Completion Catharsis

Gold paper and feather collage

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post! When I started this blog ten years ago way back in 2009 the world, particularly the digital world, was a different place. Over the last decade social media has exploded, our use and reliance on the internet has grown hugely and the the world of blogs is not what it was. Don't worry, this isn't a "isn't modern life terrible lets live in a cave" kind of post, I just want to set out some of my thoughts.

Jackdaw, 2019
Fabric pastel and hand embroidery on linen

Jackdaw, 2019
Fabric pastel and hand embroidery on linen (detail)

Over the last decade I've used my blog for different things; reflecting, recording, promoting, ranting and sharing to name a few. Recently though I've not used it much at all. Social media channels such as Instagram have meant that I share "little and often" rather than saving things up and writing blog posts about them. Like most things this is good and bad; it's great being able to quickly share and connect with people but for me the downside is that I don't share much 'in-depth' information and I certainly don't share as much of my reflections (which may actually be a good thing; it's probably only interesting to me anyway!) There are also other reasons for not blogging so often, I'm very busy being one of them! I also started a newsletter so information that would maybe previously have gone on here goes straight into that.

Flow: Moon, 2019
Hand embroidery and found objects on naturally dyed fabrics 

Sometimes I miss this blog and posting regularly but mostly it sits here, waiting for me. I don't know whether I'll carry on writing it next year but I'll leave it here for a while and see. I like to look back over my posts occasionally, it reminds me how far I've come and what I've achieved. Which leads me back to the reason I started writing this post which was to share some finished pieces with you. These have all been 'works in progress' for some time and I really wanted to get them done before the year is out so I've been enjoying sitting down with them and working on them until they're resolved.

Flow: Moon, 2019
Hand embroidery and found objects on naturally dyed fabrics (detail)

Some pieces come together quickly and easily, others need time and several attempts to get them done, which is the case for Jackdaw and Flow: Tide-lines. Often it isn't even that I don't know what to do it's just that I'm not in the right mood or there are too many other things that must be sorted first. I find that, particularly with hand embroidery, I really need to be able to sit in peace to resolve these works, it's so time consuming that I feel like I need a clear block of time to get stuck in. It's a bit odd really as the process is actually very calming and meditative and easy to pick up and put down. Maybe it's just my need for some quiet time?

Flow: Tide lines, 2019
Hand embroidery and found objects on naturally dyed fabrics

Flow: Tide lines, 2019
Hand embroidery and found objects on naturally dyed fabrics (detail)

Whatever the reasons, these pieces have been a long time in the making but I'm pleased to have finished them and have them ready to share with the world. I have a head (and several sketchbooks) full of ideas of what I want to do next in my work and having cleared these pieces from my 'to-do list' I feel like I'm ready to start working on some of these ideas. Maybe I'll share them on here and maybe not, we'll see!

Looking Back and Looking Forwards

Like all years 2018 had its ups and downs, although it felt like a lot more downs than ups to be honest! I haven't really felt like writing much on the blog at all recently and I haven't felt like doing my usual end of year reflection post so instead I've put together a couple of little slideshows of some of the things I've been up to this year. It's been a good chance to look back over all the good things from the year and some of the great projects I've been involved with. I'm starting this new year full of inspiration and positivity and am looking forward to a happy and creative 2019.

The first video is a mix of work I've made, exhibitions I've been part of, other things I've made and publications. The year started off really positively with an exhibition at RSPB Geltsdale and other highlights included having my Shadow-work tutorial published in Be Creative with Workbox magazine, the Embroiderers Guild '100 Hearts' project and exhibiting with Decorum at Farfield Mill. I had a bit of a creative slump in the second half of the year but I feel like I'm back on the up now with lots of new ideas to try out this year.

The second video is a mix of the workshops I've run and the projects I've been involved with through my roles at Heathlands and Prism Arts. My favourite project has to be the Processions banner made with a group at Prism Arts, both the making and the procession itself far exceeded my expectations and it was a real pleasure to work with everyone in the group. This years Heathlands quilt was also a lot of fun and I've run lots of workshops where I've met lovely people, been inspired and seen great work being created. Here's to more exciting collaborations for 2019!

One of the things I've definitely got better at over the past year is living in the moment more and enjoying things more. If I have a new years resolution it's this; to enjoy the simple things and not worry so much about the bigger picture. Here's to a happy, peaceful and creative New Year for us all!

Back in the studio...

Dipper
Machine embroidery and fabric paint on cotton. 2018

Over the past couple of weeks I've been able to get back into my studio a bit more and it feels really good to be working there again. We've had quite a stressful few months for various reasons and I haven't had much time to focus on my own practice. I had a look back through my book of knowledge (the notebook that contains all my thoughts, to-do lists, projects, ideas and so on) and I kept seeing 'need more time for my work' so I'm really pleased to finally be able to spend a bit of time on my own practice.

