artmixter

Brightening Up Bags...

2012-01-24T11:56:00.001Z

seemed to be a good thing to do on a dark and depressing winter's day. You know, the little cotton ones that you tuck into your handbag before you go out shopping, just in case... I've been hand dyeing some, and they have come out really well. I thought that I might embellish one or two, and provide the means for embellishing others in the bags themselves, and sell them as kits with full instructions. I have something of a money focus at the moment, as Robin is still looking for work, and it's a bit scary. I don't earn all that much (surprise, surprise...) and may have to go back to the Day Job to help with paying the bills. Meantime, though, these little bags will go onto Etsy, with and without embellishments, along with some tshirts and other hand dyed bits and pieces.

Meanwhile, I've started another book, a follow up to 'Finding Your Creative Focus'. This one develops the theme of where you get your ideas from, which I talked about in the first book, and looks at creating personal imagery. As I did with the last one, I'd like to set up an online group to work through the text; you get free tuition, I get feedback on what works...and the occasional quotation! I'm looking for five guinea pigs...I mean, volunteers... if anyone is interested, please email me direct, thanks.

Now, hopefully, the shed will be warm enough for me to work in. I was working with soy wax yesterday, making samples for my talk tomorrow to Kings Lynn Embroiderers' Guild, 'Waxing Lyrical'. Hopefully, they will have dried enough for me to add the second layer of wax and colour...

Mixing It Up...

2012-01-23T12:56:00.001Z

is arguably what I do best. But even I didn't expect to make hats...or anything to do with fashion. Though one of the few memories of my childhood I have is making 'clothes' for my sister's Cindy doll, using tissues (the only 'material' I had access to) and endlessly 'designing' clothes for badly drawn mannequins. It's funny, the things you remember. And of course, when Andrew was little (he'll be thirty this year, how time flies...), I made quilted waistcoats and jackets to sell, which were quite popular at the time. Unlike my friend Sandy, though, I don't have a fashion training, so I thought no more of it. But here I am, learning to make hats. This is my first fascinator, nearly finished (but not quite). I can't imagine anything more joyful to do. On Friday, I met with my friends Jill and Clare, who are learning with me, and compared notes with them. Jill took lots of photographs, so I'll let you see some more when I get the images.

This one is quite straightforward, really, but I'm planning to work with lutradur and evolon, silk and felt, and lots and lots of stitch, to create art to go to your head...as it were! Watch this space!

Making Samples...

2012-01-17T20:31:00.000Z

three samples of experimental cloth

for my class tomorrow, and for a talk I'm giving for the Embroiderers Guild at Kings Lynn next week. The class focusses on experimenting with the idea of making one's own fabric, whilst the talk is called 'Waxing Lyrical'. One of the 'fabrics' in the picture is suitable for both of these; can you work out which it is?

When the guild selected 'Waxing Lyrical' as a subject for a talk, I was slightly taken aback. Though it is on my list of workshops, it isn't often asked for. I'm glad it was, though...I've been reminded of just how much I use wax in my work, one way or another. It's useful stuff, in all its various forms. No, I'm not telling you anything else.. but I promise to do a detailed blog or two on wax after the talk!


a close up of a piece of Nuno felt.

Meanwhile, felt making is on the agenda for tomorrow's class; the above is a piece of Nuno felt. I love working with wool tops; it's like drawing and painting with fibres. And the textures are amazing.

I'm planning to run this set of classes as an online course; I know, everyone seems to be doing them now, but I think it's my turn now . We're going to cover felt making, silk paper making, lutradur lace and bondaweb fabric, over a period of eight weeks, in sets of two. The first week, we'll make the cloth itself; the second, we'll make a specific project using the cloth we made. I know what it's like to have lots of samples kicking around in your workspace; we'll get these into use as quickly as we can! Watch this space for more details... leave me a comment if you are interested.

Isn't This Amazing...

2012-01-12T20:40:00.000Z

...a shot of the new Gallery. This is the gallery space in the Memorial Hall at Dereham, which has been created from an alleyway next to the original building. It is truly gorgeous, an ideal space for showing art. The archway at the end is an original feature; the building is full of them, all carefully and lovingly restored. Now, it leads through into the workshop space, which is flooded with natural light...windows everywhere. I'm looking forward to teaching there. I'm doing something new, for me, at least. I thought I'd put together a set of classes about making your own cloth to use in your textile work. Not weaving, I'm afraid, though we might work our way up to a little bit of weaving later on in the classes. I thought, instead, we'd start with felt making and silk paper making. One week we'll make the fabric itself, the second, a project using the fabric you made. The classes will be held each Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm... email me if you want more information, or contact Judy at the Gallery for info about this or any other class. This is a wonderful resource for artists and craftspeople, not just in the Dereham area, but throughout Breckland and beyond.

The front part of the gallery is home to a wonderful community quilt. Next time I'm in, I'll take a photograph so that you can see it. Meanwhile...enjoy the view!

The Happy Shop

2012-01-11T18:21:00.003Z

sounds like a fairy story, but really, it should be the name of The Wishing Tree, my friend Olivia's shop in Long Stratton. I went there for the first time, yesterday, had a cup of coffee and showed Olivia some of my work. And I'm happy to say she liked it enough to keep some of it to show in the shop, so I'm a happy woman! That's her in the picture, in one of the comfy chairs, surrounded by some of her stock.

So why the title? Well, if shops had several names, like cats, then the happy shop would be ideal for The Wishing Tree. It is awash with colour and texture, from the wooden fair trade zebras and giraffes, through the silly signs, to the lovely jewellery and unusual cards. Look for yourself; they have an on line service (just click on the link in the previous paragraph). I particularly liked a lovely, happy Buddha in the spirit section, and some of the wonderful wall art. And did I mention the cute soft toys? But yes, I have to admit that in particular, I loved the coffee shop. No, I didn't try the cake, but it did look amazing... the coffee was great, and the comfy seats really comfy. It struck me as the kind of place you could go and write, or knit, on your own, and know that nobody would bother you (that's important to the depressives among us...). The staff were friendly and warm, and said that the cozy (their word) atmosphere of the place was really important to them. The cake is home made, and one of the staff is an artist in her own right, making much of the jewellery the shop sells. And for the Celts among us...the crack was good.

You could argue that I'm biased. Well, yes...a bit. But it was really a pleasure to go and talk to knowledgeable, friendly people about my own passions, art and cake! And I was genuinely bowled over by the shop. I had a really lovely time, and I hope I'll be supplying the Wishing Tree with my own brand of art for a long time to come.... The photo, by the way, is of Olivia herself, in one of those comfy chairs, looking far too thin for a woman who owns a coffee shop... sigh... So if you do go in, and if you're in Norfolk, you really should...tell them I sent you! I'm going back sooner rather than later, because they have just opened a new vintage section in the shop, and I didn't get to see what they were putting in there... but whatever it is, it'll be good. I suspect the fabulous clock you can see above Olivia's head will be in there, it's definitely vintage inspired, and if I had a room large enough, I would have bought it on the spot. And yes, Gemma, if you're reading, you can come too...we'll call it a field trip!

Focus, Focus, Focus

2012-01-05T12:51:00.000Z


a detail from a stitched photograph printed on canvas and machine stitched.

...seems to be what I've been lacking for a while. I realised that when someone on Facebook asked the inevitable question...'and what is your keyword for the year'. Last year, I didn't have one...too busy thinking about my health. This year, focus is exactly what I need.

So...what am I going to focus on, exactly? Firstly, much more work with Bertha the large scale Epson printer. I've got a fair amount of images printed off,. but I need to work with them now. Secondly, I want to make a lot more felt and generally learn more about creating my own fabric, both alone and with a weaver. Thirdly, I want to make hats and other excitements, like corsages and fascinators. Fourthly...I want to write some more about lutradur and evolon, as well as the new non woven that has recently appeared in the Spunart stable, Zeelon. And the book on landscapes that I'm writing with friend and fellow artist Jill Arnold. And I think that's more than enough!

That cuts out a lot of things, potentially, though I don't really know how the work will develop. There's no mention of mixed media, here, but that doesn't mean it won't appear. No mention of teaching, though I will be teaching this year, mainly in the areas I have mentioned above. I said focus, and I meant it...but that doesn't mean I can't be tempted into other areas if it's related to my major themes this year. I suspect that this is, in fact, the core of my work for the next few years.

And now that's settled, time to get on with it... And watch this space for a few changes to the blog, by the way. New year, new template, perhaps? So what is your focus for the year? Let's see what everyone is doing!

New Beginnings?

2012-01-01T14:17:00.004Z

I post every year on the first of January; it's the anniversary of my beginning to blog. Usually I wax lyrical about the good things that have happened over the year, and the excitements to follow. This year, though, I don't really know what to say. Last year was possibly the worst we have lived through in 32 years of marriage. I have been ill for most of that time, and pretty much unable to work (and today, a combination of a cold and a grumpy tummy has me beginning the new year with more of the same...). I made things to sell for Christmas...but didn't allow for the demon depression, which bit me with a vengeance at the end of November and hasn't quite let go, yet. Still haven't made the Christmas cards I designed, and as for the decorations... oh well, there's always next year.

Robin is now officially out of work, and actively job hunting across the country, so everything is up in the air (anyone need a good FD?). We hope to be able to stay where we are; we love it dearly, and have made some wonderful friends. I have ideas for new directions, and a development on an existing direction, including learning millinery with my friends Clare and Jill (watch this space, or one very like it, for more detail...). I usually start each new year with a bounce; this year, it's more of a whimper, but I'm holding on in there. If you are in a similar position, know that you are not alone, and it's okay to feel less than positive about the new year. What isn't allowed, though, is to give up. The bad feelings will pass...they always do... opportunities will arise again....they always do... It helps if you can believe in yourself...or at least, in bits of yourself. The new year will doubtless not be perfect; that's fortunate, because neither are we. Just make sure you look after yourself...and I'll do the same, and we'll keep each other company, one day at a time. I feel better already...and it isn't just the cold remedy....

Thank you to everyone who has kept the faith with me and this blog over a truly awful year... I've said it before, but normal service is about to be resumed...like now. I'm planning for this blog to be a record of my rise out of the depths, and into renewed creativity and action. And if I can do it, so can you. I hope you'll keep me company... and I hope I'll help you to move into creativity and action, whether or not you feel you need it!

Sparkly Bits...

2011-11-13T19:50:00.003Z

are to be found all over my dining room table, and, if I am honest, on the dining room floor, too. I'm taking part in a couple of art/craft events over the next few weeks, and I'm making tiny flower arrangements, just for the fun of it, and to add a little glitz to my stand. The image shows four of them; three are in little metal buckets, complete with handles, whilst the third is a similar structure, but in pink glass. I shall be popping a few onto Etsy, too.

I've pretty much had the week off; my niece has been visiting. We shopped til we dropped (fortunately, nothing broke!), we talked lots and one of us did some computer programming whilst the other made chutney. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to tell me who did what... A week has not been long enough, it never is... but she is in her final year at St Andrews University, and had to go back to continue her studies.

I'm contemplating a change of direction in my work (yes, another one...), and facing a major upheaval in my personal life, so if I have been somewhat elusive this week, that's what it's about. That, and looking after Hopalong... my lovely husband injured his knee last weekend, and is on crutches; back to hospital on Tuesday. Tomorrow, though, I go out with Clare, my passementerie friend, to do some research on a joint venture, of which more another time.

Chutney...

2011-11-09T15:45:00.004Z

is wonderful stuff. I've just made about 10lbs of it, banana and banana and apple. One of them caught on the bottom of the pan, though, and tastes more of burnt sugar at the present time. With a kick, of course... it's quite spicy.

I was thinking that usually when you cook, you taste as you go along. With chutney, though, you can't really do that. It takes up to six months for flavours to develop. You just don't know what you're going to get. In a way, it's like making a scrap quilt over a long period of time. You may not see the overall effect for ages...and then, suddenly, it is there, as you hoped it would be. Both activities take patience, an eye for the longer term, perseverance.

The image is of an autumn leaf, printed on Bertha, my large scale epson, and then stitched into.
It seemed more appropriate than a shot of my chutney in the pan, somehow...

Autumn Leaves

2011-11-05T12:00:00.004Z

are so incredibly beautiful. This tree outside my living room window simply changed colour in a day. Now, of course, after some strong winds, there are more of them on the ground than on the branches, but they still look amazing. I have a selection of autumnal fat quarters just begging to come out to play at this lovely season, perhaps my favourite of all. But I'm still resolutely making things for Christmas, and ignoring their siren call.

I do, however, have to go and get some batting... maybe tomorrow. I have a quilt to make for the International Quilt Challenge, Through The Window. I have completely ignored my earlier ideas, which no doubt will be called up for duty later, to make a piece that it entirely suitable for this time of year, with Hallowe'en/Samhain just passed and Guy Fawkes looming. I'll let you ponder that one... it doesn't involve orange, though.

Meanwhile, back to the grindstone. Stuffing lavender bags and finishing off festive table arrangements, not to mention adding a little more wool to the lovely pale green scarf I felted yesterday... it's all go!

Workshop Fun!

2011-10-31T13:42:00.004Z

I was lucky enough to be asked to run a workshop in Swaffam, last week, in the Assembly Rooms. I have to say that it is probably one of the swankiest venues I have ever taught it. The workshop was on customising shopping bags, the little cotton bags that can fold happily in your handbag, to come out in case of emergency... very green. We had a lot of fun. We used freezer paper to make stencils, and then, after painting with fabric paint, wrapped the handles with fibres, and made and added a beaded charm and/or a ribbon bow (pink, of course!). As you can see, many participants made flower based bags, but one enterprising young gentleman called Harry drew a great car, which I turned into a stencil for him. He painted it with great gusto, added his name at the bottom and went off happily. Sadly, I didn't get a photo; it was a great bag!

I rarely work with kids, and had a great time with them. They are, by and large, much less scared of experimenting than adults are, and seemed to have a great time. Even the teenage girls With Attitude managed a smile... but only one. Must Do More...

Felting Frenzy...

2011-10-30T09:35:00.004Z

is what seems to be going on right now. I was in the shed on Friday with my 'apprentice', Gemma, and taught her how to wet felt. One of the things we made was this short scarf, made with wool fibres dyed by my friend and fellow Etsian, Kary, aka The Knotty Sheep , gentle lilacs and blues. I added some white silk fibres, for texture and colour. The scarf is short, and looks like an unstructured collar when you wear it. I can't decide whether to fasten it with a brooch or to make a ribbon or Evolon flower to fasten it. Similarly, I can't decide whether to keep it or sell it. That last one is not much of a problem, though...there will be other, different, possibly better scarves to come.

Gemma took to felt making like a duck to water, as she always does. It struck me, as we were working together, that the principles of most techniques can be taught in about an hour, if the student is paying attention. The rest of the learning is down to practice and imagination. All you need for that is time and confidence. Try it...what do you have to lose?

Ornaments...

2011-10-25T11:07:00.003Z

are not usually in my repertoire, but I found myself merrily playing with this little one. I'm contemplating even smaller ones, to tie onto handbags with gold cord. I like working small; they are quick to make, and it's difficult to get too bored. And when I do, I go off and do something else.

I'm waiting for a skip to arrive, decluttering isn't done by halves around here. I had hoped it would arrive this morning, as we're more than ready for it, and close to the depot, to boot, but no such luck. So, in the meantime, I've filled the car with stuff for the charity shop (and I really mean filled...no room for anything else in the back). And I'm sitting here smelling the sweet potato and leek soup that we'll have for dinner, not to mention the chicken, slow cooking in garlic. No baking today, or at least, not yet...but there's time. Maybe some more of that lovely, moist gingerbread, a new recipe for me.

