via California

Mendocino coast line is spectacular.....

my wonderful hosts - after seeing Vivian Westwood.

guess where- it is red not golden?

In Paducah, Kentucky got here via San Francisco.

What a lovely place. I was luck enough to be taken under the wing of a very nice couple, shown around and treated with such warmth.
I was a little anxious flying to the States- immigration are pretty tough and have no sense of humour- they often want to know exactly what you are doing, where you are going, etc.

This time I was happy I could say I am meeting friends, an artist and a retired pediatrician. I was driving into town with my new friend Dixie and asked her what is it she makes , and this lovely grandmother says “oh, I make bombs in the basement!”. I am glad immigration did not look her up on their security listings.
She knits bombs and has exhibited them at a number of swanky locations. Knitting is used to create warm and secure clothing for loved ones, here is used to depict the very things that are apparently needed for the security of the nation???
What a way to make comments and stir up questions.

I will have some photos in a day or two to share- they look fantastic.

one thing the opportunity to travel has revealed to me is that there are many, many normal people out there who are as unhappy with what is happening in the world as i am, and i must not assume they are all like the media and comedians portray different nationalities to be.

just because a country is apparently democratic does not mean their elected members actually reflect the wants and desires of mamy, many many of their inhabitants.

From SF we drove up the beautiful Californian coast to Mendocino. A tiny town that had new life breathed into in the late 50s/ early 60s with the establishment of an Arts Centre that is still flourishing to this day. www.mendocinoartcenter.org

Mendocino is well worth a visit for its natural beauty, great art galleries, laid back food scene and people and especially to take a weekend workshop would be a real treat. There is always plenty on and when you are traveling the internet makes it so easy to organize these things.

Fiji here I come.

just talking to Delia of Daku Resort in Fiji. www.dakuresort.com
I will be teaching there in a few weeks- [only 3 places left- so we should have a cosy group]
I am very excited I have never been to a tropical island before... it sounds wonderful.

We have a busy schedule- workshop with me- fun playing with textiles, outings each day like Tapa Cloth making, a pearl farm, local village and heaps of other things...ooh yeh and chilling out in Paradise.

all that water around the place?? I am a desrt person so it will be really interesting to see how I respond...
since the snow thing in Canada the colours [ or lack of] have been very big in my mind

home and away again.

finaaly getting on top of things- it has been a rushed 2 weeks!

needed to dill the freezer again for my boys, the chocolate cakes keeps disappearing as fast as i bake!

catch ujp on office work- bother!

get organized for the next round of teaching and try to escape to the workshop to do a bit of my own stuff.

i have another exhibition coming up... have been doing a lot of preparation whilst along the road but nothing beats the studio!

the 2 white ones are close ups of differnt ideas "Journal-leaves, a meditation on leaving" will be the title perhaps.....who knows just yet.

the fun thing i have had a chance to do is spand the day working with my friend Dawn on a gift for her daughters wedding. we intend to write on it little homilies about love and pertnership and then back it on black- a wall quilt.

fun to work together.

framers tomorrow and then out the door again on Tuesday evening!

can't wait until mid may to be home for a patch... i already have an idea i want to explore for another body of work......

tourist at home

I realised I may have been away to long when on the day I was driving home I looked out across the valley and thought where is my camera- that is a fantastic view.

then went oops, in my mind, this is home.

I have been maddly preparing for my next adventure, dyeing silk, cutting the grass and refilling the freezer for my boys.

look at my lovely silks and take special notice of the roses in the background- it is really them I am bragging about.

working in the studio is a good to chance to daydream... and one image that keeps coming to mind is the snow filled misty landscape I drove through on the way to Robin's place in the USA.

such a different world. when I left the sun was shining and all that white was disappearing but they have had another snow storm and this is down the road from her house... has my daydreams are all refuelled. Wow such a different landscape from what i am used to.....

setling in

9 The pictures are of Gwalior Fort- it keeps coming back into my mind- I look forward to seeing it again..

then people coming to the Festival and the wonderful sunset...imagine the soft sounds of mourning swirling around the evening- melancholy and yet so beautiful

