Unexpected Benefits

...or rather, things I hadn't thought about. I've never had a large enough space to work in so that I could actually see what was going on in a big canvas as I painted it, or even when it was finished. And now I have, hurrah! I painted in the shudio for the first time yesterday afternoon, working on a large (44" by 56") canvas, and the difference being able to step back from it made was enormous. I could see all sorts of things that I wouldn't otherwise have been able to see.

No photos of that, today...it's still in progress, and I'm not entirely sure where it's going, though I have my suspicions. Instead, a photo of the other textile piece I finished yesterday, made from Evolon, with fibers and another of Mike's beautiful beads on it. Titled Fissures I, it, like 'Cracking Up', takes its inspiration from the cliffs at Hunstanton. I'm planning a trip there soon, hoping to find some small fossils as well as take more photographs; it's not far from here. I might go visit the lavender fields, too, though it's a bit early. But I could buy myself some dried roses, or a rose/lavender mix; I love the scent of both plants.

Running Around In Circles...

seems to be what I'm doing best at the moment. Stuff is still wandering out to the shudio, and I'm also trying to tidy up the spaces that I'm taking it from. That is no mean feat! I have a conservatory, now, or at least half of one, and I'm unearthing bits of work that I'd forgotten about (duh...). Everything is suffering as a result, fewer blog posts, fewer etsy visits, fewer everything except sneezes; it's either the dust or I've caught the cold that my friend Jill had at the weekend. My money is on the cold, as I started sneezing before I started dusting!

Tomorrow, though, I will get some work done. I've started a couple of pieces; this one I've mentioned before, I think. It is distressed lutradur in layers over a backing of pelmet vilene. It needs some stitch, I think and possibly more colour...I might print over it. This is the new Texture of Memory piece that I was talking about here. Click on the image to enlarge it; see if you can see the writing through the lutradur layers. I can in the original, though it's not easy to make it out if you're not used to my appalling writing!

Ta Dah!!!

One finished shudio. I got home yesterday to find that Robin had laid the flooring and finished off the walls, and this is what it looks like. I have been recovering from my trip to Scotland, today, so nothing got added to its pristine perfection, but I think by Friday I'll be showing you an entirely different shudio... possibly one I can't get into!

I'd just like to thank Robin for all his hard work... isn't it amazing!

OOH, Look!

Not all of the weekend was spent doing nothing other than eating chocolate and snoozing, you know! Look how far the shed has progressed. Ahem. That would be shudio. The Little Green Shed is moving on apace. The electricians will be coming back to finish the wiring, and Robin will doubtless do his best to put the walls up at the weekend, though it won't be all that easy, there are lots of windows to cut round...

I have to confess that I'm starting to get really excited about this. The light in there is great, and I'm going to take all the wet stuff out there, so the dye stuff will go out as well as the paints and mixed media. Tables at the right level for dye painting and screenprinting... that will be wonderful. I can hardly wait!