Chapter 12 Three Artists

Jae Maries
Having recently attended a workshop with Jae Maries it was a delight to  see her name as one of the selected artists for this module. Apart from taking away key sketches and ideas from Jae's workshop it was a luxury to be encouraged to take time to consider what the finished piece would reflect about my thoughts and the journey of setting off and finding new solutions that added to the finished piece.  
With this in mind  for my resolved piece I explored images of Jae's work.  The key ones included Jae's influence of  exploring the relation of people and their environment, an aspect I am wanting to include in my resolved sample. Using  a daily notebook Jae  records her life through symbolic and abstracted marks and forms. Jae has been careful,' not to be directly influenced by other artists and that is an issue to bare in mind with one's own work' ... 
It is important that rather than copying or trying to be in the style of an artist we do not lose our own voice as Jae points out, ' for the artist to produce truly original work and find his or her distinctive voice, it is essential to develop a personal method of expressing their own feelings and responses to the world'.. 
Words to concentrate the mind in this final chapter of the course.
Nude in the landscape, seen right, had a resonance with the theme of the landscape that has been occupying the last few months of work on the Module.  The shapes and colours reflect how an atmosphere is set by a simplicity of execution rather than too much detail.
Site Development  1 shows in a different mood, a design which invites the eye to be drawn across the image to explore smaller areas of detail. The simplicity of the colour palette and the fact that the composition doesn't sit in a specific boundary of a rectangle encourages you to move  across the panel and to consider if an original piece has been torn and then rejoined...

While I cannot seem to enlarge these photos from the internet they look as though they are very textural. The last picture, Tracts, appears to have a simple tonal palette with a slice of complimentary colour that brings it to life with subtle movement

Barbara Lee Smith
An artist who was unknown to me until I read  Carol Shinn's inspiring book on Freestyle Machine embroidery in 2010.  Barbara's background in embroidery has led to her interpretation of landscapes with  subtle layers of paint, a variety of backgrounds of fabric, paper and other nonwoven fabrics  and thread.  Her  exploration of nature brings the essence of the landscape and her experience of it to the viewer. In a fascinating interview of how she moved from embroidery to fabric printing and painting she quotes Constance Howard for inspiring her to work on a large scale 'Work big, you see your mistakes faster! '  Much of her work certainly lives up to her taking this advice to heart. The interview appears in  http://www.textileartist.org/barbara-lee-smith-rhythms-nature-part-1/ and is a great insight into her method of work and inspiration.

detail Red Right Returning

The images that have stayed with me from her gallery include,  Red Right Returning.  Working with maps is something I have long enjoyed, so for me this image was dramatic.


The subject matter Wind, right, is shown besides Westerlies and show how the energy of these elements are reproduced in Barbara's work.
A host of multiple images are also reproduced to show the impact Barbara Lee Smith's work has even when not individually large.
http://www.textileartist.org/barbara-lee-smith-rhythms-nature-part-1/salt-sand-stone/ 

Leila Thomson 

http://www.hoxatapestrygallery.co.uk/tapestry-art-prints/cat_2.html
Orkney artist Leila is for me a 'must see' when in Orkney. To anyone visiting, particularly if you are landing at St Margaret's Hope the short journey to her studio's takes you past one of the loveliest bays in the UK. Her tapestries are inspired by Orkney's ever changing landscape and scenery, as well as Orkney folklore and heritage. Leila Thomson graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with BA Hons.1st class in 1980.  Her large tapestries are most frequently made to a commission...but you may need to contact her well in advance. However her prints do get across the atmosphere of her subjects.
Leila's ability do encapsulate the spirit of the place in her tapestries stayed with me from my first visits to her small studio, which has recently been expanded to included the work of her children. One of the key aspects that appeals to me about Leila's work is the inclusions of the human form in her work and it is those images  that I have focused on. 
The image to the right, Echoes


A Lifetime Together, is a print that a couple of my friends gave me on the death of my parents.  For me it gives that wonderful sense of wonder that you can find when sharing the gift of discovery of a special stone or shell in the company of another. The colourful elements and shafts of light and images of birds adds to a very personal reflection.

Symbols of Hope and Humanity, gives an imaginative image that allows the viewer to take their own journey amongst the elements with a glimpse of our place amongst the wider world.

Milestone Community Church Tapestry shown below on 

https://www.facebook.com/HoxaTapestryGallery
 gives more details of the textures that Leila achieves in her work. 
All three artist give a very different relevance to the work that we are tasked to achieve in our Resolved Sample.  But the key aspect that comes across from them is that they know the landscape intimately that they represent in their work.

Three very different artist who have given me much food for thought in setting about completing my resolved sample.