All of these activities are creative. Decluttering, cooking, baking, all require creative thought. How can I rearrange things so that I need less? How can I make these recipes taste better? I call it practical imagination, for those of us who are in creative denial. Ask yourself... what did I do today that was creative? And what will I do tomorrow? Creativity, or practical imagination, feeds the soul, just as the soup feeds the body. It doesn't have to be a giant step; just changing the balance of the ingredients to suit your taste is a creative act...just like changing the colours in a quilt pattern to suit you .

Felt Texture.

2011-10-24T16:02:00.005Z

I love the texture of felt. I spent Friday in the shed, experimenting with wool tops, silk and thread ends. This particular piece started off as a rich brown, with the white layered on top of it. The purple pieces are my hand dyed silk fibres. This is a small piece, waiting for stitch. I might just do that by hand, add texture to texture... The purple makes me think of tree trunks; perhaps some blue stitching to suggest a sky...tiny blue random stitches, a pale blue.

I had forgotten just how much I enjoy wet feltmaking. It is, quite simply, painting with wool. All that glorious colour and texture... right up my street. I'm not an expert at this by any means and I don't pretend to be any such thing. I just love doing it, and I don't do it often enough. I don't use my embellisher often enough, either... Must Try Harder...

So...what do you love doing, and don't do often enough?

Chop, Chop!

2011-10-23T16:09:00.004Z

I spent the afternoon in the Little Green Shed, cutting up fabric to make a variety of different things. It's boring work, but once you get into a rhythm, it's quite meditative. I even switched the music off and worked in glorious silence...so I nearly shot out of my skin at a loud knock on the side of the shed. Robin, bellowing that the neighbours didn't believe that I was there at all, as there was no music and no giggling. Now, I knew that they associated me with giggling...most people do. In fact, I spoke to an old friend on Skype a couple of days ago, and almost the first thing he said was, oh no, you've still got that awful laugh! As if I could lose it...

That laugh has got me into trouble over the years, of course. I once taught a conversational French evening class that was moved into another room, because the Floral Art ladies protested at the level of hilarity coming from next door... and many people have found me at shows by my giggle. I don't think that's a bad thing to be known for... and I try to make sure that my workshops ring with laughter; having fun is the best way to learn.

I now have lots of different bits of fabric to play with...and a husband on holiday for three days. That suggests that play time is likely to be deferred until Thursday... oh well... he doesn't take holidays very often. I might even get to Go Somewhere... though it's more likely that we will spend the day flinging things in a skip, and taking others to a charity shop. Don't we lead an exciting life?

I Know, I Know...

2011-10-22T21:13:00.004Z

but it's nearly the end of October. I know you don't like to hear the C word much before December, but to get all the presents made, you have to start early. So here is my first attempt, a pincushion with a definite Christmas theme to it. I made it 6" square, because I hate wee footery pincushions...I only lose them. This one has three different fabrics on the top, including a hand dye, and is quilted in gold variegated metallic threads, as well as having an embellishment of some sari yarn around the edges. The back is made of Evolon, so that it isn't too slippy; nothing worse than a pincushion slalom...

I'm just about to do a lot of this kind of thing, so bear with me, as inevitably, it will make its way onto the blog. Much of it will be for the Etsy shop, but some of it will be for my loved ones... but I'm not saying which is which, so if you like something in particular, and you're on my Christmas list, perhaps a few hints would be in order... Mind you, I will also show you some of the felt I made yesterday, too, once it is dried and stitched. So it's not all holly and mistletoe...honest... and I promise, no Christmas music. Not at all. Not a note. No sir.

Occasionally...

2011-10-20T11:21:00.003Z

I am reminded that I paint a bit, too. This time, I came across a small piece I made for a project that came to nothing. It's a small watercolour, on board. I think it's fun! I haven 't painted in some time, but would like to make more happy pieces like this one. I'll be interested to see it with a mount. Mounts and frames make a huge difference to pieces, somehow. In fact, I think this particular piece has potential as a fabric design, so may well have a go at doing some yardage. Or try it out on Bertha...I have the photographs, and I know how to use them! I think this would be interesting printed large, and then embellished with stitch. Watch this space...

This train of thought is typical of me, really... I find something, not necessarily an art work, and then start having ideas around it. I think that's why I enjoy working as a coach with people who are blocked for some reason. There are more ideas in the world than we have time to work with... coaching lets me share them around! Anna wrote about her experience of coaching here.
She was great fun to work with. All it took was a little shift in her thinking for her to realise that her work did have a direction...and off she went, block well and truly busted! What do you need to change your thinking about, in order to be more creative? And who can help you see it?

Which Twin's The Toni?

2011-10-17T10:21:00.006Z

I try to avoid pictures of me on the blog, but this one is an exception. It was taken in the Mirror Maze in the Garden of Surprises at Burghley. I would have given up early on, but Terry is made of sterner stuff, and found her way to the centre, then insisted that I joined her, to the amusement of another group of tourists, who joined in. The maze is reallyquite surreal, all those mirrors, particularly when you end up in a dead end... mildly nauseating. Far too many copies of me! There's lots of water in the park, too, gorgeous fountains, and a wonderful moss garden, complete with steam, or was it very fine spray? I'm not sure. The walls there were set with semi precious stones. And I was happy not to trigger the last of the surprises, which I think would have triggered a water feature at the exit. It wasn't warm enough to enjoy a wetting, no matter how much fun it was!

I'm hoping to go back to Burghley soon, to visit the house, as well as the town of Stamford, which reminded me of the Shambles at York. We didn't stop there, but drove through it; much of the architecture was amazing. Must try to talk Robin into it....

Yet More Burghley

2011-10-17T10:13:00.004Z

As always, the natural world demanded my attention on the visit to Burghley; and how could it not, with a deer park, and various man-made and natural attractions. I was struck by the beauty of these huge, furry leaves, though I don't know what tree they came from (anybody know?). The patterning on the leaf is fascinating; hugely detailed and reminiscent of tree bark. The reverse of the leaf was just as fascinating, though more muted. I took this one home with me, but within a couple of hours, the green had gone. For want of waxed paper to iron it with, I sprayed it with a wax coating which you would usually use on waxed coats; that has preserved it to some extent, but the stunning colour is gone.

I wouldn't usually think of such a colour combination; isn't nature a wonderful artist? Watch this space for lime green appearing in my palette in future! I bought some, recently, and haven't used it yet... now seems to be a good time! Perhaps in a small piece, just to see how I like it... and then, who knows!

More Burghley...

2011-10-17T09:56:00.003Z

Sadly, I can't attribute the photos in the last post...or at least, not yet. I abandoned my leaflet at Terry's house, and don't have the information, though I did provide a link to Burghley itself, from whence doubtless more information can be obtained. I can, however, enthuse hugely about the ongoing exhibition there. I really enjoyed looking at Julian Wild's 'Incomplete Systems', the featured exhibition there this year. They are truly amazing. For me, at least, they somehow express huge amounts of energy held captive within a construction. I was truly impressed. The image above shows one of the sculptures in situ; click either of the links for more detail.

Three dimensional work is challenging for me; it requires a depth of spatial awareness which I just don't possess. Believe it or not, that's why I'm learning flower arranging; anything that has to be viewed from all sides, and look good, has to be helping me to develop that awareness. Similarly, I recently spent a day working with clay. Whilst I was happy with the form of what I produced, the finish of the objects was not as I wanted it to be. If we are wise, we learn continually from all kinds of activities, some art related and some not...and, more importantly, we apply what we have learned.

Out and About...

2011-10-13T17:01:00.004Z

with Terry and Mitch today. We went to Burghley, probably best known for the annual Horse Trials, but which has amazing gardens as well as stunning architecture. I love the look of this tower. Mostly, though, we wandered through the sculpture park. There is a lot of sculpture on show there, some of it changing annually, some in the permanent collection. There are lots of surprises; a wonderful variety of approaches and materials, mixed media, like the cows, stone, as the reclining woman above, lots of wood ( not surprising in a garden), and metal. I ended up taking over a hundred photographs, many of the sculptures, but also many of the trees and what remains of the flowers in the gardens. We were there for a morning, but I could just as easily have spent all day there. Amazing, and well worth a visit.

I Am Smothered...

2011-10-12T19:41:00.003Z

by cat...and for once, it's not one of mine. Terry's cat Smurf has been on my knee for most of the evening, making playing with the computer difficult... err...impossible. When I shifted, though, she moved a bit, and I'm now typing round her. Not sure how long that will last... if Smurf has her way, I'll move my hand and she'll spread out again, giving me regular nose rubs, and purring like a train.

This house is full of animals. I had forgotten how enthusiastic young cats can be about yarn, until I got my knitting out and found one of the other cats pouncing on the yarn. He didn't get quite as far as chewing it, but it was a close run thing. Not sure if I'll actually get anything done much... but we are going to visit a Sculpture Garden tomorrow, so I will be doing something Cultural...

Meanwhile...the parrot has been very quiet...and Smurf has moved again...siorhyoug losulikda....aaargh...

Flowering..

2011-10-11T19:53:00.002Z

into new work and new attitudes, I guess. Relaxing, making work that is fun, interesting, challenging but not painful. Rather work that rejoices in beauty, joy, colour, texture... and is what it is. I will continue to make difficult work, painful work, but I don't feel that it has to be all I do.

Meanwhile, I'm contemplating a new venture, or two, and a couple of ideas for books... but first, I'm going to have a few days off, going to visit my friend Terry, who doesn't do art stuff at all. Looking forward to visiting Sherwood Forest for the first time, walking with her and her puppy, looking for twigs to make dolls with, and some other ideas, too.

I may not be making much in the way of money, but I am rich in ideas and friends and colour and life... oh, and flowers. Looks like everything's coming up roses... Fingers crossed, anyway,

It's Scary...

2011-10-10T19:42:00.003Z

...how quickly time goes by. It's Monday again, and Monday evening to boot, and I somehow lost the weekend... I did have a meeting with another textile person today, to talk about a possible collaboration, which will be fun. And then there was flower arranging class, with a traditional tied arrangement, all roses and alstromeria, not to mention lots of foliage. Photos tomorrow... I love the roses, they are flame coloured, and variegated...will be taking a number of photos of them at different stages of their life, to see what I can do with them on Big Bertha.

I am, however, excused from chicken feeding and dog walking duties; Haydn and Judy are back from their holiday. I will, however, be wandering about Dereham Common nevertheless, with or without dogs, collecting bits and pieces for the next arrangement. Watch this space! Oh, and I'm going to experiment with wreath making, tomorrow, using fabrics. That should be entertaining. I used a wreath form as part of the arrangement this evening, and discovered that it's not as easy as it looks to cover it with foliage... but I managed. Eventually. Phew. Fabric should be Much More Manageable... but you never know.

And in honour of the arrangement, an image of part of a flower.

Autumn...

2011-10-09T17:43:00.004Z

is making its presence felt. The image is a partial shot of a leaf I found in my garden; I thought the colours were beautiful. Like many of the other small images I've shown you recently, it has been printed on canvas, using Big Bertha, my large scale Epson printer, and then stitched into. The whole thing, mounted up, is just over 8" square; the piece itself is about 4 1/2 square. Small but perfectly formed...

I'm sitting here with two jumpers on, thinking about firing up the heating. It does seem a bit early for that, though, but if it continues to be as chilly as this, I will. And I think I'll look out my autumn/winter wardrobe, see what it is like. As it is, I'm now on my fourth scarf, a lacy knit from variegated colours, conker colours together with some rich green... that should be lovely when it's done. And I'm contemplating hand quilting something large, just to keep warm! And it's only October...sigh.

I've been out shopping this afternoon. Bought a frame to see if I like these small images framed up and ready to go. For small things, it's cheaper to buy a frame and see, than it is to make one by hand. Framing and I have had a whirlwhind romance, and then decided we don't like each other much. So I'm sticking to cutting mounts, which I can do well, and leaving the framing to Haydn and Robin. I also bought some fun double knitting wool in seriously bright colours, should cheer me up if nothing else does! And it's carry out curry tonight, which will warm the cockles nicely, particularly as I don't have to cook it! I'm off to set the plates out...

Wondering...

2011-10-08T16:43:00.002Z

what to do next. I've spent the day sneezing, and we're going out shortly to visit a friend for the first time. I was looking through my images to see what I want to work with next, and came across this one. It's a foxglove blossom, seen way up close, and I think it's magical. It makes me think of a pathway, a fairy pathway. When I took and edited the image, I think I just looked at it as a design, with no particular thought other than how it would fit into the long strips of images that I was preparing. It just goes to show how much you can miss if you are working within a particular context. I'm wondering about this at a very large scale, how it would look...

Meanwhile, my thoughts are turning to the festive season. Presents, of course, and stuff for the shop. It's going to be a frugal Christmas, for all kinds of reasons that I won't bore you with, so I hope my nearest and dearest will like what I'm making for them... Of course, I can't say what exactly I'm working on for them... For the shop, though, lots of little things. And I'm going to go out as soon as this cold has vanished (let it be soon...), to take images for cards and ornaments. I'm having fun!

Totems

2011-10-07T14:04:00.003Z

I haven't made a doll in a while, but recently made several; one of them features in this image, standing in front of a large oil painting. Now the gardeners working in my garden are under strict instructions not to throw away sticks that might make good Totem Dolls. I seem to be doing a lot of things that I haven't done in a while, recently. Knitting, for instance, three scarves down, who knows how many to go... flower arranging (just bought a lovely glittery basket in a charity shop for £1, someone will be getting an arrangement for Christmas...)... baking (the caramel shortcake with white chocolate is particularly yummy). I've even done some housework! Domestic goddess status surely must be bestowed soon...

Above all, I'm having fun. I think we sometimes forget that all this making stuff is supposed to be fun, too. Joseph Campbell called it 'following your bliss'. I call it joyful. We're both right.Now, what could you do to bring a bit of joy into your life, right now?

More Than A Passing Interest...

2011-10-06T16:10:00.003Z

in passementerie, methinks. I did a workshop recently with my friend and hopefully soon to be collaborator (well, okay, partner in crime...) Claire Hedges, whose website is here. Claire weaves bespoke braids, makes plush (and posh) pompoms, brilliant buttons and terrific tassels. The images are my efforts at the pompoms and tassels...not anything like hers, yet, but hey, I can keep practicing! Claire's work pops up in private homes, but also in National Trust properties. I'm planning to interview her for the blog, as I think what she does is fascinating.

I didn't think I'd enjoy passementerie, altogether too traditional and tidy for me, but in fact, I did. Though Claire would probably say that there wasn't much in the way of tidy about my tassels...sigh. I did try, honest! And I did get enthusiastic enough to feel that I'd like to try more of this; the green tassel is one I made at home (in true Blue Peter style). Hoping to get a bit more tuition in return for a wet felting lesson... Could Do Better.

Going Conkers....

2011-10-05T15:25:00.003Z

...aren't they beautiful? Shiny, with a wonderful waxy feel when fresh, and a gorgeous depth and variety of colours and texture. I picked this one up on a walk with Judy's daschunds. I'm not the only one with this enthusiasm, of course...they are beloved of schoolchildren everywhere, not to mention the occasional artist. My lovely friend June Underwood has made some lovely art featuring horse chestnuts, including this piece, which I am fortunate enough to own. Looking at it, I realise that I am boldly going in my current work where June has already been, but I know she won't hold it against me! And I'm taking a slightly different tack to hers; I look at one thing at a time, close up; she creates compositions, whilst I take close ups. I'm sure there's probably more to it than that... any thoughts, June?

I feel some autumnal art coming out of these photographs...but not necessarily of the conkers themselves, and not solely textile, either. I'm fascinated also by the outside protective coating, aka The Spiky Bit. Inside, they have incredible texture and beauty; I have contemplated making jewellery using them. Now that I'm interested in floral art, I find myself contemplating another piece similar to the one I blogged about earlier in the week, but this time using what I can find on my walks...a picture of autumn.

