Bones

Working on this piece with printed images of bones, a bit frustrating at the moment as I don’t really feel I like it. Some moments I think this will be OK but not when I see it from a distance. I think deep down one usually knows when something is working. I decided today to just play around with it and try and have fun, and that approach has helped. Let’s face facts, it doesn't really matter to anyone but me.

Sketchbook page:-

I am working on black commercial felt, with painted fabric and, of course, a touch of bandage.

I hope some of you had a look at Art Click TV as I thoroughly enjoyed two of their free videos and hope they will continue with the experiment in the future.

I am really enjoying looking at the work on this site, and finding it both inspiring and daunting in its wonderful simplicity and authenticity. It is the work of Alice Fox who is currently artist in residence at Spurn Point.

Change again.

I have been busy over the last few weeks with a new project, one of those you have to keep under wraps for a while, and with, more importantly, a son’s wedding. Now I have chance to return to the Change, Transform, Disintegrate project. I remember showing some of this, i.e. the buttons whilst in progress and it is still in progress, but now I think not much more to do.

 This is worked on a piece of felt made with merino wool tops and some quite shaggy fleece which I was given and washed and prepared myself.

 I think it has the look of rabbit skin. So some felting, some embellishing and hand stitch. More stitching needed to complete it.

Way back in May this year Margaret Applin of' Scrap, Wisdom, Collage 'surprised me with a post about my little self-published blub book which she had been kind enough to buy. Here, belatedly, is a link to her blog and the post about it. You can learn a lot about using thermo fax screens from her blog.

I like the new light-box feature on Blogger which means that you can click on a photo to see it enlarged;especially as my template means that it is often difficult to show a nice large close-up.

'Found'

A couple of interesting links today and a few photos of beach finds from Swanage.

Art click TV http://artclick.tv/   is currently offering quite a number of free videos due to the fact that they are linked to advertising. The more interest they get will encourage them to keep this feature which is currently only for July. I have really enjoyed a couple of free showings this weekend when I was not in the mood for much else. The advertising is not at all intrusive. Take a look so we can keep them posting more shows.

If you are anywhere near Stafford, Unit Twelve gallery seems as if it would be worth a look. The link was sent to me by Kirsty Whitlock whose work will be featured in a new exhibition which runs from August 2nd to 27th October.

Found: vb. to bring into being; to discover by chance; to come upon by searching; to perceive. 

Work from Jennifer Collier, Judith Brown, Lucy Elsie Harvey, Alys Power, Kirsty Whitlock, 

Print garage (a.k.a Iain Perry), Naomi Greaves, Lucy Harding and Tracie Murchison (pictured). 

  Unfortunately I am at the other end of the country but it is good to see what is going on. There are also a number of interesting workshops linked in with the exhibition.

Minute

It’s that time of year again and We Love Your Books have made their selection for this year’s online exhibition of Artists’ Books. This year the theme was MINUTE, so it was open to a number of interpretations, along the lines of very small and ideas linked to the passage of time. There was also a size limit to the book to fit in with the theme.

A small selection, in fact a minute few, of books will also be on show at the University of Northampton in November 2012.

I am very pleased to say that my book has been chosen and will be in both exhibitions. Circumstances pushed me to choose the idea of living life minute by minute and the idea of making the most both of time and the ragged edges of life.

I used photographs of my art work to make a small fold book.

Please take a look at the on-line exhibition; I think you will find the various interpretations fascinating. Later in the year a catalogue of the work will be produced and will be available from the website.

Kirsty Whitlock, this year’s Embroiderers Guild Scholar in the UK actually comes from Basingstoke and went to the same comprehensive school as my sons. Yesterday she was kind enough to come to the day services where I work and talk about her work to the service users. Not only did she talk but also allowed people to touch the flowing threads and smell the coffee used to colour the paper which is her main medium. She is full of enthusiasm for her work and her career; this was infectious and the audience were all caught up with this and really enjoyed the afternoon, sharing their own creativity, whether in crochet, cross stitch or working with old coke cans.

If you have not seen her work please take a look at her website. She will have her own stand at the Knitting and Stitch show at Alexander Palace this year so you too may get the chance to stroke the threads.

A winner

Well there can only be one winner and she is:


'primdollie'.


I hope you get my email and then contact Sue Bleiweiss with your address so that she can forward your prize.

Thank you to all the rest of you for your interest, and even if you don't win on the blog hop I'm sure
you will get plenty of inspiration and fun from the book. Impressed that some of you are reading it on
the ipad!

Rhythm

I hope you have been following the Sketchbook Challenge blog hop for a chance to win one of the generous prizes being offered by the sponsors. I am delighted to be a contributor to the book which is packed with information and resources; a small thing but important, is that it feels so nice in the hand, with its clever rounded corners, like a little sketchbook itself.

My theme was rhythm which I did not at first find easy; you will have to read the book to see how I coped with it. I found it interesting to reads everyone’s first impressions of the given theme: their honest accounts of how they dealt with the theme,how they worked their way into a sketchbook and eventually to a finished piece of work.

My give away will be:

From The Thread Studio a package of machine embroidery threads:

 http://www.thethreadstudio.com/catalogue/machine/vcoloursets/coloursets.htm  total retail value $18

On the 5th July  I will choose a winner from comments left on this post .

The generous  sponsors include :

Mistyfuse http://www.mistyfuse.com

ArtPlantae Today http://artplantaetoday.com/

Gelli Arts http://www.gelliarts.com/

Joggles http://www.joggles.com

Sue Pelland Designs http://suepellanddesigns.com/

ProChemical and Dye http://prochemicalanddye.com/home.php 

The Thread Studio http://www.thethreadstudio.com/

Blue Twig Studio http://www.bluetwigstudio.com/

The Artist Cellar http://artistcellar.com/

‘Sketchbook Challenge’ the book can be found at:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Sketchbook-Challenge-Techniques-Inspiration-Achieving/dp/0307796558

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sketchbook-challenge-sue-bleiweiss/1106242576

ArtPlantae: http://www.artplantaebooks.com/book/9780307796554

Comments are now closed 5th July 5.20pm UK