Sunday 26 February 2017

A frustrating week



I have spent most of this week in my car. Clocking up the miles to attend meetings.
Struggling to find time to look at textile work never mind actually doing any.







5 books with 5 tales to tell. All at the fiddly stage I must find some clear time next week.
Finished this week stewarding at the EDGE exhibition. My second time and still enjoying finding time to study members work.
Flowers appear between all the cogs and jute.





If you have not visited yet well worth a trip to Verdant Works in Dundee.
The garden unfortunately remains the same. The skip booked to take garden rubbish, the lawn and some poor quality top soil away, could not get down my lane. The lane narrow, the skip wide. Gardener has had to apply for planning permission to park skip on the main road. The police have been round checking on traffic flow and disturbance to neighbours. May take a few weeks to get this sorted. Nothing is easy. I refuse to get stressed but I am eating a lot of chocolate biscuits.
I found a little time to add to long concertina book






Brown paper.




 Tissue paper.
My favourite piece of work from the exhibition.





Please look in next week when I hope to have more time to work on the books.
BYE     BYE

Sunday 19 February 2017

Lost a week



66c in place




Nailed and wired to make it secure. Postwoman knocked to say she liked it. Result.
Eventful week. My Gas boiler had a label attached saying it was condemned. Despair. Gas Board was making a safety inspection, found a flue in the attic was missing a connection to an outside flue so another day and night without Gas.
The next day had a Monty Python effect to it. A very tall man appeared with the fitment to rectify the problem. He was too big to fit into the attic. Smaller man sent for. 1 1/2 hours later he got into the space but his arms were too short and he couldn't make the connection. Endless cups of tea and my white sugar bag depleted ( I keep one for workmen ) They decided to cut a hole in a cupboard ceiling. The tall man would stretch in and complete the job. Lots of measuring and tapping of joists to find correct spot and it was done. Great relief all round. Smiles all round. A last cuppa and a biscuit everything signed off, label cut off and they departed. I had a cup of Green tea and a sit down.
creative fairy has been working overtime. I have also been quite busy. New piece is now definitely under way ( creative fairy " says about time")






Backgrounds cut into strips 2 inches wide.




One set will make 5 concertina books other set will make a very, very long book.









Will join these together.
The concertina shapes, jagged edges, I think give the appearance of cogs. My starting point.




Lots of accurate measuring will need to be done. Do I need the workmen back?








I had so many ideas I could not focus. Woke up one morning and the decision was made. 5 Books on a A2 Artist  board and 1 very very long book. Has that ever happened to you? Sleep on an idea and it solves itself. Will need to crack on now. Feeling excited.




My latest purchase for Studio storage. Perfect for holding paints and easy to move around.



Started work as a volunteer at this social enterprise garden. 1 afternoon a week. It is an old walled garden which is slowly being brought back to life. The aim is to make it productive and provide work experience and training for a variety of users.




Last day my garden will have grass. A gardener is coming tomorrow to lift the lawn and put down gravel. Now I just need to find a solution to the Red slabs.
Just managed to fit in 1 play page.






Please look in next week to view how books are progressing and if I get the measurements correct.


BYE    BYE






Monday 6 February 2017

. Finished





66 finished. Matt varnished so should remain waterproof for sometime. C still waiting to be started. This week has run away from me therefore 1 day late in posting.




Finished piece for next exhibition, well corners to finish. Hate doing corners so leave them until last. This is quite busy, I think and literal. One side the Bobbins representing the wealth. The other the female workers untold story trying to be heard.




Next piece will be very different.




Very little time for play this week but sticking to plan, at least one page each week.




Will return to this page. That's all for this week folks.
3 days without Gas and busy weekend 1st week in February gone.
Plan for next week
1 Finish c and put in place
2 Start next A2 piece.
3 Find more playtime.
Look in next week to see if I achieve any of this.
BYE    BYE