Tricia Smout
I am Tricia Smout, a lettering artist and registered teacher based in Brisbane, Queensland.
In addition to my 'legible' calligraphy commissions, I incorporate lettering in artwork and clothing. I love creating designs based on letters and words using a wide range of techniques.
I also teach adults' and children's classes in calligraphy, lettering design, artist bookmaking and various paper crafts.
I have won various awards, and my work has been published in international craft journals. My work has been exhibited in many galleries, and purchased by private collectors in Australia and overseas.
My most recent solo exhibition, "Colourful Language" in 2007, was
well-received, and I am now searching for venues to host my next venture
"MathemARTical" (artwork based on numbers, shapes and patterns) and its
associated teaching program (for adults as well as children).
Website: www.triciasmout.com.au
Contact: smout@uqconnect.net
My Work
Ways of Seeing
70 cm diameter, up to 150 cm (expanded)
Acrylic inks on board, fabric, paper, threads, yarns, beads, wire, Calligraphy, embroidery, crochet, felting, paper collage, beading
During our lives we develop Perceptions, Intuitions, Attitudes, Sensibilities, Experiences and Understanding of the world in which we live. These can limit (or even obscure) our ability to 'see clearly'. These concepts are 'written' inside magnifying glasses, each in a different technique (crochet, tapestry, felting, beading, embroidery and decorated paper) to represent the varied approaches we can take to make sense of our surroundings.
The seven black discs contain colourful quotations about life (experiences, possibilities, insights, etc), written as circular bands of colour, illuminating the dark recesses of the unknown. Each disc's central focal point is shaped like an eye, symbolising one of these perspectives (or 'outlooks') on life - or it could be the 'third eye' (the window to the subconscious).
The various colours encompass
Wearable Art Vest
60 x 53 cm
Machine appliqué.
Vest.
Black satin words were appliquéd over many different fabrics in my favourite colours of purples, blues, pinks and greens to create a 'stained-glass' effect.
The quotes on the back express my feelings about the universality of art, as well as individual creativity.
ALL ARTS
ARE ONE
EVERY ARTIST
DIPS HIS BRUSH
IN HIS OWN SOUL
The words on the two front panels represent my interests in various art forms.
On the right front:
LIT-ERA-TURE
DANCE
FIBRE-ARTS
PAINTING
On the left front:
MU-SIC
SCUL-PTURE
CALLI-GRAPHY
DRAMA
Calico, hand coloured, embroidered with 3D fabric sculptures of animals, insects and a leprechaun.
Alphabet
This book and quilt incorporate designs which are based on the letters of the alphabet. Each motif was created by mirroring and repeating one letter to produce a circular pattern.
Alphabet Book
7 x 23 cm diam (in box), up to 100 cm diam (laid out).
Cut-paper shapes, gouache and acrylic ink on mat board.
Circular book in box.
The book contains 27 circular pages stored in a round box. Each page features one letter-lace design in cut-paper collage.
On the back of each page is written the historical development of each letter, with the words spiralling outwards, reminiscent of the way cultural (and individual) creativity blossoms forth from a central core.
The colours, in both the writing and the backgrounds of the designs, range through the full spectrum, representing the unending cyclical development of our written culture.
Alphabet Quilt
225 x 45 cm
Hand-appliquéd alphabet designs, hand quilted on background fabrics.
Wall hanging or stole.
The quilt features these same letter-lace designs. Black satin
Spectrum of Humanity
50 x 70 cm
Pieced and quilted fabric with hand-lettering.
Wall hanging.
In an ideal unprejudiced society, people, with their own unique blend of personality, beliefs and talents, can be free to reach their fullest potential, combining harmoniously with others to create a glorious spectrum of diversity.
Various quotes are written in the white borders, describing the necessity to respect individual differences, blend complementary combinations, and revel in the harmony of the whole.
The two multicoloured fabrics in this quilt (the warm orange/reds and the cool green/blues) are very different, yet in the outer border they blend harmoniously to create a richer, more balanced whole (the full spectrum). In the centre, individually-coloured scraps of these two fabrics have been melded to form the word SPECTRUM, showing that each unique contribution, however small, has a vital part to play in completing the full picture.
Reconcilliation
20 x 20 x 5 cm (closed), up to 20 x 100 x 30 cm (opened)
Inks, boards, assorted papers, threads, fabrics.
Concertina book
When diametrically-opposed people first come into contact (different cultures, viewpoints, values, ages, abilities, genders) neither understands the others' experiences and history, and so they do not readily interact. With increasing contact and understanding, initial apathy can be replaced by tolerance and cooperation.
This progression, from separation to reconciliation, is depicted in the pages of this book. The interweaving of the cultural differences can be viewed from either the 'black' or 'white' perspective, framed and restricted by our own cultural baggage. Even while breaking down the barriers, we must still try to preserve and celebrate individual and cultural differences.
Assorted Artist Books
I love making little artist books which I sell in galleries. Here are just some of them....
WEAVING BOOK
17 x 7 cm (closed)
Pearlescent inks, board, metallic threads, photocopied hand-lettering.
Stitched concertina book.
BOOK BROOCH
3 x 3.2 cm
Fabric, button, photocopied hand-lettering.
Concertina book
THE WEB OF LIFE
8cm x 8 cm x 1cm (closed)
Commercial paper, collage cover, handwritten photocopied text.
Maze book.
QUILTER'S PACK
10 x 15 cm
Photocopied quotes, folded paper cover, badge, fancy threads.
Folded packet with inserts.
