Getting To Grips...

with Thunderbird is proving to be...interesting, but worthwhile. I love the way it eats spam! I did get a bit alarmed when all my mail disappeared, and twenty messages seemed to be around somewhere, but not findable...but I sorted that out All By Myself. If you hear a note of smugness in that last comment, you're absolutely right.

So, have a look at Around and Around, a lutradur piece which I've just finished. It started as a dark brown monoprint on white linen, which had a piece of dyed lutradur added to it. I then stitched and added embellishment using coloured gutta. You don't see the layers particularly well in the overall shot, so I've added a detail, too. Remember you can click on the images for a closer (and larger) look. Overall, I'm pleased with the result. Now to tackle the Much Bigger Piece of Lutradur that's lying on the ironing board, for which I Have Plans.

Fun, Fun, Fun

with a new cloth, Evolon, which is a micromicro fibre (I think...) by the same people who make lutradur. Part of the reason I didn't use transfer dyes before, was the feel of the man made fibres...but this stuff is gorgeous, soft, with a hand a bit like velvet, though lighter and really easy to use. Or perhaps it compares better to the feel of very soft suede leather. Either way, it's fab! I started out making ATCs with it, but a couple of days ago, produced this, much larger, piece, which I'm delighted with. It stitches beautifully, too, so when it's done, I'll take it with me to France.

I have to admit to a bias; I'm sponsored from time to time by Spunart, who supply both lutradur and evolon, and they gave me some to try. But even if I wasn't, and they hadn't, I'd love this particular fabric, just as much as I love lutradur. Mervyn tells me he has it in stock...I wonder if it will become the next lutradur???

What The Well Dressed Washing Line...

....is wearing this year. The big chunk of navy blue cloth is for Sally, to make a binding. Out of shot is the shirt I overdyed from sludge to navy blue at the same time...Robin says he's happy to wear it now. And then there's all that paper. Given that it was such a lovely day yesterday, I went out to paint with some transfer dye. I'm designing a couple of workshops, so I needed to try those ideas out, and, to be honest, it has been a while since I was creative just for the sake of it, so that was important, too. I did have fun! Later on, I transferred some of the dye to cloth, but that's another picture for another day...

Today, I'm planning to transfer a bit more dye to lutradur, and go to the postoffice to send Sally her cloth (unironed, I know she'll only wash it again!), and maybe do a bit more dyepainting...or not...there's not much dye left of that batch, perhaps it'll have to wait til later... It feels good to be busy with these things, instead of admin or work for something else that isn't art...hurrah for Spring.

It Must Be Spring When...

Advo, the old cat, runs around in circles in the garden, chasing his tail (and any other cat within chasing distance), there are tadpoles in the pond, I can dry the washing on the line outside and leave the front windows open... It's also Spring when I wake up to bright sunshine and a sense of wellbeing that doesn't melt as soon as I get out of bed. So lets hope that all of the above are here to stay...except the tadpoles...they have to become Frogs. How else can we be guaranteed the occasional handsome prince?

I'm in the process of getting my life back in some semblance of order. I'll start with the grovelling apology. I have several little envelopes with work in them, ready to go out...and only a few addresses...blame the change in computer, please, not my incompetence. Rather than list everyone here, if you asked me for a small piece of work when it was offered, could you please email me privately with your details, so I can get them out this week, and stop feeling hugely guilty about the whole thing. I thank you.

I've been playing with some velvet; this piece, Prayer, is handdyed velvet overlayed with painted Bondaweb (fusible), stitched and painted with coloured gutta. I'm getting back to work on the lutradur book, and I'm going to dye some cloth to take with me to Lyon. I'm staying reasonably quiet, you understand, keeping myself to myself, staying in a lot...and am beginning to feel the better of it all, even the therapy. I am in a process of becoming, just like a chrysalis eventually opens to allow a butterfly to emerge. Lets hope I can be as bright as the yellow butterfly I saw today.

Frothing At The Mouth?

I should be. Not only have I a new operating system, I'm now the proud (?!?) owner of a network of pcs. It took Robin all day yesterday and a lot of swearing before we could get anything much to happen...sigh. Robin's usually really good at That Sort Of Stuff, but it was not the instant success that we'd hoped it would be. Oh well. Somewhere around 2pm, I went off and pieced a top; something had to give, and it was always likely to be my temper, so I figured the best place for me was up in the studio at the top of the house.

Today, I had a visitor, Moira from next door came to play with some of my toys. She discovered something that every quilter knows; there is a wealth of exciting stuff on the floor, all you have to do is scoop it up! She asked if I'd introduce her to my textile friends, and she'd go round all their floors picking up the odd bead, sequin, scrap and leftover thread. Then she paused and said, they'd think she was strange. No, I said, but they wouldn't be too keen...they use the stuff on the floor, just like you did!

