Count Down to Exhibition

Well the bags are packed, the work is done and everything is ready for The Material Girls  exhibition 'British Birds' over the Holiday weekend.

30th April - 2nd May

10am-4pm

Essex Wildlife Trust

Ingrebourne Valley Centre

The work has involved struggle... for some reason each piece has taken against me, being difficult - office chairs which sink at a vital moment, causing hiccup stitches, equipment which works perfectly on the test then mashes up the real piece, knocking glue over which is making a river towards the work.  There's gesso on the phone, paint on a jumper, snapped scalpel blades and a growling sewing machine.  Even almost straightened out a curved needle.  To name a few.  Its been long time since I felt so consistently and overwhelmingly conspired against.  But breathe, its all achieved.

I will share images once its up, but for my month and bird, the four pieces involve....

~ a bit of realism

~ a pun on words

~ a tongue firmly in cheek joke

~ interpretive dance

you will need to visit to see which is what.  Its FREE, and I will be there Saturday afternoon.

So what next..... The Material Girls are going to spend some time in personal creative development.

I have things to make for, sent in an Intent form for a selected exhibition.  Have an Art Trail to apply for and a creative afternoon Workshop for Embroiderers' Guild to prep.

Ideas for all of this involve : structured process, methodical thought, free flowing fun, research, mental gymnastics, colour, play.

So far as often happens, it mainly exists rattling around in my head, where as always happens, the ideas and interpretation are magnificent!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this.... a posed photo for a competition, which didn't get anywhere, but then Seeing Red, of late, kinda explains it all.....

2014 Here I come!!!

Time rolls on and here we are start of a New Year, time to think of hopes and dreams which may become a reality.  A reflection on previous year, thoughts of what to do better, explore further, yes even abandon or adjust, personally and art wise.
But I try to keep this for my textile life, so...

2013 saw a new development for me... a set of work, and not one but three, poss four, depends how you define a body of work!!
I always see my pieces as inter connected, but have never tried to make a cohesive group, so closely similar, before, nor to set out with the intent of X number in the set before a needle has been threaded.  And yes I did struggle with the spirit to keep going.  This is mainly because after making one, the itch is scratched.  One of these sets is 99% hand stitch, which will make some of my friends faint... they think I only use the sewing machine, whilst I think I use anything and everything I like!  Perceptions? Oh to see ourselves as others see us... scary.

To 2014 - and my arty plans

~ Exhibition for ERTF opening Feb - items already made, tick.
~ Exhibition at Textiles in Focus, Feb with The Material Girls - items 90% made, little tick!
~ Potential Art Trail submission, yes also Feb deadline, sigh.  Ideas, and possible items, not enough for even a tiny tick yet...
~ Further Art Trail submission, usually around May, ideas only.
~ Next topic for The Material Girls - in early research.
~ Me inflicted on my EG Branch - I've made lists!!!
(Look on the listing on the right of this blog for quick references)

If submissions accepted that will mean displaying work in June and Sept and any other adds ons as part of process.
There are other possibles... but at the moment I'm coming down on the No side.  I know I would like the project, can do the project, but think I need NOT to do the project!  Its not the doing of, or discipline needed, I'm finding hard, but the switching of my head from one thing to another, thought wise. I think I need to allocate time out and recharge a bit. Instead I need some fun input, things which really don't matter and provide joy in the moment.
After writing this in draft, twice in one day I came across similar ideas. One person said their New Year Resolution was

"Do Less - but Do It Better" 

Then there was the magazine article, taking the ideas from the 5:2 diet and applying to other areas of your life, restriction/cutting down on something for two days, be that internet use or watching tv.  Personally I can easily manage 5 days of cutting down on hoovering!  I go with the theory that if you squint you can't see the dust!  Heck just take your glasses off....
So to bring some fun, I made myself a Holiday project... and here it is.

A Boast of Bunting!

I hope you will keep me company, here or on my Facebook page, for another year of mixed media textile adventure.

Wishing You A Very Successful Happy Arty 2014
 





Speaking the Language of Art.... or not!

Last week I sent off my Art Trail application... the hardest thing on applications is the words... I do so hate the art speak, feel that really isn't me at all, and yet sometimes I feel like I've drifted into it. Its like being in an art class, whilst there, I understand every word, I can juxtapose, sort dichotomies, know my tertiary from my analogous, with the rest of them, but get home and its, "what on earth do these notes I made actually mean". I don't understand half the words I've written down.

