Deidhre Wauchop Artist

Yes, renovating, again! We have big plans but I’m starting with my studio.

The last studio iteration was not as functional as anticipated. I work small, I work large and I work in multiple media. I don’t have to tell you how much tension that creates in an average-sized space where materials and works that are wet and stain-making deliberately provoke materials and works that must be kept dry and squeaky-clean.

So they have to be separated. They must have their own space so they don’t squabble any more.

I have two big tables that will now own all the floor space. Together, we will manage ‘the work’.

Three walls of storage will house the materials and the works. On one wall I already have a sink and storage for canvases, paper, paint and drawing media. The other two walls will have new floor to ceiling built-ins to house yarn, fabric, beads, cord, wire and as-yet unanticipated kit.

Here’s my design. The shaded/coloured shapes are existing shelves and containers that will all go behind closed doors. I get a new easel and mannequin.

In planning, sorting and organising for this refresh I discovered some unfinished projects. (What a surprise). Here is a subset of the cache of incomplete (knitting and crochet).

I’m reminded that I like stripes.

1000 days ago, before committing to resolve some of the ideas and images that swirled around my practice, I struggled to find clarity of direction.

My practice is diverse. I can’t say that I love the media areas that I work in equally. I adore knitting. I have a great affection for digital media. I tolerate painting and drawing and their derivatives because I can make original and immediate marks using brushes, pens and pencils.

No, that’s not quite true and ‘tolerate’ isn’t the right word because once I get stuck in I love painting and drawing. It’s just hard to get started. There’s more to be said about that in future posts I think.

There are significant moments in the last 1000 days that are worth reflecting on and they all relate to finding ways for the parts of my practice to talk to each other. A couple of years ago I wrote about this on toomanypies.com in a post about Instagram.

Instagram is good for capturing on-the-run images that support my process. In this space my little pies can ‘talk to each other’.

They can talk colour ‘whoa! same, same’ or ‘wow! you’re very different…’ or ‘do you really think you have to be purple?’

They can talk texture and form ‘you’re a five-petalled flower too!’ or ‘what does it feel like to be a fabric design?’ or ‘let’s talk mathematically’

They can talk together about the world and imagination and struggle and influence and serendipity.

Components of my work have been networking and are building relationships. Here’s a snapshot of moments of significance in that process over the last 1000 days.

Fibre forms

I’ve been working on colourwork, lace patterning and layered patterning, and more organic forming when knitting. I now claim to be an ‘intermediate’ knitter, and am building expertise to create original forms and more complex patterns. There are some great free apps where I can create graphs of my own photographs and paintings which are knittable, and manipulate kumihimo braid patterns to better express an idea in a functional object. There is an increasingly closer relationship between my knitting and my art. A friend and colleague saw landscapes in my knitted work and inspired me to move in that direction.

Mixed media work

I’m a bit excited about some techniques I’ve developed in this area. My ‘talisman’ works are developed in processes that move backwards and forwards between the computer and the easel. The bowls in this series are ‘found’ public domain images of ancient and antique ceramic bowls, which are then manipulated digitally in texture, patina and form. The objects in the bowls are digitally created or manipulated, or drawn first. The composition is also created on computer and changed and added to as I work at the easel. Drawn and printed images that make up the composition are assembled on board.

I have developed a method for putting the elements together that includes scraping and thinning the paper, using gel medium as adhesive, using gesso and sanding in layers to provide a good surface for further painted and drawn elements. As I work at the easel I continue to manipulate the image digitally, usually adding shadows, reflections and highlights. I guess some would ask me why I don’t just draw or paint the image without all the other palaver. I would answer that doing it this way allows the conversation between media, tools and processes and the resulting image always shifts from the original intent. It’s like doing lots of studies prior to a finished work but using digital tools in the mix.

Exploration of the elements of nature

I’ve been testing the water here, haha pun intended. I’ve always been interested in the symbolism of the elements—both eastern and western interpretations. Over the last 1000 days I’ve allowed myself to play with still and moving water, clouds and mists, and stone and metal surfaces and objects. The conversations between media in this space are still whispers but I sense there is a strong connection growing.