magsramsay

Read the Rules

2012-01-24T12:52:00.000Z

I've always been someone who is motivated by deadlines ( at University my lab practicals and essays were always completed the night before) . I spend a lot of time thinking and planning but the final pulling together is done almost at the last minute. With quilts, I often have submission for shows and exhibitions in mind when I'm planning and making a piece so that I've got something to work towards and I've learnt to build in time for taking photographs and filling in entry forms

I've had this indigo shibori wave piece on the go for a while and with deadlines for submission in a few weeks I've been picking up the pace of my hand stitching so I can trim and face it one weekend photograph it the next and be in comfortable time ( for me anyway) to submit the entry.

So imagine my horror when I looked again at the entry rules this weekend and found that this piece is too small!! (it's 150cm in length but narrow). I'm so cross with myself! It won't be wasted - I'll probably enter it in FoQ and having longer does mean that I can work further on it to make it more cohesive and link the various areas of concentrated stitching.

Meanwhile I'm looking at a larger older UFO to see whether I can do something radical to it and still meet the submission deadline. I'm rather excited and it could go horribly wrong but nothing ventured etc...

Help from the Quilt Doctors

2012-01-22T12:35:00.000Z

Yesterday the focus of Thames Valley Contemporary Textile group meeting was ourselves - a chance to find out more about the work that members produce.
Time to sit and sew but mainly to show and share some wonderful varied textiles and techniques.
In the afternoon there was the opportunity to 'see the quilt doctor' to discuss work that was a bit stuck.
I'd took my 'red stick' piece along as I'd started to place pieces of fabric and was happy with some areas but it still needed a lot of work.
I got such a lot of help and the 8 or so (!) people involved seemed to enjoy the process too.
Taking bits off;hunting for new bits in the fabrics I'd taken along; holding it up in different orientations; debating the composition (some disagreements about where the reds should go); shifting all the pieces at the right hand 6 inches to the left (that made all the difference). There was a real buzz as it started to come together. Still needs to marinade on the design wall for a while and a bit of tweaking is required but major progress was made
Should do this more often , although I think it helps that I was open to suggestions and happy to wield my scissors!

In Print Again!!

2012-01-14T19:21:00.000Z

Just received my copy of 'Quilt & Zo' the Dutch quilt magazine which has the reworked article and workshop first published in 'Patchwork Professional'. A slightly different selection of work shown and much larger pictures, it looks very attractive and makes me look at my work in a new way.
Also introduced me to the art quilts of Madelon de la Rive-Box - an artist new to me.

Glorious Skies

2012-01-13T17:58:00.001Z

I've been walking into work this week - the combination of Hammersmith Flyover being closed and emergency gasworks on South Ealing Road means I overtake the bus as the traffic is so slow.
I was supposed to get in by 8 on Wednesday to set up a 6hr experiment but was a bit late distracted by the wonderful skies over the river. It almost (almost) makes me think I should get up earlier more often (and there's always the off-chance that might see Colin Firth again as he drops his kids off at school)

But then the colours of the evening walking over Kew Bridge are almost as impressive.

Gerhard Richter -it's all in the detail

2012-01-07T18:17:00.000Z

Last Night was late night opening at Tate Modern and I took the opportunity (along with half of London!) to catch the last few days of major retrospective of the work of Gerhard Richter. This included the 'Cage' paintings that so entranced me but there was so much more! I was very late to bed once I'd discovered his website (from which these images from the exhibition come)

There were many pieces, such as the one above which were very large scale paintings of photos of tiny details of textured paint. Seeing some of his resource material and how he uses it as art in itself was fascinating (have a look at the 'atlas' section of the website) In 'Halifax 1978' (below) he photographed an abstract painting 128 times at different angles and distances resulting in a black and white work reminiscent of landscape

Seascape (Sea-Sea), was based on a collage of two photographs of waves, one inverted over the other to suggest clouds. There were also several 'cloud' paintings in which again small swirls of paint were photographed and then painted at inflated sizes so they appeared like landscapes.

I liked 'Elbe' - a series of monotypes where Richter was experimenting with the effects of a roller , juxtaposing accidental and intentional marks

But most of all I loved the deeply layered abstracts with paint applied then moved around with the squeegee. I could have gazed at them for hours if not for the press of crowds behind me.

Button Journal Quilts

2012-01-07T17:43:00.000Z

I've been making journal quilts for 9 years now so I was determined to finish the last set for CQ challenge but had to grit my teeth. I normally use journal quilts as testing grounds for larger pieces - with themes set this year that was rather more difficult and the earlier sets of 'circles' and 'text' were in the end stand alone with little connection to my other work. I knew I would struggle with 'buttons' as I couldn't help thinking of Elizabeth Bartons' comments on embellishments - how so many people spend 3 minutes using their first idea, 3 months making it and then as it doesn't work, put beads on it!

As I've been going through a phase of curved piecing African and indigo fabrics , I used some of the scraps left over in the first JQ adding some mother of pearl buttons that also went in the indigo vat. I've been wanting to try curved piecing some other African kola and indigo fabrics to suggest sand ripples so that was my second . I do feel that these pieces would work just as well or better without the buttons!
Then I remembered how I'd successfully conquered another embellishment (pearls) earlier in the year and used a similar aproach for the third and fourth examples. I scanned some mother of pearl buttons - some small ones and a few very large ones that reflected light and after a bit of manipulation in Photoshop , printed them on indigo cotton, indigo silk and silk organza. I combined these with an altered photo of a shoreline and a fabric copy of one of my 'ghost' monoprints from city lit which used threads.
Much happier with these and in a way they sum up my creative year: seascapes transparency, printing, indigo.
Much happier too with this years Journal Quilt Challenge which has just been announced - a return to A4 and the theme of 'shades of... ' starting with red which is what I'm working with at the moment anyway. Hurrah!!

2012 Looking Forward with Patience and Doubt

2012-01-01T16:11:00.000Z

Yesterday (last year!) , after 6 days of hibernation, we started the acclimatisation programme to the wider world with a visit to the British Museum for the Grayson Perry exhibition. As inspiring and as thought-provoking as I'd hoped and more. We love the British Museum (we had our first date there) the quote from Grayson on "coming on a journey ever time I visit" resonates, there's always something new to see. The selection of artifacts from the Museum that he had chosen (and his thoughts on these choices) along with his own work which referenced both them and his inner world were a fascinating mix.

I scribbled down phrases that caught my imagination especially on craftsmanship -" a long and sympathetic hand-on relationship with material,a relaxed, humble, ever-curious love of stuff" . It particularly made me think about my own art practises and preferences. I'd already been pondering on the importance of both using my own images and seeing the 'hand of the maker' in my own work , developing my own unique mark-making. Looking forward with patience and doubt (in terms of questioning and curiosity) are good starting points for considering this further although I need to develop my own power words.

After a leisurely lunch at Savoir Faire (lovely to catch up with Irene in between her calculations on how she was going to fit 100 people in for the evening celebrations) we revisited the Museum with fresh eyes.
A slight misunderstanding on the differences between Assyria and Abyssinia led us after a detour to the Lion Hunt reliefs to the Egyptian galleries where there were covetable stone palettes in the shapes of animals (the hippo was my favourite) .

With that thought, time to get back to some painting and stitching
Wishing everyone a peaceful and productive 2012.

Xmas Traditions

2011-12-27T17:11:00.000Z

We've established our own traditions associated with Christmas Hibernation : a selection of pickles to have with the cold ham on Boxing day (perhaps 7 was a bit excessive ....) These are eaten with jacket potatoes after a walk along the canal to the Fox in Hanwell for a couple of pints of real ale ('Polar Express' and 'Roasted Nuts' ).Ian tries very hard not to say 'What about the weir?' ( the piece I started 2 years ago but gave up on) but he can't resist.

We put together stocking presents for each other - I always have to include a wind up toy, this year a speedy snail, and I always receive a couple of Baileys Miniatures. Books feature heavily in both as does Green and Blacks Chocolate.
These are opened while munching crumpets with brandy butter and bacon wrapped dates, washed down with bucks fizz and coffee.

We're now into our creative days - Ian on the computer setting up his own blog and me painting in the mornings, sewing in the afternoon. 3 more days of this - bliss!!Then a gradual acclimatization to the world outside with tickets booked for Saturday for Grayson Perry exhibition at the British Museum with lunch at Savoir Faire.

Hope you're all enjoying your own festivities

Orchid Swansong

2011-12-22T18:09:00.000Z

Today I picked up my 6 copies of 'Growing Hardy Orchids' . It's a nice-looking colourful book but I'm not the best judge of its qualities, given its chequered history. I started editing it over 6 years ago following the success of Growing Orchids from Seed but the challenge of multiple authors combined with a period of deep unhappiness at work led to it being called 'blasted book ' in this household for the angst it caused me.
Handing over reponsibility for the book resulting in a major rejig of its contents means I no longer have a sense of ownership but that's not a bad thing- I've moved onto far more interesting and fulfilling roles in my job. I'm just glad to see it out at last, my orchid swansong. Now I can move on.

Stewarding, Stitching and Spirit Stains

2011-12-20T13:59:00.000Z

I spent Saturday stewarding the TVCT group exhibition 'Whatever Floats Your Boat' at Gallery@49 in Bracknell. Perishing cold - just as well Sandy had warned me and I came armed with thermals and layers of fleeces. It's a nice space if a bit tricky to take photos although I rather like how the art pieces interacted with the environment.

I spent most of my time stitching on my latest indigo piece ( usefully long enough to cover my legs!) and people watching out of the window, fascinated by what purchases people brought out of the emporium opposite. Black tinsel was popular, the display outside had to be replenished, quite tricky in the stiff breeze.

Some interesting conversations with Tonia who came down from her studio periodically to thaw out and with the few people who ventured into the Gallery. Several artists who popped in to admire the textiles talked about their own work, including a man who worked in leather. A couple of weeks ago Ian's mum had given me an old box of leather 'spirit stains' that had been her fathers so this was the opportunity to find out a bit more about them. When I described them, he said that they were probably aniline dyes which you can't get anymore (for H&S reasons of course!) but apparently they're the best - transparent but intense. This led to futher discussions about tanning methods and whether he had a stash of leathers equivalent to my fabric. A little hesitantly he admitted this was the case!!

Neolithic Mark-Making

2011-12-13T10:40:00.000Z

It's difficult to describe the almost visceral pleasure of looking round the prehistoric galleries at the Museum of London which we visited before a performance of Belshazzars Feast at the Barbican. The concert itself was amazing - over 100 members of choir and a large orchestra with 2 brass sections in the gallery behind giving full on surround sound.

What I love about all these flint and stone axes is that you can see the marks that made them (there was a video of flint knapping although I'm not sure they had beer towels in the Neolithic.... ) . A first glance they look very similar then you see each one is individual - a bit like Judy's reverse applique dots which I'm itching to have a go at , I like the irregularity of Deb's version.

Many of the items, including this pot were from the Thomas Layton Collection , collected from in and around the Thames at Brentford - the local connection making these objects feel personal.

The archeologists can tell a lot about the maker by the marks - apparently this pot shard was decorated by a women with long fingernails!

I wonder what these stitch marks say about me?

Textile Sushi - Thoughts on Bite-Size

2011-12-08T13:24:00.002Z

There was an impressive turn out for Lesley Millar's talk on Tuesday at the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation - over 50 people including several of the artists, I felt very priviliged to be among them. 'Bite-Size' is an apt title for this exquisite exhibition, it struck me rather irreverently that it could be likened to a bento box of sushi! So many items deceptively simple yet incredibly complex and thoughtful in the choice and use of materials.Lesley showed slides for each maker which incorporated larger works from previous exhibitions as well as the current miniatures ,setting them in context of the partnerships that had evolved through the various projects. I had about an hour to look round beforehand but looked on objects with a informed perspective after the talk as the catalogue mainly contained thoughts by the participants on these partnerships rather than descriptions of the pieces exhibited or artists statements. A few days later, it is different pieces again that have stuck in my mind.

