Tricia’s Art Blog

I have been working again today on the Word canvas. I keep thinking I’ve finished and then feel that something else is needed. I painted over the words that still looked a little weak and then experimented with different stitching on the words, to make them stand out more.  I did one with a running stitch which was okay but still didn’t feel that it stood out enough. I then tried making the stitching more solid and letting the threads run down from the letters, this really gave the impact that I was looking for.

I pinned the yarn on a few other words just to see the effect in other parts of the canvas.  I particularly wanted the word Betrayal to be one that stood out from the rest, so I stitched that also and felt that the two words together worked well.

After some more  experimentation, I settled on four words only to be embellished in this way. Innocence, Betrayal, Hurt and Alone, I feel that they tell their own story.

 

 

 

 

 

Our spaces for the Degree Show have been posted in the studio. I’m delighted that I got the space I requested. Hopefully, I can make it work as well as I think I can.

At Robin’s suggestion,  and with a little help, I moved the Word canvas into the seminar space. It was good to view it from a distance and to think about which would be the best orientation, assuming that I keep it on it’s stretcher. There is always the possibility that I will decide, after all, to take it off but I won’t really know that until I get into the space and try things out.

We don’t get access to our spaces until after Level 5 have their assessments, that is a few more weeks away yet. I’ll just get on with finishing my pieces of work and leave those decisions till later.

Having tried the canvas in every conceivable way round, the consensus was that it should be  landscape rather than portrait, and that the word innocence should be at the top.

I still need to add something to the canvas to give it that extra oomph and I need to accentuate the words that have not been done, those words look a little weak by comparison. I will experiment with some more stitching with thicker thread or maybe some yarn.

I also want to paint another canvas, linked to the Loss of Innocence, showing in more detail the loss of childhood. I have prepared another board and made a few preliminary sketches. It will be good to get back to some painting again.

Tricia Cottrell Preliminary Sketch 2015

Drawing Pen on Paper

Dimensions 13.5cm x 21cm

 

After the distraction of Cyprus it has been back to working in earnest for the degree show.

The final stitch on the Word canvas has been made! Now to decide how best to accentuate the painted words. I want to convey the idea that however much I tried over the years to cover up the experience of being abused and it’s aftermath, it is like an open wound that keeps on bleeding out. Until it is brought out into the open, healing cannot begin.

I decided to paint over the words again using watered down fabric paint, so it looked as if they had seeped through the lace that had obscured them.  After painting over more than half the words I stepped back to take a look.  My first thought was “Oh no! I’ve ruined it!” It looked so pretty before I did that – what have I done?” I was shocked at how much it disturbed me to look at the words, red and raw, now emblazoned over the front of the canvas. I felt so traumatised, that I had to leave and go home.

After spending all weekend agonising over what I had done and what I was going to do next, realisation slowly dawned. If I hope to raise peoples awareness about this issue the images need to disturb, they need to be uncomfortable to look at. I will persevere.

Tricia Cottrell: Words in progress: (2015)

Media: Fabric, Fabric Paint, Thread

Dimensions: 119.5cm x 258.75cm

Photograph: Tricia Cottrell 2015

Tricia Cottrell: Words in progress: (2015)

Media: Fabric, Fabric Paint, Thread

Dimensions: 119.5cm x 258.75cm

Photograph: Tricia Cottrell 2015

Close-up Detail

Tricia Cottrell: Words in progress: (2015)

Media: Fabric, Fabric Paint, Thread

Dimensions: 119.5cm x 258.75cm

Photograph: Tricia Cottrell 2015

Close-up Detail

The trip to Cyprus was a welcome break from the intense activity of the past several weeks. A chance to relax and just make art without any other distractions.

I put together a compilation of some of the images from our trip . Making the movie was straightforward enough, but the process of actually getting it on to this blog page was extremely frustrating and traumatic (what it is to be technically challenged) but after many fruitless attempts I finally made it.