Meetings, Promotion and Secret Makings

Last week was very full on, and it will make me sound like a proper legit artist to mention! He he.  Every textile organisation or event I have in the calendar had something done on it last week.  Three meetings on consecutive days.  Others involved emails, may be just a few lines, may be something more, but everything had its moment.
Its all very do-able, except for switching the brain between things, and I really do buy lime green post-its so I can't miss things.  Didn't stop me last week scrabbling in my bag/purse to find a business card, so how come last night I put my hand in and found the 10 I'd put there??? Actually if you recall I set a New Year resolution, "do less but do it better" - well hitting June almost, and I'm not there yet.  I think it will work out, but in our arty world thing don't run to a calendar.  Everything always seems very intense and then nothing, well it does for me.  All I can say is a good job I didn't live in 1751 (from my Georgian research for Rainham Hall project of The Material Girls)  Switching to Gregorian calendar in September they missed out 11 days!!!  I seem to lose days somewhere as it is....

Anyway I have been stitching, I've made this:

Like it?   Its a secret, can't show you.  I can tell you its a postcard and made for Burnham Art Trail.  Postcards made as part of an anonymous artist, sealed bid sale.

I've also done a self portrait sketch... now if you  know me you will know how sick this makes me feel.  I don't have my visage on show, last week I had my photo taken (as part of the room view) but heart was racing, it honestly makes me feel ill and close to tears. I'm trying to (wo)man up, but I still find it hard to showcase me, as oppose to the art.  Even doing the sketch at home in private, had the same effect.  I don't do real, certainly don't do me, so pleased that the result isn't too alien looking.  It too is for an event. There may be a follow on to a meeting last week... poss an interview, to give background and substance to an event, and I believe I'd be one amongst many.  Last time I had a photo and an interview, it was near to a cafe, so involved tea and cake to recover, because absolutely, I was shaking.

I've had a look at my venue at Burnham, as said, its a Funeral Directors, but the window space is right on the corner, opposite to the main supermarket and just down the road from the railway station which has a big event of its own for the Trail.

I've also submitted the paperwork for entry into the Rochford Art Trail, so wait and see what's on offer with that one.  I've now done many of these "in 50 words" submissions, but every single time, I can't help but want to write "I made it cos I like it" - or visions come in to my head of "complete this tie breaker and win a year's supply of dog food" which I must enter, even though I don't have a dog!
Mhmmm perhaps us artists just aren't wired the same as others.... well, may be this one isn't!!

Books, Books and More Books...

Books, well let's start with a reminder of what's coming up...

A bookbinding techniques workshop with me!!!

Wednesday 2nd July 2014

at the lovely countryside studio of Fantasia Textiles

Please contact Norah to book

To see a sample of what's on offer please see my Workshop page 

and there are photos of my books in the Gallery section of the site too

Turn the Page - the book arts exhibition in Norwich.  Look for the Facebook page too. I did ask permission to take a few photos, which was actually greeted by some with "how kind of you to actually ask".  However, I didn't ask permission to put photos on my blog, so I won't.  In any event its probably better to send you direct to a website.  Some people actively encouraged you to touch their work and others had signs forbidding, but unless the artist engages with you, you can't even get them to share.
Ironically I travel 100 miles to my "home" knowing and seeing people who live about 7 miles away from me, here.
Pien Rotterdam   had a lovely chat with her, she had books which were totally her own, as in the paper, construction and the poem inside.  I particularly liked the poem as it was all about paper and books.  Sadly she only had it in the form of the books which were for sale, but she did say she would look to adding to her website.
Justin Rowe these are paper cut, sculptural books, very intricate.  Some were shown in a subdued lit room, as they had teeny lights inside of them, so a street lamp was actually lit up.  Lovely.
Chris Ruston Chris is local to me!  I love her work, little tiny nests/bowls with paper eggs inside and words. A collection presented in like a shadow box, but each item was small, as the whole thing was less than A4.
Jo Howe  Lots of rolled tubes of printed pages, in various configurations
Jules Allen  Conceptual, I was drawn to a book contained within a shell.
Tom Bevan  I had a long chat with him.  He was really friendly and interesting.  His pages are also cut, but woven and manipulate into 3d sculptures but still within the book cover.
Just a few of many, and some collective groups, so do look at the website of the event, and other options to see more.

In the afternoon I went for my appointment to see the Boleyn Bible - The Bible proved to be a bit of a shock to start with.  I had it in my head it would be small, having seen others, I was expecting A6/fit in the hand size.  However, this was close on A3, and originally would have been bigger, the Victorians rebound it and chopped it down!  Its a Wycliffe translation, ie English from Latin.  Here's a link to a 2012 newspaper article about the Bible. And a few photos which I was allowed to take.

See how close the Illumination is to the top edge, where its been trimmed down

The Bible is not complete, and at the end some pages of music have been added...