Kyoko Kumai 'Whisper of Wind'

Sue Lawty 'Lead XV'

Many pieces pushed the boundaries of what might be considered textiles - 2 of my favourite pieces were woven from metal! Apart from the skills demonstrated and their subtle beauty, I like how they play with the idea of softness and comfort of cloth.

Diana Harrison 'Damaged (work in progress)'

Metal also featured in the form of pins in Diana Harrisons work. I've admired her quilts since the early 1990's (or was it even earlier) when I saw her work in an exhibition at the Crafts Council. She gave an absorbing talk at CQ AGM about her work a couple of years ago . What was so special about this piece was that it wasn't a scaled down quilt but an intricate lace-like work in it's own right while still referencing her larger work.

Masae Bamba 'Black Water'

I know textiles are tactile but why do some people always feel the need to handle work, look at the back , often thinking that 'do not touch' signs do not refer to them. Not that there were any such signs, it was probably thought that the work would be respected. So I was rather shocked when someone started flicking through the layers of fabric of 'Black Water' treating it like a fabric sample book , not even returning the layers to their original position. I couldn't see a steward to alert - I didn't like to touch it myself. Lesley herself referred to this incident in her talk asking why couldn't people leave it alone and let it maintain it's mystery.

It had been restored after the talk so was able to appreciate it's powerful depiction of a Tsunami wave ( many of the Japanese artists had been affected in some way) with the black swallowing all the colour around it. Knowing what it represented, it felt even more of a desecration.

It also made me think again of the challenges in making and displaying 3D work - see Olga's posts for how this exhibition has inspired her ( and for how 'Black Water' should look like). I wasn't happy about how my 'Taplow Vase' was displayed in the Slough Museum show but I now see that part of the reason it was in that position was to prevent it being handled. The surroundings can make such a difference - I loved how the piece below was suspended in the window , interacting with the view behind .

Yoshiko Tanabe 'Fuwafwa Moyamoya'

After a couple of days digesting what I saw, I've realised how few stitched pieces there were. Many works were very skilled, elegant and precise but for me rather clinical , lacking the obvious imprint of the hand of the maker. One of the exceptions was Celia Pym's 'Darned Sock' which is the piece that has most stuck in my mind despite not taking a photo of it at the time, perhaps because I related to her recycling and giving new life to old textiles.
That choice probably says a lot about my taste for earthy food rather than fine dining!

Exhibitions

2011-12-05T08:18:00.000Z

My 'Taplow Vase Reconstruction' made in response to a Roman vase in Slough Museum is having another outing - currently at Gallery @49 in Bracknell as part of 'Whatever Floats Your Boat' exhibition. Hope to get there on 17 December to sit and stitch and chat to anyone who might pop in.

On Thursday , went to a presentation to staff by David Nash about the exhibition of his work next year at Kew Gardens. The lecture theatre was packed and due to technical difficulties with slide projector (everyone uses Powerpoint these days) there was the opportunity to catch up with colleagues . Talk was mainly about how the strike had gone but also found that the Hardy Orchid book I've been working on for 6 years will be published on 16 December!

He was such an engaging speaker, particularly recounting the construction of the Ash Dome and travels of the Wooden Boulder . Existing outdoor works will be situated throughout the gardens and these will be supplemented with new works created on-site at a 'wood quarry'. There will indoor works in the temperate house, Shirley Sherwood Gallery and Nash Conservatory. It sounds fantastic!!

On a different scale , tomorrow afternoon I'm going to the gallery talk by Lesley Millar at Japan House on current textile exhibition 'Bite Size' which so many people have raved about. I'll be reporting back in my next blog post.

Creative Striking

2011-11-30T16:31:00.001Z

I'm on strike today over pension reform - the first time ever and not a decision I made lightly but having said 'yes' in the Prospect ballot I felt I should. Although not strictly 'Public Sector' as we're one of those 'Arms Length Bodies' , we are part of the Civil Service Pension scheme. As I was in my 30's when I joined the scheme ( up until that point I had been contributing to a private pension) I am buying 'additional years' to make sure I am paying enough in to the tune of 14% of my salary. With a 2 year pay freeze ( and then a 1% cap!) it's going to be difficult to pay an additional 3% on top. Our pension benefits are part of the package to make up for the lower pay that scientists and other specialists receive in comparison to the private sector - we're deeply committed to our work (conservation is long-term) but there are limits to how much they take that for granted

Anyway I've been making the most of my days unpaid leave, testing paints on my red and cream ebay purchase , taking photos of the red stick against it.

After cleaning the kitchen,then baking rolls and ginger biscuits, I've been sorting through my fabrics , making a gradient of blue/green tones with a larger 'Anavriti' door piece in mind.

So it was quite opportune to read '29 Ways to stay creative' posted on Linda's blog. Not doing too badly on several fronts (apart from 4- get away from the computer!) No. 25 resonated' 'Stop trying to be someone else's perfect'

Shinkansen (International Quilt Challenge)

2011-11-25T07:35:00.000Z

Ever since my first digital camera , I've been taking photos from trains at speed - I love the blurring. I've made a few journal quilts and one experimental piece but have always wanted to scale up . The current theme 'Through the Window' of the International Quilt Challenge gave me an opportunity to start down that road (or should that be rail?!!!!)

In 2006 I travelled with Susan Briscoe to Yuza-machi in Japan and took lots of photos from the Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Yamagata. The green of rice paddies, the purplish grey roofs , the mountains and the coast were so different from the train photos I'd taken in the UK

Techniques and materials used? Photos were printed on colour catchers treated with 'Ink Aid' . I used Photoshop to increase saturation slightly but that's all -the blurring is as captured by camera. These were applied to a section of lightweight fabric from a secondhand kimono bought for Pojagi in Tokyo.

A silk organza scarf with woven lines was laid over the top and attached with twin needle stitching. Interesting difference between the raised ridges produced when stitched through 1 layer of kimono and the flatter ones where stitching through both kimono and colour catcher. I really should have stabilised the kimono fabric first but I actually like the effect!
I'd like to produce an even bigger piece next perhaps inspired by the paintings of Atsuhide Ito although quite how I'd photograph it and display it....

Fusing and Reusing

2011-11-21T09:45:00.000Z

A most enjoyable meeting of Thames Valley Contemporary Textile Group in Bracknell on Saturday.
I haven't been since January so it was great to catch up with people. We had a talk from Ali Mesley (CQ co-ordinator) in the morning and then spent the afternoon fusing papers with Sandy. I'd had a good dig through stuff I had finished with for the popular 'Been there, done that' stall run by Delia but couldn't resist a bundle of her hand dyed fabric.
When I got home, I realised the colours were the same as the buggy cultures I found in the broken cold store at work! Inspiration in all kinds of places. I couldn't resist taking a photo to put in my talks to MSc students to demonstrate the need for sterile technique!!

Rather than fusing small pieces of paper together and applying to fabric, I made tissue/handmade paper 'sandwiches' with new sketchbook project 'surfaces and stitch' in mind.

Our BT Homehub has given up so we had an internet free weekend. Time to catch up with house hold chores, 'inkaid' some more colourcatchers, stitch into my indigo sea piece and contemplate chopping up this old red and white quilt I bought on ebay ( detail on right) . It's actually only 2 layers , the backing an interesting heavyweight homespun twill but it's beautifully handstitched with chevrons.

I bid for it thinking it would make a suitably distressed background for the 'stick' inspired fabrics produced on Jo Budd workshop. I did like stitching into canvas for 'Violet Seas' but that's her technique - rescuing and giving new life to old textiles makes it more mine.

Enlightenment and El Anatsui

2011-11-18T11:29:00.000Z

I left work early on Wednesday to go the private view of latest exhibition of ColourFX , hoping to go to the Grayson Perry exhibition at the British Museum on the way. I was initially diappointed that unfortunately all the tickets were sold out but decided to have my own tour in search of the 'unknown craftman' via Sutton Hoo, flint knives and the Hans Soane collection of artifacts in the bookcases that used to be the Kings Library now the 'Enlightenment Gallery'. After a quick trip through Mexico and North America (!) I ended up in the African Galleries (Room 25)

The first thing you see on entering is a huge metal ' Man's Cloth' by El Anatsui made from discarded foil bottle-neck wrappers based on the traditional narrow-strip woven silk cloth made in Ghana, a source of national pride.

There was another piece by El Anatsui in wood which I don't remember seeing before. This was fantastic (although difficult to photograph). With grooves carved into wood, from different angles it appeared to ripple, like cloth in a breeze.

On the way out via Montague Place , I popped into the Islamic galleries - drawn in by the re-interpretation of an Iranian felt cloak covered in amulets by Bita Ghezelayagh ( sorry to miss her exhibition at the Quilt Museum )

It was great to see so many people at the Framers Gallery and to talk with not only the artists themselves but to catch up with other 'viewers' . It was a lovely space and interesting work from everyone - hope it does well. Ian came too - he particularly liked Alicia's maps and has all kinds of ideas about how I might make something for him based on his military war game scenarios ! He'll be waiting a while....

Violet Seas

2011-11-04T09:09:00.000Z

I've so enjoyed stitching this piece , I'm sorry to have finished it! 'Violet Seas' was composed from fabrics produced in CQ Summer School with Jo Budd and I wanted to have a go at stitching on canvas as she does. It's certainly easy to stitch and produced wonderful textures where the stitching alters the surface of the cloth. The downsides include the terrible fraying of the canvas - had to tack the edge down. The main problem is I don't know how to mount it for hanging. I wished I'd allowed more canvas so I had more to play with. I'd like to maintain the soft ragged edges of the top fabric. Any ideas? It's about 17x 17 inches.

Shibori Seas

2011-10-28T11:31:00.000+01:00

Remember I said I was piecing together an indigo seascape? Well I didn't get it finished to take to Weymouth , in fact it took another month but it's now ready to layer for quilting. Machine in the distance, hand stiching in the foreground I think. I'd forgotten how difficult it is to photo indigo and it doesn't help it's currently about 125 h x 45cm w. I'm particularly pleased with these 2 sections and I'm itching to start another watery piece to incorporate the effects I achieved here before I forget!

Sand Ghosts and Threads

2011-10-25T20:52:00.001+01:00

Print 1: Dirty yellow ink applied with brayer to mylar sheet ( same one as used for 'Green Sea' prints - halved trips to the press!) Rayon standed thread applied to plate. On the print the white areas left are embossed (or should that be debossed?)

Print 2: 'Ghost' print with threads removed - you get a dark outline around where the threads were.

Print 3: Another 'ghost print , this time with the threads added back after being on a green sea print - I love the subtle colours it adds in this detail (below)

Print 4 : Additional ink added then lines scored with end of paintbrush. If you look very carefully, there's still the very faint outlines of the threads beneath .

I got a lot out of this workshop - not least seeing what everyone else got up to. There's no way I'm going to use oil-based inks at home so I'll be interested to see how these techniques will work with acrylics or selectasine screenprinting inks on fabric ( succumbed after all - George Weil is such a temptation!). Any idea where I can buy mylar sheets?It was a joy using the press - doing it by hand gave mixed results. Might have to sign up for the class again in February...

Green Sea Ghosts and Threads

2011-10-25T20:30:00.000+01:00

Print 1: Ink up mylar sheet with murky green, place sections of builders scrim, put through press. Decided not to continue with the scrim as pattern a bit regular but others were very grateful for my supplies and used them to great effect.

Print 2: Apply another layer of murky green ink and rayon thread already used on a yellow print. Use rag dipped in Zest-it to remove areas of ink. In the 'crit' at the end this was everyone's favourite of my work - wonderful subtle textures and colours.

Print 2 detail: Colours deposited by the threads being on the yellow print.

Print 3: 'Ghost' print of print 2

Print 3 detail: loving the textures here.

Print4: More ink applied and moved around with brushes and rags dipped in Zest-it .

