February 11, 2011

New Hooked Wool Sketches

2011 #5, hand dyed wool and egg tempera on linen, 14 x 13 inches.



2011 #6, hand dyed wool on linen, 12 1/2 x 11 1/4 inches.


Here are my latest hooked sketches, which quickly explore ideas of line, color, and shape. Sometimes I'm inspired by an artwork, for instance #5's thought came from a Tantra drawing. I have pages and pages of small sketches that serve as jumping off points for these works. There is one detail I'd like to point out, in #7 below. I had hooked the two pink vertical lines and the rectangle between them, and found that I wasn't quite happy with the result: the rectangle looked too heavy. So I decided to cut its loops, giving it a different texture and creating a layered relief. I think this works much better. And with #6 I had hooked completely different colors which I found I didn't like at all. I'm not sure if that piece is terribly successful, but it's a lot better than it was. I like being able to make these adjustments, a process more difficult with a standard hooked rug piece, a process closer to making a painting.


2011 #7, hand dyed wool and egg tempera on linen, 13 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches.



2011 #8, hand dyed wool and egg tempera on linen, 11 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches.



8 comments:

  1. rappelFebruary 11, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    wonderful! esp #5 and 7. the lightness and simplicity of these does wonders for the soul.

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  2. Altoon SultanFebruary 12, 2011 at 7:13 AM

    Thanks so much, rappel, they give me joy as well.

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  3. Susan Scheid (Raining Acorns)February 12, 2011 at 2:17 PM

    I somehow love the idea of these as sketches, even though, to me, they feel like beautifully finished pieces. Thank you for sharing them.

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  4. Altoon SultanFebruary 12, 2011 at 2:25 PM

    Raining, to me they're sketches in relation to the other hooked rugs, which are much more developed. I needed a concept with which to think of these, and sketch seemed apt.

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  5. Mona Diane ConnerFebruary 12, 2011 at 3:56 PM

    my favorites are #5 and #7 too, especially the pink and red one. I"m curious, do you ever thing about stretching and framing these in simple wood frames (not the fully developed ruglets), but the 'sketches'?

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  6. Altoon SultanFebruary 12, 2011 at 4:46 PM

    Mona, what I like about these is their "lightness and simplicity" as rappel put it. I like the fragile look of the edge of linen floating against a wall, so framing them would eliminate those qualities.

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  7. LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLDFebruary 13, 2011 at 10:06 AM

    They look like tiny enamel brooches! My favorite is the pink and red color combo as well as its squares and ladder shapes.

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  8. Altoon SultanFebruary 13, 2011 at 12:08 PM

    Linda, what fun that this warm fuzzy material makes you think of enamel; it must be the color.

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