Fabric inspiration

More doodling today....

... with Miyazaki on my mind. I adore the chibi Totoro, the little white forest spirit... and the kodama, the tree spirits.

No-Face is one of my favorite Miyazaki spirits. I'd like to draw No-Face better.

But I'm also planning for a fabric/stitch/mixedmedia piece.(Now that I have some space to work.)

I'd like to build a grandma-related piece. Most of her things either went to Goodwill or weren't in good enough shape to give away,  but I have one or two pieces of her clothing that I couldn't quite get rid of since they're so strongly associated with her - especially a blouse in her favorite royal purple. I thought I would use a sampler model in layered squares to organize it with some other fabrics, then layer in some of the beads from her necklaces. I have an idea about adding images in over the layering, but we'll see. I think I need to start from the base and work from there.

Inspiration

I really love the work of the alternative quilter Jude Hill. There's something about the depth of the

Detail from How One Heart Might Affect Another, Jude Hill

textures she develops that is almost visually kinesthetic. I feel a very physical, sensory, sort of synesthesia when looking at her work, as though by looking with my eyes I also feel the roughness of the cloth in its layers with my skin.  I wish I could take a class with her, but instead I'll just have to let her work inspire me. Her site: http://spiritcloth.bigcartel.com/

by Anja Kieboom

I also found the Prayer Flag Project site today, and am enjoying the different styles and colors of the artists' work. I like that each piece is meant to be a prayer, that there's a concentrated idea and emotion presented with each flag.  
http://theprayerflagproject.blogspot.com/