Ah, The Glamour Of It All...

2011-10-04T20:35:00.004Z

usually, when people hear that you get paid for making art, they say how interesting it must be... and of course, most of the time, it is. But, just like everything else, it has its boring bits. My boring bits are here, in the images. I spent some of today doing them. Firstly, I coated some Evolon with medium, so that I can make more prints on Big Bertha. Then, I cut a lot of mounts for the small prints I've stitched into recently (the mount cutter has miraculously reappeared!).

Fortunately, though there are many boring bits like this in art work, it's the results that make it worthwhile... the work itself, the effect it has on me and on others, the feedback... it creates beauty and change. Which is why I do it. The final image is one of the stitched pieces. I'm very happy with it. I hope you like it, too.

Oops...

2011-10-04T20:15:00.003Z

...I didn't expect to fall at the first hurdle.... missing a day in the first week of Blogtoberfest...oops. This is what distracted me; my second flower arranging class. I spent two weeks wandering around looking for a suitable container; the brief had been to find something long and thin. I could find everything but. Finally, in a garden centre, I found this shabby chic type box, intended for holding small plants. Cheap, too (hurrah). I used razor shells to delineate the sections, and filled them with flowers.

I can hear you wondering what this has to do with my textile work? Well, the final touch was to scatter some metallic Angelina amongst the flowers, to give a touch of shimmer, and to refer to the sea. I think it worked rather well!

Flower arranging is newish to me. I haven't done any arranging since I was at university, when I used to work in a flower shop to earn some extra money. Then, when I showed some of my work at a Flower Festival recently, I started wondering about trying it out...hence the classes. I'm thoroughly enjoying this form of creative play.

Hunny...

2011-10-02T12:12:00.004Z

...is one of my favourite places in Norfolk. Hunstanton is a seaside town on the North Norfolk coast. If you walk past the shops and the fair rides, along the esplanade and keep going, you eventually get to these wonderfully coloured cliffs, which look like coconut ice on a huge scale. The cliffs are chalk, and the pink staining is apparently caused by rust. When you look at individual rocks, you can see the similarity with rust dyed cloth.

I think when we look for inspiration, we look at things on a big scale...whole landscapes, like the one above. For myself, though, I like to look small, like the landscapes in the little rocks in the other photographs. They have huge potential...perhaps I should have brought the white one home and tried dyeing with it... but I outwalked my strength, yesterday, and couldn't have done so if I'd been paid!

Come In No. 138,,,

2011-10-01T16:49:00.005Z

...your time's up!

I've joined Blogtoberfest this year, to encourage me to post Every Single Day. And there will be A Giveaway at some point, so watch this space!

Meantime, I'm wondering about windows for the International Quilt Challenge. The logical thing to do is to work from a photograph, but... when I was studying in Russia, a long time ago, I had to write a Russian dissertation. I wrote about the translation of Robert Burns' poetry into Russian by a poet named Marshak. He made a really good job of it, by the way, albeit with ideological slants that occasionally made me wince. I doubt Rabbie would have minded...but I digress. The first sentence was that translation was like a window; whilst you could see through it to the reality beyond, you were always held back and away from chunks of the meaning. That is because in all fictional writing, there is layer upon layer of cultural references, some of which just don't translate from the source language, others which translate only partially. I think it's just like looking through a window; you can see what's going on, but you can't necessarily hear anything, or smell anything...so you lack some information about what is actually going on in the room. I'm wondering how that might be expressed in visual form...

Incidentally, I'm the administrator for the International Quilt Challenge group. We have a waiting list, with a number of names on it, and if we gather enough, we will start a second group going on the same basis as the first. Let me know if you're interested, please, by email or message here or on the IQC blog.

Rats...

2011-09-30T12:01:00.004Z

I wasn't able to cut any mounts for the pieces I stitched, all twenty of them...mainly because the mount cutter had been borrowed, and trust me, I wasn't going to attempt it without one! So, instead, I opted for the retail therapy option. I've enjoyed knitting my scarf, and thought they might well make good Christmas presents...so I went into a local wool shop and shopped til I dropped (three balls...I put them on the counter after that...). I ended up with the grand total of eleven balls of wool, a jaw dropping (for me) £45 worth. Still, if that gives me Christmas presents for all my female friends, that'll be okay... I might even stick a couple on Etsy, depending how they go.

Knitting, to me, is boring. However, knitting something like a scarf, which is relatively contained, isn't so bad... my boredom threshold isn't as low as all that, after all... so we'll see. Meanwhile, I am woman, see me knit...

The image of course, is my new scarf (that's the pink frothy thing in the bottom left hand side of the image), and my new knitting stash; gorgeous colours and textures. Might even stitch into some of these, or embellish them... watch this space. And of course, there's always felting... I've wanted to get back into wet felting for a while... I feel some scarves coming on that way, too...
Just what I needed, another obsession...

KISS...

2011-09-28T16:01:00.005Z

is the order of the day with these small pieces. It stands for 'keep it simple, stupid', and is good advice for anyone, along with the idea that less is more. This is a struggle for me...I do a lot of quilting on most pieces, though more recently, I've been aiming to give the impression that I'm drawing with thread, rather than quilting or stitching. I rarely ever stitch for pattern, preferring to create texture and/or line. I'm learning, though, that it's difficult to get texture out of canvas, so will stick with Evolon when printing for stitch. Whilst I have to prepare the Evolon, I much prefer the quilted result, though canvas is okay for line work.

This image, though, does show a bit of texture, which isn't really surprising given that there is a lot of stitch in a relatively small area. It hasn't distorted the canvas, one of the advantages of working with a stiffer cloth than usual. I did decide not to add any more stitch, though; I thought it would make the piece far too fussy if I did. See what you think. And I don't think I need to identify the flower for you...

I sat today and stitched a pile of these small pieces, no bigger than 5" square. Tomorrow, I'll cut mounts for them, and see how they look. If I'm happy, they'll go onto my Etsy shop, which I intend to reopen next week or so (yes, I really am feeling better!). And I'm thinking that some of the images, scaled up, might make nice tshirts, if just for me, so I've opened a Zazzle account, to try it out. Might make some personalised mugs for Christmas presents!

Up And Out...

2011-09-27T20:55:00.004Z

I've been struggling with depression again for the past few weeks. One of my friends asked me if I had read my own book, 'Finding Your Creative Focus'. 'I've read it', she said, 'It makes a lot of sense. I just wonder if you remember what you wrote'. Of course, I could... albeit not in graphic detail. But I do know that one of the things I think I said in there, was the need to turn up to work regardless of how you feel. No waiting for inspiration to strike, or the muse to call; you just turn up and do the work.

I did that today. I worked on three small pieces, one of which is shown here. And I remembered; I feel sooo much better the minute I start to work. And the improvement in my mood continues for the rest of the day. I just don't seem to be able to remember that work equals happy. Which is rather a pity. But it only seems to be effective if I decide to work without anyone suggesting it to me. No idea why that is... perhaps it's just the habitual reaction of someone who has been told to 'snap out of it', and knows how impossible that is. Making beautiful things, though...that works. And that's how I got up and out of today's bad feelings; hopefully it will continue on into tomorrow. I've promised myself a day of stitching, though, so even if it doesn't appear to have lasted, it will soon come back again.

This particular thing is a manipulated macro image of part of a cyclamen plant, printed on canvas and then stitched into. I've added a detail shot of some of the stitching, and for once got the images uploaded in the right order. That's another thing I can't remember, the order in which I need to upload files to get them to look right... but that's another story. Meanwhile, I'm wondering if actually reading the book would help with the depression, too. I think that for too long, my focus has been too broad. Many moons ago, business guru Tom Peters suggested that successful businesses needed to 'stick to the knitting'. I've finished the scarf I mentioned in the last post, and will start another one, I think, but I don't see knitting in my future, just as I don't see other forms of art, like altered books, except for fun. I do see these manipulated images, lots of flowers, a few hearts and a lot more fun in my life. I think it's time. Now, where's my copy...

Colouring Up...

2011-09-26T16:40:00.004Z

is always good fun. I did some dyeing last week with Gemma, my apprentice/slave, and finally got round to ironing it. As usual, I forgot to add the Calgon... we never had this problem in Scotland, where water is soft, but Calgon definitely improves the dye take up down here. Still got good results, though, so I forgive my vague self. I really must do some more dyeing; intending to put some of these pretties into the Etsy shop as soon as I get it up and running. Not sure whether to add them as they are, as 18" strips (the fabric is very wide...it effectively provides two Fat Quarters, a Fat Eighth and a bit extra, as I explain to people who are measurement challenged...), or to cut them into Fat Quarters. How do you like to buy your fabric online? All feedback gratefully received. Usually what happens at shows is that I take a lot of FQs and people ask me for larger pieces, and vice versa. I never seem to get the balance right...sigh.

I'm having a happy time making small things for Christmas presents and my festive Open Studios in early December, as well as getting ready for the second International Quilt Challenge challenge. Oh, and there's the little matter of looking after Judy's chickens, dogs and daughter on a part time basis for the next fortnight while she and Haydn are gallavanting around the countryside...they're in Bath today. Lucky them, I've never been, and would love to go. Meantime, though, all of this is keeping me Out Of Trouble, which must be A Good Thing...

Sometimes...

2011-09-24T17:11:00.003Z

I do things for fun, like the knitting I'm doing today, using Rico Loopy yarn. It's fuschia coloured, and very fast to knit up...it's a bit like knitting with a band of crochet, and it produces flounces. I love it...though it was a tad expensive... but hey. I'm thinking about using it in a quilt at some point, would be fun...

I made the above piece partly for fun, partly for the Dereham Town Quilt (not sure of it's official title, so we'll keep to that for now). It is being made to hang in the Memorial Hall in Dereham, which is being renovated at huge cost as an Art Centre. It is going to be very big, with blocks coming from individuals, groups and businesses throughout the Dereham area. I took a picture of a tulip in the churchyard at Dereham, and that has turned into this little piece of work, which I'm quite pleased with. The block had to have both red and gold in it, as those are the colours in the town shield; I ended up using gold metallic thread to define parts of it. I'm going to make some more of these little pretties to put into my Etsy shop. I'm starting to plan what should go in there. I want to cut back on the variety of things I do, and concentrate on the textile and mixed media work...we'll see how long that lasts... but I have been dyeing recently, so hand dyed cloth is definitely on the list, some gorgeous autumnal colours.

Now...back to the knitting...

Changing My Mind...

2011-09-03T16:36:00.001Z

is, of course, something I do on a regular basis. Now that I'm beginning to recover properly from the gall bladder surgery that knocked me sideways earlier on this year, I'm starting to review what I want to be making. And to my eternal surprise, that includes at least one traditional quilt. A very simple four patch, in gentle, pastel colours. With flowers. Hmm. Not a style usually associated for me. And this quilt is for me...to sit on my sofa, so I can wrap myself in it whenever I please. It'll be called Comfort And Joy; named even although it isn't an art quilt.

Those of you who live nearby know that it was my intention to sell my commercial fabric. Since most of my work is around manipulated photographs at present, I figured that this was a good idea...it's only taking up room. I looked through it this morning, and discovered that...well...I just can't do it. It's lovely fabric. It's my fabric. And I can imagine using it, too. I can even imagine teaching a scrap quilt class... 'Perfect Squares'... just exploring what can be done with this most flexible of shapes. Fun, I think...

No, I don't know what's come over me, either. But hey. Change is a good thing. And I'm ready for it. The image is one I'll be working with soon, probably on Evolon. It looks as if it wants to be very tactile, perhaps with beads... hurrah.

Flowers All The Way...

2011-07-30T08:11:00.003Z

I have some work showing this weekend at St Andrew's Church in Longham, so went up there with my trusty neighbour, Mike, and his ladder to hang the work. I'm not up to much in the energy stakes, so Mike did most of the work, including hanging some long strips of photographs in archways; they look really good. I don't have a photo at present, but will take one today. I'm sharing the show with some incredible flower arrangements, and it was great to watch them taking form as I directed operations. As you can see, there's some lovely arrangements to look at. I particularly like the croquet arrangement, complete with daisy 'balls'.

I finally found myself chatting to two ladies making an arrangement in the hallway just outside the main church. We talked about all kinds of things, and jointly discussed the arrangement that was taking shape. It was, of course, just like making a painting. Colours, values, shape, line, all are as important in a flower arrangement as in an art work. Finally, we got onto gardens. I don't really do gardens, but my friend Jill has just completed a garden design course, and offered to deal with several years of benign (and not so benign) neglect. I said I was going to have a dyers garden; it turned out that both my companions were dyers and weavers. Much enthusiastic conversation resulted, and an invitation proffered to visit the workshop. Something to look forward to!

If you are interested, more about the Open Weekend can be found here...I'll be around most of the time, cutting lino and playing with Markal sticks. I'm delighted to be able to show some work in a very local setting, within my own village.

Okay...I Give Up...

2011-07-19T17:54:00.002Z

Six weeks after the operation, I'm still weak and wobbly. Unfortunately, that means that I'm not going to be able to teach at Festival of Quilts this year. If you had booked for one of my workshops, please accept my profound apologies, but I'm just not well enough. This was confirmed by trying to take part in an exhibition on Sunday, and keeling over after an hour or so... not a good look.

Rest and more rest has been prescribed. I've been trying to work, but clearly, that's not helping at all. So I'm giving up for now. Hopefully, by the autumn, I'll be able to get on with things. For the meantime though, I won't be doing much at all, other than editing photographs. I will try to blog from time to time, but normal service isn't likely to be resumed until I'm feeling a lot better. Thank you to all my regular readers for their patience and perseverance over a year of very patchy communication. Normal service will be resumed as soon as I get my energy back!

Down...

2011-06-24T13:59:00.002Z

but not quite out. As you might be aware, I've been suffering from grumpy gall bladder. Finally, after trying, unsuccessfully, to manage it with diet, I agreed to have my gall bladder removed. This is usually done as keyhole surgery, and so it started... however, it ended as a rather long incision (nearly eight inches end to end), what a nurse described as a 'rummage around' to remove the gallstones that had managed to locate themselves in my bile duct, all forty three of them, and left one stubborn stone lodged there. So, a further intervention involving contortions (me) and a camera (them), was performed to remove the remaining stone. Instead of being in and out of hospital the same day, I spent a week toying with a morphine pump (which kept breaking down) and sleeping a lot. The recuperation period for this kind of thing is six to eight weeks; this is the end of Week Three, and whilst I do feel a lot better, I'm not really up to doing much at all about anything. I will be ready for Festival of Quilts, however, barring accidents and acts of God... I'm teaching various bits and pieces, including lino cutting and working with Markal sticks...

So, I thought I'd explain where I'd gone (Nowhere), apologise for my lack of energy and hope that next week, I'll be feeling like doing some painting.

I do, however, have all forty three gall stones, all of which are relatively small, cream and brown, a bit like rotten baby teeth. I'm planning a small sculpture, with the provisional title 'Points of Pain', which will include razor blades and broken glass. Anyone who has suffered from gallstones will immediately understand the (not so subtle) subtext...

Meanwhile, there is a pile of work waiting, including this image. It wants stitch, apparently. And who am I to argue with that?

Two Days In A Row?

2011-05-31T12:11:00.002Z

I'd like to say I was turning over a new leaf... and given the subject matter of the images, I guess that's appropriate. I was talking in my last post about making different stitched versions of images. The photographs here are my first attempt at that. As I felt that the first version worked well, the second variant simply has more intense stitching. These are very small pieces; I can't give you exact measurements as they are at home and I'm not (avoiding the resurfacing work going on outside by working in the gallery today). The third variant will probably have minimal stitching. In a way, this is not the best example of the kind of thing I will be doing, because it is so unambiguous in its structure. Other images are much more abstract and therefore open to much broader interpretations.

