Yr Hen Feistres: Y gwersi i’w dysgu (Hawdd ei Ddeall)

Gan Beth Maiden

Mae’n fis Hydref, ac mae Penny bron â chwblhau ei brodweithiau. Mae hi’n brysur tu hwnt! Ond mae’r holl wnïo wedi rhoi amser iddi gnoi cil am y prosiect hyd yma. Mae hi’n ceisio deall beth sydd wedi gweithio’n dda, a beth i’w newid.

Dyma’r gwersi y mae Penny wedi’u dysgu.

1. Dechrau brodio yn gynharach

Ar ddechrau’r prosiect, fe fu Penny yn gweithio ar fideos a’r cyfryngau cymdeithasol. Roedd hyn yn golygu bod llai o amser ganddi i greu’r brodweithiau. Byddai’n well ganddi ddechrau’r brodweithiau yn gyntaf, er mwyn gallu gweithio’n araf a theimlo’r ‘llif creadigol’ yn datblygu.

2. Mae meddyginiaeth yn bwysig!

Mae gan Penny ADHD. Fe gafodd hi rywfaint o broblemau gyda’i meddyginiaeth ym mis Medi a mis Hydref. Roedd hyn yn golygu bod canolbwyntio’n anodd iddi. Mae hi’n gobeithio na fydd hi’n cael rhagor o broblemau yn y dyfodol!

3. Gweithio gyda ffrindiau

Fe wnaeth Penny roi cynnig ar weithio ar ei phen ei hun a gweithio gyda ffrindiau. Mae’n well ganddi weithio pan fydd pobl eraill o gwmpas. Mae cael cwmni yn ei helpu i ganolbwyntio ac yn hwb i ddyfalbarhau pan fydd y gwaith yn anodd. 

Mae Penny wedi ymuno â grŵp o bobl sy’n gweithio gyda’i gilydd, felly bydd pethau’n haws yn y dyfodol.

4. Mae bywyd yn brysur!

Yn ystod cyfnodau clo’r pandemig, roedd gan Penny lawer o amser gartref i greu ei chelf. Ond gan fod bywyd bellach ‘yn ôl i normal’, mae hi’n brysurach o lawer. Mae hyn yn golygu ei bod hi’n cymryd mwy o amser iddi greu’r brodweithiau. Y tro nesaf, bydd hi’n rhoi mwy o amser iddi hi’i hun.

Mae Penny yn edrych ymlaen at ran nesaf y prosiect. Bydd hi’n defnyddio’r gwersi y mae hi wedi’u dysgu i wneud pethau’n haws.

Old Mistress: Lessons learned (Easy Read Post)

By Beth Maiden

It’s October, and Penny has nearly finished her embroideries. She is very busy! But all that sewing gives her time to think about the project so far. She is thinking about what worked well and what to change.

Here are the lessons Penny has learned.

1. Start the embroidery earlier

At the beginning of the project, Penny worked on videos and social media. This meant she had less time for making the embroideries. She would prefer to start the embroideries first, so she can work slowly and get into her ‘creative flow’.

2. Medicine matters!

Penny has ADHD. She had some problems with her medicine in September and October. This made it difficult for her to concentrate. She hopes there won’t be any more problems in the future!

3. Work with friends

Penny tried working alone and working with friends. She prefers working with other people around. Having company helps her to focus and keeps her going when it is hard. 

Penny has joined a group of people who work together so it will be easier in the future.

4. Life is busy!

During the pandemic lockdowns, Penny had lots of time at home, making her art. But now life is ‘back to normal’, she is much busier. This means it takes longer to make the embroideries. Next time, she will give herself more time.

Penny is looking forward to the next part of the project. She will use the lessons she has learned to make things easier.

Do you want to see the finished embroideries? You can follow Penny on Instagram @pennytristram and on TikTok @pennytristram for pictures and videos.

Old Mistress: How to embroider a painting (easy read)

By Beth Maiden

We are halfway through the Old Mistress project and Penny is busy making her embroideries. 

She is asking for feedback from other artists. They are helping her and giving her ideas for how to make the work better.

Summer’s Day, painted by Berthe Morisot

It has not been easy so far. Penny was ill so she needed extra time for the project. Some of the materials are not right, so she has to look for new ideas. And she does not always feel confident that she can do all the work. But things are getting easier now.

Penny’s embroideries are made up of lots of tiny stitches.

Penny uses special stitches to make her embroideries look like paintings. They are called ‘short stitch’ and ‘long stitch’. She also uses one called ‘satin stitch’, and she has learned a new stitch called ‘couching’. 

The Scream, painted by Edvard Munch.

In some pieces Penny has used bits of old plastic rope instead of thread. They are nice and thick and bendy, just right for the swirly sky in this painting.

Madame Victoire, painted by Adélaïde Labille-Guiard.

In this piece, the woman looks like she has had an electric shock! So Penny is going to try using a different material to make her hair.

A painted face.

Faces are very difficult to embroider so Penny paints them on. She thinks it’s nice to have a mixture of both painting and stitching in the pieces.

Penny has also been filmed for a video about the Old Mistress project. The video is about her home and her life as an artist with disabilities. 

Don’t forget to follow Penny on Instagram and TikTok @pennytristram for more project updates!