Working into Light

2011-10-25T08:38:00.000+01:00

This Sunday at City Lit, only half the class turned up for the second session on monotypes (perhaps because the weather was so nice?) Their loss- we had more access to the presses! I came prepared with all kinds of ideas but in the end spent most of the time exploring what the materials would do, inspired by the same photos and sketches I used last week of the sea, this time in colour!! My wrist certainly knows about the work needed with a 'push knife' to get the printing inks into a workable state. The larger expensive rollers were in use so I used the poor quality of the smaller brayers to my advantage - I rather like the blotchiness of the ink. Just scoring into the surface with the end of a paintbrush produced intriguing results

The bristles of the paint brushes gave interesting marks and once I'd got going with laying some standed rayon threads down there was no stopping me!

The 'ghost' prints were especially appealing. More on ghosts and thread in further posts.

October Boat Friday - 401st Post

2011-10-21T22:15:00.001+01:00

Frustrated at not being able to save my Powerpoint presentation for Monday after several hours at the computer, I left work early and being a Friday, decided to revisit the boats along the river by Kew Bridge.
It was a very low tide - the water almost dwindles to nothing on the RH side of the 'Ait'. I noticed quite a few gaps - there's been a lot of 'tidying up' with the new development. I wonder whether mooring costs have increased or not renewed so as not to block the views from the swanky flats?

Happily some of my favourites were still there.

As dusk started to fall and the temperature fell, it was very atmospheric with the smell of woodsmoke. However romantic, I wouldn't want to live on one and was happy to cycle home to create nice smells of my own baking fruity bread.

Deductive Monotypes

2011-10-18T21:20:00.000+01:00

Deductive is seductive! After trace monotypes we moved onto 'deductive' which as the name implies, involves taking off some of the ink using rags dipped in white spirit, paraffin or in my case 'Zest-It'. I also used brushes, tissue paper and cotton buds (for those blobby marks)

These 2 prints were taken off the same plate - the one at the top was pressed by hand using a barren and a heavyweight roller. The one below was the result of going through the 'proper' press afterwards

Different results and effects - overall I prefer the hand pressed version but it took an awful lot of work.
We also covered 'additive' but I didn't get round to that. I need to think a bit more about what I want to do in the next session. Stitch-like marks in colour appeals .

Trace Monotypes

2011-10-16T19:06:00.000+01:00

Just back from the first of a 2 day course at City Lit on Monoprinting. While I've had a go at this technique before both on paper and fabric , these used water-based media. This was my first attempt with oil-based inks and access to a proper printing press - what a difference it makes. Though my nails are appalling despite gloves , my head spining from the solvents and it took half an hour to clear up!

The first technique was inking up a plastic sheet then placing a sheet of paper over it and drawing into it (being careful not to get fingerprints on)

Magic results when you peel the paper off and then the subtle negative print when put throught the press.

The tutor commented on the stitch-like marks( well one of the aims of the course was to relate it ito our own practice) Perhaps it was because I was using the same source photo as this journal quilt!

Tout Quarry Sculpture Park

2011-10-14T09:20:00.000+01:00

We spent a wonderful windy morning exploring Tout Quarry Sculpture Park on Portland. I wish I'd had my netbook with me so I could have found out a bit more about it beforehand (it's got over 70 sculptures spread through an old quarry). But stumbling across sculptures, some partly hewn,emerging from the stone, had it's own magic particularly as we had the site to ourselves. You never knew what might be around the next corner or if shapes were natural or intentional .

The 'hand of the maker' was very evident, this one scratched like graffitti into a rock by the coastal path. It was bizarre coming out of this alternative world onto a well-used path ( a jogger passed us with her dog just as we emerged )

Changeable Chesil

2011-10-11T22:00:00.001+01:00

We certainly had variable weather in Weymouth! We arrived for the hottest weekend in October since records began (or similar) - having to rethink our packing from fleeces and thick socks to short sleeved shirts and sunhats. On Sunday even at 10am the fishermen were out in force on Chesil beach.
By Wednesday however when we walked on Portland we were glad of wind proofs and thermal tubes. Very difficult not to get camera shake while being buffeted by the winds at 'The Heights' viewpoint.

The following day was even more bracing! My camera battery had given up so I was reliant on my mobile phone - not too bad for close-ups of pebbles but definately a bit ropey for distant shots although the graininess added the the dramatic seascapes.

I got Ian to take some photos on my behalf of the dramatic changes in colour with cloud shadows - should have taken heed of the changing weather as a sudden downpour sent us racing for the bus. Thanks to great public transport we were 'home' in no time.

Portland Skies

2011-10-09T16:46:00.000+01:00

The changing skies and colours over Portland definately influenced the stitching on my holiday sewing project - a composition I put together from Jo Budd's class at CQ Summer school

They also provided constant inspiration for sketches out of the bedroom window. Next time I'll take larger painting surfaces to do them justice.

Back from Weymouth

2011-10-08T22:27:00.000+01:00

If you've been thinking it's been a bit quiet here lately it's because I've been away for a week in Weymouth and I didn't take my netbook. Instead took books to read, a stitching project and my paints, went for walks and had several fishy lunches including at the fabulous Cove House Inn as recommended by Liz.
Had a fabulous time (despite a cold) with weather varying from 29C to bracing winds.
With views like this from the bedroom window , we'll be back!!

Light and Shadow- Indigo Hill Arches

2011-09-23T07:58:00.001+01:00

Indigo Hill Arches

48 x 36 cm

Two black and white images of 'Hill Arches' sculpture by Henry Moore combined in Photoshop, printed on hand dyed indigo cotton and silk treated with 'BubbleJet Set'. Machine quilted with variagated threads, hand stitched with 'House of Embroidery' Cotton perle thread .

There's nothing like a deadline to concentrate the mind! When the theme of 'Light and Shadow was set in the 'International Quilt Challenge' I had lots of grandious ideas of continuing the idea of the 'Taplow Vase' in looking at some pewter vases from multiple viewpoints and on large scale. Then with reveal date looming and nothing started I remembered a top I'd put together for a demonstration on inkjet printing using 'poster printing' function to split an image over 4 A4 sheets ( I subsequently used that technique to print 16 sheets of organza for my 'Rich as Honesty' quilt)

After I'd machine quilted it, it was looking rather drab and uninteresting so I decided to stitch more into by hand. I haven't done much hand stitching in a while and I'd forgotten how addictive it is , sewing away watching BBC4. My wrist is a bit sore despite using a 'Creative Comfort' Crafters Glove for support (although that could be the use of secateurs on Sunday on a serious hack of the garden)

The Henry Moore sculpture that so inspired me was part of an exhibition at Kew Gardens in 2007. I loved having access to these sculptures for so many months, able to view them in different lights and viewpoints and I made several journal quilts exploring ways of intepreting a 3D piece in 2D textiles.
Next year there will be a major exhibition at Kew of work by David Nash. Can't wait!!

It's been a while but I've had a session updating my website with a gallery of new work - do stop by and say hello!

Inspired, Influenced, Informed Indigo Seas

2011-09-18T21:56:00.000+01:00

Perhaps because I've been stitching on indigo all weekend as part of International Quilt Challenge ( sore fingers but I'm fallen in love all over again with hand stitching with 'mystique' cotton perle thread) but I felt the need to raid my indigo stash and start to build a seascape. Hope to get it assembled before going to Weymouth so I can stitch it in situ!! Still a lot of work to do on the bottom half beneath what's above but for my eyes only at the moment.

Partly inspired by the fabrics themselves ( especially the ones I dyed at Summer School last year) , mainly by the patterns created when cutting curves into striped/shibori as in these journal quilts.

Influenced also by previous indigo seascapes such as 'Serifos Storm'and informed by recent paintings of the sea at Slapton in acrylics.

A Productive Day

2011-09-15T16:31:00.000+01:00

Got lots done today - finished off my 'text' journal quilts , all 6 of them ( only supposed to be 4 so September has 3!) and posted them on CQ Yahoo group. 'The' is I think my favourite - the simplest and one with potential for scaling up. Don't really work as a group without spacing but perhaps I'll play with that - might mount them on canvases.

In contrast to the gaudiness of peeling posters, I machine quilted my 'light and shadow' piece into submission( sneaky peak below) Am wondering how I could introduce a bit of colour through hand stitch, it's a bit dull at the moment (b&w on indigo) Perhaps I'll print some copies and try a bit of colouring in!

Very disappointed that I won't be doing Abstract Painting evening class as planned as I was the only one that registered!! Have I the self discipline to try some of the exercises from 'Drawing Projects: an exploration of the language of drawing' instead?

A Weekend in Cardiff - not just work

2011-09-13T09:16:00.000+01:00

Arthur Giardelli "The Sea's Edge"

Max Ernst " The Wood'

A weekend in Cardiff for the annual meeting of British Bryological Society, with bonus of amazing sound of 500 voices AngloWelsh Male Voice Choirs at St David's Hall and just as I was leaving for the train, cheering on the runners of the Cardiff 10K as they streamed past Cardiff Castle.

In between committee meetings and listening to scientific papers , I made the most of being in the National Museum of Wales to spend time among the fantastic work in the newly opened galleries devoted to contemporary art. I particularly enjoyed seeing the sketches and photographs of Graham Sutherland and work by Ceri Richards. There was one small painting "Welsh Coastline" using the same 'grattage' techniques as the work of Max Ernst which was just so atmospheric, I could have taken it home. Makes me want to try those techniques on fabric.

Making good progress on my 'Text' journal quilts, adding hand stitch while on the train. I'll be spending Thursday and Friday finishing them off and working on my International Quilt Challenge piece on 'light and Shadow.

Moss on my mind

2011-09-07T12:46:00.001+01:00

I never thought I'd become so entranced by mosses!! I did a course on them in North Wales while I was at University (my chief memory being a goat underneath a table at a cafe we went to) and tried to get to grips with them in my survey days on Salisbury Plain. For several years I managed a project on their ex situ conservation but it wasn't until I was responsible for growing them myself that I was really smitten (these photos from down the microscope are some I grew from tiny pieces of leaf) So much to discover and now potential for a Very Big Project on the cards. They may start creeping into my quilts.Perhaps I'm turning into a Moss Witch, if so Ian beware!!

Early Music and New Sculpture

2011-08-28T12:13:00.001+01:00

Thomas Housago 'Figure 2'

Rebecca Warren 'SHE-Untitled'

Bjorn Dahlem 'The Milky Way'

Dirk Skreber ' Untitled-Crash 1'

An afternoon of culture: 'Saturday Matinee' Prom at the Cadogan and just round the corner, new sculpture at the Saatchi Gallery. The concert was based around early music , particularly of Hildegard of Bingen both in its original form and new interpretation by Stevie Wishart (both spine tingling - less struck by the Britten and Birtwistle which seemed very clunky and masculine in comparison). Can hear it here.
Never been to the Saatchi before, it was very popular with families with kids posing in front of the sculptures. What strikes you is the amount of space -the galleries are huge with only a few sculptues in each room . The site specific piece 20:50 by Richard Wilson (not the actor!)played with your perceptions of space- what was real and what were reflections (perhaps the oil fumes added to the sense of unreality! ) What I liked best though were the pieces that showed evidence of the hand of the maker - the sketchy life drawings of Thomas Houseago made 3d and the unfired clay figures of Rebecca Warren with the thumbmarks left.
Blogging is just procrastination - off to clean the oven before the next prom -Eijah !

Text Progress: Raving needs more work

2011-08-25T10:39:00.000+01:00

Apart from cooking, cleaning and tacking the freesat cable around the skirting and door of the 'parlour', I spent most of last weekend working on my sketches for Quilt University course 'inspired to design' (more in another post) and whirring away on my text journal quilts using Pfaff Grandquilter .It coped admirably with all the layers of fabric and ink-aided colour catchers.
They've been marinading on my design wall while I decide if they need anything more. I followed the shapes vaguely and tried to catch everything down without losing all the raw torn edges.
I don't think 'THE'above needs any more doing to it , but 'RAVING' below definately does. It did have a marked white oval in the centre but that has almost disappeared - one of the effects of machine quilting is to unify the surface which has benefits and drawbacks. Paint or stitch to bring that white back?

I was thinking of doing some hand stitching in orange on 'VENUE' and ' PARTY'

Perhaps some hand stitching in blue to emphasise the shapes in 'CELEBRATE' and 'OCCASION' ?