No photos today...I'm still getting my head round this computer, and I hate to think what it'll make of my camera software. And yes, I WILL get rid of Outlook...it's Orrible...GRRRRR. Fortunately, the change of computers was Not My Idea...

The Good News...

is that I have a new computer. Amazing how small it is compared to the last one we bought. The bad news is...I have a new computer. With Microsoft Vista installed on it. And Outlook instead of Outlook Express. Sigh. New things to learn... new operating systems Shouldn't Be Allowed. Were I more computer literate, doubtless I'd know Exactly What To Do to get things How I Like Them. As it is, well, nice new computer, frazzled old me...

For your viewing delectation...or words to that effect...another picture of Monolith, which has featured on this blog before. It didn't please me, and I couldn't work out why. So, this week, I added some more marks, which seems to give it a coherence that it lacked. Perhaps that is just in my head, of course...or perhaps not. Click on the image for a closer view. And do tell me what you think. That's the joy of lutradur, of course, easy to add a layer of marks quickly and easily. Yes, I'm obsessed...can't help myself!

Just...

to prove myself wrong, this is a less than simple piece. I'm not sure it works, but I don't want to mess with it, either. It's lutradur over a quilted piece, with silks and yarns embellished into it. It's very small, not much bigger than a sheet of paper, but it does have lots of movement in it, which is A Good Thing, I think.

It looks like I'll be going to Lyon this year, to the Expo Magic Patch. Wonder who else is going ? Last year's event looked interesting. I'd love to hear from anyone else who is going, it's always good to meet fellow bloggers and readers alike!

I'm working on various things, some of them personal, some public. We're considering the entries for 'From The Heart'; they look really good; more when the decisions are made.

Simple...

is best. It may not always be easy to achieve, but it's definitely best. In management circles, they have a saying ; Keep It Simple, Stupid! or KISS for short. I try to remember it, but of course, sometimes, I forget, and get into much more elaborate work than I'd intended. But pieces like this, a small embellisher piece, are fun to make and effective just because they are so simple. Next time you find yourself bogged down in your work, try remembering the KISS idea...you never know, it might just help. That, or a good brisk walk! Or both, even!

Occasionally...

and I do mean very occasionally, (this one must be about eight years old, now...doesn't time fly!)I make Useful Quilts. This one, surprise surprise, is called 'The Owl And The Pussycat'. The peagreen boat opens to hold the toys; sadly, I couldn't find an owl small enough to really fit...but the thought was there. And the poem is written in the borders, or part of it, anyway. Next time, if there is one, I'll go find the toys before I actually make the quilt.

A Bit Of Fluff?

Well, yes, in a way. A nest of wool, made with the embellisher. There are a couple of cornicopiae, also. Eggs are a theme for me at the moment, all that unlimited potential (besides, it's Easter, it seems appropriate...), so vessels within which to keep eggs seem a good thing to be making. All I have to do now is make the eggs. Or buy them from Mr Cadbury!

I Like It When...

I find old journals or sketchbooks, there's always something interesting to find. In this one, some questions (and we all know a good question is worth a thousand answers, right?). At what point does the mark become deliberate? Perhaps all marks are deliberate? Are all marks deliberate? What IS a deliberate mark, in the context of say, an abstraction? When does simple become complex? Whene does indiscernible become discernible?

No, I don't know either. But it's important to keep asking.

Hoarding

I suspect we all suffer from it. I'd forgotten, til I came upon this old disc, how many photos I have, and how well meaning I am when I take them. I always mean to use them as inspiration for new work. It never happens. But it does remind me of happy days in Scotland and elsewhere; perhaps that's enough. These are from a day we spent in the West Coast, across to Ullapool from Strathpeffer, then up on the coast as far as Lochinver (great pie shop) and back across country. Wonderful weather, great views, good food; what more could you want?

Making Excuses

We've all done it. The dog ate my homework. I missed the bus. I forgot to set the alarm clock. So, what's my excuse? Well, I was sitting ready to write this when...we had a power cut. A lovely, dramatic power cut, where the power went off...and on again...and off...and on...and off...and stayed off. As luck would have it, I knew not only where the candles were, but where the matches were also. So I managed a chapter of my book before going to sleep...and, of course, as soon as we blew out the candles, on came the power and the downstairs lights...sigh...

I don't have an excuse for not working. I am, really. Just nothing that's showable. Instead, for your delectation, I offer this fab photo of my husband in a kilt. Just for you, Dianne!! It was taken in the hallway of our house in the Highlands. He was going to a business dinner, where all the senior managers wore this particular tartan (of which I know nothing, sorry chaps...). I think he looks fab. If a bit stunned! Sarah, if you're reading, this is what he's likely to look like on the eight of the eighth of the eighth... it's not too late to change your mind!!