I intend to mount all these works, and frame some of them. I'm no longer very comfortable with unframed work. Of course, this means that I won't be able to enter quilt shows with these works, unless I make work specifically for that purpose, but I don't suppose that's much of a problem.

Disappearing Act

2011-05-30T14:34:00.003Z

Yes, I did another one... more illness, mine and injury, a friend's. I'd like to say I'm back on track, two thirds through Open Studios, and feeling good... but I have to go into hospital for an operation, so I'll be quietish for a while. That said, as I'm not supposed to be doing anything much, I might well take the opportunity to catch up with my blogs.

Where was I? Talking about the intentions for the new work. To give you an idea of how it's progressing, here's an image from one of the photographs I showed last time. It's printed on canvas, and stitched. I'd be interested to hear any feedback you have. I'm fairly pleased with this one, though I do have some that I've worked on since, and been less happy about. It's a learning curve, I guess.

It is my intention to print each one of these as a limited edition photograph in its own right, but also to make several stitched pieces from each image, with each of the stitched pieces unique. I don't like repeating myself, but I do like the idea of mini series within an overarching theme. It'll be interesting to see how that goes. I find myself taking from fifty to a hundred photographs each time I find an interesting flower, so you can imagine, I have no shortage of material. And I've digressed into other materials, too, so this may run and run. I feel happy to have found an interesting, challenging and wholly unexpected subject to work with.

The pieces are small; the largest size I can print is 24" in width, though I can make each piece as long as I like. I'm experimenting with sizes, to see what works well, and what doesn't. It's a fascinating journey, and Big Bertha, the printer, is meeting my every expectation. Watch this space!

Going Floral...

2011-03-18T13:15:00.004Z

in a big way. I didn't think that was my style, but there is a story behind the images. I went out to take photographs in the local graveyard, intending mostly to take lichens and moss, that kind of thing, for another purpose entirely, when I came across three tulips. I suspect that they had been placed on a particular grave, but then kicked or thrown apart, and left where they landed. One was tucked into a tree trunk, so perhaps they were placed in a more deliberate fashion, but either way, I was struck by their beauty. They were obviously dying; no water for a couple of days, and it has been cold around here. Nonetheless, they looked amazing, so I took some close up images of them, which I then manipulated in Paint Shop Pro. Yesterday, I printed the two images above out on Big Bertha, and I'm just about to go upstairs to spend the afternoon stitching them. Although I don't usually, I might even enter them into a show, if I feel they're good enough. I used canvas which had been prepared for inkjet printing; whilst it is firmer than the cloth I would usually use, the results are good, and there doesn't seem to be any reason why stitch would not be successful. We'll soon see...

I see these images as a logical extension of my abstract and non representational work in both paint and cloth. In some ways, they relate quite closely to the painting I showed you yesterday. I don't really see myself stitching into straightforward, unaltered photographs, or including them in my work. If it's a good photograph, then it's a good photograph, and should be shown as such. If, however, I can express a feeling or an idea by taking a photograph, manipulating the image and then stitching or painting into it, Iwill. That feels like a legitimate use of photography in my work. That said, the series of portraits I'm making don't seem to require stitch, and may well be presented as photographs, pure and simple. It's important to understand when to stitch, and when not to. Just because I can, is not a good enough reason; the stitch has to add to the meaning of the piece, or it should not be there.

Painting...

2011-03-10T14:22:00.004Z

may be as close as we get to 'Spring at the moment, although it is much warmer than it was a couple of days ago. Looking at the paintings I submitted to the art fair, which were of summer gardens, I thought it was time that a spring garden found its way to the easel...and so it has. I like this painting a lot, it has an energy about it that encourages thoughts of new growth and change, at least for me.

I popped into the gallery and framed a small painting last night, perfectly well, and then managed to screw up today with another... clearly this is a long, long learning curve. Sigh. Still, whilst I might never make a framer, at least I can frame my own work, and am doing so, for Open Studios in May. I'm opening my own studios this time, unlike last year, when I was showing at the Gallery. I prefer showing in my own environment, and I'll be working steadily throughout the time I'm open. Check out this year's Norfolk Open Studios here.

I'm working with Bertha today, printing out large scale images for stitch... more of that later.
What are you up to today? Hope it's something creative.

Quietly Confused...

2011-03-02T12:56:00.004Z

I've applied to take part in an Art Fair in London this May; the closing date was yesterday. 'Send (images of) your best work', they said. I struggled with this for a long time. My immediate thought was, 'I haven't done it yet...' but of course, that's not what they meant. In the end, I chose eight pieces, which seemed to relate to each other, and which I'm proud of. I'm not sure that it's my 'best' work...but perhaps that's just subjective. The one I'm proudest of... actually, there are several, so one of them, 'Losing My Religion', is shown here. I think the thing that all these paintings have in common, is their energy. This is a fierce painting, about a difficult time in my life, when I burned out (aka The Breakdown From Hell). The eight aren't all fierce, they have different moods, different feels to them, but the amount of energy in each is similar. Different, but similar amounts.

What truly interested me is that although textiles is the area I'm known for (if I'm known for anything...), but there isn't a textile among them. I hope the textiles I make in the next year or so will be as powerful as the paintings. At present, they aren't, and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is the medium itself, but I doubt it. I think this is a process thing, and I need to work it out for myself. I seem to start textiles in a different place entirely from where I start a painting. One of my textile friends, Jane, commented yesterday that the paintings would have benefited from having stitch added. I'm not sure I agree, but I could see where she was coming from. I don't feel my textiles have the power that my paintings do. That is going to change... but for today, I'm going to make a painting. I haven't painted for some time, and I realised, as Haydn was photographing the work, that I wanted to paint some more. I know, for once, exactly what I'm going to paint, and I'm off to the Little Green Shed, now that the heaters have been on for a while, and I'm going to paint it...a spring garden. Hope and rebirth...strong ideas, strong images, I hope.

Today...

2011-02-17T15:14:00.004Z

is an I Feel Better sort of a day. After yesterday's dental angst (a tooth removed and a filling), I woke up today and thought...mmm...I've actually got some energy! Which is just as well, really, as I found that I have no batting (well, okay, almost no batting...other than some wonderful wool stuff, which I'm hoarding for no reason other than the fact that I really love working with wool...might make a knee rug with it for the winter). So, I rang my friend Judy and said, come and play...and we went to a quilting and arts supplies shop for the morning (well, it is rather large...). Sixty pounds and two hours later, I thought that a Sit Down was in order, so we went to a lovely cafe, the Park Charity Cafe, which is run entirely to support two charities, and had Cake and Coffee. Yum. In deference to my gall bladder I had a small cake, a raspberry and lime cupcake, which was truly delicious and very pretty, to boot. And then home again.

Given that I still have some energy left, I'm planning to quilt this afternoon, and, if I still feel okay tomorrow, to pop into the Gallery and cut some mounts, at least. I found a piece of cotton that I'd dye painted/printed, and thought it looked Rather Promising. Photos tomorrow. Meanwhile, I did some frog stitch on this little piece, which was cut out of a Much Larger Piece that wasn't working. It's a deconstructed screen print on a lovely piece of vintage French linen, quite a rough weave, I like it a lot. The photo doesn't really do it justice, unfortunately. I've taken most, but not all of the stitching out, as it made sense in the context of the larger piece, but less so now that I've cropped it. Hopefully, I'll be able to quilt them both today, but looking at the time, I think perhaps one or the other... I'm running out of daylight, and I don't like quilting in artificial light.

Meantime, if anyone knows where I've put my Bondaweb, please do tell. I didn't think it was possible to lose a whole bolt of the stuff, but I have proved myself wrong. So it's out with the spray glue, instead...needs must, etc.

Slowly, slowly...

2011-02-15T17:27:00.003Z

a bit like a snail, I'm getting to do a little bit of work. I underestimated this illness in my last post, and most of the things I wanted to get done, haven't. More lying about, reading, and generally not doing much. But it has had its upside. I've managed to make some more of the depression images, ready to print on Bertha. I really must stop calling them 'the depression images'; they are, in fact, part of a series called 'Inside Out'. The problem with mental health issues is that nobody sees anything wrong with you; this series is an attempt to take what's happening on the inside, a morass of pain, fear, rage, and show it on the outside. Portraits of unhappy people are not common... it's interesting to do this work, and it has lots of potential, I think.

But the image I'm showing you is of a little ACEO, proof that I'm not dead yet, creatively speaking, anyway. It's called 'Life's A Beach', and, as always, has been made using several layers of texture, and a bit of glitz. I hope it depicts the textures of a summer's day at the beach. Yes, I'm looking forward to the spring and summer...

I have the dentist tomorrow, which I'm not looking forward to, as he is intending to take a tooth out. Not my favourite occupation, but at least I'll be sitting down...

Recovering Slowly...

2011-02-09T12:47:00.003Z

p
more slowly than I thought possible, to be honest. I managed to make my first frame, successfully, even cut the glass...and was then cut down myself, by a gall bladder related illness that has kept me abed for a fortnight, and even now, is limiting what I can do, and how much energy I have. Needless to say, I have finally decided to have the operation to remove the gall bladder; I can't spend huge chunks of time in bed feeling sorry for myself and too exhausted to move. So that's where I've been these last few weeks.

Before I disappeared to bed, I talked about some work I'd quilted; the images are shown above. One is a simple bubblewrap print, called Bubbles, on some hand dyed fabric. The second is a layered print on Evolon, which needs some more work done on it. The third is a monoprint, also on Evolon, called Red Sun; it, too, could do with some more attention, methinks. Though perhaps, not a great deal. This stuff feels like work that is past, disjointed pieces that have links to each other, but not obvious to anyone but me, and mostly made for a project that I have abandoned. Yet it feels wasteful to abandon the work; there is quite a bit of it. So I will finish, mount and frame what I can, and dispose of the rest. Scrap, anyone?

I have a lot of ideas for new work, but haven't yet begun it. The first step, I think, will be a sketchbook for that project. This is not usual for me; I usually make things up as I go along. This project, though, may well involve other people, and is very complex, including a large scale installation work, which I've never done before. It's a bit scary. Actually, it's a lot scary. Still...things could be worse...at least the ideas are there. So tomorrow, I go buy the sketchbook, and work on it during my rest breaks at the gallery. Having got to the point where I can actually frame, I think I'd better get some practice in, but I'm not convinced I'll manage a whole day. At least this way, I can sit on the sofa and use the time productively.

One thing at a time, though. Having found my camera this morning (lost for a week...in the bottom of a bag full of fabric, where I left it...sigh), I have things to photograph for Etsy, including some lovely hand dyed kiddies t shirts, all ready for spring. Which is coming...honest it is!

All Cut Up...

2011-01-16T10:25:00.003Z

My first week of framing, and I've produced...well... not a huge amount...but I have learned to cut things up, using the specialist machinery. I started with the mount cutter, and cut the mounts shown in the picture, as well as cutting some ACEO bases from the scrap. Waste not, want not, as they say. The ACEOs will be heavier and thicker than usual, but they're ideal for mixed media, assemblage and anything else that needs a bit more support. I'll probably pop them into the Etsy shop, as there are too many for me to use on my own! Then I started using the machine pictured above, which cuts the mouldings. That took a bit of practice, and a lot of confidence; the blades are super sharp. But my first frame is shown here, too, or at least, the bits ready to stick together. That's next week's lesson, along with glass cutting!

I'm also working on some textiles that came in, blocking and lacing an embroidery, so that it sits nicely in the frame. It's nice to feel that there are one or two things I already know how to do, particularly as it feels as if I've made every mistake in the book in my first week! And I have also learned how to finish off the frames this week, so I'm feeling pleased with myself. The gallery is closed on Monday, so I'll be getting some of my own work done, printing a digitally manipulated landscape onto Evolon using Big Bertha, my 24" Epson printer, so that I can stitch into it in the afternoon. I also managed to squeeze in some stitch yesterday; watch the blog for more info!

I'm thoroughly enjoying learning to frame; I wasn't sure that I would. But it's very satisfying to see the completed piece. I'm planning to frame a piece of my own from start to finish next week, just to prove I can do it, to myself; Haydn seems quietly confident that I'm doing fine. Phew!

The Oldest Apprentice In Town?

2011-01-11T16:33:00.005Z

Possibly. Yes, that would be me. Today was the first day spent with Haydn. I learned how to cut a mount, and how to make a frame. I made four mounts, two of which went off to live with a customer as part of a framed photograph (oh yes, I'm smug...). I also practised using the machine that cuts the moulding, so that I know how to use it. Tomorrow, I'll be cutting more mounts, on the principle that practice makes perfect, and cutting more bits of scrap wood up, to get the hang of the machine.

I'm aiming for Unconscious Competence. I love this model of learning, which suggests that there are four stages. You start off at Unconscious Incompetence; you don't know how to do whatever it is, and, in fact don't know what you have to learn to do it. Then you move to Conscious Incompetence; you know that you can't do it, but at least you know what it is you have to learn (which is pretty much the stage I'm at at the moment for mount cutting, if not for everything else). Then, you move to Conscious Competence; you've learned what you need to know to do whatever it is, but you do have to concentrate hard and occasionally check your notes, just to be on the safe side. Unconscious Competence is the final stage...you do whatever it is almost without thinking about it, as when you drive for fifty miles and realise you don't actually remember doing it. I don't know how long it's going to take me, but I suspect it'll be a while. For more information about this useful wee matrix, take a look here.

What I did discover, though, is that a. I can do this, and b. I like it. I'm really excited about the thought of being able to carry out every stage in the creation of an art work, from its conception through to its framing. Watch this space for more bulletins (and even a few pictures!).

I didn't take any pictures today; the mounts I cut were for a portrait, and it didn't seem appropriate to show that here. Instead, feast your eyes on an older piece, Blue Maze, which doesn't have a frame...yet...

In The Middle Of The Night...

2011-01-07T10:35:00.003Z

toothache struck, and despite painkillers, kept me awake for hours. I decided that the colour of toothache is a vivid green interwoven with magenta and stainless steel (no, I don't get it either...). Then, I realised I hadn't signed any of the work I made yesterday. I routinely forget to do that. Partly, I think, it's that I find a signature obtrusive. I want to have the work stand cleanly as it is, not marred with a mark that's extraneous to the meaning. Partly, I think it's just pure egotism, and it should be unnecessary. But interestingly, at Open Studios last year, it was what almost every visitor picked up on. Clearly there is an expectation that artists sign their work. So I've designed a signature, my initials, really, and the date. It'll slip into a corner, and will only be noticeable if you look really hard.

The image is the piece of work I finished, the second in a series called 'Outburst'. See what you think. Mixed media on canvas, this one is quite a bit larger than the last; the edges of the easel give you a feel for its size. (it's raining cats and dogs, so I'm NOT going out to the shed to measure it right this minute!). Thank you to everyone who commented yesterday; I can't always reply, but I do appreciate the comments.

In The Shed...

2011-01-06T17:32:00.004Z

there's always something to do. In this case, it involved getting covered in red paint...and a bit of orange. I haven't painted in nearly a year, and it was a joy to go out to the shed today and play with paint. This is a very small piece, on canvas, about eight inches square, I think (it's still out there, drying, which in this weather, will Take A While). It is called 'Flame', and I'm not convinced that it is finished...but then, I rarely ever am. I worked on four different paintings today, finishing one that had been lying around for a while (at least, I think it's finished), as well as starting three more from scratch. None of them seem to resemble my dream, though. And that's okay. I am experimenting with different approaches, different ideas, as I always do, discovering things for myself, expanding the initial idea.