Then the decision about which 4 constitute CQ JQ's for June to September? Perhaps 'Celebrate,Occasion, Party, Venue'?? My favourite so far is 'Party' but that might change.

More From FoQ 2011

2011-08-22T10:19:00.000+01:00

Textile News-Freedom 'Sometimes Chains are Just Shadows' Margaret Ramsay

Over a week now since my return from Festival of Quilts - time to mull on what has stuck in my mind.
Besides my 'Tunisian Door' quilt in the competition section , I had 2 small quilts accepted for the International Small Quilt Challenge 'Textile News - Freedom' organised by Gudrun Heinz. This was displayed on the wall of the cafe (where CQ exhibitions have been in the past ) with quilts grouped roughly by colour. What an absorbing exhibition - so many interpretations of the theme. I introduced myself to Gudrun - we've been in correspondence as the quilt shown above will be featured in the Bernina calendar and she explained how all the surfaces in her house had been taken over while choosing which to display! While Ian and I were having coffee on Saturday, I got talking to Bonnie McCaffery who was filming the show - apart from taking a picture of me and my door quilt, I introduced her to Gudrun. Watch out for the vidcast , out beginning of September (if don't end up on the cutting room floor! )

My purchases were relatively modest (the Textile News CD was included in the entry fee for the challenge) . I bought wadding and wrist support from the Cotton Patch, African textiles from John Gillow, African Fabric Shop and Langa Lapu Fabrics, InkAid from Art Van Go (for printing on colour catchers) . What I was inordinately pleased with was finding another 'comfort thimble' at Quilt Direct. I bought one years ago which I use constantly but had been unable to remember what it was called and where I'd got it from - I'll keep the packaging this time|!

In trying to give Ian the full flavour of the show in one day, I didn't spend as much time in the gallery spaces as I would have liked - I totally missed Katrina Fiensburg's space and meant to go back to see the 'borro' pieces of Padmaja Krishnan but ran out of time.
However we did spent quite a lot of time looking at 'Textiles of the Islamic World (the book is on my Xmas wish list! ) - apart from having some spectacular pieces, it reminded us of our travels in Syria, Iran and Tunisia (all well represented) . Gillian Cooper's 'Muses' looked lovely, especially with their floaty sea backgrounds - so evocative of the goddess figures in the 'Lost World of Old Europe' we saw at the Ashmolean. It was great to catch up with Barbara Weeks and see all her Journal Quilts displayed - made me wish I'd been more systematic in my themes.

Islamic Textiles

Diversity in Europe-Finland

SAQA Beyond Comfort. 'Promised Land' Diane Wright

No surprise really that my favourites overall were landscapes!! I loved the sketchiness of 'Promised Land' - more details about its making here. While I'm not interested in dyeing , it's made me think further of the potential of painting with the Selectisine pigments as used by Jo Budd . I feel a George Weil order coming on.

A different perspective

2011-08-18T18:14:00.001+01:00

A visit to Tate Britain on the way to pick up my quilt from Greenwich: a view on the 20th century in Anish Kapoor's mirror (Peter Doig on the back wall); a revisit to Watercolour exhibition (Turner still my favourite); indigestion from the Vorticists; seeing old favourites in a new light in 'Restless Times'; an uplifting of spirits surrounded by the Cretan paintings of John Craxton. I'd been meaning to see this for a while after it was highlighted on the Culture Show but had forgotten it. Wonderful book now on the wishlist.

And an excellent quote: " But why explain pictures?No meal can be made more exciting by a running commentary analysis of the flavours. Everone has a different tongue. Pictures need no literary introduction. What they always need are open eyes and minds free from preconcieved ideas."

Where photos help!

2011-08-18T08:57:00.000+01:00

Boats are notoriously difficult to draw but the shapes and lines (particularly the negative spaces around them ) fascinated me. I did improve thanks to an exercise in continuous line drawing but for accuracy I really could have done with a photo when scaling up to the largest painting I did on the course (22 x 18 inches). I attempted to simplify the shapes ( like Terry Frost) so that whether it was correct or not didn't matter(!) but I didn't go far enough. It was also a bit rushed being the last day but I was finally 'in the zone' not wanting to stop painting.

Working from Sketches

2011-08-18T08:47:00.000+01:00

Another painting that benefitted from working from sketches rather than photographs. This was the painting that in our gentle'critique' everyone liked the best from my work (including the children on a family course - what fun they were having)

Am I a Finisher? Quilts v. Paintings

2011-08-17T10:24:00.000+01:00

I read with interest the post by Terry Jarrard-Dimond 'Are you a finisher?' , tried and failed to leave a comment, but decided I wanted to explore the subject further anyway.
Whether I'm a finisher or not depends partly on the medium and also the time and input involved.
I generally do finish my quilts - I put a lot of thought and time into the design, the subject has to be something that inspires me, I'm good at planning (the scientist in me!) and most of all I love the process of problem solving. So with all that investment I generally want to see it through. Sometimes quilts just don't take off , usually if I've done so much planning that there's little interest left ( as with my 'Weir' where the creative energy went into painting and Journal quilts leaving insufficient for the actual piece itself). Abandoning at an early stage is not the same as not finishing. Paintings are another matter!

With watercolours, where you can't correct, if something goes wrong then I start another one! Quick fresh paintings look better than laboured ones to my mind but there's always the risk of continuing to make the same mistakes! I'm afraid I've tended to apply the same approach to mixed media and acrylic paintings too but I'm getting better at persevering - my recent course at Slapton has helped a lot.

At Prawle Point, I made a lot of sketches in pen and watercolour of the view through the gap in the eroded sandstone. Then back in the studio, we were encouraged to work larger - I had a board 20 x 15 inches with a start of a painting in yellow and red from years ago. The tutor really liked the preliminary wash of burnt sienna and my tentative outlines in graphcolour pencil! It was a challenge to try and preserve some of that underpainting while building up the shapes.

I usually paint directly in front of the subject or when working at home I surround myself with 'storyboards' of photos and drawings , so working only from sketches was quite scary to begin with. Initially I didn't gather enough information or was concentrating too much in making pleasing paintings of my sketches but my 'note-taking' has improved.

Working on this painting (need a name -orange rocks? ) was a revelation. Not having any photos (apart from the small screen of my camera) I used my sketches to block in the main shapes . Then I got stuck and would have abandoned it but setting sketches aside and with the tutors advice ( get rid of the green , change the direction of the rocks) worked into it more - the advantage of acrylics.

There's still a lot wrong with it but it marks a breakthrough in simplification and perserverance - I'm finally becoming a finisher of paintings too!

Ian and Mags at FoQ

2011-08-16T09:05:00.000+01:00

Ian really enjoyed his first trip to Festival of Quilts ( even if I did wear him out - he had to go for a little sit down half way through the art quilts!) First call was a photo in front of my quilt 'Tunisian Door' then a bit of retail therapy - a book basket for Ian and more fabric for me from The African Fabric Shop, some Ndope indigo from John Gillow ( who said he didn't recognize me in blue being so used to me wearing pink! ) Tried to catch up with Susan Briscoe but she was either overwhelmed with customers or not there (found her eventually on Sunday choosing fabrics at Heide Stoll -Webbers stand). After looking at some of the gallery spaces including 'Textile News -Freedom' (more in another post) and a spot of lunch we concentrated on the competition quilts finishing with an excellent lecture from Jenny Bowker on the Tentmakers of Cairo. I posted him on a train on Sunday giving me a bit more time to look around.

? 'My Rhino'

It was interesting to get Ian's perspective - he's seen my quilts and those of my friends and been to Hever a couple of times . He loved this rhino - one of several not in the catalogue- late entries? Neither of us were struck by the 'Best in Show'. When I see pictures of quilts from FoQ, even by people I know well I often think I could have been at a different show entirely! As my taste changes and skills improve, what draws my attention now is very different to when I first started going to FoQ. Sue and I were discussing in the car coming back how so many quilts are let down by poor compositions.

Not this quiet piece by Grit Traum which was so well balanced and just the right amount of machine and hand stitch. Lovely!

Grit Traum 'Treska'

Hazel Ryder 'After Anna'

Other pieces that caught my eye because of the materials used was the apt use of velvet in these ferns and the use of stitch on Carole's 'Branching out' - red on blue or blue on red

Carole Belfield 'Branching Out' (detail)

Louise Rall 'Pots and Pans' (detail)

I'm always drawn (pun intended) to those quilts with a 'painterly' quality in stitch as with this exuberant scribble of pots and pans or with paint and stitch as is this depiction of the villages in Spain and Morocco

Jose Beenders-Klomp 'El Sur'

This photo is of the centre of the quilt - there were a couple of plain quilted borders around it which in my view did nothing for it - perhaps they were added to make it up to 1m . That rule has a lot to answer for, there were many quilts with unnecessary borders or 2or 3 pieces hanging together although there were several pieces (mainly from Europe) that were nowhere near the specified size.

It was great to see so many entries from Europe , it's definately getting more international each year.

Painting Dramatic Seascapes

2011-08-10T11:58:00.000+01:00

Just back from a few days painting in acrylics at Slapton (near Kingsbridge) in Devon.

We went out sketching at various locations including the views from Dartmouth Castle and Prawle Point and then worked from the sketches back at the studio

Tutor Susan Gray was excellent - very generous with demonstrations of techniques she'd developed and individual attention. I got a huge amount out of it, my painting becoming more abstracted and stylised as I worked only from sketches and memory rather than photos. The variety of marks that can be made with painting knives was a revelation (although more practice is required...)

Very well fed - this blackforest gateau was to die for though the Sunday dinner of roast pork with proper roasties followed by a selection of 7 local cheeses was amazing (Ian was very jealous when I told him) And then a pint or 2 of 'Otter' at the Queens Arms to discuss progress (and remember to take a torch to find your way back afterwards)

After such a peaceful and creative time, it was sobering to have to change route coming home to avoid Ealing as the bus service was disrupted following the rioting. Horrific to see photos and films of the damage to an area so close to us - cafes we use and my hairdressers with broken glass.

Pewter Pots and Paints

2011-08-03T18:04:00.000+01:00

Every time we eat in the dining-room, I admire the pewter vases that my mum collected ( we used to have a vast ugly pewter tea urn but that was sold) . I've been thinking of sketching them for the 'Grey side of life' theme of Sketchbook Project 2012. I love the subtlety of form and light and shadow so it fits well too with the International Quilt Challenge I've signed up to, the current theme being light and shade . I've already used them in 'Lunaria' quilt ( see below before the honesty seed cases smothered it! ) but they deserve to star in their own piece!

Then there's the Taplow Vase for 'Whatever Floats Your Boat' at Slough Museum

I don't know quite how I ended up with this when something on the lines of this Picasso painting was what I had in mind. Time to revisit it I think.

But my immediate concern (apart from trying to keep cool) is sorting out my packing for Dramatic Sea and Landscapes in Acrylic at Slapton, Devon. Why does painting require so much stuff??!! My bag of clothes is small but I've an A2 art folder and huge rucksack containing paints , brushes and easel -they're going to love me on the train!! I'm not taking my netbook so I'm having a blog and computer holiday too ( apart from looking at my emails on my phone) . Ian is in charge of supervising the Freesat installation in my absence - as well as a new roof we treated ourselves to a 40" television having put up with 'Retrovision' for 4 years (thanks to a dodgy aerial we've only been able to watch BBC1, BBC2 and CH4)

Service will be resumed in a few days!

Out of Australia and thoughts on mark-making

2011-07-30T11:43:00.000+01:00

Took the afternoon off work yesterday to see the exhibitions of prints and baskets associated with the Australian season at the British Museum. Besides being very interesting in themselves, it got me thinking about the nature of making marks and how to make them personal and relevant.
The artists that particularly struck a chord were Fred Williams composing aerial views of landscapes with calligraphic marks (especially liked the use of tiny multicoloured blobs of paint) and many of the contemporary Aboriginal printmakers. These abstract representations of their lives , beliefs, customs and ceremonies are full of meaning and the marks that make them up individual, unique to the maker( even the tools, like the Tiwi 'pwoja' comb of Pedro Wonaeamirri ) . Untitled No 1 by Kitty Kantilla , is a vivid represenation of Cyclone Thelma aproaching the shore. It reminded me of the stitch patterns I've used to create waves or ripples but without that depth of meaning!!

