Unexpected Choices...

...are always interesting, and usually the best.  I'm mid relapse, and whilst  lying in bed, was leafing through an art book... and had an idea.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was a book about Sean Scully, and the idea was to do with this particular structure.  Yes, it needs to be ironed... sigh. 

The colours in this aren't all that accurate, but you get the drift...  Left to right, there's a section of rust dyed lutradur, one of tea and onion skin dyed cotton, and rust dyed muslin.  Two of the three are semi transparent, and that proved to be quite important. 

I'm not that keen on this, mostly, I suspect, because I hate white, and rarely use it in anything at all, textile or painting, other than to mix in with other paints.  I love colour...and apparently have a problem with the absence of colour.  The original idea I had, was to add some colour, a square, thereof, in the lower right section, which is quite different to the original idea, to stitch with the thread you see there, browns and blues, following the curves in the rust dyed sections, and across the white.  When I went into the studio to select the fabric, though, I spotted the box with the lace. 

I don't use lace, much, but I have some for hats.  Somehow, though, it seemed like a good idea to use something lacy on top of these semi transparent fabrics, following through on that idea.  When I opened the box, I spotted a doily.  Now, I don't like doilies.  I had a brief moment when I thought I'd use them in work, as is the fashion...but it has never really seemed like my kind of thing.  I really don't like this whole, take something, or better still, lots of things vintage and slap it/them onto a background and call it art, trend that has been hanging around for at least a decade, if not more.  Circles, though.... I liked the idea of circles.  So I fished around in the box some more.  And then I had a rest (as you do...well, as I do, these days). 

And this is what I'm going with.

   
Three doilies, all featuring lace and/or cutwork.  The one on the right is positioned on a circle of lutradur, to echo the lutradur element of  the base fabric.  And I've fished out some very pale threads to stitch them down with.  That, though, is for another day : I've overdone it.  But it has been worth it, I think... much better than sitting gazing at a computer screen. 

Going To Pieces.

So...what do you do when you're too physically tired to do anything, much, but your mind is turning cartwheels?  Well... there's drawing, of course, and hand stitch...but I really like a jigsaw.  With two cats, however, that's really not advisable; they bat the pieces all over the floor, attempt to eat them... you get the picture (or rather, you don't, because at least one piece gets lost as a result).  Reader, I discovered online jigsaws, and I am hooked.  I've had a wonderful time on Jigsaw Planet reconstructing other peoples' paintings and photographs.  And then I thought.... maybe I could do this with my photographs... so I did.... and that was great fun, too.

So what's that got to do with the price of cheese?  Well... I've talked about it elsewhere on this blog, quite recently (not that I'm obsessed).  It gets more interesting when it's your own image, though.  I realised a number of things.... firstly, that I don't really think about my photography as being an end in itself.  I tend to take pictures either for reference, or to stitch into (see an example of my stitched work here, one of my personal favourites).  So it's useful to look at these images  as potential jigsaws, look at their construction, decide if they're interesting enough to use in this way. 

Secondly, I already knew that I'm mostly interested in detail, so most of my photos are macro.  I try to find details that might otherwise be missed.  The image at the top of the post is a Norfolk flint wall (I think, if I remember rightly, it was a church in Wymondham),  It makes a truly evil jigsaw; all those little stones... you have to observe carefully to fit the pieces together.  The jigsaw format helps you to look at each piece separately, to consider how it fits into the whole, to see even more of those tiny details that make up what I hope is a good image, at least for reference purposes...it might want cropping if I were to print it out for stitch.  Flaubert said that 'God is in the detail' (or the devil, depending on which of these similar sayings you ascribe to).  Looking at an image this way seems to take me past detail, and into nuance, which usually would be picked up by my unconscious mind, but I don't think it does me any harm to contemplate them in a more overt fashion.  Most of the nuances here are about texture and light; the direction of light, the way it hits a particular section of the flint, the way that flint responds.

Thirdly, I hadn't noticed until I made a couple of jigsaws that my colour palette in my photographs is very narrow, almost monochromatic.  The same cannot be said for most of my work, although the ME piece I wrote about here is moving in that direction; I now have a small bag of fabric in these subdued tones and colours to make more pieces in what I suspect will be a series.  I hadn't realised, though, that my photographs were leading me in that direction, probably long before I consciously chose to explore it.

Finally, the act of jigsaw assembly is not unlike the creative process.  Artists and writers both talk about the blank page... jigsaws, at least, give you a jumping off point, encourage you to look for the edge pieces and assemble them to create a framework.  I think we all need that in some way; my equivalent of edge pieces, in textile, is usually the creation of a small piece using whatever I have to hand (usually, up until now, from the bits lying on the floor).  In paint, it comes from the process of selecting colours for my palette, which I do intuitively.  I think that creating a starting ritual, and using it consistently,  is comforting, but it's also a springboard into creativity.

