Arts and Wellness - Working with Fabrics and Journals
Welcome to Arts and Wellness Episode 233 which you can also listen on the Podcast. Check out the video where you will see how I use the fabric scraps in the art journal, making use of the texture and colour that comes from the material.
Taking time to create enables you to focus on you and work on areas of your life that need some thought. It is a great stress reliever as well. There are many ways in which you can take part in the arts from participating, watching someone create or looking at the finished art in a gallery setting.
Check out the video HERE where you get a glimpse in the studio and we work on an art journal with fabric scraps
Working with scraps in Art Journal as a background
On Wednesdays we focus on the Arts and how it can impact our health and well-being. I will be talking with artists, looking at activities that you can do to be more creative across the board and for those who are carers tips and strategies that you can use. I will also be sharing reviews, resources and other insights. I will be looking at the nuggets that the artists share and see how we can apply it in some way to our own lives, what ever your interests.
Lots of yummy colour on the baby wipes
Watch the video below and subscribe to the art channel
In the video I share with you a series of wall hangings I created called Forgotten Stories. Here is how they progressed.
At this point I had painted the fabric pieces and started to add the jewelry and the beading.
I taught myself some simple quilting techniques and ran with it. I knew I didn't want to make a large quilt, just used some of tips that I needed as I learnt.
Very often we stop ourselves from doing things because we don't have the resources, or skills, but you can learn the techniques as you go along, don't wait until you are an expert as you might find that you get some great results from the process as you go along. In my research I learnt about the quilts of the Underground Railroad, the messages and symbols contained in them and will share more in another post.
There were several things that I loved doing with these wall hangings,
the process of painting the pieces of fabric,
using the range of colors and also
creating the marks and designs that seem to come together when they were taken to the next stage and stitched
I called the series of wall hangings the Forgotten Stories.
Forgotten Stories Series
I started creating the series quite a while back and spent a lot of time selecting fabric and hand painting the fabric using a variety of acrylics, fabric paints and later on embellishments. I never used to have so much patience to create the amount of detail that you see in these pieces, but learnt that the messages come out over time, and in different ways.
The idea behind the series for me is the forgotten stories that are told in communities and would traditionally be handed down as you sit around a fire, or people would gather round the village stories tellers. I also wanted them to capture the essence of a short story that I had written where a young girl accompanies her mother to a fabric store and the owner begins to share how far the fabric has traveled and what all the signs and symbols mean.
With each pattern having a meaning. These stories tells of the kings and queens, the daily lives of a village who did what their accomplishments, the travelers of the land, the trade between the villages and the things they produced. The carrying of spices, and precious jewels across sand dunes, forests and seas.
The symbols that tells of the strength the technology and skills that were the cornerstone of populations
Charting the journey of the different tribes, showing the gifts the abilities that resides unto this day.
Once each panel was complete I began to add the beading and embellishments to decorate. You can see a bit of the process in the video above.
Forgotten Stories - Blue
I love the way the pieces turned out and the color mixes.
As my fabric pieces tell their story I hope they will inspire you to share yours. Art for me is about how we use it to express our ideas, thoughts - our truth and is a tool that can bring a voice to every situation. Let me know how you use fabric in your work and to express ideas. If you are looking for additional ideas for using fabric then check out some of the links below for ideas, supplies and more!
I have a range of acrylic paints that I use for different types of work. With the Folk Art paints I usually use this in my journals, although some of the better quality paints will give your art journal a great finish, so it is worth having a play around.
I would mostly use my main acrylic paints when I am creating paintings or art where the quality is important.
If you don't feel like painting, playing with your paints is another option. You could spend time creating color swatches, or order your stash
I created this piece a while back and only just completed it. It is my Moon and Stars wall hanging. It truly is a mixed media piece and incorporates clay, fabric, card, paint, and beads and jewelry findings.