Meanwhile, though, better go take the paint off my hands...

Dreaming

2011-01-05T12:53:00.002Z

I've always said that it's just a question of letting my conscious mind talk to my unconscious mind. Often, that can take weeks, months, even years. Recently though, I found myself considering entering a show entitled 'Flying Colours'. And then, I let the idea go, consciously, as I couldn't think of an idea. This past week, though, I've been dreaming about a particular idea; clearly my unconscious mind is a lot savvier than my conscious. Not only did it show me what a completed piece might look like, it has been considering the process of developing the piece, what size it might be, how it might look, different ways of gaining a particular effect. All this over a series of dreams, with me waking occasionally, thinking about it and going back to sleep, to take up the dream again where I left off. I've often dreamed in this way, but never about art. I think I'm going to take the hint, and get on with it. It would be churlish not to! Besides, it looks to me to be a good idea. I like it. It's even consistent with what I've been doing, an extension of some of the mixed media work I've made over the past couple of years. I'm stunned.

Now, all I have to do is get to work. That's for tomorrow; I'm recovering from a virus, and I know that if I rush out and overdo things, I'll run the risk of relapsing. I can, however, go out and check the paint stores... and this afternoon, I think I'll go sit and quilt.

How about you? Have you got back into creative work this year already? If not, what would give you a kick start? Or just a gentle nudge? Got it? What are you waiting for?

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:21:00.004Z

January was named for the god Janus, who had two faces; he looked both forwards and backwards, ideal for the start of the year. Looking backwards, last year was a year like any other, a mixture of highs, lows and humdrums. It was my fiftieth birthday in May, my sister surprised me with a visit, and my friends Judy and Haydn threw a surprise party for me (my first ever!). My gall bladder got grumpy, I acquired varifocals (not sure which category that fits into!), I wrote a lot, didn't make much in the way of art, and popped up in a variety of places, including my first trip to Dublin for the Knitting and Stitching Show. And we got together with Tracey (my soon to be daughter in law) and her parents down here and had a great time, making the wedding invitations, drinking pink champagne and generally having a laugh! And my first Christmas with my sister since my mid teens ended the year with a bang!

This year, there are things to look forward to; Andrew and Tracey's wedding, FOQ, Open Studios, learning to frame and the move of the gallery to a beautiful public space, where I'll be curating exhibitions as well as showing my work (but more of that another time). Above all, though, I'll be working on a new book, with my friend Jill Arnold, and making a lot of work. I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, but I do believe in having a life purpose, which informs the work, and the rest of my life, to boot. My life purpose is twofold; the creation of joy, and the creation of meaning. Joy was a bit scarce in some parts of last year; come to think of it, meaning was, too. This year, I get back to basics. Make the work, and then make some more. It's really simple. Hope you all have a wonderful, creative and fulfilling year, whatever your life purpose is.

ps the quilt is 'Gestation', which seems to go nicely with the theme of the blog today. I think I've been brewing a lot of new ideas last year, which get to be expressed this year. Hurrah!

Mad As It May Seem...

2010-12-22T21:10:00.003Z

in the current weather, I'm off to Scotland for Christmas. House and cats will be well looked after, and I'm not away for long, so I'll pop up to annoy everyone between Christmas and New Year.

Thank you to everyone who has persevered with me and this blog over what has proved to be a much more difficult year than I anticipated, and welcome to those of you who are new to my blog and work. There'll be a lot to look forward to next year, including a blog on creativity...so watch this space for more details!

Have a very joyful Christmas!

The Joy of Clearing Out...

2010-12-21T21:47:00.003Z

is that you find things you'd forgotten you had. The image above is a piece of cloth I made as a sample for a fabric painting evening with my regular Tuesday evening class at the gallery in the late summer. We'd discovered the joys of dyeing the week before, and they had loved it; they were, however, less enamoured of fabric paint, mostly, I think, because the most delicious bit of dyeing is the 'wow' factor when you take the cloth out of the container, and discover what it has become. With fabric paint, it grows in front of your eyes, like a painting.

As you can see, we used a variety of techniqes; I wanted them to experiment with all sorts of different ways of applying paint onto fabric. Now, I'm wondering just what to do with this piece... I'm tempted to cut it into strips of different widths, and stitch it back together with some darker green fabric in between the strips...a bit like tree trunks... it has a tree-ish feel. Or maybe I'll add more paint, first, and see what we get. Arashi shibori with very dark green paint, perhaps.

Interestingly, when we reviewed the learning the class has made this past year, one of the first comments was; I learned that if you don't put the soda ash in, you're going to be very disappointed.... clearly that was one lesson that really struck home. Some things you have to learn by experience, and I don't think any of my students will be doing that one again!

Back To Work

2010-12-20T13:29:00.005Z

at last... the images are of 'Celtic Dreaming'. This piece has been lying about in my studio waiting for me to clear a path to the sewing machine for at least six months. It was made from cloth from my friend Lynn's stash. She made the rubbing that features in the centre; she and husband Don had a passion for things Celtic, to the point that they moved over to Scotland from the US on their retiral. As you know, if you read this blog regularly, I have a lot of cloth from her stash, which I 'inherited' thanks to Don's kindness. Interestingly, though the cloth is mostly her choice, the purples are all mine. When she came over from the US, I donated a lot of cloth to her stash, the kind of bits and pieces that you don't pay good money to send over from the US, the odds and sods that all of us keep just in case. All the purple is my hand dyes; the top piece is a jacquard weave, a piece of vintage cloth that I dyed. I like dyeing jacquards; the texture, as you can see, is just incredible when you do so. The narrow side borders were just ordinary cotton. The bottom piece, though, was a piece of dye catcher which had, indeed, caught rather a lot of dye! I deliberately put a piece in to the first rinse of a batch of blues/reds/purples, to see what would happen. Again, its texture is magnificent, and I'm intending to make more of these. I'm sure that I don't understand the dye chemistry of the sheets, and I'm equally sure that, for results like this, I don't care, either!

The piece is called 'Celtic Dreaming', and I've included some close ups of the quilting, either words or patterns that have a link with Scotland, such as the roses at the top, which are based on Rennie Mackintosh designs. It was his wife, I believe, who created the pattern for textiles, though Charles himself generally speaking got most, if not all, of the credit. The words read ; 'Dreaming Celtic Dreams' and 'Sleep sweetly, dreamer'. I think Lynn would approve. I miss her a lot.

I then went on to do a bit of quilting on my sister's lap quilt, which I've been working on for, oh, about two years. It's nearly done, but as she might take a squint at this blog, I'm not publishing pictures. She'll just have to wait... The quilting is interesting on this piece, too...I hope, a variety of patterns. You'll see when I eventually finish it and give it to her; I promise to add some photos here.

It was a real pleasure to work with cottons for a change; I'm not sure that they will ever replace the spun bonded polyesters in my affections, but there is something very comforting about the way in which cotton transforms as you stitch it. I'm clearing out my work rooms, ready for next year, and I'm discovering all sorts of wee bits and pieces that I'd like to play with. I've decided to work in two ways, next year. One is to work with the theme I've been working on for many years, cracks and scars, in the way that I've shown you recently. The other is to work with the theme of 'hearts and flowers'. A good friend pointed out recently that for someone whose life purpose was 'the creation of joy', I didn't make work that was, of its nature, joyful. For me, working with bad memories, and turning them into works of art that speak to people about their own stories, as well as mine, is a process that is inherently joyful, but I know what she means. Hence, the idea of 'hearts and flowers'.

Oh, and there's a third. I'm going to be making landscapes, this year, too, for an ongoing project with my lovely friend Jill Arnold. And a fourth; next year, I learn to frame properly. Hurrah! My friend Haydn has offered to teach me, and I'm going to rise to the challenge. And, as someone whose lines are never straight, I'm thinking that it might be a significant challenge! Thank goodness for the machines, which do the straight lines for you... wish me luck!

Oh, and ps. The reason for the hair on the second image was that Merlin decided in his infinite wisdom that the quilt was a kitty prayer mat, and stretched himself out accordingly. Might put that particular photo on I can haz Cheezeburger....

Nature...

2010-12-18T11:36:00.003Z

is by her very essence, an artist. And then man intervenes, adding random marks, another layer of meaning onto what was inherently perfect; who said that perfection was sterile? I love this photograph, taken in the last lot of snow; there hasn't been enough snow here to make going out to photograph worth it, just a slight sprinkling, like icing sugar on a cake. Leaves trapped in a layer of frozen snow and ice, with tyre marks lying on the surface.

I'm now wondering how to use this image. Lots of different approaches are possible, and I suspect that more than one will be 'perfect' for this photograph. For me, the main thing will be to decide what it is I want to express. There are so many possibilities here; the layers, the translucence, the colour, the feel of the piece... which suggests a series to me. I'll also use it as a layer on one of the self portraits I've been doing 'about' depression. The metaphor of being 'frozen' fits depression really well; your mind and body slow down until you can't move or think straight.

I've never believed people when they say they have no original ideas. I think what they mean is that they're not looking hard enough. And I use the word looking, deliberately. Anyone can think. Artists look, first, then think. Why not try it, the next time you tell yourself you're blocked or stuck? And watch this space, to see what comes from this image, though it's not likely to happen til after the holidays; too much to do in the way of domestic trivia and travelling.

Demonstrating At Shows...

2010-12-17T14:27:00.005Z

is great fun. You get to talk to all kinds of people about all kinds of things. When it's over, though, you have a great big pile of samples. Most of these reflect whatever it was I fancied doing at the time, and/or what I happen to be teaching at the show, as well as the size of the space I have to work in (not big). I do tend to work in either Evolon or Lutradur, for obvious reasons (well, okay, I'm obsessed...you read it here first...).

This particular piece is a combination of things. This will not surprise you; I rarely ever stick with one thing, but other than my butterfly mind, it also reflected that I was teaching two different classes, one on mono-printing, the other on mark making using Markal sticks. It started out as a mono-print using fabric paints on Evolon. I think, when I was doing it, I was talking about making cloth specifically for stitch. As you can see, there are three main areas of colour, but they sit nicely together. I then thought it would be interesting to add a motif of some kind. That brought out the Markal sticks, and has produced the finished piece you see here. I will add stitch, though, I'd like to pick up on the texture of the fabric paint on the Evolon, it has a cracked appearance. We'll see...it'll doubtless tell me what it wants to be when I start to stitch. I can see some hand stitch on it, as well as machine...or perhaps instead of. Mmm. The latter sounds tempting. Hmmm.

Now, of course, I have to decide what to do with it, and all the other pieces I've produced at shows this year. It's tempting to make some sort of a combination piece, held together with stitch, big stitches... but I'll have to review what I've got first, before I make a final decision. It seems to be a good thing to be doing in the run up to the holidays. I don't want to start anything major or complicated, so these small things are great to play with. If I create anything worthwhile, I'll let you see.

Playing...

2010-12-08T17:09:00.004Z

with Markal sticks, I discovered that it's interesting to work with lino blocks rather than commercial rubbing plates, so will be cutting some more in the next wee while... Makes me wonder what else I can use them for... This piece was made on a postcard sized piece of Evolon, using the same block repeatedly in different positions, and in different colours. Modern tartan, perhaps? And then I drew in some detail in the foreground. I intend to stitch this, but in a very minimal way, just to add more texture and visual interest.

I'm in a domestic frame of mind at present, cooking and cleaning in the vague hope that next week, I'll be able to get some art work done. Somehow, having things spick and span in the house helps to put me in a working mood. Or perhaps it's just that it means I can't procrastinate!

What A Difference...

2010-12-07T14:51:00.004Z

a day makes... and a few photographs. My lovely friend Haydn took some shots of me in depression mode today, so that I could experiment with a variety of images in addition to the distinctly cheerful photos I have of myself. Let's face it, when you're depressed, you tend not to be photogenic. Although I do have some shots of myself recovering from the first bout of illness I had, which will be interesting to use. I'm fascinated by the possibilities of this approach. The observant among you will have nodding to yourselves in recognition of the influence that Eric Smee has had on what I'm doing, even although I haven't actually met or talked to him yet (though I do intend to remedy that once the weather improves...). If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I wrote about the effect his work had on me here and showed a picture of the image I was discussing here. More of his work can be found here.

This is the beginning of a journey, a journey through and within depression. It will be interesting to see what shows up during the journey, which I suspect will be a long one. But it is wonderful to have several of the themes that have been haunting me for the last few years come together in this way. And maybe that's why I've been marking time this year. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's why I've been marking time this year... but no more. Well, not until the next time I need to assimilate ideas and concepts, anyway....which could be tomorrow. Worth it, if the secret photographer within me comes out to play!

On Reflection...

2010-12-06T18:51:00.002Z

perhaps this should have been the image of the day. This is something I'm going to work on in the next few weeks...thanks, Ferret, for spurring me to do something that I wanted to do...

Frozen

2010-12-06T16:09:00.004Z

Literally and metaphorically. Literally, as you can see from the image, the snow still holds us in its sway, though it's nothing like as bad here as it is in Scotland. We're supposed to be going up there for Christmas, but if things continue as they are, it may not happen. That will please the cats, but probably no-one else. Mind you, we are supplying the turkey, a Norfolk Black, so at least we won't starve... Ice is such a fascinating thing to photograph, such luminescence; remember to click on the image to see it at a larger size, I think it's worth it.

Metaphorically... well, a combination of illness, bad news and exhaustion has kept me paralysed. My apologies to anyone who hoped to see me at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate; I was taken ill there, and was not able to teach and demonstrate as planned. Some sort of strange virus, apparently. I finally felt truly hungry yesterday, for the first time in about a fortnight. Though every cloud has a silver lining; I did lose seven pounds as a result... but it's a pretty drastic way to lose weight. And the demon depression has been biting, too, resulting in Marion at a standstill.

Artistically, I feel as if I've made nothing at all of note this year. Actually, I have made nothing of note this year. I've written another book, certainly, but need to redo a lot of the images, as I'm not happy with them. There is, however, a light at the end of this particular tunnel. I've been asked to manage a wonderful project, of which more next year (I promise!). I've started to consider what I want to make next year, and to plan for it, which is positive. And finally, there's no more day job. So now, I need to dig in, hibernate for a couple of weeks and decide what to focus on. My Etsy shop needs attention, my website project needs a kick start and I have another book project lined up. So I won't be lacking in a few interesting things to do... and I'll be stocking more art supplies, things like Brusho and dyes, which can be difficult to find in this neck of the woods. I thought I'd start to make kits, too, but that's another post altogether, and definitely one for a later date.

The Road To Hell ...

2010-10-03T15:47:00.005Z

...is paved with good intentions. My last post said 'more of that tomorrow', but two weeks have gone by and you're still waiting. Actually, if you've got any sense, you'll have stopped waiting and gone to do something more interesting... But here it is, the frame, and its contents, too. The frame was made for my friend Kim Scrivener, to house her first ever piece of textile art. Since January, my evening class on a Tuesday night has been working with fabric. This particular piece was made over several sessions. We had been discussing fabric in general, and looking at different types of fabrics and their potential uses in fabric art. This particular piece was a response to an exercise which asked the participants to select a piece of fabric that they would never dream of working with. Kim selected the strong pink, and came up with this lovely little piece. The small green piece in the corner was made using Markal sticks to rub over a raised surface, and came from my late friend Lynn Bunis's stash. I'm sure she'd be delighted to see it put to such good use.

When we looked for a suitable moulding for the frame, though, we couldn't find anything that Kim really liked with the piece, and ditto with the mount board. So I customised a plain frame using acrylic paints and Brusho powder, and coloured the mount board a pale pink, using a Brusho spray. And with Kim's permission, the photograph is shown here, and the frame project forms one of the projects in the upcoming Brusho Book. Some of Kim's work is also included in the book; she makes beautiful greetings cards. So, mystery solved...this is what the frame looks like!

