Texture studies

I have been working on Chapter 3 texture and surface relief studies from various photos and images included in my small sketchbook pages inspired by trees and other vegetation. I have prepared 4 A3 boards depicting studies on moss, cactii and tree barks. The boards are preliminary composite presentations and the individual components have not been stuck down yet. The components have not yet been labelled on the boards. Each texture piece has been photographed individually after the general board.

A 5th board to come is studying leaf structures.

Board 1 shows texture studies from images of moss. There is a background stamping to represent the moss appearance.

Top details: bullion bars sewn in varying thicknesses of cotton, oversewn in single stitched of perle 5 crochet cotton.

Upper middle details: lengths of fibres free machined onto calico, brushed with xpandaprint and gel

Lower middle left details: fragments of cotton pipe cleaners set in moulding paste, brushed with xpandaprint and heat treated. White acrylic painted over surface

Lower middle right details: strips of cotton gathered and fringed sewn down in horizontal strips, intermingled with crocheted nodules of perle cotton on single chain links

Bottom details: fragments from a moulded plastic draining mat cut and set in paste, oversewn with novelty threads

Board 2 shows textures under a cactus theme

Top left details: Moulding paste stencilled in layers:

Middle left details: shards of template plastic cut and set in paste:

Bottom right details: liquid Sculpey and cotton wool moulded on to painted calico:

Bottom left details: heated tyvek stitched onto calico. Skewer pieces set in PVA and wire 'sewn' over sticks. Treated with sealer and painted in white acrylic:

Bottom right details: pieces of tyvek paper heat treated and stitched onto calico, set in paste

Boards 3 and 4 show texture studies from photos and markings of tree barks:

Middle right detail: strips of handmade paper layers and set in moulding paste.

Middle left detail: paper pulp molded over a mesh structure of wire with "holes" created.

Bottom details: pieces of corrugated card set in twisted mesh:

Top left: threads and Saa bark set in PVA,covered in tissue paper mimiking the monoprint of Saa bark.

Top right details: painted hessian manipulated into shape with PVA solution:

Board 4 (textures of bark):

Top detail: sculpted clay on painted calico covered in PVA tissue paper

Middle detail: paper casting from tree set in moulding paste and PVA
Bottom left detail: cut fibre and coarse salt under PVA and tissue paper

Bottom right detail: stencilled moulding paste covered in PVA tissue paper.