Theft... again!

Sadly my stalker / personal art thief seems to have stuck again. Almost a year since most of my MA work was stolen, some of the pieces from Art in the Woods have been taken. Fortunately this time it seems the thief was interrupted mid-way through the dirty deed, so only one and a half banners were taken. I am trying not to take it personally but it is strange when it is only my work targeted. So annoying that someone would actually damage the work removing it - clearly not an art lover!

Anyhow, Art in the Woods has now finished. Despite this nasty twist I have really enjoyed being involved and hope to do some similar projects in the future.

Beautiful Gifts

From the woods we found beautiful treasure.

An empty windfall nest on the ground and a bounty of dark jewel like bilberries. This beautiful nest was found on the path and clearly not in use. It is made of sheeps wool, moss, lichen and a tiny bit of synthetic twine and shaped like a snug little bowl. I wonder what kind of bird it belonged to?

 If you visit Art in the woods be sure to collect some of these dainty berries hidden among the leaves.

Dancing in the Rain

At first glance there did not seem to be much to look at, but as we stepped around the tree we could see the dissolving embroidered lettering, clinging to the crackling bark. I was thrilled to find that some thing exciting had evolved.

John and I had plenty of time to contemplate the words of Vivian Greene as we trudged through the rain "life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain...". Despite the deluge we enjoyed our trip around the trail and saw a few things we hadn't spotted before. I will upload some photos of the other artworks soon. If you would like to visit, Art in the Woods continues until the end of Sunday.

Art in the Woods - as it changes

Photos kindly provided by Sarah Branson. The first photo shows the work last Saturday (the day after installation), the last photo shows the work after Sundays rainstorms.

Art in the Woods

Yesterday was installation day for Art in the Woods and despite very changeable weather we succeeded in putting up all my work (thanks John!). The art trail circles through a pine plantation which starts on the edge of Home Styles Reservoir. Walking up a steep track with ladders and all our paraphernalia we trekked to the site and then worked through sunshine and downpours to hang six long textile banners as well as the water soluble piece.

I happily managed to dodge the worst of the rain to put up this piece (below) which comprises cornely chain stitch embroidered text directly onto water soluble fabric. As you can see (further below) a few drops have started to dissolve the piece, which should change throughout the period of the art festival. I would love it if anyone can take photos of this piece if they visit the trail, it would be really lovely to have a record of how it changes. Please email me any of your pictures.

Stitches and Sunshine

I have been so busy lately that my blog has taken a back seat. My students have finished putting up their degree shows but I am still putting the final touches to my latest project. You will be able to see the results of my hard work from Saturday onwards in Art in the Woods.

Practice makes (almost) makes perfect with the cornely machine, but I am very pleased to have finished my machining. Walking out of the building to find the world lit by golden sunlight drenched by a recent shower I felt light with relief. There is something quite magical about the world after a sudden shower.