April 9

I am finally starting to feel at home, sorted out all the accrued paperwork and done a little bit of housekeeping.
Because of this, that and the other I had to leave my boys at home whilst I was off, they had a freezer full of food, they are house trained and have always participated in running the house so I knew they would be fine… my friend Dawn popped in every few day to touch base and it turns out many in my small village have also been keeping an eye out. All reports have been good.
I am proud of my big boys even though I felt a bit guilty leaving them… I know it has to happen one day but I enjoy doing the mum thing with them and it is hard to step back.

I went to the studio for the first time today- as nervous as a teenager on a first date…sometimes I freeze on the first visit back and have to coax myself back into the swing but this time it was easy….well lets see how the pieces look when they come out of the washing machine.

When I was off traveling with Prveen we found his wonderful place out in the middle of no where- great hosts, wonderful food, lovely old palace.
The day we arrived was a special festival of the Adivasi people. They gather at a special spot where two rivers join and mourn the dead.
Our host invited us along so we thought why not.
We were deep in the Arevalli Hills which is rather remote and seems quite empty.
We drove along miles and miles of dusty tracks – it was hard going because of the clouds of thick dust flying up. And came upon this beautiful spot by the river. There were streams of people flowing out of the hills… they come and sit by the river to mourn those who have departed in the past year then after sunset have a picnic and sing and dance into the night.

It was extraordinary how many people could walk into the one spot- literally thousands…
And why am I telling you this story?
Sitting on the river bank watching the sun go down, the colours were beautiful and all the thoughts that had been swirling around me head for my next series of work had a direction. I have been working on the idea of leaves, started collecting leaf prints I places I have journeyed to but it started to seem more to be about leaving…
I am always leaving those I love behind circling around so I can come back to them, these people were mourning those who have left, knowing they too would be circling around to return one day…..

Coming home is always good, I spend time with my friend Dawn, I am always collecting up stories and images to share with her when I get back…it is lovely to have a friend who you know will enjoy and be amused by different incidents and stories I have experienced.…it is also I realize a foundation to the works I go on to make as they well up from memories and impressions.

jet lag mind blur

it is 3.42 in the morning and I can't sleep!

I have been home 1 day have a million things to do but can't seem to sleep properly yet and am prowling the house like a ghoul in the nightime.

not properly awake and functional and unable to be asleep and getting over it all....bother

here is a picture of a wonderful studio I visied in the States- it is really light and airy, catching all of the suns warmth[it was only a few degrees outside!]

I was privaledged to teach the inaugural workshop in the space.

It belongs to Robin Blakney-Carlson http://www.luckystonestudio.com/home.htm where she runs and /or hosts workshops, is open to having people come and use her facilities to work on large scale peices that can't be done at home and is generally a warm and welcoming person.

It is at Glen Falls which is not far from Lake George- a very picturesque spot. I ran a class and had the chance to meet many of the local felting community- a great fun group and I could see also stimulaing to each other artistically- I would love to see one of their shows, I bet it would be smashing!

Robin and I are talking, behaps taking a lodge on the Lake we will run a weekend felting retreat around the same time next year. I think it would be exciting as it would allow me to get a real eye full of the frozen lake and landscape and I know it would be a stimulating place to chill out, felt and learn... sounds good to me, we'll see what develops perhaps we could use the landscape as a focus to the workshop or work from imagination and dream warm and lush places for those that have enough snow and ice. [I had just escaped the Australian summer and India's warmth so the ice and cold was such a huge contrast!]

Just had a coffee and the mind is starting to kick in...I can start looking over the to do list and get things happening although being middle of the night i don't feel as motivated as in daylight.

Since visiting the Canadian Textile Museum www.textilemuseum.ca where I would highly recomend the 2 exhibitions on show "Cloth that grows on Trees" and "Colour and Light- Embroidery from India and Pakisthan" -my head has been in a whirl. The shows were very thoughtfully put together, and gently illustrated the role that the textile arts can have in people's lives -especially women's lives.

