Empty Café - 'Brickwork'

Last week, in my Empty Café - 'Stools' post I mentioned a second part of my investigation into a project based on an image of a café at Trafalgar Square that was completely empty in the middle of the day. After focusing on the stools, this post is about the brickwork on the plinth at the background.

The picture above reveals two samples; one made out of yarn and the other out of wire. It seems to be a tradition that my first trial
is with a yarn (to make sure) and then I reach for a wire.

On the left is my wire sample that I then joined into a cylindrical shape. Standing alone it actually looks already quite interesting but what is its purpose?

Well, I guess it is given by the shape. Therefore I put it on my finger and...

...yes, it is a ring but how to shape it? It is too long reaching over my knuckle and like this it is getting into the movement of the finger.

Luckily, the pattern of the brickwork allows certain flexibility. This is why I worked with this characteristic but first I had to decide on the face of the ring. The one on the left or the right...

...I decided for the right one. This is where I joined my sample and unwittingly created a decoration - rather rough but why not?

After shaping it around my finger I pinned it on the opposite side of the decoration to clear space for free movement of the finger and the whole palm.

I must say that even though it is quite chunky it is not in a way at all. Yes, it is quite fun to wear.

Looking back at my original picture of the plinth at the background of the empty café I simply could not ignore the row of red menus on the tables. Indeed, they found their way into this project.

I made another ring, this time without the joining 'decoration'. Instead I used small red beads to represent the menus.

The picture on the left shows the tube in the shape of my finger. (I shaped it by closely following/modelling around my finger).

As seen on the picture on the right, my fingers are bend aiming for making a fist.


What I like about the brickwork pattern is its flexibility. It does let you shape accordingly and the pattern allows free movement of the fingers. It stretches or squeezes the way one desires and is also incredibly light, the way a ring should be.

This was another journey from a photograph to a design piece, this time two rings. And again, what a fun that was.

K-)

Empty café - 'Stools'

Not that long ago I walked through Trafalgar Square and even though it was reasonably busy a café in the middle of the square was completely empty. Having taken a photograph, I left but could not stop thinking about it. The image of the empty café stuck so hard in my mind that I had to incorporate it into my creative existence and a few months later few projects came out of it...

First, I focused on the stools; their shape and colour. I must admit, I followed step-by-step instructions from Teri Howes' sheets to refresh my memory and see the possibilities it could offer.

Of course, later I realised that the hole in the middle was too wide but as a base of what I wanted to try it for it would do...

I also focused on the brickwork on the plinth at the background. Trafalgar Square has four of these, equestrian statue of George IV got into my view.

These two samples on the left were where I started...

Have you heard of a 'French knot'? I came across it when researching something I do not even remember now. French knot comes from embroidery and looks quite easy to make. It also looks rather striking and I hoped I could use it within my work...

...and that was when the yellow/golden disc proved to work quite well.

Quite early into my experiments with wire, I realised that wire on top of a crocheted wire disc will simply not work. It ended up as a tangled wire rather that something decorative.

At this stage, organza ribbon came to a rescue. I have two colours (yellow and grey) I used for my 'Geometry' project you might remember. Since the disc is already yellow, I used the grey one.

I also learnt that the French knot is not as easy at first but once you get the hang of it it is simple...

I am not sure why I used so much ribbon for only three knots. I had this number in my head looking at four stools per table. I took one stool away from the calculation as a symbol for 'empty'. 'Empty' meaning 'without' therefore 'without' (minus) one stool. At the end this worked out quite well since I can nicely place the disc and round the ribbon around my neck. Twice in this case. I also made two mini tubes out of the wire to tuck the two ends of the ribbon into and voila...

I asked my trusted friend Elena to pose again and...

What do you think? Doesn't she look lovely? K-)

Update: Sanday, 20 May 2018
Empty café - Stools  

A colour variation was the next step of 'Empty café - Stools' project. That is what you are looking at above.  It is up to you to pick your preference...

...and, of course, an offshoot that came out of it too ending on a choker necklace instead of a ribbon.

K-)