Springtime

                                                      Ostara / Easter greetings everyone

Although I haven't posted any blogs for awhile; I've not been idle !
.....spurned by the brief spell of spring sunshine; I decided that it was time to do some spring cleaning  (on all three levels of being) mental, physical and spiritual.
Having got into the necessary mind-set, I set to work on my creative space; (you didn't really think I meant house-work, did you ?) !!.  Oh my gosh no, him indoors does that ! bless.
As any of us 'multi-media' artistic / creative folk appreciate...we collect a lot of 'stuff ' !
I consider myself very fortunate in having a fair sized utility room, where most of the work goes on. However, the garage is store for clay / glazes/ plaster molds etc., alongside plastic and glass containers of every size and shape imaginable. Saved for...just in case. Packaging material, pieces of driftwood, and oh, the list goes on !
The spare room is now home to all 'stuff' relating to art work / felting; and what was once my therapy / massage couch,  now serves as a flat working surface. Re-cycle / re-use !

Having had a good spring clean and tidy up...and retrieving the box labeled 'printing inks' , I did try out my lino cut, that my friend Tammy made for me. This image is one that I like best of all.
I must have twisted the lino cut slightly, and hence some interesting extra detail. ( no reflection on Tammy's craftsmanship, because I printed some absolutely perfect images.) Bit quirky. I like it.

Mad Hatter !....Day 1...well this photo was a 'work in progress'. The idea is to get it to this stage and then cut it into a spiral,. and reassemble it with whirls and swirls.  Ouch !  Feeling brave and sizzors in hand....I ended up with a strip of felt that resembled a spiraling mobile. Double ouch, ' cos I quite liked it as it was.

At this stage I forgot to take a photo, and lunch and tea !
No matter how I tried twisting, rolling, soft folding, pinning etc. etc.....It just wouldn't do what it showed on the picture.
Time to eat. Have a cuppa. Sleep on it !

 
  Day 2 ...Having stitched and needle felted the crown back together and cutting a flower shape (from what now was surplus to requirements) this was the final result.

And a note to end this post... Not having a  hat block at my disposal;,  it was back to the stash of plastic bowls, where I found just what I needed.
There is another hat in progress using some newly aquired Blue Faced Leicester carded with silk. Yummy. More on that next time. 

Animal Inspirations and sculpture

I finally got around to testing the grey alpaca fleece. It needle felted well. The texture being similar to that of the brown.

The main challenge with this, was to get him to stand !  His tail helps; although it can't be seen on the photo. 

I then got to thinking about it being March, and one of my favourite animal species...the magical Hare.  

These two have been needle felted using the brown alpaca fleece.
Talk about 'non - verbal communication' !  I think the eyes say it all !

The Art of Survival

Firstly, with thanks to my friend, blog land is now a happier place to be. Cheers T.

And so to this ... about the art of survival...an oldie but a goodie...
I like the moral

Once upon a time...(yeah...that's right)...there lived an aged (and poor sighted)  farmer. His one and only helper was his trusted donkey. One day, this donkey fell down an old shaft. The farmer, distraught at losing his animal, was also upset by not being able to give it a proper burial;  and so decided to bury the donkey where it lay, at the bottom of the shaft. Over the days that followed, as the farmer walked by the shaft, he shovelled some dirt into it.
The donkey,  (not being dead, or such a silly ass after all,)  merely shook off the dirt as it fell on him; and stood on top of it. !
One lateral thinking donkey eh !
 

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The art of patience

Life in blog land has not been without its stresses of late !

I have been known to spend hours upon hours getting a piece of silver to solder just right.  To make endless test pieces for testing glazes and firing times., and more recently...poked and rolled felt until it's the shape that I want. Practice. Practice. Practice.
However, when it comes to I. T. ..the word...blugger comes to mind !
Is that a word ?  It is now !

A dear friend is coming over to help me sort out my blog page. In the meantime....

When I was an  art / design student,  IT was part of the course. It was a module that I struggled with.
I can appreciate though,  the value of using the computer as aid to design (plus of course inspiration and networking)., but personally, I'd rather use images in clouds / shapes and colours in nature / the human form and non verbal communication in movement.

For those of you reading this in the UK, I really enjoyed a cultural evening in front of the television last week. David Dimbleby was talking about Robert. Hooke and his friendship with Sir Christopher Wren,.and how these two great men of science / architecture / art, worked together on the design for St. Pauls Cathedral.
I was fascinated by the patterns that were created under Hooke's microscope, of his frozen urine !...and his anatomical pen and ink drawings. (Hooke's life and works makes interesting reading.)

My memory went back to college days.... I.T and C.A.D.
These are two pictures that have been digitally manipulated. Originally created from a finger print. I appreciate them more now than I did in 2007.
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It's funny old world, isn't it.
We, as humans don't always appreciate the lessons we learn 'in the now'. Sometimes we need to let time pass, and no lesson is ever wasted.
We 'get there when we arrive'.
Shalom

teddy bear

Time to experiment with the brown Alpaca wool tops.

It's softer than the white, and felted well.