From my experience in India I can see the difference some of this work is making in making in communities.

Amazing a country that is so poor in one way is so rich and acknowledging it and respecting it and supporting it in other ways. They know there textile heritage and its continued existance is important for their people- mind, body and soul...

Stitch- women's work [ something that is accorded a fairly lowly status in the west] is seen and supported by government policy and many self-help groups-it is seen as a way of empowerment to break the poverty cycle.

I keep saying to myself "Stitch- women's work is what can do it!'' In a kind of shock really- I am an artist who has worked in textile for the last 25 years I have been struggling to make a go from my work..... it ain't that easy.

Luckily I have been able to teach, and now am leading tours which supports my addiction or should I say conviction of wanting to work with my hands

[ and frankly although it sounds wonderful to be going all these places- making the mortgage payments on my simple little house and trying to find the cash for a second- hand car- my other bomb needs to be laid to rest, is extremely difficult]

Still I suppose being able to feed and house the kids is what those people's work is all about and i am able to do a similar thing... what more do i really need?

Typing away here things start to drop a little more into place... I have single handedly supported my family for most of their lives, working from home as a textile artist when they were little allowed me to be there with them... It lead me onto my time teaching in a Waldorf/Steiner school, which also allowed me to be with my boys as they were growing... and it was what lead me to India initially... which in time has lead onto more things... it was my handstitched piece that won me an award a few years ago which got the travel/teaching thing developing.....

so even in the west stitching can change people's lives...I suppose you just have to follow the thread of it.

I hope I am not rambling to much...perhaps i should try and sleep again?

I do have a little list a websites for self-help programmes in India[ I know this is happening in many poorer places- this is just my neck of the woods] let me know if you would like a copy to have a look

good night- I hope....

weather shock of travelling

ice covered Lake George in NY State,
couldn't get over the snow and ice and here i was in spring when it was all disappearing...
close up of an amzing jacket one of my students was wearing- looked so warm and cuddly...

4 April,

Sitting in a plane 10km above the Pacific- I have had a snooze but don’t really know if it should be day time or night time….it is dark outside so I will pretend I know and it is still nighttime…my body clock is not so sure..


I have just been catching up on office work and have my web site revamped with all my tour info now available.
We have changed a bit with our Rajasthan tour, made it longer and am going more heritage with our hotels.
There is a bit of a price jump but it is a far more realistic price [great business person that I am I forgot to factor some of my costs into the last year’s tour! DDHhhh??? ]

I have been getting up at 4 or 5 in the morning in Canada to get it done before going off teaching- now I am exhausted and feel a wreck but the excitement of seeing my boys is keeping me going.

I was wandering around Toronto- daydreaming as usual and realized just how lucky I am…my office sets a grueling schedule- having to catch planes and travel after the first event is just hard work.
Often though I am invited into people’s houses and looked after like a princess- this is so much nicer than hotels and not lonely and so generous of those who take me in.
I get to quiz them on local things, try local home cooking, and often see the places locally they like.
That level of local sightseeing and the stories you hear associated with it are the best!
Gives you more of a feel for a place than just visiting the showy sites.

I really appreciate that care of those I have visited and feel like I have hands of friendship extending all around the world. This makes the world a very small place really.

Toronto is a great place- just part of 2 days to wander but I feel like I covered a lot
I stayed at Global Village Backpackers http://www.globalbackpackers.com/ on the edge of the Fashion district. This area is pretty interesting many, many boutiques…I am just a drive-by shopper, I never actually stop and go in. still there looked to be a really good variety of interesting places. One that made my mind boggle was the Condom Boutique… I don’t think you can try the wares on for size!

Up the other way was the Chinatown area- yum! Wonderful fresh vegetable and fruit venders on the road, great yum cha and the first Vietnamese restaurant on the right as you go up Spadina Ave was excellent.

