Back To Normality...

whatever that is! I've spent the last couple of days painting and generally recovering from the excitements of street fairs, visitors and the rest. Now, though, I need to get back to work. I haven't done any dyeing for a while, and I bought some screen printing bits and bobs to play with, so perhaps that will be next week's excitement, particularly as I've got a couple of big screens to work with. Francoise has been playing with soya wax to great effect; she told us about it on ArtTextileContemporain, a list for French speaking art quilters. Okay, I'm not a native speaker, but I'm going back to Carrefour with Dijanne and Sandy next year, so I need to practice!!

Today's pictures, though, are of 'Face On', the first of the rust dyed pieces to be quilted. Click on the pictures for a bigger version (I think...)
I'm finding working with rust dyes quite difficult, to be honest. Making them is straightforward. Problem is, though, I like them as they are; adding stitch somehow doesn't seem to add much to the equation at all. Nor does adding layer. 'Face On' needs more stitch, I think, but it seems difficult to make the stitching have an equivalent strength to the marks on the cloth. Perhaps couching with heavier yarns might be more appropriate... or simply letting the cloth do its own thing.

I had a fun day out on Friday with my textile artist friend Jill Arnold; we visited Blickling Hall near Aylsham, to see the gallery space there, which is great. There happened to be a quilt show on when we visited, which made it even more interesting, of course. Some good examples of Boutis, including an enchanting Christmas Tree which, sadly, wasn't for sale. I can't see myself actually making something like that, but it would have been very nice for decoration...with no children in the house, and usually no visitors, we don't do the whole Christmas 'thing', but I do make an occasional nod towards the festivities.

At The Fair.

Isn't this postcard fabulous? It was made by my friend Juliet, or little-black-cat designs as she is formally known... and I bought it at the street fair on Sunday. I didn't sell a thing (not that that was the point...), but I did manage to buy one or two bits and pieces, including a wonderful painting by my friend Jon, and some old linen teacloths, which will look wonderful dyed. And talked to lots of people, drank tea, ate cream scones and chocolate raspberries (thanks, Rob!), and generally Had A Good Time.

I'm still 'en famille'; Andrew and Sarah are staying another night. But I did sneak upstairs to play with my sewing machine and a piece of the rust dyed cloth I finished yesterday. Pictures to follow. It's funny, you know, other than Sally, I rarely talk to anyone on the phone...but since Andrew and Sarah arrived, I've been deluged by phonecalls, and all of them for wee me! Next week, though, I'll get back into some semblance of a routine. I've got ideas for projects for a book I'm writing, and they need to be written up... and there's lots of cloth to play with... It's officially Autumn, and I'm preparing to hibernate.

Whilst I do so, I'll be taking part in an online course on printing techniques with Kristi. Some of them I know already, but a refresher never hurt anyone. And some I've read about, but never done, so it will hopefully be a good discipline to follow the course. I've never done any online learning before. I enjoy teaching, though, and think that the idea of online courses is a great one. Maybe I should bite the bullet, and offer some courses...what do you think?

Rust Again

There I was, minding my own business...when I remembered that I had more silk rusting, wrapped around a plethora of interesting rusty items. I had intended to unwrap it a couple of days ago, but it rained, and I was busy and, and.... well, I never got there. Today, though, I did, and here is one of the results. This was wrapped round a rusty old fashioned door knocker, and I'm pleased with the results. There are about six interesting pieces to work with, none perhaps as complex as the print I took from the gate in early September, but still... Next door's gate is still rusty...I might be able to sneak another print from it before they clean it up and hang it...here's hoping. I think Moira would notice if I stole it altogether, though...and she'd surely know it was me (who else would it be!).

Sarah and Andrew leave for Edinburgh tomorrow, and Robin will be in the Netherlands at a meeting til late in the evening, so I may well be back at the sewing machine tomorrow, that is, if I can fight off the sneaky cold that I seem to have picked up yesterday. Despite a Reiki taster session in the church where we were exhibiting, it seems to have got a grip of my nose and throat. Grr. Haven't got time for a cold. Got things to do, people to feed, all that jazz. And now the kitchen beckons, home made pizza for tea.

Red Dragon

So, today, I thought I'd finish the piece I started yesterday. I find that it is called Red Dragon, and that it is nothing like the piece I thought I was making. It's smaller, for a start; 12" by 17". It is no longer a gentle landscape. But that happens, if you stick with your own process. Mine seems to be, make a mark, make another, keep responding until you understand at least some of what you have...then give it a name. I respect those artists who keep detailed sketchbooks, work their way up to a piece, make little samples... I just can't seem to do that. And that's okay.

Sarah and Andrew arrive this evening. There's not a lot planned, so I hope to sneak some time to do a little work, and blog a little, too. If I don't manage it, though, you know I meant to!

There Is A Limit...

to how much housework one girl can do, and I've hit my limit this afternoon. So, in the guise of taking stuff up to the studio, I went to sit with some cloth...and ended up almost finishing a piece, another one from the queue that featured last week. It has ended up quite unlike what I expected (or indeed intended), but that's not a bad thing. It needs some foiling, though, and a little more stitch, and hopefully that will get done tomorrow. And you might get a look at it, too...

Meanwhile, the totem dolls are going on an outing on Sunday, a Mental Health Fair in Norwich, at which The Well have booked a spot. Lets hope it doesn't rain at all, or that, if it does, it is just a smidgin, and not the monsoon like rains we've been having recently. Otherwise, the dolls and I may just drown...

