Ruth Laskey

Whilst doing some artist research last week, I came across Ruth Laskey, a textile artist who creates these really delicate and beautiful pieces.







Her use of colour, and the way it subtly gradates, has become really inspirational to the way that I dye my yarns and plan the stripes within my warp.

Moss Jars

Laura sent me a link last week to an etsy shop selling these beautiful jars and other items embroidered with 'lichen' and 'moss'.
They're very similar to some ideas that I had earlier in this project, it's a shame that my ideas have progressed in a different direction, they would have been a real inspiration! They still are, but perhaps not for this project!

All pieces featured are by Ottoman, who can be found here (blog) and here (etsy).


Moss for your Wall


Lichen Brooch


Moss Jar

More moss...

I took another walk today. It was such a nice day, I meant to make it much longer and have a little explore, but I had more pressing things to do, such as fill up this giant sketchbook!
I saw a Sparrowhawk. He was sat on a gravestone just feet away. He winked at me then flew into a tree before I could grab my camera to capture him. It was nice though, I love nature, even if it was just a little graveyard in a city.
Well, I ought to get back to my painting...













Aside from moss, I also noticed two other strange things...


I thought this tree looked alot like a bone...


...and this tree had falled over entirely.

Wasted

I feel like I have wasted today. I have barely done anything. I had it designated as a photography day, but it was dull and drizzly outside. It was probably an opportunity wasted, as I could have had some beautiful photo's of water droplets on moss to further inform some of my textures and patterns. And everything always looks greener on a damp day. Hmph, oh well, I shall have to do something else now, a few hours of super creativity and inspiration are in order.
Speaking of which, this was the latest addition to my wall last night; the photography of Daniel Freytag. Particularly these images:


Highland


Forest


Edge


Edge


I'm looking forward to spring. Mild and damp.

It's a good job I like green...

Because that's what colour I shall be surrounded by for the next few months.
I organised my wall today, so that I can see all my photographs and inspirations, I'll probably add to it and change it though.



I also did a small amount of drawing...
(the photo's look a bit strange because I took them as it was getting dark, and without a light on)


mossy wall


moss texture

And finally, it was the first nice sunset I have seen this year, I've always been fascinated by clouds.

If you don't look, you won't see

I went for a short walk in the arboretum this afternoon, taking photo's for my new project. I have since decided that moss is one of the most beautiful things, and no-one ever seems to pay it attention unless they're scraping it off the wall. Which, by the way, I think is a dreadful shame.




detail of first photo...as soon as I saw it on the computer screen, I fell in love with the shapes













I also noticed the first tiny green buds beginning to grow on a tree...this made me smile...aside from the deep, dark depths of winter, I love March and October...they always smell so fresh and rainy. Speaking of which, I dreamt about the smell of rain last night...hmm odd as it is rainy today.

Brooks Shane Salzwedel

Beautiful and eerie mixed media pieces by Brooks Shane Salzwedel


single conifer (2009)


look tower (2009)


witch's broom (2008)


antenna alaska (2008)

These are becoming one of the main inspirations for the mood of my new project; the strange, lonely and eerie feeling that these images give.

Candice Tripp - Our Horrible Mistake

I loved this because it reminded me of the octopus/sea monster drawings that I did over the summer. I meant to turn one into a proper painting but never had time. A project for post-graduation perhaps.

*found via tfail
**Candice Tripp

Nicholas Alan Cope - Photography

So in order to have an equal amount of posts for days in the month (so that I average at a post a day)...I'm getting a headstart and posting a few interesting people that I have come across today whilst researching for my project (these that I am posting, curiously, aren't related to my project theme)

These photographs by Nicholas Alan Cope are beautiful. They are from his Still Life I set and the Landscape set. These were the two sets that caught my eye.

Still Life I:










the smokey qualities of the photographs make me feel so intrigued. the patterns and subtle colour/tonal differences are wonderful and so detailed


Landscape:










i love how the contrast is so high that the plants almost look like x-rays. and how these textures and shapes contrast so heavily with the above photographs.


*found on but does it float?

We went for a walk...

It was such a lovely afternoon.




winter sunshine low over the motorway


in love with the shapes and perspective


my lovely taking a photo of me taking a photo under the scary bridge


this tree had lots of seed-pods hanging onto it


this photo reminds me of those lovely photos of mid usa- golden fields and blue skies