Care To Dance?

It's been a while since I blogged a step-by-step, I wondered if you'd like to see how my latest machine embroidery developed?

I wasn't too careful when I placed the fabric scraps because I wanted to create a 'sketchy' quality.

Then I thought she looked a bit lonely...

You can see how much I use my trusty post-its!

Time to design some finery!

I think that she would like some lace!

You can see how loosely you can place the fabric pieces before stitching...

His tail was quite tricky to stitch.

'Care to dance?'

Mrs Whipple...

Mrs Whipple ran a boarding house for retired circus and music hall stars.

She would listen intently to their stories as she served their breakfasts,

and would sway from side to side as they sang their songs at supper time.

Sometimes, when she swept the floor she would find an old sequin glinting on

the scullery tiles,

and Mrs Whipple would become misty-eyed and sigh longingly to herself.

This is another one of my collages that I'm possibly going to make into giclee prints, hope you like her.

Wishing you a very happy Sunday me dears.

x

Imbolc ...

When the first day of Spring arrives,

she will whisper to the birds,

and the creatures,

and the flowers.

She will gently shake the branches of the willow tree

to wake them from their slumbers.

And she will prise open the petals of the snowdrops

to tell them that she has returned.

Just as she promised she would.

I hope you like this collage, especially on such a snowy day!

I'm hoping that I will be able to sell prints of my work in the near future, I've really enjoyed making them.

Hope you're keeping warm, I'm sure that Spring will arrive soon!

x

Bird After Bird

Yesterday I visited the beautiful Gallery Steel Rooms in Brigg, for the opening of the 'Bird After Bird' exhibition.

The work of Jayne Ivmey, Suky Best, Milo Newman, Partick Haines, Martin Brandsma, Nessie Stonebridge and Sabine Liedtke formed a fascinating exhibition which highlighted the fragility, beauty and importance of these creatures and our relationship with them.

Each artist presented a personal and highly individual representation of their observations and emotions about the shared subject matter.

Patrick Haines' mixed media sculptures are stunning, the way in which the sense of movement had been 'frozen' in time was amazing.

Jayne Ivimey's installation, with the 70 bisque fired models of endangered British species made me feel really emotional, their tiny feet looked so real.

Nessie Stonebridge's large-scale drawings of swans were incredibly dramatic and elegant.

I particularly loved the fan-like folding of the bottom of the piece.

Her paintings have an almost oriental, calligraphic quality to them, a beautiful juxtaposition of elegance and power.

The photographs of migrating pink-footed geese at dusk by Milo Newman were almost meditative. 

I loved the photographs' reflective surface.

It was these drawings that really stole my heart, Sabine Liedtke studies are filled with such tenderness they left me captivated.

Martin Brandsma's studies of the Great Grey Shrike highlighted the close relationship between science and art, and how often the two worlds over lap.

I loved these pieces that demonstrated how this bird 'spears' its prey on sharp thorns and branches.

I also love this unintentional selfie of myself and the hubby!

The 'Observation Of Flight' film installation by Suky Best highlighted the relationship between academic research, film-making and art.

How a shared subject matter had been interpreted in so many different ways really emerged as the core of the exhibition.

The whole exhibition was brilliantly curated and everyone at The Steel Rooms deserve a huge congratulations.

So much care and attention had been given, even down to the bird-themed biscuits and lovely bird seed gift bags.

My photos don't do the show justice, if you get the chance do go and visit, they serve the best food in town too!

x

Snip. Snip. Rip. Rip...

I never know where my work will end up, and this piece began as a sketch of a hare's head.

You can't beat drawing on old paper, the texture is so velvety and soft.

For the past few months I've really enjoyed drawing and collaging.

I think that preparing for workshops ignites your own creativity and makes you explore new techniques and ways of working.

The torn edges of the paper began to influence the overall atmosphere of the collage, and a slight Miss Havisham quality began to emerge...

Does she seem lonely and heart-broken, or liberated and free to do as she pleases?

Maybe she'll tell me her story one day!