Up The Pole...

or should that be, Round The Bend...? Either way, Arashi Shibori, here I come!! I've been looking for a while for a piece of thick pipe to use for shibori, and yesterday, I found two waste bins that are perfect for the job, cheap too; and what's more, they can store stuff while they're not being used (or possibly while...but that remains to be seen). So, whilst next week is pretty much a write off for working, with visitors coming, and meetings to go to, the following week is likely to be colourful!

I said at some point recently that I'd made a piece I was truly happy with; well, this is it. See what you think. I think it fits into the 'Before The Angels' theme I have been working with, and may well inspire more pieces. Lutradur again, of course...not that I'm obsessed, or anything...

I Was Just Passing...

the sewing machine, as I put away some bits and pieces that had come upstairs from the spare room (see, I do tidy up sometimes!), and I thought, hmm...well...and before I knew it, this little piece was finished. It's called 'Tropic', and it's back to the very small...all of 8" by 10"....but I think it's fun. See what you think.

I Would Like It Known

that today I went all through Borders Bookshop, with a book token, and bought...nothing. This is unheard of. I was known, once, as 'The Woman Who Has A Book On Everything'. Probably still am... But the truth of the matter is, that I was in that same bookshop last week, and bought sundry things that really appealed to me, only to be given the book token as an anniversary present (27 years is a long time, isn't it...more than half my life...). So, the token shall sit in my handbag, awaiting The Right Moment. Which will probably be next month, when I've read my way through the stuff I bought last week!

The image is Flamesprite, one of the pieces I made earlier this week, lutradur, foil, Angelina fibres and stitch. Today has been a day off of sorts...the queue is much diminished, but still waits. The silk that I rusted wants to be tacked up for hand quilting (aaaargh...). And Nefertiti thinks it's time I tackled her quilting, too... so many opinionated works of art, so little time!!

Forgotten Paths, the second of the pieces I made today, and the smaller of the two.

Oops...

I had big plans to tidy up the music room today, but got up late, had coffee, talked to Sally, and then drifted up to the studio to see what I'd done to a piece I started yesterday. It was a rescue piece, made with lutradur, that I wasn't happy with, so was adding a lot of stitching to it. And of course, I ended up finishing it, and another one to boot!

In part, I'm working through the queue of quiltlets that are ready to go, so that I can address two issues that I have with my textile work; interestingly enough, neither applies to the paintings. I realise that I don't handle contrast well. I think that there's two reasons for this. One is that I want my work to be subtle; I want it to sing to you, not shout at you. The second, though, seems to have to do with meaning, with the keeping of secrets. This was not something I was conscious of until I blurted it out to Dijanne and Sandy one night in the gite (if you were wondering what we found to talk about...well, we would talk about the work, wouldn't we!). That has to do with my past, the murkier moments of it, anyway, or I think it does. As I have no more dark and murky secrets, it seems silly to continue the habit of guarding my words, and clearly my art, from expressing what's going on in my head. Though admittedly, it does get a bit complicated in there...

The other issue is one of size. Todays pieces were slightly bigger than the ones I've made over the past couple of days; one is 19" by 13", a Flying Dreams piece, the other is 14" by 16". I work small, usually, but I discovered at Festival of Quilts that size does matter; if your work is small, it is not well presented, and it struggles to be seen against its larger neighbours. And the jurors' comments in the Quilts 2006 catalogue seems to confirm that, suggesting that many quilts were dismissed for being of an inappropriately small size. And since getting a quilt into that particular show is a definite goal for me, maybe I'd better take the hint! Not that I intend all my work to be large. I attended Michael James' workshop on critique at Birmingham, taking along with me a very small piece, the tree piece that was on my blog earlier. His comment was that it was exactly the right size for what it was. Which, given he admits to being known as someone who is more likely to say 'work bigger', was very comforting. But I had intended that that piece be one of an 'edition' of prints, and we agreed that it would be better if there were more of them (as it were...).

Who was it said, to thine own self be true? I'm not planning to do anything other than exactly that with my work...but I am planning to take some risks from now on. Wish me luck!

On A Roll...

two more pieces finished today. Yes, okay, they're small pieces, not much bigger than journal pages, but the queue of work waiting is diminishing, and I'm feeling pleased with myself. The first piece I worked on today, I didn't honestly hold out much hope for; it felt disjointed. Now that it's done, I suspect it is one of the best pieces I've made recently, so things can't be too bad! The second is shown in the picture. It, too, felt disjointed when I started to work on it, but I'm reasonably happy with the end result.

At lunchtime, I sat out in the sun, admiring the leaves as they begin to change colour, and rusting some more silk. It'll be interesting to see how it comes out. This is very much a new thing for me, though I do have some cotton that I rusted about five years or so ago...still unused...perhaps I should have added it to the silk today. I'm enjoying spending time on my own, and working with stitch, after all that wandering around. The cats seem happy to have me home too; they twine themselves round my legs whenever possible. This afternoon, Molly came up and interrupted the sewing by the simple expedient of sitting on my lap. And purring. There was method in her madness, however; when I gave up and said, okay, I'm done, she leapt from my lap and down both flights of stairs to the kitchen, where a queue of a distinctly feline variety was waiting. Dinner time it was... and now to think about my own!

Echo

Now if only Blogger would behave, and post photographs with the text that relates to them...this is Echo. For the story, look below. 

I Got Rhythm...

and it's a wonderful thing. I worked on two pieces today, both made with lutradur. Both only require their edges finishing off, and then it's on with the next pieces in the 'queue'. The piece pictured above is called 'Echo', and is made from lutradur on top of a hand dyepainted piece of linen.