Bagging A Bargain

I was out in Norwich yesterday, with my friend Moira. She wanted to know where to buy beads, so I took her to various places that stock them...a real hardship for me, you understand!! I also wanted to buy a book...well, okay, several. I've been reading the Crown of Stars series of books by Kate Elliot. I bought the first four recently, enjoyed them muchly, and wanted to continue. In Waterstone's, we got the penultimate two of the seven, but had to go to another two bookshops to find the third. Dirty work, but someone had to do it... And on the way to the checkout, I found this lovely thing, Milton Glaser's 'Art Is Work', in Borders in their Remaindered section, but with no price on it. So, I took it to the counter and asked. £9.99, was the answer. When she rang it through, though, she said, my, that was a good buy, it was priced at £45 originally...

It's an interesting book, strong visuals as you might expect, not the kind of book I would normally buy, but it was reduced, which made me look, and I found I really liked the writing, especially the introduction. He says;

There seems to be much confusion about what we mean when we use the word art. I have a recommendation. We eliminate the word art and replace it with work and develop the following descriptions:

1. Work that goes beyond its functional intention and moves us in deep and mysterious ways we call great work.

2. Work that is conceived and executed with elegance and rigour we call good work.

3. Work that meets its intended need honestly and without pretence we call simply work.

4. Everything else, the sad and shoddy stuff of daily life, can come under the heading of bad work.

This simple change will eliminate anxiety for thousands of people who worry about whether they are artists or not, but this is not its most significant consequence. More importantly, it can restore art to a central, useful activity in daily life - something for which we have been waiting for a very long while'

I'm with you, Milton. And I'm very glad I bought your book (Milton Glaser, Art is Work, ISBN 0-500-51028-8. And if you can't afford the book, go look at the website...you'll love it.

I Was Struck...

by Felicity's comment yesterday. She said, 'I wonder sometimes if depression is seeing things exactly as they are and 'normality' (governed by society) is self delusion (trying not to think of the things that we really should by busying ourselves with endless distraction).

I think, myself, that depression is an illness, as opposed to a state of mind...if you see what I mean. When I'm depressed, I see the world in a different light altogether. There is no hope, no light, no joy, only the promise of more of the same. My work seems worthless; my self, even more so. When the depression is under control, I recognise the beauties of the world, and that I am worth something, rather than nothing. I recognise that I am loved, and that I love in return. There might even be hope...

Tidying up, I found an old disc from 1999, hence the (rather poor) picture. The piece is in guid Scots wool, a semi abstract landscape, 'Heart Of The Country'. It's a reminder of what I used to do, and how differently I work now, but I still have a sneaking fondness for it, even though I can't even remember what happened to it...

Lying Fallow...

...hibernating, call it what you will, but I seem unable to work on anything...I was going to say, meaningful, but that's not strictly true. For public consumption, might be a better expression. I find myself looking inwards, trying to understand what the purpose of this illness is, how I might come to better terms with it. So I'm working on altered books, endlessly prepping, impatient to get to the creative bits, but knowing that preparation is all... and playing with paper, too. Eventually, I may well show the work, but not right now.

But just to prove that I'm still obsessed by the embellisher, a new piece, made with some delicious silk bought on my shopping spree last week. I knew it would work well, and it has. Just think, I have a whole metre of it...delicious...

I Rarely Buy...

what I can make, but I made an exception for this beautiful leatherbound journal...isn't it beautiful? I wanted a special journal for recording things of importance, beauty and/or wisdom, the kind of thing you need to remember when times are hard and hope is but a memory of better days. I thought this was perfect. I have no idea who made it, sadly, I'd like to congratulate him/her, but hey... I bought it in one of my favourite places in Norwich, the King Of Hearts, a beautiful 16th century Merchant's House that is both art gallery and conference venue, as well as having a good coffee shop and a space for music performances, including its own harpsichord.

Now, of course, all I have to do is find the appropriate words to write in the journal... it's always difficult to know where to start. Perhaps the most appropriate of quotations to begin with would be from Julian of Norwich, a mystic from the 14th century. All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well. It seems to be a good place to start for any kind of venture.

Cats...

are contrary critters. I watched one this morning from the car, killing time before an appointment (I'm congenitally early for everything, and therapy is far from being an exception; today, I arrived early enough to go do a bit of shopping...). Anyway, I was parked on a quiet road that is obviously used a lot by learners. One learner stopped abreast of a car, obviously ready to parallel park. S/he blew it somewhat, and in the space of time it took the driver to manoeuvre back out of things, and into a better line with the kerb, a beautiful, fluffy tabby cat strolled out into the middle of the road, thought the better of it, and plonked herself down just where the car should have ended up. And sat there. And sat there. And washed. She (I just think it had to be a she...) had chosen to sit just outside of reach of the car, so when it successfully reached the kerb, she calmly rose and strolled out across the road...in front of another learner driver, who probably panicked magnificently and slammed on the brakes. None of this worried said cat. In fact, when she'd got to the other side, and the car had gone, she changed her mind, strolled back over the road, and then realised that there was A Human coming...that spooked her, and off she ran. Cars were clearly okay; Humans, not.

