chrissythreads

Dust of Snow

2012-02-06T02:51:00.000-08:00

I have felt a bit like I am running and getting no where at the moment textile wise. So much so that recently I have even been questioning why I bother and if I should go on.

With the big exhibitions coming up it has been hard work - not with creating, I haven't had a lot of time for that and I think that's been the problem.Whenever I have had time I have had to 'do' something else usually connected with paperwork. Also since finishing the degree I feel my textile work is now expected to take a back seat to other areas in life. But I didn't do all those years not to try and take my work forward.

Two things have happened just recently which have helped.

About a week ago we (ERTF) had a study day on Scandinavian textiles at the house of one of our members (Kirsten Yeates) who has an extensive collection. They beautiful and delicate and must have been produced under quite difficult circumstances sometimes. They were made with love and you could feel it and it made me realise just how much I love these things, being in the company of like minded people and learning.

Secondly yesterday I was bashing the snow off the olive tree in the garden when a large pigeon landed on the Acer and covered me with snow and it made me think of the Robert Frost Poem

The way a crow

shook down on me

the dust of snow

from a Hemlock tree

has given my heart

a change of mood

and staved some part

of a day I had rued.

It made me laugh - it was beautiful out there, it made me want to go in and sew something snowy and magical. So I will start to structure my time again properly and treat creating as an essential part of my daily routine again as it used to be and hang the paperwork!what is it they say 'a little less conversation. a little more action please'

Hacked Off

2012-01-31T06:36:00.001-08:00

This may seem ironic that I am using a computer blog to have a moan about computers but I am using this just to alert people that my e-mail account was recently hacked by spammers. As I expect that most people that read my blog are people I know and, therefore, have their e-mail addresses just a warning to only open e-mails that you would be expecting from me. It has taken me ages to sort this out today and hopefully this is all now secure again and I hope these people that do this sort of thing get exactly what they deserve. But its just another occasion when technology has caused problems and totally disrupted my day.

There are times when I really hate all this modern technology. Now don't get me wrong I know exactly what it was like to live without many modern conveniences and we should be grateful. I know what it was like to live with no indoor plumbing, bathing in a tin bath heating water on a range , cold outdoor loos, not having access to a washing machine until 1978, washing sheets in a bath and using a mangle or not knowing what central heating was until 1979 when it was often a case of scraping the inside of the bedroom window to see out- I know it was no picnic (although it does mean I am a dab hand at plucking chickens, removing shot from fowl and can dig a great drainage ditch for sewage!). I still wouldn't know what to do with a tumble dryer or a dishwasher and I know computers can be useful but they really seem to have taken over our lives. If there is a power cut -the world stops, people panic. We have almost gotten too reliant so bring back balance! send me a letter not an e-mail occasionally, don't expect me to be on the end of a mobile 24/7. - just allow for 5 minutes peace away from all this madness. I'm off to mediate.

Sailing into 2012- new year,new challenges

2012-01-20T04:04:00.001-08:00

Gosh- Half way through January already.

My textile year started with a bang as I spent time helping out setting up the 'shop within the show' at the Society of Designer Craftsmen exhibition in the Mall gallery in London. They have such beautiful work there that it was a bit scary putting the shop together and handling exquisite pieces of glass and ceramics as well as all the textiles and jewelry etc... Still I learnt an awful lot about display and the commercial world and am looking forward to being part of it all next year.

I was also lucky enough to have a one to one mentoring session with Deidre Hawken , she of the exquisite hats. This is something that the SDC offers its new licentiates and it was really useful as I start to venture out into the real world.

Still no time to relax as our first 'Bridging Waters' exhibition looms large, only a month away now. The work has all arrived over from 'Articulation' in Canada- this was a bit nerve racking as whilst it was out of our hands somewhere over the Atlantic you are never sure if its going to land all in one piece. Fortunately it arrived safely and I think it will all make a stunning show.

Even before this exhibition has started I am deep in preparations for the next showing which will be at a textile event we are holding in an Essex village in May with an emphasis on ' spreading the love of textiles' so watch this space or the Material Girls website

(www.the-materialgirls.co.uk) and blog for more details.

Its all very exciting but I feel like the many mentioned swan - all serene on the surface and paddling like crazy below the water line. Still talking about paddling I had just better go and check my elderly spaniel hasn't fallen in the pond again- he's gone very quiet! bye for now

A textile free zone ... almost

2011-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

Most people who know me know that I don't really like Christmas for a myriad of reasons, however, this year when I thought it was going to be actually more angst ridden than even normal I think I have found the secret- Just don't think too much or if you do end every sad or sorry thought with a but...

I haven't managed to do anything 'christmassy' to get me in the mood this year for a variety of health and work reasons but I have taken to making sure that when I am out walking I enjoy all the little light displays that people put in their garden and there are some lovely ones out there.

Its been left entirely up to me to do nearly all the Christmas shopping - pressies and food - because everyone else has been too busy at work and as I don't drive this has been no mean feet. Even the wheelie basket gets heavy dragging it up the hill to my house for the umpteenth time. But I now have splendid biceps and I haven't had the other half (the accountant) staring over my shoulder saying things like 'couldn't you get the cheaper one?' (no because that tastes disgusting, will end up getting thrown away not eaten because even the dogs won't eat it and that's saying something as I don't do fussy pets and mine eat anything! and I'd rather eat less and enjoy it)

I'm no domestic goddess . I can pluck and draw a turkey, make all sorts of cakes and puddings and make any preserve you like but I don't enjoy it and the family (all 3 0f them) never notice and I'd rather be sewing. But they will all have all the trimmings (they all want different things including different types of pudding) and its actually cost me less than making it from scratch. More importantly as its all up to me I won't end wanting to stuff an onion up one of them rather than the turkey and even more importantly in today's climate we are lucky enough to have a Christmas dinner.

Although I was feeling a bit down because the daughter will be spending a large part of Christmas with her boyfriend and his family leaving me with the husband and the father-in-law who will probably be asleep by 5pm on Christmas Day , I realised I am lucky to have her with us for Christmas lunch and I shall spend the evening with something good on the telly and at last have time to pick up my much neglected stitching again.

Finally in just over a week it will be January- I love January, a new year, new challenges, time to get off and running again. So to everyone in Blogland have a Happy Christmas whatever you are doing, wherever you are and a joyful new year.

Minatures, Miracles and Matrices

2011-12-11T03:34:00.000-08:00

Friday saw me meeting up with a couple of my closest arty friends to visit a plethora of exhibitions in London before they closed.

In reverse order we went to catch the 'Bite Size' exhibition before it finished this week and I am so glad we did. One of my friends had already seen it with a trip with her MA course and had recommended it and it was a joy , so calm, so peaceful, so clean.

For lunch we popped into the Wellcome Foundation but as they queue was so long we thought we'd have a quick whisk around one of the exhibitions before we ate and I am so glad we did.

The 'Charmed Life' exhibition was a real treat. Tiny little amulets and charms and how they were used juxtaposed with Felicity Powell's wonderful tiny wax pieces was a joy and extremely interesting. I would have spent ages in there if the hungry monster hadn't been calling.

In the morning we had visited one of our old degree tutor's show in the Crypt gallery at St. Pancras. Catherine Dormor had on display some of her work for her Phd. I had seen some pieces before and I do tend to find her work isn't quite me but they certainly looked stunning in this wonderful space and I particularly liked her silk organza pieces with seemed to warm against the brick walls and also her boxes which seemed to penetrate the walls and push you into another dimension.

The Crypt is an exciting space and it has certainly made me excited this week. My covert activity can now be revealed. I have had a proposal accepted for the gallery and myself and a group of fellow artists will be exhibiting there in May 2013! This is such an exciting prospect to be exhibiting in a London gallery with such a good reputation for unusual work and to be exhibiting besides artists of various disciplines will at last take textiles into the mainstream I hope, not keep it in isolation -something I have been working to do for so long. What a christmas present!

