Introductions

For those of you who don't know me (yet), I am posting some images of recent work. These two pieces, 8" square, were made for a fundraiser at the Centre des Textiles Contemporains de Montreal. They began as gelatin prints, with cheesecloth, ribbon and paper added.

These two began as silk-screened, stamped fabric, with images torn from an encyclopedia and then collaged into place with matte medium. They are for another local fundraiser, and measure 5" x 7".

This piece, 18" square, is the most recent in the series, which I am calling "A Guide to Modern Living". It began as silkscreened, stamped and stenciled cotton, and has had transparent materials, like cheesecloth, organza, abaca tissue and laser-cut paper, added by fusing and collage.


I recently read Jean Wells' book, Intuitive Color and Design, and was intrigued with the possibilities of piecing strips without a ruler. After trying out the technique on two pillows, I made this framed piece as a response to a Challenge from my Ottawa group. We were given photos of woodland plants touched by frost, so the palette was very subdued. Buttons, beads and hand-stitching added some texture.

It has taken me all afternoon to figure out how to post this stuff, so I hope you enjoy it!

Greetings

I am delighted to be your newest member. Because I am in a "play group" with Pam, Linda, Colleen, Dianne and Helena, I have been following the progress of 12 By the Dozen off and on since it began, and look forward to the unveiling of the "Seeing Red" pieces. Not sure just how long before I can post my own entry: it's all about getting a good idea, isn't it? The work I have seen from the group is very exciting, and I am so pleased to be part of it now.

Hello and Farewell

I am sorry we are loosing a member, Ellen, who has family worries that are taking up her time.  Ellen, I hope the future is brighter than it seems at the moment and that you will follow our journey and enjoy the adventures we have along the way.

And a welcome to Heather who is joining us to keep us a 'dozen'.  Heather will introduce herself but I will say that I have known Heather for quite a few years now.  She was with us in Houston last year when the idea for this group was born and we met up again recently - in Highgate Cemetery in London!

And if you would like a sneak preview of Heather and her work here is her website:

 http://www.heatherdubreuil.com/

Hilary

Playing with photos in Brittany

Rosie, Dianne and I spent a couple of hours late one afternoon with Charlotte Ziebarth's new book Artistic Photo Quilts.  We had come back with another set of great memory photos from that day's trip.  The book had arrived the day before I left and I had squizzed at it briefly and picked up on the idea that for certain possibilities you need 'background' photos - hence the photo of the uninteresting looking seaweed!  This is one of the fun things we tried.

Take a photo of an iris.

Then take a photo of seaweed.

Now apply the Fresco filter to the iris photo.

Then add the seaweed photo as an overlay with the transparency adjusted and this is what you get.

What fun!  Then if you add a red filter to the seaweed you get this.

Which means your iris starts to look like this.

The possibilities are endless.  I'm off to play some more - I've finished my Seeing Red piece and I'm waiting for some paint to dry...

Hilary

Leafy Greens

I'm on a roll! 3 posts in one day. This is a 5" x 7" piece I finished yesterday for a fundraiser exhibition and sale called "Wildcard" aiming to raise money for a local bird rehabilitation centre. All the pieces donated are 5 x 7, unframed, and signed on the back. They will all sell for $65 (the cost of rehabilitating one bird). They are hoping to receive over 500 donations. I'm excited to report that the exhibition will preview in my gallery a couple of weeks before the event. Unfortunately this photo doesn't really capture the intense greens of this piece, mounted on watercolour paper that I painted.

Spontaneous Combustion

Oops, I screwed up when trying to upload this photo of Spontaneous Combustion. Here it is. Helena

Seeing Red and its inspiration

I created "Spontaneous Combustion" inspired by our guild's challenge, "Hot Stuff". It is quite huge, and now hangs in my daughter's condo in Toronto. As soon as she saw it, she laid claim to it, so I was very thrilled. As soon as I heard that our next 12 x 12 challenge theme was "Seeing Red", I knew exactly what I was going to make, and here it is. I am posting it early because I will be in England for my nephew's wedding on our official "posting" date. Looking forward to the next challenge! Helena

A Betsy Ross incarnate joins the group

This is a cryptic clue for my interpretation of 'Seeing Red.'

Love to you all

New 'rules' for group

The week together has been and gone all too fast.  I wish we could repeat this with the whole group - a retreat together where we could chat and get to know each other.  We did manage to squeeze in some rust dyeing - not wholely successful - strange French vinegar or the water? - and some mono printing on gelatine.  We have challenged ourselves to come up with a holiday piece - so watch this space.  I had taken along a book I received just as I packed - Charlotte Ziebarth's 'Artistic Photo Quilts' which I highly recommend if you have a photo editing programme (Adobe Elements or Paint Shop Pro) and you are interested in manipulating photos.  I wouldn't be surprised if  a few of the things given in the book didn't pop up in these pieces...

As you can imagine these was a lot of talking and we chatted about the lack of banter on the 12 by the Dozen blog.  So, because nothing is cast in stone and we should be flexible when it is possible to improve things, let's drop the secrecy 'rule'.  Whatever you are working on let's hear about it.  Maybe one of the group can solve a problem with a suggestion - or pick up inspiration from a different perspective from someone's idea.  Just let's get chatting together and sharing our successes and our woes (hopefully not too many of those!).


I hope this suits everyone and takes a bit of pressure off not knowing what to share, how much was too much and worrying about giving anything away.  This is our group and we should suit ourselves and not follow exactly in other's foot tracks.

Cheers,

Hilary (who is sadly back home while the other two are cycling/driving around France)

I'm done!

Well, while some of our members have been sunning it in glorious Brittany, I have been working. Just got the binding to finish now. Inspiration is a mixture of typical Canadian farm architecture, plus a dose of Rayna Gilman. Work that one out. Meanwhile Mick and I will be leaving Montreal this year around September time, at the moment to a destination unknown. Possibly a new source of inspiration??

The Tri This Design Group - Together Again

Here is the Tri This Design Group, together again, in France :) working on Seeing Red!!  LOL!!

Plogastel-St Germain

We have been having a great time catching up on news, touring the area and on one rainy day, doing some gelatin plate printing. I have no idea how to post pictures on this computer but will do so on my return.

If I'm to stay on the red theme, there are so many wonderful flowers in bloom. The reddest are mesembryanthemum. Hilary knows this name, I don't! They look like an osteospermum which are also in bloom, but are fuller, and oh so red! Up against all the stone walls, they look spectacular.

What are you all doing for the end of June? I started quilting mine, but think that I may have to start over as it's not quite working the way I want. Which means gelatin plate printing some more white fabric. Oh well. Another play day!!

Let's hear from you and let's gear up for our next unveiling!

Dianne