Contemporary Crochet Portraits with Jo Hamilton
Course Overview
Try a new approach to the timeless art of portraiture using the unique and versatile medium of crochet. In this course I will be sharing the techniques that I use in my own work to create a crocheted portrait from yarn. We will look at different ways to see and simplify facial features into lines, shapes and colours that can be easily translated into crocheted yarn. We will focus on completing at least one two-dimensional portrait, based on an image or images of your choice, during the course of the workshop. Attendees should be proficient in basic crochet stitches, ie: single and double crochet in both rows and circles, plus increasing and decreasing. To put it simply: If you can crochet a granny square, you can crochet a face. Since all faces are unique, there is no specific pattern to follow; instead we will be using a more painterly/freeform/expressive approach.
Workshop attendees will
• Learn a hands-on approach to crocheting a portrait of their choice by demonstration, inspiration, and good old trial-and-error.
• Learn how to render facial features, expressions and emotion using line, colour, tone and a variety of crochet techniques
• Look at different ways of using colour to depict light and shadow in our work
• Experiment with techniques to create colour, texture, depth and character in our work, such as mixing yarns to create subtlety in shading.
• Explore a number of approaches to adapting and/or simplifying a printed image for use as a basis for crochet art
Teacher Profile
Scottish artist Jo Hamilton moved to Portland, Oregon in the early 1990s, after receiving her BFA in painting from the Glasgow School of Art. Her technique combines years of fine art practice with the craft of crochet which she learned as a child from her Gran, rendering traditional categories (portraiture, landscape, nudes) in a contemporary light. Her work has been widely shown in the U.S. as well as in China, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm, and belongs to museums and private collections in the US and worldwide.
Materials List
Student Materials List
• Printed image of a portrait subject (or more than one) to work from with 2 extra copies if possible (this can be a photograph of a loved one, a printed out jpeg, a reproduction of a painted portrait, a sketch or drawing, a magazine cutting, etc.). It’s best to choose a subject that is meaningful to you, or one that you simply find visually appealing. Choose an image with good focus and expression, ideally with the entire head and shoulders within frame. I tend to look for good contrast, lots of colour and shadows, etc., but you may prefer a softer image, and even black and white can work well.
• A selection of yarns in the colors, tones and textures that you think you will need to create the crocheted version of your source image. Bear in mind that the portraits may end up on a larger scale than you might imagine—my own crochet portraits are typically twice life size. I use all kinds of yarn: cotton, acrylic, wool, rayon, silk, in all thicknesses and textures. A greater variety can be fun to work with and add interest to the piece, or you can limit your type of yarn if you want a more uniform look.
• A selection of crochet hooks of various sizes. I typically use hooks in the 3.25mm-4mm range, but do bring some larger and smaller sizes, especially if you want to use chunky yarn or crochet thread.
• Scissors
• Yarn needles if you like to sew in your ends (If you know my work you know I don’t!).
• A pen or pencil and some blank paper or a sketchbook for notes, sketches, etc.
Workshop Terms
While our fibre art workshops are usually held in the gallery's historically significant workshop space, the workshop venue may change according to the needs and wishes of the artist tutor. Likewise, the times of the workshops may vary depending on the type of workshop and its presentation.
Timeless Textiles Gallery will, at its own discretion, where a participant is unable to attend a fibre art workshop, an exchange or credit note will be made available or a refund of the deposit or payment in accordance with the following Workshop Refund Policy.
Major commitments must be met, and in fairness to all, the policy concerning the refund is:
Cancellations 3 months prior to workshop date - refund 80% fees paid
Cancellations 2 months prior to workshop date- refund 50% fees paid.
Cancellations 1 month prior to workshop date- no refund.
Date
Time
Cost
Labels