Textile Elfing

2011-12-06T02:28:00.001-08:00

Recognising the fact that this year isn't going to be an easy Christmas for most people I decided that I would like to give the few friends and family I possess something special this year but like ,most people, this year is a little tight moneywise therefore we we have a conundrum .I put my tired little brain into gear and realised that I have a wealth of samples and ideas that could be developed into gifts from my degree work so for the last month or so I've been busy as a Christmas elf looking at these and working the appropriate ones up into pressies. If you are a regular blog reader you'll probably recognise some of these - they are not the same pieces as I did for my degree but they are developed from them. They are all made with love and esp. for the folks they are going to and I can post a picture of a few as I know they don't do blog reading so the recipients won't have seen them. Prettily wrapped and accompanied by some Crimble choccies I hope they will be pleased with them. Its not a diamond or a 3d telly but they are given with love. Who said all that degree work was a waste !

Covert Postmodernism

2011-11-22T06:21:00.000-08:00

Last week I was engaged in some 'covert' exhibition work. Well not really but it is beginning to feel like it as I cannot divulge at the moment suffice it to say it 'something's coming and it should be good'- I will reveal all as soon as its confirmed . However whilst involved in this adventure I also took time out to visit the Postmodernist exhibition at the V&A with my friend '77 Belle'.

We went, we saw, we got confused and ran away to have coffee.

I don't know why it just left me completely cold and I couldn't find one thing that actually inspired me in any way. Now I admit I know very little about this movement but that's not unusual and if I don't know usually exhibitions like this make me want to learn more -usually- but not this time. When we were discussing it later in the inner sanctum of the membership lounge at the V&A (excellent Lemon Drizzle cake there by the way) we did ponder if it was the familiarity of the objects and the period that had created this .......nothing feeling. But we couldn't put our fingers on it - any ideas those of you out there in blogland? I am a girl with a love of all things Morris and impressionist so maybe I just missed the point - but I thought I didn't like the Bauhaus until I saw the exhibition and that totally changed my perception.

The other strange thing was the place was empty! I have never been to a V&A blockbuster that I didn't have to push my way around even when it has been on ages but we were virtually the only people there. What a contrast to my feelings about the Grayson Perry I saw recently.

I am now up to my eyes in stitching - Hurray! working on my third piece for the forthcoming Bridging Waters exhibition and finishing off a few Christmas presents for family and its lovely to have needle in hand again.

I did have a comment on my last blog about using the computer as a creative medium and yes of course I often play with lovely programmes such as Paintshop Pro and Adobe (In fact the picture I showed in the last post was actually created using manipulated photos printed onto abaca tissue and then embedded with the emmbellisher onto home made felt and with stitch added)

What I don't like about the computer is being tied to it to do admin, interminable form filling and bill paying . Still all part of life rich tapestry I suppose.

Now I'm off to do covert things again ....pst,...Anyone seen my raincoat?

2011-11-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

Colour, Creating, Computers and Canadians

2011-11-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

Time passes so swiftly and there seems so much to do. Next year is now fully booked with regards to exhibiting (in deed the subsequent two years appear to be rapidly filling up as well) and I am beginning to panic that I am spending so much time in organising exhibitions and the associated paperwork,etc... that is attached to them that I spend more time at the computer than I do with a needle in my hands actually creating the work to be exhibited.

When I finished my degree I thought that time at the computer would decrease and at last I would have the time to concentrate on more creative aspects but alas -at the moment at least- that just isn't happening . I can remember that I learnt that at least 2 days a week, if not more, should be given over to 'office work' once you entered the realm of the professional artist but it is still quite a nasty shock when it becomes a reality. Still I live in hope than once the new year starts I can structure my time more successfully to allow lots of space for creating. I have so many ideas,so much I want to do on the practical side and I never really expected to end up doing more on the curatorial. Until then I know that I still have a great deal to organise for my Material Girls and my other commitments.

Still its not all work and no play.

Last week I met up with one of my fellow graduates from my course who was back over from Canada to visit her brand new Grandson. We met up in Docklands as I had to meet my daughter that day as well where she works and had a great natter over coffee and I showed her over the Docklands museum as it was new to her. It was great to see her again and I am hoping she will be able to visit our Bridging Waters exhibition either here next year or when it transfers to her native land.

I also attended the ERTF conference on Colour at Letchworth last Saturday. I thought after all my studies I had 'done colour to death' but it appears not! I am not a great user of brilliant colour preferring more muted tones but I am becoming very interested in the symbolism of colour and its effects on human mood and emotion. Our speaker - Joyce Honeysett- was extremely interesting and as you know we never stop learning.

Now I must get away from this computer and back to my threads.

Long Live Alan Measles

2011-10-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

Tick,Tock,Tick,Tock... The relentless march of time has become a little overwhelming just recently hence the absence from blogging. Each week seems to bring a new commitment. Number of exhibitions now committed to for next year -4, number in the pipeline for 2013 onwards so far - 3. Its all very exciting but I must be careful not to allow quantity to override quality.

Some of these I can divulge;-

3 venues now in place for the Bridging Waters work - one of which will be a textile weekend hosted by Material Girls with all sorts of goodies other than the exhibition on offer in a delightful country venue in May (so watch out for more info on that)

and

A brand new arts trail being set up in Romford this summer as part of the cultural olympiad. Needless to say I have ended up in the organising group (basically if you came to the initial meeting you were hijacked!) .

The other events you will have to wait for news of but it will be worth the wait- definitely for one we will be trying to break totally new ground with regards to textiles. Am I tempting you?

In the meantime I have just been to the new Grayson Perry exhibition at the British Museum 'Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman' (what a great name)

and I am totally inspired . Perry's work is always a joy - beautiful and humorous and totally unpretentious. The balance between hi s pieces and those items from the museum collection were thought provoking but somehow just 'right' and I've come away with oodles of ideas.

And the best thing - the very best thing -was the ethos. Nowhere was there one piece of art speak- just plain English and common sense. The whole exhibition seemed to say 'welcome all, enjoy, have fun and just appreciate these beautiful things for what they are'. That doesn't mean to say pieces had no concept behind them - there was a reason, a concept for all , thought and care and love they just weren't trying to pretend they were something they weren't and trying to exclude those who weren't 'in on the language'.

There was one quote that really resonated with me

" Craftsmanship is often equated with precision but I think there is more to it. I feel it is more important to have a long and sympathetic hands-on relationship with materials. A relaxed.humble. ever curious love of stuff is central to my idea of being an artist. An important quality of great art of the past was the pure skill in the artist's use of materials. In celebrating craftsmanship I also salute the artists,well, most of them"

Grayson Perry 2011

And then there's Alan Measles- whats not to love about a rather battered well loved teddy bear.

Long live Alan Measles and all who love him.

Irritations

2011-09-26T03:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel I am continually running up against a brick wall. Why oh why in this day and age is there such a demarcation between what people perceive as art and what they perceive as craft. I have had a couple of instances lately where when I say I am a textile artist people just look confused. If I say I produce work using fibre and stitch they ask if I make dresses or curtains, If I mention embroidery you can see their mind thinking cross stitch and their mouths saying 'isn't that rather old fashioned' and if I say I am an artist they immediately say -'oh do you use oils or watercolours?'

Its enough to drive someone insane! I even gave up the other day when at a bank filling in a form and they asked my occupation and when I told them they said 'I haven't got a box for that' so I ended up saying 'just tick the home maker one'. But I didn't want to- I've worked hard for my skill I would like it acknowledged.

I read an excellent article the other day by James hunting about the importance of achieving a balance between technique and concept- that they were both of equal and extreme importance and I so agree.Great 'Art', however conceptual, needs a grounding with good technique and all good 'Craft' stems from the ability to perfectly master a technique and combine it with a true concept. I wish we were still using the term artist craftsman it says so much more.

