This is the 'story so far' of the weaving I began in December. It's still very small; about 3.5 inches high (8.5 cm?). I'm not doing it completely technically 'correctly'.....I'm playing with it, and just trying to make marks that fit with what my ideas are. I'm working with the idea of flowing water; a beck; a river; a stream; the movement of water through a landscape.
I'm deliberately working with a limited palette; working with a different colour discipline. I'm interested in what effect limitations have upon my work. This is something that's become clearer to me as I've worked with textiles for the last few years.
The 'blue' meander on the weaving is actually a cream/white thread, rather than the blue shown. It's beginning to take on a movement of its own as it moves through the thread.
Alkborough is a village on the edges of the River Humber, in north Lincolnshire. It's famous for having a turf labyrinth.
I've visited a number of times; in bitter cold winter, where we walked the labyrinth slipping and sliding on the icy surface; in summer, many years ago; and at the end of the summer, where I took photos, and a ladder, so I could take photos from above!
Below is one of the photos I took from the labyrinth in the village; overlooking the confluence of 3 rivers. Beyond the labyrinth, is the floodplain, the wetlands, and the rivers.
It's one of those wonderful liminal places that I love to visit. It's possible to walk along a footpath from the labyrinth, with the rivers down on the plain, and ponder how many ancient people have also travelled the path. It's an ancient track, amongst trees. And eventually we came to the small well. Water everywhere here; even high above the 3 rivers.
Alkborough celebrates its turf labyrinth by these blue plaques at the entrances to the village. They'd make wonderful rubbings! I'll go back for another visit, and take paper, and graphite pencils, and make rubbings.
