STITCH BEWITCHERY

Wood Stitchery experiment by Robyn Gordon

For the past few months I've been experimenting with stitching wood. It's quite hard on the hands but I love the effects of rusty wire threading through weathered wood.

Recently I stumbled across Tricia North's work. Tricia stitches paper, fabric, canvas and slate.

Slate, gold leaf and stitching by Tricia North. See more on Tricia's website here.

More stitchery by Tricia North. See Tricia's Flickr photostream here.

Regeneration by Sheila Cahn. See more of Sheila's work here.

I discovered Sheila Cahn's work on Jackie's blog.

"I work with translucent natural fabrics, which I hand dye, then layer like a painter working with water colours, before machine stitching. By cutting through, I am able to reveal an infinite variety of subtle colour relationships." - Sheila Cahn

Bits and Pieces 3 byChristina Massey. See more of Christina's work here and here.

" I “kill” my traditionally framed paintings by cutting and tearing them apart, then mend them together by thread, a series of knots or weaving them together again giving them new life as a different form." Christina Massey

Beautiful hand stitched quilts by Judy Martin. See Judy's exhibition blog here.

"I love to stitch. I love the look and power of old quilts. I love the story telling and the many layers of meaning. I love the connection to the bed and all of life's major and minor rituals and passages. I feel that quilts are a woman artist's most honest medium." - Judy Martin

Hummingbird's secret by Jennifer Nerad. See Jennifer's website here.

"I am inspired by the subtleties of grey and colors approaching grey. Where is that edge when blue-grey turns into yellow-grey? I marvel at the power of water when I gaze out at the ocean or turn my windshield wipers on extra high. How can something so soft and gentle turn boulders into sand, mountains into mud? How can the patient, cleansing caresses of the wind carve gashes into stone?" - Jennifer Nerad

Paper, Fabric and Thread by Jade Pegler. See Jade's Flickr photostream here.

Secret Diary 3 by Angela Moll. See more of Angela's work here

"In the Secret Diary series I look inside, into the intimate space where journals are written, where quilts are stitched. The pages of my Secret Diaries are actual journal entries screen printed on fabric. The text records the flow of thoughts and the meandering of attention as I write on the screen with fabric dye. Each fabric page is a layering of different entries, the superimposition of a day onto the next one. I use the collaged and stitched diary fragments to speak about intimacy, communication, as well as privacy and isolation." - Angela Moll

Lake #3 by Nellie Durand . See Nellie's Lake Series here and blog here.

TIED UP

Wonderful box of paper treasures by Sarah Mitchell. See more of her experiments here.

These are a few of my favourite things. Parcels and books, boxes and bundles, sticks and stones, or stacks and piles of anything for that matter .... all tied up with string. Or tied up with ribbon ....or wire .... or whatever will serve the purpose.

Wraps by Mary Ellen Long. See Flickr photostream here. Blog, here.

Winter Pressings by Mary Ellen Long. These wrapped scroll forms hold gatherings found at the "burial" site.

"Each year before the first snowfall, I lay paper of various sizes and forms on the earth. This paper becomes buried under the winter snows to then be harvested in the spring. This ritual documents the passage of time and the amount of snowfall that particular winter. This method is a little like printmaking with nature - the earth being the plate and the snow being the press." - Mary Ellen Long

Language Bound by Mary Ellen Long

Whilst trying to decide which images to post I asked myself why I was attracted to each piece. What was it about each piece that spoke to me? And then I remembered a poem I had read on Paper and Word by Chris Gray.

#

What can I know of these things?

Many things appear to me strange and wondrous

Remnants of times past

Silent

Yet speaking to my soul

In an unknown language

That I seem to understand.

Chris Gray 2006

Rapt Rocks by Nancy Neva Gagliano. See Neva's blog, here

I was thrilled to find these amazing wrapped rocks by Nancy Neva Gagliano. 

Neva writes, "I began WRAPPING some of the many rocks together that I'd long stacked around our house. I called them RAPT, from enraptured."

" .... some are wrapped with their own sort of fossils, and silk/waxed linen threads, silver or copper wire, various papers. the latest rocks also are wrapped and then waxed." - Nancy Neva Gagliano

Rapt Rocks by Nancy Neva Gagliano

Small sculpture by Jade Pegler. See Jade's photostream on Flickr, here.

Beautiful images of aged papers, stacked, collaged or painted on Linda's blog, here.

Qirky little clay parcel made by Don Madden. Visit Don's blog, here.See post about the parcel inside Peevay's head, here.

Textile art by Chris Gray. See Flickr photostream, here and textile art blog, here.

Package 2 by Jeane Myers. See photostream here. Website, here.

Jeane Myers is a warm and generous artist who shares her process and progressions on her blog. A progression can involve anything from hacking and ripping an old painting in two .... or three, scratching, scraping and wiping off layers of paint, adding this, adding that, stomping on it, throwing it out into the rain, rescueing it after a few days, turning it upside down, reworking it and ..... quite frankly my heart can't  take it, but Jeane has taught me to loosen up and have fun while making art. Go and see for yourself!