More experimental nail pieces

First though this bag or pocket. I dyed it in earl grey tea and it’s darker than I expected. It’s also been waxed then some removed with the iron after protecting the iron with brown paper and an old towel.

I just love seeing the different colours and types of nails in a pile like this. Perhaps it can be stitched together to make a little pile or woven into some fabric. So many ideas!

For now this is what I’m working on. It’s currently 38 inches long by 15 inches with the nails in.

Rather than the defined folds of the pocket these are just stitched with blanket stitch on each side creating a softer look. 

I feel drawn to this work with nails, I’ve been collecting them for over 20 years just because I like the rusted effect on them. They’re not uniform changes, although there is a unity to them. They’re sharp with twists in them or extra little pieces sticking out to ensure they hold onto the wood. When pulling them out of the fabric they often catch much like an arrow would catch in the victim. Some are bent or curled and some have flat rather than pointed ends.

I’ve been inspired by the piece with nails I did when I was doing the the City & Guilds course. At the time I had lots more ideas but didn’t know I could follow them through. To be fair to my younger self I was a mum of two teenagers and a full time nurse so I probably skipped over a lot. After the course I went onto a textile and surface design degree. I was unable to complete it due to family and work issues. I left textiles behind for many years but now I have finished work and my children are grown up with their own families I have more time to pursue my textile work. This is the reason for my blog.  I have no plans to share it with others as I work on what I want to do with it. It will also give me the freedom important for me to think through what I want. I could just write in a journal which I do but there’s something about journaling in this way that makes me take it more seriously. I always wanted to do a degree in fine art or textiles but the finances don’t compute plus I want to create my own form of research. Perhaps I can lift ideas from academic courses if I run out of ideas. I know I also need to understand my reasons for using rusty burnt nails and fabric. 

I will do some research on other artists that use nails. Jean Draper is an artist I was aware of over 20 years ago. I wonder if that is where my interest came from although it’s not her only form of textile work.  I will also research other artists such as Marian Jazmik who use found and reclaimed materials in their work. 

Last year I went to Manchester Art Fair . There was some great work there however I came away with the feeling that there was a lot of the same style of work. There was a feeling for me that once I’d seen some work that it was all the same. Now it was definitely great work but I realised I want to make that will stand out be different and not necessarily loved by everyone. This is definitely not intended as a criticism of the artists that exhibited there and I definitely discovered some amazing work that I loved. It is intended to get me to up my game.

I don’t know what my end result will be but I need to keep in mind several factors.

1. That I make original work that is based on my own experience and understanding.

2. I will try to work in a variety of methods.

3. I will try and document my thoughts and findings. 

4. I will also continue to journal in both written and drawn form any ideas, thoughts and understanding.