A Little January Colour

Its another dull grey January day here, so let's have some colour.

I have joined in (again) with Wanderlust 2018  for January the theme is Pathways - the first lesson is a personal pathway, road, journey.  I decided I would log the types of home I've lived in, only 7 homes, but 4 different types - this is a more unusual one.

Yes, for a year I lived in a blue caravan

At our last Embroiderers' Guild meeting, we had a guest tutor, Kirsten Yeates, who gave us all a practical afternoon in silk painting. This is what I made, I choose simple shapes.

I added the lines when I got home, with watercolour pencil

because that's the set of pencils to hand!

Having promised myself not to keep buying books, given book case collapse in middle of night, I have been good and made use of the library.  However, reading the blog of Karen Ruane, sigh, and seeing my friend Sue's posts about it, my fingers twitched and I hit the  'buy' button.

Its not a book about lots of different stitches, and if you know embroidery likely you will know all of the ones mentioned.  However, it is about construction of the stitch, and that is what appealed to me, especially as I have made my own grids etc

My promise not to buy more books isn't really working, given I have 2 more on order.  They are not creative books though, so won't go in 'my' bookcases, so don't really count, do they?

Oh.... I might just tell you about the Sketchbook I ordered too, another time!

2018 Already!!

Happy New Year

Here we are already good way through first week in January.

Last year was quite full on, lots achieved and done, but not always to my personal satisfaction.  Record keeping of all sorts has gone amiss, inc in blogland.

I won't say its a Resolution to write more, but let's just say the intent to do is there.

2017 saw

The Material Girls with FOUR Exhibitions

John Harle at second venue

Essex Environment shown at two venues

and a very successful Exhibition Goodnight Children Everywhere

My Embroiderers' Guild Branch

held a very successful Exhibition

then there was the National Day of Stitch

which was packed out all day

and I received a Certificate for being a Member for

25 years.

On a personal level

Once again had work in Rochford Art Trail

September, October and November

saw attendance at Workshops

Art Van Go

Seth Apter

Dali Graham

Phew, a lot there,

2018 may be a quieter year as lots of organisations seem

to be taking a break.

I do have plans and commitments to things, and await notifications of

any new opportunities.

Comments Taken to Heart (and Scissors)

Much like my last posting, this one is about shining a light on my own thoughts, as instigated by others.  Like the last, I should have trust and belief I've done right... but found I was doubting myself.  This event took place before the last, so I guess I'm feeling hyper aware to such.

This was my piece for The Material Girls exhibition "Goodnight Children Everywhere" recently shown at Rainham Hall.

Whilst I was there doing my stewarding a member of the public asked after it.  So there I am, wearing my identity badge, standing next to my work which is also labelled with my name (in two places I might add) - and they happily tell me to my face what's wrong with it, and not in an art critique kind of way!

So this is where the light shines on my emotions.

Fair enough, no one likes everything, so you are perfectly entitled to think such.

But next I am filled with conflict.... is it really appropriate to say such to the artist?  Not to my taste, not my thing, all 'acceptable'.

However the comment, albeit throwaway almost trivial, and yet in one breath hurtful and also bemusing. Not really sure how I was supposed to feel about such.

I brushed the face to face comment aside, but days later it started to gnaw at me.  Why?  Could it be hurtful because it had an element of truth about it?  If I were totally happy with the piece, then the remark would have firmly planted in the bemused side.

I had never made a book like this before, it took a lot of working out the practicalities of the how, and I would make it differently another time.

Anyway post exhibition, I decided to take scissors to it - well a scalpel, as actually its too well made to succumb to scissors.

It needs some tweaking to sort out, few snips are not the end, and I've got to make best of it in situ, its neither practical nor something I want to do, to dismantle and reassemble.

So.... the irony is  "I Spy" (title of the piece) can no longer be spied as it was at this exhibition.  If its ever on show again, perhaps you'd like to play:  I Spy with My Little Eye - changes made!

Suddenly, 3 At Once.

In the words of waiting for the proverbial bus... everything comes along at once.

On the bad/shrug shoulders news, three times last week I've been on the end of doing something to have it ignored.
There's been a 'I don't know anything about this' - OK so you didn't bother with the two emails I sent out, one a month ago and one only three days ago?
Add in another person saying "oh I don't read any of the emails you send"

I suspect one of these ignoree is playing a game....she's on my List, mwah ha ha!

Yes I could fill a book with them

Its not a Naughty or Nice List - you don't want your name in this book!

I answered these remarks - I have done as I've been asked, I've prepped, I've advised, you have all you need, its down to you whether you bother to read or not, I can't make you.

The only down side with these things, is in the past when people don't respond, claim lack of all knowledge and suddenly its panic, can you just...(don't we love those words) and its last minute must be done changes which fall back to me.  Still that will get them a Star next to their name on the list, they will move up in rankings!

I find myself somewhat amused though, quite Why do you bother to actually tell someone you haven't bothered with the communication, shows themselves up to be a wotsit and leaves me having it confirmed!!

door to opportunities

On the good news bus, another Workshop opportunity came up.  I haven't done workshops for ages, may be a couple of years, and now in the space of about 12 weeks I will have done three, or poss four, given the latest is two individuals or stay the whole day.  Mhmm what is a cluster of Workshops known as? Oh I know  PLAYTIME!

It will put me in my happy place as it will involve