Some applications want to know about the work, others, the artist and work, and others have limited numbers of words, 35, 50. It can get to feel like the tie-breaker question in a competition: I buy purry cat food because.......
The words, especially when you have to write them now for work which may not be displayed for 6 months, 8 months, may be longer, work not even made yet, well I'm learning how to write something interesting, relevant and yet at the same time suitably vague!!! (Could also be politician speak.)
Made the mistake early on of saying my work is... then at the exhibition realising actually it isn't. I try really hard not to speak PCT - Pretentious Claptrap - but unfortunately saying "I made it this way cos I wanted to and I like it, and its got red bits cos I ran out of blue" just isn't the done thing, sigh. So alas I find there are times when in order to be in the game you have to speak the language, or else not play at all.
Interesting programme on tv at the moment, BBC2, 5.15pm each evening "Show Me the Monet" - all about artists of varying experience trying to get their work into a selected exhibition - you may find it contains artspeak   :-)

Now, let me see when I have a window in my Filofax so we can set up an interface - see you next time!!!

Big Girl Stuff!!!

Excitement… once again I have a place on the Burnham Art Trail. Sharp eyed viewers may have spotted the detail on the right already. In addition to the local venue displays, where the work MUST stay in position for the duration, there will be ‘Unframed’ work for sale to take away immediately in the Museum.

This is one of the several reasons for the PPL!
I also have the Rochford Art Trail application form to complete, but a while until the deadline for that one.
This coming Saturday I’m off to the ERTF AGM and Conference in Cambridge. Taking Juliet with me, I will rely on the sat nav and her map reading skills!! There’s something pending which I’m concerned with, but I’ll tell you after its approved. Hopefully lots of information to glean from the guest speaker: Stacey Harvey-Brown with the subject of “Passive Income” – How to Get Published and to Develop a Passive Income from Other Activities. Whoah, big girl stuff – good job I went on the how to develop a Business Plan workshop a month back!!!
Yesterday I went to the little textile group I belong to – it’s social, sharing our artwork not an exhibiting group. But we had a lovely catch up, especially with Kathleen who moved away to Herts almost 18 months back, who got up early and travelled by various buses to come and see us. As she’s in Letchworth I gave her a poster for the ERTF/Owen Jones exhibition.
More news, the Eastern Region of the Embroiderers’ Guild have a new website which is now up and running.
Sorry no piccies today, must get on and try a bit to make a bit more PPL.
PS – look at the last post if you don’t know what PPL is!

Special Day!

Today is a special day, being 10-10-10 - for once no confusion between us Brits and Americans on what day it is!!! (I don't like the way blogger insists on archiving with the date the "wrong way" for me, even though the instruction says otherwise). I've been recording these special dates (and others like 1-2-3) with photos, usually around my home, and as I write a diary, there's usually something about what is happening in my life at the time.  The intention is to make art... a piece somehow capturing the photos and the snippets of life.  Anyway here today, its been bright sunshine, blue sky with the tiniest cloud, breezy but relatively warm.  The sun is going down now, so may be more photos to come.  I like these quirky dates, probably because my birthday is one of them, and by fluke my wedding day also.

This coming week, DH returns to work full time after his "episode" - 10 months almost of challenges on the domestic front.  Not least in the past few weeks he's been working at home which means two computers on the go at the same time, or papers all over tables.  So my access for my art has been restricted, almost to non existence, what will I do with an extra day?  Oh, well before the end of Oct I've some 7" x 5" pieces to make for PaperWEIGHT, need some small pieces for my Art Trail display, oh and I promised a brand new, made especially for piece, for my Embroiderers' Guild Branch Exhibition.  Mhmmmm is one extra day enough... ought to be a doddle, after all I've managed two solos, an art trail, and piece for touring event with domestic pressure.  One must always remember in times of difficulty, there's always cake... and chocolate!!! ggg

Busy, busy, busy

Gosh things have been full on for a while... working hard to meet deadlines, thought I was seeing some daylight, but received another "could you just..." request last week.

This is a teaser of my Tudor Rose made for my Embroiderers' Guild Branch Exhibition, which goes up at the beginning of Nov.

Paper and stitch... of course. And I've been busy out and about.  Firstly I went to see OTT's exhibition "Bloomin Marvellous".  A riot of colour focussing on the natural world, so apt being an exhibition at an RHS garden.  I think I've only missed one of this groups exhibitions since they started.
Also I've been along to see EAST's exhibition "Talking Textiles" - again a group I've seen almost all of the exhibition of.  Individually themed quite different from OTT, but that's what's so good, to see such variety in a short space of time.  I also managed to get along to the last day of the Map exhibition at the British Library, it was soooo crowded.  And then I went along to see Origin, my first ever visit.  Enjoyed that and bought myself some beautiful art pieces.

Also I managed to complete and deliver on time my piece for the ERTF Owen Jones touring exhibition.  Here's a taster of Pastiche, guess what, more paper and stitch!!  Met up with other contributors over a delicious late breakfast hosted by Lorraine.  Getting to know more members as I also attended a Tea & Textiles day a couple of weeks back!

