process III - experimentation
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Click on images for further information
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Phormium leaves
A selection of the colours available in phormiums.
Stripes and plain.
Some leaves are thicker and fleshier, and others are finer. -
Beach pebble trapped in cleavers cage
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Galium aparine ('aparine' from Greek 'apairo' [απαίρω < από «from» + αίρω «pull to lift»] – "lay hold of" or "seize")[2] with many common names including cleavers,[3] clivers, bedstraw, goosegrass,[3] catchweed,[3] stickyweed, sticky bob,[4] stickybud, stickyback, robin-run-the-hedge, sticky willy,[3][5] sticky willow, stickyjack, stickeljack, grip grass, sticky grass, bobby buttons, and velcro plant,[6] is a herbaceous annual plant of the family Rubiaceae.
(Wikipedia, 2020)
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Mark making and stitching on Phormium leaves
Scoring into the leaf surface creates an interesting, diffuse, pattern. Simple cross-stitch using Phormium fibre (unspun/plyed).
These leaf sections curl up as they dry. -
Drawing implements made from plants
A selection of drawing implements made from garden plants and found materials. -
Phormium 'pen'
Pleasingly wide marks made with a phormium leaf, and stamped lines.
Instant coffee 'ink'.
Used strong instant coffee to make the marks - was thinking about what drawing materials people might have at home if they don't have conventional items like ink. Good colour and surprisingly long lasting (still vibrant after about six weeks). -
Markmaking with rosemary
Instant coffee 'ink'. A lockdown art material. -
Mark making with plants and found materials
Shadows
Stitching using plant materials
Modifying leaves - puncturing, scoring
Exploring different plants and their potential as materials
Monitoring how plant material changes as it dries
Recording movement and garden experiences (https://alisonjacksonbass.22slides.com/videos)
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Phormium form
Simple annular form made from Phormium leaf stitched with the plant's fibre. -
Phormium, grasses and long-leaved plants
Weaving through seat slats. -
Phormium and Iris experimental weaving
Gate weaving -
Punctured leaf
Leaf (privet) pierced with a needle, and an eco-stapler.
This would be interesting to explore further, especially on a leathery leaf like a camellia. -
Scored leaf
Leaf (species uncertain) scratched and scored, then dried.
Interesting light pattern when lit from behind. -
Stitched leaves
Leaves stitched using phormium fibre.
The camellia leaf is particularly good to sew as it is so tough and resilient, and is almost like stitching fine leather. -
Three scarified leaves
Three leaves, all scratched, scored or punctured, then dried.
Extremely interesting effect on the nearest as the puncture marks have stopped the browning of the leaf in some way.
Worth experimenting further. Words? Shapes? -
Colours
Textures
Stripes
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Grass stalks
Using the tubular, stiffer, grass stalks.
Dropping them to create random, abstract patterns. -
Grass stalks and decking boards
Whilst cutting grass stalks some fell in the grooves of the decking boards.
Interesting effect - more stalks added and documented.
Contrast between green of grass and the wood. -
Stitched phormium leaf
A thin strip of phormium fibre, taken from the coloured edge of the leaf, was stitched into a section from another leaf.
Thin needles best as they don't risk splitting the leaf as badly. -
Phormium experiments
A bundle of phormium leaf tips held together by another leaf that has shrunk around them.
Another leaf section scored longitudinally. When dried this created a very interesting effect. -
Book form?
Stitched object which might become a book?
Update: this deformed badly after drying - the pages curled longitudinally. -
Splitting the fibres
Easy way to separate the fibres in the phormium leaves: push a needle through the leaf and draw the leaf away from it. The fibres are so tough that the needle travels easily down the length of the leaf, separating the fibres. -
Phormium sections
Phormium leaves have some wonderful coloured stripes.
These fragments remind me of old grosgrain ribbons like those used on medals, or 1920s school ties and striped blazers. -
Phormium
Experimenting with insertions -
Stitched form
Stitched Phormium leaf, deformed upon drying
