cm x 63cm  has taken hours of stitching and includes many different threads with fibres.

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

I will be exhibiting this work at The Fashion Embroidery Stitch Show in March as part of my British Romantic Landscape display.
You can find more details about the event here http://www.ichf.co.uk/fashion/

My sketch book is filling up with new ideas and figures which are growing out of my landscapes, you can see more of these here http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaylacoo/

Best Wishes for The New Year!

Michala

Art Threads

Stitching my landscape

 

 

                                 Compton Verney

                                The Workshop at Compton Verney



I have been meaning to blog for quite sometime, firstly about the workshop I ran at Compton Verney which was two weeks ago.
It was a great pleasure to teach in such beautiful surroundings and everyone was inspired to create pieces all of which were individual, different and experimental.
The emphasis was on trying out new techniques while interpreting their own studies from sketch book work.


Last week I visited the  Pre-Raphaelites  exhibition at Tate Britain, a fantastic exhibition which includes many textile works including William Morris's four poster bed.
I admired the painting by William Holman Hunt inspired from verses of the poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson , The Lady of Shalott.

There she weaves by night and day
  A magic web with colours gay.
  She has heard a whisper say,
  A curse is on her if she stay
  To look down to Camelot.
  She knows not what the 'curse' may be,
  And so she weaveth steadily,
  And little other care hath she,
  The Lady of Shalott.

This vivid painting rich in colour, painted like a heavy Victorian tapestry depicts the Lady Of Shallot, tangled in her threads!


Tomorrow I will be joining in with the festive fun at The Herbert Art Gallery for the Making Merry which will have many handmade and vintage stalls.
I will be there to help my Mum on her vintage stall and I will display a few of my small brooches.

Then it will be back to working on larger pieces for my display "British Romantic Landscapes" at Fashion, Embroidery, Stitch in the NEC in March!

"Searching For Spring"



"A Walk Through The Fields"

"Searching For Spring"

I have been busy stitching a few of my smaller pieces which came about after sketches I made during a long walk through the fields.
Two weeks ago it felt like Spring but now we have a return of cold wet weather, the rain is welcome but not the cold!
Last week I had a machine embroidery workshop, it was great to meet some very enthusiastic stitchers and everyone worked so diligently, producing some lovely work.
My next is on Saturday, with hopefully another one sometime in June, which I will share details here on my blog.
In the mean time I have to keep up with some commissions and other large pieces.
Before I go, you must visit Tracy from Ballistic Owl who is a very talented designer and kindly wrote about my work.

More Workshops Planned!

If you are interested in translating your paintings, drawings or photograph's into textiles I am running the following additional workshops, encouraged by filling my first machine embroidery one!



The first one will be on Saturday 14th of April 2012, 10am until 3.30 pm  Sketchbook, Needle felting & Embroidery
You will learn how to develop your landscape ideas in your sketchbook using mixed media techniques, paint, ink, tissue paper, pastels etc..
From these sketches you will experiment with needle felting and hand stitching.
Cost £45.00 materials  £5
You will need to bring a sketchbook, needles and scissors and some images to work from.

Saturday 28th of April I will be running Freehand Machining with Needle Felting
This workshop will focus on needle felting and free hand machine embroidery to create a landscape.
You will play with beautiful fibres and threads!
Please bring your own images to work from.
Cost £45.00 materials £5.00
You will need to bring a working sewing machine which will adapt to freehand machine stitching, also scissors, needles & spare bobbins
The great news is that if you don't have a sewing machine, there will be the option to hire one for £5 a day. (please let me know as there is a limited number of machines available)

The workshops include tea and coffee.
We will take a half an hour break for lunch ( please bring your own lunch  )

Spaces are limited to 6 to 8 people per course
If you are interested in booking a workshop or require anymore details please email me.

I'm still busy stitching away as I'm trying to get work organised for the Fashion, Embroidery Stich show at the NEC which opens on the 22nd of March.
I hope to see you there if you can make it!
M x

Fine Art Textile Workshops!

 At last I have managed to sort out a few dates to run some fine art textile workshops.
I will be running these in Kenilworth in Warwickshire above a new shop called SewArty which will be opening on the 5th of April.
If you would like to find out more details do email me through my website here