Dipper (detail)
Machine embroidery and fabric paint on cotton. 2018

Dipper (detail)
Machine embroidery and fabric paint on cotton. 2018

Mr. Stitches and I try and go for a walk every day as it has so many benefits for both mental and physical well-being and on one of our evening walks last week we saw three dippers together. I often see them along the river but usually only one at a time. I'd been thinking for a while about doing a dipper portrait and seeing them on our walk prompted me to actually get on and do it. I decided it would be a good project to get myself back into working in my studio.

Design drawing

I began by drawing out my dipper, I only make portraits of birds I've seen because it's important to me to observe and then capture a bit of their character rather than just what they look like. I love the way the dipper moves and the way it suddenly disappears underwater, it always seems as if it's been swept away but then it pops up again, fine and unharmed. To create my drawings I do use photographs and reference books as well as any quick sketches I've made whilst watching the bird to supplement my memory of the bird.

Work in progress

Work in progress

I then used my sewing machine to 'draw' my dipper onto fabric. I started with a black outline and then added some hints of other colours. I didn't want to put a background in, as I very rarely do, but I did want my dipper to have something to perch on so I added a rock and some swirling water so it wasn't floating in space. At this point I hadn't decided whether or not I was going to add any applique or paint; I was keen to experiment a bit with paint and in the end this is what I decided to do.

Rook
Machine embroidery and fabric paint on linen. 2016

Often when I use fabric paint I use the paint first and add the embroidery over the top but for this piece I wanted to do the reverse. I made a portrait of a rook a couple of years ago using this technique and I've been thinking about experimenting more with it recently. I wanted the result to be quite watery and for the colours to bleed out into each other and the background. I wanted to do it this way partly to evoke the watery world of the dipper but also to suggest the fragility of the bird and it's environment; our wildlife and environment are under so much pressure and I wanted to comment on this.

Sketches, books and work in progress

From sketch to drawing to finished piece

I really enjoyed making this piece, although at several points I considered abandoning it as it wasn't going quite as I envisaged. I'm pleased with the way the fabric paint has worked and I think this might be an interesting idea to explore further in other pieces. As an added bonus I received a message asking if the piece was for sale after I posted a picture on Facebook. It's always a nice confidence boost when someone wants your work on their wall and I'm delighted that the dipper will be going to a home where it will be appreciated!

Wingspan: Carlisle Library 6th-30th June 2018

In the same way that busses always appear in multiples it feels that recently exhibitions are doing the same thing for me. Over the past few weeks I've been installing and uninstalling exhibitions like there's no tomorrow. The latest one is a slightly revised version of the 'Wingspan' exhibition of art and poetry that my partner and I had at RSPB Geltsdale. It is now on show at Carlisle Library and I'm really rather pleased with how it's worked out. 

Installation view at Carlisle Library

Display case

Display case

One of the things that I like about exhibiting at the RSPB Geltsdale Gallery is that it's a little bit unexpected; people don't generally go there to see art exhibitions but I've had some great feedback from visitors and as the work is inspired by nature it's good being able to show it in a wild place. Exhibiting at the library is different again, it's not necessarily where you'd go to see an exhibition and I like that by showing work here I can exhibit to people who ordinarily might not see my work. It's a shared public space and used by a wide range of people which I think makes it a great place to show art. 

It being a public space does of course mean that there are other challenges; the work is not behind glass and of course there is not the same 'do not touch' culture in a library that there is in a gallery. Because of this I decided not to put some of the bigger hangings and more fragile pieces in, I don't think people would deliberately damage my work but textiles can be fragile and susceptible to marks if not handled carefully and I didn't want to take the risk. I'm also using display boards rather than gallery walls so I've had to be creative with my hanging and mounting and am relying largely on the power of Velcro and please do not touch signs! I have put a few smaller pieces in a glass cabinet downstairs (most of the work is upstairs) and I'm pleased with how this looks and it acts as a bit of a 'signpost' to the rest of the exhibition. 

Exhibition view: Carlisle Library

Exhibition view: Carlisle Library

Exhibition view: Carlisle Library

I don't think that the exhibition is quite as cohesive in terms of the relationship between Nick's poems and my artworks as it was at RSPB Geltsdale as a lot of the work I've taken out for the library show is the work that ties directly to the poems. However, it's given me a chance to put some other pieces up and I still think there's a strong connection between his writing and my art. We're both very inspired by the natural world, the wild places we visit and the wildlife we see and I think that still comes through. If you go and visit I'd love to hear your thoughts, it's on show until 30th June. 

Textile Wall Hangings Inspired by Nature: RSPB Geltsdale

Getting set up for the workshop

Poster for the Workshop

Last year I ran two textile workshops (Bird Portraits) at RSPB Geltsdale, following on from my 'As the Crow Flies' exhibition. I really enjoyed the sessions, it's a lovely environment and I had a great group of participants on both workshops. I was asked to run another session this year to run alongside my 'Wingspan' exhibition. I didn't want to run the same workshop again so we decided on my Mini Textile Banners workshop, but with a new title as they thought 'banners' might put people off!

Ready for everyone to arrive

Getting stuck in

Playing with layers

This time my exhibition was still up when I ran the workshop (last time the workshops took place after the exhibition) which I really liked as I was able to refer to my work throughout the session and I thought it helped 'set the scene' a bit more. It's really good working in the gallery space as you have the work all around you to refer to and, hopefully, to inspire people.