Of course, I'm not really meant to be doing this...I'm meant to be continuing to clear up the house in preparation for visitors in early October (ie next week!!). But this is so much fun, and I've not been able to do any textile work for months...so perhaps the tidying up will wait til the weekend, and Robin can give me a hand... Well, a girl can dream...

The Collage....not my style of thing at all, usually. What do you think?

Preparing for Hibernation

Or at least, that's what I think I'm doing. I found myself buying a couple of books online yesterday, and a laundry press today....the latter to do transfer printing with a bit more speed and comfort than I do it at present. I think I'm of the view that I'll not be going out very often this autumn and winter, make up for all the gallivanting this summer. And perhaps the blog, too, will get back to normal, with fewer unexplained gaps...that's the theory, anyway!

As well as all this spending, I've got back to work. I started just looking at the lutradur I'd dyed before the gallivanting, pairing it up with backings, ready to quilt...hence the 'waiting pile' or 'queue' that's photographed; it's on the floor behind my trusty old Bernina. Then I started colouring a couple of bits of lutradur, and finally ended up working on a new piece, using techniques I haven't used with it before. But before all of that, I found myself making a collage. Me, a collage. I don't *do* collage... but today, I did. So I'm feeling smug, and productive, and I can now go and eat my supper... and purr a bit !!

Pretty Parcel...

arrived in the mail while I was away in France. Unwrapped, it turned out to be a gift from my friend Annie Copeland. She had spotted my totem dolls, and thought that the doll she made would look good with them...so sent it to me. Wasn't that kind? I've been buying all sorts of interesting yarns to use as doll hair, but none as effective as the seed pods Annie used on her doll. Her arms are a lot longer than they are in the picture, but otherwise, what you see is what there is...and she seems to be fitting in just fine!

Moving On

The thing about holidays, or breaks of any kind, is that they give you a breathings space to look at work from a fresh perspective. There are things, such as the Lutradur book, which will now take priority for me in terms of how I spend my time, but I found myself with time on my hands one morning in the gite, and a small altered book to work in. The patterns I made are simple and make me think of parts of labyrinths, a theme that I've used before. One particular type of labyrinth was known as a 'spirit trap'; it was thought that the bad spirits got confused in the labyrinth, and got stuck in it, while the people they were 'haunting' were able to leave. I'm not sure what happened to the people who went in after a spirit was trapped...presumably there must have been a buildup...but who knows? It'll be interesting to see how this theme merges or changes with the 'In More Than One Language' concept I was working with before I left for France.

The first thing I did today was to start clearing out the cloth studio. Sigh. What a mess. And what a lot of cloth. I'm not sure that it's the kind of thing I want to work with any more, but equally, I'm not sure what it is I *do* want to work with. Those of you who have known me for a while, will know that I gave away a lot of fabric before we moved here, and another lot when we unpacked. Since then, I've dye painted a bit, bought a good deal of threads and yarns, and have quite a bit of lutradur to work with. I think when you have cloth there, you feel you *ought* to work with it... but I did put some aside to overdye when I'm ready. And I would like to make some art cloth, and some of this stuff would be perfect. And work with more painted quilts, like the 'Where' piece that went to FOQ. Lots of ideas, lots of materials, and lots of time. If I only knew where to start... sometimes you can have too much of good things...

So, I'm going to start by finishing the tidy up, and writing a journal, and a timetable. As we have interest from a publisher, the book needs to be ready, in draft, by early Spring, and other things need to be fitted in around it...so A Plan is a good thing to have, with due dates and the like. And there's another two book ideas floating around...so journalling will be helpful. Like art work, there's no knowing when an idea will strike...so having something to write it down in *will* help. Maybe I need more than one journal...

And thank you to everyone who has commented on the photos issue so far, I hope that this conversation will continue over the next wee while. It's interesting to hear different points of view.

Flash, Flash, Click, Click, Flash

There is a new breed of quiltmaker. Or perhaps it is a new breed of quilt show visitor? Either way, this particular species carries a state of the art digital with him/her, or has a spouse/partner to carry/deploy it for them. They walk their way round the exhibit, flashing and clicking away, taking pictures not only of the quilts themselves, but the artists' statements that accompany them. Occasionally, they'll take a closer look at a piece. Then they take a close up. They whizz round the room in this way, and then pass onto the next one. The more serious minded bring tripods, and trip up other viewers as well as getting in the way.

When did we become wed to our cameras? Probably around the time we realised that catalogues can be expensive, and good quality digital cameras became less and less expensive. Personally, I don't take pictures at quilt shows. Partly, that's because I know that looking at a photo isn't really going to remind me of the piece. I'll look at it and wonder what I saw in the original, more likely as not, because so much is lost in the translation from cloth to image that takes place when you use a camera. And if I don't remember a piece without an image, then I suspect it wasn't worth remembering. Partly, it's because I want to concentrate on the works themselves, have a direct dialogue with them, possibly write down one or two notes (juggling camera AND notebook AND pen is...err...challenging...). And partly it's because I know too many curators. They remind me that the costs of putting up an exhibit is high, particularly if it's travelling abroad, that grant funding is difficult to find and that a catalogue may well be the only source of income possible to defray those expenses not covered by the venue. Ultimately, if catalogues remain unsold, then shows may well tour less, if at all, and we will miss out on the unique experience of being in the presence of a collection of good work. And that would be a pity.

What's your view? As an artist, as a quiltmaker, as a viewer? To photograph, or not to photograph? And how do you feel about the floods of uncredited photographs that appear on websites all over the world after a quilt show? Did anyone ask your permission? Do you think they should?