I've seen the Rochford Art Trail brochure, quite a shock to find a photo of my work on the front cover.

And my new website, seems to be well received, and in fact I've sold two pieces of work from being seen on the site.  Great news and I'm thrilled, but now in a quandary over what to put in the Art Trail to replace them!
So... I just need to make a new piece of work by the end of October... no pressure then!!!

Good News... & Good News!!!

Collected my work from the Hospice and I've sold FOUR pieces, happy dancing. All four of my Heart Series pieces I put up have found new homes, if you bought them I hope you enjoy, and thank you. I do have two more in the series...

(pink/green) is: Forever Friends. (blue) is: Love Is...

And more news today... I have my allocation for the Burnham Art Trail - I will be in the Tourist Information Centre, end of June.

I'm on the Web!

I was thrilled this week when I received news that a pic of my work has been chosen alongside others to illustrate the Rochford Art Trail The Trail takes place the last two weeks of October. This is one page of the Essex Summer of Art, and I will hopefully be participating in the Burnham Art Trail too, if you look at the righthand menu you can see lots of art events.

My work at the Hospice comes down next week, no idea how its all gone, will find out perhaps when I attend. But time will be limited, as I have to drive the 25 miles there, pack up the work and be back home to then take himself to a hospital appointment.

Catch Up

Although things have been busy on the home front, I have managed to complete my paperwork for the Burnham Art Trail... and next I need to complete paperwork for Rochford Art Trail, 2/3 weeks to go for that one. I don't like leaving it until the last minute, but it the way it is at the moment. I'd forgotten when only one can drive, how much time it takes up, providing taxi service.

Here are a couple of pictures. The first one is called Amongst the Greenery - it doesn't have a 'design source' except for in my head, this stringing is something which I've done beautifully on a virtual piece since before Xmas!!! The other piece is Heart Mosaic and is rough rectangle shapes with "naive" machine quilting - but its not a quilt!!!

The ERTF/Owen Jones project is now on hold, which on a personal level is good, because life has exploded, but I will make something, as again I've got another virtual masterpiece constructed!!

I know my Etsy shop has nothing in it at the moment... I'm afraid it will have to stay that way because there is only so much I can deal with.

Catch Up Time

The Art Trail is over for this year - but I am pleased with how things went. My venue host was lovely, and tells me that visitors did look and wanted to buy work there and then, but that's not quite how the Trail works. If you were one of those people, do get in touch, I'm sure we can work something out. Bevtextart@aol.com

Sadly I was not successful at the Essex Open - not surprising. Textile Art is accepted but there are usually only 4/5 pieces to be found amongst the five rooms spread over two floors. Still there's always next year....

Knit One, Stitch One plans are progressing. The poster is finalised and awaiting copying for distribution.

I'm busy making my piece for the ERTF, Romance in the Store Cupboard project - hearts and love letters feature. That will be on show at The Shop in Cambridge in September. In the meantime next week the ERTF "Moving Forward" exhibition opens at the Warner Archive, Braintree, see previous post for details. There's an article on the Archive in the latest Embroidery magazine.

This is a detail of one of my Heart Series pieces, there are six - of this style, this one is Hearts & Flowers.

Art Trail

My work is up and ready for the Art Trail which opens on Saturday 20th, and runs until 28th June. Here's a look. Apologies for the photo, its really hard to take a pic of things in a window, and also being a hairdressers, the mirrors are directly opposite. Apologies to those inside if you are revealed mid snip!! http://www.burnhamarttrail.co.uk/ I will be at The Museum this coming Monday afternoon (22nd) stewarding - so come by and say hello.

The pic in a previous post of machine or nue, well I was hoping to finish that, but its still sitting here, undecided as to what to do with it next, so it hasn't appeared in the window!!

I've also put One piece into the Essex Open. It wasn't until last moment that I realised if work is selected it will over run with my exhibition with Juliet, so good idea in the end to only put one piece forward. Its been a while since I've been successful, so hopeful but not overly so.

Art Trail - update

Burnham on Crouch Art Trail

20th - 28th June 2009

The 2009 Art Trail website is now online.

You will find me at Venue 6.

http://www.burnhamarttrail.co.uk

Sneaky Peek

Life is full of deadlines and then suddenly nothing... well not for another few months - time to be efficient and get ahead of the game!!

I have my venue for the Burnham on Crouch Art Trail in June, more information will be posted on that nearer the time.

I've to finalise details, but have an opportunity to exhibit at a local adult college in September.

And the sneaky peek - work made for a competition of a group I belong to. Hopefully it arrived on time and safely, if so, it will be seen at the conference in April.