Autumn Blues

This weekend I have been scuffling through Autumn leaves, dreaming up plans and making interesting “mistakes” with cyanotype. Sandwiched between two days of Novembery grey gloom, Sunday was the kind of day that makes you feel fizzy with excitment and possibilities. Perfect weather and a stunningly beautiful walk in a big circle around my house; sometimes its good to really explore the place where you live. From the top of Hawnby Moor, Witchmountain was a tiny dot and by the time we got home , through ancient oak woods, prickly dried heather, ink black pools and slippery wooden footbridges, it was dark and I could hardly bend to untie my poor old green DM’s!

I had to keep stopping to sniff the air and the leaves, Autumn smells so good…although perhaps the flask of hot Marmite slowly leaking in my backpack was confusing things a little.

Back to today, a flat grey Monday that finds me still sitting here struggling with motivation at lunchtime. I went to bed so full of ideas and plans but sometimes its hard to keep up the optimism and drive when nobody seems to want what you have to offer. Hard times eveywhere at the moment and a bit of personal re invention may be called for soon or I will be growing a beard, wearing pyjamas all day and only conversing with the birds!

So, the cyanotype is turning out to be lots of fun, although , as I said before,I do need some form of light which is the hardest part just now!I also need my printer to stop being so stroppy and spitting out the acetate complaining of a paper jam! The pieces I left on the windowsill to develop yesterday initially made me very sad; no design showed up and they were pale green instead of blue. I forgot about the “happy accidents” that often occur in printing and dying. After ironing dry, the most beautiful subtle patterns appeared and I can only assume this was because I was using wool instead of cotton. I just hope the designs don’t evaporate like invisible ink, a case of the emperor’s new clothes..

Goodness, its so dark now, and not even 4o’clock yet. I’d better have a run around the garden to soak up the last dregs of daylight before plugging in the sewing machine and making more coffee.

What is Autumn like where you are?

Red Shoes

The Red Shoes

Day Three of my new leaf thing finds me up and about EARLY IN THE MORNING and already I’ve been for a walk! A sparkling October morning, dotted with berry jewels and gauzy spider webs.Finding my neighbour’s postbox too small to fit the egg box in, I had to go right down to the house and take the track through the fields ,immediately cursing that I’d decided not to bring my phone and therefore had no camera. Oh, and when I had to do a spot of impromptu bouldering , clinging to a drystone wall, I wished I’d brought my wellies and could just trudge through the muddy slurry that was threatening to be my morning bath!

Sneaking up on Basil

So, I must admit I’m feeling much more positive than I was on Monday and not a drop of butter has crossed my lips! My kitchen table is set out with the components of several new wallets, ready to be sewn up and printed as soon as I’ve stopped waffling on to you. Three small canvasses with cyanotype prints and stitch are drying on the windowsill and the coffee pot is beckoning.

Owl Box and Reflected Light

Yesterday I ordered some chemicals to make cyanotypes on fabric and I’m really excited about trying out the process when the package arrives. At the moment I’m collaging the paper prints I’ve made using Sun Print Paper but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to use the chemicals not only on fabric but directly on to canvasses.

Hedgerow Flowers, Shadows and Reflections

At the risk of sounding like a compulsive shopper I’m also waiting excitedly for the postman to bring my copy of the shiny new Haruki Murakami novel “1Q84″.Murakami famously gets up at 4am, writes until 9am and then spends the rest of the day relaxing and training for marathons! Obviously he is my new role model!

Now I have to confess, I spent ages writing this, this morning, only for WordPress to go a bit crazy and refuse to recognise me or let me publish it. I’ve also ruined my best and favorite shirt and got in a bad mood with the sewing machine….oh dear, sometimes I think you can start the day TOO positive.

I hope Autumn is good where you are and you have a good book to read?

Reading: “Moomin Papa at Sea” Tove Jansson   Listening to: Radio4 and a very loud buzzing coming from this computer……

 

Tumbleweed and Too Much Coffee

A blustery Autumnal day on Witchmountain and I find myself in my usual position, mug in hand, stove ablaze, deep in thought. Today I have good intentions to turn over a new leaf regarding butter, caffeine, exercise and positive thinking. Ok, so the mug is full of coffee and I only walked a hundred yards down the road before I realised I’d forgotten the egg money and had to turn back, but I will go later ( honestly) and on the positive side no butter has been consumed!

The garden still has some delicate late colour to cheer me up as I wonder how the “lawn” became a jungle and why the strawberries have decided to flower again just as the first real frosts meant I needed to de-ice the car on Saturday morning…
Saturday morning was the day of Designer’s Marketplace in Newcastle, and also a day of glorious sunshine , the most perfect an October day can get. We managed to get to the Holy Biscuit in plenty of time to set up and the drive only slightly terrified me ( multi- lane roundabouts are a shock after the moors where you only have to avoid aggressive 4×4 drivers,over excited sheep and panic stricken pheasants) .