If Ever...

there was a format for a quilt show that was guaranteed to be successful, it has to be the Carrefour in Alsace. Take several scenic villages, strung along a single road, in an area which has a tradition of textile manufacturing. Run free shuttle buses between the venues. Bring in a wide variety of exhibitors, from the historic quilts to the traditional and on to the art quilt, and add a sprinkling of fashion. Mix in some serious quilt shopping opportunities in several languages. Make sure there are plenty of places to eat and drink. Provide polite, helpful staff. Now, that's a quilt show!

And, if ever there was a good way to visit a quilt show, I think we found it. Hire a gite on top of a mountain with plenty of room and wonderful views. Add three friends who met on the internet, and who get on just as well in 'real time'. Add a liberal sprinkling of other internet friends, to season...and plenty of good French wine. Oh, and a little judicious retail therapy!! Photos will follow, I promise (guess who forgot the camera again....). If you really can't wait, go look at Sandy's blog

I was lucky to be sharing the gite with Dijanne Cevaal and Sandy Marcoux, spending time with Thelma Smith, and to have met a variety of people, many from Alternativequiltlist, the online group I run, and whose names will doubtless pop up in the days to come... and yes, thank you, I had a wonderful time!

ps Some people bring home postcards of the area. Artist bring home postcards made by each other...in this case, one of Dijanne's pomegranates, which I fell in love with at first sight...thanks, Dijanne....

Off Again...

to sunny Alsace, for the Carrefour de Patchwork. And a visit with my friends from far and wide. That should be fun. I've looked out the passport, bought the Euros, and a purse to put them in, packed the bag (except for the quilts...some lutradur pieces to show Dijanne) and all seems to be in order. The piece that's in the exhibit is already with my friend Elisabeth in France, which is one less thing to worry about. So, given that we'll have to be up at an unearthly hour to be in the airport at 5am (aaargh...), I think I'll go have a nap!!

I leave you with a doodle from my sketchbook. I'll be back on Sunday evening, but don't expect me to say much til the middle of the week, will you...you know how tired I get!!

Judge not...?

The picture is 'Hidden Depths', the piece that Thelma Smith and I collaborated on, that we showed at Birmingham this year. I've never received judges' feedback before, so I was intruigued to see what would be said about this particular piece. I was disappointed by the feedback, to be truthful, because I feel more confused now than I did before I started. One judge clearly loved the piece, and marked it highly. One judge gave it good marks, nothing startling. The last, though, gave it average marks...other than the surface design, which she said 'needed attention', the lowest mark available in the marking scheme.

I found this intruiguing, that one judge could judge a piece to be 'excellent', another, 'satisfactory' and a third, 'needing attention'...particularly as the surface design is a crucial part of the whole piece. Marking it down is fine by me; if it's bad art, I need to know. But a spread of marks across the whole marking scheme could mean either of two things. The first is simple; that the marking is purely subjective, according to each judge's likes and dislikes. The second is slightly more complex; that the marking is made according to each judge's understanding of the criteria.

I used to be heavily involved in recruitment and selection, particularly in assessment centres, where people are interviewed by more than one person, and a decision is reached by consensus. I found that these decisions were made more easily when the selectors had a common understanding of the criteria we were using to judge people. Assessing the use of embellishment and surface design is a very broad area. I wonder what guidelines, if any, the assessors were using in looking at my quilt. If you pass judgement on someone else's work, it's important to define the terms, in my opinion. It would be interesting to know if these terms are defined, or if it is each person's understanding of them that is brought to the judging of pieces. I suspect the latter, and feel that it is not a helpful system. In my experience, assessor training for an isolated event can be done very quickly and easily, through a short meeting. What a pity that doesn't seem to happen. For many people, this might be the only feedback that they ever get on their work. They will have paid for the privilege of entry and showing their quilt. It seems only reasonable that they get meaningful feedback in return, or, failing that, none at all. There are times when nothing is better than something....

What's Next?

Apart from a week's rest and the monthly Well meeting, you mean? Carrefour, that's what. I was invited to add a piece to the European Edition of 'Changing The World One Thread At A Time', curated by Thelma Smith. So I will be showing 'Eight Blue Dots And A Circle', yes, the postcard piece... which has turned out to be much stronger than the sum of the parts, true synergy. And, since the piece is travelling, I thought I would, too. I'm likely to be found lurking in the area of the Changing exhibit, translating a bit, talking to Thelma and Dijanne Cevaal, who also has a piece in the show, and generally Having A Good Time. That may include hand stitching the rust dyed piece I showed in the last blog... I'm not taking my sewing machine, that just feels like a piece of luggage too far, and the silk seems to invite hand stitching. Meanwhile, back to the week's rest...zzzzzzz....

Not bad, huh?

Oh, look what I've got here...

Apparently not...

What IS she up to...gardening, perhaps?

Making Mischief...

I have wonderful next door neighbours. Like me, they collect odd bits and pieces...and both have an eye for art. So when I mentioned rust dyeing, they said, oh, how interesting...and attended the 'unveiling' this morning of a piece of silk that had been wrapped round a gate they bought to use in their garden, but which had a lovely coat of rust... Mike, being a professional photographer, takes a good photo, as you'll see from the series above. Now all I have to do is Make Something With It! Should be quite straightforward... Now, I wonder if I can pinch the gate, what do you think?

