Maria's Muse

New Blog

2009-07-07T20:11:00.002+01:00

I have not made any entires to this blog for ages as I have set up a new blog which is acting as an online journal for my BA in Creative Practice at MMU.
http://www.virtualandvisual.blogspot.com/

Happy Family

2008-06-26T19:14:00.002+01:00

I always liked this photograph of my nan Evelyn, my Aunty Jean and her second husband, Arthur. Evelyn and Arthur had fallen in love when they were young but hadn't married as arthur was already engaged. Evelyn married another man but it was not a happy marriage. They were both widdowed in their forties and married. They were happily married for many years until sadly Arthur died. In this photograph all three of them look so happy.

Donkey Rides

2008-06-26T19:09:00.002+01:00

My cousin Rowena and I always used to Blackpool for our holidays and we would always go for a ride on the donkeys on the beach. I managed to find some 'old money' which I added to the collaged background which is a racing list from Chester races.

My Fifth Birthday Party

2008-06-26T19:05:00.002+01:00

This altered photograph is based on a photograph taken at my fifth birthday party. I have used icing letters for the text.

Baking Day

2008-06-26T18:57:00.002+01:00

This Altered Photograph is actually a birthday card from the 1960's which my mum bought from a charity shop. I cut and pasted my head and my friends head onto the birthday card and collaged it onto a background of fairycake paper. After I had transferred it on to fabric I stitched the words 'first the oven, then the tin, wash your hands and then begin' which is what our teacher used to tell us when we had baking lessons

Finally Finished Foundation

2008-06-20T17:33:00.004+01:00

I have finally finished doing my FMP and the exhibition is now up. Not got my marks yet. I based my fmp on my childhood memories and have used loads of old photos in my work.

The work definately has an altered art feel about it but I have translated it into textiles.

Marrakesh

2008-03-25T12:33:00.006Z

Since I last got round to updating my blog I have been on my travels. First I went to Marrakesh with DH. This was wonderful as I have always been inspired by Morocco. We stayed in a Riad in the medina which was an experience in itself. Apart from taking hundreds of photographs it has provided me with loads of inspiration for my current project which is' view from a window'. I have been experimenting with working in a variety of media and on different surfaces.

A room with a view

2008-02-20T17:50:00.005Z

I am also doing printing and we had to make a screenprint which linked in with what we were doing in fine art. I tried to design something based on the flowers I had been painting but since the screenprint had to have strong black and white images it didn't really work. Fortunately I went away to Stratford for the weekend and the room we were staying in had a wonderful view of a topiary garden. The light was really strong when I woke up so I dashed out and took a series of high contrast images which I then converted to black and white.
My rationale for this is that rather than concentrating on the flowers in the Winifred Nicholson picture I should explore the concept of views from rooms- so goodbye flowers for the time being.

More tulips

2008-02-20T17:41:00.003Z

I am still on the theme of tulips and have been experimenting painting on textured surfaces. Although I have been enjoying painting these I feel I need to move on and do something more arty,

Rosie

2008-02-03T16:51:00.000Z

Although this isn't art related I thought it was about time I posted a picture of my dog Rosie as she's really cute.

The humans in the picture are my daughter Mel and her boyfriend Chris.

Manchester Art Gallery

2008-02-03T16:19:00.000Z

Last week we visited Manchester Art Gallery to take part in the adult learners art competition. The idea is we pick an art work that inspires us and use that as inspiration to create a piece of artwork of of own.

I was inspired by a piece by Winifred Nicholson called Primulas which shows a pot of primulas on a window sill with a seascape through the window. The light is coming through the window creating strong shadows. I do not normally draw flowers but I have been expreimenting with drawing a vase of tulips we have at home and have taken photographs of the flowers on window sill at my house.

Drawing to music

2008-01-27T18:55:00.000Z

We have been experimenting with different types of drawing and this session was devoted to drawing to music. Here is my effortsbased on some Miles Davis music . I was thinking about my holidays in Spain whilst I did this.

Messing about with photoshop

2008-01-20T19:54:00.000Z

Since the weather is so bad and I cant get to my sewing machine I thought I'd catch up with some homework for college and create a photocollage.

I scanned some fabric and an old black and white photo of mum and dad. I made them into one image with the fabric on the bottom layer and then used the eraser tool to rub out the original photo leaving my mum wearing a bright yellow dress and my dad a matching yellow tie,

even more skirts

2008-01-08T20:23:00.000Z

Here are some more drawings I have been doing of skirts. I have tried taking photos of my feet and the bottom of the skirt and using that to draw from but I prefer the one of my skirt on a hanger.

Skirts, Shirts and washing lines

2008-01-07T11:39:00.000Z

Whilst doing the annual post xmas clear up I found my sketchbook which I had stuffed out of sight and thought I must have left at college. So here are pictures of the sketches I have been doing- they are all A3. These sketches have baan influenced by artist Lizzie Rowe.