Nothing done today; therapy is exhausting, so I slept the afternoon away in company with my own dozy felines. The picture is an encaustic made earlier on this week. The scan doesn't do justice to the many layers of colour and the texture.

When The Going Gets Tough...

the tough go shopping. Even those of us whose demons would prefer to stay at home, thanks, hear the occasional call of the mall... In my case, it was less the call of the mall than the whisper of the voucher for artists supplies that I was given for Christmas and hadn't yet spent. How's that for restraint?

So... there I was. A bit like a child in a sweetie shop, but with less restraint. They like me in that shop...they ask if they I'm happy browsing, and when I say, oh, YES, they say, 'thought so', and leave me to it. I thought that I'd buy things I hadn't used before, mostly, since this wasn't money I'd expected to have. So I bought some GAC 200 which I've heard June talk about, but never used (expect to have your brains picked soon, June...). It says it reduces the tackiness of acrylics...I wonder if that will help with the main problem I have with altered books, Pages Stuck Together That Weren't Meant To Be...sigh... I bought some proper etching ink, which is expensive but lovely to work with. And some other mediums for working with oil paint. And some more lino to make blocks with. So I have new toys to play with, which will be fun. I also bought some cloth today, some horrendously expensive but very beautiful silk to use with the embellisher, and some other bits and pieces. I would have bought some vintage linen sheets from Oxfam to dye, but they were more expensive than the ones I bought at an antique shop, so Perhaps Not.

The painting is another IMTOL, this one 'freefall'. The image above is the whole piece, the one at left here, a detail. You should be able to see a larger image if you click on the photos.

Altering Books...

...takes a long time, somehow. It's all the preparation you have to do before you can start, removing pages, sticking them together, gesso and stuff... I'm making two books. One of them is a small thing, that I had started to prepare a couple of weeks ago, and have just kept going. The other is larger, a squareish shape, unusual, I thought, and that will be a journal of sorts, to be kept during the therapeutic journey and doubtless beyond. These conversations with a friendly stranger fill my head with images; I thought I'd use them, this time, play with them, see where they take me. I've just switched the encaustic plate on, too, thinking that I'd do a little encaustic work in between pages, something to do while muttering about how long things take to dry. Besides, it warms the conservatory up somewhat, which is always a good thing in winter, even if it is a relatively warm winter which is wending its way towards spring.

The top image is Gravid; the bottom two are In More Than One Language paintings, Emerging and Outpouring. All are oils, Gravid on canvas, the other two on board. Now to see what Advo wants, make myself a quick cup of coffee and go play with the wax!

Turn Your Back...

...for a minute or two, well, okay, a couple of days, and some cat or other will obligingly create a nest for herself (not naming any names, are we, Molly?) in whatever textiles are lying around. In this case, it's bits and pieces and samples from the embellisher. At some point, I suppose, I'll have to decide what to do with them; at the moment, though, I'm just Making More Bits, and trying things out. Helen very kindly brought me some lovely black wool cloth to play with, and some fleece, Jacob and Alpaca, too. Doubtless, between that and the paints, I'll be kept out of mischief for another wee whilie.

I find the textile work and the paintings are coming closer together, somehow. I'm contemplating a swap to acrylic paint (from oils), to allow me to work with textile and cloth on canvas; the effects of oil paints on cloth are problematic, though I've seen paint and textile used together recently without any apparent preparation keeping the two separate, ie no gesso or other medium between them... who knows? I've got a painting somewhere that has scraps of silk embedded into the oils; it was painted a couple of years ago, and still seems fine. I like the embellisher, the way it allows me to paint with cloth, yet distorts the imagery on it, dilutes it somewhat. It fits in with the way I'm working just now, considering mark making, its interpretation, the way we reach to create meaning for ourselves in what we see, the way we blind ourselves to what we think is extraneous, even if, in fact, it isn't. Just like therapy, really. Looking again at what we take for granted, at who we think we are, or might have been, or even should have been...and making what changes seem appropriate. Just like painting, really...

Thank you...

for the good words and kind thoughts. I know I'm not alone, but sometimes it's hard to remember...

Another small, simple effort, this time an encaustic. I still feel worn out, so I'm doing a bit of this, and a bit of that, when I feel like it, and taking it easy when I don't. The encaustic set up is downstairs in the conservatory, easy to play with when I feel like it.

Back From Beyond?

Well, no. Not quite. But I'm getting there.

Depression is a constant in my life. When I say that, I don't mean that I'm full of doom, gloom, hellfire and despondency all the time; far from it. Actually, in truth, I spend a lot of time denying to myself and others that I have any kind of a problem. That's not really a useful strategy, but it has worked for most of my life. These days, it doesn't work so well, mainly because the illness is insistent that I admit the limitations it places on me. I'm a very slow learner. One of the things it reminds me is that I'm not Superwoman. Hell, I knew that; I don't wear my underpants outside my trousers, for a start... Sadly, however, that doesn't mean that I don't behave like Superwoman every now and again, take on too much and crash and burn. That's what happened recently, and why I've been so silent. Now, you find me starting to pick up the pieces, and make decisions.

