LANGUAGE AS PATTERN (WAP #16; Inspired by the Alhambra)

 

In amidst the panels & sections of highly decorative pattern work covering the Nasrid Palace walls, are words. Verses of the Koran have been carved from the plaster in flowing calligraphy to remind people of the principles of their faith.

Because I can't read Arabic, these sections of written language are beautiful to my eye as pattern.  Written language is just that, a series of symbols or patterns attributed to the various sounds we communicate through in our given language.  The combination of those symbols (or patterns) is only meaningful to those who know how to interpret it. To everyone else it is beautiful script (or...pattern!)

With that in mind, I am aware that the experience an Arabic speaker has when wandering through these palace rooms, would be very different from my own, because they would be able to read what is written on the walls!

The Alhambra isn't alone in having quotes on walls.  When I was growing up, we had mainly photos on the walls as opposed to art, but we also had a highly decorated print of  The Lord's Prayer.  In the first bedroom that I can remember a Bible verse hung on the wall & unknown to my parents, I used the back of it to practice writing my name!!

In my own home, the use of the written word as decoration is mainly in the form of fridge magnets, but in the wider community there is quite a market in affirming quotes available in frames & on canvas extolling the virtues of positive thing, gin & cats!! (Among other things!)

With language as meaningful pattern as my inspiration, I began my workday by pulling out my various alphabets in stencil & stamp form.

Before even thinking about fabric & what I might do with these writing tools, I needed to see what they actually looked like; their size, their shape and their ease of use. I was very pleased with this exercise & the variation I had, until I faced the reality that this was an A3 sized paper, and I needed to keep to a 20 cm squared limit!

I pulled out scraps of differing weights of calico & various white cottons, and the process of stamping & stenciling began.  It was disappointing to see that many of my fabric textas need throwing out. At last I had a good sized stash of samples.

After stamping and stenciling I decided I'd also produce a word in contemporary reverse applique!

With all my language samples in front of me I began to mix them around to make a pleasing composition. 

This was the result.

I know it's not very adventurous. To be honest the size limitation meant that a fairly standard linear format would be the  best way to display enough of a variety of sized & shaped words to keep it interesting. I'm happy with it. The day was purely experimental & I enjoyed the process.  It may not look like anything that one would see in the Alhambra, but that's not the point.  The inspiration is most definitely there. This exercise has made me more confident to explore more creative ways of using language in future projects. Good outcome!

PATTERN PLAY (Weekly Art Project #15; inspired by the Alhambra.)

 

April was a month of long weekends, meaning that I only managed to get two of my weekly art projects completed.  I'm hoping to have a less disrupted flow this month. Consequently it was rather exciting to get into my somewhat messy workroom yesterday & just focus on what I was going to create for this first project of May.

One small section of the Alhambra is where the exquisite Nasrid Palaces are & some of the finest Nasrid architecture & decoration in the World. Last time I focused on the lace-like plaster (stucco) work & how panels of differing patterns work so cohesively together.  

The plaster work is also often seen alongside the gem-like azulejos tiles, so this week I am going to play with this effective combination.

It just so happens that I did some shopping at the annual stitch & craft fair last week & bought some stencils that look arabesque! As with any new toy, I wanted to try them out & this seemed like a good opportunity.  

 Out came other stencils & stamps from my collection & after a rummage through the paint pots I began a printing session.

To be honest, it soon became apparent that neither my blues nor my greens were quite right, or more accurately...they didn't work for me!  So I changed my palette to a blue & gold combination.

The most effective prints were made using a gelli plate.  I became so immersed that I completely forgot that I had an appointment (and I'd forgotten to set my phone alarm!) .  Thankfully a phone call interrupted me &  I was able to quickly scrub the paint off my hands before heading out.

It also meant that the pieces I'd printed could dry!

A couple of hours and a flu shot later, this was my selection of dry & ironed fabric options.

Now...what to do with them!

I had intentionally created options in various tonal values & was very pleased with all of my outcomes. Naturally I wanted to use all of them, but that was not going to be feasible within the 20cm square limitation! Quite a LOT of time was spent layering and rearranging!

Eventually I made a decision & got to work sewing them into place, before doing a little bit of cutting back. Here's how it went.

