Gardening by Mistake!

As part of my new estate i have a little garden tho' i'm not famous for my gardening skills but i'm very lucky to have a friend who works in a garden centre. I have aquired some lovely bashed up delphiniums and a wonderful cut price hosepipe. I'm trying to do it up on the cheap especially as i'm renting. I want to have it looking sort of ok for next september as i'd like to open up for H.Art week. It feels quite dry and stoney at the mo, if anyone has any tips on gardening on the cheap or useful links i'd be most greatful i'm entirely in the dark on this one.

i'll be posting progress as the year goes by

my little sun terrace steps.

this is a little dunnock pick fluffs out of the broom for making nests.

Altered Books Round Robin 5 & 6

i've been working on 2 more books for the round robin we had a meeting this evening to exchange our books. We are going to exhibit them as part of H.Art week at Hereford Library in the community cases. So if you visit the open exhibition you'll be able to see the books too.

This one is part of Julia's book on childrens tales. it was very fragile and we have to do sections. She will bind it all up later.

This is Molly's book of Insects. I was lucky because i got the pages with moths. The text is from "Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver

........'This is how moths speak to each other. They tell their love across the fields by

scent. There is no mouth, the wrong words are impossible, either a mate is

there or he's not, and if so the pair will find each other in the dark"

next one Byrons poetry.

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more moonbow....

Moon Bow

Exhibitions fast approaching and i still can't find anything in my new pad. I'm working on a piece for the Poetry Festival Exhibition at the Weavers Gallery in Ledbury. We are asked to make work inspired by the poetry of Dymock Poets. They were They were Robert Frost, Lascelles Abercrombie, Rupert Brooke, Edward Thomas, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, and John Drinkwater.

Amanda who organises the show annually has called the show 'Moon Rainbow'. taken from the poem I've pasted below. I confess to revisiting old techniques really just to get going but I'm enjoying making again.

Iris by Night


Robert Frost

One misty evening, one another's guide,

We two were groping down a Malvern side

The last wet fields and dripping hedges home.

There came a moment of confusing lights

Such as according to the tale at Rome

Were always seen at Memphis on the heights

Before the fragments of a former sun

Could concentrate anew and rise as one.

Light was a paste of pigment in our eyes.

And then there was a moon, and then a scene

So watery as: to seem submarine;

In which we two stood saturated, drowned.

The clover-mingled rowan on the ground

Had taken all the water it could as dew,

And still the air was saturated too,

And unrelieved of any water-weight.

Then a small rainbow like a trellis gate,

A very small moon-made prismatic bow,

Stood closely over us through which to go.

And then we were vouchsafed the miracle

That never yet to other two befell

And I alone of us have lived to tell.

A wonder! Bow and rainbow as it bent,

Instead of moving with us as we went

(To keep the pots of gold from being found),

It lifted from its dewy pediment

Its two mote-swimming many-colored ends

And gathered them together in a ring;

And we stood in it, softly circled round

From all division time or foe can bring,

In a relation of elected friends.


My piece is made from calico with bonded tissue paper for texture. It is going to have a flavour of 'My Blue Place', a piece featured in my book.

corded whip stitch in the vermicelli style. All this intensive stitching made the whole thing shrink and i had to cut the moon shape out and re-insert it. I've covered the join with some cable stitch (heavy thread in the bobbin working from the back).

got it nice a flat now. Stretched over a canvas and painted with gesso primer. watching paint dry.....

Boots....

Tilleke Schwartz

I had this message today from Rachel at Cherwell Valley EG. I'm frustrated because i can't go to this, i love Tilleke's work and sense of humour.........


Just to let you know that the Cherwell Valley Embroiderers Guild are holding an Open Evening this Thursday, May 19th. We are fortunate in having Tilleke Schwartz as our speaker and wondered whether you or anyone you know might be interested in the event. The talk starts at 7pm at The Post Graduate Centre in Banbury but the evening begins from 6pm onwards as we have a number of tradestands plus refreshments. There will also be a raffle. for more info contact Rachel on 01608 684133

Bookshelves

I built some bookshelves out of cardboard boxes today being a bit skint and unable to afford some nice ikea ones. Sorry not much else goin on at the moment!!

off to speak to Derby Embroiderers Guild in the morning.

Online Workshops

I'm spending a few days preparing PDF's for my new online workshops website. It's and interesting process you have to try to think of every eventuality. It fact it is much like writing the book. I want to include a few short video's similar to Laura and Linda Kemshalls website which i think is brilliant. Here's a picture of the first nearly finished workshop 'Shimmering Landscapes'.

Glasgow Visit

Saw a lot of railway stations and the inside of trains 10 hour journey home because of a fire near the line at Wakefield.

by Clyde's bonnie banks

my little display at the Royal Concert Hall Glasgow, i had an audience of 350 biggest yet i think!!

amazing time in Glasgow, didn't see much of it but made some great contacts so much so that i'm now going on a 3 week working tour of Scotland in August this year.