Spring Poem

 

Hello,

This week Spring arrived through mists and fog, every where I looked bursts of colour became visible in the gardens at Ragley.

I thought I would share with you a poem I wrote inspired by the changing seasons.

The Woods

The woods are sleeping a restless sleep.
Huge hands reach up and claw a polished sky.
Golden gowns lay rotted, devoured by the earth.
Trembling in icy winds they whisper in their creaks and cracks.
Exposed, raw wounds.
Listening for the bird song, inviting them to dance.
When heavens chorus begins the virgin buds will bloom.
Spring takes Winter and leads him back to bed.
The trees uplift their heavy sleepy heads.

Next week ( on Saturday) I am running a sketch and stitch workshop at Ragley Hall.
I'm hoping the weather will stay fair so we can make the most of the stunning landscapes, fingers crossed!

Inspired By Compton Verney

                      " Life Of Colour" a page from my sketch book.

Last week I spent several days at the art gallery Compton Verney, one day visiting the excellent Tapestry exhibition and then spending a few hours sketching in the beautiful grounds.
The colours of the tapestries struck me most of all; within the many pieces the threads have such a rich density of colour. There are no reflections from glass or oil paints, I relised why I love creating my work with a range of materials.
I admired the weavers craftsmanship combining different textures, weaves and yarns to recreate the artists original paintings and sketches. Some of these works of art which are on display show how closely the weavers interpret a painted surface.
Then on the Saturday I started teaching a two day art and textile workshop at the Compton Verney learning centre, the local landscape and exhibitions provided a wealth of inspiration.
I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely group of people who were very enthusiastic, due to this I am looking foward to next week to see where our creative journey takes us.

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!

Sketching Landscapes

I had some news from The Herbert Art Gallery this week which has been making me nervous, well, I think it's positive nerves because it has spurred me on with my stitching and drawing.
My work will now be in a larger gallery space measuring 44 display running metres and I now have some pencilled in dates for the 3rd December 2011 until 29th January 2012.
So, I have an extra few months but I will need more work!
As I write this, I have various blankets submerged in dye, including some very large pieces, one in the sink, a bucket and a washing up bowl, not to mention purple fingers because of a hole in my washing up gloves!
This weekend I will devote my time to my sketchbook and sewing machine.

Here is one of my sketches from a few weeks ago, before the leaves started to turn.
Have a great weekend.
M x

Immersed In My Work

Hello,                                                            
I have been so immersed in my painting and stitching and getting back to the busy school routine, I have not had chance to visit blogs or write here recently.

Yesterday the Herbert Art Gallery contacted me to say they would like me to have a stand in their shop from this October for my brooches and cards and also to produce a range of cards for them especially for the exhibition.
It's very exciting but I wish I had more time!

There are many pieces I am working on, some which I will keep as a surprise for the exhibition.

Here is another quick drawing from my sketch book.

So for now I am going to plug in my ipod and listen to Chopin while I stitch in a world of my own, ignoring the housework again!

'August Walk'

I have spent most of the week out and about sketching, in between the summer showers!
The wheat is ready to be cut, it looks dry and dusty now.

I love the colour of the yellow fields against the lush green trees.

There are so many interesting patterns in the landscape, I wish I had more time!

Recently, I have been asked by an art studio in Leamington Spa if I could run some weekend workshops, so when I get more details I will let you know.

Drawing

Today we have been in Meldreth, which is near Royston, in Hertfordshire for my Grandma's 90th birthday party.
It was a lovely day for her and all her family from far and wide who came together to celebrate.
On the journey down I took lots of photographs of fields, trees and skies.
Oh dear, too many and I'm filling up the memory on the computer!

Here are a few sketches I have been working on this week, these have been done while out walking.
I think I may try painting the pen sketch to experiment with colours.

I hope your having a lovely weekend.

A Day At The Fair

It was an honour to take part in the 800 years celebration of Holy Trinity church.
This is the resting place of Shakespeare and it was strange to think he had probably worshiped here.
I had a wonderful view of the large stained glass windows, the clear bright coloured glass, gleaming like jewels as the sunlight streamed in.
It felt like you had been transported back in time, as dancers and musicians in Mediaeval dress danced through the church.

I wished I had been able to take more photographs but it was very busy and I was also demonstrating.
Luckily my Mum was there to help, who you can see hiding behind the stall!

Thank you so much to all my customers who purchased cards, pictures and brooches.

This week I'm going to start on a new large landscape, I'm playing with colour ideas in my sketchbook.
More soon...

Threads & Sketches

Well it's taken me quite a while to get on the computer as we have been so busy since we got back from our holidays.

Look at my messy desk again!

The vintage embroidery I found in a small shop in Bude.

I could not resist it, it's so beautifully stitched, I had to give it a home amongst my threads.

As promised a couple of quick sketches I made on holiday which I may paint and then progress to thread and fiber.

So lots to keep me busy again and I still have new items to add to etsy!

