Summer Games

It must be a sign! The rainbow yesterday landed exactly on the name of my house, now…, where’s that crock of gold?!

Yesterday was Osmotherley’s annual decent into madness, “Summer Games”. Starting as a fun day out for all the family, it soon degenerates via the yard of ale, crash the crocks and welly tossing;although this year the inter-pub tug of war was banned due to health and safety fears (hmmm, the yard of ale is “safe” then?!) Anyway, I’m feeling a little fragile today (no I didn’t do the yard!) but managing to do a bit more to these small pieces which I’m planning to frame as a series of about 6.

It was so encouraging to have my work admired by so many people last week and  I’m beginning to realize that the pieces that get the most comments are those that have got “feeling” behind them.Out of adversity and all that…my bears are part of an ongoing story, made out of love rather than the intention of making money, so ultimately more satisfying I think…

The exhibition in York turned out to be really useful, with quite a few invitations to run workshops and give talks.So, even though I’ve been feeling a bit sad and nostalgic about the excitement and promise of this time last year, I guess so long as you keep trying the handles, new doors will always open.

Now tonight I must have an early night with a lovely Lush”Karma” bath and a new book to start.

(Listening to: “Owner of a Lonely Heart” dance version. Reading: “Amsterdam” Ian McEwan. )

Lionheart

Its been a beautiful day here on Witchmountain, cloudless, shimmery blue and even the birds seem lazy. I’ve been sitting in the garden adding a bit more to this t-shirt I’m making for myself and also thinking about the new “Fall 09″ designs I need to get done by the beginning of August.I really need to get on top of this freelance work for New Leaf because although I’m selling the odd design it’s nowhere near enough to justify the time and effort and I just don’t seem to be able to get the hang of what I need to do to be commercial and mainstream…

Having said that I had some very good luck this week when I jokingly asked my boss if he’d like to see the framed work I had ( still in the boot of my car after York) and he ended up wanting 3 of the 4 I showed him. So, all being well, they will be hanging in one of the three bed and breakfast rooms and possibly featured on the Golden Lion’s website when it gets updated…

I find it very uncomfortable discussing prices when it comes to my work – always just amazed that someone likes it ! – but I forced myself to stick to the price I’d decided on when I got them framed. Putting a value on something handmade ,or a piece of artwork is very subjective and I definitely need to cultivate self confidence and the ability to ’sell myself”!

Anyway, its time to do something so goodbye for now.

Exhibitionism

Just a quick one to show you how my space looks at the York Embroiderer’s Guild Exhibition.I panicked at first because the walls are sandstone so there was no hanging space…anyway, luckily my mum was with me and we managed to cobble some bits together to make it look ok. We still have no idea how to put up a portable easel!

My arms are about a foot longer from lugging everything across York so I hope not too many people order pints in the pub tonight…or heavy things on trays. The exhibition is mainly by members of various branches, with two bursary winners, me and Flora Parrott (who wasn’t there when I left so I haven’t seen her work yet, but she’s at Royal Collage, London so must be good!!)

The Guild Hall is right in the center of York, near “Betty’s Tearooms” so if you’re in the city anyway, pop in and say hello.

x

Sunshine

Last minute preparations for the Embroiderer’s Guild Exhibition this weekend. I can’t decide what to take, or how to display it and I’m cross with myself for not getting some new work finished.But at least I think I’ll have too much work rather than not enough.I’ve enjoyed playing “dress-up” with this funny headless lady and having a look at some of these dress shapes from Minor Project (2008).

Here are two more of the framed pieces I got from Les Prince last week.With six altogether, my portfolio and my new friend (the headless dummy) I’m going to need a wheelbarrow to carry it all!

Right, I must must must do some household chores now and then do a bit more to the things I’m working on at the moment.Now that broadband has reached us here on Witchmountain its too easy to waste away time looking at all the things that would never work before. (Poppytalk, Print and Pattern and the rest)Until later. x

“Novocaine For The Soul”

As I write there is a party going on ,somewhere on the moors at the back of the house, loud music can be heard through the trees.I wish I could go and join in, there aren’t enough parties round here anymore. Instead I’m customizing some clothes because I can’t afford all the lovely things I want from Desigual! The discharge paste I got from Ario works really well so I’ve been making stencils and screen printing on to t-shirts and this dress,which is my “survival project”. I’m just going to keep adding bits to it , like a kind of wearable journal, an autobiography dress!

Here is my shadow portrait, taken after a battle with the moles. (I lost. They laugh in the face of mole traps and lawnmowers, “ha ha, you can’t catch us, we will build mountains out of our molehills”) Talking of gardens,I recently rediscovered this poem by Anne Drysdale, who once lived here ( at the farm next door actually).She wrote books about her life as a single parent/smallholder/writer ,living in Snilesworth and I really love this in particular…

New Fruit

In the last knockings of the evening sun
Eve drinks Calvados. Elsewhere in her life
She has played muse and mistress, bitch and wife.
Now all that gunpoint gamesmanship is done.
She loves the garden at this time of day.
Raising her third glass up to God, she grins;
If this is her come-uppance for her sins
It’s worth a little angst along the way.
A fourth. Again the cork’s slow squeaky kiss.
If, as the liquor tempts her to believe,
The Lord has one more Adam up His sleeve
He’s going to have to take her as she is –
Out in the garden in a dressing-gown
Breathing old apples as the sun goes down.

x

“12 Hours of Sunset”

Looking west this evening, my phone pictures never do it justice , but the sky ranged from lead grey to vanilla (”I’ll see you in another life when we are both cats”) and gold . I spent ages watching a curlew, I love the sound they make- so mournful and yet it managed to wring a smile out of me.