Now I’m torn between bigging the whole thing up or telling it as it is because I think its more useful and honest? I mean, I think it is easy to be mislead by what you see on the internet, we are all  trying to sell ourselves as best we can and while I do write this blog in order to promote what I do and hopefully get work from it, I also write because I want to be open about the pitfalls, struggles, highs and lows of trying to make a living out of creativity. So, the truth is … it was deadly quiet and if I’d been a politician I’d have lost my deposit, even my “Bargain Box” in aid of Shelterbox  wasn’t going to save the day.Was it the weather, the entrance fee, the location? At least everyone was quiet , not just me, but that makes it even harder to judge myself objectively.On the plus side it was fantastic to meet the other stall holders, talk shop and eat cake. I was particularly impressed with Vicky Trainor’s work; she was one of my tutors at college and her vintage inspired cards and beautiful wedding favours must take her hours to put together, prompting me to question yet again how handmade work is valued and priced…

Have a look at this stunning set of wedding photos from Vicky’s blog. They look like stills from a film and I think I may have to make more of an effort with my personal grooming!!

Here are some of my newest offerings; a small wooden box with canvass lid and some new wallet designs derived from it. I’ll be listing them on Etsy and Folksy later and I’m thinking of making up some as sewing kits too. What do you think?

Now, I really must put this computer down as its burning my knees,I’ve already dropped butternut squash pate on it and I must try to run about a bit before darkness falls.

 

 

“Jam Tomorrow…”

My kitchen windowsill reflects the changing seasons like a school nature table (do they still have these random collections of pebbles, conkers and bird’s nests?) and last month’s pastel, summer scented sweet peas have been replaced by the rich colours of autumn; butternut squash,the last sunflower and a collection of jewel coloured jam jars full of damson and apple jelly.The kitchen is also covered in jewel coloured splatters and I haven’t dealt with the jelly bag yet which looks like the heart of a large animal…

At the weekend I had possibly the prettiest setting for a market stall ever, as I took part in Helmsley Walled Garden’s Autumn Fair. Since I was a late booking and work in the cafe anyway, I was allowed to display my wares in the Vine House rather than the marquee and so spent a pleasant day under the grape vines, drinking a lot of coffee and chatting with interested passers by on their way to enjoy a fabulous vegetarian lunch.

The day was a success ,mostly because I sold a small painting, but I also learnt a useful lesson too because I realised that my displays did not make it clear enough that the necklaces were actually necklaces and not just small pieces of art or cards. More labels needed for my next outing then, which will be Designer’sMarketplace at Newcastle’s Holy Biscuit on October 14th. This event is part of Newcastle’s Design Festival , there’s loads going on so if you’re planning a trip to the Toon this could be the week to do it!

I’ll be giving a 15% discount to readers of Witchmountain so just say hello and mutter “the owls are not what they seem” under your breath to qualify!!

Well, I have some dull housework to do now and a bit of garden tidying before I can continue with a commission I’m doing for a couple who are getting married in October. I’m wishing my garden looked more like Helmsley and thinking yellow and purple must be the colours of the moment ; not a combination I would normally choose. Soon it will be getting chilly and I’m hoping some babies with chilly toes will be asking for some Witchmountain elf shoes for Christmas!

Reading : “One Day” David Nicholls and planning to take part in the Guardian’s Book Swap

Autumn Blues

Autumn is probably my favorite season; I will say this in Winter, Spring and Summer too I bet! Nothing compares to the scents and sensations of an Autumn walk through crispy leaves though. I just had to go down to the postbox to get some air and stretch my legs after a morning sewing and listening with slight dread to the Government Spending Revue …

Yesterday I went down to Middlesbrough to meet the people at Zap Creatives who are  a company specializing in laser cutting. I’m hoping to do some work experience with them as well as getting some of my designs cut. I first heard of Zap through Lindsey Murray who has some lovely laser cut brooches in her Etsy shop. Looking at their Facebook page I was interested and infuriated by the news that Claire’s Accessories had “stolen” the artwork of an independent  designer and put it into production; with a tiny alteration. It saddens me that big companies feel the need to do this; even as a freelance designer I was told by one agent to “visit Top Shop and change their design slightly”!! Celebrate originality, buy handmade.

Just look at that BLUE, the colours are amazing and the burnt orange of the dead bracken almost exactly matches the laces on my new shoes!

Well, its nearly time for me to drag myself to work now and hope that my poorly neck holds out during a night of waitressing and bar-tending…

Reading : “The Handmade Marketplace”Kari Chapin, “The Worms Can Carry Me To Heaven” Alan Warner.

“…In another life when we are both cats.”

A beautiful autumn day today, berries and yellowing greens. I feel as though I’ve been sitting here forever watching the big oak tree go through it’s changes; skeleton to spring green, and now just starting to turn golden round the edges.How fast it all seems to have wizzed by.

My friend Jane just called by on her way back from delivering mosaics to the Saltbox, apparently my magpie and owl are up on the walls there .So, goodness, I actually have work in a gallery! The exhibition runs until November so if you’re in the Helmsley area go and have a look (closed Mondays though).

These images are of a piece I’ve been reworking, intending to get framed for the exhibition.This morning my model “Toast” was sunbathing on the garden table, making the most of the last days of summer.

Events this weekend : Designer’s Marketplace is at The Loft in Leeds this Saturday. These events are really taking off and getting lots of good publicity from Tigerprint , PrintandPattern etc.

“The Printed Image” Opens on Friday and runs until October 23rd at the Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk.