Fabric Landscape.

In my eighth grade drawing and painting class, the students traditionally work with landscapes in a variety of media--pen and ink, marker, and watercolor.

Last year, we explored a new landscape medium--fabric. I was inspired to create this unit by the exquisite landscape quilts of a nationally known local artist, Natalie Sewell.

Preparation began for the project by ordering a variety of fabrics from a fabric mail-order company. A parent, who is a seamstress, volunteered some of her fabric scraps, and several bags full of fabric appeared in my classroom.

To help the students, I sorted the fabrics into three categories:

1. Background Fabrics: Fabrics with several shades, from light to dark, work well. Irregular designs such as batik fabrics are excellent; geometic motifs are not well-suited for backgrounds.

2. Middle Ground Fabrics: Prints may be used that suggest trees, mountains, foliage, etc. Muted shades will create more of a sense of depth.

3. Foreground Fabrics! Foreground selections should be darker in Value and show more details.

We worked on a small scale of 4 x 6" (10 x 15 cm) because we were only going to spend three 42-minute periods on the assignment. I provided each student with a piece of mat board, a glue stick, and a handout with step-by-step instructions.

Step 1 Select several landscape photographs for reference.

Step 2 Select a background fabric with a variety of hues while considering color scheme, season, weather, and time of day.

Step 3 Begin to cut fabric shapes for the background. Keep in mind the horizon line and the atmospheric blurring effect (the background images will be lighter with less detail). Also, remember the rule of thirds. As you cut background shapes, use several different shades for the foliage to add depth. Layer light to dark as you proceed to the foreground.

To attach the fabric pieces in position, you may spray large shapes with a fabric spray adhesive on the back surface. To spray the fabric, place the back side up on paper. Spray lightly and then place onto the background fabric.

Use a glue stick for small pieces. Remember, you are the artist creating impressions of landscape using your resources, memories, and imagination.

Step 4 In the middle ground, show more details and darker colors. Avoid fabrics with geometric shapes. Fabrics with irregular designs work best. Cut in and out to create jagged edges. Choose lighter shades for background trees and darker shades for foreground trees. Cut trees with natural curves and uneven shaping, making them fatter at the bottom. Place some portions of the tree behind leaf shapes.

Step 5 The foreground will contain the most detail and larger shapes. Foreground leaves, flowers, and grasses may need more precise cutting. Cut grass with angular lines and jagged edges. Put some shrubbery around tree trunks and behind trees.

Add a focal point to draw the viewer's eye into the landscape. Think about color contrast.

Other Tips and Ideas

* In nature, elements overlap. Let your shapes overlap, too.

* Keep your fabric designs in proportion. For example, large leaves should be in the foreground and small leaves in the background.

* You can cut out small portions of a variety of fabrics to use in your landscape.

* Add other embellishments--thread and stitchery, sequins, buttons, beads, ribbons, and lace--to suggest texture or add contrast and interest.

* Draw on details with metallic or jelly-roll pens.

A final touch for this unique assignment was a selection of mats in a variety of colors provided by a local frame shop. The students enjoyed selecting the mat that they felt best presented their fabric landscapes.

Safety Note: Make sure there is sufficient ventilation whenever you use spray adhesive.

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students select and use the qualities Of structures and functions of art to improve communication of their ideas.

Karen Watson-Newlin is an art teacher at Verona Middle School in Verona, Wisconsin.