I'm very pleased with the finished outcome. 

The cut back sections representing azulejoes are in satin & so have the same sort of shiny quality that the glazed tiles have.( Azulejoes are small glazed tiles used to create geometric patterns.) I'm very pleased with the colour palette & variation in pattern. I also really like the way the stitching looks in the unprinted lines of the lower panel.

My one frustration is that I couldn't find my A4 sized gelli plate, so none of my prints were 20cm long.  If they had have been, I would have liked the cut back section to extend all the way across the width.  This, however, is the best outcome from what was available to me & I'm happy with it.

PLASTERWORK PATCHWORK (Weekly Art Project #14; inspired by The Alhambra)

 Walking into the Nasrid Palaces of the Alhambra is an overwhelming experience. The walls are lined with intricately carved plasterwork, there are jewel coloured tiles, elaborate wooden ceilings, arches, porticoes & exquisteness everywhere one looks!

Therefore knowing where to start in regards to a weekly art project focus was almost as difficult. I am a keen list writer, so I resorted to this tool as a means of organising some options, and from that list, I made a decision.

This week I was going to focus purely on plasterwork.

 

My initial plan was to divide my 20cm square into sections and create a different pattern in each section, just like so many of the Palace walls. With this in mind, I flicked through my photos drawing diagrams of the different composition layouts. During this process, a voice inside my head kept reminding me that a 20cm square is not a very big space to execute a variety of patterns!!

It also occurred to me that the artisans who carved these incredible plasterwork panels, were also skilled in composing the placement of the panels alongside one another. Although intricate they all cohabited so well together, mixing linear with lacey, more open work alongside very close detailed carving etc.

As I recorded the compositions I'd captured on camera, I was enjoying the way the diagrams looked & wondered whether I could use the layouts themselves as my design and use patterned fabrics to represent the plasterwork.  It was worth trying.

 

 

It was also a good opportunity to use up some fabric scraps!  I tipped my tub of beige scraps onto the work table & started working through the possibilities, identifying different tonal & colour groups within that whole 'beige' category! 

I decided that instead of arranging the squares into an overall composition at the start, I would produce each diagram as an individual composition and then arrange them at the end.

 

And so it began, first the choosing and layering of fabrics, then sewing in the design before cutting away to the layers below.  Here's how it went...

I had completed 9 x 6cm squares, each of then unique.  It was time to arrange and rearrange...yes...and rearrange again! I'm sure I could have kept on in that manner, but I had to make a decision at some point!

This was what I settled on & I was very pleased with how it looked.  I could have left it there, but I chose to add more definition to the individuality of each patch...because it really was a patchwork of plasterwork!

This was the final result.

To be honest I'm torn as to which version I like best. I think I prefer the pre-additional-lines version, but I would have had to think of another way of tidying up the edges of the squares! In that version I like the way the individual pieces interact with one another & if I'd had more time I would have liked to have added some hand stitch or beading, which may have contributed to more cohesiveness.

 I don't mind my final result, as it does highlight the individual sections and is definitely much neater. Overall I'm happy with the outcome, either way, and am glad that I allowed myself to explore the 'what if' question.  I'm also grateful that in the process of this project I've discovered another facet of the craftmanship of that Palace to be in awe of.

 

QUEUING (Weekly Art Project #13; inspired by The Alhambra)

At last it had finally come, our timed entrance into the incredible Nasrid Palaces, the moment I had been waiting for for so long........and clearly hundreds of others had too.

There were a LOT of us queued up for our 1pm entrance!  

As with most queues it snaked over steps and around corners & moved very very slowly. The above photo is taken from the inside looking out at the tail end of our queue.  I didn't have time to line the camera up properly, but I'm so glad I snapped it, because it does capture the essence of part of the whole experience. Anticipation. Being there but not quite IN there yet!!

It was this photo that I wanted to base today's weekly art project on.  Could I get a sense of the enormous numbers of people who come to visit this place?

 I also still have my ticket.  Could I incorporate it, or reference it in some way?

The drawing book came out & I drew what I saw & allowed my mind to play with a few different ideas. Eventually I reined those ideas into what MIGHT work in a 20cm square!

