1000th Blog Post : Studios; quilts; doors, ceramics, travel; plants; drawing, Kew; museums, City Lit; stitching

 My 1000th  blogpost had crept up on me unawares! While I haven't been blogging so much of late ,   using Instagram and Facebook more for sharing what I'm up to, I still find it a useful tool as a 'reflective journal' when I've been doing courses to  record my thoughts and investigations.

 I decided to look back  in an organised  random way ( if that makes sense ! )at what I was  doing on 100th, 200th etc   and actually the main themes  of  what interests me  ( plants, art , textiles, travel)  all come through  even in a relatively  small selection.

My first post in August   2007 was on moving from Ealing to Brentford   and showed the studio space I  was leaving behind so it seems appropriate  to show my current studio arrangements  for the 1000th.  I would never have anticipated the traumas of losing my job and moving  to a new town  and life but after nearly 4 years I'm more settled and  revelling in the opportunities it has given me. Enjoy!

 Post 1 :magsramsay.blogspot.com/2007/08/sewing-space-old-place

Post 100: magsramsay.blogspot.com/2008/07/100th-post-labyrinths-and-elements

Post 200 :magsramsay.blogspot.com/2010/01/tunisian-shop-advertising

 Post 300:magsramsay.blogspot.com/2010/11/ancient-shards-new-materials

 Post 400:magsramsay.blogspot.com/2011/10/deductive-monotypes

Post 500:magsramsay.blogspot.com/2013/02/cherubs-at-haberdashers

Post 600 : magsramsay.blogspot.com/2014/05/across-foot-of-mount-oxa

 Post 700: magsramsay.blogspot.com/2015/08/sketching-ceramics-at-V&A

Post 800:magsramsay.blogspot.com/2016/12/drawing-tuesday-keys-and-kew

Post 900:magsramsay.blogspot.com/2018/03/contemporary-collage-week-9-cubomania

 Post 1000:  I still haven't worked out a  decent  design wall space ( I currently use  to top landing - Ian's claim I'm taking over the whole house is not without foundation ... )  but I really like my studio space with its cutting  table raised on sand castle buckets and the combination  of wall and trolley storage.

 Most of all I love my 2 sewezi tables : 1 currently has my Bernina  sewing   machine set up on it and the other with a wooden insert in  by the window I use for hand stitching ( when I'm not sewing on the train ) , looking out over the green, 

Matisse in the Studio at the RA

 Matisse 'Rocaille Chair' 1936  

Making  the most of my   day in London after 'Drawing Tuesday' in Regent's Park, I'd booked 2.45 slot for 'Matisse in the Studio' at the Royal Academy . It had parallels  with the  glorious ' Matisse, his art and Textiles' exhibition held in the  same gallery in 2005 ( more than 10 years ago, it doesn't feel like that). I've spent this morning going through the book again, when I should I have been doing something else, reminding myself of the ' Haiti's' that are a feature of this exhibition too.

 The juxtaposition  of some of his favourite objects  with the paintings and sculptures  they inspired or   featured in  was fascinating ( I covet his green glass vase)  

I bought a copy of the ' Introduction to the exhibition for Teachers and Students'  which  explored  key pieces in  depth , asking  questions  that make you think such as ' What is the difference between a mask and a portrait? Using this  as  a guide and  using   exercises  from ' Advanced Painting '  and 'Ways into Abstract Painting' gallery visits, I  took notes and made quick sketches   which have given  me  food for thought , particularly in composition and paint application ( I'm thinking of returning to oils for 'Contemporary Painting Studio' course   at City lit ). Also reminded me how much I like drawing pewter!  

Matisse 'Large Red Interior' 1948

 It was good too to  be reminded of his  paintings of interiors.  I first  visited the   Centre  Pompidou in Paris in the late 1980's  on a work trip   stopping off between Rilland and Amiens. I was blown away by the artwork  particularly  'Florentine Villas'   by Paul Klee  and 'Large Red Interior ' by Matisse and bought large posters of both.   These  posters combined with  kelims bought on trips to Turkey and  Morroco  were what made various small  rooms in shared houses and   my first purchased   flats  ' home' . In my tiny studio  flat, the Matisse print gave the illusion of additional  rooms and enlarged the space. Alas  the poster  got water damaged   when in storage between moves  but  the kelims are still in use.  

Drawing Roman Glass and Studio Makeover (again!)

We spent the weekend clearing spaces in the house and garage for the arrival of our goods from storage next Tuesday  (they've been in since May2015!) With the arrival of more shelving , I wasn't able to go sketching in London  this week so rather than 'Drawing Tuesday' ,I had 'Drawing Monday' at the Roman Museum in Canterbury while I waited for new lenses to be fitted in my specs.
A small museum, hidden in a back street, you go downstairs to find  the Roman mosaic discovered  during WW2 with reconstructions of shops etc built around it and excellent interpretation linking finds to  where they were discovered. It's very popular with families and school groups  but was very quiet  when I visited. No sketching stools but the steward kindly found me an office chair - luxury!
 Lots of Roman glass , how could I resist the flagon below which was found in Faversham!

 Yesterday, in between waiting for the doorbell for deliveries, I was sorting through my stash, repacking it into bigger plastic boxes ,making discoveries,  moving bookcases, constructing more shelving.  The scene before (above) and after (below).  

 The 'Phoenix' cube storage system from Argos bought because  the shelving was discontinued looks like it will be prove to be very useful - there's another set of 4 to go where the boxes are in the picture above .  I really like Ikea Ivar shelving and boxes but the quality has declined drastically since  these I bought 25 years ago hence the search for alternatives (the temporary black  plastic shelving has gone out to the garage). I might finally get my African textile pieces on the wall - having inspiring but neutral coloured artwork in the studio works well for me.  

