Yes and...

It's over a month since I last posted here. How embarrassing! I've had a few problems with technology and a few distractions, but I'm finally back to work in the studio.

During the summer I have been exploring some new work based on my visit to Sunny Bank Mills near Leeds. Taking my direction from stacks of samples in the mill archives and also from the buildings and site plans. The patterns of woven stripes and plaids, windows, mill rooftops, shadow lines and industrial features; the work is taking it's cue from variations on grids and blocks. Naturally that has leant itself to patchwork.

I am never certain if it is best to learn the rules and then work out how to break them, or to start without any rules and take your own line. This is something I have been pondering as I read through Sherri Wood's wonderful book The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters; is it better to be a beginner with no knowledge of traditional quilt patterns or to know the back catalogue and enjoy the thrill of tearing it up? As it happens I wouldn't quite consider myself at either end of that spectrum, but certainly more of a novice. As with so many things I know a little bit about a lot!

I like the idea of improvisation; working from a given starting point and then exploring out from it. So I have been working from Sherri Wood's 'tumbling blocks' score, playing with my own set of rules, adding, subtracting... playing! It's been a lot of fun and I could keep going for ever. But as with most projects there comes a point when things need to be brought to a conclusion. It's time to make some decisions and play at being the editor. More on that another day. Here are a few photos of some earlier work

More to follow soon...

While I rest

A few photos from the weekend, from which I am gradually recovering. Thank you to everyone who visited the Butterfly Rooms during Saltaire Arts Trail, we had the most amazing feedback from visitors.

The last image is of the little artist editions I made to go with the Linear Mapping installation. I have a few left at £8.50 plus P&P so please leave a comment if you are interested.

Linear Mapping - take two

I am really pleased to have another chance to show Linear Mapping, this time in my own studio during Saltaire Arts Trail. It's always an interesting challenge to reconfigure an installation of components. I have no fixed arrangement, so we shall see how it works in this new space.

My studio at the Butterfly Rooms will be open 10 - 5 on Saturday 23rd May, 10 - 4 Sunday 24th and Monday 25th. I hope you will pop by and have a look...

New Workshops for 2015

I have been putting the finishing touches to my workshops for spring / summer 2015. You can now find all the details on my website.

The year starts with Scrap Magic and Repair & Disrepair workshops. These workshops take different approaches to working with scraps and secondhand materials. Cut, slash, stitch and manipulate to create a whole variety of surfaces.

This year I will be teaching a variety of workshops from my studio in Saltaire, West Yorkshire. These include stitch, mixed media and cyanotype techniques. For the first time I will be teaching a two-day Inspiration from Historical Textiles course, taking ideas from antique textile and using hand stitch and cyanotype to create original art pieces.

The ever popular Cyanotype Essentials workshop runs on 25th April and for those who have already learnt the essentials there will be a Cyanotype Experimental Day (16th May) to extend your ideas and individual projects.

Studio discipline

Yesterday I started the day in despair. My work was awful and I had no time to start again. By the end of the day I was feeling really positive. Pinning the work up and stepping back it wasn't really as bad as I thought. John helped me to see there were some small alterations I could make.

On reflection I realised there are some simple little elements of studio discipline that are crucial to my creative process; making a cup of tea, putting on my linen apron, switching on my favourite radio station. Without these I am all 'at sea' and struggle to settle. This routine helps me to switch over to studio time.

I also find the rhythm of hand stitch a calming element of my practice, although I haven't the patience for large amounts of it. Small areas of stitch work well for me, as a way of blending together disparate elements.

from the other side

Winter Warmer

Tomorrow evening the Butterfly Rooms studios will be open for mulled wine, mince pies and and Christmas decoration making. As well as tidying up my very messy studio I have also been working on some new pieces so I would love to hear what you think... pictures to follow.

Kate Rawnsley and David Starley will be in their studios and as a bonus the Butterfly Rooms shop has 15% off all night.

Drop in if you can from 6 - 9pm

Stains on paper

 

Before I went away to Lithuania I taught my last studio workshop of 2013; Paper Textiles. We made a glorious mess during the day and created some really interesting samples with natural stains, papers and textiles. You can find new workshops for 2014 on my website now.

Autumn warmer

For those of you not afflicted with the curse of Facebook you may not have heard my good news; that I have been accepted as a member of the 62 Group of textile artists. I can't tell you how happy I was to hear the news so I hope you will excuse my self-congratulation, sometimes you just have to share things with those that will appreciate it.

This evening from 5 - 8.30pm we are having an Autumn Warmer gathering in the Butterfly Rooms, it would be lovely if you could join me for a glass of mulled wine and some spicy parkin (homemade of course). I shall certainly be having a little tipple to celebrate, but not too much as I will be demonstrating how to make seasonal decorations and launching my workshops for 2014. The Butterfly Rooms shop also has 15% off tonight too.

Hope to see you there.

Open studio this weekend

Why not pop in for a cuppa and a chat, 12 - 4pm this weekend.

Find me on the top floor of The Butterfly Rooms

73 Bingley Road, Saltaire BD18 4SB

Click here for directions

Sunprints and showers

...at the studio yesterday with Fran, Sue and Pip. An ideal day to be creative indoors.

Making space for my thoughts

Lately I have been feeling the weight of clutter in my studio. In particular a wall of inspiration images including favourite artist's work was weighing heavily. Perhaps it was simply too distracting or maybe it feels like a lot to live up to. Taking down all these images and creating some space was really helpful and I found some nice little bits of my own work that had been hanging amongst the chaos and now feel worthy of more room to breath...

... I think that is really what this is all about, making a breathing space to allow my own creative identity to take shape.

A backward glance...

 ... for those of you who didn't make it to my studio, a few photos. You can also read a post about Saltaire Arts Trail by Hannah Nunn here.

More stitching in Saltaire

Thank you to everyone who joined us to stitch, doodle and chat. I hope you all had a great weekend.

I still have a few bits to finish stitching and then will let you know when and where you can see the finished piece.

Sun and stitches at the studio

I really could not believe the beautiful sunshine today, which arrived right on cue for the start of Saltaire Arts Trail. It has been a glorious day and I have been fortunate to have some lovely folk along to the studio, both old friends and new acquaintances.

Some have been kind enough to join me in stitching an embroidered doodle 'map' of Saltaire, complete with chickens, cats and some very imaginative fairies! There is plenty of room on our cloth still if you would like to pop in and do a little bit of stitching with me.

You can also read a lovely post about community stitching by Clarabella here.

Evening sun at the studio

After a horrendous day of rain I glanced up and to my surprise the sun was lighting up the roof tops most beautifully.

Don't worry though I haven't let the weather dampen my spirits there will still be plenty of sunprints to see in my studio. I hope a few folks will come along and see what I have been messing about at.

25th - 27th May 2013, 10am - 4pm 

upstairs at The Butterfly Rooms, 73 Bingley Road, Saltaire (M1 on the Saltaire Arts Trail Map)

A window for Saltaire Arts Trail

If you are passing the Butterfly Rooms have a look and tell me what you think of my first ever window display.

Making progress

Busy stitching printing and patching in the studio.
Re-discovered a box of crochet cottons, which are lovely to stitch with, especially for novices.
Preparing works for the drop in workshop at my Open Studio.

In search of the sun

Not much sun but still making sun prints.

Some beautiful weeds discovered on the streets of Saltaire.