But how do we educate people - even those who are supposed to be part of this rather incestuous art world, to value textile art. There is a huge amount of unrecognized talent and creativity out there -Just in the last couple of days look at the blogs of people such as Brunel Broiderers and Judy Martin for inspiration, but do such as they ever appear 'in the nationals'

I suppose you could say its all about the creation not the recognition which is very true but we make work to be shared which usually involves exhibiting it and when the amount of affordable visual art spaces and galleries are getting fewer and fewer and the value of textiles still seems so underrated we desperately need a swing in opinion just to bring work to people who haven't experienced exactly what textile art is really about.

I don't know perhaps its just in my area-is it the same everywhere? the only thing I can do at the moment is go ARGHH!!!!!

2011-09-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Colour,Colour everywhere

2011-09-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

A really busy week has seen me hanging the Primarily Colour exhibition at Craft Arena, giving a talk to the Chelmsford Branch of the Embroiderers Guild and taking a trip up to London to see the Treasures of Heaven exhibition at the British Museum before it closes.

It was interesting to see the 'colour' work hanging together at last - its previous outing hadbeen to the Jersey Textile Showcase in the Spring, where it was hung by the event curators. Unfortunately I was unable to get over there to see the results so this was the first time I was able to create the hang. The Craft Arena gallery in Billericay is the perfect space for this body of work being quite intimate and bright, I feel it shows the work off very well. Should you be in Essex in the next couple of weeks do visit as there are lots of things to do at the Barleylands Craft Village and a nice cafe as well as enjoying our work.

I hope the talk to the EG went well- I always find it difficult to judge with one eye on the clock and another trying to remember what you want to say and praying that it all makes sense. Talks aren't really my thing -I much prefer direct teaching.

Finally the trip up to London was well worth the effort. I had some business to attend to with a colleague which may prove extremely interesting and the exhibition was beautiful. You came out with an extraordinary sense of peace (I also kept smelling incense which my friend said she didn't so I presume this was psychological) probably being in the company of so many sacred relics. I noticed that there is shortly to be a Grayson Perry exhibition there so I feel another trip coming on. Meanwhile I must get back to actually creating - the deadline for the Bridging Waters exhibition looms ever closer.

2011-09-07T10:48:00.001-07:00

I'm back

2011-09-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

At last I feel ready to start working again after feeling rather flat post degree which is a good job as its going to be a busy few months ahead.

Monday week will see me hanging Material Girls 'Primarily Colour' exhibition at Barleylands,Essex whilst on the same day in the evening I am giving a talk to the Chelmsford Branch of the Embroiderers' Guild (I always seem to end up double booking!)

The exhibition with the Canadian group Articulation is rapidly approaching and I have several other things in the pipeline (but more on those later). Just one problem I haven't been able to post on this blog since I have my new computer but with a tweak I am hoping this is going work- here we go again a new beginning.

This is the end, my friend

2011-07-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I graduated at Middlesex University. I was really glad that I was able to take the opportunity to go as it finally made me feel that I had actually achieved something important. Although you know how hard you work for it there was always a slight sense that some people considered it a mickey mouse degree, not quite a real one -but in some ways it was even harder because you are so 'out there on your own'. You have support but its not like being within a class situation with your peers around you all the time. Yesterday you really felt part of the university, that you were valued as a true graduate.
So that's it- the end.
I started this blog to map the highs and lows of the course, to act as my journal (part of the criteria for the course) and I don't want it now just to become full of trivia, or a moaning platform (because boy! I know I can do that!) or even worse a 'look how wonderful I am' boast fest
So I am going to change it over the next couple of weeks .I am going to centre it completely on textiles -to make it more of a professional touch point for this.
I am now a website (well not me actually but you know what I mean) its www.chrissythreads.com which will link to this blog. So if you want to see what I'm up to textile wise please drop in.
First I have to invest in a new computer as this one is on the blink so I may be away for a couple of weeks but as they say 'I'll be back!'

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2011-07-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

Time to say goodbye

2011-07-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today Kit, my big, rambunctious, ginger tom, died.
Ever since he arrived in our lives over 15 years ago as a ball of orange fluff he brought nothing but joy. If there was an adventure to be had,mischief to be gotten into or food to pinch- he was there, with his 'who me?' expression ,a softly patting paw and his constant purr. Today he purred softly as he slipped away in my arms taking a little bit of my heart with him. Travel well my friend, I'll miss you.

They seek her here, they seek her there, they seek her.... I wonder where

2011-07-04T06:40:00.002-07:00

I've been away on a little break. I've posted some pictures from my trip. Can you guess where I went?

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2011-06-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

An End- A Beginning?

2011-06-11T03:54:00.000-07:00

What a week! after slowly settling back into the 'normality' of post degree life all -of a sudden the fact that JC had ceased to trade drops like a lead weight!

How did it feel to the new graduate group? Initial relief that we had 'made it under the wire' so to speak, incredible sadness for our fellow students and friends who were still treading the path, almost a survivors gulit. Then the nasty realisation that, although we had 'graduated' and been informed of our awards informally we had nothing formal in writing. The next 24 hours and dozens of e-mails to both JC and Middlesex Uni. finally merited a reply- our degrees were definitely safe, Middlesex were on the case.

People keep saying to me 'how lucky it was' that I decided to condense my degree, to double up on my workload so I could graduate a year early. It was - but I always had a nagging feeling that the sooner I got out the better, even as we graduated there was an atmosphere in the air that all was not perhaps as it should be. I made no secret of this feeling but I did think it would last at least another year and now I feel so sorry for the others and guilty that just for once it isn't me up to my neck in it.

Then over the last few days parts of my 'new life' started happening - I had a small article about me published in Felt Matters, I hosted a really good afternoon for the ERTF (I'm the new Essex Rep. now) where we have managed to put in place all sorts of new, exciting ideas about regular events we are going to initiate for our area and then news that I had been selected as a Licentiate of the Society of Designer Craftsmen came through the door, a body I've hungered to belong to for a long time. Its a funny old world isn't it.

2011-05-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

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2011-05-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

All Over Now

2011-05-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Its over, I'm Free! after 5 long years I have finally finished my degree. I am officially a BA(Hons) in Embroidered Textiles and I feel.... nothing.
I am completely numb.I don't know what I expected -relief? elation? some sadness that it was over? (definitely not!). The week of the exhibition was exhausting, traumatic and extremely surreal.

Was it good experience?
I honestly don't know. I have staged or taken part in over 50 exhibitions in my time and I would say they were all a more enjoyable, fulfilling experience. We had a high number of visitors both to the Private View (although about 50 were probably the student crowd trawling the East London galleries for a night out with free wine - we had plenty so why not) and during the week , over 400 in 3 and half days so that was good -mind you we worked our butts off as a group to publcise the exhibition.

Do I think it was worth while?
Again I don't know. I have gained a reasonable degree. I have learnt things esp. about modern art but maybe I would have preferred to learn more about actual embroidery. I learnt a lot about professional practice and the thing I am most proud of was my dissertation. However I have also learnt to pick myself up after being knocked down more times than is good for you (perhaps that's a skill in itself), I have gained confidence and lost it again and I have learnt that an academic qualification can mean sacrificing technical skill on the alter of concept.

Perhaps when I look back in 6 months time I will have a clearer vision and can look back with some sense of pride but for now all I want to do is make things that I believe in and actually bring things through to a conclusion without having to change them to tick educational boxes and please tutors. And to sleep for a long, long, time.........

2011-05-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

E-Day commeth

2011-05-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

So its here! by this time tomorrow my degree show will have been hung, to be followed over the course of the following two days by VIVAs and marking. The result of five years intensive study and work all hinging on the next 3 days.
The last couple of weeks have been an odd mix of feelings like waiting for the dentist and Christmas all wrapped up together but now there is no more I can do to prepare,I just have to trust that I will get the work displayed correctly and that I don't go mute during the VIVAs and then -who knows....

2011-05-01T03:01:00.000-07:00

16 days and Counting

2011-05-01T02:36:00.000-07:00

The last month has disappeared in a blaze of last minute work and exhibition planning. There are so many little (or not so little) extra things to be done that it becomes very time consuming and if I have to read one more e-mail about wine for the PV I think I will scream - wet ,white, not too expensive other than that I don't care!!!!