So how do you go about developing a language of meaningful marks, personal to you?

In this small quilt (accepted for 'Liberte Freiheit Freedom' exhibition to be premiered at Festival of Quilts ) the marks are the lines on my hand. The linoprint was inspired by an earlier print exhibition at British Museum!

Less literal, this example from 'Take it Further' Challenge theme of 'lists' where I'd manipulated an old shopping list in Photoshop and printed it on colour catchers has a lot of potential. Mind you I said that at the time 3 years ago - sometimes things take a little while to sink in....

Much as I enjoyed Jo Budd's class at CQ summer school, I wonder whether I would have benefited more from Helen Parrott's class - Margaret's account of this covers a lot of the same ground as these current ponderings (which have taken 2 hours for a relatively short post!)

Patchwork Professional 03/11

2011-07-27T10:53:00.002+01:00

Waiting in for the scaffolders to arrive (roof is now finished) has it's bonuses. Look what the postie handed over - my copies of German art quilt magazine "Patchwork Professional". Not only is there an article showing my work and a workshop on 'painted doors' but I'm on the front cover. I'm in very distinguished company: Kathy Loomis, Mirjam Pet Jacobs and Uta Lenk among others. I'm overwhelmed!!

Composing Peeling Posters

2011-07-21T09:58:00.000+01:00

I think I'm beginning to get the feel for abstract compositions, so moving on from refining the pieces from Jo Budd's workshop, I've made a start on my CQ 'text' Journal Quilts. I've been observing and recording the changes in the peeling posters on the Great West Road for quite a while now (and helping it along by ripping some bits off too which I've squirreled away!) I realised though that in concentrating on the textures I'm omitted capturing any words so had to rectify that. It's used mainly for fly-posting adverts for party venues so that's what I'm working with.

I've been printing photos onto cotton inkjet sheets and also colour catchers coated with Ink Aid. These tear very satisfyingly - I'm enjoying the effects of those curling edges and your eye trying to work out whether it's a photo or for real! Now I need to work out how to mount and stitch them. On canvas? distressed old quilt? (just bought another 'cutter' on ebay) Hand or machine quilt?

What really caught my eye when I was taking photos were the areas of posters bulging out through gaps in the fence. A journal quilt is just too small to do this justice -this calls for a huge piece!!

Interestingly the current issue of Surface Design is on paper - I dipped into it while delivering my quilt to Greenwich for FoQ reading about Mary Hark.

Composing

2011-07-18T10:27:00.000+01:00

Writing this trying not to pay attention to the crashes and bangs as scaffolding is being brought through the house ! Having has indoor rain every time there is a downpour( particularly bad yesterday) we're having the back roof done. Apart from dodging showers to cut down the overhanging tree where the scaffolding is going and clearing out the conservatory, been spending the weekend gathering my art materials for acrylic painting course at Slapton in a couple of weeks time and revisiting the pieces I started to put together at CQ Summer School.

On Friday Ian and I were in the RNIB Box for the First Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall Fantastic atmosphere and music ( hear it here on iplayer) The Brahms Festival Overture made me nostalgic for my University days in the college choir when I sang the same piece on the same stage for the graduation ceremonies. The Liszt Piano Concerto No 2 was pretty special but what blew me away was the Janacek Glagolitic Mass - even the organ solo was fantastic (I'm not usually a fan) ! Both the Liszt and Janacek had many passages of just a few notes or scales taken up by different instruments and voices , continually repeating but changing. The Glagolitic Mass also had close harmonies contrasted with sounds veering on discordant. I was thinking all though this of how that also works in textiles- repetition with subtle changes, sections pleasing and harmonious but needing the odd juxtaposition of something surprising.

Another Prom on Thursday - Sibelius, Bartok and Janacek again, looking forward to it.

Anyone going to Ecovision?

2011-07-18T09:46:00.000+01:00

One of the reasons I joined Surface Design Association (SDA) , apart from their wonderful magazine, was the hope that someday I might get to one of their conferences in the US, their most recent being 'Confluence'. So I was interested to receive an invitation to a European SDA conference entitled 'Ecovision ' in Tilburg, Netherlands in October 2011. I'm very tempted, but wondering whether anyone else was thinking of going?

The Grey Side of Life

2011-07-13T15:14:00.000+01:00

It started with turning 50 and the increasing numbers of silver hairs - as I only get my hair cut short 3 times a year, the 'Mallen Streaks' ( remember that? ) are more becoming prominent. Then 12 x 12 chose grey as their current colourplay theme. I've gone through grey quilt phases myself - for the series of honesty pieces but also 'winter trees' , an enlarged version of my first ever journal quilt in January 2003

In Elizabeth Barton's masterclass at FoQ and more recently Quilt University class'working in series' the importance of tonal studies was emphasised - something I'm really bad at sticking to as my love of colour means I jump right in.

The final straw was mixing greys from tiny dollops of primaries in Jo Budd's workshop at CQ summer school - a surprisingly absorbing occupation

For those that asked about the pigment dyes used - they're selectasine screenprinting inks available from George Weil. I thought at first that the acrylics I have already would do the job but I doubt I could achieve such wonderful monoprinted marks as these without the acrylic drying too fast. (See how easily I get distracted by colour!)

So it was with a sense of inevitability then that I signed up for Sketchbook Project 2012 with theme ' The Grey Side of Life'. A marked contrast to my 2010 Sketchbook ( which has just been digitised) where I swapped the horrid Moleskine paper for colourful Khadi!!

Sometimes things come together in a surprising way and the elements from workshops and classes that stick are not necessarily the most obvious. I'm off to fish my greys out of my stash ,which is not small!

PS I can now hear properly again having had the remains of an earplug hoovered out at ENT outpatients. A bit sore and sensitive to noise, it's foam earplugs from now on!

Lunch break

2011-07-11T16:16:00.001+01:00

It's a while since I paid a visit to my favourite bench - less than 10 minutes from the lab and despite being close to 'climbers and creepers' it's very peaceful (apart from the parakeets) and always empty even on the busiest summer day. Today though I shared it with a rather doeful creature obviously missing its owner!

Needed a bit of peace and quiet as partially deaf at the moment due to a mouldable ear plug disintegrating and its amazing what a difference it makes to toleration of sound! Also a change of focus from peering down the microscope all morning. With a new A6 landscape sketchbook to start , I drew what was in front of me but using the negative shapes. Tricky! Perhaps I'll come back tomorrow and see if my new friend is still around .

Microcosm to Macrocosm

2011-07-05T07:48:00.003+01:00

A stimulating if exhausting weekend with Jo Budd at Contemporary Quilt Summer School at Belstead House. We were working with a new medium to me- intensely coloured pigment dyes.

After a scrummy dinner and a couple of glasses of wine we started applying binders ( 2 opaques and transparent SF20 ) in varying dilutions to our fabric- white on white in the fading light !

In the morning we started with colour - choosing 3 primaries and attempting to mix some nice greys. I can do it with watercolours when I'm used to the pigments but it took a while to achieve it with these dyes as they were so intense . Sludgy greens and purples ( well there's a surprise) were the nearest until I got Jo to bring out a bluer red .

Then we 'coloured - in ' our white- on -white from the night before with the neutrals produced - the binders in their more concentrated form acting as a resist with some interesting effects on the back (these dyes bind to the outside of the fibres ) Watercolour effects and different types of monoprint were demonstrated and we spent the afternoon using these and our object of inspiration to produce lots of fabric samples ( which I was rather regretting when it came to ironing them all to fix the pigment) I concentrated in monprinting with my wood-graining stamp and the zen of simple brush strokes - the advantage over acrylics being that they dried out slower and retained marks better.

A change of pace and venue after another scrummy evening meal and a couple of glasses of wine - a show and tell of work we'd brought with us pegged to a yew hedge. Coming by train like several others I'd just brought some journal quilts with me. An art critic cat strolled backwards and forwards - hope he was impressed!

Sunday was spent composing with our fabric - in my case outdoors propped against another yew hedge to get the most light and a bit of peace and quiet. While it's nice to chat while painting or over meals , it's a bit distracting when concentration is needed. The disadvantage was that we were the last to have Jo's valuable input but it did mean we had got quite a long way and she helped with some final suggestions that made all the difference

The 'hand of the maker' is very evident in the marks I made on the fabric and I'll try to retain that quality. While I was waiting for Jo's advice on the red 'stick' piece I put together some of my favourite pieces in purple - mainly some hideous bits rescued with some last minute slapdash monoprinting to use up the dyes. Aren't those pieces often the best!!!

I think I was partly inspired by the view of the roof line from my bedroom window.

Now I just need to write it up for the CQ newsletter!

Packing for Summer School

2011-06-30T13:09:00.000+01:00

Last day at work before Contemporary Quilt Summer School with Jo Budd on theme of 'Microcosm to Macrocosm. We were asked to bring an item with sufficient colour, texture and interest to work from . I instantly thought of the piece of wood I found on the Thames tow path on the way to work (and which my work colleagues were rather unimpressed with when I came in brandishing my trophy). I've had to rethink my bag from the planned small trundly suitcase to large backpack to accommodate it - see who I can demolish in the tube when turning round!

We'll be painting and dyeing so was looking through my stash for white or plain when I came across this wonderful piece of African damask batik which I shall sneek in my bag. I don't usually do much deying ( apart from Indigo ) although I like to use other peoples, especially when it has the added benefit of supporting livelihoods.

Some Colouring-In

2011-06-19T22:49:00.000+01:00

Apart from cooking, shopping and ironing , this weekend has been mainly spent Colouring-In having selected several potential ideas for Brentford Boat series

Some of the materials used - watercolours; neocolour crayons; grey pitt pens; inktense blocks and pencils. First time trying the inktense blocks (I love my pencils!) and I'm not hugely impressed - even with a gripper they're very crumbly, like conte. Nice colour range though - must add indigo and olive green to my neocolour collection.

Started off with watercolour which was fun but decided really needed tonal studies. So printed out traced sketches onto thick copier paper and tried some schemes out. Next step collage.

RA Summer Exhibition 2011

2011-06-18T22:47:00.000+01:00

Inspired by the Culture Show special on the RA Summer Exhibition , we made our annual pilgrimage a bit earlier than usual. Entry was through the Central Hall and they'd changed the rooms around from previous years ( more room for prints and drawings in I and II than the Large Weston Room) so didn't follow a logical order as in the past! A lot of people are rather sniffy about the Summer Exhibition (refering to it as a car boot sale among other derogatory terms) but I love it for its diversity. I usually 'discover' new artists (at least to me ) and reaquaint myself with old favourites and this year was no exception

So let's do a tour!
First stop was the lecture room of Royal Academicians curated by Michael Craig- Martin. I loved the Antony Gormly piece -it looks organic , like a swarm of bees for a distance but made of geometric forms and Cornelia Parker's 'Endless Sugar' instalation of 30 squashed silver sugar bowls was subtle and mesmerising. You were so aware of the volume that had been sucked out of each piece and the subtle variation.

Next room 'IX' , has an embroidered piece 'Heartbeat' by Miranda Argyle - pleased to say much more prominent than her piece hidden away in the Small Weston Room in in 2009. It was 'Dagenham ' by Jock McFadyen that drew my eye- it looked at first glance quite ordinary but with a dramatic sky and then you saw the detail of a thin line of house and buildings

In room VII, being on the lookout for boat paintings 'the deadliest catch' by Jonathan Wolfenden caught my eye as did the subtle drawings( almost like a linocut) of 'River Lune' by Milan Ivanic.

