Miniature Works of Art

I've always been fascinated by miniature things; tiny dolls and tea-sets as a child, tempting bite-size food as an adult!  Local literary heroines, the Bronte sisters also had their own miniature world and they wrote about their adventures in tiny books.  It is fitting that when asked to produce an artist trading card for a forthcoming Embroiderer's Guild meeting, that my thoughts returned to a previous work, Two Views of Withens.  

Working on a canvas 9x6 cm, I selected some scraps and samples of cotton organdie and silk viscose georgette that I had dyed and printed.  The pale, washed out blues and rust colours that I used reminded me of the moorland weather.  I copied the final verse of Sylvia Plath's poem (of the same name) onto calico and then laid down the other fabrics with an undulating running stitch.

My artist trading card will have my name and contact details on the back and will be swapped with other artists at the next Guild meeting.  Sharing our interests, showcasing our talents, loving our art!

copyright photo and design:  Claire Ketteman

Playtime

Last week I spent a fabulous day playing with large quantities of shaving foam, acrylic paints and silk dyes.  I was learning the technique of marbling and I was not alone!  My playtime partners are a group of highly intelligent and very well qualified women who have all left the rat race in pursuit of a more fulfilling life.  We meet once a month to share our skills and talents, to experiment and most importantly to have fun.

The fruits of our play might be incorporated into a new project or may just linger in our work baskets waiting for further inspiration.  Whatever happens, a day of playfulness is quite liberating and never wasted!

photo: copyright Claire Ketteman