In my opinion nature is beautiful because it is something we can call connect with. In nature we observe growth and development in living things, and their contrasts with the static or deteriorating state of man-made products. When I was choosing what to study next for my development I realised how much I enjoyed embroidery and I wanted to give it another go. This time I incorporated new techniques to show how fine art is linked to textile work. As I have been looking t mushrooms and fungus recently I decided to create art work of an ink cap mushrooms and the fly Agaria toadstool by using cream cotton as the base fabric and a colour palette of threads. I took inspiration from all the artists I looked at and I wanted to pay homage to their own pieces of work.
Idea 1
The first piece is of a bundle of fly Agaria mushrooms. I learned through research that the caps of these mushrooms can be yellow or white however I wanted to add a fantasy type look and change it to the three primary colours instead so the piece would look better. This piece of art work brings fine art into textiles as I have used a mix of threads and other materials to create this embroidery. I used red, blue and yellow thread to outline the different colours of caps. For the blue and yellow mushroom I did the outline of both the cap and the stalk/stem as I didn't want them to stand out as much as the red one. The red mushroom has the outline of the stalk/ stem but the cap is filled in. I used a piece of red fabric to add some detail as I want these samples to be like mixed media pieces. The grass is made using green thread. I though this was a pretty and simple sample that although basic looks great in any room and I believe will look great when framed. This simple piece of artwork was inspired by Jasmine Charlotte as I wanted to use a coloured background with simple stitching but create in with my own ideas. Instead of using paint on the whole background I used a piece of red fabric for one of the mushroom caps.
Idea 2
For this sample I wanted to be more bold with my ideas and also take more inspiration from Jasmine charlotte. This piece of art work brings fine art into textiles as I have used a mix of threads and other materials, such as paper and paints, to create this embroidery. I used a range of materials and looked at one mushroom instead of 3 as I felt one mushroom with more detail would look a lot better. For the cap of the mushroom I used a red sharpie and a piece of paper. I then sewn red thread onto this to make the outline and also hold it down. For the spots on the cap I used white acrylic paint and cream coloured thread to add more detail to the art work. The stalk/ stem of the mushroom is just an outline using cream coloured thread. I used a paint marker to add three little spots of the bottom of the stalk/ stem for more add detail. Finally I used green thread for the grass.
Idea 3
I wanted to add more detail and see what I would do to push myself with this last sample. This piece of art work brings fine art into textiles as I have used a mix of threads and other materials, such as paper and paints, to create this embroidery. I took inspiration from all three artists. By looking at Jasmine Charlotte I have added paint to my drawings using acrylic and paint markers. By looking at Adam long I have incorporated a green piece of card to add to the mixed media sense of my artwork. By looking at MarisaEmbroidery I have taken inspiration from the detail she brings into her work. I added detail to the base of the stem and the droopy bits of the mushroom cap. I used a range of materials just like in the previous sample to enhance the detail of the piece. I used white acrylic paint and black and blue paint markers to colour in the mushroom (I didn't have any grey so I improvised). I then used white, bluey grey and black thread to sew details onto the caps and make them 3D looking; as well as sewing in long piece of black thread to mimic how the mushroom cap droops down. The stalk is made from cream coloured thread and I painted in the gaps with white acrylic. I made the grass myself out of a light and dark green sharpie and paper. I wanted to make this piece very mixed media so I wanted to incoperate as much as I can into it.
Health and Safety
I used a range of different tools to create these sample and I need to consider the correct safety precautions when I am working with these tools. As I used a needle I thought it was wise to use a thumb tack so I wouldn't poke myself constantly with a needle. Moreover I can use a pin cushion to keep the needles off the floor so people don't step on them and hurt themselves. I used scissors to cut the thread and paper with so I need to keep the scissors closed when I'm not using them to prevent harm to other people. As I have been using an embroidery hoop I need to make sure that it is placed away from large yards of fabric so I can see it and not step on it. I also used an iron to remove wrinkles from my fabric so to protect myself and other I need to ake sure to unplug the iron after I'm done using it and keep my hands away from the metal plate on the bottom so I do not burn myself.