I've been struggling for time, recently, and have finally decided to give up the Day Job. I enjoy it, but trying to keep all those balls in the air has been very tiring, and I would rather give my whole time and attention to one thing. At the end of the day, the art won over the HR work... although I hope to find some creativity coaching clients in the next wee while. Check out this link for a description of what being coached by me feels like, or email me for a chat.

Out And About...

2010-09-18T11:58:00.005Z

on a sunny Autumn day, I met this quilt, which is being raffled for charity during the Shipdham Quilters show. It is dedicated to the memory of Enid, one of the members of the group, who was tragically killed in an accident. The cloth came from her stash, and the quilt features blocks she had made or part made, the whole thing completed by members of the group. And 'Enid's Corner' is full of her needlework, which ranges from quilting to lace working, complete with pillow. She is much missed, but her work lives on, and her stash is being used to raise money for her favourite charities. If you are anywhere near Shipdham, in Norfolk (near Dereham), and are interested in quilting, do go along (it's in the church, all weekend). The work ranges from traditional to contemporary, the standard of workmanship is very high and there are bargains to be had on the sales table (cloth and hand made items). I forgot to buy a raffle ticket for the quilt (oops), but did buy a couple for the Bag Raffle, featuring a whole selection of hand made bags. I personally hope I win the lovely felted bag with the beaded button feature... fingers crossed!

I also popped into the Gallery to collect a frame that I had customised... but more of that tomorrow.

Working hard...

2010-09-17T09:42:00.005Z

...at finishing off the Brusho book. It doesn't have a title yet...perhaps The Brusho Book would be good? I've got a thing about alliterative titles, as evidenced by Lovely Lutradur and Exquisite Evolon, but there's definitely something about keeping things simple... besides, if I do a follow up, I can call it The Brusho Book II... If anyone has a better idea, of course, I'd be happy to hear it!

There's several interesting projects in this one, including a couple that encourage recycling. One of my favourites, though, has to be the shaving foam printing. It's fun to do, easy and, of course, distinctly messy, though the mess can be controlled in a small area. You know me, I just love making messes! The image is of some thickened Brusho in a container with the shaving foam, stirred up and ready to print from. I think that perhaps I might use that image as the basis of a print for Bertha, too, manipulated and printed on a large piece of Evolon. I'm a great believer in recycling, and that seems just a perfect way of extending the use of a piece of transient art.

So Much...

2010-09-16T15:21:00.002Z

for my declaration of intent, though I still stand by it. I wasn't accepted into the exhibiting group, which is a shame. But I think that perhaps I might form my own... anyone interested?

One of the things mentioned at length in that statement, was my passion for markmaking. The image is 'Mermaids', a mixed media piece which I made a while ago, and then revisited in May this year, using Brusho sprays to add texture, colour and interest. It has the feel of a cave painting, this, and I wondered how I would produce such an effect in fabric. Yesterday, I worked it out. I'm having to travel back and forward on the bus to work, and that time is great for thinking. I haven't tried out this idea, yet, so I'm not going to share it; it might not work! But I'm hopeful.

I'm franticly busy, what with the job, the books and preparing for teaching at all the Knitting and Stitching shows this year, including my first time at Dublin and Ally Pally... just forwarded the list of supplies needed to ColourCraft, who are making up the kits for the classes. I'm teaching three; Monoprint Magic, with transfer paints, Beautiful Brusho Backgrounds and Markal Mark Making. All three should, I hope, be lots of fun. I really enjoy teaching, I get to meet lovely people, and we usually laugh a lot. This years FOQ class had several people who had been in last year's FOQ class, and it was great to see them. If you're not coming to the workshops, come and see me if you're at either Ally Pally, Dublin or Harrogate; I'll be demonstrating on the ColourCraft stand most of the time.

Declaration of Intent

2010-08-30T10:10:00.003Z

I'm applying to join a group of local artists, and needed to write an artist's statement. I realised as I did so that really, what I was doing was describing my practice, and the purpose behind it, so I thought I would share it here, as much as a reminder for myself of what it is I'm in business to do, as anything else. Sometimes, we get sidetracked. What would your declaration of intent be like?

Marion is a Scottish artist living and working in the Norfolk countryside, and the author/publisher of three books, with two more currently in production. In textiles, Marion specialises in working with non woven polyester industrial cloth; she also creates oil paintings and mixed media work. She has an interest in landscape, particularly in erosion and cracks, scars or marks on natural surfaces such as stone, and the way in which the mind attempts to impose meaning on such randomly generated marks. This has led to an exploration of rust dyeing, which generates random marks onto fabric, as well as working with natural found objects such as driftwood, bark and stones, while the purchase of a large professional quality inkjet printer last year has led to the beginnings of a series of work using manipulated images of random marks printed directly onto fabric, which will be used either as pieces in themselves or as additions to paintings and mixed media work. This interest has further led to exploring the space between textile and mixed media work, and between textiles and painting, predominately focussed on mark making. The work, regardless of medium, invites the viewer to interpret those marks, whether they be stitch, paint or ofound object, and to find their own personal meanings for each piece or series of pieces.

The image, above, is a manipulated, constructed image taken from a photograph of cracks on a wall.

After The Ball...

2010-08-29T10:00:00.004Z

or, in this case, the FOQ, I started a new job, three days a week, doing job evaluation for a local council. It's interesting work, in a friendly team, but it does mean I'm stretched and stretched, as far as time is concerned at least. So, I admit there has been no blog for a while, but Will Do Better.

FOQ was, as always, fun. Busy, busy, this year, talked to lots of lovely people, including the lovely Lynda Monk, with whom I've talked on email, but had never met. It's great to meet people who follow this blog, of course, and lots of people who are like minded. It's interesting to hear how many quilters are moving towards mixed media. I've always felt that the designation 'quilting' is too narrow for my kind of work, at least; now others seem to be shifting that way, too.

Now, I'm planning What To Do Next. I'm attending a craft fair at Reepham later on in the month, and I hope to have a selection of dyes, paints and other materials with me, as well as the usual hand dyed cloth, books and the like. It's a deviation for me, but it seems to fit nicely with the books. I'm not planning to sell things that I personally don't use, so that I can talk about their properties with real experience. And it means that I'll be able to offer kits for the books, as well as for workshops. I'm quietly excited about it. And there's a book to finish, and another two to start... so I'm not exactly lacking work! I do feel a real need to get into the studio and actually MAKE something, even if it's only a few beads. It feels like it has been a long time since I made art without needing something for a book, for instance...and I have a lot of ideas to work with.

I've always thought that this is a good time for planning. The summer isn't quite over, but we're preparing for the schools going back, and for the more indoor seasons of late autumn and winter. I might even find myself hoping for snow, to keep me inside and working. And you know how I hate snow!!!

The image is of Merlin 'helping' to photograph some fabric for Etsy. The cats are a never ending source of joy and frustration, usually simultaneously, but I wouldn't give them up, ever. Not even when they cost obscene amounts of cash at the vets (bought flea and worming stuff on Friday and nearly fainted at the cost!). They are worth every penny, of course... perhaps I need to make another small cat quilt, just for them...and for me.

Breaking Out Continued

2010-08-08T20:24:00.003Z

Eric Smee has just very kindly sent me a note including this image. I thought he'd be happy for me to share it with you, so that you can see what I'm talking about, so here it is... thanks again, Eric.

I have the feeling I'll be adding to these thoughts for a while yet...

Breaking Out...

2010-08-06T10:50:00.001Z

of your comfort zone is not an easy thing to do. We don't appreciate just how cocooned we are inside it, until we are forced to challenge ourselves, or create the circumstances for a challenge to come about. That's what happened to me, yesterday. I went for a second look at an exhibition, Salthouse 10 : Landmarks, with my friend Jill Arnold. I thought I knew exactly what I was going to do there; I was going to look at a piece I missed seeing the last time I was there, and I was going to sit with a particular painting that had interested me. As it turned out, I only did one of these things. I did see the piece I missed, properly, an interesting artist's book on a beatiful stand, but on the walk round to the painting, I stopped to take a second look at a mixed media piece, 'Matter Over Mind' by Eric Smee. (Sadly, I don't have an image of it, and I can't find it on the web, so I can't show you what I'm talking about...sorry). On my first visit, I had made the mistake of dismissing it as just another piece of modern mixed media... clever, but not terribly interesting. Oh, boy, was I wrong. Yesterday, I stood and looked closely at the image for about fifteen minutes, and then spent perhaps another half an hour sitting at a distance from it, thinking and writing about it.

In that time, I realised a number of things. Firstly, that Eric was doing in one medium what I do in another; creating layer upon layer of meaning. The artist's statement for the piece reads 'I interview my subjects at length. I try to understand what makes each of them into the person they are today, then re-create an essence of their life slightly offset to preserve their anonimity. I rebuild photographs, drawings and paintings into an outline of what I am trying to say, then add details and variations to show emotional ramifications, often hiding much of the original image, until I feel the viewer will be able to relate to the emotional state of my subject'.

Secondly, that this was the 'way in' to a self portrait for me. I've been tiptoeing round that idea since I turned fifty, and much earlier. I made a self portrait of myself at forty, a watercolour painting, but that didn't seem to be the way to go now... I needed to find a way to structure the many elements that seem to make up me at fifty. Or anyone, at any age, come to think of it. Eric's description of his process has formed the starting point for mine, and I realise that a single image isn't going to do it, for me. I think it's more likely that the self portrait is really a need to explain my life up to now to myself (if nobody else). It's a process that I've already begun to some extent, making books about my childhood, which I tend to refer to as 'the childhood from hell'. That work needs to be continued, with lots of images, and possibly lots of writing to go with them... You can perhaps see that this idea is developing even as I type here; it's very exciting.

Thirdly, the image reminded me very much of a piece I made about ten or so years ago. One of the 'Texture Of Memory' series, it was a large quilt, made of layer upon layer of different fabrics, all of them dark, most of them transparent. Many of the layers could either be removed completely or thrown up and away from the main body of the piece; the idea was that you could 'peel' away layers of memory, to see what was underneath. I've never felt that that particular piece was effective; I think looking at 'Matter Over Mind' has shown me why that is. It was, quite simply, too dark. Matter Over Mind has the kind of feel I wanted for the piece, in part, I think, because there is a strong light area in it. I do have a lot of dark memories, but there are a few light ones in there, too. The piece would have been much stronger if I had allowed some of those to appear.

Why am I telling you this? Well, because I suspect that the things that we dismiss as 'unimportant' or 'not our kind of thing', are in fact gems that we should be contemplating for as long as is necessary. We talk about 'blind prejudice'; certainly, the first time I saw this piece, I was blind to its story, and to its relevance for myself. I don't like the idea of blinding myself to things... so the next time I start to dismiss something out of hand, I think I'll try sitting with it for a while, and see what lessons it has for me. Thanks, Eric. And now, I've got a lot of work to do...

PS You can catch a glimpse of Eric's work here, and an image of another piece, and a little about the artist, here. Go take a look, the work is amazing. See what it shows you...

Making Magic?

2010-08-04T13:04:00.004Z

I have been known to say that 'I haven't got a magic wand'. Well, I have now. I saw it in a shop and decided that I just had to have it. I'm going to tart it up a bit, you understand, but this is the basic no frills magic wand that every girl just has to have. I have it displayed in a prominent place near my computer, as a reminder that, no matter how much I tart it up, it's not going to work UNLESS...

1. I know what I want to achieve. Whether that's cleaning the workshop out or creating a body of work, it doesn't really matter. I have to know what I want.

2. Turning up to do the work. If I don't make the time for this, I'm never going to make the work, clean out the workshop etc.

3. Being kind to myself. I need to look after myself properly, so that I can get things done.

4. Having a plan. If I want to achieve lots of different things, I need to work out what my priorities are, and use my time accordingly.

5. Turning up to do the work. Yes, it really does matter more than any of the rest of it.

So...I keep my magic wand to remind me that I don't need a magic wand. All I need to do is get on with it (whatever it is)...

ps if you need a bit of help with this, try looking at the Creative Focus book...it works the same as my magic wand, except that it helps you to do all the things I mentioned... and it's just as pretty!

Flower Power

2010-08-03T09:47:00.005Z

I said yesterday that I would show you the results of the stitch I did yesterday. True to my word, here I am. I had prepared a piece of pale pink hand dye by painting loose flower shapes onto it using thickened Brusho; then I simply stitched into it to produce the work you see above. I'm pleased with both of these pieces, for different reasons. The heavily stitched piece has enormous energy, it seems to leap from the cloth. I used three different threads, all variegated, using the blue to add definition after the textural stitching had been added to the petals and centre of the image. The distortion produced by the stitching makes the piece puff up in an interesting and organic way, very like real life. I intend to mount and possibly frame it, a simple box frame, probably, and possibly coloured using Brusho to match the piece...don't know. There again, a simple gold edge might be good...we'll see. Or possibly Haydn will tell me what to do... when you've found a good framer, you don't argue with him! Especially when he takes good photographs of textiles!

The second piece is quite different. It's simple, a thread sketch compared to a fully developed piece, using the machine as a kind of pencil. It seems to want to be combined with other pieces in a quilt of sorts. So I guess I'll be making more of these wee pieces, if only to combine them together. I like its simplicity.

I'm not usually a representational sort of a person, but recently, I find myself increasingly interested in landscapes and the natural world. That, for me, is a real shift in perspective. The work I'm doing with Bertha uses images from the natural world, some recognisable, some less so. And there's a lot of rust dyed fabric waiting to be used. I've mostly rust dyed habotai silk, and of course, there is a chapter on rust dyeing in the new Exquisite Evolon book, which I'll have with me at Festival of Quilts. This time, though, I've rust dyed some vintage French cotton, it has an amazing texture by itself, and the rust enhances it enormously. I'm looking forward to working with that, too. It'll be interesting to see what comes out of this new burst of creativity.

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

2010-08-02T11:25:00.004Z

so I can't play in the garden, as I intended, but I can get on with working on the Brusho book, which is what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm at the interesting moment in writing a book when I decide it's time to rewrite it altogether. I start with a structure in my mind, but nine times out of ten, I find that it doesn't work quite as well as I thought it would, so around the half way mark, I tend to go back and restructure it. I'm also adding photographs, which slows the work down a bit. Plus, I'm looking at the photos I've already taken, and deciding which are acceptable and which not. I've written a section on making watercolour washes, for example, but I feel the photos I have to illustrate it could be a lot better, so back to the drawing board on that one. And I'm picking up on other things that could be illustrated with a small but telling photograph, so I'm building a list of what I need to do next.

The image here shows two of the effects I've been experimenting with while writing the book. I didn't really understand how versatile Brusho is until I really started to work with it. This is a small image of a tree on mountboard, which has been stamped using thickened Brusho, on a background that was produced by printing on shaving foam. I'm quite pleased with the way it has turned out; I think it has movement and energy about it. It's as if the tree is dancing...or is that too fanciful?

This afternoon, though, I'm going to take a couple of hours to sit at my sewing machine and get some work done there. It's related to the Brusho book, admittedly, as I've prepared a painted flower on some cloth, which is ready to stitch into. I'll show you the results tomorrow.

Colouring Some More...

2010-08-01T12:01:00.005Z

is always fun. I've currently got some rust dyes in rinsing. The weather recently has been really good for rust dyeing, and I'm looking forward to working with some new cloth. And, of course, I'm working with my faithful Procions, too. Shirley showed me an interesting technique when she was here, and one of the results is shown in the photographs. The top image is a detail shot, the second shows more of the fabric. It's not that big a piece, but it turned out well, and I'm looking forward to using it. I'll be bringing some of my hand dyes, including some similar to this, to Festival of Quilts this year for the first time, as well as the Exquisite Evolon book (and the others, of course...), so you can see them in the flesh. I'll also be demonstrating on the ColourCraft stand, Evolon, of course...and maybe a wee bit of lutradur, too. Hope you'll stop and say hello if you're there.