I think I'm nearly there though-still a bit of sorting to be done with the support work and I really need to finally sort my thoughts out for the VIVAs (there are two official and one extra one). I think the next 2 weeks are going to be all go. On Wednesday I'm getting together with my 'assistant' which sounds posh but is a good friend and fellow student who will keep me sane on the day for a planning lunch (probably more lunch than planning)

On the home front, as that of course goes on regardless,- small dog's operation was a success although getting it to heal (it was a BIG wound on a little foot) has been a bit problematic as he has hated his 'cone' and he is on his second lot of antibiotics. The very good news though was that it was benign and he has been so good with me dressing it everyday for over 3 weeks without even a growl even when its looked very sore. My foot has come out in sympathy and I've been hobbling for a week, it feels suspiciously like it did when I cracked a bone in the past but I'm trying to rest it as much as possible as I want to be fully functional for mounting the exhibition. It was a good excuse to just sit and watch the royal wedding- so lovely and what a dress.Really glad to see the RSN prominent and embroidery a key feature!

The ERTF conference was interesting although rather full on- too much info. in too little time and I've taken on the role of area rep. for Essex for the next 3 years although I know I'll have lots of help from the retiring rep. Hopefully we'll get things in Essex really motoring over the next couple of years.

So now its a case of holding my nerve and getting through the next 16 days- argh!!!!

2011-04-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

Pushing through to the end

2011-04-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

After a really hard push I have finally completed all the stitching for my degree show. That means I was able to complete the photography and finalise my hanging plan. It seems a bit odd when I have been felting/stitching intensively on one body of work for long that it is now finished. Of course work toward the final show is far from over. I have to complete my statement, draw together all the supporting work and consider what I would like to say during my VIVAs (plus all the little group bits like sorting the details of the private view, arranging gifts for VIPs, our own publicity bits and bobs, completing forms for vaious bodies we would like to look at our work for post degree issues ,etc...) it all seems to take up a great deal of time but I am pushing to get most of it completed by Easter so I can have a bit of a rest before the examination/exhibition week. Life doesn't take a back seat either- family glitches are still occuring,material girls are undergoing a restructure, my own health isn't the best at moment (OH reckons its stress , I just think its time of year) and my poor little dog has developed a nasty lump on his toe which the vet wants to remove asap (never a good sign when they say that) so he's being operated on Monday morning. Still tomorrow I'm off to the ERTF conference at Girton College in Cambridge - passive selling, sounds interesting- which should be a nice break. Then its the final push-wish me luck!

2011-03-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

The Big Review

2011-03-12T07:28:00.000-08:00

The last 2 weeks have been particularly intense. I've been stitching like crazy to make sure that I had something substantial to show on Review Day. This is our last hurdle before the BIG ONE and although not traumatic like the assessment before Christmas it was quite intimidating. You have to present your work to a panel of 3 tutors (one of which was my own lovely Kay Swancutt thank goodness) and basically justify the conceptual aspects plus all the work and how you wish to hang it at the final exhibition. The role of the panel which for me included such luminaries as Catherine Dormer and Sarah Braddock-Clark, is to challenge any fixed ideas you may have and they certainly didn't go easy but I think it went fairly well as I was still open to suggestions about the work and it has made me rethink a few things and ask myself why about a couple of others.
So now its the big push until the end.
One surprising thing that has emerged that everybody seems to wrap themselves up in the work esp. the path even the tutors were doing at the review.

The spring and summer panels are complete and I am well on with the stitching of the Autumn panel so just the winter one to complete. Then its getting back to the woods to complete the photography of the work (they really liked this so its got to form part of the exhibition) and then get everything ready for the big day in May. There are images of the others work on www.jctextilearts.com under the section grad 2011 if you're interested.

Otherwise its all been a bit up and down. More support needed for the daughter (down) a lovely trip to the Foundling Museum with Janette and some of the ERTF (up)Barney was poorly again(down) We had close family being operated on this week - one was donating a kidney to his wife - both came through ,so far so good (down and up) and I've just heard that some of the lovely ladies from Articulation (the Canadian textile artists we are collaborating with for an exhibition next year) are coming over to see the graduate exhibition so we are going to all go out and have a lovely lunch while they are here (definitely up!)
So for now its a case of 'keep on carrying on' as they say.

2011-02-15T02:46:00.000-08:00

2011-02-15T02:45:00.000-08:00

2011-02-15T02:44:00.000-08:00

Outside the bubble

2011-02-15T02:21:00.000-08:00

Last week disappeared in the usual blur. I did step outside the exhibition bubble for a few days so I could attend to a few other 'textile' commitments which was nice but put even more pressure on my time plan.
Monday was taken up partly with delivering work for our EG branch exhibition. I wasn't involved in any hanging for this so it should have been a quick in and out but as it was being held at the gallery we use for Material Girls I took the opportunity for a 'quick' catch up with the arts centre manager which turned into an hour long chat over various things.I returned to see it all hung on Saturday and partake in Tea and Scones that the VAC is now providing in its new cafe-an excellent idea.

Tuesday was Material Girls and I was collecting in and cataloging the work for Jersey which took up the whole morning. The work looks good and is being exhibited at the Textile Showcase under the title 'Primarily Colour'. This mini body of work consists of 10 hangings and 10 vessels (there are 11 of the group now but one is new so isn't exhibiting with this body) and looks good when all together so we are hoping to show it another small gallery when it returns home.
Considering there were only a few pieces it still took me 3 hours that afternoon to pack and sort out all the paperwork (I didn't realise Jersey had such strict customs legislation! I though it was part of the UK). I've led this group for 10years now and am still learning.

Wednesday was more relaxing as I took a break to meet up with my friend Marian (the other 3rd of our little group being sunning herself in Turkey this time) and visit the 'Chinese Robes' at the V&A. They really are exquisite but I really wish sometimes that you had the opportunity to actually get hands on and see how its done. It was some of the most delicate stitching I have seen in a long while and I loved it-real craftsmanship.

Other than that it continues to be stitch, stitch, stitch or rather embellish, embellish,stitch. I had to work out a way this week to knock back the areas that I didn't want focused on with the panels. Embellishing from the back took away too much detail so I have applied a fine mist of silk fibres over those areas which not only gives a hazy misty light to the pieces it helps draw all four panels together. I hoping to finish embellishing the final panel (winter) this week and then I can concentrate on all stitching. However I am nearly there on the textural stitching on the path and then can add the last layer of scattered tiny beds where necessary. So back to the bubble.

2011-01-31T03:24:00.000-08:00

2011-01-31T03:23:00.002-08:00

2011-01-31T03:23:00.001-08:00

Life's a blur

2011-01-31T02:43:00.001-08:00

Why is it when you make optimistic,firm decisions life has a habit of biting you in the bum? Well I've been well and truly bitten on a personal front which has caused home life to be sent into free fall over the last month but as I say its personal and not to be discussed here-I'm just explaining my absence from blogging.
Of course personal upsets couldn't have come at a more inopportune time but I am still plowing on with the work come what may.

Since Christmas I have created a piece of embellished fabric over 15ft long which has been under the machine 3 times to achieve the required effect. I have stitched all the text onto this 'pathway' by hand and then distressed and embedded it using the embellisher so it appears like the random and discarded thoughts that passed through my consciousness during the many walks I took through the woods. the next stage -which I have embarked on- is to hand stitch the whole path with texture representing the seasons that the journeys have taken from the first shoots of spring through burgeoning summer and a glorious autumn to the soft decay of winter.

Meanwhile I am starting to create the backgrounds on the 6ft panels (again this takes at least 3 passes under the machine to create the right layers and textures). I have finished the Spring panel which is ready for hand stitching and started the summer one. The main problem I have is good enough light to enable me to select the right colours of fibres and fabrics so I am limited to the hours I can work on that to mid-day as it has been so gloomy.

