COCKSCOMB (#6 Weekly Art Project; The Alhambra)

 

Our visit to 'The Gardens Of Lofty Paradise' happily coincided with the flowering of Celosia, also known as Cockscomb.

They were stunning individually, but when mass planted...they were EXQUISITE! With their rich colour & abundant ruffles my breath was quite literally taken away by their dramatic presence in the gardens.  Therefore it was obvious that I dedicate this week's art project to the exercise of trying to represent their impact in some way. 

I began with drawing.  Surrounded by my photos I drew quick linear drawings of their shapes & ruffles. Once I had a pleasing selection I started putting them together & came up with a repeat pattern that I was quite pleased with.  However, I'd failed to take into consideration that I had a limited 20cm square to produce this outcome in & what I'd just designed was not going to work in such a small space.  Back to drawing & this time I drew bigger, which gave me a more realistic sense of what was possible with a sewing machine & my time frame.

Out came the view finder, which I moved around the page, until I settled on a slightly abstract combination of lines that interested me.

My fabric choices included an old shirt that had an embroidered motif across the front.  I wanted to use both the right & wrong side of this fabric (in different pieces of course) so placement required a bit of careful wiggling.  I also had a strip of green fabric that I had heavily hand stitched with  kantha stitch.  It had been intended for another project but wasn't needed in the end, so has been hanging around for over a year. Not any more...it was also carefully pinned in amongst the layers. Sewing the design lines in took time as I wanted those curvy lines to look curved & not jagged!

Before long it was time to cut back.  Here's how it progressed...

I am very pleased with this outcome & part of that pleasure is in the fabric choices I made. Regular followers will notice that I have used my 'pebble' stamp again for the background fabric. Using two sides of the same fabric for the flower bodies has given each a slightly different texture whilst maintaining a consistent colour palette. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the fabric in the ruffles is raw silk so has a fabulous sheen.  Whilst I don't view this as a potential design for future use, it is a very meaningful little piece to me, and with the addition of my shirt, it's personal. It certainly evokes the memory of seeing those flowers in that special place. That's the response I wanted myself to have, so this is a success!

THE GARDEN OF LOFTY PARADISE (Weekly Art Project #5; the Alhambra.)

 

  Designed to be tranquil, the Generalife Gardens certainly meet that description, even when there are lots of  people sharing the space. I've had the great privilege to visit twice in my lifetime & would visit again in a heartbeat!

 In Arabic their name is Yannat Al Arif which means "garden of lofty paradise". Another description that suits them well, as they adorn a hill top with higher & lower gardens, waterways & even a water stairway!

On the map, they look formal, as there are very measured garden spaces. Pebbled pathways link hedged squares, rectangles & circles, each filled with a vibrant mix of beautiful flowers.

What I particularly enjoyed was that the planting wasn't as formal or ordered as the garden layout implied.  Plants were allowed to grow & intermingle companionably with their neighbours.  Such rich colour was truly breathtaking.

For my art project this week, I wanted to capture the essence of that vibrant colour not only found in the flowers themselves, but also in the range of greens that framed them. 

Often it's 'where to start' that is the hardest part of this weekly discipline.  That was the case here!  I began by drawing flowers, but didn't have a notion what I was going to do with them. Then I decided I was overthinking & I needed to loosen up & just capture the essence of what I'd photographed.  Out came the pastels & I quickly drew what I saw in bold marks devoid of detail. (Not easy for me!!)

I liked the outcomes I had before me & decided they would be the basis for what I produced in cloth.

My plain coloured fabrics are kept in their own box, so that when I want to produce work in an impressionistic style I can easily see what I've got!  For this piece I knew I wanted more than one tonal value for each colour layer.  This meant I was about to use quite a few pieces of fabric!

I started with laying down the base, which meant sewing in lines like I would draw with a stroke of pastel.  Cutting away helped me see where I'd need to work next.  Unlike so much of my work, there was no plan, only the frequent glance at my drawings & a lot of concentration.

This is how it went...

Have I achieved a sense of the richness of colour in those lofty gardens of Paradise?  Yes, I believe I have!  I'm very pleased with this result, even though it is far from perfect.  The whole point of these weekly projects is to practice, practice, practice and to try new ways of using textiles to express my memories & ideas. Results like this make me want to keep trying again & again. Next week, I'll spend some more time in these exquisite gardens, waiting for inspiration to strike.  I'm already looking forward to it! 

POMEGRANATES ON THE PAVEMENT ( Weekly Art Project #4, The Alhambra)

 Timing is everything when visiting such a popular & impressive site as The Alhambra, and for visits to the Nasrid Palace (my favourite place in the whole site) tickets are for strictly specific times.  We had planned our visit so that we could visit Yannat Al Arif (also known as the Generalife gardens) first.