I've had more or less two weeks of visitors, and whilst it's lovely to have people to stay, it's also lovely to have my house back to myself. I'm planning to get back to work on the Brusho book, and hopefully finish it this week, as well as some more dyeing and some stitch work. I figure that after the Brusho book is done, I'll have a short break from writing (a week or so, probably, knowing me...). The problem is that there are lots of books lined up to write, including one with my friend Jill. I'm beginning to think that I'm more of a writer than an artist. Or maybe it's just that they take so much time that I'm not able to make as much art as I'd like. I don't know. But I do have lots of art plans, so perhaps I just need to get a grip and take my own advice about structuring my time. Having written a book on finding creative focus, I clearly need to live up to it, too!

Colouring Up...

2010-07-18T16:39:00.005Z

not from an overdose of sun, thankfully, though it has been hot here today... Dyeing is always somewhere on the agenda, and as I taught a dye class last week, and had some dye left over, I thought I'd use it up. And the time, too, yesterday, as my friend, fellow dyer Shirley Goodwin from New Zealand, wasn't feeling very well, so spent the day on the sofa in the conservatory, whilst I lurked in and around the shed. I'm particularly pleased with the results I had on some fine cotton, which the people I bought it from described as 'bandage muslin'. It has transparency, but it has a crispness to it that makes it very easy to handle. I have a thing about transparency, of course, and this just hits the spot. Not sure how I'm going to use it, or even if... I may well just pop it onto Etsy. As I keep telling people who say they can't cut into my cloth, 'there's plenty more where that came from'. The images show the finished cloth, and a snap of the green/blue one just after the dye went into the bucket.

The weather is ideal for dyeing, of course, and I've got a rust box dyeing happily in the sun, filled with Evolon. I'll be taking some of that with me to Festival of Quilts, along with my more conventional hand dyes, so that you can watch me demonstrate for ColourCraft and stroke the cloth at the same time!

Mummy's Little Helper?

2010-07-09T14:17:00.003Z

There are lots of things you have to do if you run an online shop, and a blog, and are working up to a website...or even just if you want to keep a record of your work. So you take photographs... and there's lots of online advice about how to do just that. Nowhere, however, is it written that your cats will endeavour to take an active part in proceedings. This shows Merlin strolling nonchalantly over the green FQ I was photographing for Etsy. It's worse in winter, of course... then they have muddy paws, and you have to wash the cloth yet again... sigh.

I'm planning to do some dyeing next week; lets hope the little treasures will keep their paws, and noses, out of that... Wishful thinking? Yup. Andrew as small child was much easier than this...all you needed to get five minutes peace was to give him a new book. Merlin, sadly, doesn't read.

I Was Leafing...

2010-07-08T15:42:00.003Z

through the images I've taken recently, wondering what to write about, when I was struck by something. I showed you the rose petal image I'd taken; compare (and contrast, if you like!!) that with this, an image that I'm about to stitch into. It is a photograph of birch bark, which I manipulated in Photoshop. Somehow, the textures and some of the colours seem to be very related. It's often the case, of course. You do something, you forget about it, or at least put it aside for a while, then you do something else and discover that your unconscious mind hasn't forgotten it at all. It's probably why my favourite saying is 'Trust the process' (in life, as in art).

Just as well that's my mantra, as I'm about to invest in a second hand PowerBook, after what feels like a lifetime using PCs. I'm doing that for several reasons, mostly to do with Bertha. I played with it at the weekend, and managed to do bits and pieces but I've got a lot to learn (and a lot to mutter about under my breath..). Encouragement and advice from other Mac users will be frequently sought here! I am, however, looking forward to being a truly mobile computer user...Birmingham here I come!

Paying Attention

2010-07-06T08:41:00.003Z

I've been trotting backwards and forwards to the Little Green Shed, down the rough concrete path beneath a long archway of rambling roses. They are amazing; they seem to start as yellow buds, but turn into pink and white beauties, lots of them. They just get on with it, seem to thrive on benign neglect (which is all a plant in my garden can hope for, really). I kept thinking that it would be good to take a photograph of them, get up a ladder and do close ups...but me and ladders? Not a good idea...and the plastic step I could have used is more stable but has a perished foot, and pitches me off at entirely the wrong moment, usually onto my nose.

And then I saw the petals, blowing about in the wind... and took several photographs, including this one. And realised that this was really what I was after; the petals themselves, scattered, delicate, wistful... And I will print them out on Big Bertha, probably on Evolon, and stitch into them... and we'll see what happens.

I wonder how many opportunities like this we miss, because we're not paying attention? Too busy worrying about what to have for the tea, when to go to the post office, how to promote the next book... Sometimes, though, the eye overtakes the brain, and photographs like this one are the result. Thank goodness!

Finishing Off...

2010-07-05T19:57:00.002Z

lots of things. First, signing off on the proofs for the Evolon book (so if there are any typos, it's down to me...). Then, I thought I'd varnish a couple of mixed media pieces that I finished recently. As with much of my mixed media work, they sat around for quite a while before I worked out what they needed. What it turned out they needed, was some Brusho. I discovered that using the Brusho sprays made subtle changes to the overall colour, a bit like using a glaze, but with a textured result. I don't think I can improve them, but as always, feel that they might not quite yet be finished...but they are as finished as I think they can be. They are called Cavemark I and II. They are related in a way to the work on cracks and scars that I've been making recently.

Then on to taking a few more photos for the Brusho book. That was fine, the weather has been good, so working outside has been a pleasure. The writing process isn't finished, of course, but I'm a step closer. It's been a productive day.

Sidetracked?

2010-07-04T12:52:00.004Z

Probably. And at all kinds of different levels. On a personal basis, I have discovered that one of the touchstones of my life was a lie. So a lot of time has been spent thinking about that, redefining the past and myself, to some extent. Wondering what the other lies were, whether anything was as it seemed at the time, or seems like now. Confused.

On a professional basis, too, I'm confused. Having spent a brief spell back in the world of work, there would appear to be no opportunities around for me to rejoin it after being made redundant last year. This is on the surface, no bad thing... but it does mean I'm not actually making very much in the way of money. Nothing new there, really...except that I've had to face the fact that I'm not working very hard at anything at the moment. And I'm not really sure what it is I want. And I seem to think that it's not possible to make a living out of art (which is actually untrue; try reading Dijanne's blog, if you haven't already).

And I've been writing the Brusho book, and checking the proofs for the Evolon book. Writing is a demanding thing; it demands time, commitment and a lot of effort, much of which does involve art, thankfully, but not all of it. Because I publish my own books, I have to talk to customers, whether individuals or businesses, chase money, do the publicity (which I'm really not good at), and all the business related stuff.

Mostly, though, I've been making beads. Not an activity I ever thought I'd take up, but as you've seen from earlier posts, I've been playing with the idea for several weeks now. Fortunately, though, none of these things are the dead ends they might appear. All of them have come together to suggest new ways forward for me, and whilst I am still thinking, I'm working, too. I'm going to start selling materials, as well as my books, I'm working out a new workshop programme, and I'm setting up a website. I'm also working out the fine details of offering a printing service to textile artists with Big Bertha, my large scale professional printer (an Epson).As well as all of that, I'm writing a book with my friend Jill, on landscapes. And the work with the beads is suggesting all sorts of ways to move forward in my textile work, including the 3D work which has evaded me so far.

Not all that bad a sidetrack, really... I don't seem to have made much in the way of decisions, but I'm behaving as if I have, and starting to get things done. Wish me luck.

At Last...

2010-06-22T15:24:00.004Z

the Evolon book is with the printer, which means that it is FINISHED...and it will be ready for FOQ. Hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who contributed, the copy will be in the mail for you as soon as I get them in my hot and sticky hands.

And yes, in case you were wondering, that IS the front cover. The background is one of my pieces, whilst the two pieces in the image in the centre are by other artists. Sally Bramald made a magnificent (and prize winning) whole cloth quilt for the book, which is the image above, while local artist Yvonne Autie made a wonderful rag rug bag, a close up of which is seen below. They both did a great job!

So what's to come in the book? Oh, two types of dyeing...no, make that three, or even four, as two types of rust dyeing are covered... what else? Working in series... knitting with Evolon (yes you read it right... doll making... clothing... I've tried to include something for everyone.

Now to get on with the Brusho book with a clear conscience!

Catching Up

2010-06-15T16:56:00.004Z

a
with all the things that have been in abeyance recently. One of them was running a test print for Jill Arnold on Bertha, my lovely 24" Epson printer. As part of her MA (which she passed with distinction), she and another student collaborated on a knitting project, which involved a knitting survey. The results of that, together with a lot of knitting, form an installation, which they want to recreate for an upcoming exhibition. Bertha will be used to create five, six foot long banners with information from the questionnaires printed on it. We'll be using Lutradur 100, which has wonderful texture. That seemed really appropriate for a textile based project, though we did consider canvas, also.

I also took a couple of pictures of the gallery as I set it up...or at least, how I set the walls up; some of the ceramics and other craft works have been moved around since I did it. I tried to create a flow of colour and texture round the walls; the images show the first two sections. See what you think; notice how nicely the textile work fits in with the paintings. It's astonishing that so many galleries seem to be allergic to textile art...their loss, I think.

Tomorrow, Exquisite Evolon goes to print for the first time, and I settle into writing the Brusho book, in order to meet the deadline of 30 June...wish me luck! And I'll be lurking on Etsy, adding more items to the shop, I dare say, including some new beads. Not that I'm obsessive or anything...

I'm Back...

2010-06-14T18:42:00.005Z

on Etsy, that is, and in some ways it's as if I've never been away. I belong to Boomers and Beyond Street Team (commonly known as BBEST, click the name for a view of our blog); or at least, I did, until I stopped doing Etsy, at which point I withdrew from all my Teams. Teams, for the uninitiated, are a bit like special interest groups for sellers on Etsy; people with a common interest, or location, who band together for support, to share promotions, that kind of thing. Happily, they didn't go off me in the time I was away, and I've been accepted back into the Team. It has been lovely, catching up with old friends and making new ones.

I spent today with Jill Arnold. Despite doing Open Studios together, we didn't actually see each other much, so today we did some work together. I made more of Those Beads; Jill created a gorgeous quilted picture of a vase of striking orange flowers, which she will have framed for an upcoming show with Breckland Artists. Tomorrow, we'll meet up again at the Gallery, to do some preparation and test work for a piece she wants to print on Bertha...of which more tomorrow. Meanwhile, the photos show a couple more of those Evolon beads. I'm enjoying playing around with Evolon and heat.

Several days later...

2010-06-13T12:10:00.003Z

and I'm excused from gallery duty. I promised you some pictures, and then singularly failed to provide them, mea culpa...will take camera in on Tuesday, and let you see what I did. What I did discover is how easy it is to irritate a gallery person. All you have to do is provide your work to them with no labelling, so they have to work through all the paperwork to find out the title, medium (sometimes it's not obvious), artist name and price. Or fail to fill in the paperwork properly, so that the gallery person can't find the above... Or, for that matter, provide new work without the wherewithal to hang it, so that said gallery person has to take time out to string the backs of paintings. Yes, it all happened to me, and I found it really irritating. An object lesson in How To Make The Gallery Person Your Enemy. Reverse it, of course, and you'll have a friend for life.

Meanwhile, I've taken the step of reopening my Etsy shop, in a fit of...I don't know quite what. Mostly, I think, it's the recognition that the job market is super quiet at present, and the likelihood of an HR job to supplement my income is very unlikely. So, this week, the Evolon book goes to print, ready for its launch at Festival of Quilts in August, and some of my smaller pieces of work go into the Etsy shop. I'm starting to dye again, as a fair amount of hand dyed fabric sold at Open Studios (hurrah!). I'll pop some of that onto Artmixter's Emporium, if anyone is interested. And I'm completing the work on the new Brusho book, which I hope to finish by the end of the month. I've learned lots about how to work with this stuff on fabric, as well as on paper; it's been fun to do.

So, that's where I am with it all. And, of course, there's Bertha, too, the setting up of profiles so that we can provide artists with consistent quality prints that are the colours they intended, as well as getting on with my own work. I think that's probably enough to be getting on with right now, don't you?

The images are of one of the beads I made last week, using Evolon which has been coloured with Brusho... I'm really pleased with the way they have been turning out, and yes, they'll be around on Etsy very shortly, if you're interested.

After The Show Was Over...

2010-06-09T19:36:00.004Z

or, in this case, Open Studios, down it all had to come. As any artist will tell you, what took hours to put up can be taken down again far more quickly; what took four plus hours to hang, took about three quarters of an hour to dismantle. Phew. As you can see from the image above, the gallery was left looking a little forlorn ,though my fabric is still in that little alcove space, where it was during open studios, as the gallery wanted to keep it. I'm pleased about that; it gives me the excuse to dye next week!

Today, though, I spent most of my day hanging an exhibition of a different kind. The gallery owners are away, and I'm In Charge for a few days. As there hadn't been enough time for them to hang anything, most of my day was spent hanging paintings, photographs and other works of art. It has been a truly interesting experience. When you hang an exhibition, you have a certain set of ideas in mind, usually wrapped around a theme or a title. You want to give each piece the chance to sing by itself, and that means giving it space, as well as allowing it to sing in harmony with other pieces, by making sure that there is some sort of cohesion in the hanging scheme. That is easy enough in a solo show, but not so easy as the number of artists involved increases. Hanging a general exhibition for a gallery, however, is a slightly different kettle of fish. You still want cohesion, of course, but you also want to show as much of your stock as you can. You don't usually have the luxury of a theme, and the work can be considerably different in subject matter, medium and style...yet somehow, you have to pull it all together so that the viewer is charmed, at the very least.

It's an exercise that I think every artist should have the opportunity to complete. If nothing else, it reminds you that your personal tastes need to be set aside in order to appeal to a wide audience. It makes you think about how to use the available space most effectively. It's certainly a challenge in managing colour. It took me all afternoon to organise one half of the gallery to my liking, and I still have some things to move around; tomorrow will be the second half of the space, depending on how many phone calls and customers arrive.

The variety of customers is also interesting. The Gallery does photography and framing as well as selling artworks, and I've learned a lot about framing pieces to best effect over the time I've spent there in the past year or so. That has been used to good effect today to help customers choose how to frame their photographs, paintings and other artworks. Some have very strong ideas about what they want; others have none. It was certainly a busy day today; tomorrow, I'll share some images of what I've done with the space. I'm sure it's not what the owners would have done, necessarily, but I have had fun!

Working Hard...

2010-06-05T17:15:00.004Z

mostly, I think, because I'm NOT in the studio. Open Studios in the Gallery has meant two unadulterated weeks of hard work, because the phone does ring, but it's rarely for me, there's no housework to do and there haven't been all that many visitors (which seems to be a common thread right across Open Studios, it's not just us, thank goodness!).

One of the things I've been able to do is to work with Bertha (and Haydn, of course...he does the technician bit). The first piece I've shown here was made using a photograph of a stone at Ely Cathedral. Cathedrals have been vandalised at various times in history; the marks here, though, whilst they look like letters, may well be natural in origin. Whether they are or are not, is moot, of course... our brains insist on trying to interpret them as letters, and seeks for meaning. This is an ongoing theme in my work, that of random marks, and the brain's struggle to make meaning. I have printed this particular image several times; I intend to leave one of them just as it is, as an interesting image on Evolon. The second, I'm stitching into by hand (dammit). Somehow, hand stitch seems appropriate for this; in fact, it seems to be more and more a feature of my work, despite me, rather than because of me, I think...I enjoy machine stitching, and draw happily with the machine. Somehow, in this case, though, and in others, such as when working with rust dyed cloth, the hard line of machine stitching does not seem appropriate. Sigh.

