Janet Edmonds

Embroiderer, Tutor, Author

Category Archives: personal work


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Marking our Way

The making of an e-book

Exhibition details for the e-book
four artists’ work

Marking our Way

Marking our way is a body of work which four artists completed during the pandemic.

Inspired by creativity coach Rod Judkins, we each considered how we would design the cover of our fictional autobiography and the seeds of the project were sown. as the ideas for the book covers evolved, we started researching other artists who created overtly autographical work with which some personal connection was felt.

Spending more time at home presented an opportunity to take stock and throughtout this project we have reflected on the way we work, the work we made and the work we admire. Each has addressed the questions: Who am I? What do I do? What do I like? Why do I like them? How do I work?

Although we didn’t set out to write a book, we found the act of writing helped to clarify thoughts and to share them amongst ourselves.


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Vessels

I have at last completed the two vessels started on a workshop taken at Hawkwood college near Stroud. The workshop was lead by Gisela Warburton, a very generous tutor. She showed how to make these vessels and how to really think carefully about how we could add or decorate using Line. We painted twigs from the surrounding woodland and also strips of fabric and studied the relationship between them when placed together on a plain white sheet of paper. We explored possibilities with placement, weaving them together and recorded the shadows created by light falling on and around the material.

It was a very thoughtful process, slow to come to judgement and selection, giving a meditative quality to the making. I have enjoyed making these and taking time to finish them. There is satisfaction in observing closely, mulling decisions over in the mind. Sometimes making is spontaneous and quick and other times it is good to slow down and contemplate options.

Scraped vesselThis vessel was painted black first then covered with white paint that was scraped back.
White

Here I have used just white paint to add a line or two and to fill the upper space with finely cut thread to create a texture that looks stitched.


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Textile Residency Day 2 Wednesday

I will expand on the A1 painting I did yesterday. I used mainly black ink plus yellow and red. The red ink was a concentrated type and was very strong and not the colour I really wanted. I wet the paper in areas and and drew into the wet surface referencing the tree photos I had before me. The water spread the ink and gave me some nice mixes of colour. The concentrated red was much too strong so I drew over it with a brown Caron d’ache crayon to knock it back.
I used some of the papers I had painted to create a collage based on a tree photo and made a raised surface. It needs more work but I need time to consider what. I worked into a couple of the pieces I did yesterday.
There were a few visitors who showed interest in the work and it was good to consolidate my thinking as I had to explain my what I was doing.

This is a finished piece made earlier to show how I have interpreted the art work


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Update on large scale piece

Work is progressing on the large scale piece. I have made fabric for the central area and appliqued shapes within it. I have done a lot of stitching within this area and now filling in some gaps to adjust colour.

I have added leaves to the sides, These also have a great deal of stitching on them. Each one took about 5/6 hours.

I have completed the top band with flowers and have worked out the border around the central section. This will have a 17 century verse stitch on it but I haven’t stitched that yet.

A simple pattern of small squares will divide the four quarters. I have made this ready but it will be placed over any seaming that will be done as I join the outside bands.

I have been stitching every day since I finished the design as I am concerned that I will run out of time to complete.