And then there's the point where you've got the edges more or less assembled (there's always one or two that I don't find til the end, but I don't let that get in the way of assembling the rest of the image).  And then I'm face to face with my own doubts; this is hard.  How will I ever manage?  Well... partly through intuition... that piece looks as if it should fit there... no... but it does fit two pieces along... and on I plod.  Emphasis on the plod; building jigsaws seem to go in fits and starts, depending on how easy it is to group colours together, to assemble little, but obvious, details so that they can then be fitted into the whole.  And there's something about perseverance, too, just keeping going, pushing through the problems (most of which are in my head) to create the image. 

Yes, it's harder for artists; they don't always have a clear idea of what the end goal is, making deciding what the end product actually is, quite challenging.  Fortunately, we don't have to limit ourselves to Just One Ending or Just One Process; that's what working in series is about.

If you'd like to do the stone jigsaw, here's the link; if that doesn't work, look for artmixter...I only have three images up, this one and a couple of floral ones.  There are a surprising number of quilt images available as jigsaws, but I'm not sure that my work would lend itself to that kind of treatment.  Above all, in jigsaws as in art, have fun.,,that's a significant part of the process.

Variety...

is the spice of life, it is said.  |Perhaps it is.  I never make the same thing twice, there is always a twist in there somewhere, that makes whatever it is different to whatever it was.  Low boredom threshold?  Perhaps.  I prefer to look at it as curiosity, plain and simple.  So... you saw the seeds yesterday; here is another version.

The print itself is identical, but this time, it has been printed onto Lutradur XL.  That immediately makes  it almost impossible to create the kind of depth through stitch that working into Evolon with batting produced in the previous version.  To add texture and colour, I put a sheet of green florists wrap (similar to fine Lutradur) over the whole piece.  That, however, removed most of the contrast from the piece, so I cut it back to expose the dark background.

Oddly, the Evolon piece looked well balanced; this one did not.  So, out came the rotary cutter, as you can see from the bottom.  I cut a chunk off, and then cut the chunk into two unequal parts.  My original intention had been to cut the smaller up for jewellery, but decided I liked it as it was.

I also felt that, like the previous piece, there was a need for the dark, metallic stitch that enhanced the contrast.  So, I stitched the two pieces in different ways, to see what would happen.

This is the smaller of the two pieces, with fairly intense stitching similar to the previous piece in the dark areas.  I then went on to stitch quite intensively in the rest of the quilt.  The florist's wrap had obscured some of the detail of the photograph, and I wanted to reinstate it.

I then went on to work on the larger of the two pieces.

This time, the stitch in the dark areas is simply echoing the shape of the negative space; again, I've added quite a bit of stitch in the rest of the piece.

In writing, I realise that I have decided not to add further stitch to the larger piece.  It seems to work nicely as it is; perhaps it is because of its size.  Or perhaps there is more detail visible.  Either way, looking at it this morning, I find I like it as it is...and so will leave it alone.  Nor had I considered cropping the other, quilted piece; it is fine as it is.

I found myself tagging this with 'free motion quilting'.  In fact, it would be closer to the truth to say free motion embroidery; most of this piece has just one thick layer.  It does contrast nicely, I think, the difference between working with quilt, and working with embroidery.  Personally, I don't think the label matters much.  I just appreciate the pieces for what they are.  If they have to have a label, I prefer to think of them as art.

Basket Case?

Baskets are on my mind at present...mainly because I'm having a Domestic Goddess moment...or two... I'm tired of being so disorganised.  So, instead of a clutter beside my chair in the living room, I now have two large baskets.  One of them is full of wool tops, yarn and threads, all of which have been untangled (so there!); the other has all sorts of bits and pieces, including the things I'm finishing off at the moment, mainly phone cases and felt things like little brooches.  And an increasing amount of hand work.  Propped up beside them are a couple of large lino blocks, which I intend to carve over the next day or so, to make hand printed Christmas cards, and perhaps little books, too.  So, I'm tidied; just need the discipline to make myself tidy up every night before bed.  I'm thoroughly looking forward to being able to find things.  Well, okay...some things, sometimes...

