Mary Flynn
Guidance Notes for Mixed Media with Medals
Isle of Wight Contemporary Craft Group, QuayCrafts were commissioned to create a piece of work inspired by the stories of the Isle of Wight Rifles and their role in Gallipoli during the First World War.
Thinking of You 1&2
The first pieces of work use the poppy as the symbol of remembrance. They were made using a collage of paper and fabric and included some heat transfer images and text on fabric. The research of commemorative stamps provided some of the imagery as did flower images from books and magazines. Machine embroidery was employed to write ‘Thinking of you’ and to draw into the collage of images.
The second piece develops the theme of remembrance further, Hand stitch, machine stitch and heat transfer images have a distressed finish to suggest an aged artefact.
Heroes
In the third piece the artist has focused on the colours of medal ribbons and has incorporated a three dimensional poppy as a medal. The ribbons have been machine stitched to suggest the textural surface of the medal ribbons and the poppies have been drawn in outline with machine embroidery and emphasised with hand stitching.
The artist created ‘medals’ for personal heroes.
Medal 1, depicts elements representing the sea and shore, this piece acknowledges the need for conservation of the oceans. It is made from found objects, paper pulp and is finished with a simple technique called ‘fake bronzing’
Medal 2, represents an imaginary figure in popular culture that could be inspirational to young people. It is made using objects from the £ shop mounted on a cardboard base with a decorative cord neatening the outer edge.
Medal 3, develops the flower as a symbol of remembrance.
Each medal is hung on coloured ribbon attached to clasps used on overalls.
Techniques used in Mary Flynn’s work
Fake bronzing requires the surface of the relief to be covered in a layer of P.V.A glue and tissue paper. When dry the surface should be lightly over painted with Raw Umber acrylic. Low areas, where water would naturally accumulate should be painted with small amounts of ‘verdigris’ turquoise and when all paint is dry a dusting of Treasure Gold applied to high areas of the relief, as if worn by touch.
Materials
System 3 Acrylic paint, Daler Rowney The Consortium or ‘Forget me Not’ Upper St James St Newport
Classic Treasure Gold, non-tarnishing Wax Gilt available as above
White tissue paper
P.V.A glue
Found objects or £/50p shop objects
Heat transfer images are printed from a computer file onto specialist paper.
The image is printed in reverse using the setting for T shirt.
The paper is placed face down on onto calico or similar (preferably washed) fabric and ironed with a hot iron. Clear instructions are provided by the manufacturer.
Materials
Calico available at Hellersley Fabrics, Newport, Whaley’s Bradford or the Consortium.
Specialist heat transfer paper for light T Shirts A4 on line @PhotoPaperDirect.com
SIMPLE ADAPTATIONS
Entry level students:
Most of the techniques can be adapted.
In all cases paper could be used in place of fabric.
Drawing using pen, crayon or fibre tip pens could be used in place of machine stitching
Paper photocopies and magazine pictures could be used instead of heat transfers on fabric.
Un- fired ‘Fimo’ or clay could be used to model the relief objects on the medals, made more durable by painting with a finish of P.V.A glue
Depending on the age of the students, there are a number of ways that the theme of medals could be developed.
- Creating medals for personal heroes
- Creating medals for figures from history
- Creating medals for unsung heroes.
Higher level students:
Medals. Working with mixed media, students might be encouraged to work in clay or similar 3D materials to create relief surface with more sophisticated outcomes