Observe and Stitch: Landscapes
Observe and Stitch: Landscapes
Follow Dionne Swift’s journey of creativity: helping you to develop your powers of observation, whilst discovering more of the world around you by seeking out new ways of drawing and mark making. Find an honesty in your creative practice through a deep connection with Landscape.
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About
Exploring drawing and the translation of visual ideas into paper and cloth. This masterclass follows Dionne Swift’s intimate creative journey, giving you a window into her artistic practice. Together you'll develop your powers of observation, whilst discovering more of the world around you by seeking out new ways of drawing and mark making. Find an honesty in your creative practice through a deep connection with Landscape.
This masterclass is perfect for those curious as to how they might develop their own creativity, and those with a desire to find truth, focus and independence in their work. Dionne guides you in finding your unique creative process and voice, including how to lose yourself in your artwork, translating drawings into textiles.
Series Key Learnings:
- To encourage & enable confidence in your individual creative process
- To illustrate a new dialogue through observation and acute awareness of subject
- To illustrate a direct correlation between observation, drawing and translation to textiles
- Process is everything – it’s that intimate connection between you and your subject that offers profound substance to this endeavour
- Indulgence in the moment, in the act of making and observing work on paper and on cloth
By purchasing this Masterclass, you will gain unlimited access to this On-Demand series, with opportunities to interact directly with Dionne during one of our regular 'Meet the Tutor' live sessions. Once you have purchased the Masterclass, we will keep in touch so that you know when the next live tutor session is taking place. These live sessions will be free to attend for Masterclass purchasers.
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Session Overview
Session 1: Introduction
Session 1: Introduction
Set the scene for the journey you are about to commence with Dionne’s overview of the upcoming Masterclass series and the basic equipment you'll need.
Materials & Preparation: An open mind.
Session 2: Continuous Observation
Session 2: Continuous Observation
Hone your focus and awareness to your environment, tune in and get connected to your muse.
Key Learnings:
- Finding focus
- Exploring drawing media
- Working en plein air
Materials:
- Paper with drawing board & sketchbook
- Drawing media
- Masking tape
- Access to Landscape
- Plants/foliage to observe
Preparation: Select your outside space and set up your drawing board & sketchbook.
Session 3: Continuous Thread
Session 3: Continuous Thread
An introduction to free machine embroidery based on observations.
Key Learnings:
- To explore your machine as a drawing tool
- To listen & work with your machine
Materials:
- Drawings from the previous session
- Sewing machine
- Machine threads
- Fabric & embroidery hoop
- Plants/foliage
Preparation: Complete Session 2: Continuous Observation and collect plants and foliage from your surroundings.
Session 4: Shadow Drawing
Session 4: Shadow Drawing
Rid yourself of the details, don’t let it bog you down. See shape and form in a new light!
Key Learnings:
- To appreciate form, positive and negative shape
- To simplify
Materials:
- A strong light source; natural or artificial
- Large paper or sketchbook
- Drawing media
- Foliage
Preparation: Collect foliage from your surroundings.
Session 5: Shadow Printing
Session 5: Shadow Printing
Explore layers of form and shape through textiles as cut fabrics and stencil prints.
Key Learning: Stencil Silk Screen printing.
Materials:
- Fabrics
- Bondaweb
- Cutting tools
- Silk screen and squeegee with printing media/Procion MX & Manutex
- Masking tape
- Printing surface
Preparation: Prepare your space for printing and download the Print Paste Recipe PDF (provided upon purchase).
Session 6: Straight Line Observations
Session 6: Straight Line Observations
A fascinating and intriguing process of observing, connecting and drawing.
Key Learnings:
- A new method of mark making and finding focus
- Abstraction of the landscape
Materials:
- Paper with drawing board & sketchbook
- Straight edge [ruler/old store card]
- Drawing media
- Masking tape
Preparation:
- Access to Landscape.
- Plants/foliage to observe.
Session 7: Straight Line Textiles
Session 7: Straight Line Textiles
Translate your observations directly into hand stitch and explore a variety of mark marking weights in thread.
Key Learnings:
- Hand stitch as a drawing tool
- Exploring varied threads
- New explorations in hand stitch
Materials:
- Cloth
- Drawings from the previous session
- Machine threads [darks/blacks]
- Embroidery hoop
Preparation: Prepare your subject: landscape & foliage.
Session 8: Observing Structure and Form
Session 8: Observing Structure and Form
Develop your observations in form, structure and composition. Consider weight and tone in the marks that are created and develop movement through your creative work.
