Tania Metalli

Artist, writer, web developer

Embroideries – new and older works

I have been playing with embroidery, with mixed results, but enjoying the process very much.

like with paper cutting, is a great way to keep the Creatures “alive”, while doing something new.

As surfaces, I have tried canvas, both cotton and linen, lighter cotton material, and I have just bought some black cotton, which I’m going to use for more experimentation with colour and decorations.

On another note, my art website is up and running again, with new and old work. Still a working in progress…like with everything else that I do.

 

Tm

 

Paper cuts – works in progress

creatures paper cuts

Last month I took a paper cutting workshop with Poppy Chancellor at The Make Lounge.

I occasionally take art classes and workshop, to learn and explore new techniques. And sometimes just out of curiosity.

When I read about the paper cut workshop I couldn’t resist. I had to do it!

I didn’t know how I would use the technique in my existing art practice, but I wanted to give it a go and see what I could learn.

Anyway, the workshop was great. I enjoyed myself immensely, spending the morning crafting, chatting, and learning all the basics.

We started by doing some practice on ready made print outs, and after a couple of trials, we started working on a design of our choosing.

Originally I though I would do something to do with architecture, but then I opted for the “easy” solution, and went for one of my creatures.

The first one didn’t came as well as I wished. The lines were choppy and uncertain, but I left the class eager to experiment more.

Back home, I gathered all the material I needed (luckily I have always plenty paper in stock) and spent the next three days drawing creatures and cutting out shapes.
By monday I had cramps on my right hand and a bruised index finger. You will be happy to know that since then I have improved my hand posture and bought a better scalpel.

Now I try to spend a few hours a week, especially on the weekend, improving the technique and developing my own style.

It’s also a great way to keep the creatures alive.

I have been moving away from them in the last couple of years, working on other projects, but I don’t want to let them go completely. And paper cutting works perfectly with the graphic nature of my drawings.

creatures paper cuts

At the moment I’m still experimenting, but I have a few ideas of what I want to do with the technique.

I’m not that keen on mounting the paper cuts and framing them, and I’m still thinking of a better way to display them, something more loose and tridimensional.

I’ll see what I come up with.

In the meantime, back  to the scalpel.

Tm

 

Colourful embroidery

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A little piece I have been working on.

It’s more like an embroidery sketch than a proper piece. My technique needs some improvement (and much more practise) before I can be satisfied enough to call it a “proper piece”.

The weather has been fantastic! It seems like summer is finally here, and today I had my first swim at the Brokwell Lido and enjoyed it very much. It beats running for sure!

For the weekend I’m planning to spend as much time outdoors that I possibly can. I’m thinking long, lazy afternoons in the park, watching the changing sky, and possibly a little pic-nic.

And maybe doing some embroidery en plein air.

Have a great weekend!

Tm

The box


I have been mentioning “the box” so many time and here it is!

I’ve created it as part of the ARTBOX project at London Miles Gallery in London, where has been on display, with other artist’s boxes, as part of The Next Generation exhibition.

It was lots of fun to make and a good opportunity for me to experiment with ideas and techniques.

The starting point was the idea of recycling-reusing and the next generation of the exhibition title.

I’ve always liked to paint and draw on cardboard and packaging material, so the medium in itself was a source of inspiration. 

After building the box I found myself surrounded by bits of cardboard and I thought to use them as well. So, instead of just painting the surface I’ve used the box for a mini-installation with various elements, figurative and decorative. 

The figures represented, are the next generation of my Creatures. They’ve always had a close connection with water, I see them often as sea creatures, hence the turquoise and aqua colour scheme and the drop shapes, also to underline the importance to preserve water and the Oceans for the health of our environment. 


All the boxes are being auctioned to raise money for Kids Company, an organization that provides practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner-city children across London.








Daily Creatures – The circles


#172

The last 2/3 weeks I’ve been spending most of my time and creative energies setting up Piktoland, my new project, and I have less and less time to dedicate to my “regular” art and the Creatures.

I still manage to cut little chunks of time for the daily creatures and do a bit of painting on the weekend.

As the time is limited I had to make it simple, so last week Creatures are rather small, but very colourful and enclosed in a circle (I’ve bought a circle cutter and I went crazy cutting circles on everything!).

So here they are, Creatures from 165 to 172.

And I’m not even half way! This is going to be the longest year ever!

But I’m not complaining ^.^

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#170

#169

#168

#167

#166

#165

Daily Creatures – The paper bag series


#159

The last series of Creatures is probably my favourite, I had so much fun with it!

The main inspiration was a photograph that I saw at the Irving Penn’s exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.

I’ve always found Penn’s work so inspiring, and it was great to see a retrospective of his most famous portraits.

Amongst these the portrait of cartoonist and illustrator Saul Steinberg in his Nose Mask. Steinberg created a series of brown paper bag masks, apparently to disguise himself and his friends, and Penn captured him wearing one of these masks.

You might know by now that I have a passion for masks, and I find the simplicity and elegance of this photograph totally fascinating. I saw it at the gallery and I joked with Nick that I could do a series of Creatures wearing a paper bag.

When it was time to start a new series the idea came back and I just went with it, and here are the results.

To make things more interesting, I discovered that that picture was actually taken the day before I was born. Not too strange then that I feel such an affinity with it.

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#161

#162

#163

#164

Daily Creatures – Back to black&white


#157

Good morning and good Tuesday!

I have been neglecting the blog lately. I promised myself that I would post at least twice weekly, but the last week has been hectic, trying to get my new project going.

More about that soon, but for now it’s the regular round up of last week Daily Creatures.

After going crazy with colours for the last few series, I felt the need to go back to simple black and white.

So here they are, strange shaped Creatures #152 to #157

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#155

#154

#153

#152

Daily Creatures – More Sharpies


#151

Here we are again with the usual round up of last week Creatures.

For this series I went back using Sharpies. Pens and markers are probably my favourite medium and I have a large collection of different types and brands. I tend to use fine Sharpies, adding a few touches with large Stabilo pens.

I’m still experimenting with strange shapes and unusual (for me) colour combinations, in the hope of breaking the routine and find new inspiration to keep me going, I’m still only half way!

So here they are, number 144 to 151, quiet a long series this time.

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#149

#148

#147

#146

#145

#144

Daily Creatures – More squares


#143

As time pass I find it increasingly difficult to find new ways to draw the Creatures.

Ok, I’m the first to admit that my art is very repetitive. I have been drawing, painting, sculpting, vectoring the same Creatures for over 20 years! They have evolved since 1984, but the essence is the same. Their love for big capes and headdresses, their mask-like features, their one-dimensionality, are their trademark features.

In general I have a fascination for repetition, especially in art, mine and others as well. I fill entire notebooks with the same theme, the same Creature, the same motif, done and re-done ad-nauseam.
So I thought I would find drawing a Creature a day, a very easy challenge to accomplish.

Now I am faced everyday by my own limiting rules. What else can I do? Which colours should I use? Which medium?

For last week Creatures I kept the square shape of the previous one, but moved to a more colourful palette, using pencils on paper – simple but always effective.

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#141

#140

#139

#138

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