This week the time was right to make a new outside feltwork for my display area down by the road.
I wanted to play with shadows, layers of felt, and lace cutwork. I imagined the types of flowers created in kirigami, while not trying to replicate that style…more beginning with that in mind and then allowing the openwork to develop….I’m quite fixated on traditional Chinese chrysanthemum designs right now…..those are working their way out into this felt openwork.
It is quite a different thing to work on a piece that you know will be living outdoors- it needs to be able to withstand the climate, and will only viewed from a distance. The felt needs to be dense and strong, but light enough in this case to allow light to permeate. I would have been inclined to add more stitching and detail to the surfaces. Silk pieces were calling…but this piece is more about the impact made in the quick viewing as one drives or bikes by…less about the subtleties of surfaces…so a few rows of red stitches made it into the piece, but simplicity was the main domain here. An opening, flowering, dropping of seed….dispersal….Summer…..
Every morning the light shines through creating beautiful, shifting shadow patterns. It is quite lovely and uplifting. Delicate and feminine- a fine thing to balance this house of males I live in – and they can live with it more than the giant flowers I once wanted to paint over the house! (the boys/men have to live with a lot of wild ideas! I think it’s good for them! Grin!)
This piece has been a good prototype for a series I am working on for an outdoor installation this fall….One that will have multiple layers of shadowing effects….Very exciting! Just waiting for my next batch of Finn wool to arrive so I can start on those pieces….
In the meantime, a glorious box of silk charmeuse was delivered yesterday….oh, how sumptuous…and will soon become silk/felt gowns and coats….this week’s work!
Happy weekending!
Warm wishes,
Fiona
Ohhh you sure did well Fiona !
I think it really is an eye-catcher to anyone who passes by !
The photo I love best is the last one with the light shining through !!!
The lacy part is indeed like one big chrysanthemum, with loads of
tiny petals.