I'm simplifying my life; I'm giving up the running of Alternativequiltlist on yahoo, and becoming an associate, rather than a full member of The Well. Going backwards to go forwards. Allowing myself some space and time to be, rather than to do. I'm not any sadder than I was, but I do hope I come out of this wiser. Why is being kind to oneself so difficult? Or even just remembering what I need, and providing it?

I'm beginning to paint again, after a period when I thought all my work was unbearably awful, textiles, paintings, the works... moving back to process when for a time, I got distracted by outcomes. The paintings are gentle, like this one, Blue Moon, a simple little square painting.

Some Days, You Run Out...

of steam. That's okay, it's forgiveable, understandable, really. What I hate, is the days when you run out of thread. This is called 'Does It Mean', and it's clearly Not Finished. I ran out of thread...aaargh.... having already changed my mind about what to use because (yes, you guessed it...) I didn't think I had enough. Well, it turns out I didn't have enough of this lovely blue, either, a metallic...so there's a good deal of muttering under my breath, and a need to go out to Get Some More. It snowed here yesterday in the evening, today is pretty, just a sprinkling of snow in the bright sunlight, but it's cold enough for me to feel that going out today is Not A Good Idea... so perhaps some internet shopping for wee me. Meanwhile, click on the image for a closer look at the design and stitching...red silk embellished onto black polyester stretch velvet.

I've broken a couple of needles on the embellisher, tut...but when I went to change them, I couldn't get the needle head off the machine. I know, or I've heard, that there are others out there who have had similar problems; any advice? Meantime, I'll wait for Robin to get home, see if his manly strength (stop sniggering, over there) is all that's needed. It is alarming, though, when you try to use the tool provided and you worry that it's going to break under the strain of the task it was designed to perform...sigh... or perhaps it's just me; I do seem to be having a Bad Day...

Doesn't Time Fly...

when you're having fun. Or, as in this case, when you're sitting with an exhibition for three days on the trot. The gallery is gorgeous, but a bit on the chilly side, so I have been adding more and more layers as the days go on...I hate to think what I'll look like next Saturday, which is my last stint looking after the exhibit. Mrs Michelin, perhaps?

Saturday was handwork day, and here's the proof, a snippet of a long, thin piece of rust dyed silk which has been stitched with some cotton yarn that I hand dyed myself. Next time I mutter about handwork, please feel free to remind me that I enjoyed working on this, and have promised myself some more... Sandy arrived to keep me company, and took a photo or two to boot. She stayed for the weekend, and before the (truly delicious) curry that Robin went out for (well, a girl can't cook and exhibition sit at the same time, you know), she played with the Embellisher. I think I'm going to have to ask for commission...every time someone sees and plays with the embellisher, someone says, 'got to have one'...

Sunday, though, we decided to take the embellisher with us to the gallery, and got some interesting stuff done, including a freeform felted bowl (of which I'm Rather Pleased). As mentioned above, I'll be there again on Saturday, complete with embellisher, and if I can fight of the students in the textile workshop that's on in the room behind the gallery, I'll be demonstrating its use to anyone interested.

Last week was really very busy. The tree count, in the end, was three; two conifers lost in the back garden as well as the eucalyptus. On Friday, though, I visited my GP. It turns out that I'm anaemic. As you may have noticed, I've been talking about feeling low since about November; the anaemia explains quite a bit of that. The problem is that depression and anaemia feel exactly the same, so when you have a chronic problem with depression, it's hard to tell about the anaemia. So, it's back to taking vatloads of iron pills, and eating liver (yum...), and Hoping It Goes Away Soon. I have to confess to having a day in bed yesterday, to make up for all the stress, activity and lost sleep of the previous week. It seems to have done me some good. At least, I'm up today...and dressed!

We Are Not Alone...

in having problems with wind and weather today; here's a picture of my friend Sally Bramald's back garden. No, that isn't a giant Frisbee, it is indeed a trampoline. Just as well her daughter has pretty much outgrown such things... Come to think of it, I don't think that fence will ever be the same again...

At least neither of us is in Scotland, where I believe the weather is Much Worse...

Well, Blow Me Down...

it has been a stressful day, and it's only 2.30pm. First, an initial visit to a new psychotherapist, which was always going to be tearful and interesting, and proved to be exactly that. Robin kindly drove me there and back, concerned that I'd be too upset to drive, particularly in the weather conditions that were forecast; gale force winds, heavy rain, for most of the day.

