It's been a while - but I am still about

OK so I have not felt much like doing much !! If that makes sense. What have I done? Work on three things:  Firstly I have been working on the White Rabbi's pocket watch - only the case done so far but the inside is a work in progress (sorry no photos)

Secondly I was very lucky to get a last minute place on a course at West Dean with Wendy Dolan.  I was phoned on the Sunday lunch time to say the course was starting in the afternoon - only a 2.5 hour drive away !!  West Dean is awesome especially as this was the first week of June - all that glorious sunshine!!  Wendy was brilliant and her work is lovely (see her website here: http://www.wendydolan.co.uk/).  I had a fantastic three days ending on my birthday :-) This is my 'final' piece - it is still a work in progress needs some more stitching.

Here is Wendy during our end of course mini 'exhibition'.

Thirdly I have done more work on my Klimt jacket - the back pieces are stitched together, fabrics  sorted and so far I have laid out the first section (red) at the bottom back - this is going to be another long project but I have also started work on the usual many many miles of cord :-)

I stand up and get knocked down

You know there are only so many times you can get knocked down before you give up - I heard back from college that the course I had proposed was considered 'in this current economic climate to be not commercial viable'. So that's a no then! Currently thinking although I will finish the Fairies I may not exhibit them at all ! I think I will give up trying to do something with my art and just make it for me!
To cheer myself up again I have purchased two more books !

Brilliant Saturday, Mustardseed, Oberon and a course

Spend another happy day at Jane Lemon's on Saturday. With her help and advise I have a new plan for the pod underskirt for Mustard seed - here is a very rough pinned plan..... and I decided the flowers should be re-positioned... Thanks too, to Jane L, I have been able to stitch Oberon's breaches - she loaned me one of Val Campbell-Harding's Bernina machines as mine is STILL at the repairers (its been there since before Christmas). So the breaches are now ready for hours and hours of hand stitching the gold cords.

Finally another thank you - this time to both Jane's because with their help I have worked out a three part course!!! The vague plan had been that if I finish the 7 costumes by July 2011 Urchfont Manor College will let me have a room of my own at their open day to display the costumes. Their part of the deal is that I need to come up with a course I could teach leading from my costumes - well the ideas finally came into view on Saturday. Before I tell you about the course (which I hope will stretch over three linked weekends) I will have to check out the plan with the College. Will keep you informed - keep your fingers crossed I am so excited and have sooooooo much work to do - the rest of the costumes and loads of sampling for a possible course.

Sometimes you need a treat

Work is so rubbish and on such a low wage (I will not bore you - but I do moan more on my other blog!) that I am glad I saved some money last year to treat myself this year.
My trip to NY is temporarily on hold but another treat is a three part course with Janet Crowther at Urchfont. Part 1 was last weekend. This included a short trip to Salisbury Museum to 'record texture'. Well - was I worried, frightened, petrified - YES - I can't draw and recording texture?? HOW???!! My texture bits are not brilliant and there are not many of them.

However now I want to say a big global Thank you to Janet! - I CAN DRAW!! As part of the visit we also needed to find an object that we liked. I was struck by an Eskimo bone fishing spear. My quick sketch was ok..... then later back at college I redrew it from my sketch and memory...... - NOT BAD?? Since then I have been back to the museum to take a photo of the said item.... A little out of proportion and not quite the right item for the course,but SEE - I CAN DRAW!!
I have also started sketching some of the Keys which I loved but did not have time during the first trip!

Catching Up - Part 1

Having Swine Flu really took it out of me and it has taken me a while to get back into art work and I am sorry to say blogging. So I am about to make up for it with a couple of posts to Catch Up.

Starting with my drawing class...... I have not really done as much drawing as I would have liked but I have done a couple of 'quite nice' pieces.... I have a lovely set of Inktense Water Soluble Pencils and I drew this open Iris...... The tutor said it was lovely but that I should have had a dark background (as in the original photo) so not to be beaten I did a second 'painting'.... - the flash makes the green look a bit brighter than it actually is...... and just to prove that there are two painting and not just the first coloured in, here they are together....... this last week I tried to draw from a photo of a rusty lock..... then I tried to paint it - here is stage 1 and here the final and then there was attempt 2 (first stage) and attempt 2 final - Week 10 and the tutor actually 'taught' me something...... how to do tonal shading using cross hatching so I practiced a whole page full (in pencil and Inktense pencils too) - here is the last piece I have tried which is another rusty lock (no rust as yet). I have one more week (extra as our tutor also had Swine Flu) not sure (in fact doubt very much) if I will sign up to start again in January. I don't feel I have gained anything from this drawing course - only how to cross hatch!! I think I need a 'how to draw costumes/fashion drawing course' instead - will search the Internet for such a course!!

