Monday 26 July 2010

Can you tell what it is yet?!


I have started work on my third Google Earth piece and here is my interpretation of a local quarry, in it's preliminary stages. I think this section of the quarry may now be disused. I plan to add bits of greenery by working free-machining on soluble fabric in irregular strips and pieces to be applied round the edges, here and there. It will be mounted on an artist's stretched canvas, the edges of which I have painted in similar colours and the greenery will drape over the edges in places. I was going to add tiny beads to suggest loose rocks and stones, but even they looked too large, so I mixed accent beads (those very tiny ones without holes) with acrylic matt medium and paint and applied it to the lowest level - the section just above the pool. There will be one more layer to go around the outside which will widen the piece slightly. I have used acrylic paints on pelmet vilene, and the pool is four layers of chiffon over a piece of painted vilene which was then place behind the cut out shape. The water must be very deep and looks as dark as this. I have stitched the edges down on the lefthand side of the piece but left them to stand very slightly proud on the right to give the illusion of shadows and hopefully depth.
I intended to post this yesterday but things were going on behind the scenes on my laptop and the photo would not be loaded onto my blog. I knew it had gone from my camera to the laptop but there it stayed and all I got was 'Error on Page'. I tried several times without success and then this afternoon it has worked like a charm.
I am hibernating indoors with all the windows and doors open as it is so humid. Luckily I got a lot of gardening done yesterday so can afford a day off. I just don't function in humid conditions. The sky is full of quite dark clouds but I have a feeling I shall be watering again tonight. The things in pots dry out so quickly.
I have discovered that the white butterfly I posted on my blog a couple of weeks back was a Small White or a Green Veined White. To my untutored eye they look almost identical. I knew it wasn't large enough for a Cabbage White but couldn't think what the small white ones were called. Small Whites - of course!! They may not be colourful but have rather nice delicate markings. I had to rescue a gorgeous peacock butterfly which had come into the kitchen the other day and we've had a few commas, small blues and little brown meadow butterflies in the garden but there have been noticeably fewer colourful butterflies about in recent years. I haven't even seen any on the buddleia.

12 comments:

mrsnesbitt said...

Wow! This is wonderful! I came here via Weaver! I'll be back!

Carol Q said...

you are so clever Heather. can't wait to see the finished article.

Maggi said...

I love this Heather, it reminds me of slices of slate. Such a good idea to leave one side free as the shadow effect is brilliant. I'm very low on butterflies this year, maybe if the buddleias would deign to flower they might arrive

Julie said...

What an innovative piece Heather, I'll look forward to seeing it finished.

I haven't seen that many butterflies this year either although we did have a fresh looking Peacock in the conservatory yesterday. We have more bees around now but I haven't noticed many butterflies on the buddleia either.

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

It looks very interesting and I will pop back again to see more.
M x

Robin Mac said...

This piece is going to be as spectacular as your other google earth piece Heather, you do such beautiful work. I suspect we are seeing fewer butterflies over here in Oz as well. Cheers, Robin

The Weaver of Grass said...

Clever stuff Heather - I never cease to be amazed at the different aspects of your creativity.

Re butterflies, there has been a great increase in them round here over the last week or so.

Heather said...

Thankyou all for your kind comments. I am pausing for further thinking between each process to allow time for better ideas to present themselves.

Maureen said...

Another piece to look forward to the finish, put down those promarkers and keep stitching.

sharon young said...

Brilliant, Heather I love the idea, it's looking really exciting already.
Thank you so much for your encouraging comments on my last 2 posts.
And yes I thought it looked like a figure too, quite unintentional.

Shane Pollard said...

Such beautiful work Heather - You're a real artist.
I've joined your followers so I can keep tabs on what you do next!!!
Shane

Caroline Gill said...

I love the inspired art work! Like Mrs Nesbitt, I flew over from Weaver's blog...

Amazingly, after a slow start, butterflies have suddenly 'burst forth' here in Swansea. Beautiful Commas, a Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and lots of 'Whites' [must look them up!].

Great dragonflies, too ... which you can see by clicking here.