I have really enjoyed incorporating clay more and more into my work and you may have seen some of my art dolls on my site. This allows me to combine the clay with fabric and create some interesting pieces.
The beads and jewelry findings were great to add, and if you wanted you could add pieces of jewelry that you may have laying around.
Wall hangings make great gifts and can be done in so many different ways. Also check out the card hangings that I created. I had promised to create a tutorial and will be working on that very soon. Also check out some of the previous projects I made for Material Mondays
Check back next week for the next project, subscribe and do leave a comment, it would be great to hear from you.
Welcome to Material Mondays, it is great to have you come and visit and see what I have been up to in the studio. I have found over the past year as I am sure that I have said in previous posts, that I have really enjoyed working with fabric. From painting, sewing, embellishing and seeing not only what you can come up with creatively but where you can take the fabric that you are working on using different mediums and tools to enhance your project.
These fabric pieces have been real projects for me as they take time to complete due to the more intricate work that goes into adding the beads to the pieces.
But the joy is not only in adding the beads but selecting, and sorting. I have been making many trips to my charity store to see what jewelry and embellishments they have, and have come across some unusual and very pretty finds.
This latest piece is called The Conversation.
Do let me know what you think, leave a comment and share what you have been working on, does it inspire you to give this a go? Or even add an element to your creative projects.
I have been hooked on creating these wall hangings for quite a while, and haven't lost my zeal for creating them. I have a few more ideas that I want to try out and because of the time it takes to complete need to make room for them.
I started this one about a month ago, laying down the initial colours and adding the machine stitching.
It is called 'Embrace Me' measuring approximately 4"x8" and the majority of my work that I create is about relationships.
The relationships that we have with others and the one that we have with ourselves, how we encourage and support our selves, being gentle with our hearts.
The thing that takes time is the embellishing but it is such a therapeutic activity that you can get lost in. It is also an activity that you can do while sitting with the family and not feel as if you have shut yourself away in the studio, again these wall hangings remind me about the relationships that I have with others.
Thanks for stopping by Material Mondays where I share a project that involves either working with fabric in some way or crochet. If you want to learn how to crochet or work with fabric and a number of other courses, then check out Craftsy. For all new subscribers they have a selection of free online classes, and are always running a special offer on some of their fee paid classes
About a couple of months ago I started some fabric art projects, that used some quilting techniques, while including beading and other mixed media materials. I have been quite pleased with them and shared them HERE.
I have been progressing with the fabric projects and produced one above and shared it in its early stages on my instagram account.
I liked using the paints on the fabric and using colours some of which were my favorite. I quite liked the piece as it was but wanted to add additional paints, and then incorporate beads and stitching within.
The paint and gave the figure a bit more form and as I continued a story began to unfold.
wall hanging as it progresses
The piece measures 22.5 cm by 23 cms and was the type of project that you couldn't complete in one sitting. I loved adding the beading, and the hand and machine stitching. In the background I used a variety of stencils and doodling with pens and metallic paint. It is a great way to add additional colour and sparkle!
Here is the finished piece, I attached a willow stick to the back of the fabric and added a cord to allow it to hang
Adding the beads to the fabric was very therapeutic, having to take the time for each individual bead allowed me to think about the creative process and unwind. I also visited the charity shop and got some jewelry and found some really lovely pieces that I will be using in future projects.
Every hand stitch and machine stitch was part of the creative process. I used the machine as if using a pen, and allowed doodles to form on the fabric.
I allowed myself to experiment, there was no right or wrong just allowing freedom in expression...
I realize how much I enjoy making these wall hangings and will be making more and make some available for purchase. I find that these mini wall hangings allow me to get involved in all the disciplines that I enjoy without it being a massive project, it also allows for stories to come forth - not only in words but in materials, patterns and color.
Get out your fabric and other supplies and see what you can come up with! I would love to have your comments, blessings!
Realityarts - Creativity Book Shop - Some really great titles for you to dive in
Creative Resources
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