Seeing Red. . .

January 15, 2008

Seeing Red. . .

Today's Arty Girlz challenge is "Red", and the timing couldn't be better, nor could there be a better theme for me to work with! After absent-mindedly sewing hundreds of sequins and beads on my "Gypsy" Gothic arch, the color RED seems straight-forward, clean and simple.

Embellishing, gorgeous as it is, can be a crutch. It's so easy to add a little here, and then a little more over there. But clean and simple can take some thought, and also some skill, because when it's time to stop, you've got to stop!

I've never done this, but I guess it's a lot like cutting hair. In a straight, blunt cut, every imperfection will show. It's much the same with clean and simple designs.

My mother had some very strict ideas about embellishment. She had an aversion to anything that looked like it might be haphazardly stuck-on. She loved the ornate, but her eye was critical. Everything had to have a reason for being there, and that reason had better not be simply to cover-up another mistake. So this valentine's for you, mom. There's nothing extraneous stuck to this one.

Simple construction, too: Red and black heart cut from fabric scrap, heart cut out of red and white fabric scrap, rectangular scrap of sequin fabric, a cutting of black paper, a thin strip of watercolor paper curled and glued in place, "alphabet ransom note" clear stamps from River City Rubber Works, tiny heart stamp from PSX, both stamped in Color Box red pigment ink and embossed with Ranger's red embossing powder, with a hand-written "love" over the top. All assembled on white heavy watercolor paper.

And finally, here's the count-down: It's one month from yesterday! Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so get ready to ARtiPhy YouR HeaRts!

Posted at 11:26 PM in Arty Grilz | Permalink