Established in the 13th century as a kind of retreat for the Nasrid royalty, who lived in the Alhambra Palaces at the time, these beautiful gardens exemplify the concept of outdoor rooms.   The pavilions, flower beds and water features all had one thing in common...they were accessible via pebbled pathways, each  patterned by the clever placement of  black & white coloured flat & stacked stones.

Being in Granada it was not surprising to come across the occasional pomegranate design under foot.  Pomegranates being the beloved symbol of the city.

 Therefore, before I even think of creating art in response to the flower beds we walked amongst, it is only fitting that I pay homage to these beautiful pathways which have taken the weight of so many feet over the years! 

I started by printing my own pebbley background fabric. Using a foam sheet I cut out pebble shapes, stuck them to a piece of wood & got the printing ink out!  I'm very happy with the results, although it probably would've been wise to rule a straight guideline to line the block up with....it wasn't exactly straight at the end there!

Having decided I'd resort to what I'm familiar with & use the reverse applique technique, I gathered a few fabrics that could potentially look good together & sat down to draw & then create a design! 

It is always a satisfying moment to finally be ready to bring an idea to life by stitching along those lines!

 

 It's been a while since the scissors had had a workout, but they did a good job today cutting away the layers.  Just as well this was a fairly simple design with only 4 layers of fabric.

Slowly it was coming together.

At last my first weekly art project of 2021 was finished & I was very happy with how it looked. One of the things I'm particularly pleased with is the contrast in size between the background & the foreground fabric patterns. Varying the width of the black lines also adds  interest to the piece.  This instantly evokes those pebbled pathways, which is exactly what I wanted it to do! next week..GARDENS!

PUERTA DE LA JUSTICE (Weekly Art Project #3; the Alhambra)

 

This magnificent horseshoe style gate is the Puerta de la Justice, but it is also known as the Gate of the Esplanade. This would be because of the grand esplanade that leads to it & because it was the largest & most impressive gate found in the Alhambra walls.  Built in 1348 it soon became the most often used entrance into the Palace grounds as well.

I remember a few things about the experience of encountering it for the first time.  It's size made an impression on me & you can see in the photo above how it's height compares to the average human!

This Hamsa symbol also attracted me as it is unlike any Hamsa symbol I have seen before. This is a protective symbol in the Islamic faith & represents the hand of Fatima, Mohammad's daughter.

And because I have an interest in symbols.... above the inner archway is another Islamic symbol, the key.  I particularly liked this key because of the detail of it's tassle. It is believed to represent Islamic Paradise, which I can well imagine the Nasrid Palaces within the Alhambra complex were designed to be the earthly equivalent of.  However this symbol could also represent authority, & perhaps this is where the connection with 'justice' comes from?

What impressed me most though,  are the glazed tiles that decorate the upper section of the second arch. They are so high up we mere mortals need a zoom lens on our camera to even see them properly.  When we do see them though, they are as exquisite as if they were just made yesterday.

 

For my weekly art project this week I wanted to create something new using some of these features. 

I started by drawing a rendition of the tiles & then cut it out into a paper stencil.

I'd made a couple of fresh gelli plates, so I was keen to see whether they worked okay.  This seemed a good opportunity to print off a few pieces of fabric using my tile shapes & hopefully in the course of that process I would have a brilliant idea about how I was going to bring it all together in one 20cm2 piece!

I moved my more successful prints around to see how they looked with each other.

Slowly I began sewing some together & appliqueing others over top to create an interesting base.  

Scale was a key word when I thought about this gate, so with that in mind I made my hand & key rather smaller than my tiles!

This was the end result & I'm quite happy with it.

Only 'quite' because in hindsight I wish I'd just left the tiles as themselves & maybe pushed them a little further to perhaps look like this variation, which my Layout App came up with.  This REALLY appeals to me & perhaps I would have got to it on my own if I hadn't have been so determined to include the Hamsa & the key, both of which could have been subjects for another week's project.

When setting my own guidelines for this project I have been deliberately open ended, not giving myself too many rules except size & a stitch requirement.  Today's outcome is a very good lesson for me, I keep telling myself 'less is more', but sometimes even less is more!  

Even so, I'm not disappointed with my outcome & it has certainly been fun to work on.

ARCH OF THE EARS (Weekly Art Project #2; The Alhambra)

 

Partway up the hill alongside the path to the current Alhambra complex are the remains of the Puerta De Bibrrambla.  