On top of this there is extra sketching that JC have asked me to do and all the paperwork that is required to be kept up -sketchbooks,journal and the endless forms they keep sending.Plus we, my fellow graduates, are trying to organise our exhibition from different parts of the globe so we are in e-mail overload. Plus we are still expected to keep up our contact with what is occurring in the art world in general - fortunately I have a couple of great friends in fellow students Helen and Marian who make sure I get to see at least some of the exhibitions and since Christmas I have been to Eastwing nine at the Courtauld and the Designer Craftsmen at the Mall Galleries and I'm off to see the Chinese robes exhibition at V&A next week all being well and I'm really looking forward to the break. So a normal day at the moment goes- get up and do some chores, paperwork etc... 3-4 hours on the embellisher until the light goes, more chores, cook dinner, 3-4 hours hand stitching, bed.

Finally there is real life to cope with- family issues,everyday living (the usual cooking washing cleaning etc...)

Meanwhile I've still got Material Girls to organise (the exhibition of work we were invited to do for the Jersey Textile Showcase must be packed up and sent next week) and some other work delivered to the visual arts centre for another exhibition. I am also trying to get everyone progressing on the next exhibition we are orgainsing with our Canadian colleagues.

Actually I'm making myself feel ill reading this and if it wasn't for the fact that I can use my blog towards my written work I don't think I would be writing it at the moment. So until the next update its back to the embellisher.

2011-01-03T03:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Decade!

2011-01-03T02:48:00.000-08:00

Whoopee! Christmas is over at long last.The decorations are down and tomorrow I get my house back as Martin goes back to work and Kirsty starts her first nursing placement.Although we have a tiny close family we do have quite a few peripheral ones plus friends and I worked out that over the 'holiday period' I have entertained, cooked and generally run around after over 30 people. Invitations for me to be waited on or even made a coffee -0! can anyone wonder why I am not a Christmas fan?
OK enough moaning. This year I have decided to try and moan less and also not let myself be 'put upon' any more, no more Mrs. martyr.
When I wasn't cooking, massaging egos,cleaning, washing up, etc... (probably like every other mother/wife on the planet) I did manage to get a start on my fabric for my final piece and yesterday I finished producing 5 metres of needle felt (which has to have at least 3 complete passes under the machine to combine the various layers of different fibres). The old back is a bit stiff as I think it has taken about 24 hours in total but at least I can actually start the embroidery now, which is quite exciting.I'm really proud of my 12 needle Babylock Embellisher- everyone kept saying you need access to an industrial one to produce such lengths-well you don't. Lets hope it is up to the other 4 panels it will have to produce by the end.
So now its all systems go for 2011 and I can't wait.

2010-12-22T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Ghost of Christmas Present

2010-12-22T08:17:00.001-08:00

It's been another hectic week or so. I did find my Christmas spirit watching people whizz around the Ice Rink at Somerset House and then I promptly lost it again at the Moderation Day. Suffice it to say the meeting with AG was not an experience I would like to repeat and left all of us requiring stiff drinks in the bar afterwards. There are some issues I need to clear up with the college but they will have to wait until the new year now as everything hibernates for the next few weeks.
However, I met up with a couple of good friends from the course last Friday and we had a lovely day. First we visited the Aware:Art,Fashion and Identity exhibition at the Royal Academy GSK Contemporary, which was excellent and well worth a visit (or two). Then we had a lovely lunch at a great cafe in Piccadilly and a good gossip. Followed by a trip into Fortnum and Mason's just to drawl at the goodies on show. As I walked down to the station as evening drew in there were carol singers and snow began to fall covering the Mall and St.James Park turning it into fairyland.How could anyone not feel uplifted after a day like that- intellectually,spiritually and literally full up on good things and good company.
And yesterday despite the snow and a multitude of coughs and colds most of the Material Girls managed to gather together for our pre- Christmas lunch which has set us up to start the new year with a vengeance.
So no more 'Bah Humbug' just a great deal of thanks for the blessings I have received. I wish all of you out there in Blogland a peaceful Christmas and a joyful new year.

2010-12-10T03:59:00.000-08:00

Bah,Humbug!

2010-12-10T03:39:00.000-08:00

I am feeling particularly grumpy at the moment -which is par for the course at Christmastime for me I'm afraid. Most of the year having virtually no family and little social life isn't so bad but at this time of year it seems highlighted and quite painful at times. So I would like to say to those people out there in the same boat its only a couple of weeks and then everyone that keeps telling you how much they have got on,trips out, meals arranged with people, etc.. will go back to moaning about relations again and life will return to normal. You are not alone!
Moan over.
I must admit I have also been feeling quite rubbish as I have had the worse cold/chest infection I have had for years. Along with struggling along the snowy pavements to keep essential supplies coming in it has not improved my mood. But I still think the snow is beautiful- there is nothing quite like a hoar frosted tree to make you think you're in Narnia.
I am hoping though that it will hold off for next week and my trip up to Suffolk. The work is at that halfway stage now- ready to looked at and hopefully approved and then I can go full steam ahead, I'm really looking forward to that part.Discussions with my fellow prospective graduates are going great guns now. We don't always agree but at least we are having productive discussions and things seem to be moving quite fast now- one thing that can be said for my group, we are certainly not passive and I think this will lead to an extremely vibrant and interesting degree show.
Being stuck in with nowhere to go has mean that the cards have been made and posted, the presents wrapped, the house cleaned and tomorrow in an attempt to try and capture some Christmas spirit I am going to take myself up to London to drink hot chocolate and watch the folks skating at Somerset house, I shall then come home and put up the Christmas tree and be thankful for what I do have.

2010-11-24T06:43:00.000-08:00

Lifein a bubble

2010-11-24T06:31:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm locked in a bubble at the moment. I am at present drawing together all the work for my final moderation before the BIG ONE. This work has to prove to the powers that be that my concept 'has legs' my tutor tells me so I can proceed onto the pieces for my exhibition. So I draw and stitch and prepare presentations and sketchbooks to show to Anthea Godfrey (the external examiner) in a couple of weeks time. Everyday I begin around mid morning and lay down my needle at about 10 at night when my eyes are going blurry. Its getting through the work but it is extraordinarily isolating.
Of course life has to be fitted in but at the moment its in a very sparing way- I spend more time with the pets than with people, I look out of the window and the world seems to be passing me by-its weird. If I'm not stitching/drawing/writing I'm just ironing or washing or cooking - its a very strange period but hopefully it will soon be over and then I can just crack on with the final pieces. That's going to be a marathon I know- 15ft of needlefelt for the path-all hand stitched with text and four 6ft felt panels again with handstitching but it should be worth it.
until then I'm just a lonely soul lost in the wood.

2010-11-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

2010-11-11T06:51:00.001-08:00

Dogs,Dentists and Diaghilev

2010-11-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

Another exhausting week plus has flown past. It started badly with me finding my 12 and half year old cavalier collapsed in his bed, shaking and with eyes continually flicking from side to side. He seemed aware but I couldn't get him to stand without him collapsing over to one side. originally I thought he was fitting but with the side weakness I thought it must be a stroke. We rushed him to the vet who examined him and said she thought it was something called Vestibular disease (basically something to do with the inner ear that makes you feel really seasick) it can be idiopathic, age related or a symptom of something nasty going on. he spent the next 24 hours in their hospital under going tests and I was convinced he wouldn't be coming home again. Fortunately next day the vet rang to say we could collect him and I very happy to say its like he's never been ill. He's still being observed but they can't find anything like a tumour so fingers crossed he continues to stay well- he really was very poorly dog for a couple of days and it reminded me just how old he is . Teddy hated him being away and howled all night so if/when the dreaded moment does eventually arrive I'll have to think of a way of keeping teddy company over night.
The dental treatment drags on and on and on- Can't remember when I last had a really solid meal, you can get really fed up of soup and pasta and mush. I think I have only had one month this year without at least 2 trips to the dentist- I really hope that it will all be finished in time for Christmas.
On a happier note I did manage to meet up with a few of the 'girls' to see the Ballets Russes exhibition at the V&A last Friday. An incredible exhibition well worth a visit although there really is too much to take in in one viewing- the fire bird backcloth just takes your breath away for scale and the way you suddenly come across it around a darkened corner.
Tomorrow, all being well, I'm off to see the Gauguin exhibition at the Tate. I am meeting up with a fellow student who is going to help me with my degree show (we are all allowed one assistant for staging). We've lots to discuss as the allocation of spaces has suddenly been brought forward 3 months! it will be nice to know what space we have but it has meant suddenly having to finalise dimensions out of nowhere. The work goes on a pace and I have been taking work back to the woods as I produce samples. It is all a bit intense at the moment but for the first time in the whole degree I feel I am producing work that I am really passionate about.

