FRIDAY ACRYLIC

I've started up another 5 week acrylics class at Daniel Smith.

This week was about "Impressionism" and broken color.

SNITZELS - SPACE REDO

After receiving some very helpful critiques in class, I'm re-doing these last few Snitzels.

They thought the Boxes was too boring, I agree.  It was just the beginning.  It needed definition and focus.  So I cut out the basic shape and bordered it with an interesting black with colored lines fabric.  I used a Pigma pen to draw the perspective lines in, as this had been my plan all along.  I just couldn't decide whether to do it in pen or on the sewing machine with thread.  I went with the pen because I figured I wouldn't be able to get really straight lines on the machine.  I glued the pieces down with Roxanne's Glue Baste-It.  I love the little applicator tip, it's very handy. I had to learn not to squeeze too hard, because the tip is so small, the glue is forced out around the cap.  Unfortunately, I went a little nuts with the glue, putting little dots everywhere on the back, and I ended up with little dots soaked through to the front of the fabric.

I then tried out a bunch of different fabrics to 'square' it up with:

This was fun!  Now I just have to figure out which one, and how to cut it out and sew it on.  Hmmm.

The Drops is giving me fits.  I don't like the way it looks.  I'm frustrated trying to make the 'drops' look spherical and drop-like.  Jean (the teacher) suggested that I make the whole thing smaller, which is the first step.  I cut down the background and then started over making the drops.  I decided to make them all from the same fabrics.  I went back to my original photo and really looked at it and started again.

Here is where I ended up.  I'm liking it a little more.  I think what I want to do now is gradate the transition from one fabric to the next using a zigzag thread technique with gray threads.  I want to show it to the class the way it is first, though, to get their opinions.  

SNITZELS - COLOR

Our assignment for this week was to make three Snitzels - one Achromatic, one Monochromatic and one with Complimentary colors.

I didn't have any idea how to start, or what was really needed or even meant by Snitzel.

I really didn't want to cut up fabric for this.  I really didn't want to get into my stash of black and whites for the Achromatic.  I was thinking it's a waste of fabric (more on this later).

I know...I could use paper.  I was at work and started cutting up my copy of The Stranger.  I tried freeform. It looked horrible.  I can't just pull this out of the sky.  I needed a direction.  So, I went with a quilt  idea.  I started cutting out triangles - with a rotary cutter and ruler.  Easy.  I cut out dark triangles and light triangles.  Then I just started moving them around.  Not too many different ways to arrange triangles.  It wasn't beautiful, but I pinned them to a piece of paper, and called it done.  

I like the way the pins look!

Next up, back at home was Monochromatic - all one color.  Which means to me that value is what is going to do all the work.  I pulled out my greens.    I eliminated all the fabrics with more than just green, which left very few that I liked.  I was a little surprised that I didn't have a lot of choices.  I had different shades of green - mostly yellow-greens and blue-greens.  I went with the group of fabrics that had a good value range, the blue-greens.

Jean had asked us not to use rotary cutters, but to free-form cut with scissors.   Oh, my.  I'm no good at free-form anything.  I need a plan.  I cut some strips (with the rotary cutter) and sewed them together, and cut random sized squares.  I figured if I didn't think about exact sizes and seam allowances I was headed in the right direction.  I was loosening up by stages.  Hey, I'm making progress.  I laid them out with other strips and this is what I got:                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                    
              




I pinned the strips to batting, and called it done, too.

Next up, the Complimentary colors.  I was looking forward to these colors.  I took an idea from my friend, Becky and used one of the more abstract photos I had taken while on our trip and used that as a 'plan'.  

Trying to find fabrics that look like the photo is very difficult, so you have to go with what you've got.  I found some interesting fabrics right away and had a lot of fun putting this together.  I don't like using fusibles, I don't like the way they feel.  So, I just cut out the fabrics...hey, is this 'free-form'?  Maybe!  But, I'm following the 'pattern' of the photograph, so I can do this.  I wanted to sew it all together, but Jean had said, no, just pin the pieces to batting.  

So, here is the photo, and the Snitzel I made:

Pretty cool, huh?