As we get towards the end of the year, I find myself wondering what's next.  After a lot of careful thought, I've decided not to teach at Festival of Quilts next year, though I have signed up to do a couple of shows with Grosvenor (Spalding and Harrogate, if you were wondering).  Basically, I just can't afford to subsidise my attendance there.   I'm seriously thinking about giving up art for public consumption.  It's great being considered inspirational, and all that, but it doesn't pay for paint.  People tell me they love my workshops, take the information away and ... nothing happens...  I've given this my best shot, and perhaps now, it's time to recognise that I've failed.

Living Vintage...

...that's me, apparently.  I went to a vintage fair today with a couple of friends.  Held in a large church hall, it looked for all the world like the worlds' most expensive jumble sale.  There was the occasional gem...like a Frank Usher top, far too small for me but incredibly beautiful; if Robin had a Proper Job, I would have bought it...would love to collect beautiful clothes... sigh.  Mostly, though, it was stuff that was masquerading as vintage like a Primark top which could only have been a year or two old.  It does, however, make you realise that you are getting older... particularly when you recognise the clothes you used to wear, never mind those of your mother or your grandmother.  Etsy defines vintage as anything older than 20 years, which covers a multitude of sins. 

Vintage is really fashionable; everybody does it.  I find myself looking to earlier times for inspiration for Myrtle and Rose, things that are gentle, feminine, flattering, flowing.  I'm still not convinced by the vogue for using vintage imagery in art, though.  It has become ubiquitous, a whole Somerset Studio type style, using rubber stamps and copyright free imagery.  It started, I think, at least in part, because people were worried about copyright issues, and felt it was much better to take images from the past, that were out of copyright, rather than risk being pursued for breach of copyright from living artists.  It's a pity, I think, that people use this type of image instead of being inspired by their own work.  I think it shows a vast lack of confidence in our own abilities.

I guess I'm musing about this because I'm doing something I said I never would (yes, again...); using vintage inspirations.  But they are exactly that.  I'm not copying vintage clothes or hats or bags, just looking back at a gentler, less complicated time and making work that is mine, but with a different feel to it.  Not sure if I'm making any sense, here, but I dare say that's not unusual.  I'm happy to use vintage fabrics when I can find them; they dye better than contemporary fabrics, and are often of better quality.  In addition, they have a feeling of story behind them.  Interesting to repurpose them, to give them the amount of usage they were made for, albeit in a different way to what was originally intended. 

If I ever work out what my relationship to/with vintage is, I'll let you know.  Meanwhile, I'd love to hear what you think about this phenomenon... will it run and run?  I chatted to one of the stall holders, a woman around my own age (most of the stall holders were in their twenties, interestingly enough, which perhaps explains why so much of what was on offer did not seem to be vintage at all...).  She said that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find vintage clothing and jewellery, and it is becoming increasingly expensive, because it has become so fashionable.  But, she said, it won't go on for ever.  When it stops, prices will drop and things will flood back onto the market.    I'm tempted to think that it is one fashion that won't go away; the market for nostalgia is unlimited.  What do you think?

The Happy Shop

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

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!

Flowers All The Way...

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.

A Quick Glimpse...

...of my conservatory, all dressed up for Open Studios. Actually, I've moved things around a bit since then, but you get the general idea, I'm sure. There are paintings on the walls, too, more photos to follow over the next few days...and of course, the studio is bedecked, too. Robin's comment was 'No wonder we have no room in the house'.

It's been an interesting time, this. I'm waiting to be interviewed by a village website , who want to feature local Open Studios artists. I don't live in that village, but it is close by, and our doctors' surgery is there, so I go quite often. Given that it's my first ever Open Studio, I'm pleased to have had about fifteen visitors in the first couple of days, most of them textile people. So it's no surprise that some of my cloth has sold, and enquiries have been made about workshops. We had wine and nibbles on Sunday, a very civilised way to spend an afternoon, sipping chilled white and talking about art. This Sunday, though, will have a different feel. Probably more wine, I admit, but also cake, as it's my birthday, and I like an excuse to have a BIG cake!

The painting featured here is untitled, though if anyone has a title suggestion, I'm always willing to listen. It's a very peaceful oil, with lots of texture. See what you think. To my surprise, there are more painted and mixed media pieces than there are textiles, but then I'm not showing things that will feature in Exquisite Evolon, which is most of my current output. So there'll be lots of textiles to see next year, and at Festival of Quilts, too.

You've Been Framed...

or at least, this particular piece has. It's a follow on from 'It's In The Trees', called 'Blue Trees', and it is sitting happily in a lovely wooden frame.