 These fabric covered shelving units are proving useful for smaller boxes. I can construct one in 20 minutes now and as  I add to the row, my aim is to drop the covers down,  and use as the basis of a design wall ( along with boards propped up on Ikea wooden footstools, that indispensable studio item)The sewezi tables are also proving indispensable - I can quickly set up my sewing machines in all kind of positions in the room and it adds flexibility to changing studio space.

Seeing Double - Studio update

 On  Monday, took delivery of my second Sewezi table so that I can use both my Pfaff Grandquilter and Bernina activa 125 at the same time ( the Pfaff is particularly heavy to move around) I also had them both serviced, they're positively purring now.

 Apart from the 5 sets of plastic shelves for  fabrics, paints and equipment, on Sunday we put together a bookcase for my folders and sketchbooks ( just need to find them now among all the sealed book boxes...)

Now I need to find a source of the interlocking polystyrene insulation boards I like for design walls - I had to chuck my existing ones when we moved ( they already were so worn they had no corners!) Large flattened cardboard boxes aren't so effective once they've been used.
 My first Cwilt Cymru 'cynefin' quilt is finished bar the label, just 2 weeks to complete the second.

Stash Sorting , Storage and 'Shibori'

 Once upon a time, I took swatches of all the fabric in my stash  and stuck them on pieces of  card  roughly by colour. In theory it was so I could identify gaps   or find what I wanted rather than rifling through lots of boxes and bags. In practice it was just for gloating. I've  got rid of  loads (honest) and acquired others ( this was before I got into African fabrics and Indigo) so time for the folder itself to be chucked as part of my studio sort out.

Most of my fabric, evicted from the  very large wardrobe, is now sorted by colour, projects and types into boxes on the plastic B&Q shelving. Not a thing of beauty  but actually more functional than the Ikea Ivar shelving I'd originally ordered but which fell apart.

 My original Ivar   stores mainly art materials and threads  and I couldn't resist the metal trolley ( not having my sewing things to hand in the drawers of  desk). The print browser  actually hold prints from my classes but also hopefully shows  potential house  buyers that this room is a studio  ( I debated whether to set up an easel but thought that might be a step too far).  I bought a second  wooden  step-stool - as  both Gillian and   Tiggy have also pointed out, they're indispensible studio equipment.

Erica- the- exercise- bike has been evicted from the kitchen  - it's actually rather nice to cycle looking at artwork rather than kitchen cabinets . As it's a bit early in the morning to switch the radio on , I've taken to listening to music on my phone with  earphone : 'losing my religion' works particularly well.

 Progress in the rest of the house - the electrician has just replaced some of the lights and   I've installed some blinds. The patterns of light through the venetian blinds in the bedroom on the newly painted walls are just magic - instant shibori.

Photoshoot next Wednesday!

Textile Work Spaces

This months 'Take it Further Challenge' is to think about your textile work space. How do you feel about this space? What role does it play in your life?
This was the subject of my very first post on this blog, written when I was about to move from a much loved space in a partially converted loft ( 2 photos below) and wondering how it would work out in my new home. This loft space had 2 Velux windows and was the full width of the house with built-in storage and work surfaces. Access was by a ladder which had its advantages in detaching myself from the world while I was up there and shutting the hatch on the mess when I'd finished.


Over a year later after we moved in , I've pretty well sorted out my working space - the 'master bedroom', the largest room in the house (except for the kitchen). As compensation, Ian got the bedroom with the best view overlooking the garden as his study ( and we can wave at each other across the landing)
The main difference is the loss of a design wall but this hasn't caused as many problems as I thought it would - I've hung a sheet from the back of the door but mainly use A1 size cork boards which are easy to move around.

The main working space is a huge desk (thanks to Sue), with our old solid butchers block kitchen table at right angles - a reasonable height for cutting out. For storage, I've just put up some bookshelves saved from the living room of our old property - they're just the right width for the alcove ( must be Edwardian Proportions, both old and new houses date from around 1905). For my art equipment I've got Ikea Ivar shelving and boxes that have aged nicely after 15 years.

You wouldn't believe the amount of stuff I got rid off during the process of moving but I've still managed to fill this huge 3 door wardrobe with fabric, smaller pieces in these baskets, yardage in big plastic crates.
In theory this is the guest bedroom ( a single fold-up bed) but they'd have to put up with the pins - Ian has a sofa bed in his study which is probably the safer option. The bed unfolded is quite useful for propping up the design boards.
I used my previous studio space for both stitching and painting, which meant being meticulous in clearing up between different activities and carrying buckets of water up ladders. Now, I've taken over the conservatory (more of a lean -to) for painting and printing. The light is fantastic even on a dull day (although it can get very hot). Money ran out before we could replace the lino - probably just as well - I trod on some monoprints that I'd left to dry on the floor and left a trail of glittery footprints. What is also different from my previous workspace is that it also houses my computer and printer. When I work from home on scientific papers etc, the cutting table is handy for laying documents out. The computer can of course be a terrible time waster but the benefits of being able to print fabric out or work directly in Photoshop means I'm much more productive ( and not having to shin up a ladder everytime I feel creative)

So overall while my working space has always been important to me ( and major factors in buying the last 2 properties), it is now the room I spend most time in , both for work and pleasure and my output has increased accordingly.

Now how to interpret this as a textile piece ? I'm wondering about a collage of photos from various viewpoints (it's a while since I used 'stitch -assist') or concentrating on one or two key items. I'll keep you posted!