There and back I went. After an early lunch, I thought I'd go have a nap, and was just dozing off when the phone rang. 'Are you all right?', said an anxious voice. Err, yes...I said... 'It's just that your eucalyptus is down, didn't you see it?' Err, no...I said. Going downstairs, I realised that Mike next door was absolutely right. As you can see from the photo, the eucalyptus is down, and it ain't goin' up again...that's it leaning against the front of our house. As far as we can see, there's no damage, it's just propped up against the house, and Mike took a couple of branches off to make sure that they didn't wave around and break the windows. So, there's a man coming to 'deal with it' tomorrow, when the winds have abated somewhat. I've been meaning to have someone come and do exactly that before now, but somehow never got round to it. I'm not good at telephoning people and asking them to do things...but once he's here, I'll get him to quote for tidying up the hedges, too. Who knows, he might be a good source for sticks for the totem dolls...

And just to show what good neighbours I have, Moira came through to drag me round to her house to be sure I was okay, and Mike gave me a large bar of chocolate covered marzipan (my favourite, his too...),apparently 'for the shock'. Thanks, guys...

Before And After

Barbara, one of the Well members, her son Shed and I spent yesterday doing the final hang for the Blickling show which opens tomorrow (yes, tomorrow...doesn't time fly when you're having fun!). I'm going to start a blog specifically for The Well, but for now, I thought I'd show you part of the textile bit of the exhibit. The first photo is of the pieces resting where I thought they would go; the second, shows them as we finally hung them.

The quilts here range across a longish period of time, but they aren't hung chronologically. Which do you think is the oldest, and which the newest? And which the collaboration (you should know the answer to that last question if you were reading last year!).

Hanging an exhibition is an intruiguing thing to do. It teaches you things about your art that you didn't know before. I have a number of paintings exhibiting here, in another room. Most of them talk to each other. Three of them didn't, however. It turned out, when I thought about it, that the three that didn't, were made in Inverness. The rest had been made in the two years since I came here to Norfolk. A shift of palette, a slight change in approach made a big difference. Perhaps it's the light here, or the different landscape, or a change in my head...who knows? I was conscious of leaving very new work at home; I didn't think it fitted with the work I was taking. Perhaps that's another new stage? Who knows.

Hanging...

Today, we began the interesting task of hanging a group of diverse work in the beautiful space that is the Hobart Gallery in Blickling Hall. After a shaky start, George and I distributed paintings and textiles around the space, considering the way pieces looked together, the dialogue between them, and gradually came up with an arrangement that pleased us both. Hopefully, it will please other people, too... I go to collect more work from members tomorrow morning, and will then hang all the pieces in the space, rearranging if necessary to get the best effect. And maybe tomorrow I'll actually remember to take my camera, and give you a sneak preview of what things look like.

Meantime, another example of the work I did yesterday with the embellisher. This is a really simple piece, made using a small rectangle of kimono silk that someone gave me years ago, embellished onto a piece of blue wool, with some yarns added on top. I like simple. I can see, though, that I'm going to have to concentrate on straight, too...but it was only a trial piece (she said consolingly to herself...). Better next time...

Forget Smitten...

...I feel a new obsession coming on!! This afternoon, whilst Robin was busy making hanging rods for the quilts I'm taking to Blickling tomorrow, I disappeared upstairs to play with the embellisher. Now, I did offer help, you understand. But my offer to go to Homebase with him was turned down. Apparently, he can get round a DIY store three times faster without me. Can you imagine??? Anyway, I made out that I was huffed by all of that, and appalled, and went off upstairs to play, instead. (Robin made the lunch, too, do you think his conscience was bothering him??). I began about half a dozen new pieces, mostly just experimenting with different types of cloth. I love the spontaneity of working with the embellisher; sometimes a cloth will move as the needles push it down into the cloth, so very few straight edges, just how I like it.

I spent the morning going through my quilts. Because the show at Blickling was at very short notice, I'm taking more work than I usually would, with the aim of filling any gaps there might be. It's a bit like having a small retrospective within the show...and I was pleasantly surprised. The work seems better than I remember it, somehow...or some individual pieces do. Perhaps it's just my attitude towards them that has changed with the passing of time. Now, lets just hope that people come to look at them!

I feel rather the same way about 'From The Heart', the exhibit I'm co-curating with Peggy Keeney, with the aim of showing European quilts in the US this year. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, the prospectus is here. We think it's a great opportunity for European artist to have their work shown in three good US quilt venues for a very low cost. Check it out! Apply! Even if it's only to save me from my third nervous breakdown in as many weeks!!

Today's images are the first two embellished pieces I made this afternoon. Both came from the same piece of red wool felt that turned up in my box of wools. I have a lot of wool cloth; you might expect that of a Scot, especially one who lived near a good mill for several years. I like working with wool, but rarely do it, other than a few landscapes, one of which was a housewarming gift for my lute teacher and his wife...they've moved several times by now, wonder if they still have it? The first is ABC, though the marks were not intentional. The second is Ditsy, because it's tiny, somewhere between an ATC and a postcard. ABC isn't all that big, either...but I had great fun working them. Watch this space for more pictures!

Did I Say Smitten?

