Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

A day trip up to Birmingham on Saturday to meet up with other members of Cwilt Cymru. I haven't been in the city centre for many years  and I love the mixture of old and new.  

 The venue was the Edwardian  Tea Rooms   in the Museum and Art Gallery ( a booth had been reserved for us by Judith's daughter )

 After a most enjoyable and constructive meeting over coffee, lunch and afternoon tea, there was just time before my train to see the Staffordshire  Hoard

  Although some of the more complete and valuable  pieces were displayed  in the 'treasury' I preferred the conservation collections with  twisted fragments and samples of soil etc - it gave an indication of the immensity and richness of the hoard.  I also could have played for hours with the interactive screens !

  And on the way out, how could I resist the De Morgan Tiles ....

Reading the Paint Surface At City Lit- Week 1

 With  moving, it's been a while since I've done a class at City Lit   but I've just started a 5 week course  with Tony Hull :' Reading a  Paint Surface '.  The first exercise yesterday was challenging and frustrating but ultimately  satisfying.    It shared some similarities with the  drawing class last year using charcoal and erasers  working into a dark surface  to carve  out a drawing  but with the multiple layers and complexities of paint .

These are the objects we were working from - an even more bizarre selection than usual! The meat grinder (or whatever it was!)  have me a lot of trouble.

On a large piece of paper  we  first put on a light grey wash of  acrylic paint then drew the outline with a  brush and  with thinned black acrylic paint. The brushes are pretty appalling so this was the point I was beginning to despair ( no sighing allowed however - only swearing).

Then a bit of white paint was allowed  to cover up mistakes while measuring and making corrections to the drawing.

We then made up more grey wash and painted over the drawing again , the aim just to leave the outline drawing.

Then the most difficult part , painting over in black paint, differentiating between different tonal areas by direction and texture of brush marks only!!

After allowing it to dry , the fun bit,  introducing  light tones back again with glazes of white oil paint. The underlying textures of the balck brush strokes show through and I love the dribbles.
You do end up with a far more complex and interesting surface, I look forward to next weeks adventure!

May Journal Quilt - Travellers Blanket Squares

 My   CQ  Journal Quilt for May is a trial piece for the Travellers Blanket I'm working on as part of Dijanne Cevaal's  online class. I couldn't decide on what shape of patch  to use  so am trialing squares and more organic shapes. These patches are all from my childhood : dresses  I wore or bought for mum's stash at jumble sales ( I had a feel for fabrics at a very early age ).  I've started a notebook to record the stories behind each fabric . The majority of stitching has taken place on train journeys ( journal quilts are an  ideal size for that)   

Drawing Tuesday in a Domestic Museum

This week's drawing Tuesday took place at Margaret's residence in Kensal Rise.  The weather was appalling so no sketching in the garden and the collection of waterproofs and umbrellas drying out  in the bathroom inspired at least 1 drawing! We started off with coffee and baklava , did a bit of drawing and then had a very convivial lunch

 Margaret had described it as a 'domestic museum'  and it was indeed a treasure trove of interesting and diverse objects. Somehow, someone else's collections are so much more inspiring than your own.

 I drew a small collection of stoneware bottles - I liked the subtle variations in shape and colour

 Unlike other museums there weren't the same restrictions on use  of 'dry ' materials  so I had a go with watercolours too.

 It reminded me when I got home of the class I went to  3 years ago with Margaret associated with the Morandi exhibition at the Estorick Collection.  Not the same levels of dust however !

Lounge Decoration Completed

 Before we went to Italy we took everything out of the lounge and  it was repainted ('Lavender Quartz')  so it had  over a week to dry  before the new carpet ('Squirrel')   was laid on Tuesday

  The bookcases  were delivered and installed on Wednesday

 This weekend  we've been unpacking boxes of books ( somehow Ian had ended up with 2 out the 3 bookcases ... we  had our books in different rooms before); cutting down and installing blinds; moving  back the sofa , mahogany chest and TV. We're thrilled with how it looks , it feels more like home now  and with taking 40+ cardboard boxes out to the garage  we have the bonus of being able to eat in the dining room again

Watercolours of Sicily

 

 

 Visiting the Sicily: Culture and Conquest  exhibition at the British Museum  last Friday  had me searching for my watercolour sketchbook from the trip to Western Sicily in 2002.  I hadn't met Ian then so he hadn't seen them . They're a bit variable in quality but they summoned up a  host of memories  ( some like twisting my ankle in Palermo botanic garden and  severe conjunctivitis best forgotten! )

 

 

 

 

 

I'd forgotten these ones from the Belvedere at Monte Reale - I was already beginning to look at details  as well as the more obvious subjects.

Ikat

 If it's seemed a bit quiet  here , it's because  we've been having the lounge and bathroom redecorated - they look very smart now. On Friday I did a combined trip  up to town to see the Ikat exhibition at the  Brunei gallery, SOAS and then meeting Ian at the BM for the Sicily:culture and conquest exhibition followed by another excellent meal at Savoir Faire.  You weren't allowed to take photos in the Ikat exhibition ( although there was one annoying lady taking some  'furtively' on her phone - she could at least  have turned the sound off!)  So I'm sharing here some of my collection  bought from John Gillow.   The larger pieces have been  reassembled from garments - the one above  we had in the 'parlour' in our last house, I never tired of looking at it.

  This sleeve with the  embroidery  and tassel  on the cuff  I bought with the intention of incorporating into my own work.

 This subtle Thai/ Cambodian silk sarong is beautifully  soft

 So here's the revamped lounge: 'lavender quartz' paintwork with Scion 'Navajo' curtains. I've just noticed the similarity to the ikat patterns and colours ( perhaps no coincidence as they were  chosen to go with Turkish kelims)