Saturday, September 05, 2009

Beach at Sunrise


(Renamed from Beach Sunset)
19 1/2" x 21"
Polyester, rayon, cotton,plastic mesh, Angelina fiber, Polyfil batting

I began by pulling out all my gauzier fabrics and a bag of plastic mesh from food packaging, and began laying everything on a yellow background until something clicked that it should be blue. It was all pretty delicate until I dug further and found the black and white fabric and tucked pieces of that in and around the scene. The water is the same fabric as the sky, but overlaid with blue plastic mesh and some wavy thread-painting.

I added Polyfil clouds and Angelina fiber for the sunset, and finally overlaid it all with a fine white gauze. I used clear thread for all the stitching; this was one piece where I didn't want to add any other color with the thread. I was planning for less sky to show, and hence have a higher horizon, but it seemed to want to expand upward with the clouds.

9/7/09 Update. I've got this mounted now, and used my Tsukineko ink technique to do some shading at the top and upper sides for a better sky. Comments welcome!

4 comments:

  1. Hi Tobi...I really like the contrast of the delicate and the graphic. Good job on the transculency in the sky, too
    Cynthia

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  2. Tobi.. this is GREAT! I don't know why... but it looks better [to me] this way.. love the rounded corners.. maybe that is it.

    Sometime... would you say how you put your pieces on foam-core?

    Good job!

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  3. I like the way you tucked the black print into the sheers to create depth. Good job!

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  4. Hi Tobi,
    I think you have done very well with acheiving horizontal layers. you have the forground layer, and then the shore and the horizon, and then the cloud shapes. The contrast shapes do help give depth.

    I like the contrast,it give almost a tropical feel. I wonder if it would look less stark if you laid something like a coloured net or tulle over the print. Maybe something that suggests a glow from the rising sun (not perhaps as bright as the sky, but maybe a shade or two darker).
    It is one of those things you would have to try. Alternatively you could try more of your fine gauze in that area to create some morning mist...but that may not be your vision.

    Reducing the contrast of the print might not work, but maybe it would help to give a bit more focus to the sun...on the other hand, maybe the sun wants to be brighter instead... some parts a bit more dark yellow?

    I didn't get to see the piece before you adjusted it, but I think the work you have done with the clouds and sky round the sun give that very distant slow morning coming effect.

    I really like the idea that you chose to use things like food packaging to create the effects you wanted. good idea!
    Thanks
    Sandy

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