The textile Museum of Canada is a must see, and apparently the Bata Shoe museum is a must see [ I forgot about until too late , to be frank]
Yesterday morning I was up early and went walking- I love wandering when people are rushing to work, they are fresh scrubbed and rather open- it gives an insight into people.
I went up past the CN Tower, no urge to go up, through the Thearte District, noticed some excellent looking bookshops and along to the Old Town where the St Lawrence Market was a treat- lots of fresh produce [ boy do Canadaians like big chunks of meat to cook]
I had an egg and bacon sandwich on a Kaiser roll – yum
This Canadian Bacon came in great slabs [ like their meat] and was moist and very tasty.
The best English bacon is dry and goes crispy… usually chunky bacon is ‘wet’ so my friend a cook has described it but this was excellent…. That was where I started realizing how lucky I am to have visited homes and…..

travel warps

went from sunny and hot, busy and full to snow and spacious and such a different lifestyle

Frankfurt at 7.00am on a cold and miserable morning. about 22 March i think....

I just left friends in the warmth [ actually steamy heat- amazing how it can all of a sudden heat up so fast] of Delhi and now am alone in the cold- boo hoo.
Things are quiet exciting going here and there and I am looking forward to Canada and a quick stop off in the states but the reality for me is many lonely hours in between missing the ones I love. Oh well! That’s life.
I left Prveen with a whole heap of prices to find and bookings to make and I need to get onto writing up the itinerary and all that stuff.
This is the second seasons of the tours and boy what a steep learning curve it has been.
The season straddles the northern winter as that gives us lovely mild weather in India.
Last year I organized most things myself and Prveen helped with the on the ground stuff, but we are partners and am now sharing all the responsibilities half -half. This is a wonderful experience as it is working out half-half and we compliment each others skills..

We have just had a hectic time researching a new tour and spent long hours last night before my flight polishing up our itinerary…I like the feeling of having someone to share the work with , someone to go over what I have come up with and pick up those things I have missed and vice versa.
I think being older you come to appreciate how special little simple everyday moments are, they are really the spaces magic is hidden in.


2 April

In Toronto, had a wonderful time teaching and visiting in Canada and USA.There re some impressive and stimulating textile people in this area and I have been lucky enough to visit some that groups that are not only on good social terms but creatively stimulating to each other.

I arrived in Toronto this morning there was a brisque wind blowing and as I was trudging along dragging my bag I could have got into thinking- boy is this cold and miserable it was as cold as our coldest winter days get and back home you probably not go out. Then I heard a lady talking to the bus driver commenting on how she was going to get off early and walk because it was such a lovely mild day… I realized it is all in the way you look at things… and decided to follow her lead and adopt that attitude. Worked pretty well- I did need to remind myself when hit by a particularly cold gust but it was OK.

Went to the Canadian Textile Museum- WOW!
Saw Cloth that grows on Trees- fantastic exhibition about Tapa Cloth and its cousins. I particularly liked the attitude of it curator…I’ll type up a few quotes later.
Interesting… I usually like just to look at things, pick up a feeling for the visual and am not to interested in the details of where and when , but because I was looking on this exhibition as research I was wanting to get al types of info and so needed to read the captions…but my eyesight is not so good and I need my glasses to read captions, then my eyes don’t adjust to stand back and view… so the look and daydream part was more misty than usual….

Upstairs was an exhibition of embroideries from India and Pakistan- wonderful of course!
It had old and new pieces and got me to thinking… I visit India often, see many old pieces… I always feel a bit funny about buying them… somehow I am removing the countries heritage, perhaps taking advantage of their poverty? I don’t know…

what I did realize is if I buy pieces [ and there are many fine things around] that are NEW I am supporting the countries cultural heritage… I am making it possible for current practioners to keep working, helping perhaps, encouraging definitely.
I feel much more comfortable with that attitude.

Am staying on the edge of the Fashion District and Chinatown in Toronto- fascinating area… tired and a bit lazy to wander to far but definitely an area to explore…loved the walk to the museum.