I have a love hate relationship with frames, but I have to agree with Robin, who said that he thought that a piece looks more finished than when it is hung without. I think that, as well as that, that there is an expectation that art work comes in frames. People know what to *do* with art in frames; I think they are less sure about textiles that hang unframed. Either way, I think that this particular piece looks good in its frame. I hope you agree; all feedback welcome as always! Find more detail shots here

And yes, of course, the piece is made from lutradur. Well, I suppose it would be... I'm obsessed with the stuff. Who wouldn't be, when you can get results like these.

Sometimes...

things just come together. Like this piece and the glass embellishment that is on it. I have had this piece lying about for a while, and picked it up last week to do a little more stitching on it. And then I remembered the pieces of glass that my etsy friend Mike made for me, and suddenly a lacklustre piece had found the extra something that it needed. Another piece finished; Lost Planet.

I went to a workshop on Saturday, too, and that brought wonders. I wrote more poetry in a morning than I've done in the past five years, which pleased me no end, and made art based on the poetry, and including some of the words, in the afternoon. But more about that tomorrow... in the meantime, the image shows 'Lost Planet'. There are more detailed images here, if you wish to see them.

More Scars...

this one is entitled 'Defining'. I wondered... am I defined by my scars, or by myself? This piece explores that question. See what you think.

Kate is still here, and will feature on the other blog very shortly...it's great having an arty niece!

They're Coming To Get You...

came out of nowhere, an evolon piece... it required to be quilted in this way. It's very simple, but it feels somehow panicky. Something is out there, in the big city, and it's coming your way... got to run... got to hide... And then you wake up, and it's just a dream.

I'm increasingly enjoying drawing with a sewing machine. Most of my work now is much closer to embroidery than to quilting... and I hope, closer to drawing than to embroidery. I think there's a magazine article in there, somewhere... probably not a book...sigh. The lutradur book will, of course, be out very soon (I can say that with some confidence), so perhaps it's time to think about one of the other projects in my head... the drawing one will have to take its place in the queue...

Another Dose of Tranquillity...

I painted again this morning, despite the phone ringing four times in quick succession. I was expecting a call, so each time I leapt to answer, and each time it wasn't the call I was expecting. Despite that, though, I painted happily, and have produced several more paintings...so much so that I'm going to have to stop; I've run out of space for them to dry in. This will not be a problem with the shudio, of course, but in the attic, it gets a bit...busy... The image here is 'Somewhere', another of the gentle paintings I began yesterday.

So, this afternoon, since painting wasn't an option, I began a textile sketch of a new Texture Of Memory piece. The Texture Of Memory series is an old one, relatively speaking, pre lutradur, and it focusses on the way in which our minds tamper with our memories. This piece is an experiment that uses both lutradur and evolon; pictures when it is finished. I think it has potential, though. It's wonderful to be back to working productively again. It feels as if I've not done anything really interesting in a long time, like walking down a long corridor past all sorts of doors, until I found the 'right' one to open and walk through. Long may it continue.

It is interesting to restart a series that has been dormant for several years. Just as the theme suggests, I have moved on, and my mind sees new ways of approaching the same material. I wonder what will come out of this exploration.

Home Again

to snow, winds and worse weather than there was in Edinburgh, which is not how things are meant to be! I had a wonderful time with my lovely sister, Jane and her equally lovely spouse, Frank, as well as flying visits to sons, daughters and grandmothers... but I did weaken towards the end. Jane and I went to the Gallery of Modern Art on Thursday, and I came back wanting to paint. Frank, bless him, had all the materials to hand, and 'Head Over Heels' was made in an hour or so on Friday morning. It is really a sketch, I would have approached it quite differently had I been at home, but it's not a bad wee thing, really. There's definitely room to make more work around this. Jane assures me that it will be down to live with me, so it might end up looking quite different... but for the meantime, it is drying calmly in a corner of her kitchen.

And here I am, back again, full of ideas and thoughts, and delighted to have spent some quality time with my 'little' sis! Now it's back to work, of course, but that is hardly a hardship.

Know Thyself...

was the inscription above the entrance to the Delphic Oracle. I know myself by the art that I make, because it is a way for me to work out what is going on in my life, my relationship with myself, others and the environment. So when I was asked to create a 4" square self portrait, what could I use other than images of my work to illustrate it, printed onto lutradur. Beneath that, there is a photograph of me. And on the back, a comment; By My Art, Shall Ye Know Me. That is a theme to which I intend to return, but in book format. Watch this space! Meantime, here is an image of the piece to be going on with.

I'm off for the rest of the week to visit with my sister in Livingston. It will be the first time we've spent more than a few hours with each other in a very long time...I don't remember the last time, probably before I went to University, and that wasn't yesterday! I'm looking forward to this trip a great deal, but my blogs are likely to remain silent until I get back...so, see you next week!