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.

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.

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.

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.

Gerontius stitching