Fair Exchange...

is no robbery, my granny used to say. When Karen Steihl Osborn , onr of my favourite quilt artists, wrote to say she liked the little secret journals that appeared on the blog a while ago, I thought I'd send her one. But when she offered to send a postcard in exchange, I was overwhelmed... And this is the postcard I chose. Isn't it beautiful? And I'm delighted to say, Karen liked her journals, too. Thus proving my granny right, yet again!!

Dozy Days.

I've been quiet, the last few days. Much as I like to pretend that depression takes nothing out of me, when I'm busy, the pretence crumbles, and I have to sleep and sleep. Which is how I account for today, pretty much. Yesterday was spent exhibition sitting, talking to some interesting people, making some extra totem dolls, the day before, some retail therapy with Robin and dinner with friends. Today, though, it's been dozing, dozing all the way. Though I did put the finishing touches to my quilt for 'Small Things', and took the photos, too, must send them on, today is the deadline. I've written a review, too, for the art quilt review list, which will appear at some point soon. But the to do list remains long, and I must get on with it. Sigh. Next week, though, is fairly quiet. I'd like to get some sewing done, maybe even some housework... and lots of peace and quiet.

For those of you curious about my opening attire, the pic shows Heather, Helen and me... I never look good in a photo, and this one is no exception! The second pic shows some of the paintings, a couple of mounted textiles and a view of 'Where', which has featured elsewhere on the blog. In the near corner, there is a partial view of 'Fragment : Graven Idols'.

Err...

just to correct my mistake, the exhibit ends on the 3 September... you can't get enough of a good thing, I know, but I also know that Helen needs her workshop back!

The opening was a lot of fun, friends brought presents (presents...I love presents), and some totem dolls went to new, and very good, homes. One of them has moved to the house next door, which is lovely, I have visiting rights! Photos when I retrieve my camera, which I abandoned last night (overtired and overexcited is a lethal combination!). Thanks to everyone for the good wishes. And yes, as you might expect, I'm overtired today, so back to bed...I'm sitting with the exhibit tomorrow, and I need to get my voice back!

Ready, Steady...

and tonight, it's all Go! Yesterday was spent hanging pieces in Helen's workshop...tonight is the opening, and we're all looking forward to that, of course. It's an interesting moment, this, wondering who will attend, what they will like...what they won't like...whether the totem dolls will stay upright ( I certainly hope so...). Robin is taking the afternoon off so that he can drive me there, and I dare say I'll fit in a nap before then...and a lovely hot scented bath, too.

Wish us luck, won't you?

Meanwhile, if you want to attend, directions can be downloaded here; the show is entitled Elemental, and runs til September 8. Email me for more info. And yes, we will have tidied up before people arrive...the hammer is an interesting touch, but Not Quite Arty Enough!!

Wishing

In the last few days, I've received a couple of those circular emails, you know the kind... They have an uplifting message, a picture or two and an exhortation to send it on to at least six/ten/twenty or however many people. And you get to make a wish before you do it, and if you follow the directions, you get your wish granted. A sort of spiritual chain letter.

I don't like these things, much, but I don't feel strongly about them, either way. So, I tend not to pass them on, unless there's something in them that I think is pertinent to a particular person. What struck me, though, with the last two, is that I have nothing to wish for. I live an abundant life. It did cross my mind that I could wish to be rid of the demon depression...but actually, that's a part of me. It may not be pleasant to live with, but it is authentic, and it does help me to live a balanced life. When I do want something, I go out and find it, one way or another. For example, when we moved down here, I wanted a kiln for working with clay. Two years on, I still don't own a kiln, but I have found a kiln that I can use when I want to. I'm not a believer in wishing; it seems to be a focus on what I don't have. I much prefer to count my blessings, be grateful for what I do have, and work with it, share it, spread it around. Work out what I want, and make it happen. All in all, it seems like a good way to live and to be.

Exhaustion...

has set in...not surprising after three days away and a lot of brainwork... However, it didn't stop me popping next door to wrap some silk around a rusty gate which my neighbour bought to clean up. A little bit of rust dyeing never did anyone any harm...results on the blog when I get them. Now, though, I think it's nap time...again... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz... at least this is better than things used to be, when one day out would mean three days in bed. If three days out equates to one and a half days in bed, then the demon depression is perhaps loosening (rather than losing...) his grip. And that's something to be very grateful for.

The image is a blast from the past...a sample quilt for a workshop on using dyed fabrics, called 'Autumn Rain'. It's interesting to look back, sometimes, and see where you came from. Sometimes, that can be as important as knowing where you're going...if only to be reminded that change is possible, and ongoing, and to be welcomed.

Post Show Syndrome...

I'm sure you'll recognise it. When there are plastic bags all over the floor. When you know you bought such and such, but can't find it in the bags. When you kick yourself, once again, for failing to take your camera. When you get to lunchtime, and realise you need to go back to sleep. When you can't remember what you bought, but you do remember how much you spent. When you think of all the people you meant to talk to, but didn't actually see. When you spend half an hour just patting fabric (in my case, the nineteen metres I bought from Heide Stoll Weber to dye with...). Mind you, that last one happens most of the time.

Did you miss me? No??? Oh... did I mention I did a workshop on critiqueing with Michael James? Thought that might catch your attention! I didn't intend to do any workshops, but as we were there for three days, and there were spare spaces, I thought, I can do that... it was a very interesting exercise. Sadly, I discovered that he won't be running the masterclass that June attended for a number of years...but when he does, I hope to be first in the queue...and that from someone who doesn't do workshops...

