One mindful week in...

New Year, new handmade sketchbook

We're just over a week into 2019 and as my first post of the year was about looking back over 2018 and looking forward to this year I thought my second post could focus on how I'm doing that. As I wrote last time I don't have any resolutions as such but I am trying to be more mindful and to focus on what I'm doing and enjoy it rather than trying to do several things at once and worrying that I'm not achieving any of them.

Handmade sketchbook (details)

Handmade sketchbook 

When I look back through my notebooks I always see 'need more time for my own work' so I'm trying to address that by blocking out time in my week specifically to be in the studio. I wear so many (metaphorical) hats and work on so many different projects that it can be easy to lose myself in planning, preparation and admin tasks. I'm hoping that by giving myself specific times to do certain things I can get a better balance and be able to achieve more of the things I want to in my personal practice (this morning, for instance, I'm blogging and photographing and this afternoon I AM going to work in my studio.)

Handmade sketchbook (details)

Handmade sketchbook (details)

Handmade sketchbook (details)

Towards the end of last year I got quite down and felt very low creatively. I decided that I would not make any 'proper' work at all in December and that I would instead focus on doing things that I wanted to do; crocheting, making decorations, dress making and so on. All creative things but also things that I often neglect. I'm really pleased that I did this, once I'd made the decision to not 'work' I was able to really enjoy making and playing with materials. It was a really good chance to refresh myself and towards the end of December I could feel myself getting itchy to get going on my 'proper' work again, I had new ideas and was ready to start again.

Daily Drawing 1.1.19

Daily Drawing 2 and 3.1.19

Daily Drawing 8.1.19

I began the new year by making a sketchbook and I've been using this for my daily drawing, another thing that I find hugely beneficial but which can also often be bumped down the priorities list. I love my drawing time, I always feel so much calmer and more focused after drawing, even if I only draw for a few minutes. I've started drawing in the mornings before I go out to work and I find it's a really good positive start to my day. Drawing also helps me work through and clarify ideas so as well as drawings I have some pages of notes (in a different sketchbook, I like to have several on the go at once) about how work might progress. 

Inspired by Winifred Nicholson
Hand dyed fabrics, applique and hand embroidery

Inspired by Winifred Nicholson
The painting that inspired me and my interpretation

Inspired by Winifred Nicholson
(detail)

Inspired by Winifred Nicholson
(detail)

As well as keeping up with my daily drawing I've been looking to clear a couple of things from my WIP (works in progress) list and so far I've finished two pieces started on workshops at Cumberland Embroiderers Guild last year. One was from a workshop with Mandy Pattullo, making textile interpretations of Winifred Nicholson's paintings. I loved this workshop and learnt a lot, it was a quite different way of working for me and I found it quite hard but exciting and I think there are elements that I will take forward and incorporate in my own work. Many is a really good tutor and I learnt a lot from her during this session. It was also a really good way of properly looking at Nicholson's paintings and I enjoyed that side of it too.

Bushkiri 

Bushkiri (detail)

Bushkiri (detail)

The second piece was from a workshop with Hilary Kimber, who showed us how to make Bushkiri (Indian dowry bags.) Again, I really enjoyed the workshop and had a lot of fun playing with colours and stitches. I'm very pleased to have these pieces finished as there is the catharsis of finishing and of having a clear desk (I don't actually have a clear desk, that would be silly...) and I'm also pleased with the finished pieces. I've learnt a lot form both of them and enjoyed making them.

Work in progress on sample for a new workshop

I've also been working on some samples for a new workshop I'm running this year, again new ideas are coming into my head and feeding into other areas of my work. I'm getting quite excited about the possibilities so I think I'm going to save writing any more about it for another post, watch this space...

Summery Summaries: Part Three: The Heathlands Project

Pieces for the Stitch a Tree Project

Because I'm at The Heathlands Project every week I often forget to blog about the projects we get up to. I've been at Heathlands for over 8 years now and I still love working here, I love the sense of community and also the opportunity to get involved in all sorts of projects and the freedom I have to try all sorts of things with my groups. I always like to get my Art and Textiles groups involved in projects as it provides a great opportunity to get their work out there and challenge people's perceptions about what they can achieve.

Stitch a Tree

Materials

Designing a tree

Earlier in the year we got involved with the excellent Stitch a Tree project. The project aim was to connect people around the UK to show support for displaced people across the world. Artist Alice Kettle then collected all the trees and has joined them together to create a ‘forest.’ I really liked this project because it was simple and achievable but also touched on some very important topics. I also like working on projects where lots of small pieces come together to create a unified whole. 

Work in progress

I thought this was a lovely project to be involved with. I also worked on this project with my Tullie Textiles groups so between them and my Heathlands crew I was able to send at least a copse worth of trees down!