 

I made a decision that I needed to make a human shaped stencil.  Out came the knife & an old index page from a folder. I planned to use both positive & negative shapes, so I cut carefully. In the background of this photo you can see a couple of other tools I wouldn't be without!

A plan was drawn up, fabrics were chosen & it was time to sit at the sewing machine.

 

  There were going to be two 'outlines' , so the first one I stitched into place was the lower level one. I wouldn't cut it back yet though.

I then carefully lined up my upper outline fabric, complete with lines drawn on to guide where the sewing machine needle was to go.

During the process of sewing, I decided to vary the colour of my cotton, just to make it more interesting.

It was now time to start cutting back.

Here's how it went...

There was a lot of fiddly cutting in this project & to be honest, I think there was too much. If I'd kept the inner circle of repeated bodies to just 3 fabrics, I don't think the fact that they are body shapes would have been quite so lost.

The varying width stripes that frame the inner circle are taken from the bar code of my ticket.  I like the varying thicknesses & the appearance of some of the coloured fabrics.  However, I am very disappointed with the messiness of the lines.  This is because the black fabric was too loose a weave for such closely stitched lines.  This is a very important lesson for me to keep in mind. For the scissors to cut a less hacked looking line, they actually need enough room to get in there to cut!

You may be wondering about my rather odd choice of fabrics.  The coloured ones are all repurposed from well worn shirts.  The colour choices reflect some of the tile colours illustrated on the ticket & being shirts, they also reference people.

Although I'd make a couple of changes to this outcome were I to do it again, I'm still very happy with it as it achieved what I wanted it to. It is most definitely not a disaster & I am very happy with how the design process went. All in all a very good day of exercising my contemporary reverse applique skills!

 

 

 

ALCAZABAR (WAP # 11, Inspired by The Alhambra)

 

As I sat down to contemplate my art project this week, my head was full of war.  I'd seen the French film De Gaulle the night before & my current audio book is set in an Apocalyptic future when civilization has disintegrated, so it seemed fitting that my muse would be the fortress at the far end of the Alhambra, the Alcazaba.

Built in the 13th century and located to give itself exceptional views out over Granada, this military base was in a very powerful position. Although there are towers & ramparts and a garden to see on this site, for some reason I only have two photos to remember it by.  The above is of Plaza de Armas & shows the remains of the military quarter.

I can't help but think that those neatly finished building remains look like a street map.

That in turn makes me think of people...not just military personnel, but all people.

The second photo shows a cache of canon balls. Instruments of destruction and death to people whether innocent or enemy.

Somehow I wanted to combine these two powerful images as symbol, and put them in an arch.  Paper & pen came out, drawing began, an idea started coming together.

I started with my 'barracks' street map & after stitching the lines, it was time to start cutting back.

Once cut back I wanted to layer some canon balls over those street-map-like lines.  I could have sewn on another piece of fabric, stitched in some circles & then cut back some more, but I wanted a different sort of effect.

I cut out a stencil from a foam sheet, but instead of applying paint to the positive circle shapes, I rolled it onto the negative space of the stencil & used it as a stamp on top of my carefully cut out fabric. It was a little nerve wracking, but I was happy with the results.

I like the variation in intensity of colour & the fact that I can still clearly see the cut out relief of the barracks using contemporary reverse applique.

I wanted to  enclose that in an archway. I like archways & there are a lot of them on the Alhambra site. For me they represent something of the sacred.

Because I'd tried to use a colour palette close to the reality caught with my camera, I chose a soft terracotta fabric for my arch & stitched it on, adding quilted lines to signify brick work.  Once complete it was time to cut back for the big reveal!!

Here is the finished outcome and I am very pleased with it. My eye is still drawn to the central panel of canon balls & barracks, even though I've framed it with quite a contrasting colour. Visually it is very pleasing.  Symbolically though...what am I trying to say? My canon balls are empty of paint, therefore they haven't caused destruction to the barrack map representing people. But the negative space has. One could interpret that negatives kill then? I  want this to suggest that life is sacred. For now that sits well with me & is enough.

Next week is Easter, so I'm not sure if I'll manage to get to my workroom for my weekly project, but when I do, it will finally be time to head to the Nasrid Palace. Be still my beating heart!