Chain Reaction strikes again

This is the Hat of sighs, made by my clever friend Frances and stitched with worries by moi. I have put it in the exhibition with a copy of Elizabeth Parker's sampler [in the V&A] She was a maid in the 19th century I think, to a household in Fairlight [near my lovely Hastings] and was assaulted by the master.....it would seems. She didn't know what to do, felt guilty in the way that victims can do and thought she would go to hell.














Frances made the hat and I stitched phrases round it [easy bit], as if they were buzzing her head. Don't ask what, I have forgotten and now I can't read them on the photo. Apparently the local paper has picked up on the show so maybe Elizabeth will make it into the news. Poor lass.
















I love this vessel Carol made, why didn't I think of it!





We have had good remarks so far for the show, so fingers crossed we all make a fortune

exotic aromas

On Saturday I went to the Knit and Stitch show at Alexander palace, three Huge Halls filled to the gunnels with knitters and stitchers. A bitterly cold morning became tropical as we grazed around munching on the exotics on show and transferred much dosh to the stall holders in exchange for fripperies and other urgently needed magic potions.

Some lovely work on exhibition to marvel at. Beryl Dean's ecclesiastical gold work was by turns amazing and traditional. We were forbidden to photo but the piece I liked best [above] was a poster of her work from some august cathedral or other so I could snap it.

Gwen Hedley

has been making series of these strange little votive offerings for some time. They had all sold before I got to them, £20 - £30 each, I am not surprised. They are 3" _ 4" maybe long and I reckon could be worn also as brooches. I suspect they are more difficult to make successfully than one would think. Of course they are donated gravitas by being displayed on a wall amongst other Art, context is so influential when ever it may be a case of the emperor's new clothes.


I was also very taken with these two long hangings of textured patches of old? fabrics, about six foot long each, somehow they were very resonant of something subtle. dunno that one could buy one to hang in the home somehow. Maybe they need to be shown only on Gallery walls. Or maybe I haven't got a big enough house..........or maybe I don't live in a subtle enough way.

Anyway it did me good to get away from Death Row for a day, tho unhappily there is still an aroma of dying cat around, and not in a subtle way.

death row

Feeling miserable as Agamemnon [left] has gone to join Bubble in that big cat heaven in the sky. She won't be too pleased as her big brother did bully her rather.
He hasn't been eating well, and last week he stopped altogether, we waited for nature to take its course but nature wasn't feeling compassionate so we took him to the vet this afternoon, who of course pronounced - cancer.
I am sick of holding beloved animals whilst they go to their last sleep.
We have a row down the hedge of 4 cats and 2 dogs with Clara the chicken safely ensconced on the other side of the garden.

textile show

The Gaiety Girls are prancing at Dragon Hall in Norfolk. I stewarded on Sunday, one of those hot days that no-one in their senses would want to be inside, so we didn't have many visitors. At least I got a lot of uninterrupted stitching done.

sea trip

Went for a wander along the sea wall in this glorious very late summer, but found the bureaucrats had got there before us with their signs. Goodness knows what they are doing and of course it is top secret. The solitary egret was there as usual. Some day s/he is going to have to find a partner.

As we wandered back we saw the ferry from Harwich was just about to dock. This is probably the last chance to gain a tick in the box, as it had been a plan to venture onto the high seas and get some fish and chips at the posh place over the river, at least once this year, so we toddled along.

Just as well as this was their last w/e, but seeing how the sun is going bananas I reckon they may grant themselves an extension this w/e.
Of course everyone and their kids were out and about so we couldn't get on, they took one pay load over and came back for us 20 mins later. It is over 30 miles round the coast road to Harwich but not so long if you are a crow/sea gull. She's a rusty old bucket, but she does the job.

I am without a job at the mo. Delivered my Gaiety Girls to the Gallery so now I have no deadlines left this year to thrash me along.

Thus am rather bad tempered gazing at the television with no stitching to excuse my inaction,. obviously it is the fault of the media as most of the programmes are so inane I am bound to feel guilty sitting watching them. I have found a new author, which helps Hakon Nesser I think, tho it doesn't look very likely written down......he is a Norwegian and writes well. I have over dosed on crime stories lately but he is somehow more reflective and easier on my soul.

hurricane winds, crouching houses

For the second week we have moved on to Port William on the south West coast of Galloway. On the way we passed the Wicker

Man [woman? s/he looks rather fey] fortunately for him/her no flames until next year.

We arrived in PW just in time for the tail end of Hurricane Katia

A very dramatic sea-scape at the bottom of the garden.

Apparently Scottish Electric turned off their wind turbines because they had more than enough electricity.

Happily the weather repented and has been kind ever since, sunny when we go out and peeing down when we are in. No wonder the hills are so green and lush, so many cows and sheep. only seen one pig however - plastic. Bacon rolls are still available however, which is helpful as eating out is more difficult round here..

