Sunday 7 November 2010

new fabric collage of Suffolk snippets


Finished this textile collage of snippets from Suffolk. I used a photo montage type approach and raided my collection of fabrics. Really pleased I managed to use a piece of acrylic painted fabric I'd had for ages. It was not very beautiful but it did the job for the beach texture - there you are, never throw anything away! I've framed the piece and covered the mount in calico now. To complete the recycled theme John made it a rather nice oak frame from our old oak door, which has now been ressurected as three oak windowsills in the house as well.
The collage was made as a present for a friend with a significant birthday. The features in the piece are The House in the Clouds, Thorpeness, Southwold beach huts, Sizewell seagulls and a rather ghostly stitched Leiston Abbey.

Monday 5 July 2010

Nature in Art Gallery, Twigworth, Gloucester.





I had hoped to do a daily blog while at Twigworth, but did take some photographs.
Here are some of the buildings and sculptures in the grounds.

Wednesday 23 June 2010

Nature in Art residency day 2


Well, it was a busy day with lots of visitors - school children and a coach full of adults, plus some other visitors and some friends too. One elderly lady was pleased to find my book of Second World War poetry written by members of the armed forces as her family were in India before the war and had owned a copy of the book. She was keen to find another copy. She was rather fed up with lichens however, as they were covering an inscription on a family grave which was rather interesting because of its inscription and of course lichens are protected. I think she said the relative was the botanist Sir Joseph Banks. I shall have to check up on this somehow.
It was 4 o clock before I had the chance to look at my "brain" sample and so have only made some fabric choices for working on tomorrow. I did document the stages of the reverse applique yesterday so they will make a useful workshop aid if I ever decide to do a workshop!

Studio at Nature in Art

View of the studio at Nature in Art. The morning was quite busy with a party of young school children on their summer outing - very well behaved and interested in the sewing machines especially as I wrote some of their names.
The afternoon was quiet, which was good as it was so hot. I managed to start stitching one section of the brain design using reverse applique technique. I really want to do some rust dyeing so might try that today but wonder if the heat will stop the rusting.

Sunday 13 June 2010

Nature in Art , Twigworth, Gloucester.


I am doing an artist in residence week at Nature in Art, Twigworth, Gloucester, from Tuesday June 22nd to Sunday June 27th. The exhibition running at this time is a textile exhibition called Designs for Life. I'm hoping to start some new work inspired by John's photomicrographs. We are contemplating a joint textile/photography exhibition in the future.
Here is one of his photos. Its a brain section. I was struck how like the lichen structures it was.
I shall do some small pieces as samples to start with.

Tuesday 11 May 2010

Monday 10 May 2010

Elgar, Gerontius and the enigma

My latest hanging, Gerontius, has been made for the Weaver's Gallery exhibition in Ledbury. The brief was Elgar, Pomp and Circumstance.

I spent a very interesting day doing research in Broadheath at the Elgar Museum and then in Worcester in the Cathedral.
I had an idea of making a piece to fulfil two briefs - never a good idea - but I take so long to design a piece and this winter it seems to have taken even longer.






Eventually I decided on the theme of Dreaming and the Dream of Gerontius.
There is the most beautiful commemorative stained glass window in Worcester cathedral and I took this as a starting point.
I was drawn to the powerful images of the angels and did some large drawings. I felt I didn't want the piece to be particularly representational so started to look at a more abstract idea with the wing shapes and ended up with fractured wings and a rather forbidding angel face.

After a few samples, I decided to use silk as the fabric - primary colours for the background representing the vibrant colours of the stained glass and different silks painted shades of grey for the feathers.

Sunday 9 May 2010

Randwick Woods




Bluebells in Randwick Woods.

bluebells, beech leaves and Matisse

This morning I went out early with the dog into the woods. I really needed to walk and was out for two hours. I took my camera to photograph the bluebells which are simply stunning at the moment - the most beautiful heart stopping blue colour.
I wasn't expecting the vibrant green of the beech leaves either and took several pictures of the leaves against the sky. This evening I was downloading the photographs and one particularly caught my imagination, especially as the shapes of the shadows showed through the transparency of the leaves. Then I was watching Modern Masters on Matisse and realised that I could make a design based on those leaf shapes but make them very simple. I am very excited about the potential and can't wait to try out some ideas. The last piece I made was so intense for so many reasons. This will just be calm and simple.

Monday 3 May 2010

Forthcoming exhibition near Stroud


I have an exhibiton of my work at Wycliffe College, Stonehouse near Stroud. This is the first time I have exhibited on my own.
It opens on Friday May 7th 2010. If you are visiting Stroud for the textile festival you may like to take a look. The exhibition is in the Atrium. Access is through the main reception area. It is a big space and I will hang all my pieces plus two new ones. One is a little lichen embroidery and the other is the piece I am showing in Ledbury at the Weaver's Gallery in June.