In my studio: visitors!

Stitching in progress 

It’s Open Studios week here (Forth Valley Open Studios) and after a dismal week last week of migraine, I got everything together just in time.  It’s fun having visitors and sharing my work.  I’ve taken down the wadding I use for my design wall and was dazzled by the white wall behind it – it’s amazing what a difference there is between soft cream and bright white!  The walls and doors now have my artwork hung on them and the worktop has lots of smaller pieces and sketchbooks out too.

White walls in my studio

Part of the joy of reorganising my studio to teach in it is how easy it is to move everything around and configure it in different ways.  So I have a desk set up with my sewing machine so I can carry on stitching at quieter moments and three tables put together in the middle so visitors can have a go at printing.

The little one showing off her stitching skills

I’m not sure if my daughter counts as a ‘visitor’ but she certainly had a go at printing yesterday, using two gelli-plates at once and covering herself, the paper and the floor in paint.  At least she made some interesting prints!  She also spent some time sitting in the corner showing off her stitching skills. 

Sketchbooks and other info

The studio is open until Sunday 14^th June from 12-5 (apart from Tues and Weds), so if you are in the area, please pop in and have a look/chat/go at printing.

More work out at Gillian Cooper Studio

Adding the stitched detail

Detail of Unsung Muses figure by Gillian Cooper

Following on from the stencilling on my latest figures, the final stage is adding the stitching to define the shapes. 

Stitching

This is more important than for the more solid figures as the silk is so transparent, the stitching will give strong opaque shapes when they are ‘floating’ in mid-air as even the areas painted with the paintstiks are still see-through.

More stitching, getting an even thicker outline

The stitching is now almost complete and therefore so are the pieces, which is great as I have to hang the exhibition next week.  Things are really coming together for the show at the Scottish StorytellingCentre.  I’ve almost finished all the work, a little leaflet is being printed and I’ve (nearly) got the childcare organised.  

Detail of Unsung Muses figure by Gillian Cooper

Now the biggest problem is finding an existing piece of work that I can’t locate.  It isn’t in the cupboard or under the bed and there aren’t many other places left in the house where it could be.  I can’t believe I can lose an entire artwork!  So this weekend I’m going to be busy finishing the work, making the labels etc and trying to find the missing work.  Fingers crossed...

Detail of Unsung Muses figure by Gillian Cooper