I'm not sure I agree with the curator of room V that it is ‘only for people who are sensitive, intelligent and thoughtful. No one else will enjoy it: the works are delicate, subtle and rich.’ but it was without doubt my favourite. From the sarcophagus of bones by Olu Shobowale to the gouaches of Ian McKeever, there was much to enjoy. The sculpture by Cathy de Monchaux while uncomfortable was fantastic (in all its definitions) with its depiction of strange figures on unicorns like a renaissance painting in 3D. In the category of 'I wish I'd made that' was the painting 'Cartwheeler ' by Melanie Comber in oil and pigment and 2 works by Philippa Stjernswald: quiet , textured pieces in oil ,wax and mixed media.

By this time I was starting to flag (well there are over 1000 pieces in the exhibibition ), resisting the Pimm's,I managed to have a quick skim of Room III , agreeing with the critics for once that the hanging did most of the work no favours. No time to absorb the prints , drawings and artists's books apart from the intricate folded paper cathedral window patchwork of antique books by Francisco Prieto .
Just have to go back for a second visit

DO/DON'T Sketchbook?

2011-06-16T22:17:00.000+01:00

I know it's only advertising for cars, in a prime position for the M4 elevated section, but this clever statement at the end of my road, seen every day on the way to work certainly gets me thinking.
About the negatives bound up in positives (and vice versa). About how you never see 'to don't' lists but how often we work from them. About the things that hold you back.

At a more prosaic level , I've been thinking about how to incorporate it into the next block of journal quilts based on text. I have lots of photos and bits of peeled posters from the hoardings on the Great West Road - perhaps now is the time to think about using them.

I've been preparing lots of colour catchers with inkaid to go through the printer - following up some of the ideas I included the 'Sketchbook Project' My pages have been digitised and I'm wondering whether to join in the Sketchbook Project 2012 - it's coming to London after all.

Working in Series - Boat Traces

2011-06-15T08:29:00.000+01:00

I'm getting so much out of Elizabeth Barton's online workshop at 'QuiltUniversity'. Apart from the copious detailed notes, exercises and examples, the discussion forum is thought provoking - its interesting to see what influences other have and the ideas they come up with. In a 'real' workshop, you're so intent on your own work you don't tend to notice what other participants are up to!

I've currently got lots of tracings of potential compositions up on my design wall - I love this technique for simplification, I get so caught up in the detail and particularly the colour in my photos and watercolours ( nothing new there -I've always skimped on the drawing phase and launched straight into painting!). If something works with just line then it can only improve once tone and colour are brought into play.

One of the exercises was to look back at previous work and see if there are themes. I already had it in mind to develop a series on boats ( from all my 'Boat Friday' walks along the Thames) and I had made a quilt over 10 years ago based on a watercolour at Pinmill.I also found boats had crept into other pieces of work like 'Serifos Storm' and 'Gythion Glow' (above)

Another exercise, looking at series of artists you admire, sent me looking through the book on Barbara Rae that I received as a Xmas present. Look - wonderful abstracted boats!! I had tried to give a link to Barbara's website on the discussion forum but the site was down. I found out why - she's just published a book on her sketchbooks and you can look through the whole thing here. Fabulous! I'm itching to go to the RA Summer Exhibition to see some of her work in the flesh again ( and buy that book!)

Communicating Intention

2011-06-06T11:38:00.001+01:00

With Plinth? Suspended?

When creating in a new area, beyond your comfort zone, how do you know whether a piece 'works' or not?
This is something I've been thinking a lot about this weekend having viewed my 'Taplow Vase Reconstruction' on display at Slough Museum as part of 'Whatever Floats Your Boat' exhibition.
I'm used to looking critically at my quilts and assessing their content, composition and craftmanship , and whether they meet my intention. But in 3D it's much more difficult to assess, I don't have past experience to compare with, many of the considerations are different.

What inspired me about the Taplow vase were the gaps as much as the solid pieces, the ragged bottom of the vase, and how your mind fills in the holes. I wanted to make something that had the opposite characteristics to pottery- floating, light with movement , not attached to earth but of the air with the potential for multiple viewpoints.

Another discovery (which shouldn't be a surprise) - how you display 3D items makes a huge difference to how it looks and functions. It's relatively straightforward with quilts (although they can be hung upside down or in poor light- I once had a very thick batton inserted in a piece on display in a local art open exhibition that distorted it terribly. ) How much control does the maker have once work is submitted for display? How much should they have?

Unfortunately I wasn't able to be at the 'grand reveal' whether makers talked about their inspirations and making of the piece although I did print instructions on hanging it with photos of how I wanted it to look. I obviously wasn't clear enough about my intentions for the piece. The curators ( who worked incredibly hard to put together the exhibition in a couple of days) had attempted to make my piece look like a museum exhibit which is a perfectly valid point of view but not mine. But then if you put work into the public arena, is your view important? It was suspended from the ceiling but had a plinth underneath it so it looked as if it was resting on it.These plinths worked very well for some of the other pieces but in my view it made my piece look solid and clumsy, that the plinth was part of the work. At least it made me realise that no , this piece doesn't work: it shouldn't need to rely on how it's displayed to reveal the intentions behind it.
I'll have to think carefully about whether I include it in my portfolio- too much like a lampshade !!I don't think I'll be in too much of a hurry to make further 3D work!I've learnt such a lot from making this piece ( much of it unexpected ) but most of all the importance of communicating intention both through the piece itself but also in providing statements and instructions.

The World in Your Hands

2011-06-05T18:22:00.000+01:00

The exercises in the first lesson of Elizabeth Barton's 'Working in a series' workshop at 'Quilt University' have had the desired effect in getting the thought processes moving and connection made.
Looking at favourite artists and their series of work and how they've worked the variations I picked up a piece by Elspeth Owen I bought at the Hart Gallery nearly 20 years ago. A sphere of around 5 inches it has so many subtle colours and textures it feels as if you have a globe in your hands. It was number 74 of over a hundred such spheres and bowls and I remembered how they were laid across the gallery so you could see the transitions from one piece to another. I wonder where the others are and if their owners also have that sense of connection.
It was interesting to see Elspeth's website and the directions she's moved into - I would have loved to have seen 'Blue Moon' from 2004- a sinuous curve of pots representing the cycle of the moon. In 2009 during a blue moon she slept outside to discover something about the dark, about fear and about using her senses differently.

A Private View

2011-06-04T22:42:00.000+01:00

An outing to Slough today for Private view for TVCQ of exhibition'Whatever Floats Your Boat' at Slough Museum. Despite long delays on the train from Ealing due to vandalism and lack of 'natillas' (custard tarts) at the Portuguese coffee shop it was great to see the hugely varied textile intepretations inspired by items in the museum and/or environs of Slough. It certainly encouraged me to work beyond my comfort zone. Jane, Sandy and others did a tremendous job to put the display up in 2 days rather than having 2 months to plan it!!

I always feel a bit awkward posing in front of my artworks (not helped by 'hat hair' - sunhat was very necessary today in the heat) - I always look more relaxed in work photos, my 'natural ' environment.

The Clone Ranger

May Boat Friday

2011-05-28T07:43:00.000+01:00

It's a while since I walked along the river looking at the boats so I left work around 4.30, fed up of filling in COSHH forms. I had my teeny paint kit with me and my mobile phone - neither of which gave great images but useful tools for looking - the tide was really low giving a different perspective. I was using cream coloured cartridge paper in a sketchbook and struggling to use a pentel waterbrush (hardly my travel sable mix!). It made me sympathise with all those put off watercolours by starting out with poor materials and a tiny brush - it does make a difference although at least my paints were artists quality. The results were pretty terrible,still, it made me think about simplification and what the key elements were. The photos were pretty awful too but I used their low quality to my advantage - increasing saturation and applying 'underpainting' and 'palette knife' filters in Photoshop do the job nicely.

Talking of boats reminds me that the TVCQ exhibition 'Whatever Floats Your Boat' has now opened at Slough Museum - thanks to the hard work of Jane, Sandy and many others . There's various activities on this week and I shall be going to the private view next Saturday on my return from Bulgaria ( short work trip with v. early start and the joys of Easyjet! )

Prism at Mall Galleries

2011-05-25T19:07:00.000+01:00

I took the afternoon off from work today to go and see the textile work of 'Prism' group at the Mall Galleries and decided I should do this more often! The excellent custard tart was a bonus as was buying book: 'Gerhard Richter 100 Pictures' - excuse my drooling! I took copious notes - inspired by the notebooks of Bea Sewell with her dyeing samples and vignettes ( She even had tiny bundlesof fabric you could take. Who could resist? I didn't!)

Inevitably I was drawn to the more'painterly' pieces of Janet Wain (above), Prinkie Roberts (below) , Amanda Hislop (who I did a workshop with at Art Van Go) and the atmospheric abstract landscapes of Liz Harding.

But I also enjoyed some of the installation and sculptural work like these amazing structures made of basketry and cable ties by Julienne Long based on seedpods seen at Millennium Seedbank. I know just the ones - saw them last week at 'Bioscience Evening' at which I was lecturing/demonstrating techniques.

With President Obama in the vicinity there was a very special atmosphere in the Mall and I don't just mean the massive police presence and the barricades. Those flags (alternating UK and US) are HUGE! There were so many tourists - but then I'm not often up in town.

Walked back via the Southbank to Waterloo to get the train direct to Brentford, there's lots on for anniversary of Festival of Britain. Have to save that and Tracey Emin at the Hayward for another skive day.

Watermans Sky

2011-05-23T21:43:00.000+01:00

A double rainbow and a spectacular sunlit streaky sky Walking home from Watermans Art Centre after a Friends wine tasting (choosing wines to stock in the bar and restaurant) and an excellent lamb pasanda and vegetable dansak. There's far worse ways to spend a Monday night....

National Quilt Museum USA 2012

2011-05-16T22:23:00.001+01:00

I'm thrilled to say that 'Strindberg Shore' will be going into an exhibition highlighting UK contemporary quilts at the National Quilt Museum, Paducah, USA next year! Appropriate as it was made for QGBI 'In the Spotlight' exhibition on behalf of Region 1 (London) at Festival of Quilts 2007.

A turning point in many ways (it was made during the time I was moving house!) it was my first large scale foray into painting with acrylics on quilted fabric. Working with African fabrics brought the challenge of how to mark for stitching (I used more than one spool of 1/8 inch masking tape ) and then after months of stitching the sharp intake of breath knowing there was no going back once I applied the first brush stroke....

You might find it difficult to believe that these fabrics lie underneath the paint ( sample above and below, before and after) but they make all the difference to the texture and vibrancy.

Compact and Bijou

2011-05-13T21:19:00.000+01:00

Second attempt - last nights post disappeared into the ether with not a trace left ( and long deleted comments reappearing - what IS going on ?!!! ). On my travels, my watercolour kit is a Winsor and Newton 'bijou' - the one pictured is an updated version - a bargain £19.95 from Cass Arts complete with paints and proper metal strips to secure the pans rather then the lumps of blutack of my old model. Having finished off my travel mints, I had the inspiration from seeing the watercolour exhibition at Tate Britain of making an even smaller box for when even the 'bijou 'is too cumbersome. Isn't it sweet?!(pun intended- sorry) . I did try it out with Pentel waterbrush but not so good if you want to mix colours. A spray of water and old Cotman field brush did the trick in a dry run (sorry, another intentional pun)
I packed it in my handbag for work trip to Brussels but didn't get the chance to use it as came home a day early. The combination of stifling 4th floor hotel room under the eaves and meeting room at European Commission so hot the projector overheated frazzled my brain. Save the city break for another (cooler) time.

Cretan Seascape Watercolours

2011-05-07T21:29:00.000+01:00

Cretan Landscape watercolours

2011-05-07T21:25:00.000+01:00

Cretan watercolours of buildings

2011-05-07T21:20:00.000+01:00

Innovative Solutions

2011-05-07T21:14:00.000+01:00

For washing clothes when on holiday we always take pegs and wire coathangers but had forgotten the elastic washing line. However a suggestion from the group about using a spring loaded trekking pole worked a treat even in a stiff breeze. Definately one to remember.

On our return we found that the neighbouring cats had been using our gravel garden as a giant cat litter tray - removed 8 piles of poo !! Until we get an ultrasonic deterrent, yesterday I purchased from TK Maxx a pump action water pistol (Water Warrier 'Titan' ) Now just waiting for the supercilious ginger cat from down the road. As Ian says , the inner child is never far from the surface...

