Thursday 6 January 2011

Song of the Sea


This was my first 2d experiment using a little of the vintage shirting from the tattered quilt...I just wanted to have fun with it, and also use up some of the crochet domes I had a passion for making several years ago....they always reminded me of Sea Urchins; so I let the imagination run free, adding hand felted balls, faux pearls, embroidery and the remains of an antique shell and bead belt to birth an underwater sanctuary.
The oak box frame was beautifully made for me, but was damaged in the post so the work will have to be reframed...I just wanted to see how it would look once mounted.
I've called it "Song of the Sea", because the new progect is comming from my research of the 19th century seamstresses, working on shirts in appaling conditions; at the time it sparked huge media interest: the poem by Thomas Hood: "Song of the Shirt" was written, and many artists produced images of the subject.....I will write a lot more about it as the work progresses....this though is a lighter hearted piece of work, but the four I have made since, have a real, more serious narrative.

2 comments:

Sea Angels said...

Hello Ellen
this is a gorgeous piece of textural work, and the colours just capture the sea shades as the waves hit the beach.... I can just see it on the edge of a scarf with tendrils of seaweed and shells draping over the edge a covetable mermaids possession...your work makes me dream...
Have a nice weekend
Lynn xxx

Ellen said...

Hello Lynn....now my imagination is running wild...and it's so good to know there are fellow dreamers out there....I wish I had time for all the ideas trying to escape for my head....I think I need to make some small silken domes now!
Ellen xx