More over the week, as I think about it and calm down. That calm, though, will be overtaken by the panic of hanging our first exhibit on Thursday, finding something to wear to the opening on Friday and possibly making one or two more books to show... It's a hard life...but I wouldn't have it any other way.

The image is the quilt I showed in the Innovative Small category. I clearly took the small a bit too far; hardly anyone seemed to notice it! One of the judges was very enthusiastic about it, which made up for it a bit...see what you think. Photo courtesy of Sally Bramald, yes, I really did forget my camera...sigh...

I'm Off!

but not for long. I'm going to the Festival of Quilts at Birmingham this weekend, travelling with friends Helen and Heather, meeting up with other friends as and when, and generally intending to have A Good Time. And yes, I have been to the bank... I'm planning to write a review or two of what I see, so be prepared for it when I return..meanwhile, consider 'Blue Tree Dreams'. I think you've seen it on the blog already, but that was before it was shown in the September issue of 'Popular Patchwork' (a UK publication)...now, it thinks it's famous, and requires a second viewing!!
Back on Monday...watch this space!

Better Out Than In?

I got a call from a friend, today. Oh, she said, you're in, in the exasperated tone of someone who has called repeatedly with no success... And life has been rather busy, recently, 'tis true. But yesterday, we proved that you don't have to go out to have fun...you can have people to visit, and have fun at home, instead! Helen, Barbara and Lynda, three friends from The Well, all part of the admin team that keeps the group ticking over, came to meet and do admin stuff, as well as what the corporate world calls 'team building', and we call 'making art'.

We did do the obligatory 'visit to the studio'. Crikey, said someone, you did tidy up downstairs, didn't you...well, ok, it is a bit, errr, untidy as you go upwards in this house... I didn't like to say that its current condition is an improvement on the norm... And I was given some useful feedback about the paintings...the textile room was ogled at length, and then we got down to work. The work, of course, expanded to fit nearly all the time available. But we did manage to squeeze in an hour or so. First we made a communal drawing, using oil pastels. Then, we tore it up ( and that was much more fun than you'd expect!!). Then, we collaged it onto a stronger paper, as in the picture above. Finally, we added paint, as seen below.

We had so much fun, we thought we'd do this next time with the entire Well community. Looking at it today, I found myself wondering if we should perhaps add an overall blue wash, then cut it again into uneven strips, and recollage on a contrasting plain paper... but I won't do anything more with it until we are all together again and can talk about it...over coffee...and cake...and chocolate...and...and...and... Ah, the joys of collaborative art!

A Spot Of Conversation

A couple of weeks ago, I was wandering through the Forum in Norwich when I came across a taster exhibit by Norfolk printmakers. I love looking at prints, love making them too, and began to learn at art.tm in Inverness. I'm particularly fascinated by etching; the process is so different to my usual approach to art, which is very much the school of 'turn up, make a mark, see what happens, keep going...'. With etching, much more forethought is required, it's altogether a different kind of thinking, and I found it challenging. Sadly, we moved before I could become proficient with etching. However, I did get chatting to the man who was sitting with the exhibition, who turned out to be Colin Bygrave, whose work I had been admiring as I wandered round. To cut a long story short, he recognised etching withdrawal symptoms when he sees them, and invited me to visit his studio. And that was where I was this morning.

I love the internet, but there is something truly wonderful about sitting with another human over a cup of coffee, surrounded by art in various stages of completion, and the tools for making it, and just talking about The Art. Or anybody's art, actually! It's always interesting to look at someone else's work, and be able to ask things about it, or talk about what it suggests to you. One piece caught my eye in particular, and I told a story about it...including, I said, that house. What house? said Colin, who should know, of course, it being his work, and all... Being a kind man, he let me finish my story. And then, he said, of course, that's not actually a house...just a fence, and a bush... And when I got closer, I realised he was right (as if he was going to be wrong, under the circumstances!!). But whether it's a house or a fence, I'm still sticking to my story. The picture made me feel that wonderful way you feel in late autumn, when you've been for a walk, and it's getting dark, and you're nearly home, and you see the house in the distance, just under that bridge, there, and you're anticipating getting out of the cold and into a warm armchair by the fire... And if you need more than that, go look at his website!

If you're reading, Colin, thanks for the coffee and the (very civilised) conversation. We must do that again soon!

ps today's image is an acrylic painting on Khadi paper, which is destined, methinks, for either cropping, or collage, or possibly both...not everything succeeds as planned!

Alphabetic

Inspired by the workshop I did a couple of weeks ago, I find myself playing with the shapes of letters, hence this little painting (little being the operative word, all of five inches by eight inches in size). It started out as an M, but upside down, it turned into a Y and a V, and I liked it better that way...so that way it stays.

This theme fits in nicely with my series, 'In More Than One Language'...I think once the exhibition is over, I can turn my full attention to it, and see what transpires. It's an exciting thought. Before then, though, there's the Festival of Quilts; after that, the Carrefour in Alsace. I spent five months in Alsace in 1981; it will be interesting to return and see what has changed. If it is anything like the rest of the world, that is likely to be everything and nothing...

The Well

The Well met yesterday, and for the first time, we had the chance to make some art together, as well as doing a bit of the usual work that you do when starting a group of this kind, finding premises, arranging visits... For anyone new to this blog, The Well is a small group of artists with mental health issues, who decided to meet together to create community, as well as art. It was a joy to sit and work with other artists; fun, too. We laughed a lot, told stories, shared information about ourselves and our work...there was even an impromptu discussion about materials and approaches going on in the top corner. Jo made a birthday card for a friend; Rob made a drawing or two, as well as 'lending' me his kitchen roll; Michelle made a pastel drawing of a flower. Me, I made some of the little secret journals, and was teased unmercilessly about taking up more than my fair share of the room! I pointed out that I always managed to expand to fill the space available plus ten per cent... okay, probably more...

