Wednesday, 22 January 2014

the indigenous leaf painter .....


















A decision to be made with this glorious piece of lead that I found somewhere here amidst our 'stuff'.
The sheet is about 45cms x 80cms.  I can see myself cutting it down into book pages to be worked into ...... I can see book covers for paper prepared and awaiting my marks ...

hmmmmmm.  It is quite scrumptious and sits on one of my desks at present waiting for me to make that decision.  Don't you love that though - not rushing in to making the decision.  Time enough.

















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17 comments:

  1. Helen M22 January 2014 at 16:52

    Your work in the last post is really beautiful Susan and I love the leaf and can't wait to see what you do with that wonderful sheet of lead.

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    1. susan bowers26 January 2014 at 08:46

      Thanks for the comment about my previous work Helen. It is always encouraging when people respond positively. Not sure now what to do about the lead after Mo's comment. Will think hard about it.

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  2. Fiona Dempster22 January 2014 at 21:04

    Gorgeous leaf! Moments like this I feel we are not eve in the race as far as art goes, nature just does it so beautifully and effortlessly. Have fun pondering the lead...

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    1. susan bowers26 January 2014 at 08:47

      I feel that way so often Fiona -when nature feeds us images we would love to have created for ourselves. It is quite daunting.

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  3. Charlton Stitcher22 January 2014 at 21:49

    Wonderful leaf ... and that lead is beautiful with its subtle colours and gentle folds. The thought of it as book pages is fantastic!

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    1. susan bowers26 January 2014 at 08:49

      Thanks Charlton - it is so often to walk past little gems like this but if we kept our eyes peeled so keenly, we may never move forward! I think my partner Steve often feels like that when we are off walking and I am noticing all the tiny details .....

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  4. Mo Crow24 January 2014 at 04:08

    Hi Susan, have been following your blog quietly for quite awhile & just need to do am OCHS rave here. I found some old lead flashing very similar to yours last year & loved it and thought about making a book with it too .. but that lead oxide is deadly & books need to be handled... I coated it with a diamond hard wax (also very toxic) which looked great but in the end I took it to the toxic waste station to my friends relief. If you can come to terms with using a very toxic material then go for it but be very very careful.

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    1. Mo Crow25 January 2014 at 14:13

      oops! typos that was meant to read OH&S (Occupational Health & Safety)
      I love your printmaking and hope to see you making art for many more years to come!

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  5. susan bowers26 January 2014 at 08:51

    Thanks for your encouragement Mo and for your advice. I have done some reading about lead since you wrote and am not quite sure yet what to do about it ..... seems a problem when ingested??? I wonder if covering it, when I have worked into it, with layers of PVA would solve the problem or if in the end I will just take your advice and dump it. Will let you know, but I really appreciate your bringing it to my attention.

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    1. Mo Crow26 January 2014 at 16:51

      Hi Susan, here's a link to some photos of the alluringly deadly lead book idea and the wise internet friends' comments last March that brought me to my senses last march
      http://itscrowtime.wordpress.com/2013/03/09/compelling-but-not-the-way-in/#comments

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  6. layers30 January 2014 at 14:31

    I love all the textures and subdued sheen of the piece of lead... I am sure you will be able to turn it into the most beautiful book.

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    1. susan bowers31 January 2014 at 13:13

      You and I both .... drawn to these gorgeous subtle colours! Firstly I have to establish that this is not lead and in fact is either zinc or aluminium. Am pretty sure ..... Then I can decide what to make it into. Am thinking more along book pages than book covers.

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  7. Barry30 January 2014 at 20:59

    S - love the textures in the leaf and lead. As you probably know be careful with the lead - can be quite toxic especially when worked. B

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    1. susan bowers31 January 2014 at 13:14

      Thanks Barry - and warning headed. Am checking out the material before I move ahead with anything. I am pretty sure now it is not lead as the sheet is way too light. Fingers crossed.

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  8. Hilary Florence31 January 2014 at 02:40

    Hi Susan,
    I have just found your blog and wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed what I have discovered so far. Your collaboration book with Fiona 'Daydreams' is simply stunning. I absolutely love all the embossing and the wonderfully varied textures you have created. They marry up and enhance the pictures so well (do you call them pictures?!).
    I am a quilter myself. I have only recently started to blog and follow blogs. Having discovered the joy of receiving comments on my work, 'meeting up' with others, exchanging ideas and becoming enriched by their work, I have given myself a project of leaving one comment a day on a blog that inspires me. I have a feeling, I will be spending a little longer than a day exploring your blog and I will certainly be following it. Thank you for showing so many pictures of your book.
    Hilary Florence

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    1. susan bowers31 January 2014 at 13:17

      Lovely to have you visit Hilary. Thanks you for the lovely comments and for wanting to follow my blog. I had a wander around your blog too and am amazed at the detail you are bringing in to the 6inch squares. Before I scrolled that far back I was imagining all that lovely stitching on a much larger scale. Beautiful.

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  9. ersimarina3 February 2014 at 00:50

    I'd be terrified to even touch that gorgeous leaf, not because it's lead but because it looks so perfect already. I know though that you will bring out even better qualities in it. Staying tuned... xx

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I appreciate your comments - thank you!

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