busy, busy, busy

I keep forgetting blogger will pop the pictures up top and in the reverse order I post them....

a happy snap from India, the courtyard in front of the Palace at Amber Fort, look at the hills al around this is in the desert Stae of Rajasthan. the landscape is so tough but when you get up close you can feel how fragile as well...the same impression Outback Australia leaves me with.

next is another idea in the series 'there' is 'here' in another location.
Up on the left hand corner are 2 pieces of silk I bought years ago- the funny thing for me is I never buy things to put away in a stash- I don't have one.
I dye what I need as I need it... I was out with a girl friend and bought these 2 pieces because I really felt I needed them, wondering if I was a bit crazy[ I also would not use them in work I intended to sell as I didn't know if they would fade]

Anyway I bought them and put them in a cupboard....

For my tours in India- one of the most difficult aspects is finding participants at the airport in Delhi- it is so busy, so many people- I thought I'll make a banner to hold up... then I remembered this silk I bought years ago[ I was still teaching not thinking of travelling around regularly.... it is just perfect in colour and was originally from India... amazing synchronicity
I'll show you the banner in a while when I get it done.
...doesn't the Universe work in mysterious wasys sometimes....

and last is some silk I have been painting, on my work table- there are elements about the table surface I quite like as well.....

What a week,
I have been busy in the studio- yeh!
Busy trying to sort out details for my up coming trip to Canada and the UK and another tour of India….
Going away for 9 weeks means I have to be super organized carry everything I need with me for teaching and being a tourist…
I have a new laptop to take my office with me and am slowly getting what I need loaded onto it…..
Next year is also needing to be looked at … I have an exhibition in Paducah early on, need to look at shipping the work before I leave for India next year…..

The list goes on and on..
I AM TRYING NOT TO GET STRESSY about it [ that was me talking loudly to myself..] trying to get a full list of all the things that need to be done and I start to panic… did I mention I need to finish renovations on the house so I can get housesitters in- at least that is happening I have found a handyman who can take over the job for me..

To chill out I went and painted some silk to layer into my new works and am out to the studio today as soon as it is light enough….

satisfaction

Good to get on a roll.

The darker piece is nearly finished and bout to go to the UK.

It is based on an idea of 'there' being 'here' only in another location.
The central piece of each panel [ there are 12 in all] has a piece of the wrapping cloth used around a parcel I sent home to myself when I was in India.

I like to go places and have been using impressions from travel in my work for a while. in my imagination where ever my 'here' is the 'there' is also strong. really the world is a little place these days.....

The reddish one is to be part of an exhibition opening in 2 weeks [ oh! I need to get a hurry on!] 'Indian Dreamings'- that is just a section I intend to stitch into it next, not sure if i will present it with a natural edge or 'frame' it with silk organza. Cam you see the rose petals scattered across it. Everywhere in India there are lovelt red roses- a few places I stay will have them floating in white marbles bowls of water near the fron door- smells heavenly first thing in the morning.[ i'll post a photo next time I am there.....

these are some of the postcards I was talking of.

I love the continous line of Hundertwasser and the colour washes of Klee -...

sometimes it is good to just drop elements onto the fabric and see what they suggest - a kind of stream of conciousness approach....

as usual if I start to Daydream India comes to my mind....

sorry about the 3 copies of 1 pic- no idea what happened and can't seem to remove them.....

the little birds are clasic Klee- i like his sense of whimsy

I should be getting to work

I should be getting out into the shed to start work….but I have been waiting  and building up ideas, now I finally have time-getting started is so hard….. I have to re-establish good working patterns and start.

Creativity like thinking is a muscle- you don’t use it you loose it. As you repeat exercises to keep your body healthy so you need to do with your mind and your creative ‘mind’.

I always notice it when other commitments take over and I loose by rhythm- it takes an effort to get started…
Like ripping myself off this stool and away from my new toy [ a lap top to make my office mobile] and out to the studio….

Bye…bye…

That was last week… and I am just now launching it.

Today 19 May 2006 [already!]
It is good to have something to do when you find yourself stalling- just to get warmed up.
I am finding these small postcards
Rather good and now the sun has finally started to warm up I can run out to the studio and get back into something more substantial….

a big weekend

What a big week end and I am still getting over it!

I organized a stall [with a lot of help from some members] for our local textile group at the Tocal Feild Days- 3 days or demonstrations and sales and a fashion parade of creative clothes on the Sunday to top it off.

These 2 lovely ladies sewed and chatted all Sunday to interested members of the public, one never got to put a piece on display because as soon as she finished it - it sold!

Sometimes you wonder why you volunteer to do things- like you are not busy already! but seeing the interest and the number of young ones captivated by some of the work is the answer.

The group may be a contemporaery textile arts group but they are keeping the old traditions and skills live - with modern twists, so few people have these skills these days.....

I go to India and see the work being done to keep traditions alive and can think oh yes- that is important. Home does not seem so exotic but step back and think about it - it is just as important. Taught a workshop in the school holidays to teenagers- cut up and re-vamping clothes. Most had never sewn [ they did not consider what they did at school a useful sewing experience] and were so excited to have a go at things. i have since seen a number of the girls around town proudly using/ wearing what they have made.... some may take up the interest

Got home Sunday to a black out[ i was so exhausted i did not have the energy to cry] and my computer had curled up its toes- very scary. BACK UP, BACK UP , BACK UP ALL FILES that are important. still all fixed now and i can get out to the studio today- finally

major clean outs

I am having a major sort through and toss out at he moment. I called this blog of daydreams and memories; I believe it is through day dreams or the creative imagination we create our future. We build upon our memories to do this but also need to be ready to consign things of the past to the re-cycling bin when necessary.

As a Steiner/Waldorf teacher I wrote many, many plays, poems, songs and stories for my class- it was my major teaching tool. I wrote them with love for those children, I no longer intend to be a school teacher[ I took a year off 2.5 years ago and have not gone back to it] and it is time to move onto new horizons.

SSSSooooooo I have had a major clean out and put all my notes, diaries and works in the recycling bin.
It was a major wrench but OK- those kids have moved onto other teachers and I have new areas to persue as well. Those works were for that time and those people they have had their life.

I also spent yesterday cutting up some older quilts and recycling them into journal covers.
Some quilts I sell, some I keep as they represent a major learning step for me, and some go off around the world to exhibitions and such or were lousy and went into the yuk pile and then their time comes and they too are recycled.

They sell well and allow me to buy more materials to try out more ideas.

I am considering a way to sell more of my work[ sounds mercenary but I have starving teenagers] perhaps a sales page on my website? Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Big changes are underway- but I need to keep breathing and go with the flow- a bit of a mantra some days……

Bye
Perhaps covered journal snaps tomorrow