Dress Up 2011 - January

I came across this challenge on UKScrappers and followed the link to Angela's Blog - Sew Loquacious, to learn more. The challenge is to make a mini dress each month. Each dress will be "themed" around an artist or artistic movement. The dresses can be made from any material(s) and can be any size you prefer. There are NO rules, but for those interested in a "template" for a dress, there are a few examples on Angela's blog.

The theme For January's Dress is ...Impressionism


Angela explains: "Impressionism, French Impressionnisme, developed mostly in France during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Impressionist painting comprises the work produced between about 1867 and 1886 by a group of artists who shared a set of related approaches and techniques. The impressionist style of painting is characterized mostly on the general impression produced by a scene or object and the use of unmixed primary colors and small strokes to simulate actual reflected light.
The principal Impressionist painters were Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Morisot, Guillamin, and Bazille. Degas and Cezanne also painted in an Impressionist style for a time in the early 1870s. Edouard Manet adopted the Impressionist approach about 1873."

I picked Monet (these images are from Google) for my inspiration).

 I made a dressmakers dummy template and made up a dummy with flesh card fro the body, this was cut out and inked, then stitching detail added with a brown pen. I used aluminum tape to cut out a stand. Then with several shades of green and purple alcohol inks (thanks to Anita for lending me hers), I added a pattern to another piece of aluminum tape. From this I cut a bodice shape for my dress. I pulled apart a floral hair decoration purchased from Primark and used the petals to make a skirt. Where the skirt joins the bodice I added a string of purple seed beads.  

Thanks for this challenge Angela. I intend to use these little creations on cards or layouts - so watch this space!

Mystic

Mystic is a European Eagle Owl, and this picture was painted by my father (Robert Banks) a few years ago now. It is his birthday on Friday and so I was looking for inspiration for a card to make for him when I found this photo. I have a framed print on my dining room wall. I remember him spending time at Chilham Castle taking photos for this painting.

The painting was made into limited edition prints, with kind permission of the Raptor Centre, Chilham Castle Kent.

 I will take some more photos of his artwork, this made me realise how few photos I have taken of all the painting he has created over the years. If you are interested in a print of Mystic, he does have a few left, just drop me an email.

Romany Studios

When we received the monthly 'Roundabout' booklet for August we were interested to ready the article called 'Bringing Art to All' by Gemma Thompson, about Romany Studios. Opened in 2003, it is owned and run by the artists whose work you see upon its walls – Jenny Partridge and Nigel Casseldine.

Jenny Partridge is the author, of some fifteen titles, her Oakapple Wood series. Her work has been translated into many languages and reproduced notably by Wedgwood in a series of plates and figurines. “Kitchen Pictures” represents a new and exciting venture, which I found fascinating when we went along and enjoyed a good look at all the art work, followed by tea and cake.
Well worth a visit, the gallery is open from Wednesday to Sunday 10.00 to 17.30.