Fibre Connections – Metal and Weaving

Posted on 14/11/201314/11/2013 by Alastair

Continuing with my textural link to StillWalks, these and other mini woven tapestries are available on my new Etsy Shop, ACMDesign – each one is unique. I have described them as “tapestry notes”, and in doing so, I was thinking back to when I started using wire in my work as an artist.

One of the first tapestries I wove that included barbed wire can be seen here. It and another are also on the Etsy shop. However, barbed wire is not the starting point for my work with wire and my interest in metal.

I originally started working with wire in a similar way to which I am now doing with these mini tapestries – as design notes. I think of them in the same way as I think of drawing in a sketch book, and as I work on them, I develop my feel for the wire and find out how it interacts with the soft fibre of the warp and weft. More on this tomorrow.

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Fibre Connections

Posted on 13/11/201313/11/2013 by Alastair

When I started out developing StillWalks, I had already realised that the photography I was doing was informed by my other life as an artist and tapestry weaver. So when I mention my new Etsy shop, ACMDesign, for my tapestry weaving, it is not without reason.

The main reason of course, is to try and sell the tapestries, but I am also going to take the opportunity this week, to explain a little about what goes into them.

Starting at the end – today’s photos show you how I am presenting the mini tapestries which I am calling “tapestry notes” – double mounted in a box frame. The weaving measures approximately 5 cms or 2 inches square(ish) and the frame is 25 cms square.

The tapestry hanging above the box framed piece is one I bought from the Wissa Wassef School of Tapestry in Cairo.

Another Side to StillWalks

Posted on 10/11/201310/11/2013 by Alastair

Many of the photos I take for StillWalks videos are influenced by my interest and enjoyment of texture. I am sure this comes from the fact that I am also a tapestry weaver.

My most recent tapestries are small in scale and produced as “tapestry notes” and can be seen on my new Etsy shop, ACMDesign. Each one is unique and presented in a box frame and at £38 / $60, make fantastic Christmas presents 😉

Some of my other tapestries incorporating barbed wire are also available at the Etsy shop.

Weaving, Wine and Wonderful Food

Posted on 12/08/201312/08/2013 by Alastair

Weaving – I had a great week last week with a bunch of wonderful women taking my tapestry weaving course as part of the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. Samplers were completed if not all the designed tapestries but we were able to go into detail about all the different aspects of controlling the tension in weft and warp and I hope that you will benefit from this in all your future weaving.

One of the highlights for me was when they gave me a present of two brass tipped African and Brazilian hard wood bobbins – they were so generous and I am very, very grateful 🙂

Wine and wonderful food – the catering at the summer school was good and I have no complaints but now I am home again and we are doing our own cooking. Having worked on equestrian photography all day Sunday with the help of my daughter and her boyfriend, today was my first “free” day (sort of). Tonight Julie made a fantastic Pilau Rice with which I stuffed red and green peppers (capsicums) along with chestnut mushrooms, spring onions and feta cheese. I pretty much followed this recipe and it was absolutely delicious and washed down with a very nice Portuguese red wine.

So thanks everyone for an excellent and enjoyable week and especially for those lovely bobbins.

Tufting and Textures

Posted on 19/02/201319/02/2013 by Alastair

I used to use tufting in my tapestry weaving – the long tufts of wool would hang down over the surface of the weaving. Sometimes I would wrap them with bright, lustrous cotton.

The textures I have used in my more recent weaving are rather different! Barbed wire is often the main textural feature of my weaving and although the reason for using it lies in the theme of “conflict”, we see it in many places around us.

The photos I take for StillWalks are often informed by my interest in texture. The images below illustrate different kinds of tuft and barb to those I have used in my tapestries.

You can see my tapestries at Design Fibre ICT and the StillWalk these images are from in the Old Churchyard Walk.

Tufted

Wool and Barbs

Hereford Cathedral

Posted on 06/12/201220/02/2017 by Alastair

Here we go then, as promised, some photos from Hereford Cathedral which we visited last Saturday. We must go again to see more, particularly the Mappa Mundi. It was frustrating not to have more time.

The “Corona” above the altar – designed and made by Simon Beer, Siversmith, of Lewes in Sussex and paid for by the Friends of Hereford Cathedral. It was assembled on the crossing floor in late 1992 and dedicated in December.

Tapestries by John Piper

One of the boilers / radiators, an effective way to heat such a building.

One of the amazing organs.

All’s Well in Ludlow

Posted on 19/10/201219/10/2012 by Alastair

Despite the tension beforehand, all went well with our Meet the Artists event last Friday at Ludlow Assembly Rooms. It was well attended in the evening and it was good to talk with everyone.

Not only that, we also had a very pleasant stay in Ludlow at The Mount guest house and awoke the next morning to another beautiful day.

The exhibition runs until 26th October so there is still time to visit. Exhibition pics some of Ludlow are below and more will be posted on Facebook over the next couple of weeks.

Finally, on another matter, please check out the StillWalks Crowd Funding pitch and help me help kids and adults enjoy “Sights and Sounds of the Countryside”.

StillWalks exhibition

Jean Duncan Paintings

Evening in Ludlow

Morning in Ludlow

Tension Mounting for Meet the Artists event

Posted on 05/10/201205/10/2012 by Alastair

Last week I delivered my exhibition and my mother’s to Ludlow Assembly Rooms Alastair Duncan (tapestry, prints and StillWalks) and Jean Duncan (painting)

The weather was atrocious and I thought en route, “If I get a puncture, I’ve had it – I can’t unload everything from the car to get to the spare tyre when the weather is like this, it would all be ruined!” Fortunately this did not happen and by the time I reached Ludlow, the rain had dried up 🙂

Our Meet the Artists event has been arranged for 3.30 – 7.30 on Friday 12th October – that’s next week! Neither of us are known in the area and I am concerned that nobody is going to turn up, so the tension is mounting as with all events like this.

Other attractions – Aside from our exhibition, which of course is reason enough to visit Ludlow, there are other attractions as well. The comedian, Marcus Brigstocke, will be playing in the theatre after our event on 12th October and I think there are still some seats available. There are great places to stay overnight and the town itself is a very charming place.

So if your wondering what to do next weekend, that is the place to be. Finish early on Friday and book yourself a visit to Ludlow 🙂

Ludlow

Ludlow Assembly Rooms Arts Centre

Tag Archives: tapestry