Workshop

Yesterday I 'taught' a wonderful group of ladies - Newbury Embroiderers Guild!! We were doing my Coffee Grid books workshop - these ladies were just so quick to understand the techniques and produced some wonderful samples - With many of them taking the techniques further - just what my workshops are all about - I offer a basic starting point and away they go!! A wonderful experience!! I have a full memory stick of pictures. Some of which I will share with you here - I'm sorry I don't have all names - So I will not include any - that's fair and I can't make mistakes!! Wonderful work!! - First two pictures are, for me, a great sign - all heads down busily working!! Some of the wonderful basic grids.. Grids and a completed mini book (I give each student a small pack of pieces to complete a book in the afternoon - some complete some don't which is how it should be). Applying a grid to a colourful background makes a very different original piece.... A very delicate, almost finished book.... Adding contrasting/complimenting elements in different arrangements..... trying different grids - the 'wavy one' - before and after wetting with coffee - how about a 'spiders web' will this work?? Before.... and of course - a successful 'after' photo!! What about random swirls?? Will they work??? Yes !!!

I was so impressed by this lovely group. I hope they enjoyed the day and that each has taken a little something from the course. I had a great time!!

Muse re-appeared for a split second!

Whilst starting to sort out for de-stashing my muse re-appeared for a split second. Well she came back for a bit longer really ...... A new tutu design came to mind while I was moving a large bolt of white cotton. I started cutting out the pieces I can see in my mind - not sure at this point about any stitching/embroidery but hey that may come later. So for now I have a heap of fabric cut and frayed like this... you'll have to wait to see more as the idea is just in my head at this stage.

I also did lots of blog surfing yesterday and came across Sarah Whitmore. Sarah is sharing the process of a Soul Journal with those who are interested , she is showing exercises and as I am feeling low I thought the first part ' Today I feel.....' was a great place to let some of my feelings out -rather like my morning pages with Julia Cameron but different ....

Studio Journal Course

I have just downloaded, and read through this new Sharon B course (via Joggles) and what a lot of content to read!! It has really made me re-assess my sketchbooks, journals, notebooks whatever you want to call them. Over the years I have 'had' to keep notes for all the course work I have done, and then there are the 'ideas' books I have started - great plans each time I start a new project I have thought I need a new book. I also used to keep a diary which I did try one year to make into a bit more of a creative journal but it was still essentially a diary.

Then there was the great intention of a travel journal when I went to Egypt - the plans had been to sketch and write but this turned into more of a diary again and only had one tiny sketch in its 36 A5 pages. The trip was exciting and full and I took loads of photos but it was not really good for stopping to sketch and the other 'singles' in the party did not understand or appreciate my intentions so I gave up the idea of sketching then. There were photos added after the trip at the end of the book. If I go on another similar trip I will try sketching again (as I feel I can't draw) but need to release the 'me' - ie my desire to do this exercise without embarrassment!!

The other day when sorting out my books for the HH exhibition (next weekend!!) a friend helped me with my books and 'kindly' took them all apart - that is took all the spiral bindings out with the idea that we could move pages from one to another, add pages and remove un-used pages to make them tidy!! - Sadly we were unable to put the wires back in so I have had to put in nice cord bindings (thanks for the advise Janet!! :-)). This now great idea made me go back to all my other half started books and combine them all!!.

What I am left with is a heap of clean papers which I will (for the moment) hold together with rings as the work builds in the course and as my new 'Studio' Journal becomes the latest combination volume!! This way the pages can be moved around, added to and generally be a little more organised. I know we should not necessarily be 'organised' - the whole point of a 'studio' journal is to let the ideas etc flow - so if your ideas move from one item to another we should let that happen. I will - as soon as I have used up all these loose pages - then I will return to the nice spiral bound volumes without EVER letting anyone persuade me they are easy to take apart!!

