Night Sky view

Properties & Qualities

Application

Art

Qualities

3D, Colourful, Textured / tactile

Colour

Blue, Green, Grey, Orange, Red

Sample Information

Date of creation

22/08/2023

Dimensions

17cm x 17cm x 1cm

Weight

41g

Culture & Context

I decided to use this piece to further my experiments of using gouache and embroidery to create more dimension to my work. This piece was also a breather from my other snake-themed piece “The Snake and the Needle” which has been quite the challenge.

Process & Production

After drawing my design onto the calico I mixed my Gouache to the right consistency, this is a bit of a challenge its hard to get it watery enough to easily absorb and thick enough to cover. After painting, I began to punch in my design using a size 10 Needle punch. The main issue was that most of the design was around the edge of the frame and therefore it was hard to keep tension meaning the stitches regularly fell out. I was also reminded of one of the biggest issues with needle punch which is how much thread it uses. To combat both these issues I attempted to pinch the loops with my fingers which worked to keep my stitches in place but not so much for the issue of wasted thread. I attempted to use old secondhand thread for this but I intend to see if I can reduce the amount of excess thread used in the future. The gouache had the positive effect of adding tension and strength to the fabric and I found it very easy to work with. After this, I attached some glass beads to add the effect of stars, I have a massive tray of beads given to me for my 8th birthday by my older sister’s friend Suzanne and this was the perfect excuse to use some of them.