Only one pub in the village, Retired Person bravely gave it a go but someone spoke to him, so he has his beer safely at home since then.

Home is one of those low, squatting, stone shoe-boxes linked along the winding roads, ubiquitous round here. Maybe it is the wind, thankfully this one has been extended out back, usually they look very small and ....grumpy.

The fishing boats were safe in the tiny harbour and were soon out again after the storm pulling in the orange buoys attached to lobster pots. We haven't eaten out in the village so I don't know if they are on the menu, maybe scampi and chips.
Wigtown is Scotland's National Book Town
There are 15 second hand book shops they claim, tho one sells just old [heritage] newspapers.

The Book Shop, confidently named, had a double stack of books as pillars at the entrance. But like The Creaking Shelves it didn't seem to be doing much business, the Shelves is selling up, but RP helped out by buying two airplane model kits there [to go above his model railway] so maybe they will survive a little longer.

Most of the book shops seemed to make most from their cafes, Readinglasses claimed to be the last specialist women's bookshop left in the UK.

Some how i couldn't bring myself to go in, I knew I wasn't going to buy anything from any of them. Waterstones and Amazon + the kindle have already taken my money.

Educating Arches

Andy Goldsworthy crops up as one blunders around the countryside, except when he proves to be Richard Long as I have got my artists in a tizz.

He was born round here [Dum and Gallers] and returned from triumphs to erect these strange arches. They are Striding Arches apparently and apart from this one anchored in a byre [but trying very hard to get in - or out] they are dotted around the hills.

We drove seven nerve shattering miles thru the forests on a day mercifully without rain or we might be stuck there still] up and down a rutted track. Felt like pioneers till we were passed by the post office van.

Somehow it was rather underwhelming, I am sure when they [students etc] were labouring mightily day after day to erect these things they felt deeply fulfilled. The arches are meant to represent how the Scots have always strided [striden?] out around the world, fearing no man, but altho the sand stone is skillfully cut, and the key stone expertly placed, the surrounding forest and terrifying journey to see them did seem more significant.

But there again I expect that is partly the point.

We also trundled round the by ways searching for the Twelve Apostles. Standing stones from pre-history.

When we finally found them lolling ignored in a sheep field, looking like a circle of very badly cared for broken and grey teeth, we wondered if the Scottish gods were having a laugh.........however as with everything -it was the journey that really counted.

dumfries and galloway

The drive to Scotland last week was interminable, made possible only by listening to The Lollipop Shoes on ipod and an overnight stay in Harrogate.

The hotel was enormous and cheap, maybe because a Lady Gaga tribute act was going to thunder up thru the floors until midnight. Had my first Wagamama meal in this country - adventurous for oop north.

The cottage is an ancient stone barn, walls 24" thick but all refurbished in the "best possible taste" - oatmeal and eau de nil. Three bathrooms, but no baths, sad I like a good wallow on holiday. Just a few muddy steps down the bank flows the river Scaur, absolutely wondrous, tumbling Scottish waters leaping and jinking under ancient trees, beautiful.

The countryside is so beautiful, lush green hills, thanks to the rain, huge beeches and birches lining the roads, all mouldy and mossy, so serene. It was a wondrous week; I am attempting to make a textile diary of the gorgeousness, brought some inks and bags of threads and fabrics.

Also done a fair bit of reading, polished off several crime stories - Sophie Hannah kept me awake at night watching the door. very tense making.

Sue Townsend's Number Ten for light relief [Tony Blair in drag] and Snowdrops one of the Booker shortlisters. Very atmospheric but somewhat depressing.

Have also read from the short list The Sisters Brothers - good but got bogged down in the second half I think, and Derby Day [left off the short list] a well researched Victorian style who dunnit.

All except Sue were depressing, and really she was too when you consider TB and his antics, both in real and fictional life.

Started one by Lin Anderson but had to chuck it, nastiness, couldn't take it, wouldn't take it. She can bog off with Val Mcdermid, exploitative violence,and not well written either. have turned to an early Donna Leon for a gentle murder or two in Venice, much more enjoyable.

all at sea

sea monsters

Not too much to report, summer doldrums. No earthquakes thus far.
The only one I felt was when I lived in Durham years ago and it shivered briefly at 3 .6 or something in the middle of a dark Northern night.
The earthquakes in the East of America do make me quake for my two offspring in the West, especially as one lives in a basement on top of the St Andreas Fault.
His birthday soon, what does one buy for an adult son with no hobbies except computers and pool and beer, too far to send a new cue and it might get arrested as an object likely to be hostile if waved.
I saw a duvet cover with the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben design but I am not sure he has a duvet, just curls up with his cats and cans I suspect.
I have drawn a couple of sea horses.
After getting the shape from the net I inked and painted them on tracing paper so they were a bit translucent, maybe. Then printed them on cotton to add to a sea scape I have been toying with and stitched them down rigorously.
Sea horses are rather attractive little creatures so I am glad i thought of them and may make some cards as I have lots of extras
Youngest family member was also a fascinating water creature, drip drying, mother thought, while she went to get towels.
When she returned he had found all her creams and potions of which she has many and spread them far and wide.
I can't persuade daughter that just because it says "natural" on the pot if won't also be full of strange chemicals so she is constantly adding new pots of deep "goodness" which of course being young and beautiful she has no need of.
Now she will have fun replacing them all.