The second image is of the trunk of a birch tree. I'm interested in cracks and scars, so, working in Photoshop, I emphasised the cracks in the bark, and did some work with the colours of the bark itself, to produce this piece. It, too, will be hand stitched, in metallic thread; when I start working on it, I'll show you the progression of the stitching. For once, I have a particular plan in mind for the stitch. I want to suggest that the colours in the lighter parts of the image are somehow moving to encompass the cracks in the bark, producing a healing of sorts. I think it'll be an interesting thing to stitch.

I'm busy trying out different mediums to improve the way in which the printer prints on the fabric. Without medium, the ink sinks into the cloth, giving muted results; with medium, the colours and patterning are brighter and clearer. When I've finished the testing process, I'll share the results here.

Tomorrow is the last day of Open Studios, so if you'd like to see us at work, it's your last chance to visit. That said, I always welcome studio visits; if you will be in Norfolk this summer, and would like to visit the studio, just send me an email, and we'll arrange it!

Open Studios...

2010-06-02T08:39:00.003Z

...is more than half way through its lifespan, and, whilst there have not been as many visitors as we might have hoped, it has been an interesting and lovely experience talking to lots of different textile people. A shot of part of the exhibit is above, though we have had a bit of a rehang since then; we were sharing space with an exhibition of work by local schoolchildren, which has since been taken down, and we have filled the gallery with textiles and mixed media work. The photo, though, should give you a taste of what it's like.

I've been working in the gallery every day, mostly working with Brusho for the new book I'm writing, but today, I'm going to have a change, and do some stitching, both machine and hand. I've got a couple of new pieces from Bertha, which I'm very excited about, and some small Lutradur and Evolon pieces that have been waiting for stitch for a while. And I want to prep some more cloth for Bertha, so that we can make even more magic together!

If you're in the Dereham area, the gallery is open from 10am til 4.30pm (or 5pm if there are people around); pop in, see me at work, and have a look at what I'm doing with Bertha...I'll even let you meet her! (Address : @The Gallery, Georges Road, Dereham NR19 2DA). Jill Arnold, with whom I'm sharing the space, will be in Friday, Saturday and Sunday; Sunday is the final day of the show, so do come along if you can!

Splish, splash, splosh

2010-05-14T15:36:00.005Z

I've been playing with Brusho today, making cards for Open Studio and experimenting with the new shimmer sprays that ColourCraft have produced...and I've been having a lot of fun. I started out doing some shaving foam dyeing, then thickened some Brusho and did some printing, and finally ended up doing a bit of experimental mark making on some Evolon. That, as you can imagine, took up a fair amount of time, probably the most time I've spent in the Little Green Shed for a while, now.

I was particularly interested by the combination of printing and spray shimmer...as you can probably guess from the pictures, above. It's amazing how different the images look, yet they are clearly all based on the same print from a linocut I made some time ago. All that variety, just by carefully spraying. I did discover that it's a good idea to let one layer dry before the next layer gets added; otherwise, you end up with little pools of mica, which is pretty, but not quite the effect I was looking for. Fortunately, none of the pooling was too dramatic, and I'm intending to mount these prints, so some less painterly marks will disappear. I like the way you can vary the intensity of the spray, by moving it different distances away from the surface of the paper. I've never been a fan of glitter (glitz, yes, glitter, no), but this gives a lovely, subtle shine to the piece. I've already tried it on Evolon, and it looks good on that, too.

I was struck by the comment Dave made, about it being interesting that cutting pieces down doesn't change the meaning, for me at least. Thinking about it some more, I realised that for me, it's like a final distillation of the piece... I take out areas which seem in some way superfluous to the needs of the piece. So it says what I want it to say, only more intensely. As the Scots say, 'Guid gear, sma' buk', or good things come in little packages.

Lost In Space?

2010-05-13T17:38:00.004Z

No, not really... just generally lost... I've been having gall bladder trouble, not the nicest thing in the world, as well as other things, like my friend Judy's wedding (the photos of me in The Hat are on my facebook page here, if you're interested). Now that it's all over (well the wedding, not the gall bladder, but it does seem to have calmed down a bit...famous last words...), I get to go back into the studio, just in time for Open Studios. I spent part of the day with my book designer Terry Symonds, checking the final version of Exquisite Evolon, which goes to print next week. Finally, I hear you holler.... and you would be right. This must be the slowest book in living memory...sigh. I just hope it'll be worth the wait. Lovely Lutradur has been selling well, mostly, I think, due to a positive review in Stitch Magazine, one of the Embroiderers Guild's publications. Now, we'll see how many people want to join me in playing with Evolon.

I spent Tuesday with Jill, of whom more in another post. We are exhibiting together at Open Studios, at The Gallery, Dereham, so whilst she made a couple of landscapes and finished off a commission, I made some little cards, as you can see from the (rather pathetic) photos above. I don't usually make things quite this small, but it was fun to assemble them; the selection in the photos all use Evolon, though you might not be able to recognise it. Two of them feature vintage lace and tatting; the lace was hand knitted, and Jill, an ex museum curator, reckons that it's probably Edwardian. It's very beautiful, like a cobweb. I had difficulty cutting into it, to be honest, but I'd rather it was used than it sit in a drawer for me to admire once every three years or something.

I'm going to sit tonight and make some more, larger cards; it's interesting to take pieces that were intended as journal sized pieces, and cut them into smaller sizes. Often, they look better that way. I've been doing a lot of that recently, cutting things down a bit once they're made, because I can see that they will look better at a smaller size. Interestingly, that rarely affects the meaning I've attributed to them; it's purely a visual decision.

Tomorrow, I'm spending most of the day in the Little Green Shed. Hurrah!!! I'm going to do some marbling with Brusho, as well as some printing. That'll be fun...and yes, there's another book in the offing...but it definitely won't take as long as the Evolon book to finish...I promise!

ps Open Studios runs from 22 May to 6 June 2010; email me for more info, or to request an invite to the Private View on 21 May.

Asking The Right Questions

2010-03-23T13:17:00.004Z

I visited a blog that's new to me today, and found myself challenged by its writer, Bethany Stephens; visit her blog here . She asked a very astute question, and answered it herself, beautifully, in the post. 'What is your reason for your art of choice?'

My answer, to my surprise, was very short. I wrote:

"My blog is called 'artmixter', and I work in a number of different
media, often together. Why? Because I want to break down barriers,
challenge perceptions and create change. Thanks for asking, it has just
made me very clear about what I do and who I am... Oh, and did I mention
joy? The creation of joy. "

You know, for years, I have wondered why I don't fit into quilt groups, no matter how art focussed (and there aren't many of those around...if you know better, please let me know). Now, I know. People who do what I say I want to do, aren't always easy to get on with. They challenge things, people, ideas, concepts. They argue. They don't accept the easy answers, and they ask difficult questions, like, 'why?' The upside, is that they're genuinely interested in the answers, and may well make you see things differently just by being around and asking odd questions. I'd like to thank those of you who are regular blog readers; you stick around where others would give up in disgust... or annoyance... or something. I hope we can learn lots of new things together; it's such an exciting journey.

Happy as I am to be here, now, in Spring, the quilt image I've shown you here is Summer Garden. The colours in the original are even stronger than those in the photograph, and if you look closely, there are lots of roses quilted into the piece. But I mentioned joy, and for me, this piece is truly joyful.

Froggius Interruptus

2010-03-22T17:41:00.004Z

I've been darting between the Little Green Shed and the house today, working on a new book. Every time I've passed the pond, there has been much splashing and sploshing as the frogs take fright. They're not usually quite this shy, but clearly Spring has Sprung, and procreation is a private process... I did notice Molliecat paying particular attention to the pond this morning, so I think they must be less concerned about other animals spying on them... but who knows.

I thought I'd prove I'm not just working with Bertha. This is a landscape, of sorts, one of a series. As well as stitching into the transfer dyed cloth (evolon), I've used the embellisher to add extra colour and texture using both silk and wool tops. I think it's fairly successful. I've written about making a series in the new Evolon book, and these are some of the results. I'm quite pleased with the overall effect. I'm going to mount them, and frame a couple, too, for Open Studios.

Bertha's Big Day

2010-03-21T15:07:00.005Z

I'm thoroughly enjoying using Bertha... for those of you wondering who or what Bertha is, she is a wide scale printer, which allows me to print cloth up to 24" wide, and as long as I like... I'm still at the experimental stage, but I hope to offer other textile artists the opportunity to send images to us at the Gallery, so that we can print cloth for them, too. Meanwhile, this is one of the images I'm working on currently. This was printed on Evolon and stitched into. It's part of the 'Cracking Up' series I've been thinking about and working on for a while. Not sure if it's finished yet, I may add something else to it, possibly using the embellisher. I've included a small close up, to let you see the detail in both the stitch and the print itself; remember you can click on the images to enlarge them.

The original image was a photograph of cracks in the floor of an outbuilding at the Gressenhall Museum. It's amazing how quickly and easily a photograph can be manipulated on computer. The challenge, I'm finding, is working out how to combine photographs as abstracts with stitch. I've always said that it's important to leave space for stitch in any design we make; I'm finding that if I work the image too hard, it's difficult to work out quite how and where to stitch...and to justify the stitch at all. That hadn't really occurred to me. I don't see myself as a photographer, but in some ways, that's what I am, or what I have become. It's not a turn in my creative journey that I was expecting, but that's okay. I love the unexpected.

Out To Play...

2010-03-19T09:52:00.004Z

with Big Bertha today, as well as working on a number of small pieces for Open Studios in May. If anyone's in the Dereham area today, you're welcome to drop into the gallery and see me at work. I'm planning a lot of free motion work today, as well as printing off some images that I worked on yesterday. Meanwhile, though, have a look at this piece, rust dyed silk, one of the pieces I finished on Wednesday. I rarely hand stitch, or rather, I used to rarely hand stitch, but somehow this kind of cloth needs it. That led to a bit of hand stitching on Evolon, which is so textured that it somehow also called for it... and here I am, now doing both and enjoying it, to my intense surprise.

There are several rust dyed pieces in the Evolon book, and full instructions on how to rust dye. I know that rust dyeing gets a bad press in terms of durability, but so far, I've had no problems with any of my cloth, some of which is now about eight or nine years old. These pieces feel organic, somehow, and to me, if they change over time, it's simply a reflection of that organic nature.

Back To Work...

2010-03-18T11:33:00.003Z

...and my, it feels good. No, not the HR stuff, I was made redundant in December and haven't found anything suitable yet. Back to the creative stuff, instead. I've been in bed for most of the last four weeks, if not longer, and I was beginning to think I'd never get back to making things, though I have been working on the Evolon book in snatches (it should be with the printer in the next week or so, hurrah!!!). No, I'm talking about Working With Cloth.

I ran the regular workshop on Tuesday night, and we're working with cloth for the foreseeable future. So far, we've been working with small scraps of cloth, often cloth we wouldn't give house room to, and making small art pieces. I had planned a particular path for this Tuesday, but as it turned out, the class had other ideas. And since I was clearly surplus to requirements (other than advice and guidance now and again), I wondered what I was actually going to do... So I put three pieces of hand dye together, and began to stitch. Yesterday, I went back to the Gallery, and finished the piece. Not only that, but I also finished three other small pieces that had been awaiting trimming and embellishing. So I feel I'm Back With A Bang!

The first new piece is pictured above, and is nameless, as yet. Echoes, possibly. See what you think. I'm going to have it framed, along with most if not all of my new output, this one, I think, in a box frame. I've tried and tried to be a Proper Quilter...even a Proper Art Quilter... but it doesn't seem to fit with what I am and what I do. So I give up. I'm just going to be me, the artist, and do what seems right. I'm teaching at Festival of Quilts this year, right enough, but I think nobody will mind !!

Surface Design...

2010-01-13T13:23:00.004Z

is great fun, but I don't see myself getting out to the shed today. There's still lots of snow in the garden, and I doubt if the Berco Boiler has defrosted itself yet... so I'm staying put and playing with the cloth that I've already made. Like this sample, Lutradur 100 coloured with Brusho. All the colour was added using these flexible little watercolour inks. I'm really quite pleased with the outcome, a sample for a class I hope to be teaching soon, smaller than A4. As you can see, I've added a couple of small pieces of felt, and embellished them with some free flying fleece. I was contemplating adding some stitch, but I'm not so sure now. Small and uncomplicated seems to suit my mood. See what you think. I have to say, it looks better in the flesh... but that's the way of these things.

...And Brightening Up.

2010-01-11T15:47:00.004Z

It's remarkable how much better a tidy workspace is for one's morale. I've unearthed a few medium sized pieces that need to be worked on, like the one above, which is layers of both Lutradur and Evolon, with red wool tops felted into them, as well as throwing out quite a few small pieces that just didn't work and really aren't worth working on any more. And if you marry that up with a long conversation about The Work, and what I'm intending to do, then you have a process that takes you not just out of the blues, but into the Zone. Thanks, Sally, for listening while I droned on about what was going on in my head, and for giving me your opinions, gently but firmly. And having the patience to let me sort things out in my own head.

In many ways, that's the real trick, when you're talking to someone about their work. Let them talk. Someone much smarter than me said 'I know what I think when I hear what I say'; Sally listened to me talking about how dark the earlier work had been, and how dark this new stuff also seemed. We worked out why that was, and what it meant, and then, at the end of the conversation, there was room for a small but definite brainwave unrelated to the work we were talking about, but a definite possibility for a series of work with BB. Watch this space!

Friends, what would we do without them?

Oh, and the other thing I've stopped doing is the procrastination around the images for the book. My lovely designer should get the whole thing tomorrow. The thing about procrastination is that it's SO good when you stop! Why not try it with whatever you have been avoiding, lately? You know you want to...and I bet that whatever it is is not as difficult as you think it is going to be. Trust me, I'm a quilter.

Tidying Up...

2010-01-10T17:30:00.002Z

is, I suspect, best done in a bad mood. Failing that, a questioning mood. Why do I keep all this stuff? Why don't I tidy up as I go along? Why do I feel as if I want to work larger than I have been? Do I really need all this fabric? Where can I put all these books? You know the kind of thing, I'm sure. It helps you to throw things away, or give them to others, which makes it easier to find places to put things; and that, in turn, gets things clearer in your mind. I write about it at length in the Creative Focus book. At times like this, I rather think I should be taking a large dose of my own medicine.

And that really is what I intend to do. I spent an hour in one of the fabric studios today, and it still looks like a large bomb hit it. Partly that's because my son has several boxes of his stuff, mainly books (wonder who he gets that from...?), in that particular studio. They're going back up to Scotland just as soon as I can manage it (mwahaha...). But it's also my doing. There is a lovely (or rather, unlovely) guddle in both cloth studios, and I'm sick of it. So the next few days will be partly spent working on putting things to rights, and the rest of the time spent telling the cats that I didn't order the snow up just to spite them, and that there's plenty of food in their bowls...in between cuddles, of course.

That 'work larger' thing is intriguing, though. Partly it's just Bertha's influence. Partly, though, it's a need to give myself the space to express things, as I do in my paintings. I don't like painting small, and I no longer feel I want to sew small, either. And partly it's the restlessness that you get at the beginning of a new phase of work, as you wonder, is it worth it? Do I really want to do that? Say that? Express that? Will I be able to do the theme justice? I don't know any of that. But I do trust the process, and at the moment, the process seems to be saying, tidy up, get ready to work, get out of your own way, and hurry up about it. So that's what I'm doing. Wish me luck, it's scary.