Lenore- Edgar Allan Poe Challenge Winner 2021--People's choice

The Challenge Doll this year was to be inspired by Edgar Allan Poe.   I chose "The Raven".   In the past I have made each of my sisters a special doll and this year I decided to dedicate this doll to my son, Carson.  Carson is also an artist so I asked him to collaborate with me.  He sent me concept drawings and I went from there.   This was the result of the collaboration.  

 Lenore is a full body polymer clay hand sculpt. No molds or patterns were used.  Her dress is made from silk with a silk tulle overlay.  Real feathers were trimmed to size and hand sewn to her dress.  Her hair is styled from mohair.  She has been hand painted in a Goth style.  Her shoes are hand made from leather.  She is sitting on rebound books which represent other Poe works.  In her hand she is holding a miniature book with the complete printing of “The Raven”.  Everything was handmade especially for Lenore.   

   

In the Pink

I recently took an online class with Ankie Daanen entitled Blue Blue Girl.  The class is available at http://www.aforartistic.com/.  Although I have sculpted in paperclay before, I am always exploring different methods of using the medium.  Instead of cloth for the body, Ankie uses Styrofoam for the base in the body and head.  The upper arms and upper legs are wires wrapped with stretchy bandages. 

 

I followed the construction methods but decided to use my own vision for the costume and face sculpt.  She is whimsical and definitely not BLUE.   She is "IN THE PINK!"  Her costume is made from a variety of silks and is hand beaded.  Her hair is mohair and her face is hand painted.  Hands, legs and face are all hand sculpted; no molds are used. 

Her stockings are made from swiss dot soft tulle.  

More Adventures in Textile Art

During this shut down, I have found the need to explore new ways to create art.  I've been reading about different methods using textiles and paint to create art.  One article that I read was from a 2007 Quilting Arts Magazine which was written by Jeanne Raffer Beck and titled Textural Surfaces for Stitch.  In the article she detailed ways to develop improvisational compositions using a variety of techniques and materials.  All the techniques described start with a fabric background (which might also be painted) and is then layered with hand painted scrim, painted fusibles, fabric, yarn, Tyvek, thread, Angelina fibers, organza, etc.    Really the layers can be anything you have on hand.   You can either start with a composition in mind or just let it develop.  

Underwater Seascape

The first one pictured here called Underwater Seascape was not planned.  I just developed  during the creative process.  I started with a piece of unbleached muslin, add a layer of  painted fusible web and then started adding bits of scrim, yarn, painted Tyvek, and Angelina  fibers.  I finished the piece with hand stitching   and a few beads.  It is approximately 8 x 10  and  is matted and framed but no glass.  The frame is 11 x 14.  

  

Abstract Cityscape

The second picture was more planned.  The painted  fusible web reminded me of an abstract city scape so I positioned the layers with that composition in mind.  The layers are hand painted scrim and organza.  I used hand stitching to create "windows" and define the buildings.    8   x 10 picture matted in 11 x 14 frame 

  

Latest figurative work--Sacagawea

Every year the  Indy Cloth Dollmakers Club has a themed doll maker's challenge for their members.  This year, since 2020 is the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote, we decided our challenge should be a Woman in History.    I chose Sacagawea.   

Here is her story:  

Sacagawea was a Shoshone interpreter best known for serving as a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition into the American West — and for being the only woman on the famous excursion.  At the time she joined the expedition in Nov. of 1804, at the age of 16, she was pregnant with her first child but she chose to accompany her husband on this expedition.  A son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, was born in February 1805.  Despite traveling with a newborn child during the trek, Sacagawea proved to be helpful in many ways during her 26 months with the expedition.  She was skilled at finding edible plants.  When a boat in which she was riding capsized, she was able to save some of its cargo, including important documents and supplies.  Sacagawea was able to arrange, through her Indian kinsmen, for the expedition’s safe passage over the Rockies. After the expedition, she bore a second child but died a few months later.   Clark was her children’s godfather.  After her death, he raised and educated her children.   