2010-10-31T05:32:00.000-07:00

2010-10-31T05:29:00.000-07:00

A white rabbit moment

2010-10-31T05:10:00.000-07:00

I feel like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland at the moment- you know that bit in the film where he says/sings
"I'm late, I'm late for a very important date,
no time to say hello, goodbye
I'm late,I'm late, I'm late"
The last couple of weeks have been beyond hectic and I felt like I've been rushing around in ever decreasing circles slowly disappearing (like the Cheshire Cat but without the grin). Anyhow enough to say that I am now totally going to be focusing on the degree module as I have to start getting work ready for a meeting with the external examiner, Anthea Godfrey, on the 14th December. Sounds like a long time but not when you consider that I have to complete 3-4 extremely refined samples to demonstrate what the final pieces might look like by then and I have only one completed.
I have decided on 4 panels each approx.2ftx6ft to depict the woods during various seasons plus 15ft of pathway to depict the journey. All the fabric has to be made from scratch using the embellisher and then embroidered subtly just to highlight each of the magical snapshots.
I haven't even started to experiment with how to produce the desired effect with the woodland panels yet- that's next week- but I have devised a way to create the pathway and embroider the text from my journal of thoughts that I have made on my various walks in the wood. The tricky bit was getting the balance right so you can just glimpse the text if you look closely but, like thoughts, it also drifts away and disappears into the path, becoming part of it.
The photos I am posting are of the early samples placed back in the woodland but I have moved on from these. The paper mock ups are to give an idea and from a pattern for the completed panels but these of course will be much darker in colour.
Besides that I had to organise (and produce work for ) a craft market yesterday. We (Material Girls) only undertook this as a way to support the Visual Arts Centre where we exhibit as they have been running a craft promotion month alongside the Crafts Council and ETSY. Although we spent most of the time promoting the EG,ERTF ,JCS and Textiles in general we also made a few pennies.
Oh well I hear a hungry family calling -back down the rabbit hole!

sticks and stitches

2010-10-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

2010-10-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

2010-10-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe where the time is going but it has been a busy couple of weeks. I've been progressing the work forward and think I pretty much know how I want to portray my concept. I've been doing a lot of stitching and trying to decide exactly how to portray the broken thoughts that will form part of 'the path'. Now I am in the process of creating a full size paper mock up to see if it will actually work so the house is full of 6ft lengths of paper covered in paint and the cats are endanger of having their fur dyed green as they keep trying to sit on them. I think once I've completed these and actually put them up somewhere I will have a much better idea if the piece will work.
Other than that I have the Material Girls completing their work for the Jersey Showcase and we have 'kick started' our joint exhibition with Canada's Articulation group. This should be an exciting project with our joint work being shown both in the UK and then in Canada. The gallery we use is particularly excited about this idea and hopefully when the exhibitions run in 2012 and 2013 it will put a whole new slant on international textile co-operation (more on that as things progress). I have even been teaching again- not children but their teachers- it was a bit daunting as I have been out of the loop for quite a while now but its a bit like riding a bike it soon comes back to you.
Sunday was time for retail therapy as I visited Ally Pally . I did a short stint stewarding on the ERTF stand which probably saved me a few pounds but I still spent far too much- you now you're in trouble when the traders know who you are you even open your mouth!

2010-09-28T02:45:00.000-07:00

Onward

2010-09-28T02:27:00.000-07:00

I spent the week trying to focus an exactly what I was trying to portray and decided the best way to do it was to keep a journal/sketchbook of my thoughts during my visits to the wood.This has proved extremely valuable as it has allowed me to really engage with the thought process not just with the technical aspects. I have also started to make tiny, quick stitch sketches of sounds, feelings and images from the woods. This is easier said than done as the weather has changed and I keep getting rained on whilst trying to do it so some of them are started in the woods,rapidly packed away and completed at home. Also the Dogs tend to think they might be edible and are quite disgusted when they find they don't taste that good.
They do have a fresh quality though and are leading to think of how I can incorporate this into the work. I also want to include some of my thoughts so some deconstructed text might be added. We shall see.
Induction day came and went. I'm not sorry its my last as the relatively short journey ( should be about an hour and a half) took nearly three hours owing to the usual weekend transport problems in London.
The day itself was extremely useful as we picked up some much needed information about various aspects of the final year which we hadn't been told (we seem to be just expected to know but I'm not psychic). I did feel that the tutor that led the day left me feeling a bit flattened. I am sure she knows her stuff but she didn't seem to like felt and thought I was trying to be a bit preachy in my subject matter. Why is there this down on felt as a material? So many people I come across on this course don't seem to like it. Well produced felt can be a thing of beauty and what I produce isn't what you would call traditional felt anyway. I hate all these trendy plastics and lack of well executed stitch but I believe in a person's right to make what they want.
Oh well-onward!

2010-09-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

First Steps

2010-09-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

It may have been a while since my last post - Kirsty has passed her driving test and started her nursing course, Martin has gone back to work and I have have been taking the first baby steps towards the work which will be the body of work for my degree show.
Throughout the last module I was experimenting with techniques and ideas to create the proposal that forms the basis for this work. It was rather confusing in a way as I felt that I didn't really know how far to take the work at that point and combined with the fact that because of various family disasters I missed out on my last tutorials I ended the module in a confused mess. However hopefully I have more of a definite idea of how to proceed.
The theme for my work will be 'The Way through the Woods'. I have a passion for the natural world especially that of the British Isles and I feel that many people have lost that connection with it that is so important. I know everyone is on about 'saving the environment' and I've done my bit of protesting with Greenpeace in days past but now I am more inclined to use my art to open peoples eyes and try to make them think again. I have found a Kipling poem called 'The Way Through The Woods' that seems to sum up that feeling that you can only reconnect with what is past if you really take time to look as 'only the keeper sees' and I intend to explore the little things that lie hidden or are captured out of the corner of your eye when you walk through a wood. To try and evoke this feeling of magical, spiritual connection that you can get if you take the time to walk a forgotten path through a wood. So we begin.

2010-08-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

2010-08-28T03:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks I'm back!
Batteries are re-charged (sort of) although it hasn't exactly been an uneventful summer.

Bad things- being woken up at 3am by daughter with the immortal words "I'm covered in blood and I've had my phone stolen" (fortunately not her blood), endless dealings with police, etc... Falling out of the door and spraining my ankle, Breaking another tooth the day before JCS 'Moderation' which meant having to get it temporarily fixed during moderation, the fridge blew up (well, not literally) an last but not least he gas boiler was condemned and then we were told it was perfectly alright.

Good things - daughter did really well in her 'A' levels and is all set to start her nursing degree in 2 weeks time and I got a first for my dissertation.

So now its back to work Monday week on the last lap towards the final degree show which will be in May next year. As promised I will log my progress (or lack of it) in this blog. I know where I want to go with this body of work but I am just hoping I won't find this lap quite so confusing as I found the last module where I really was unsure exactly how far I was supposed to take the work at that stage.It also didn't help that because I had the daughter emergency I never rec'd a final tutorial before the work was marked so was even more confused.
However before I get going I've one more thing- I'm off to France, to Disneyland, for a couple of days as a sort of final fling for my daughter before she knuckles down to being an adult. Mickey Mouse here we come!

