Romance and Reality

This is a little snippet of a piece which together with that on the last post will be on view at the ERTF exhibition "Moving Forward". The Shop, 18 Jesus Lane, Cambridge, 8-26th September.
I do not have work in the main exhibition, but have the Challenge piece below, and the above piece. From our ERTF study day behind the scenes of a museum, "Romance in the Store Cupboard" - we were looking at love tokens from the past.
My exhibition with Juliet Bryson - www.julietbryson.co.uk goes up in under a week, and its full on reality. Most everything is done now, but I've spent ages in front the computer, labels etc take such a long time, drafting an Artist Statement is even more time consuming. And then there was the casual request, can you just..... write a press release? Which as these things are, is followed by... within the next day or so. Lists, you need lists... and a big red pen to tick off the tasks done!!

ERTF

On Friday Juliet and I went over to the Warner Textile Archive in Braintree, Essex. We went for two reasons 1) to see our work on exhibition, and 2) to start work on another ERTF/Warner collaboration.
Incidentally, ERTF - Eastern Region Textile Forum: www.ertf.org.uk The above is my entry (sneaky peek on previous posting) for the 2nd Challenge, making A4 sized work from a sectional piece of fabric/design from the Archive. We had no choice, it was pot luck which you were given in a sealed envelope. My design had just the pink honeysuckle flowers, which you can see - a bit of computer manipulation and my end result. Its on display at Braintree until 21st August, and then it will move to The Long Shop, Cambridge, from 8th Sept. There are over 40 pieces on display, alongside the design source, its beautifully displayed well worth a visit. I don't know if a calendar will go ahead or not... but my piece has been shortlisted for it.
The main part of our visit was taken up looking at fabrics designed by Owen Jones, in order to make work for a future display at the Archive. We can make whatever we wish, its not juried but its specifically for exhibition at Braintree. No dates have been fixed, but likely to be on show from early Summer 2010. So there's time to think, especially to come to terms with fabrics from the 1870s in bubblegum pink, or hot citrus yellow!!! And we think of these as being so modern.
It was a good meeting - and 2010 is filling up with potential opportunities.... and..... even heard about things for 2011! And I thought last year being able to buy the following year's desk diary in August, was a bit extreme.... perhaps not.