I did, didn't I? Well, I now have my very own embellisher, a Babylock, and it is happily sitting on my dining room table as I play with silks, satins and wools to put it through its paces. I'll show you what I'm up to over the course of next week; give you something interesting to look at whilst I'm moaning about Hanging Shows and What I've Forgotten. Come to think of it, I need to decide what I'm taking with me. The three large paintings that were up there originally are still there, but there's enough space to show some more, and probably some textiles to boot.

Meanwhile...we were going through old boxes of computer 'stuff', which seems to accumulate like magic (or like dust...), and I came across some jpegs of earlier work that I thought I'd share with you. Pleasures Are Like Poppies Spread was one of the first art quilts I made...the title is a line from ''Tam O'Shanter', an epic poem by the Scots poet Robert Burns; 'But pleasures are like poppies spread, you seize the flower, the bloom is shed'. It reminded me of flowers or leaves flowing along a river. The second, 'Tiger, Tiger', is a fierce, albeit small quilt, that talks about the good things that you can find in the darkness.

On a personal level, the doctors and I have come to the conclusion that not all is well in the state of Denmark, in this case, my head...so I'm going to see a therapist, and doubtless will pop in to see my GP with more frequency than either of us would like...sigh... I'm trying to look at this as an opportunity. It's not every day you get to spend an hour talking solely about yourself, looking at what you want to change and being helped to do so. So, we'll see... Last time I had psychotherapy, I produced some interesting work. Perhaps the same thing will happen this time...

Blatant Advertising...

but in a good cause. I've spent much of today, when not on the phone, wrestling with the computer and some Rather Thick textured card which kept jamming in the printer. Grrr. Still, tis done, now. Roll up, Roll up!!

ALL TOGETHER NOW

THE INAUGURAL EXHIBITION BY ARTISTS’ GROUP ‘THE WELL’


HOBART GALLERY

BLICKLING HALL
AYLSHAM

18/19/20/21
And
25/26/27/28
January
Open : 11am-4pm each day

ORIGINAL PAINTINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, TEXTILES, 3D

Ring, Ring...

Another admin day, really, much of it spent on the phone, making alternative arrangements for the exhibit. Someone who can't submit work after all, someone (me) who needs to arrange for a stand in (thanks, George!)... all sorts of issues to be resolved. But I did manage to spend a little time in the cloth studio. Yesterday's piece has been trimmed down, the feather removed, a spiral put in its place and some stitching added. I'm not yet happy with it, though; needs a bit more stitch. Or maybe it should have been less stitch...I don't know. Either way, we should know tomorrow.

I also painted some sheets of paper with transfer dye, and managed to transfer the dye I'd painted the day before onto some lutradur, so I have more inspiration to work with. I enjoy working with the lighter weight lutradur, but I have a piece of the heavier weight that I made today, which I'm really delighted with. Hopefully, I'll have time to work on that tomorrow, too.

Meanwhile, though, a trip to the doctor to talk about anaemia, depression and medication, not necessarily in that order! All three are related, I'm sure. Hopefully, the doctor will have some light to shed on that. Meanwhile, a small, pieceful image to reflect upon on what has been a busy day for me. Hope you enjoy it, too.

Behind The Scenes...

of an artist's life, there's always a lot of running around, meetings, admin, lots of things to be done that have nothing to do with paint or cloth or anything interesting. Over the past couple of days, I've been in a couple of meetings, and then spent some time doing something a little more interesting. Yes, you guessed it, I've ordered an embellisher. A Babylock embellisher, to be precise. I'm quite excited. It will arrive on Friday, all being well, and it's anyones guess how I'll be spending my weekend...and yes, Jill, if you want to come over, you're welcome, but I'm not going anywhere!

The piece in the picture is a quick scan of another of the embellished pieces I made at the weekend. This is some dyed linen, with some beautiful figured silk organza added to it, plus a little smidgen of yarns and a peacock feather. I'll take a decent photo when I have more time. For now, though, it's back to doing some work for the Well. It's great to have an exhibition at short notice, but it does focus the mind wonderfully the week before; so much work, so little time!

Smitten.

Did I have a happy time yesterday? Oh, yes. Gill made a traditional block for a class she's teaching this week, I got to play on her embellisher. And loook what I made!! Actually, I went there in a spirit of experimentation, with three large bags full of stuff to play with. This particular picture is a lutradur print with silk embellished onto it. I suspect I'll stitch it, next, as I will with the other four pieces I managed to put together. And I'm smitten. Waaaaant one. Now! Well, okay, this week, then.

Checking Things Out.

The Well met yesterday, and we reviewed the last six months, just to check that we were going in the right direction, ie the direction we agreed when we met at first. Everyone seems to be reasonably happy, and we're about to invite new people to join. So, more change, more interesting people, a larger group and the need to find premises (anyone in Norwich got studio space we could use???). We'll continue to review our progress like this in the years to come. And as we go along, of course; next month's meeting will include a review of the exhibit at Blickling that happens later this month.

