Feeling excited

I have a cat.

A ceramic jolly one. Great fun to look out at when I open my door. Bought from an exhibition Cats at the Gallery at Project Ability in Glasgow.

Took some work away with me. Pieces almost in final placement.

Dyed scrim and applied using felting needles. I have blocked piece at 9 inches wide.

Tissue paper backed with interfacing and then waxed.

Puff paint added to scrim.

Painted. Ready to hand stitch. French Knots for texture perhaps.
The piece is very loosely based on a beach stone with a quartz line running through it. A long way to go but feeling excited to be working on a new piece.
My regular visitor has almost lost his tail. Came home to a collection of tail feathers scattered across the garden.

Unpacking into The Studio and he comes to visit. He is very noisy, I think he heard the car.

Another bird story. A collared dove has arrived.

It has taken a year for one to find me.

Wonderful.
Please look in next week to see progress, if any and find out if I use French Knots or some other stitch.
BYE      BYE

At last a way forward

A week of mono printing, following on from samples at Summer Workshop.

This is reverse mono printing. I have drawn the lines on top of the fabric which was placed on the printing plate. Placed pieces of tracing paper, cotton and silk organza to get continual lines. Quite a few attempts to get the right effect.

Moving pieces around and adding dyed scrim. Looks a bit like leaves at the moment but I hope to stitch the line in the stone.

The tracing paper has been painted with shellac for strength. It does not show up on the photograph but the silk organza placed partly on top gives a mirror image of the lines. Ready for some stitching.

I am trying to represent the strength of the small beach stones, the journey from mountain to beach and the endless buffeting by the sea. At last I can see a way forward. ( creative fairy has had a very long break)
Finding these books very interesting reading.
Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane. Set in Stone  by Alan McKirdy.

Resident peacock is beginning to lose his tail feathers. So tame now he sleeps outside The Studio most dry days.

Heading to his own home at the end of the day.

Masses of Sweet peas from the garden.

My hanging baskets are enjoying the warm weather.

Some of the potatoes grown in a pot. There was something under all the foliage after all. 
I hope you look in next week to see how the stitching is working out and perhaps a bit of colour will be added to the stone.
BYE   BYE

Stones and more Stones

I have been on an inspirational week long workshop at Arthouse off the Rails. Tales of the Unexpected and it surely was that. A week of surprises in the workshop content, my practice, my thoughts from childhood to adulthood and everything in between. It was exactly what a week long workshop with an experienced tutor should be. Cake was also included
Day1 Observation, observation, observation
Photographs taken, mark making ,changing scale on a variety of papers then working on own projects.

I worked on my stones and set of with great enthusiasm creating textural paper.

Exploring the idea of an opening.
Evening of Day 2 I had a mind check and realised I was doing work I could do with my eyes shut. Tearing paper - Glueing - Gesso - Painting, creating textured papers but the idea about the stone construction and the blasted ( that's a slip ) opening was not working.
Wed morning I arrived with a fresh take on my methods. I  would explore different ways of working this idea.

Mono printing different papers and fabrics to get the essence of the stone and fusion as marks. layering.

Looking at see through properties

A touch of colour.

Fire from the centre of the earth,forming the stone.

I was on my way and Day 3/4 were energising working days.

This may turn into a long hanging book

A cover for another book.

Pages of the book.
Day 5 reflections and evaluation the way forward.
I cannot recommend this Summer School highly enough.
Will spend tomorrow unpacking and revisiting the masses of paper work and writing from the course.

First pickings from the garden.
Please visit next week to see if I am still excited about the direction I plan to take these sample pieces from the Summer School.
BYE   BYE

A little clearer

Sampling marks on the stones.

A piece cut from a sleeve of a boiled wool cardigan. Painted bondaweb ironed on top then hand stitched.

A slice of the sleeve used for this line. Hand stitched
The lines on the stones are becoming Openings.

I am a little clearer about the way forward.
 Friends have been staying this week, so no more work on this idea but definitely Openings.
Flicking through this book I saw this drawing by Carolyn Curtis Magri. Lines

My pink chair has settled into a new place.

The garden has enjoyed all the rain. I and my visitors have not.

The white clematis Mrs George Jackman is looking good.

The Foxgloves are attracting lots of bees, even in the rain. I tried to photograph them but the bees came out of the funnels with such speed I could not capture them.

The beginnings of another sample of surface decoration. Sari silk threads embellished on top. Hand stitching added. Not finished yet.
Please look in next week to view
1   Finish above sample
2   Work on Openings
Oh and I think Creative Fairy is back from holiday.
BYE     BYE

Looking for inspiration

Re reading this book, looking for inspiration. Something to get my brain in gear. Have got stuck.

Lines. I have been busy again this week and only managing to visit The Studio for small periods of time. Really need to be in it a whole day to crack Lines. Feel I am snatching an hour here and there and as a result repeating exercises, not moving on.

Have gone back to look at the stones I picked up from the beach on Arran. ( A good ideas, says Creative Fairy)

These are drawn in a A2 sketchbook. Larger scale than last week.  Kalamkari will be exhibition at Aberlady in 2018 so will try to develop the stones. Still looking for inspiration. ( Creative Fairy has gone on Holiday I think)

Tissue paper glued on. Texture.  Could these lines in the stones be openings? Openings to show what.?
Time to start a fabric sample.

Vegetable plot is my delight. I cant wait to pick the beans and harvest the potatoes. Ok I know it is small.

 The act of growing my own vegetables and picking them fresh is important to me but as family and friends point out I have shops minutes away selling perfectly good produce. Indulge me.

Early potatoes in a pot. Hope they are not all foliage
and nothing underneath. My tomatoes are thriving

Please look in next week ( to hear if Creative Fairy has come back)
Openings, a whole new line of inquiry.
BYE      BYE