Mosque of the Janissaries

2011-05-06T22:49:00.000+01:00

With more time for painting, one of my favourite subjects was the 'Mosque of the Janissaries' (orKucjk Hassan Mosque ) on Chania harbourfront - the oldest Ottoman building in Crete. From the guide book:" Here the Christian-born slaves of the Ottoman Empire worshipped , although little did it improve their character; not only did they terrorize the Greeks , but in 1690 they murdered the Pasha of Chania and fed his body to the dogs". It's currently an art exhibition space.....

I had my own troubles to deal with : I'd started sketching from a bench and then a string of horse and carriages parked themselves right in front of my view - I had to peer round and hope that some tourists would turn up for a ride.

I had a better vantage point on another day - in a rooftop cafe with a grandstand view. At the table next to us was an art tutor from a local college and 2 of her students. They made a much better job of the perspective but the tutor was very kind about my colours - a rather enhanced version of the faded pinks. A lovely spot for a fresh orange juice or Greek coffee with the background clatter of backgammon.

Cretan Textiles and Stitch

2011-05-05T11:59:00.001+01:00

A visit to 'Roka' at 61 Zambeliou where traditional rugs and sakouli (sort of woven rucksack) are handmade on a 17th century loom. Lovely old examples and an evocative smell of wool

Then in the Folklore museum examples of costumes, lace, weaving and embroidery as well as domestic and agricultural collections in an idiosyncratic setting. In the workshop 2 venerable electric sewing machines were set up - reproducing old embroidery for sale (above) and showing embroidered pictures by Asposia Bitaki in different stages of progress. There were no completed pieces on show but a book has been published - delightful 'naive' designs of local customs and village life depicted in very dense free machine embroidery.

A different type of stitch - a sample of how wooden planks and rods were tied together with rope in the life size scientific reconstruction of a an ancient Minoan boat at the Maritime Museum . Not just a model - it was sailed from Chania to Pireus and took part in the 2004 Olympics.

Cretan Crumbly Doors

2011-05-04T21:45:00.001+01:00

Lots of crumbly doors to choose from - a wider variety than I've encountered elsewhere. From basic rustic to positively palatial , all equally charming -in Chania many of the Venetian and Turkish style houses and mansions remain un-restored after bombing in WWII

Tsikoudia

2011-05-04T21:26:00.000+01:00

Tsikoudia (or Raki) is an eau de vie made from grape skins and seeds in mountain still such as the one above. This moonshine/firewater is synonymous with hospitality , offered after meals, as 'welcome drinks' in shot glasses ( my favourite being a dolls hous beer glass with handle) . Never managed to down it in one

Note the 'brown wine' - only Ian and I appreciated it's sherry like nature which complimented food well , although some were too acidic for me - luckily could usually order a half bottle of something better while Ian polished off the 'half -kilo ' on his own.

Raki is mostly clear( this one was coloured if not flavoured by fruit) , the most palatable was with honey, cinnamon and cloves. Yammas!!!

Sunday Outing to the South Coast

2011-05-02T15:24:00.000+01:00

A Sunday coach trip acroos the white mountains from Chania to Sougia with amazing scenery along the way. My ankle still being dodgy, didn't go on the walk along the coastal path to Lissos but found several good painting locations ( I've done more watercolours than on any other holiday - subject of a post on my return) . Ian made himself comfortable reaing his book on the Trojan wars perched on an old gun. This whole area of Crete is where soldiers were evacuated from in WW11, What looked like rain cluds descending was actually dust storms from Africa. Quite pertinent as we've been hearing lots of jet fighters overheda destined for Libya.

On the way back we stopped off at the Omalos plateau , parrtly to look at the start of the infamous Samaria Gorge but mainly to look at the flowers- beacuse of unseasonal rain it's the best year for a long time.

There were field of Tulipa cretica - the endemic Tulip besides orchid like yellow Orchis provincalis.

Being May Day there were locals everywhere gathering greens (horta) and picnicing and there were wreaths of wild flowers on many doors on our return.

Knossos

2011-04-30T19:32:00.000+01:00

We decided to go to Knossos after all - although the bus journeys were long ( and the buses stopped everywhere) there were spectacular views of the snow-capped White Mountains on our return

While mainly reconstructions, the site does give a vivid picture of what it may have looked like - reminds me of an architectural model with cutouts

And there were some splendid big pots!!

A lot more areas were closed off than 20 years ago when I last visited - presuure of visitors I guess, it's the second most visited site in Greece after the Acropolis.

Highlights of Chania Archeological Museum

2011-04-28T07:33:00.000+01:00

We both loved this ceramic pull along toy from 3500BC

Some covetable jewelery

A few amphorae

Amazing decoration on clay coffins

Lots of bird headed women -"interpretation is difficult"

Unlikely to get to Knossos as organised tours have not yet started and it would be 5 hrs+ return by public transport so making the most of being in Chania while my ankle mends.

Views from Windows

2011-04-27T21:04:00.000+01:00

We transferred from kissamos to Chania yesterday - visiting the Naval Museum ( with it's full size replica of a Minoan sailing ship ) before checking in our hotel. Views from the museum to the lighthouse and harbour.

The view from our room at El Greco hotel.

From our room looking South

From our room looking North to the sea (that feels very odd!)

Kalo Pascha

2011-04-24T08:38:00.002+01:00

Happy Easter! We're looking forward to some lamb later ( Ian has pink fingers from peeling a red-dyed egg for breakfast!) Woken up at midnight with lots of firecrackers and fireworks and bells ringing to announce'Christos anesti'.Still ots of firecrackers going off - I remember that from Nauplia. On Good Friday,seeing the processions of the Epitafios (biers) from many churches converging on the main square was both solemn and uplifting. From our balcony we could catch glimpses of lines of candles in the darkness with snatches of singing and brass bands.

The local wine takes a bit of getting used to - it's brown sherry like rather than red but works well with the food. We've had a lot of little doughnuts in honey for pudding . Seen lots of beehives both square and in doorways. Not too many crumbly doors yet but I have hopes for Chania

Making cheese pies at the Taverna Odyseus in Polyrhinia last night

Orchids of Crete

2011-04-24T08:36:00.000+01:00

On a walk to the sea on the far west coast of Crete, we at last see a few orchids - Anacamptis pyramidalis and Orchis italica mainly. Seeing so many in one spot (above) and distracted by a consultation about an anemone I trip over a stone and twist my ankle! Luckily we weren't far from a taverna and I whiled away an hour painting while others looked around a ruin and was able to get a taxi back.

Spent yesterday at the museum and a picnic lunch by the sea.
My ankle is a lovely colour now ( and I've discovered some other bruises in unexpected places) but hopefully with resting again today should be fit for a short walk tomorrow.Meanwhile , thanks to digital cameras , I'm still acting as consultant for flowers seen along the trail such as this Ophrys lutea.

First Impressions of Crete

2011-04-20T17:22:00.000+01:00

Arrived in Kissimos Kastelli yesterday - an early start and a gloomy day but a good nights sleep and sunshine and instantly relaxed.

View from our room!

Walk through the olive groves, observed by goats

Walked up to the topo of this hill

Taverna lunch with this view

Watercolour and Susan Hiller

2011-04-18T18:36:00.000+01:00

A busy week at work making sure my plants will be happily growing while I'm away , a weekend packing bags and then today the treat of being a tourist up in London. After clearing the fridge for breakfast we've been eating out since. We got the train from Brentford to Vauxhall (only 30 minutes) and walked over the bridge to Tate Britain and went to 2 contrasting exhibitions ( with a Vietnamese lunch between and coffee and cakes after!). It wasn't too busy in the Watercolour exhibition so could close and see the detail. Some new discoveries ( Lucy Skaer, Uwe Wittwer, Callum Innes) among the old favourites of Eric Ravilious, John Piper, Paul Nash . Neither the 'exhibition ' pictures(too much like oils) or the botanical illustrations(too much like work! ) do it for me but some interesting pieces in the war and improvisation sections. Work by Alexander Cozens looked bang up to date - until read they were from 1780's!! But the star was Turner.

There was some fascinating multimedia installations in the Susan Hiller exhibition, mixing ephemera with anthropology, exploring themes of memory, language and imagination. I loved 'Dedicated to the Unknown Artists' featuring postcards collected from seaside town captioned 'rough sea' , also 'recycled works' where she had cut and bound old paintings with thread into sculptural blocks. You could see hints of paint at the edges -by coincidence I noted that effect in my old watercolour books (picture above) when I was choosing my painting materials for Crete. Takes 'repurposing' to a whole new level.
'Witness' was completely magical and mysterious - walking among hundreds of suspended microphones/speakers with whispered testimonies of UFO spotting.

Another Boat Friday

2011-04-09T11:01:00.000+01:00

Another slow walk home from work along the Thames towpath, taking photos of the boats. This time I ventured a little further coming out opposite the boatyard. So many people on their houseboats, sitting on the benches and grass alongside basking in the sun that too inhibited to draw ( and as the walk was impromptu, not much sketching gear anyway). On the way back at St Pauls Church there was a display of application plans to expand the Kew Bridge development - left my comments as a pedestrian and cyclist who goes past it every day.Opening up access should be a good thing although I hope it doesn't change the character of the place too much.

Chocolate Sculpture-Not Quite Moore

2011-04-09T10:24:00.000+01:00

In preparation for Easter, chocolate sculptures have been popping up around Kew ( various people in fluorescent jackets have been wielding paintbrushes and pots of brown stuff). Not quite the Henry Moore that so inspired my quilts in 2007 but fun nevertheless. We'll be in Crete for Easter but have a couple of Lindt Chocolate Bunnies on the mantelpiece next to the Staffordshire pottery dog awaiting their ritual slaughter. Ian is rather shocked by the violence with which I decapitate them.

A Productive Weekend

2011-04-03T21:47:00.000+01:00

The week didn't end too well - an ATM ate my card!! But taking Friday off work to sort out some of the financial fallout ( and Ian paying a brief visit to his parents) meant I had some time to concentrate on various projects and accomplished quite a lot over the weekend. I put my new Pfaff walking foot through it's paces turning up jeans that have been in the wardrobe for a couple of year as well as Ian's new work trousers. I also used my Journal Quilts as practice pieces and have got ahead of myself for once!
The theme was circles and I've tried to develop each piece from the one before, based loosely on images from work

March 'Petri Dishes' was manipulated using 'cutout' filter in Photoshop combined with some commercial fabrics.

April ' Positive Negative' again using Petri dish images cut out and the 'holes' also used.

May ' Stained Leaf Sections' printed micrographs of cut sections of leaves showing stained cells. The letters are a transition to the next challenge block - text.

I also finished off sewing the 'secret books' to the metal frames that make up my interpretation of the 'Taplow Vase' . The label will be in the interior - just name and title. I'm happy to sell this piece but am struggling to price it. Should I price it using the same formula as my other work or cheaper as it's an experiment which uses less materials and time to make (although it took oodles of planning and thought)??

Plain Sewing

2011-03-29T09:03:00.000+01:00

Mum was an embroidery teacher and produced many accomplished pieces like this canvaswork photoframe for her City and Guilds. She was always being asked 'Does your Margaret Sew?' to which the answer was
" No, but she loves fabric and is good with colour" ( I made batik as well as adding to Mum's stash by scouring jumble sales )

When I did eventually start sewing it was patchwork (that love of fabrics) and Mum taught me to hand quilt. I loved that - a simple stitch which altered the texture of the cloth and the gentle rhythm so soothing.

Which is why I've gone back to working on my 'travel project', to lose myself in some hand stitching while I brood on compositions and solutions to other projects on the go.
Kathy Loomis has a thought-provoking post on the continual chase after new techniques to the detriment of sustained work which chimes with me. I would also add needless embellishment to that list- the quote
“No technique before need.” is one to treasure. Back to some plain sewing!

