Book Binding #2

Bookbinding seemed to be a 'thing' for me last year. I led a series of workshops on making concertina books. Above, are the finished books.

 These were the book covers; fabric printed using collographs, onto re-purposed cotton.

 These are the original plates we made; sticking various flotsom and jetsam onto card, then varnishing them, once they were dry. We then painted fabric paint onto them, and printed onto cotton.

 The worktable.

 Above and below, are photos of the different prints made by the workshop participants. By sharing each others colograph plates, we could make a two-colour, two-patterned print. A lovely effect.

And everyone took home a completed book.

Bookbinding 2017

In April 2017, I went on a bookbinding day at the local Archives; in a spanking brand new building.
Above, is the result of my Japanese Stab Bound book; below are the books made by other people. I do love making books; and this one was using a technique that's new to me. I'm loking out for any future sessions they run.
For xmas 2016, I got a new phone; I have just downloaded 4000 photos I took in 2017. Which means I have lots of images to use on here!
I couldn't (still can't!) work out how to post photos from my phone, onto this blog, so facebook has benefitted from the ease of technology. 
I shall try and keep up with this blog, during 2018.
 

silent woman

I've been silent for months.
There have been a number of things going on here; things that have made the summer a toughie. I'm hoping things get a bit easier now......in 2018.
Exhibitions have been cancelled due to businesses going bust; illness has felled me; vehicle problems; and cats being ill.
And more.
But xmas and the new year brought me a wonderful space, to see friends; to be at home; to rest; to luxuriate in the darkness. To bring in the tree, and light it up.
Today I took it down; wound up the xmas lights; and put it all back into the loft till next year.
Happy new year.

July, Already

Blimey....how quickly time goes!
I'm still on with stitching the 2016 Moons. Still got some way to go. There will be an exhibition of them in September, as part of the Wakefield Artwalk.
Meantime; a kind of circle; if not quite a Moon.

April Moon 2016

The completed April Moon, 2016. 

This one has a lot of stitches on it; and various silks that came from a fabric sample book: re-purposed silk. I've been making sketches of the stitching I've done on each Moon. My idea is to make a drawing of all 12 moons, which I'll get made into a giclee print. And sell. A small print; affordable. Ready for September, when the textile works will be exhibited. I am stitching........and gardening......and working......

September Moon

The pinned September Moon, for 2016.
Now stitched and completed.
I've spent a lot of time stitching the October Moon; which I based on a Georgia O'Keeffe painting, after my visit to the Tate's exhibition. A LOT of stitching!!!

Drawing

A drawing from my visit to Malta, in 2009.

Meantime; I'm still stitching away on the textile pieces from last years full moons. And outside, is cold, and the possiblity of snow.

2017...........oh dear.......

Well; not a great start to the year, really, is it. Things feel rather unstable. I've been spending time in my garden; trying to clear it, ready for the coming Spring. We gotta have faith. A garden is faith in the future. So time in the garden is my way of holding on. Keep breathing. X

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas

Have a lovely Christmas everyone. And may 2017 be Peaceful for us All XXX

First of December

My tree won't be up for weeks yet; my decorations remain in the loft; I still have presents to buy.

Yet.......yet.......I'm glad to be in December.

This has got to go down as one of the most miserable and gloomy years in memory. I shall be well pleased to see it over. 

And over on FB people are moaning about xmas; and pish and tosh-ing all over. And yet.........this is the darkest time of the year; and leading to the solstice, where the light will shift. The year will turn. I like the lights we switch on, to lighten the darkness. Until my tree is up, I'll settle for lighting candles.

Nash

and wipe the lies from the World

Paul Nash

 An exhibition of Paul Nash's artwork has opened at Tate Britain. It's on for a long time so I think I'll be going in 2017........which feels like a long way away, yet isn't. Paul Nash; one of my most favourite of artists. I've seen lots of his paintings and photos in various municipal art galleries. To see so many together will be a real treat. 

Something to look forward to; that Spring will Bring.

Meantime; I've bought this. An amazing luxury for me; but a thing of great beauty; and very moving. Nash served in WW1; and was an official war artist in WW2. The UK still has 'war artists'. We are still involved in wars. 

It will soon be Remembrance Day; 11th November.

This book/graphic novel serves to push us to remember. Nash's paintings do too. As we move into the Dark; let us light candles, to Remember.

Halloween

Not a lot to write about. So I will wish you all a Happy Halloween.

Georgia O'Keeffe

 Exhibition at the Tate

 Stunning paintings

Making me want to paint again.

So; I need to empty the studio of the books that were stored there while I had some work done on the house.

That woman could paint.

I am awestruck.

May Moon 2016

May Moon completed.

Exhibited at Westgate Chapel as part of September's Artwalk.

On with June now

Camp Creative

 Tee shirt printed from the silk-screen

 Prints from the silk-screen onto white cotton.

Prints onto a blue/grey fabric that once were curtains in my campervan.

The group of us who were camping all decorated a silk-screen that we then printed from, using gorgeous gold ink, onto bright pink tee shirts!

It's like we've all joined a cult!

The fabric I printed will be used in future textile collages; probably appear in an August/September Moon piece. And some others, I imagine. 

May Moon

Just begun stitching 'May Moon'. It 'may' take some time.

Uist; 1998

Sketch from a visit to Uist, the Outer Hebrides. It was wondeful. My perception of the Land was drenched colour. The Light was intense. I felt so free. We camped in the campervan. I sat, drinking whiskey, and smoking; watching the light change on the hills.

Direct Print from Wood

 The first print; on a cotton fabric I rescued from a skip. Quite thin cotton.

I then took a second print, without adding any fabric paint to the wood. Fainter; but I think I can use it.

The chunk of wood in my garden, that I used as the surface to print from. I simply painted fabric paint onto it, and placed fabric on the top, then gently rollered over it. Of course, I'm now loking around my garden, to see if there's any other bits of wood around I can make prints from!

Collogaphy Prints on re-purposed silks

Using the silk from a sample book I rescued from a skip, I printed from one of my collography plates. 
A recent experiment of mine was to make a direct print from a chunk of wood in my garden. It's drying in the studio.