Thoughts and Inspiration

“I know that spinning sets me in a trance; it soothes me and charges my batteries at the same time. When times are tough I sit down to spin during the news-broadcasts, with therapeutic results.” 

― Elizabeth Zimmermann, Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac

It has been a while since my last post, this has been mainly because of having so much to do so little time.

However it has been helpful for me to take a break from the computer and just be lost in my thoughts for a while.

It has been a soul searching few months as sadly a wonderful woman called Rosalind Gregory who provided me with all my fleece to which I am spinning at the moment passed away. She was an inspiring person and I wish i have had time to have got to know her better, she is always in my thoughts and I hope to do her proud in September.

Rosalind pretty much gave me many solutions to problems about my work I have had bubbling in my head which I will be forever thankful!

I have been learning how to mordant and then dye my fleece over the last few months, with the help of Emma Riley. I hope to start to learn now to dye with natural materials soon and this will be a challenge as my knowledge on plant life is very basic, but for now I will be using ordinary dyes for the fleece.

I have also been lucky enough to be one of the volunteers who helped Laura Ellen Bacon install her work in Barrington Court this month, it was very interesting to see how another site specific artist works within the environment they are given and I now have ideas in my head for the future installations.

Next week it all starts….. Installing at Queens for Quartz Festival 2013 and then also starting to install my framework for Aller Farmhouse for SAW 2013! Very exciting !

Lawn

Being ‘showy’ might actually be an advantage for a solitary species: the easier to avoid you, my dear.  Camouflaged animals must always be bumping into each other.’

From: Amy Leach (2013) Things That Are: Encounters with plants, stars and animals, Canongate Books Ltd

Donors

In addition to collecting materials on walks in the area and at Pylle scrapyard, my work has relied on the kindness of numerous local donors, who have given me recycled materials and/or their time.   A huge thank you to the following:  Sam Garland, John Shepherd Feeders, Ridgeway Garage, Station Road Garage, Pete Reakes, Fon Cosens, Somerset Earth Science Centre, Andrew and Shirley Harvey, Vicky Grinter, Georgia Grinter, Caroline James, Jason Nosworthy, Nigel Evans, Peter Osborne, Denise Campbell, Nick Weaver, Adrian Candy.

I have struggled to keep up with my own self-inflicted deadlines for making the Abundance installations, especially during this school summer holiday, although I am making progress.   With September nearly upon us, I’ll need to accelerate in order to get it all completed on time.

My large ‘fallen nest’ is coming along ok and I hope to complete it in the next week.  Other parts to the lichen-inspired installation have now been shaped and patinated using reclaimed copper and lead.  I have a couple more items to make, and will then set it all out again in my garden as a mock up.  It’s been great fun exploring techniques and finding new ways of working with materials.

We are meeting with the owners at Esotera this Friday for a final update on the work and Art Weeks arrangements.   Very soon it will be time to install….  better get moving!

phaeum, fireglow, cosmos, gold heart, …..

An early start

Meeting with garden owners and Zoe from SAW at 9am this morning. Just needing to finalise details, health and safety etc etc. I just hope I finish the work in time….

 

 

Dressing the frame

I have now finished weaving in the black ground cover material to form a more solid basis for the reed thatching. Close up it really does look like part of a close fitting ‘little black dress’.

I’ve had to leave some gaps in the fabric as these are the two points where the frame comes apart to form three separate sections, and I need it in three sections for transportation purposes!

It rained last night and the drops made an interesting photo.

I shall be able to collect the reeds 27th August and then it will be all systems go, go, go….

The Witch’s Bonnet

The school holidays and nice weather have proved very distracting…….but I’m finally getting to grips with the inside of the ‘Horn’. I’m using weed control fabric as it’s sufficiently black, but does allow some light to permeate through. It is also is tough enough to provide a strong mesh which will hopefully support the bundles on reeds. I tried applying it in large sheets but it didn’t provide sufficient strength to the sculpture. The three components to the ‘horn’ now look like a sculpture in their own right. I think the smaller one resembles a witches bonnet!

Hopefully one week to go until the reeds can be cut.

Toile

Work in progress at the shop Sew Vintage, Wells

My thanks go to Sarah Donoghue for her work.  It will allow me to invite visitors to Henley Mill to dress for the garden – to get in the mode and perhaps play up a certain tension between camouflage and display.