Kim Schoenberger - ABCD

Well here we go for another year! My first alphabet 2011 - I'm starting with the allocated task first; 'Black & White with a touch of....' And the touch of is - a touch of 'me'

With touch of... me - extends to anything that is close to my heart; my concerns, interests, memories; past, current etc... with a focus on plastic. Set on Rough 300gsm paper. You'll note in the group photo the stitching in left intentionally long and random, this is for my final result which I will reveal in the presentation at the end of the alphabet. (click on the image if wishing to enlarge) Oh yer, my use of the colour Red refers to the blood that pumps through our hearts the very life force that sustains us, just as dear mother earth sustains us.

My apologies if this comes across as 'heavy' - in my world, my 'little bubble' I am amazed with my use and disposal of plastic each week, it concerns me extremely and especially the plastic rims used on jars as a seal. Even though we are conscious to recycle in today's society, many of it still becomes landfill, the rims end up around birds necks, strangling them, I've even seen documentaries dedicated to studies on plastic showing so much plastic inside the birds stomach, and it eventually kills them. So, I have decided to set myself a challenge within the ALaW challenge by using recycled plastic within each letter just to remind myself and increase my awareness each week to reduce my 'plastic' consumption.

A -With a touch of.... letter 'A' and background pattern make by potato print using black and red printing ink, black and red stitching (sewn on a treadle sewing machine), two size plastic rims - black and white.

B - With a touch of... letter 'B' and background - woodblock prints using printing inks. Two separate woodcuts; first, print is the black the second the red, sewn boarders with the ole' treadle. It is not noticable but the top white half of 'B' is collage with white plastic (from a recycled ice cream containter lid), white plastic rim.

C - With a touch of... 'C' is made with plastic melted in the oven, like the plastic stained glass I did as a kid. Plastic was layed on tinfoil shaped into a C and melted, two holes drilled at points to attach with linen thread. Black spots created from a Lino cut print using black printing ink. Treadle sewn boarder and three lines at top R&L, hand sewn french knots within the plastic rim.

D - With a touch of... letter 'D' the idea comes from my school days of the overhead projector film - drawn onto with a Artline waterproof permanent pen using laminated plastic discards, treadle sewn onto 300gsm paper with red cotton, collage raised with double sided tape. Background treadle sewn black boarder and lines with red ink print - taken from a previous printing session when cleaning off the plate the random streaks gave an interesting pattern. Plastic stickers of babies (an insight - from my billings method days!). Handsewn attached recycled plastic rim.