We're planning a visit to London together soon, to see the Kandinsky exhibit. I'm not sure if London is ready for The Well...but we're surely ready for London!

Well, It's Happening....

I know, for I have the invitations to the Private View to distribute! Our joint exhibition, 'Elemental' starts at the Raveningham Centre in Norfolk UK on Saturday 26 August and runs til Sunday 3 September (email for more details, or check out the other blog to see what the exhibit is about). Am I looking forward to it? I don't know...ask me when it's over! I find myself suddenly with ideas for work that I should have had months ago; isn't that typical! So I've been making some postcard sized pieces, today was the turn of the mini books, and next week, doubtless, more frenzied creativity. The paintings, though, are long since ready. That's the thing about oil paint...you have to start early, or it won't be dry in time!

Altered Quilt, The Result

It had been waving at me from the cutting table for a couple of days, had Marion's quilt, as I pondered on what to do with it. The first impulse had been to discharge dye it, but I liked the colours a lot, and didn't feel that I wanted to lose any of them. So I hummed, and I hawwed, and I procrastinated... and finally, went with the first impulse! And I'm glad I did. I just hope my Australian namesake likes it too...what do you want to call it, Marion?

Knew It...!

Knew that people might think that yesterday's blog was a quilt...sorry, folks, but it isn't, it's just a photograph of a big old tree at the Gressenhall Museum. Now this picture, here, though....it's a quilt... It struck me that as more than one person has said what a good quilt the photo made, that it might be a good idea to go with that idea, and make one. So, I printed out the photograph onto cloth, added the usual layering and stitched.

Immediately looking at the piece, you might not see the resemblance at first glance; there's a lot of stitch, the cloth is not a high thread count, so the print isn't as good as perhaps it might have been (knew I should have used silk...), and, besides all that, I've cropped the image and turned it upside down! But a bit of careful study, and you should be able to work it out.

What this made me do was to get past the block I've had about using photographs printed on cloth. We've all seen the memory quilts, with family photos used on them, and the quilts that take their inspiration from altered books, with Victorian ladies' photographs on them...I didn't want to make that kind of quilt. And I admire quilts that use photography effectively, like June Underwood's 'Consider The Horse Chestnut'. But I do take a lot of photographs, as inspiration or reminder. What I've done with this piece, is to use the photograph as an abstract. The fact that it is of part of a tree, is irrelevant...I've simply added stitching in response to what I see. No references to trees, leaves, anything... and that suits my way of working. So I'm really grateful to those of you who wrote and said, oh, nice quilt... without you, this particular piece (all eight inches square of it), would not have been made. And I'm glad it was. Hope you like it.

Smug, Smug, Smug...

as the little quilt is finished, as is one for the quiltart 'Tiny' challenge. Actually, smug doesn't begin to describe it!! Plus, there are a couple of pieces set up ready for quilting, so I guess I know what I'll be doing over the next few days. Not bad for an hour and a half's work, huh?

A friend popped in for coffee and a chat, and I'm now starting to think about going into Norwich. I've been invited to the opening of a new show, 'Technology Sketchnology', by Jacqui Petrie, one of the artists, whom I met at the last workshop I went to. Hopefully, she'll return the compliment, and come to mine at the end of the month. The time is speeding by...fortunately, I'm pretty sure I have enough work for it, so I can relax a bit, and continue the Smug Moment...

Working...

on a piece for the exhibit 'Doing Small Things', which is due at the end of the month. The cloth, a piece that has been screenprinted and then discharge dyed, has been hanging around for weeks, waiting for me to do something with it. So today, I basted the layers together and got to work. I had intended not quilting the central portion, so that it would puff up, but it soon became clear that the distortion caused by the stitching round the motif would be too great, so it is now stitched, and things are lying a bit flatter now... There is a lot more stitch to be added, though, so who knows if that state of affairs will continue.

I've been painting today, too, and find myself slowly but surely running out of large canvasses, my last one has now been worked on...which means sending Robin and his car to buy some more...I can't get them into my little car at all. I need a van to take them to exhibitions...sigh.

The Well meets this week, it will be good to see everyone again. I'm doing a lot of research work for the 'umbrella' group, Creating Community, trying to create something that is robust, businesslike and yet still meets the needs of the community it is trying to create and serve. That is proving to be challenging. I find I have to make allowances for myself; I can't work as hard or for as long as I used to do, thanks to the demon depression, so I have to curb my impatience and slow down a bit. I hope the project will be the better for it. Not sure that my temper will be...!

The photo is for Digital Gran, who likes nooks and crannies, she says... this one is clearly 'altered'...it is in the old city wall in Norwich. I'm intruigued by the man in a helmet effect that seems to have been produced...all the best images seem to be produced by accident!

Nice Surprises

I like reading my namesake Marion's blog, all the way over in Australia. So, when she put a picture up of a piece she wasn't entirely happy with, asking for thoughts, I gave her one...as you do... If it's cotton, I said, why not discharge dye it? Send it to me, I said, I'll do it...thinking, as you do, that she would get lots of answers, and I was fairly safe... It arrived a couple of days ago (thanks, Marion), with a snazzy little bag, and I've been contemplating it ever since.