Hope you have a good week.x

Summer Sketch

A page from my sketch book, a hot day in France.

My oil pastels were almost melting into the page!

Cornwall was quite a contrast, the weather cool and showery, but we had a lovely time.

The rugged coastline was inspiring the shapes, colours and dramatic skies.

I will post Cornwall sketches in the next few days and more French ones too.

This week it will be back to the school routine and I wonder how I ever manage to get anything done!

Textile Art

I finished my stitching at the weekend and then had fun trying out my images on Dumper.net.

You can upload your art work in gallery frames.

It would be fantastic to work on this grand scale, but I think it would take a few years!

This piece has taken me a couple of weeks and measures approx 23cm x 30cm.

I have included my original sketch for you to see.

I hope to bring you more sketching soon.

Stitching Sketches

It's been a week of rain here which has meant that my plans for taking the children to the park and me sketching didn't happen.

I have had that nagging feeling that I should have been doing jobs around the house, but I didn't seem to get anything done.

My stitching mess is over flowing and the house is a tip, well the children have been stuck in a lot due to the poor weather!

Here is a sketch I did last week when the sun came out for a few minutes!

I decided I wanted to work on a few larger stitched pieces.

The first, my stitching echoing as much as possible the sketches I made of the over grown path.

The other, working from a painting in my sketch book of my holiday last year in France.

I have used many different types of thread, building layers over layers of machine embroidery.

Once I have completed the machine stitching I will then start adding hand stitches.

I think I have still quite a lot of hand stitching to do on this one.

Bye for now.x

Shades Of Purple

I finished another landscape sketch which I hope to work in stitch when time permits!

We are in the midst of many activities happening at school.

So fingers crossed during the summer holidays I will be able to devote some more time to my sketch book.

Here are two brooches I have been working on, these I hope to add to etsy in the next few days.I have incorporated some vintage silk threads, such beautiful shades of purple.

They said on the news, our heat wave should start next week, in time for the tennis at Wimbledon.

I can't wait!

Patterns In The Sky

Hello,

We have had a busy week, my husband started a new job, at last!

My son has had sats tests all this week, he is in his last term of primary school.

A time for reflection, looking at his school photo's, where has that time gone?

I sketched the tree in our garden on Saturday, I hope to work this as a stitched piece.

The Patterns In The Sky is a new little picture, the weather this week inspired me, bright and windy although today was rubbish, dull, grey and cold.

The Warwickshire Countryside

This week I have walked and I have walked, yesterday about seven miles .

The weather has been beautiful ,warm sunshine with a cool breeze, great for exploring our local countryside.

There are many walks to follow around Kenilworth Castle, through fields and ancient woods.

You will see how it influences my art work, I took so many pictures, too many for this blog post.

The dog is our Labrador Bertie, good excuse for walks!

Drawing,Painting And Stitching.

A busy week, sketching.

Trying out pattern ideas with stitches.

Working from my sketch book.

I wanted to try working on some small pictures.

So I decided to use my colourful sketch of woodland.

This one measures 11.5 cm by 15cm.

I will continue with a few more hand stitches, I'm just going with flow and I'm not sure yet how I will display it.

I have noticed that it's getting slightly lighter in the evenings, at last!

Shades Of Purple

We had a very busy time on Wednesday night at my art society.

It was a great opportunity for us all to try out different ideas using texture in our sketch books.

Here you can see I used coloured tissue paper torn and glued down with acrylic paint, inks and pastel worked over the top.

You can see I left some of the underneath papers showing through.

I will develop this further, hopefully!

You can use anything to build up textures, wallpaper, paper towels, sand, plaster the list is endless.

Everyone produced exciting work and all so different.

Here are some purple brooches, as you know it's a colour that features a lot in my work!

My Mum says my bedroom was purple when I was very young, perhaps it is a sort of comfort to me?

A Few Different Projects

Brooches for gallery

Sketch book

Work inspired by Henry Moore

Hi,

Tomorrow evening I'm going to my Art Society, which I love.

So many lovely friends with so many talents.

I am sort of running a work shop on painting with textures, I say sort of because we just have a fun time trying out different techniques and we all learn from each other.

I also made a few brooches for the gallery.

I had a very rewarding day on Monday helping a fourteen year old girl from Somalia who had suffered a terrible trauma of loosing a family member in an explosion and in which she lost an eye.

She is learning embroidery and I spent time with her, showing her how she can use different stitches.

To see her excitement of learning a new stitch and her enjoyment of playing with the threads and fabrics was wonderful.

Hope you have a good week.

Life drawing

Well I didn't manage to get to life drawing, had lots of running around to do for children and then it got too late and we had a late tea.

I also made the fatal mistake of sitting down...couldn't get up again!

So here is a drawing that I did a few months ago.

You may have seen it on my flickr page.

I mainly use charcoal and oil pastels when sketching as I like to work quickly.

I may make several drawings to get a feel of my subject.

Hope your having a good week.x

As you can see my bag is inspired by that story.

We had to include a found object and I chose a key.