Key Learnings:
- Discover dynamic compositions
- View tone and use weight of mark
- Learn to build a more complex landscape
Materials:
- Paper with drawing board & sketchbook
- Drawing media
- Masking tape
Preparation: Access to Landscape.
Session 9: Structure in Stitch Part 1
Session 9: Structure in Stitch Part 1
Evaluate and observe your work. See more in the surface of the drawing and expand your visions into stitch and cloth.
Key Learnings:
- Gem finding - hunting out powerful & intriguing compositions
- New techniques with Free Machine Embroidery
Materials:
- Drawings from the previous session
- Sewing machine
- Machine threads
- Fabric & embroidery hoop
Preparation: Complete Session 8: Observing Structure and Form.
Session 10: Structure in Stitch Part 2
Session 10: Structure in Stitch Part 2
Dionne references her own machine embroidered Artwork as you expand your Landscape compositions to a more resolved conclusion.
Key Learnings:
- Heavier machine embroidery
- Translation of a drawn/paper compositor to thread and cloth
- Discover the background to some of my key pieces of Artwork
Materials:
- Drawings from the previous session
- Sewing machine
- Machine threads
- Fabric & embroidery hoop
Preparation: Complete Session 9: Structure in Stitch Part 1.
Materials & Preparation
Materials You Will Need
Please note these materials are not included with purchase of this class, the following materials will need to be bought separately.
- Cartridge paper &/or sketchbook(s)
- Lightweight drawing board
- Drawing media including marker pens, soft pencils, graphite sticks
- Ruler/straight edge/old store card
- Cutting tool - scissors &/or craft knife & cutting matt
- A selection of fabric, ideally natural fibres & plain in colour
- Fabric scissors
- Hand stitch needles
- Embroidery hoop
- A range of machine threads - Dionne works with a small monochrome palette using threads 80wt - 12wt and hand embroidery cotton
- Sewing machine needles (top stitching needles 90/14)
- Sewing machine suitable for Free Machine embroidery (including a free machine embroidery foot/darning foot)
- Silk Screen & squeegee with fabric printing media
- Printing media - Dionne uses Procyon MX dyes with Manutex
- Some fine coloured cotton cloth and a small amount of bond-a-web (iron on fabric adhesive)
- Masking tape
Preparation:
- Arrive with an open mind and a desire to observe
- Access to the landscape & aspects of landscape in the studio/indoor plants
- Strong light source, sunlight or artificial light. Dionne uses an Over Head Projector
- Printing surface
Meet the Master: Dionne Swift
Dionne uses the scale, emotion and energy of Landscapes to inspire energetic drawings and textiles. The power of the elements: wind, rain, sea are translated into layers of intuitive marks: on paper and on cloth. Thread colours and textures entwine to produce a vibrant and dynamic surface with tones visually mixing and revealing themselves hence captivating and entrancing the viewer. Dionne sews as she draws, draws as she sews - using her sewing machine as a mark making tool. Embroidery need not be a slow, static meditation but lively, vibrant and effervescent.
Gold winner of Craft & Design Magazine's SELECTED awards Textile Artist: Dionne Swift is a graduate of Goldsmith’s College, London University, she has a Masters in Textiles from UCE, Birmingham and has over 30 years of creative practice experience. Now based in Holmfirth, Yorkshire, she exhibits and tutors internationally.
Find out more about Dionne Swift:
Instagram: @dionneswift
Facebook: Dionne Swift: Textile Artist
Website: dionneswift.com
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NEXT WELCOME MEETING: 27 APRIL
Book onto Observe and Stitch: Landscapes today to secure your place in the next Welcome Meeting, an exclusive conversation for new course members to connect with Dionne Swift.
Taking place on Wednesday 27th April, 7pm GMT.
There are only 15 spots available on each Welcome Meeting to keep the setting interactive. Spaces are filling up fast so book today to ensure you don’t miss out
Vicki C (verified owner – )
Dionne’s masterclass is the second course I have bought from you. The quality of the first was excellent & I appreciate your excellent customer service on this one! I’ve subscribed to several online textile art tutorial series in the last 18 months – Dionne’s is the one I’m enjoying the most.
Jane U (verified owner – )
Since the last Q & A with Dionne I have been reenergised and watched each class again. I love Dionne’s style of teaching and watching her in action really reinforces my learning. I have come to drawing and machine embroidery late in life and do not find either easy. However, by using the techniques described in these Masterclass’s I am genuinely gaining in confidence especially with the shadow drawings that I really enjoy. I can’t get it wrong! Using a frame has also helped me focus in on smaller parts of my composition that I can then go on to stitch. Thank you, Dionne, and Immediate Live for this collaboration – if there are any more in the pipeline you definitely have at least one customer!