Something to do after July

So far, other than the group I am joining, mentioned in an earlier post, I have only managed to get myself places on two very short courses - one is on line with Sharon B - Studio Journals - details here and the other instead of an annual holiday - I have booked a week in August to take a course with Francis Pickering called - Textured Treasures, here in UK at Missenden Abbey.

Of course I will continue with my own work and various goals - including things like making more costumes (you'll see the latest assessment piece in July) - I have lots of ideas (but they don't serve a purpose -they will not be assessments or I have nowhere at present to exhibit etc) and I will also be making something from every book or magazine I have in my library, but I like to get my teeth into a course so What else can I do???

Another set of samples

Right I think I am now ready for the workshop I am running on making Postcards next weekend. These are the last of my 'teaching samples'. This set of four were made together as one A4 piece of white on white - a variety of synthetic white fabrics stitched both by machine, cable stitch and my favourite sorbello then two were covered with yellow/orange transfer dye paper. The remaining piece was painted with blue purple acrylic and stitched with sorbello. I like the contrast of blue against the yellow!

TIF February

Sharon B has set the Feb Take it Further challenge . This time the concept is a question. What are old enough to remember? Well I personally don't want to remember that far back - for personal reasons. So I have no option but to work with the colour this time round.

OK - I have several things to do for Feb now:

1. Historical Heirlooms homework and design work for my first assessment piece
2. Preparation for a workshop I have been asked to do on Feb 9th on making postcards.
3. This TIF challenge.

When am I going to get the time to do anything????? HELP

Homework and GWE

When you are at school you find that weekdays are full of excitement and enthusiasm and then when you get home at the weekend with loads of homework that excitement and enthusiasm slowly dissipates. I feel much the same about college and C&G. I was so enthusiastic over the first weekend but am finding it really hard to get homework done. I did manage to stitch another colour circle (but my camera is playing up so I will show it to you tomorrow). Then yesterday I stitched some tonal pieces to illustrate light, medium and dark areas using the same design. They are interesting when put close - the grey mid range is not too obvious, in this photo. Then I stitched two using analogous colours but still using the same design. I do like these. The final picture is of another exercise, the name of which escapes me right now, but I did enjoy it. GWE - The Great Western Embroiderers - I have volunteered to be the membership secretary for this new group. We are affiliated to the West Counties Embroiderers who are a large organisation rather like the Embroiderers Guild but covering the West Counties of the UK. The GWE is based in Wiltshire and will cover the county and hopefully over time some of the surrounding counties. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 9th October at the Blackthorn Centre and further information is available at this site: www.margaretharris.co.uk. If any local to Wiltshire who is interested in textiles in any shape or form please feel welcome to attend.

Wednesday

This is the most beautiful postcard I received in the last few days (and am sorry that I have not been blogging to share this with you) - so THANK you NIKKI. It is just the most delicate and lush piece I have seen for a long time!! The reason I have not been blogging recently is two fold - firstly I have had nothing to say!! and secondly I'm so tired! I feel permanently exhausted these days, work is tiring.

I did not even have a weekend off this bank holiday weekend - I had a lovely but very busy time at Farncombe Estate from Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon on a course being taught by Sandra Meech, called The Creative Edge.


The course was meant to re-ignite creative juices - I found Friday evening and part of Saturday a little slow as we covered ideas I had already covered in a course with Sandra last year on Creative Sketchbooks, but the later days did get better. As usual I went off on a slight tangent - Sandra taught lots of different techniques and most of the other students were happily trying these out. I on the other hand found once I had created a pleasing paper design (see below) started to make fabric samples using some of the 'technique attempt pieces' that needed adjusting and ended up with three potential background fabrics rather than a selection of different mixed media samples. My theme was loosely based on my current work with Klimt and I think the three fabrics have a slight essence of Klimt! - There is potential to continue.

The two pics below show some of the other students on Monday afternoon - at our sort of summary show - where we laid out our samples and Sandra commented on them. My 'patch' is in this top photo bottom left area - the yellow and purple pieces - I seemed to be the only student to have a colour coordinated set - the others had done more variety which is what I think we should have been doing!!! (I am always the odd one out!!).
I'm of to bed now as I am exhausted!