I have been chosen to exhibit at the local hospital where I work in its annual Winter Arts Exhibition under its flagship charity Healing Arts. This is a platform for hospital staff and volunteers who are creatives, intended to support the Healing Arts charity. Wall space has been given for those short-listed and I feel so honoured to be exhibiting this year. The show runs until March 2019 at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire – do check it out if you are in Coventry, UK. The exhibit is an ‘art trail’ with brochures locate at the Marks and Spencer shop front door. My three works are hung outside the shop. Here is a link to my project in its entirety.
For this post, I have chosen the work called Tropical Dreams. I made these selection of folly flora to evoke the colours that I feel to be reminiscent of the tropical Philippine islands. Feeling a little bit nostalgic again. I liked the result, as it encapsulates colours that I love. The candy pink is just perfect (in my book anyway)! I have used this paper with a linen embossed look. On closer inspection, this subtle detail creates another dimension.
I employed various quilling techniques. My recent favourite is quilling a new almond shape that has a more blunted end, as I ‘thicken’ the quilled layers by gluing stage by stage (see pink flower with a golden inner petal). With this technique, I am able to fill the gap of the almond shape with an infinite variety of colours and ‘lustres’. Hence, the gold idea. Like a magpie, I like its shine! The gold is simply wrapping from a famous chocolate that I’ve saved for a while. I kinda like the economy of that.
The big yellow flower took most of the time, since each six petals has three ‘inner’ quilled shape, which were then ‘wrapped’ around in a contrast paler yellow. Working in contrasts really lifts each of the colours. Over the years, I have developed my own palette with these contrasts. Sometimes, they do come out wrong (or not as vibrant). I have so many of these failed attempts! Maybe, one day I’ll make a post of these so-called ‘failures’.
The lavender flower in the background is also a revelation in the process. I have guilottined this strip at approximately 1.5 cm, and boy does it show some heft on the hand. This is a new one on me. Bigger, bolder quills. Another one to revisit one day when I have the resources to create a bigger, more expansive work.
The feedback from the exhibit from colleagues have been so positive and I am so honoured and proud. I am so grateful to you, Alec, for such a beautifully executed frame and glazing!
The Art of Jeff Ting 