Quite....

Working like a demon this week. I'm taking these words to heart and following my instincts, making a few memorable failures but for me it's all about what I take from that, what I learn. Thanks Woody.

Time and tide....

In the past couple of weeks I've gone from 'procrastination' to 'brain overload' mode. I know I am not alone. I think there are plenty of kindred spirits out there reading this. You know who you are! One minute you have an idea and the next you've gone off on a tangent before the first idea is fully realised - yet, in your head, you have almost completed it! My Mum used to say I had a 'butterfly mind' always jumping from one thing to another , although I've always described it more like 'lurching' from one idea to the next.

After my last post I gave my friend the bibs I'd made and she was over the moon. I was really pleased that something so quick could give pleasure like that. She knows she is going to have a girl and was so excited by the things she is going to dress her in that it reminded me of this photograph taken of me as a small child. My Mum decided to dress me in my gaberdine mac on a hot sunny day because she liked me in it. It must have been sweltering. No wonder I look like I've had a sense of humour by-pass operation. Don't ask me why I felt the need to print it onto card, cut it out and make a little model of it. I just did and I'm now standing guard on my kitchen shelves. Still ,it was something to do rather than get on with the tasks in hand......

....to put off getting on with my drawing projects from college. So, I also went out to do some shopping. I found these fabulous 50's and 60's knitting patterns. They came with a dress pattern for a child's dress I found in the same charity shop. I'll make it for my friend's baby in the summer and it only cost 10p. These patterns only cost me 40p for the lot of them too. Bargains, and just crying out to be used in some vintage book project or collage ... but I mustn't be sidetracked by new ideas as I have to crack on with my course work.......

First up we had to find a stamp and draw the image using coloured pencils. I did one and it went very well. I even cropped part of the image and made a sheet of them which I perforated on the sewing machine. Hey presto, my own sheet of stamps! Not legal of course but fun to do. The next stamp I chose was the one above.....

.... and this is my version before I added the lettering later. I also took scans of it which I spliced up and collaged with other things. It made me look at stamps in a lot more detail too. I have stacks of them and suddenly realised that they make great drawing practice. There's no excuse for lack of inspiration ever again but no sooner had I done this than I had to get into the life drawing sessions.......

This is definitely not my forte. I've cropped the hands from this page because they sort of disappear.... this is something I need to do much more practice at but it's all down to time. No sooner had this session ended than I was back to the work that has really been taking all my waking hours for the past few weeks.....

The final part of this module, before we move onto working with abstraction, is a self directed project that can be on any theme we like. Mine is spoons. I have been buying lots of unusual shaped spoons in charity shops and I'm caught up in the fact that these mundane things we take for granted have been used my many people before me. There are lots of memories attached to them and once I started to think about the different types of spoons and the variety of ways I could portray them I was hooked. I've been making printing plates, drawing directly in all different mediums and I plan to use screen printing and stitch onto fabric as well. I cannot sleep with ideas buzzing around in my head and I am constantly writing things down in case I forget them. The thoughts are coming thick and fast and I think I've forgotten more than I've remembered. I have ideas for book works and collagraph prints and many more. Now all I need to do is marshal my thoughts, make a plan, and get on with it......

Procrastinating

I can't quite get my mojo working yet this year. I'm dipping in and out of things but not spending any particular time on anything. Easily sidetracked into using up fabric scraps making cards. I have loads of that bird fabric from Ikea and fear I'll never see the end of it unless I use up bigger pieces...... ... so I made some bibs for my friend's forthcoming baby also using up some other fabric scraps

.... and when you fiddle about for half and hour tying a fiddly little bow to sew on a bib you know you have to kick yourself where it hurts and concentrate on something else!

Too soon

There has been the sad news this week of two talented men, both in their early sixties and taken too soon. Gerry Rafferty was an introspective, sensitive man who did not take to the fame that went with the popularity of his music. His songs were part of my youth and I wanted to share my favourite track of his. On hearing this again the words just seem very appropriate.

On Monday I read the news in the paper that designer, weaver, printmaker and potter, John Hinchcliffe passed away suddenly before Christmas. I have a couple of books about his work and always think in colours when I hear his name. He worked with his partner Wendy Barber and their work can be seen here. If you're not aware of the breadth of his work please take a look.

Go Harvey

I've just been reading Jill's latest post over at Third Age Musings. It's a tough post about her beloved cat Marvin, a real character that regular readers of her blog have come to know and love. He has some health issues at the moment and Jill has been heart searching about what to do for him for the best.

It reminded me so much of the same dilemmas we had years ago when our dog Beauty was ill. I inherited her when I picked up with her owner and married him. I'd never had a dog before and was quite unprepared for that unconditional love that you get from them. She had an uncanny knack of knowing when I would be getting home from work. I used to travel all over the country and had irregular hours but without fail she'd go and sit by the front door about 10 minutes before I arrived every time. I was lost when we had to put her down. She was about 15 and having strange turns and fits and , in the end, the vet virtually made the decision for us.

In the years since we've often talked about getting another dog and even enquired about greyhound rescue once but they said our garden would have had to be fenced in all round for security. At an acre in size and surrounded by open farmland and woodland it just wasn't an option, but every time I see this advertisement on the television I look at my husband and say 'I want a Harvey'. One look at that face and I want to give him a home, especially as he could do my ironing as well! I know everyone has probably seen this to death but I love it and had to post it so I can watch it again any time I like!