2010-07-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

Panic Stations

2010-07-18T03:34:00.001-07:00

Its been a bit of a nightmare this last week or so. Firstly I found out that my tutor for Personal Specialism (one of the modules I'm doing this semester) wanted all the work into her by 26th at the very latest. I'd been working to a timescale which concluded a couple of weeks later than this so needless to say I've been running around like a headless chicken trying to pull everything together so it can get posted by the middle of this week- with luck I'll get there. The dissertation seems (and I say seems) to be running more smoothly and is on target to be bound and assessed.
Then in the middle of this we had a family crisis- My 18 year daughter who flew out for her first holiday on her own (first time she's even flown) contacted us in tears needing to come home. Kirsty doesn't panic or even get really upset but she was really distraught. I spoke to one of the girls she was with and she concurred so we had to set the wheels in motion. The worse thing was her phone hadn't switched over to international and after I spoke to her and she left the hotel (I use the word very loosely) in Magaluf we were out of contact with her for 18 hours not even knowing if she'd made it all on her own to the airport. Delayed flights and a lot of worries later she arrived at Stanstead looking like death warmed up but fortunately all in one piece. I won't go into what happened but it was all an extremely unpleasant experience. The group of girls she went with all decided to stay so I just hope they are OK. I am just amazed she managed to get herself back - it may seem like a little thing, it wasn't 'up the amazon' after all, but to do it all alone when you've only made your way around London or to the odd Uni. interview on your own before and had an unpleasant experience thrown in as well takes some guts.
In fact things have been a bit of a strain generally lately so I have decided to take a blogging break for the whole of August. Hopefully I'll be back in September but I have decided that the blog from themnwill be totally devoted to the run up to my degree show.
A good summer to everyone in blogland and I'll be back when I have recharged my batteries.

2010-07-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

2010-07-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back! Lyme and the weather this year was just spectacular, so hot some days you couldn't even walk on the sand. As the daughter wasn't with us we indulged ourselves in all the things we usually get moaned at for doing. Walks around gardens, hikes through the countryside, rambles around ancient castles and I even got to stitch on the beach!!!! I took lots of pictures suitable to be made into textiles once this degree is over and just chilled out.
But now we're back.... need I say more. The house is still standing ( although I am fishing vodka bottles out of strange places "of course there were no parties mum") and the cats aren't talking to the daughter although have decided to talk to us.
So its back to work - get the dissertation bound ready for marking and the practical work ready for assessment. I met up with a group of friends who are also colleagues to visit the JC graduate show before I went away so at least I could get some idea for how to approach it next year. It was a good day- apparently John Torode showed us to our table at lunch but I was talking so much I didn't notice - oops.

2010-06-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

2010-06-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

quick update

2010-06-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that its a month since my last posting. All I can say in my own defence is that the last few weeks have been manic with work and the only reason that I've got around to this today is because I've been on the computer to send work to one of my tutors.
In the interim I have been working on developing my samples and academic work for my personal specialism module, refining my dissertation, sorting out stuff as level 3 rep. for the course and beginning to try and draw all my graduating class together to begin the organisation of our exhibition (less than a year now) as well as booking rooms to be used for sessions by ERTF and IFA. Factor in hospital appts. with my father-in-law, hospital appts and uni stuff for my daughter,Gas leaks, visits to V&A and PRISM, Material Girls stuff as well as a little thing called everyday life and I suppose that's why there has been so little time for blogging.
Quick update on the course- dissertation is going on OK I think ( tutorial tonight to see if I'm about there), Personal Specialism has been a bit bumpy. Some modules are written very loosely to allow for 'personal interpretation' but that often seems to lead to misunderstanding between tutor and student leading to confusion and frustration , still I think I'm heading in the right direction now. There isn't much to show picture wise as its books full of sampling but I'll try and find something to tempt you.
PRISM was good as usual but I did feel this year that there was a lot of 'seen that before!' and not quite the spark it usually has still it was probably just one of those down years that happen every so often.
I'm off on holiday for a week in Dorset soon- I sooo need the break after the awful last 12 months so I expect it will a while before I blog again. Daughter not coming this year so it will be our holiday as a couple for 18 years- I'm just hoping I'll have a house left to come back to.

2010-05-17T02:53:00.000-07:00

2010-05-17T02:48:00.000-07:00

So much to do so little time

2010-05-17T02:33:00.000-07:00

Help- where's all the time going! Having had a lovely couple of weeks just sewing for my own pleasure I am now back to full out degree work and this semester it's 2 modules simultaneously which is a bit full on. However this will be the last time that occurs and next year will just (just who am I kidding!) the big push to the end.
The dissertation is going (cautiously) OK. I've had feedback on the first draft from Sarah and she's pleased. There's a lot of smoothing out to do and I think I'm going to re-write the conclusion slightly but on the whole it looks like all the extra work during the first semester has paid off and I can spend time on refining this semester.
I have also had my first couple of tutorials for the personal specialism. I wish I knew why they call it this as it never seems to be something 'you' want to do. I know they need to push you but by this stage I think you should know what direction you want to go and the pushing should be about reaching that direction to the very best of your potential. I have a lovely tutor for this module- I've worked with her before and she always brings the best out in me but she does sometimes seem to go a bit off track. perhaps it's just me -perhaps I'm not explaining myself properly,that's the trouble with distance learning. Also she's so nice I don't want to upset her by saying "I don't want to do that".
It would also help if the modules were written in plain English not arty eduspeak- or maybe I'm just a bit thick.
Anyhow this module has given me the perfect excuse to spend time in the lovely bluebell woods nearby as I am working on a theme of nature and layers of protection (yep folks its felt again). I did try to take some recordings on Saturday of birdsong as I want to try and interpret this in stitch but all I could get was the sound of the airfield next door where someone was standing on top of a biplane and doing tricks. And people think I'm crazy!

2010-05-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ups and Downs

2010-05-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

Its been a funny old week. It started well with the ERTF AGM/Conference in Chelmsford. Really nice to meet up with people and some interesting talks by a designer from Courtaulds
Middlesex Uni and a great team from the Fashion and Textile Museum. I esp. enjoyed the talk by one of our own ERTF members, Juliet Bryson.
There was a good response also to the selling project idea we are working on so I am now moving on to the next step and hope we an get something more substantial off the ground. It also spurred me on to help Janette Bright, our area rep., to set something up for a local meet in the Autumn and as I was organising something for the IFA I decided to book a studio in our local arts centre for this as well.
Monday was not so good as I have changed dentists and he suggested that I have quite a few crowns sorted out (something that has needed doing). It will probably take about a year altogether and I hate the dentist so needless to say I am not looking forward to all this.
Tuesday I managed to injure my foot but that did not stop another trip up to the V&A to see the Grace Kelly exhibition -which was rather disappointing so Marie and I decided to visit the Quilt exhibition again as well to make up for it (God bless V&A membership).
On returning home I found out my father-in-law had had a bad fall and I couldn't locate my other half so several hours in A&E and 18 stitches later he didn't seem too bad but I had to spend all Friday morning with him at the eye casualty checking that he hadn't damaged his eye - which fortunately he hadn't.
More traumas with the dd over the weekend were slightly alleviated by some good news that my dissertation was looking good so far (although she could just be being nice) and shes off to a conference in Seoul for a week so I haven't got to worry about it for another week.
Goodness knows what this week will bring as the Easter break is over and JCS work begins again in earnest. Think its best just to take little steps and take each thing as it comes.

2010-04-23T04:19:00.000-07:00

Focus

2010-04-23T03:54:00.000-07:00

This period of downtime has been really useful for getting my head ready for the big push over the next year towards my grad. show. Several tutors had said to me that the dissertation might prove the most important part of the degree and as I'm not a great academic I just thought 'yeah,right!' However now I think they might be on to something.
Although I am still only in the middle as I have the final draft to produce next semester alongside the 1st personal specialism leading up to my final work(gulp!) for me it has crystallised not only what medium I want to pursue but also how I want to be defined in my practice. My dissertation title is 'Felt, Art or Craft?- an analytical study of felt in the creative sphere since 1945' so I have been using this medium to research present day attitudes to being an artist or being a craftsman and it has been a really enlightening and surprising journey. We are all so desperate to be seen as 'artists' mainly for the validation this title gives our work, however, in my study I've discovered that some of the most beautiful and thought provoking pieces that I have come across are by those describing themselves as either craftsmen or artist/craftsmen.