Tree details

Tree detail

Bugs Quilt

Bugs! The Heathlands Project 2018 Quilt

Every year with my Textiles groups at The Heathlands Project I make a quilt and usually we send it down to The Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. Although it's quite stressful getting it all finished in time and I always end up giving up a day of my free time to get it completed I do like working on a big project like this. I made the first quilt with them in 2011 so this is our 8th quilt.

Designing our bugs

Tie dye patches

It's a really good opportunity to introduce and experiment with a whole range of techniques and it also gives some of the now more experienced participants a chance to develop their skills further and show them off. This year we re-visited tie-dyeing and also experimented with embroidery, applique, and needle felting. Each person's patch is unique and beautiful and I love the way their personalities shine through. Using the same materials and equipment each person produces something so different but when put all together they all work so well.

Work in progress

Work in progress

Work in progress

This year we chose the theme of 'Bugs!' as we'd won a roll of beautiful organic jersey from the lovely folks at Pigeon Organics printed with bugs. I devised an unnecessarily elaborate but entertaining system of joining it all together involving elastic loops and felted balls. We got some lovely feedback from the judges and we're already planning next years quilt!

Details

Details

Details

In addition to our group quilt this year I also sent down two individual quilts that members of my Textiles groups had made. Both of the individuals had worked so hard to create their pieces and we're so proud to have their work included in the show. Getting it all organised was hard work but well worth it for the sense of achievement they both got.

Feedback for our Bugs quilt

One of the individual quilts entered

OCN Courses

Group rag rug

As well as our internal groups we've also been running an Open College Network course in Environmental Arts. For this course Adult Education provide us with a tutor who comes along and delivers the accredited course. It's a great opportunity for us as it means we get a new person with new ideas coming in and the guys gain a qualification. Over the length of the course we've tried things such as paper making, rag-rugging and weaving. The course is continuing this term in the form of 'Seasonal Crafts.'

Paper making

Weaving with plastic bags

Rag rug hedgehogs

Butterfly: A Prism Arts Studio Arts Exhibition at Penrith Library

Following on from their very successful Gallery Trail at Tullie House my Studio Arts group at Prism Arts have been creating work around the theme of butterflies. We've been encouraging the participants to start developing their own practice and follow their particular interests within the visual arts whilst still working as part of a group. As part of supporting them to develop their personal practices we've been looking at the whole business of being an artist; from generating ideas, researching and developing those ideas through to making work and exhibiting.

Sketching from collections

Developing ideas

Developing characters

Alongside encouraging the participants to develop their own styles and ways of working I like to include regular skills workshops to offer new opportunities and possibilities for the participants. For example, on this project I ran a sketchbook making session as I think sketchbooks are a really useful and important tool and can also be works of art in themselves. This workshop led to two of the participants creating hand made books for the exhibition. Running workshops like this is also a good chance for myself and the other professional artists who work on the project to brush up our skills, share favourite techniques and sometimes try something new.

Composition workshop using photocopies

Sketchbook workshop

Sketchbook workshop

Part of our research for this project was visiting the Butterfly and Moth collection at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery and a trip to Cumbria Wildlife Trust's Eycott Hill nature Reserve. This provided an opportunity to get some in depth knowledge of our subject and provided some good drawing opportunities. In my personal practice everything starts with drawing and it's something we encourage our participants to do as well. Drawing is a really useful tool for recording, generating and exploring ideas as well as a means of creation in itself.

Exhibition

Exhibition

Exhibition

One of the things I love about working in participatory arts is everyone's different approaches. I find it endlessly fascinating that from the same starting points and with the same resources each individual will create something totally different. It's also interesting seeing peoples differing approaches; some people have an idea and jump straight in without any apparent planning whilst others like to make meticulous plans and try out every possible permutation before fixing on an idea. Each approach has it's benefits and we try and encourage an approach that balances both extremes. Spontaneity is good but so is planning and experimentation!

Exhibition

Exhibition

Exhibition

Over the course of the project each of the participants developed their pieces in their own ways. I then spent a very warm morning at Penrith Library installing the work. This part is always quite stressful as you never quite know how it's going to go and whether all the pieces will work together. I'm really pleased with how the exhibition has come together, despite being so different I think the individual pieces work well together as a whole and as I was installing lots of people commented on how interesting and cheerful the work is.

Detail of handmade book: Butterfly Story

Detail of Imperial Tiger Scroll

Detail of The Butterfly

All the staff at the library have been really helpful and supportive (and make an excellent cup of tea) and I think it's really good for Studio Arts to have their work on show in different places as it helps us challenge people's preconceptions about what they can do and raises awareness of their work. It also fits in well with Penrith Library's Summer Reading challenge; this year's theme is Animal Agents so it's a win win! The work will be on show until 12th September so if you're in Penrith please do pop in and have a look.

Detail of Butterfly

Detail of Butterflies in the Breeze