Black, White and Red - 29 Faces

Black , White and Red - a favourite colour combination! Tag Tuesday has this as its current theme. 

Here is my tag .... a stitched face. I use my sewing machine as my drawing implement.... a technique called free motion stitching or free hand machine embroidery. Of course, nothing is symmetrical or perfect but this is quite easy to do. Just lower or cover the feed dogs on your sewing machine, and move the fabric around manually while stitching and so the sewing machine "draws" a line, free hand.  In the photo, the black line is the stitched line - what I try to do is an unbroken line, so often I go over and over the same line to get to the next  section of stitching.

When I have finished stitching, I cut around the stitching and attach the face to a prepared painted tag with heat applique. Then, I use Inktense pencils to colour  features and/or shade the face.  In "Spots" I have also appliqued the clothing and the head wear.  'Spots" is the first in my current series #29 Faces. The faces are on larger #8 manilla  shipping tags and  are a development from a previous series of art tags , called 'Red Cheeks' 

'Red Cheeks' 1-9 - stitched faces  

The  "Red Cheeks" portraits  are much smaller but were created in exactly the same way. I thought it would be easier to do larger portraits but the first two have proven that this so far isn't the case.   I much prefer working smaller! 

'Red Cheeks" 10-18 - stitched faces

I am currently participating in the February 2020 Art Challenge - 29 Faces , so I created for myself a month of prompts just to keep myself on track each day.... " Spots " is the first of my 29 faces . 

" Fruit" below is the second.... not only black, white and red, but a few other hints of colour, again applied with pencil. 

My goal for #29 Faces is the daily practice of stitching a face each day for February  and improved fluidity of motion and control of my sewing machine during free motion stitching. I am also looking forward  to exploring the potential of using Inktense pencils on cloth.  Hope you will see improvement as you follow posts of my work during the month - please watch this space for more....