Generally though there still seems to be this feeling that those working in a region designated as craft as slightly inferior to the area of so called fine art. To me this seems utter rubbish and the research for this dissertation has made me decide that I will be really flattered to be designated a craftsman. I not very happy with the pretension and elitism of the fine art world (the Goldsmiths programme also re-enforced this feeling for me).

The really sad thing is that there has to be this labelling at all and its a modern western thing. So now I feel focused on what lies ahead- Here comes Chris an artist/craftsman working with felt.

2010-04-15T04:44:00.000-07:00

2010-04-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

Downtime

2010-04-15T04:23:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten how good it was to have some time off. It seems so long since I have had a break from anything,esp. study, I had forgotten how important it is to re-charge the old batteries particularly creatively. Having a little leeway has meant that I am finding a little time to catch up with my own work. Material Girls have launched into their new project a bit quicker than normally as we have received an invite to exhibit in Jersey next year. It came as a complete surprise but apparently Pat Robson, the organiser of the event, spotted some of the photos that one of our members, Grace, had taken with her to show a friend when she attended the Textile Showcase a month or so ago and the next thing we know we had this invite. We will be exhibiting were Diane Bates did this year so we have some big shoes to fill but I know the girls will be able to do it.
I also had time to go to the wedding of one of Martin's cousins on Monday. They are a lovely couple and we had a great day. Do you like my Fascinator? its amazing what you can do with a gluegun and a few bits from Hobbycraft.
This was the first wedding we had attended in about 25 years and the first one ever for Kirsty. Martin's Cousin (Father of the Bride) is a priest so he took a step back for the day and the Bishop performed the ceremony in their church in Colchester. We were all a bit zonked though as Martin's dad had been carted off from St.Brides in Fleet Street (London) the night before having collapsed during his sidesman duties and we had spent a couple of hours trying to find what hospital he had been taken to. Fortunately he wasn't in any of them as having recovered (result of no tea, rushing all over Kensington during the afternoon and a hot church, not good for an 86 year old!) he had just asked the ambulance to drop him at the nearest tube station, which they did.
I've also had time to watch the documentary about Goldsmiths Art College. I spotted my tutor and it certainly explains a lot about my tutorials last semester. Something must be sinking in from the BA however as the painting I picked out as my favourite also proved to be the professor's, which I suppose is good!? If you haven't seen it and can get BBC IPlayer I would recommend it-lets say its interesting.
Next thing I could do with is a real go away somewhere holiday- but you can't have everything.

2010-04-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Was That Easter?

2010-04-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

That was Easter wasn't it? I'm sure it was as I remember that somewhere there was chocolate and a really long traffic jam other than that it passed in a dissertation fueled haze. But I don't care because I've done it (not the whole thing you understand -I'm not that lucky) but I've just posted the first draft off to my tutor and I can't do anything else until I get her feedback. That won't happen until teaching restarts at the beginning of May which means I get 3 whole weeks off! Of course it all might be rubbish and its bound to need considerable reworking but today, this minute -I don't care because I'm free! Free to stitch, to walk the dogs without dragging them back too soon, free from 7 hours a day at the computer and waking up with a head going round with facts and quotes and things I've forgotten, free to get the house clean (OK you can't have everything. )So what shall I do first?- maybe I'll just sail away and dream and sleep.....

2010-03-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

2010-03-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

Argh!!! Ooh! Ahhh!!!

2010-03-27T07:12:00.001-07:00

The start of my week wasn't good. The husband suddenly told me that they were coming to change virtually all the windows on Tuesday. Nooo!!! I am up to my ears in trying to get this dissertation draft done and really having to concentrate and the last thing I need is a house full of builders needing regular cups of tea and sticking their heads around the door saying "mind if I use the loo, love?". Actually it wasn't too bad as I shut myself in the back room with the computer and the dogs and the builders were quite well behaved. This was lucky for the husband who might well have ended up stuck in one of the blasted windows if they had held me up.
On Thursday I dashed up to London to interview Heater Belcher. She had had to delay our meeting for just over an hour so I took the chance to do a quick flit around the Quilt exhibition. I have never been a great lover of traditional quilts but there were some really interesting modern ones esp. one made from steel wool (amongst other things) which the artist had made as a response to her mother's dementia which certainly struck a chord with me after the last few years. Some of the abstract ones were quite beautiful and I enjoyed standing in front of Sara Impey's and thinking 'I know her!' Fortunately as a V&A member I can go in as many times as I like for free so I'm definitely going back again.
I then met up with Heather and we had our chat in the member's lounge which I thought would be quieter for recording (wrong- when I was transcribing the tape -which took me nearly 4 hours!- you could hear every tea tray clang and every siren and in London there's a lot of those.) Heather is a delightful lady and gave me some real gold for use in my thesis, soon she off to visit Jeanette Appleton in Spain - lucky thing.
So this morning having been completely tied to the computer for the last week I decided as it wasn't raining for once to get the garden a bit tidier. With help of various animals it is looking a bit better with some joyful Pansies planted and the Camellias coming out. Working there caused me a long slow sigh of pleasure, I could breath. So next week its back down to it again as I would really like to break the back of this draft before Easter so I can get it sent off and actually have a short break- before I start barking along with the animals!

2010-03-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

Underway

2010-03-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Hello, what day is it again? that's what my brain feels like at the moment. I have spent the entire week chained to the computer and have completed about a third of the first draft of my dissertation. It is not easy! but then I suppose its not supposed to be. I get into the writing flow and then have to backtrack to include a footnote or a reference, do a word count to make sure I am proportioning the work correctly or to slot in a suitable illustration. And never being able to include 'I' or 'we' anywhere is really, really hard as I am not the most objective person in the world. Still I have made a start and as I work I realise just how passionate I am about Felt. Its history, esp. the mythology connected to it is fascinating and its just a shame that I can only include a tiny amount in the dissertation.
As I have reached a natural break in the construction I am going to award myself the day off tomorrow. Husband has a new car coming and wants to go out for a run and boy do I need to get out of the house (be warned - expect rain!)and tonight I am going to do some sketching to get ready to do a practical piece as I also really need to stitch. Lastly I have just walked down my garden and seen 2 tiny daffodils starting to bloom so perhaps Spring really is just around the corner.

2010-03-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday saw 4 of 'us Material Girls' going to Enfield to give a talk to the local EG. The journey was a nightmare but we eventually arrived just in the nick of time and I think a good time was had by all, we were certainly made very welcome and the response from the branch was excellent. It was really interesting when picking out the pictures to include in the powerpoint to see just how far the group has come over the last 9 years and how much the quality of the work has improved. We have now started work on our next exhibition which will, with luck, be in 2012 and will have our work cut out to raise the standard even further but I am no doubt we will manage it.
After such a busy Saturday I was rather looking forward to being pampered on Mothers Day but alas it was not to be. Having been at the bottom of the pecking order of mums , so to speak,previously I am now the only mother left in our family so I thought I might be in for a treat but mid-morning I was summoned to my daughter's room where a bleary eyed individual reached below her bed, mumbled something, thrust a card and some choc into my hand (it was nice chocolate I must admit) and then sort of went back to sleep. The husband said he would cook lunch-unfortunately he doesn't do cooking so we actually got a bit of chicken from Marks and Sparks and some peas (I won't mention what happened to the potatoes but I think they were still growing, needless to say they weren't edible). After lunch he succumbed to his cold (Men get flu, children get colds, women get on with it!) and crashed out listening to his MP3. At this point I gave up and watched The Duchess which was definitely the best part of the day.
So for the rest of this week I am going to be chained to the computer starting on the first draft of my dissertation- which, with the way everything else is going lately, is going to require considerable luck if it isn't all to sound like gobbledygook.

2010-03-07T02:46:00.000-08:00