We have been working so hard on the WOWbook and the new site that I thought we might risk taking a day off. So, while Clive disappeared into the garden to do some long overdue tidying up, I got the sketchbook out and started planning some new work. It’s not a new theme as it is on Books of Hours – something that grew out of work for my Long Diaries and Tall Tales book. Clive and I enjoyed working together on that and his calligraphy skills came in handy, not only for the writing but for forming Latin-ish place names that I cut out on the Scan’n’Cut machine.
We went on to make this piece. I photographed it in stages as we went along.
On a background of Vilene, scraped with gesso and tea dyed, I started building up the piece using computer printed silk to translate my design of astrological symbols.
The central boss was formed from water-soluble paper and a metal boss that Clive made for me. A strip made from mountboard and curled wire (yup, Clive again) and a piece of machine embroidered cotton from the bit box competed step 1.
The next stage was to add more cut strips of painted mountboard to define the space and some kozo paper leaves painted with Pebeo Prisme paint. Clive drew me a Celtic looking shape and some roman lettering. I cut these, using the Scan’n’Cut.
The next step was to add Clive’s calligraphy in the bottom panel and to make a fancy initial letter from Prisme paint.
The final touch was to find a suitable sample in the bit box – this one of machine embroidered squares with wrapped curtain rings looked very Celtic.
Our plan for the new work is to do more along these lines but make smaller, book-sized pieces which won’t take up so much space. We might bind them all into a book.The theme of this one was magic story about a wonderful tree in the New Forest, called the Knightwood oak. The forest is very near to where we live so this might develop a life story of its own.
Beautiful piece of work Maggie – you can tell that you both enjoyed working on this piece.