Looking down from the new bridge at Blow Gill…the river has smoothed out the rock and it’s an almost stupidly beautiful place, if it weren’t for the nasty old ants that mean you can’t stay still for a moment.

So, today I’ve been printing out labels for the work that I will be taking to York next week and reading the Hand and Lock book I bought for inspiration (lovely book but unlike Ario, rubbish delivery times and maddly expensive p&p)Its time I got some fresh inspiration because my muse left today, flying away though those big grey clouds to Vancouver ( hopefully not using the compass above or he’ll end up in Australia- because some fool printed it backwards-I’ve just noticed!).

So…next time I write I promise I’ll be cheerful, this blog isn’t about to become an introspective misery memoir! Here’s wishing Gazz all the fun and adventures a boy could wish for and don’t forget to watch out for bears! x

“It’s a Motherf***** Getting Through A Sunday…”

So, it was flaming June today and everyone has sunburn, ‘coz we’re English and panic that it may rain until September. Today the whole of Snilesworth gathered at the Hawnby Hotel for a lunch to celebrate the retirement of our landagent. Hawnby is a really beautiful village and we all sat in the garden of the pub, catching up with the neighbours, discussing farming and the dangers of quad bikes.( my neighbour broke his leg and had to drag himself to where there was phone signal before being rescued by the air ambulance!)

I got my work back from Les Prince, the framer. He’s an amazing man, knows everybody in the art world from his days at the Tate and is curating an exhibition at the Zillah Bell Gallery later in the year, featuring lots of William Tillyer’s work.

Other news flashes…I have ordered broadband again- watch this space! I have re-activated my Facebook account, don’t ask me why, I maybe just felt like needed some friends…already I kind of hate it but hey, its all about networking.

Here and Now

I learned that there is something called “Grab” on my computer so I can take shots of my screen…here is what I was doing at 5 o’clock! the reason I asked my brother about this was because I wanted to print out some blog pages to put in a book for the York exhibition; why is it that when you want to print it out the result is totally different to what you see on the screen? Does anyone know how to do this?!

The images above have been printed on to cotton ready to be stitched in to.I bought some “Jacquard” inkjet cotton and also some discharge paste from Ario and have been having fun experimenting. Ario were amazingly super fast delivering my order so I thought I’d give them a plug here, it all arrived the next morning,despite it being lunchtime when I placed the order.

Enough free advertising! I must go and do battle with the moles now, if only they would just pop up a few feet further over, in the field not the lawn…

2009 Degree Show

Since I last wrote I have been to Hartlepool twice to see the Degree Shows at CCAD. The opening night was very busy and brought back all sorts of memories from last year. It was lovely to see some familiar faces and catch up with people a little bit, as well as seeing the end result of all the hard work I’ve been reading about on various blogs.An instant favorite was Holly Flanagan’s amazing dresses, featuring bold prints and jewel like embroidered neck-pieces.The embroidery was so original and fresh, very inspiring. I think she is entering the Hand and Lock Competition this year so I’d like to wish her good luck.

I’ve been working on some new designs and found out I’d sold a piece in Japan which is good news amongst the gloom of a wet June day. I’ve also been making a few little bits and pieces to take to York for the Embroiderer’s Guild exhibition.I’m not sure if I’ll be allowed to sell stuff but I need to fill the table anyway.Its a shame the exhibition clashes with the next Designer’s Marketplace in Middlesbrough on the 28th.

Now, time to reheat the coffee and finish some sewing. I just finished my last  (and decidedly weirdest) Moomin book, “Moominpappa at Sea”, and have that horrible feeling you get when you finish a book and feel a bit bereft!

4,708 Miles West

Today I got down on my knees in the vegetable patch and searched for signs of life… I found microscopic beetroots and tiny spinach seedlings. It’ll be a long time before a meal can be made from that crop! We had a lovely evening walk and came across a woodpecker’s nest full of screeching babies, some tiny pink flowers I’d never seen before (must look them up) and a gamekeeper who invited me to his wedding.

I’m enjoying just randomly doodling in my sketchbook at the moment. The green cow parsley and flowers are a heat transfer sketch for a t-shirt and the page also includes fabric collage and stitch as well as bits of a map of Canada.The bear is a quick sketch of brown bear from Berlin Zoo which I saw on TinyHappy earlier in the week. ( I’m not sure how I feel about zoos though, bears need to be free I think)

Time to head up the apples and pears now and read a bit more of “Atonement”.Don’t forget its CCAD’s degree shows (including Textiles and Surface Design at Hartlepool) next week; opening night is the 4th of June.