I've pinched Marion's photo of it for the blog, here. My first surprise was that in real life, the colours are quite different, the lights are lighter, the greens more sophisticated. So my first thought, to break up the structure a bit by random discharging, is not something I really want to do. What I may do, is introduce some diagonals...and quilt accordingly. I've become increasingly interested in 'stitch as mark'. I'm not sure that that will work in this highly structured piece, it may not be enough to draw the eye out of the structure and into the marks... but you never know. Or at least, not until you try.

Watch this space...

Cooking Up A Storm...

well, okay, let's not exaggerate. Cooking a meal for some friends this evening...pasta in a chicken, bacon and basil sauce. Light, simple, just what's needed for a warm evening and a good bottle of wine... I haven't been cooking much, this summer, too hot. But serving up a salad to visitors, no matter how well made, just doesn't do it for me. Besides, I needed an excuse to make chocolate mousse...with a raspberry and Cointreau sauce... yummmm... and me on a diet, too!

Most female quilters seem to add cooking in with the rest of the housework, and avoid it, judging by the many jokes and stories on the subject. Personally, I see it as part of my own creativity. The pasta recipe is my own, developed from an idea I saw on a restaurant menu; it now has two or three variations. The mousse recipe is idiotproof, from a book, and the only thing that has been adjusted is the amount of alcohol in it. Yes, upwards, of course! Actually, now that I think about it, that's not true. The recipe stipulates double cream; I use creme fraiche, and/or sometimes plain yoghurt. That gives it an underlying sharpness that cuts through the richness of the mousse...it's a surprising but enjoyable combination.

Now to go do the boring bits, the tidying up, hoovering and cleaning...sigh. I know they're coming to see us, not the state of the floor...but all the same... I do find it difficult to see anything creative in cleaning, nonetheless. If I did, I might do more of it. Or there again, maybe not.

The image today is a computer generated pattern (paintshop pro...not, as I just typed, painshop pro...); originally, I took a picture of some autumn leaves. Playing about with it, I found this pattern, which reminded me of a tartan. So I kept it...though I don't expect I'll ever do anything with it, not really my kinda thing...

What IS that?

Continuing on the theme of altered images, the picture at the top of the blog is another altered image from Gressenhall. This time, it is a brick wall, on its side (the joys of technology hold no bounds!) with the remains of some ivy or other climbing plant, which has been removed from the brickwork. I find those tracings of previous life intruiguing, so tend to take pictures when I see them. I think of them as a type of natural graffiti; in taking away the plant, we add to the brickwork the marks of its life and passing. Of course, in this case, the photograph has been altered even more...but I think, hope, that it adds to its interest, rather than diminishes it.

The problem of working this way, of course, is that once I've altered the image, I don't feel that there's anything left to do... but I might make an exception in this case, I really like the image.

The other image, though, is a naturally occurring phenomenon, or, at least, it is under certain circumstances... So...what are those circumstances? Do you know/can you guess? A FQ of handdyed fabric to the first correct answer!!

Just a humble crack in the pavement...

...but look what it became!

Losing It...

no, not my mind, for a change... just everything else! I had arranged to meet a friend at Gressenhall for coffee, and the museum at Gressenhall is all of five minutes away in the car. So, ten minutes before I left, I thought, where's my purse? I hunted high and low, and in the midst of it, the phone rang. Could I talk...yes, for a few minutes....and in putting the phone back on the cradle, discovered my purse sitting beside it. Then it was my keys. In the hunt for the purse, the keys had disappeared...sigh...but they turned up in my handbag. Hurrah.

So, off I went. And I was on time, too! Had my coffee and conversation, and stayed on at the museum to take pictures. Strolling back to the car, I started to look for my car keys...yes, you've guessed it...gone! Fortunately, someone had found them and handed them in...whilst Gressenhall is only about a mile and a half from where I live, it started to pour about half way back to the house, so I would have been drenched and unable to get into the house!

I've been to the museum several times since we came to Norfolk, just over two years ago, but this was the first time I remembered to take my camera (lost my keys, but remembered my camera...). So I had fun wandering round the building, taking shots of this and that. The most unprepossessing was perhaps the picture at the very top of the blog. I'm fascinated by nooks, crannies and cracks in the pavement...and this one was, I thought, interesting. I think it got more so when I played about with it in PaintShop Pro. Suddenly, I see all sorts of uses for the lines, and the colours. I've always had a thing about photographing odd stuff, like most artists. For me, it's not what a thing is, it is what it suggests, or represents for me, that is important. I suspect that some interesting work may well come out of this...eventually...it will, however, have to get in the queue. I'm always sympathetic when people say they've 'lost their muse', but I really don't get it. The world is full of fascinating shapes, colours and lines. All you have to do is look, and have enough inspiration for ten lifetimes or more. So off you go, look!

Rain, Rain...

usually that line is completed 'go away, come again another day', but actually, there has been so little rain recently that it seems appropriate to beg it to Keep Raining! It's cooler today, too, so I'm more comfortable, which always helps.

Perusing my diary, it looks much busier than usual, as I'm visiting both Festival of Quilts and Carrefour this year. So August and September have blocks of time taken out of them, both for attending these shows and recovering, afterwards. I discovered a double booking today, and as I can't be in two places at one time, something will have to give...and it isn't likely to be flying back from France! Oops...Must Get Better At Admin!

Today's image is the structure I made from willow at Saturday's workshop. Just the right weight (if maybe not size) for making mobiles. The willow is bound with bits of straw...a completely natural art form. I enjoy working with natural fibres and found objects. I have a box full of eucalyptus bark from the tree in the front garden, which I feel must be useful for *something* (other than dyeing...). So watch this space...