Today, though, I'm going to play with the Embellisher again. I've looked out all sorts of excitements, such as scraps of silk, silk fibres and wool tops, not to mention some velvets, and I'm going to see what I can come up with. Should be fun!

Overdyeing Again...

This is where it gets a bit more interesting... I'd dye painted some cloth, but decided that it was distinctly boring. So, I cut it up into sections, and overdyed each one seperately. Instant interest! I'm now contemplating whether to do some more surface design work on these, or whether to work with them as they are. That isn't the only choice, of course...I could add surface design at any point in the process... but right now, I think I'll just keep walking past them on the landing, trying to discover what to do with them. A trypich, perhaps...but hung in the round, rather than on the wall... that idea appeals, certainly.

Now what? There's dye left; I could do some more dyeing. I think, though, I'm more likely to thicken it up and do some screenprinting. I have a couple of big screens, which I haven't used yet, though I'd need a hand with them (Jill, you listening?? Or Sandy??) One thing I do want to do today is to mix up some more transfer dyes, and do some printing for a project for the lutradur book, which is coming on reasonably well... but today, I really do want to sit down and write these goals and intentions for the year ahead. No, I didn't do it when I said I would, I'm bad... but opportunities are making themselves known, and I'm not sure if I have time to take them on or not...so some Serious Thinking needs to be done.

Overdyeing

is usually a very inexact science. You never really know what you're going to get. But I cheated with this piece! It is two small prints, made with the Print Gocco, using green acrylic paint on white cotton. They looked...okay...but boring. So I overdyed them in reds and oranges, and the result is here for you to see. The design is part of a labyrinth.

I'm fascinated by labyrinths and mazes, and often use them as part of designs. Recently, though, I'm interested in working with parts of labyrinths, rather than the whole thing; scaling it up, looking at one small piece in focus. Not sure what will come of that exercise, which has been restricted to drawing so far.

More dyeing tomorrow, doubtless. Or maybe even later today...

Moving Forwards...

The demon depression has been lurking for a month or so now, but this morning, when I got up, he didn't. I think in part that's because things are now back to normal; Robin is back to work, the routine is reestablishing itself, and I can play in the studio without feeling I Really Ought to be doing Something Else... And partly, I think, it's because I finally stopped pretending I was Just Fine, and admitted to everyone that I was struggling a bit. Sometimes, just being honest with oneself is enough.

So, to prove I'm back to work with a vengeance...the new painting is finished but as yet untitled, whilst the textile piece is in progress; lutradur over velvet, with the former cut back to show the cloth below. Sorry to those of you who want to see Nefertiti; she's bound for 'She Made Her Mark', and I can't show a full photo at this point. As soon as I can, I will, I promise. Remember, you can see a larger image by clicking on the images here.

I've spent the afternoon ringing round the Well members, to say that we have unexpectedly been offered a show at the Hobart Gallery at Blickling Hall. It will open on the 18 January and run til the 28th. Which is very exciting, of course, the first time we'll show together as a group, rather than simply having a stall at a craft fair. Wish us luck, won't you? Better still, come along and support us if you can...we'd love to see you!

I talked to Sally on the phone this morning. I'm going to dye tomorrow, I said. Why, she said, what are you going to do? An interesting variation of the old 'Mum's in the kitchen, dyeing' joke...

And now, given that I can't put it off any longer, I'm going to go work out my goals for this new year. If you haven't already done so, off you go and do it, too...you know you want to.

Nefertiti Changes Her Mind

Like all strong minded women, Nefertiti has decided that she doesn't want to share the top billing with Other Royalty... Make A Series, she declared, this morning. Talk about Invisible Women. Just leave me as I am, show me as I might have been. When I looked her up, I discovered that the name 'Nefertiti' means 'the beautiful (or perfect) one has come'. And that Nefertiti is one of the images of beauty that we hold in our minds when we consider such things.

Ironic, really. Given that we don't really know what she looked like... given that we're not sure of all sorts of things about her... Still. What do we know, really, about anyone? About ourselves, even? So I make a quilt about the mystery of beauty that is Nefertiti, and strengthen, and challenge, the beliefs that surround her.

Oh, did I say, it is finished? Well, it is. Not entirely sure what I'm going back to, but I'm going back to something...maybe a painting or two...maybe not. Though, come to think of it, the soldering iron is ready to use...must go and use it on some stitched lutradur. Robin wouldn't be too pleased if I set the house alight by forgetting it! And there are always new totem dolls to make. And maybe today, as the first day of January, is the best time to sort out my muddled mind, and plan out the year ahead. There's a lot to do; too much, perhaps. I suspect some pruning of plans is in order. But I'll keep blogging; the first full year is complete. I've written less than I'd hoped, but learned lots about writing in the process. Thank you to those of you who share my (almost) daily words...it's good to know you are out there.