New Years Resolution

2008-01-01T20:11:00.000Z

I'm afraid I've not been very good at updating my blog since I started on my Art foundation course in September. I've been spending months of sampling and haven't really got much finished work. Here's a resume of some of the work I've done in visual studies and my new year's resolution for 2008 is to keep this blog updated more regularly.

I've been developing my previous work on clothes and have been drawing on a large scale on a variety of backgrounds. The work came about as a development of a visual journal on the theme of Joureys we had to keep for three days in November. We had to make a visual response in our journal every 20 mins and since I wasn't really going anywhere interesting I looked to the clothes I was wearing for inspiration. Whilst doing some research on the web I came across artist Lizzie Rowe. I found that her work was on a similar theme to the sketches I was drawing in my journal so I decided to use some of her work for inspiration and set up still lifes using myown clothes.

Archways to Abstract

2007-10-25T10:08:00.000+01:00

I was also working in 3D and in the session where we had to use wire to make a structure I made the leap to a more abstract form which was based on my drawings. I then used the wire structure as a basis for my next set of drawings.

Art foundation half term review

2007-10-25T09:49:00.000+01:00

I've been so busy on my art foundation course that I haven't had time to update my blog so apologies if you've been dropping by.
I've been spending the last few weeks sampling a number of specialist stdies and feel slightly uncomfortable as I haven't actually finished anything and everything seems disjointed. Here is a selection of some of the work I've been doing. The theme is structure and I have based my work on a Norman Archway at Norton Priory in Cheshire. These are the first drawings I did. We had to them on large paper and could only use graphite, charcoal and emulsion paint.

sarah's wedding dress

2007-09-12T15:55:00.000+01:00

This is a dress canvas I have recently completed as a wedding present for my friend Sarah. She really liked the ones I did in the summer so I thought I'd do one for her as she was married in the summer. I scanned one of her wedding photos into photoshop so there were about 50 images on an A4 sheet. I then printed it out onto teeshirt transfer paper and ironed it onto some old linen. I designed the shape of the dress from her wedding dress and used photocopies of her wedding certificate on the background.

Chunky Book Page

2007-08-24T17:48:00.000+01:00

I'm afraid I still haven't been doing much art as I seem to be busy with other things. I have however managed to produce a Chunky Book Page for the monthly ANUK swap. The theme was pace but I'm afraid I have ignore that and have made a CBP from a pice of fabric I have 'created' by collaging photocopies and scraps onto calico with PVA glue. The main image in the collage is my husband's grandmother's wedding. I love using our old family photographs as they have a real meaning to me.

Roses and Thorns

2007-08-14T19:35:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry if you've been visiting by blog as I haven't had time to create any art for ages. I have been on holiday and then we had new windows fitted and the house has been in complete turmoil.

I have eventually got my act together and completed the spread for Elizabeth's Lit Inf Altered Book. I chose the chapter entitled 'Roses and Thorns' and have done a spread based on a play on words. The bride in the picture is my Aunt Rose and I think you will agree that my Uncle Charles is definately the 'Thorn' of the couple. I have also created a layered effect using printed tissue paper and serviettes and by letting the original text show through.

I've also been busy setting up a website for Textile21 which is the textile group I am a member of. Have a peek and see what you think. http://www.textile21.co.uk

Truth Journal

2007-07-01T20:21:00.001+01:00

I've managed to clear a space on my desk to do this spread for the Truth Journal. This journal came to me through Kari and originated in the US. Its part of the 'You are the truth' documentary project. You can find out more about it on www.artactivismchange.com
My spread is to do with fashion versus quality and is based round images of my mother as being well-dressed has always been important to her.

Buttons,buttons and more buttons

2007-07-01T20:12:00.000+01:00

I've been up to my eyes in buttons as I have been making these bracelets to sell at our exhibition. You see I bought a job lot of buttons on ebay in May and promise my DH that I would re-sell them at a profit, The trouble is I want to keep all of them so I've been recovering my costs by selling bracelets instead. They've been very popular and I have to keep making them as they are selling quick. I went to a shop last week and they took all my stock on sale or return so I'm having to make more !!!!!!

Ooooops- I nearly forgot the Corset!!!!

2007-06-04T19:27:00.000+01:00

This was the fourth canvas I made for my end of year exhibition. The corset is supposed to represent my all my female ancestors. The corset is based on a drawing I did and is made collaged dress patterns which I drew onto and machine stitched into. I painted it with gesso, dyed it with a tea bag and waxed it to make it more durable. I also added old fabric buttons and lace.

What was in my handbag

2007-06-04T19:21:00.000+01:00

I received a Journal through the post called Daily Detritus (have I spelt that correctly). It came on just the right day as I was having to clear out my handbag as a oen had leaked in it and I needed to wash the lining. I created this page for the journal mainly from the contents of my handbag- I had old tax discs, cards from restaurants, receipts, raffle tickets and even a squashed bottle top. As well as creating this page I now have a handbag which is loads lighter..