Although this fragile mudbrick archway is now guarded by trees, it was once the entrance to a communal Square where criminals were displayed after justice had been meted out on them.  At one time it was known as the Arch Of Ears, which was derived from the practice of hanging the dismembered ears of the criminals in the archway for display. Gruesome.

This history must have something to do with the odd mix of tranquility & unrest that I felt when passing by.  It was a place where ghosts might wander.

On a visual level, there is something dramatic & spellbinding about the contrast of the lime green leaves of new growth & the crumbling decay of the eleventh century public entrance.  Therefore it was important that I capture these two characteristics in this week's art project.

After some preliminary drawing & note taking I'd made a decision that I wanted to keep this piece as symmetrical as possible, so I measured & drew my design straight onto the backing cloth.  I then began to cover all my drawn lines by building up the background.  I wanted a variety of greens to represent the differing shades as light penetrated through the trees.

The tree trunks were also to represent the bars of a jail, referencing the criminals in it's history.

A little texta added a tad more depth!

The Arch itself was layered with both fabric & a handmade paper with torn edges, in an attempt to give that crumbly fragile edge to the building.

The final outcome includes a hand drawn mirror-image pattern of ear-like shapes!

I'm very pleased with how this looks & I enjoyed working with paper, although I feel stitching around the edge of the structure, which I had to do to secure it, detracts from the lovely edges. I did wonder about softening the paper with some coloured pencil, but there is something eye-catching & engaging about the stark white in the centre of all that texture & colour, so for now, it stays. The white does look very new & perhaps it's important to remember that once upon a time this was a new gate with many people eager to walk through it. Both the present & past seen together in this art project....I like that!.

FIRST GLIMPSE (Weekly Art Project #1; The Alhambra)

 

In 2014 I was asked where I would like to be to celebrate my 50th birthday (later that year).  My response was almost immediate; the Alhambra!

 I had been there before.  

When our children were younger we'd lived in the UK for a while & during that time made the most of school holidays to visit different places in Europe.  One of those places was The Alhambra, but whilst I was able to enjoy the visit, my role as Mother was paramount & I couldn't really lose myself in the beauty of the place whilst also watching my children. Hence my desire to return.

Sure enough on my actual birthday, there I was in Granada, Spain about to spend my 50th birthday in one of the most breathtaking places I'd ever been to.  I was horribly jetlagged having just flown in from Australia, it was very humid & I was overwhelmed to actually be there.   I was determined to make this day last, because to be there a second time in my lifetime was a privilege I was very very grateful for.

 

The past few Weekly Art Projects have focused on my travels.  This WAP continues that theme, with the difference being that my whole weekly art project will be inspired by this one place & my time there during one single day.  Ideally, I'd like to do 50 projects. Realistically, it will probably be over 21 weeks, as my other projects have been.

Glimpses of the Alhambra can be seen as one meanders through the cobbled lanes of the city of Granada. Equally spectacular is the upward glance from the the banks of the Darro.  With my first project, I wanted to capture the colour & dominance of this beautiful complex sitting strategically uphill.

This year I have asked myself to use my tools!  So with a new project I decided to use a tool I haven't used before; masking fluid.

My goal was to paint a map of Granada in latex masking fluid, so that when I'd painted over the dried latex & peeled the it off, I'd be left with a cool batik effect map.

Unfortunately, I didn't do a lot of research before attempting this.  I was sure I'd read it could be used on fabric?!!!

Whilst this map would be very hard for anyone who has walked Granada's streets to navigate from, I was pleased with how it looked.

 

I was also pleased with the colour & texture I managed to achieve with my roller & a few paints.

However, to cut a long story short, the latex wouldn't peel off! It wouldn't iron out either & I wasn't prepared to spend a whole heap of time trying to wash it out.  Therefore...it stayed!  With it's rubbery stickiness the lighter paint has adhered to it & although more subtle than my original plan, I like the result.  This was to be my building material!

Tracing a simple drawing onto thin paper I stitched the outline through the fabric...

 

...and then had the laborious task of removing the paper!

 

A little cutting away & I had a sky in the background & a building in the foreground.

I'd been given perfect tree fabric & I thought I would use it.  However, it felt rather too illustrative for me.  I'm trying to capture more than a recreation of a photo, I wanted an impression not accuracy.

Raiding the scrap bin I came across a variety of pieces that interested me & began moving them around, trying to find a pleasing composition.

With a little hand stitching to highlight the map I completed my first project in this series.  I'm pleased with it...except for the little bits of paper still trapped in a few of the stitches! It is dramatic & intriguing.  It alludes to a rich history.  It draws me in. Once again I get to visit, this time with my imagination & creativity. I'm already looking forward to next week!