Inspired by ceramics ( and travelling crowns)

2011-03-27T12:10:00.000+01:00

All this week the mystified postie has been delivering metal rings of varying sizes (lampshade rings and wreath bases) which I put to good use yesterday , hanging 'secret books' in cotton organza, my interpretation of the 'Taplow Vase' from Slough Museum. Still needs some work - I can see the 'rim' needs lowering and the strips of organza selvedge replaced with something more metallic( not to mention working out how I'm going to attach the 'books' ) but it's taking shape now.

I think I was partly inspired by the idea of nomadic crowns, made in sections and taken apart for travelling as seen on Friday in the Afghanistan exhibition at the British Museum. This star piece really is spectacular - it shimmers and trembles as you stand next to it but the remainder of exhibition is equally jaw dropping.

Before the timed entry, we visited the Minoan gallery - it's become a ritual to see what the BM has in the way of artifacts as a taster before going on holiday (in this case Crete over Easter).

I've always enjoyed ceramics- making sketches of broken bits of crockery is nothing new - I found some notes tucked into the guide book to Knossos and Heraklion Museum from 20 years ago. I was doing pottery evening classes at the time so was interested in shapes and incised markings that I could use in my own work. I'm as likely now to 'draw' in Photoshop ( ie Taplow Vase using 'find edges' filter) but there's nothing quite like observing with a pencil.

Progress:ever decreasing circles

2011-03-21T16:58:00.000Z

This weekend; a haircut (3-monthly mow); purchase of 2 pairs of sandals; a nice meal with friends (seeing that huge moon from the train) and some quality studio time (Ian was cooking for the 'hump' ie freezer) . The extra challenge for the first 4 months of this years journal quilts is to include circles. My intention was to take the ideas from the first one and both carry over and change them over the subsequent quilts.
After weeks of having 'March' in bits on my table and design wall I got stuck in and pieced 'April' and 'May' too - they still need quilting

'March '

I took the manipulated images I used for February's 'Anagramma In Vitro' and manipulated them further using 'cutout 'filter. I've been using 'Photoshop' for years (and that particular filter ) but have only just discovered that there are 3 different levels within it that you can adjust!!! Went through all my green stash (which is not small) and selected some Kaffe Fasset print; the reverse of a lurid pink and lime green graduated spot; and a touch of green shibori from Chang's.

'April'

The green shibori was the start of the next one with the addition of 2 African damask shibori fabrics. I wanted to remind myself how to piece them together using a wavy line - a technique used in my African door quilts and 'Indigo Sea' - as I'm keen to explore this further. I included an offcut from Februarys' printing and then cutting Petri dishes from another piece I hadn't used, decided I liked the holes!

'May'

Then really on a roll, I pieced one of the African Damask fabrics with a print of sections of leaf cells from a scientific publication on Medusagne (Jellyfish Tree from Seychelles). A different scale of circle but still endangered plant related

I'd put the Slough Museum project on hold as there was some uncertainty whether the exhibition would go ahead as the Museum is sadly closing later in the year. But the dates having been confirmed, ( 18 May to 11 June) I fished out my samples of organzi books based on the Taplow Vase and pondered how to display them. I got a couple of brass rings from the sales table at last TVCQ meeting and I experimented with wrapping them around the hoops and suspending them. Ian suggested the spare airer 'tripod' which is banished to the cellar as it collapses with even 1 coat hanger on. Just the job but not for including in the final display.

Textile Food for Thought

2011-03-14T15:23:00.000Z

'Summer Rain' Jo Budd 2007

'Shadow I' Gill Banks

Inspired by a weekend of textile events , I rushed back to my sewing room and rather than setting to work I cleared my design wall , table and hopefully my thoughts.

On Saturday, the talk by Jo Budd at CQ AGM was as good as I anticipated, covering over 30 years of her work from painting to painting with fabric to painting on fabric. Ruminations on why she uses fabric; the ripples that are produced by stitch; her love of backs-the 'unconscious side'; the importance of edges; the 'unprecious' scraps that become the most treasured. I look at the small piece of hers I own and see in miniature the concepts she was describing - the layering of transparent and opaque, the use of rust, the frayed edges, the anchoring hand stitches. She talked about her sketches in fabric of which this is an example and the difficulties scaling up ( her large pieces are huge!) - hopefully a chance to explore this further in 'microcosm to macroscosm' summer school. Those of us lucky enough to have places talk in whispers and also in a small voice I confess I didn't go to the Quilt Show at the V&A and therefore was probably the one person in the room who hadn't seen Jo's work there.

At the Contemporary Textile Fair at Landmark Centre on Sunday (going early to avoid the Rugby at Twickenham) I succumbed to an atmospheric piece by exhibitor Gill Banks which now I look at it again shares some of the same qualities as Jo's. This will be my birthday present from Ian once we find a frame.

Interesting to compare the mounting techniques (both effective ).Unlike Jo's piece which is secured behind a mount frame, Gill sewed the fabric onto a piece of foamboard which was then glued to mountboard. This means it stands proud and the frayed edges cast shadows .

Equally valuable over these 2 days were the opportunities for discussions about working practices and preferences. Sandra Grusd (who's work I greatly admire) asked whether I only worked for exhibitions/ competitions or for myself. That got me thinking ! I do find deadlines motivating but on exploring this subject further with Sue over coffee and carrot cake realise that this sometime means making compromises that result in work I'm not so happy with. For instance I love a lot of things about Tunisian Door - particularly use of fabric and colour ,but the composition isn't what I originally intended or hoped for as it grew too big!

I'm worrying a bit about not having done any large pieces since then and even Journal Quilts are proving a bit more of a challenge than usual with the extra 'rule' besides size and shape - can't just make my sample pieces up to the correct size. Mainly tho' it's having too many ideas and not knowing where to start.

So I've decided to concentrate on doors and boats ( both incorporate peeling paint on wood and metal!), going back to using fabric as paint which means that the Weir is off the design wall (sorry Ian!) as it was holding me back. Lets see where it takes me.

Boat Friday

2011-03-11T12:55:00.000Z

Inspired by my own blogpost last week, on Friday I left work early armed with sketching gear and walked very slowly home along the river, stopping every few metres to draw or take a photograph. I enjoyed it so much I was determined to do more work on them over the weekend but gardening intervened!!
At work I'm overwhelmed with urgent deadlines as we near the end of financial year and it's Friday again with nothing much creative done this week.
Boats are still on my mind having taken photographs of old watercolours from Pinmill, Mistley and Porlock Weir and especially as I'm going to Contemporary Quilt AGM tomorrow with talk by Jo Budd - love her work and own a tiny piece. I'm also lucky enough to have a place on her workshop at CQ Summer school later in the year.

I have been working on some of the photos I took last Friday in Photoshop (exploring 'cutout' filter). Perhaps I'll leave work early and doing some playing in watercolour....

Old Boats

2011-03-03T10:47:00.002Z

Taking photos of my older work (both quilts and paintings) I borrowed back this piece from Sue based on boats at Pinmill . It dates from 1999, the watercolour it was based on from 1997 (painted on a course with John Tookey at Flatford Mill - I also bought one of his paintings! ) . Still looks good to me - like Elizabeth Barton I sometimes question how much I've improved since!

This print of a boat,based on a sketch at Topsham (Devon), is even earlier from 1985 when I went on a stone lithography printing course near Ulverston . I loved the process and the results but not something you can do at home!!!
Reviewing these and other older works I have a renewed appreciation of my drawing skills which seem to have lapsed - I used to go on several painting courses a year and the benefit of continued practice shows.

I've also renewed my interest in old boats with my daily walk into work along the river Thames near Kew Bridge - I take lots of photos of these houseboats and barges with water at different heights according to the tides. I really must take my sketchbook out.

Yesterday I found treasure along the towpath - this piece of wood with flaking paint which I've placed with other 'finds' in the conservatory. Just asking to be incorporated into an art work or at least a source of inspiration. My work colleagues were singularly unimpressed when I walked into the lab brandishing my trophy but were too polite to say so.

Stepping Stones

2011-02-28T10:10:00.000Z

In the 1990's, on a watercolour course at Juniper Hall ( which I left early as the tutor was so awful), I painted the stepping stones across the River Mole, catching sight of a mink strutting along the bank. I was trying to capture the difference in movement in water either side of the concrete 'stones' (and wishing I hadn't taken the subject on given the difficulties in accurate perspective)

A different view yesterday when we revisited Box Hill although still interesting differences in water movement despite submerged stones

It started out bright and sunny, if a bit muddy toiling up the steps from the river to the viewpoint. But just after we'd had our lunch on a bench overlooking distant hills, admiring the cloud formations, just contemplating getting my watercolours out, it started to rain. As it wasn't forecast, we'd only brought light waterproofs - and we found the zip had gone on Ian's. In our haste to get down Burford Spur to the train, Ian took a tumble and got coated in mud (bit shaken and sore but otherwise ok) - luckily I had a bit of plastic beachmat to protect the seats on the train. No curry buffet this week - straight home for a good soak in the bath with a glass of 'Hever' ( homemade sloe gin!)

Hidden Treasures

2011-02-26T17:03:00.000Z

Almost by chance I caught a programme on BBC2 on 'Hidden Treasures of Australian art',(on iPlayer for next 20 days) concentrating on Torres Strait Islanders. Starting with an artifact in Cambridge University collections , it looked at the connections between artwork and culture both in the past and how it is practised today including the amazing linocuts of Alick Tiputi.

It reminded me to search out this Torres Strait fish platter I bought in Cairns nearly 20 years ago - time to put it on more prominent view. Makes me want to fish out (pun intended) my lino cutting tools or at least take rubbings of those wonderful textures.

Also in that Cairns shop I bought this netted bag ( bilum) of vegetable fibres although I think it's probably from Papua New Guinea

Circle Journal Quilts

2011-02-21T21:58:00.000Z

February's Journal Quilt on the theme of circles: Critically Endangered Ascension Island Fern growing in vitro in Petri dishes in the lab. Photoshop manipulated photographs printed on cotton.

I don't know why it should come as a surprise to me what a difference quilting makes - that is after all why I love to work with textiles. But when I looked at the before and after photos after putting my new Pfaff GrandQuilter through it's paces it really was quite shocking! It also made me realise that what I thought was a relatively simple piece was actually too busy. Back to the drawing board to simplify for March.

Quilting made quite a lot of difference to these 2 recycled samples of failed 'Pearls, Pearls, Pearls' piece.

Thanks for all your lovely comments about my new website. I was aware that the blog link on the home page didn't work - fixing it involves writing html rather than just using a template, something I've very little practice in. Unfortunately although the link now works , it's invisible, being white on white!! Quite how that happened I have yet to resolve.....

My website goes live!

2011-02-17T18:47:00.000Z

Last night I took the plunge and pressed the 'Go Live' button on my new website. I've still to do some tweaking to some aspects that weren't obvious in preview mode ( for example I don't know what happened to the gallery heading images) but overall I'm pretty chuffed!! Bob (from Words and Pixels) gave me some excellent advice and in the end I decided rather than a bespoke website or a free one I'd take the compromise template approach, signing up with Clicpic. I took a 2 week free trial and played around with it over Xmas and decided that it would suit my purposes.What's taken the time is shrinking the pictures down to the right size, loading them, writing the blurb that goes with them and shuffling them around in galleries.
It wasn't really possible to give folks a preview for comment before going live so please take a look now and I'd love to know how you like it, whether you find it easy to navigate and whether there's any glitches.

Recycling Rejects

2011-02-13T21:57:00.000Z

Remember this? Experiments on the theme 'Pearls, Pearls, Pearls ' which didn't lead anywhere apart from some cogitating about my design processes and preferences.
Looking through my box of rejects I wondered whether I could resurrect it into a journal quilt (or 2) on the circle theme.

So I've chopped it up, rearranged components and put to mellow on the design wall. I'm thinking of quilting around some of the pearl shapes in the overlays and cutting back the organza to reveal what's underneath.

I haven't forgotten about the Petri dishes - I chose composition 'g' from my paper collages and constructed it in fabric. Now I need to see whether stitch will unite the elements -or not. In any case it will be interesting to use it as a stepping off point for abstraction and see where it takes me.

Meanwhile Ian is continuing to ask 'What about the Weir?'