BirdBrain Designs

Hooking

and another chair seat

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I am about to begin hooking my second chair seat. Inspiration comes from so many places–we build on our own work, in my case a love of circles and squares in the background, and are influenced both consciously and unconsciously by work around us. As I have said, I am working out design kinks with these chair seats–so #2 is a fanciful version of our house, with a bird on the garage roof. I drew the design in my sketch book, not to scale, but just to get a sense of the proportions. And then drew it again on the linen freehand, using the tape measure to make sure things were roughly uniform. All the while I had a computer version of a Hundertwasser painting at hand for inspiration. I love what he does with buildings–and as I look at it more closely, I may want to try move away from circles and do what he does with the sky–it almost looks like quilting.

The pile of wool is what I think I will use in this piece for outlines and main motifs. I always make sure I have dark, medium and light values as well as warm and cool colours.  Our house is gray, with a red/brown chimney up the front–I’ll try that first but fantasy is sure to take over. I will post my progress.

end of march update

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The first chair seat in the series is all but done and I am very happy with the results. The next one will reverse the colours so it will have a dark background and also will be more fanciful. I am working up to designing the wedding rug with its three houses and winding paths, and of course birds.

I have begun to update the shop and have added the fuchsia bag, the first one I have made this year. It’s a nice one–check out by clicking the shop button on the top left. I was thrilled with the results of the draw and sale–the few bags that were left have gone to good homes.

The blogisversary draw was won by Elizabeth. kittycafe.typepad.com, and she chose the small black shoulder bag featured in this post. It will be in the mail to her shortly. Thanks again to everyone for your participation.

I’ve given myself a deadline for whipping Fireworks–two weeks today. There I said it! It is so much more fun to hook on a new project, but I need to get it off my list and on the floor!  So hold me to my promise!

the series

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I decided to make a few chairs seats to work out the ideas for my next rug. The rug is to celebrate my younger son, Owen’s marriage to Carissa. I would like the rug to centre on three houses, fantasy versions of her former home, our home and their new home together, with paths connecting them. So this is the first chair seat–photographing it helps to point out the weaknesses and errors–the door needs to come to the bottom of the sill for example. I am experimenting with the colours for the border–it’s a small surface to have such pronounced colours–so I think I will hook some more background before I decide.

The whipping on Fireworks has been at a standstill for a bit. At this point the two short sides are almost done. But I have a couple of hooking dates this week, so that too should more forward. I’ll post a little later this week with an update on both projects.  And, the anniversary draw is on Wednesday!! There is still time to add your comment to the March 15th post.

birds and rugs

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This rug is in our front hall. I found it one day years ago in a local antique shop. It has two central figures, who in themselves are pretty interesting, but what intrigued me most were the borders. Birds of every colour line up around the edge, and a few extra are thrown in the centre, including one eating from the woman’s hand. Whoever designed this rug loves the bird motif as much as I do. This rug makes me smile every time I pass–sometimes I see something new I had never noticed before. Old rugs have so much to teach us.

 

progress…

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I am finished hooking Fireworks. The photo here was earlier today–now the small empty spot contains the number 12, there but not obvious, just for the record. It’s surprising how quickly we forget these things. I dyed the wool for the whipping today, a black/brown combo so that it will just look like another dark row on the outside. The rug is about 24 feet around the outside edge. Jennifer tells me that each foot of whipping takes one hour to complete! I will time my first foot and let you know. People often ask me how long it took to hook Fireworks–and truly, I prefer not to know. I do know that I have been at it, on and off, for almost two years, including dyeing the wool, drawing the pattern and hooking, hooking.
I also did some screenprinting today. I plan to make a denim tote with black leather bottom and handles. The dark prints below are for the inside pocket. While I was at it, I made a repeat of The Bird with Attitude. This is my favourite of all my bird images. However, I am soon to be working again with my favourite collaborator (so happy!)–so I’ll be drawing some new birds for the spring.  Check out the link to see Melanie’s wonderful watercolour album art!Tomorrow I hope to put my new house design on a chair seat–and begin hooking something more manageable. Lugging around Fireworks at the end was a little cumbersome!

in the studio

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I managed some time in the studio on the weekend and also saw two wonderful documentary films at our local DocFest. The films, Kinshasa Symphony and West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson were both outstanding, the former a story of courage and determination in urban Africa and the latter a sensuously beautiful homage to Canada’s most well-known artist. I recommend them both.

And in the studio, the first of a series of Kenya pouches. A friend gave me the remaining leather after she had her new skirt shortened and I combined it with a small remnant I had.

The rest of the time was spent with Fireworks and I am definitely on the homeward stretch–finally.

one more sleep

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I am all packed and ready to go. I get to Amsterdam Saturday morning, Nairobi Saturday night and Matangwe some time on Sunday. A wonderful new book that I had pre-ordered some time ago arrived yesterday, just in time to take with me. I have promised myself that I will record all the new sights in my sketchbook. This new book by Gabriel Campanario is an excellent resource with loads of sketches from people around the world. Some of my faves are there.

Speaking of art and faves…a local grade 6 class has been helping me with my Kenya plans. They each wrote letters to the students there, they made an amazing 12 minute video to illustrate their lives and they gathered well over 50 pounds of art and sport supplies for the students in Matangwe. I will be so proud to share the efforts of these students with the students in Kenya. My large red duffle bag is jammed to the seams with pencils, pens, erasers, paints and soccer balls. Thanks so much Grade 6’s!

And finally here is Fireworks, three sides of the border done. Working at it each day I was able to complete side three in just over a week. I figure the whole thing will be done by the end of April, with any luck, but for now we are giving each other a much-needed break.

new thoughts, new rug 2

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I love the work of Hundertwasser–his paintings and his tapestries. I think his work has much to tell us and much to inspire us for rug hooking (just look at this background). He loves houses–so I am enjoying his versions as I plan my next rug. You won’t be disappointed if you follow the link to his official website. Friends of mine are lucky enough to have an original–it has so much wonderful colour and fanciful detail. 

new thoughts, new rug

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These days I am hooking on Fireworks, reading websites about travelling to Kenya, packing, and dreaming about my next rug. Last year when we were in the National Gallery I took this photo of a new book about Vienna in 1900. I am thinking of ordering it here, a wonderful site which has no minimum for free shipping.  I know many others have found Klimt an inspiration for rug hooking–and I see his influence in my own work, even something like this chair seat which was done several years ago in a class with Sharon Townsend at the  Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild’s wonderful November classes and show. (I have just sent off my application for November 2012!)

I am planning a new rug for Owen and Carissa–it will have houses in it, both their family homes and the new house they have together. Somehow there will be winding roads in it–and birds. For me, backgrounds are as important as major images–and much more intriguing. I am playing with the idea of tessellated birds in various colours of the sky. Just playing for now.

bit by bit

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Bit by bit, the third border is getting done. Although I am busy getting ready for Kenya, (prescriptions, supplies, last visits etc.) I also have time to sit and hook, time to think about what is coming and try to mentally prepare for it. One week tomorrow I leave!

Jennifer, my good friend and fellow rug hooker, and I have a friendly competition to see who will reach her goal and finish her big rug first. Of course Jennifer’s Jumbo is huge–much much bigger than Fireworks whose final dimensions will be approximately 57″ x 80″.  And should I mention that she has a full time job? So it’s not really a competition, but just a way to encourage each other to stick with it.