Sacagawea became a symbol for women’s rights and a face for the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1905. Sacagawea was a Shoshone interpreter best known for serving as a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition into the American West — and for being the only woman on the famous excursion.  At the time she joined the expedition in Nov. of 1804, at the age of 16, she was pregnant with her first child but she chose to accompany her husband on this expedition.  A son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, was born in February 1805.  Despite traveling with a newborn child during the trek, Sacagawea proved to be helpful in many ways during her 26 months with the expedition.  She was skilled at finding edible plants.  When a boat in which she was riding capsized, she was able to save some of its cargo, including important documents and supplies.  Sacagawea was able to arrange, through her Indian kinsmen, for the expedition’s safe passage over the Rockies. After the expedition, she bore a second child but died a few months later.   Clark was her children’s godfather.  After her death, he raised and educated her children.   

Sacagawea became a symbol for women’s rights and a face for the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1905.  

Info about Sacagawea the doll:  

Sacagawea and baby are original art dolls, no pattern or molds were used.  Sacagawea has a cloth body and polymer clay head and hands.  The baby is all polymer clay.  Her lamb suede garments, moccasins and cradle board are hand sewn. Her dress is in the style of the early 1800’s Plains Indians.  The yoke is accented with beads and a small tuft of fur.  The fringe was wetted and twisted to give a graceful look.  Her belt and cradle board is hand beaded by the artist.  Her braided hair is Merino wool.  She is about 12 inches tall and stands on a flat rock. 

    

More Textile Art

Adventures in Textile Art

During the COVID-19 shutdown, Textile Artists.org hosted a 5 week stitch challenge.  Each week we were presented with a weekly tutorial.  it was really interesting and I learned a lot of techniques that I probably wouldn't have tried. 

This first one is a photo of a twig and it's shadow.   We were challenged to replicate that in fabric.   My result is in the second picture.  I used linen as my background and bits of silk and organza for the twig and shadow. 

Finished piece is 10 in x 12 in.

 
This next photo is a collage created on an Irish Linen vintage handkerchief.  We were challenged to create a "folk art style" picuture from cloth and overstich it to create an art piece. 

Finished piece is 11in  x 11 in.

This eye is entirely hand embroidered.  Although the materials are simple the image is commanding.  I was surprised by the amount of detail that could be created by just thread. 

This piece is an exercise in couching.  I had a piece of cotton with these gold squares on navy blue and I thought it would make a great night sky.   The lake, ground, moon and tree are all hand couched.   Finishe piece is 9in x 9 in

This next piece is a collage that uses paper and fabric.  I was inspired by one of my cloth dolls, entitled "Dream,  Believe, Fly".  I printed an image of the doll and then added other bits and beads to create the art piece.   I have always loved the quote, Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."   It seems so appropriate these days. 

Impressionistic Confetti Fabric Painting

I had so much fun making this fabric painting.  The process reminded me of mixing paints except you are using fabric.   The process is really simple but very time consuming.   You basically find a picture that you like or one that you have painted, find fabrics that match the colors in the photo, cut them into tiny "confetti" pieces and then "paint" your picture using your fabric.  You then lay a piece of tulle over your fabric and free motion in place.

Finished Fabric Painting

First, I sketched my picture's basic outlines onto  muslin and used textile paint to fill in the large spaces.   This helps guide you for color placement and also helps blend the background with your confetti in case your confetti has a gap.   I ironed light weight wonder under onto the painted muslin to serve as the confetti "glue".  The hardest part is getting the confetti to stay where you want it before it is ironed in place.  I worked in small sections so that the confetti was easier to control.  It is important to use a teflon sheet when you press your confetti on to your background.  Before I stitched the free motion stitched the tulle, I place batting behind the mulin to add body. 

I have also read that some people use one-sided fusible batting for their background.  I might try that next time, but I'm not sure how the painting will affect the fusibility.   I'll do some experimenting.   I also recommend doing a small project to start.   Mine is 18" by 24" which was rather daunting as a first project.   Some people also cut out the larger fabric pieces and fuse them on and only use the confetti for leaves etc.   I chose to make mine look impressionistic so I didn't want any large pieces in my fabric painting. I haven't decided how I want to mount this yet.   Definitely something I want to do again.

Resource photo