August Master Design Class
August was a “beyond busy” month and I did not even get to the mock up stage of my design for Elizabeth Barton‘s Master Class. Our theme was letters-letters of any kind or language. I was pretty stumped at first on this one but some of the designs that other students came up with made me realize that I should include this in my bag of tricks for the future.
I came up with 2 ideas-we’re allowed 3 for critique-and they are very different from each other. Now I admit I was pretty clueless on what to do with the August assignment. I definitely was influenced by what I saw on line in my research for one of the sketches.
This first sketch looks pretty traditional but it’s actually my initials: the K is in the border and I combined a cursive J and L for the curvier design in the middle. It looks so simple (and it is) but it took me a long time of playing and sketching to come up with this.
I actually like the design with the curves offset by the angular K. If I make this one up I would do it in trapunto and have some really fun quilting around the motifs.
I liked Elizabeth’s suggestion to take it a step further and include motifs or objects of personal significance and kind of hide them, letting the viewer discover them. Love that!
This sketch was influenced by the results of a Google search for “drawings using text”. Glauce Cerveira is a London painter that also dabbles in pencil drawings. Her “Anti-Art Pets” drawings are posted here.
I took a photo of the beloved Basset Boy and created my drawing using the following descriptive phrases (which will give you a giggle):
Sleep, slobber, eat
Roll over and show your belly
Flirt
Random Basset Moment
Yawn
Complain
Ear roll
In and out
Droopy
Soulful
Ridiculous
I feel compelled to explain “Random Basset Moment”. Bassets are odd-they will sleep say, 20 hours a day and lounge about for the other 4. But occasionally, for NO apparent reason, suddenly they will get all jacked up and start running around in glee, happy as can be. Centuries of careful research cannot point to any reason why this happens. It just does. Imagine a household with multiple Bassets….
I like the idea of working this one up into a small piece also. I would like to refine it quite a bit though, using the density of the lettering to create much more value contrast and more personality. He really is a goof ball and one of the most ridiculously shapen of all earth’s creatures.
Elizabeth’s comments were again spot on. She suggested that his eyes needed to be darkened and to leave space for a “sparkle”. Also give a sense of light coming from one side by having the background lighter on one side.
I think if I worked on my values and added the two suggestions by Elizabeth, that could really make this a fun piece! If I ever get this made up it will be fun to watch viewers read the text when they get up close. I know I will get some belly laughs from this one!
This is all I have for August. September’s assignment is “Lost edges”-oh dear, gotta figure that one out!
All that cursive writing around your basset would really play to your strengths. Would you go for variegated thread? One side dark thread; the other side light? And it would be such a fun piece. I think you deserve some fun after some of your assignments for this class.
I do think variegated thread would do well on this. I know I have to go for way more contrast than I think I need-I seem to underestimate the power of value. And yes, I do deserve some fun!! Thanks Joanna.
I love that you’re taking this class. And thank you for sharing your progress in your blog. It’s wonderful to watch all the new steps you are taking and the new directions you are going. I am so impressed!
It’s been a wild ride and has taken way more time than expected. Thank you for your kind words-I’m just sharing my journey-we’ve all got one! I do hope to complete all but June’s quilt. The June one I just don’t care for but the others I hope to complete. I think I’ve done 6 out of 8-not bad!
Love this piece — but agree with EB about the eyes. I once dated a fellow whose parents owned a basset…lovely, lazy pooch. Beloved family pet. Your ‘sketch’ reminds me of him (the basset, not the fellow, with whom I’m still in touch, though we both married others). Well…maybe it reminds me of the fellow a bit too, and his lovely parents (now long gone). Thanks for the memories. :-)
Oh thanks Margaret! I am learning so much. Of course it’s always about the eyes but until it’s pointed out I didn’t recognize it. Critiques are a very good thing!
The bassett is just precious. I love the way you’re made him with the words. This one will be so fun to thread paint… I can see it as a miniature with tiny lettering. But I could also see this really large, almost Andy Warhol big, with bold colors and dark letters with thread – it would be awesome. Love this.
Oh I hadn’t thought that this would look Andy Warhol looking big! I was thinking about using an ombre in black and grey for the background, which could add even more to the look. Thank you Teresa!
I can’t tell you how much I love the text basset sketch! What a great quilt this will be if you can pull it off, as you say. A lot of text quilting but it could be done. I hope you try it and keep us posted on the progress.
I suspect it will take more than I think to achieve depth and value with thread sketching but I do want to make this one up. Thanks Carol!
I am the human owned by not one crazy Basset……but three! Two Basset Boyz and a Smelly Basset girl. How that happened I will never know. But you are so right about that incredible burst of energy. People don’t believe I actually have to roadwork the Boyz. We probably could compare notes on what they have destroyed and eaten! The Swissys were such wonderful and GOOD dogs, I was spoiled.
I have done line drawings using free motion stitching of Chloe. Never thought about words though. That would be dramatic and wonderful!!
Great job!
Oh dear, THREE Bassets? I cruised your blog and met “DiNozzo”-giggle, what a clever name! I can’t imagine what and RBM (Random Basset Moment) looks like in your home. It’s a challenge for me to draw and sketch-I hope to make this one respectable when I get some time to do it. Thank you for your humorous comments. And yes, you do have to drag these lazy Bassets on walks!
Love, love, love the sketch and the accompany basset education. Very fun idea. You’re on your way with that. . . better buy a sketch book.
I was sorry to see that you did not make this quilt in August. e has surely given us challenging lessons lately.
Oh there was no way. And Sept is rough too, then teach in Houston so Oct will be tough. I hate to miss a critique! I’m just not getting the whole disappearing edges thing but I think I’ll play with my ombres and see what that does for me.
Thank you Franki! I think next year I’m going to have to go to Sketch Skool-you’ve got me inspired.
Love hearing about your class, Jenny. It inspires me to think about finding time for more study. Looking forward to seeing your September efforts….Your description of your basset reminds me of our elderly cat. Would love to see Basset Boy running around!
Thank you Judy. I hope I can crank out something for Sept-it’s a really busy month!
Your doggy drawing is adorable! I hope you do make that one into a quilt. I had an interior design client once who had two Basset hounds and they were like family members — we even did custom made doggy beds for them, to coordinate with the master bedroom draperies!
Oh how cool is that-custom beds! I assume the bedding was veeeery washable. I think I will have to make up my Basset quilt but it may be awhile in coming. Thank you for reading and your comments.