Tears In The Forest

I'm still here amongst my piles of threads, busy stitching my dreams and memories.
Here is a sketch that I'm working on at the moment and this is leading to many other ideas in my sketch book.
I have the half term break this week so it's a good opportunity for me to catch up with my blog reading and to really focus on my work.
There is always so much to do!

Exhibitions And Stitches

It's been a while since I have updated my blog due to the amount of stitching I have been immersed in.
I'm working on a whole blanket, my landscape engulfing me as if I am part of it!
My stitching becomes more intense as I work over the larger areas of tree tops, the light more dramatic, the colours more vivid.
I will show this larger work at the exhibition, the picture above is of my miniature landscapes which, I think, are like my stepping stones to the vast pieces I am working on at present.

A couple of weeks ago I met Richard Elms who interviewed me about my work for The Herbert Art Gallery Podcast Boiler Room series.
You can here a snippet of my interview  here http://www.theherbert.org/index.php/home/podcasts, it's episode three and I'm half way through the programme.
The rest of my interview will be on their website nearer the time of my exhibition.
Talking of exhibitions there are many interesting ones to visit this year at The Herbert, do check out their website, at the moment they have a costume exhibition which you could get involved with, see here http://www.flickr.com/groups/herbert_dressed_up/
They are asking you to contribute photo's of your very best outfits and the best ones will be included in the exhibition!
I'm looking forward to visiting many exhibition this year including one in the Summer at Compton Verney, a historical house and gardens which is now an art gallery.
The exhibition is Stanley Spencer and the English garden and looks at Spencer's lesser known garden views and landscapes painted before and just after the second world war.
I know that this exhibition will be inspiring.

A New Year!

This is a selection of my art work from last year, a year which looking back has been exceptionally creative for me.
Some of these including many new pieces will be on show at the end of this year at The Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry.
I have recorded a pod cast interview about my work at the gallery, so before the exhibition you will be able to hear me talking about how important my art work is to me and my life.
There maybe a small snippet of it next week which I will link on my blog!

This is going to be a very busy year for me as I continue to develop my art work.
Having the opportunity to share my work with a gallery audience has taken me on a new exciting journey, working on much larger pieces, which has been challenging and liberating.
My landscape, feelings and dreams, anything I want it to be.

Wishing You A Merry Christmas

Our Snow arrived on Wednesday and within about an hour we had about 20cm of snow!
Unfortunately our boiler decided to pack up at the same time!!
I rushed out or shall I say trudged out, in all the snow, to get a couple of heaters and several hot water bottles.
It seems a lot of boilers have suffered in this cold spell and the earliest date we could get someone to look at it was the 29th of December.
So the last few days we have been wearing hats, coats and scarfs indoors with hot water bottles stuffed up our jumpers!
Then yesterday my husband continued to try and fix it and miraculously it worked, although we are not sure for how long.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year without travel disruptions or boilers breaking down.
M x

Winter Wonderland

Hawthorn Frost

Hello,
We had the most amazing frosts last week and these few pictures are from our garden.
I wished I had been able to walk through Abbey Fields our local park, as the trees were exceptionally beautiful, a Winter wonderland which I could only glimpse at on my way to work.
Trees covered in frozen tears, sparkling like diamonds against the bluest sky I had ever seen.

I have many stitched pieces I am working on and I am holding back in showing you as I want some surprises for my exhibition next year.
Next week I am going to The Herbert Art Gallery to record a pod cast interview about my work which at some point I hope to share with you here.
I must now get back to my stitching , have a good week and wrap up warm as that cold weather is on it's way back!
Michala x

Winter Landscape

It's turned icy cold here this week, but thankfully with clear blue skies and sunshine.
We have not experienced the heavy snow that the North has.
Here is my own Winter Landscape.

Please forgive my limited time on the computer as I have a huge amount of stitching to do this weekend, in fact a whole blanket of stitching!!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog and for anyone who pops by or follows, have a lovely weekend.
M x

I'm Still Stitching!

Last week I went on a school trip to The Herbert Art Gallery to see Street Art , a touring exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The work on show is from many well know street art artists including Banksy and Shepard Fairey.
I was surprised to find some very thought provoking images and a wide use of materials which had been used in unusual and creative ways.
This included a tree made of old industrial timber pieces and painted with African style patterns and faces, which seemed to me to represent an urban jungle.
The children also attended a work shop to produce their own street art and had a very enjoyable, busy afternoon.
I'm off on another school trip at the weekend to visit the art galleries in Birmingham which I hope to tell you about next week.
 I spent all last weekend on my own work and I'm stitching on many new landscapes for the exhibition.
Bye for now
Michala