Finished piece from last years workshop

Experimenting with layout

Experimenting with layout

Once again I had a really good group of participants, including quite a few who'd been on the previous workshops or attended some of my other workshops. It's always a good confidence boost when people come back! One of the participants from the last workshop brought her finished piece, it was a beautiful piece of work and I was so pleased she'd been inspired to carry on and finish it after the workshop. It was a very relaxed session and what I was really pleased with was that people really made it their own, everybody's banner was different and I was impressed and inspired by how willing everyone was to get stuck in, try things and experiment.

Adding stitch

Adding stitch

Adding stitch

When I'm running a workshop I'm not interested in everyone doing exactly the same thing and going home with a carbon copy of something I've done, I want to inspire people to be creative in their own way. I aim to encourage people to try something different and to have confidence in their own ideas. I love being able to show someone how to master a particular skill or technique but what I really love is when they then take that skill and do their own thing with it.

Pieces growing and developing

Pieces growing and developing

Pieces growing and developing

During the workshop I showed people how I create my textile banners, using naturally dyed fabrics, natural objects, stitch and other embellishments. I demonstrated different techniques and stitches but my focus was on encouraging people to create something unique to them, exploring their interests and ideas. It was great seeing everyone get stuck into the materials and start selecting bits and pieces and I loved seeing how the work changed and evolved over the course of the day. My pieces change and evolve as I'm working on them so I was keen for people to enjoy the process rather than worrying about doing things in a particular, set way.

At the end of the session 

At the end of the session 

At the end of the session 

I usually find that when I'm running a workshop I learn new things too and I find that some of my most exciting and enjoyable workshops are the ones where there is plenty of collaboration between myself and my participants. Sometimes it's discovering an artist to research, sometimes it's learning a different way to work a stitch and sometimes it's firing ideas around and finding something that really gets the creative juices flowing. Running workshops also gives me a good chance and a good reason to experiment, it can be easy to get stuck in a rut when working all alone but sharing my practice with other people opens up more opportunities for experimentation and new ideas.

At the end of the session 

At the end of the session 

At the end of the session 

During this workshop I had a chance to try out something I've been meaning to do for ages; incorporating limpet rings (limpet shells that have had their tops worn away, leaving a ring) into my work. Whilst we were away on Westray last year I collected lots of limpet rings and started experimenting but hadn't done anything with it since then. Seeing everyone working away with all the materials I'd brought got me all inspired to have a go and I'm really pleased with the results. I was so pleased that the next day I carried on working with the shells and made a small piece of work about tide and memory, which has been selected for Cumbria's Museum of Military Life Remembrance 100 exhibition, but more about that in another post.

At the end of the session 

At the end of the session 

At the end of the session 

Detail

Wingspan: An Exhibition of Art and Poetry

I'm really excited to be exhibiting at the RSPB Geltsdale Visitor Centre again. In the winter of 2016/17 I had my show 'As the Crow Flies' there and it was a really important moment for me. 'As the Crow Flies' proved popular with visitors and I was delighted to be asked back. It's a lovely space to exhibit, very light and quirky and set in a beautiful location.

Stagsike Cottage

Stagsike Cottage

Mr. Stitches and an empty gallery

My partner, Mr. Stitches aka Nick Robinson, is a writer and as I'd be dragging him out bird-watching with me he'd been writing some poems inspired by birds and the nature reserves we visited. I asked him if he'd like to do an exhibition with me; my artwork and his poems as we are both inspired by the beautiful and wild places in Scotland and Northern England that we visit. He thought this was a good idea and so we went for it.

Exhibition view

Exhibition view

Exhibition view

I'm really pleased with the exhibition, I've made some new pieces and there's more colour than in a lot of my previous work. As I've been exploring natural dyeing recently a lot of these experiments have made their way into my pieces and are an important part of how my work is evolving. More and more I'm interested in our connection and relationship with the natural world and I want to explore this in my pieces.

Exhibition view

Exhibition view

Exhibition view

Nick explores some similar themes in his poems and I think that his poems and my pieces complement each other well. It's been great working together on this project and I think we've inspired each other. I'd had the idea for Owl Moon in my head for a long time but when Nick wrote his poem 'Owl Moon' I finally had the incentive I needed to make the piece.

Owl Moon, 2018

Edge, 2017

Little Egret, 2018

Little Egret (detail) 2018

We've also made a book to go with the exhibition. This has more of Nick's poems and illustrations and some of my artwork in. It's available to buy through blurb or we have a few copies for sale at the exhibition.

Our book

Our exhibition is on until 21st May 2018. If you'd like to visit it is free (but all donations to the RSPB are gratefully received.) The car park is about a mile from the visitor centre at Stagsike Cottage but it's a lovely walk. You can park up at the centre if necessary, please contact them to arrange this in advance (geltsdale@rspb.org.uk or call 01697 746717.) If you visit I'd love to hear what you think so do please get in touch.