London town

Went up to London, for wetter for worse. Fortunately the worse happened after we had returned in the form of riot and loot.

As it was pouring with rain we abandoned the idea of a river trip up the Thames past Kew [a lovely peaceful ride in the sun] and pottered into the Royal Academy instead to see the Summer Show.

It claims two thirds of the work is by non Academicians, but the august person's works are so big and so tired it doesn't seem that way. Mostly the "other" work is shoved ceiling high in the smallest room with no natural light.

I only found one Textile - by Miranda Argyle. A metre square of beige linen stitched in thick cream silk with repetitions of the word HEARTBEAT. It was strange as I could see other words, HE, BEAT, ART, THE, EAR........dunno if this was intentional. I am drawn to text in my pieces but this may be years of teaching, maybe art should speak for itself.

Tracey Emin [RA] had a neon high on a tall wall, so I nearly missed it saying "I whisper to me past, do I have another choice" which I find evocative. Older I get the more I look at my past and my past looks back at me!

Cornelia Parker had "Endless Sugar"
hanging from the ceiling, many many silver plated sugar bowls squashed under the steam roller. A bit thought provoking, but not much [maybe old customs of polite society reduced to meaninglessness - plated silver a phony basis for respect].

I think contemporary art should haunt us, not just a quick wave in passing.

We got on the tube to our rackety hotel at Kew which is in a lovely little area, a little middle class enclave outside the walls of the Gardens - a small green, old residential houses, S*arbucks and an excellent Bookshop. Very comfortable.

The hotel is now gastro, so excellent food, but the rooms were cheaply "smartened up" some years ago and are now quietly falling apart. I slept not at all as I couldn't drag my feather pillow round London and none other will do.

Next day I met Ruth and we went to see Tracey. Outrageously enjoyable. Never realised her blankets are so Big. The whole of the Gallery was filled by her stuff, so I was glad to see it was a solid exhibition, if embarrassing at times. She dwells a lot on masturbation, lots of monoprint sketches and one huge screen that animates in rollicking fashion her legs as they leap and lunge as her hand works.

Really good stuff, but most of the guards are men and I found it difficult to ignore them as I gazed on theses female concerns and they gazed upon the women looking. I didn't mind the men looking at the exhibition, but the thought of the guards, there day after day, the exhilaration of her expression long since dimmed by habit watching the women come in and react.................

In the afternoon, which by now was very hot, we went to see the new British Library. A huge new structure, there was a Mervyn Peake exhibition and an internal glass tower of ancient books and other marvels.

Caught the train home, exhausted - apres moi la deluge - apparently.

eel and bird

The weather has been so grey and my mind so dark RP decided the only way to save his sanity was to get me out into the fresh air. [Day before I spent the day lying on the bed listening to the cricket and growling.]

So we went to see the Suffolk Craft show, which was as ever very skilled and various. Sometimes I find something to buy to push the money I earn from my efforts round the circle a bit, but altho there was lots to admire - it was all big and expensive. No room.

So we toddled on to the Eels Foot pub for lunch. As I was feeling reckless I had 3 sausages, 2 eggs and chips.The Eel had a big boot for the inclement weather and I had socks in my crocs. So there. It's a fine old pub just before Minsmere bird sanctuary. for some unknown reason the weather decided to be kind so we pottered on amongst the reed beds.

We saw about 2 birds, possibly because it was mid afternoon and they were sleeping off their lunch. Or maybe the creepy golf ball that is Sizewell Nuclear Power Station, in the middle distance, deterred them.

holly

Retired Person was foraging in the garden, trying to instill some order when he came across these holly berries. So attractive, but are there two different fruit on a holly?

Feeling prickly myself [pathetic link but I am in weakened form] as yesterday was one year before the Olympics apparently, ear to ear media coverage, and I am bored already. I am sure it will be exciting when it happens, but not yet!

Also the medical finger is now to be pursued by a camera next week, I feel a bit dizzy at the thought. Have to eat boiled fish and white bread for 2 days, and then drink 3 lites of salty type water. Pass the Valium.

I notice a proliferation of the Oxford comma amongst my words lately. I was always taught no comma before and, and but, but, an argument has erupted about this comma not known to me before, and now we are becoming friends.

Breaking news Someone has broken into the local museum and stolen the horn from Rosie the rhino. Strange. Not sure why we were home to a stuffed rhino in the first place, she did look very bored, as you would be if you were stuffed, as no doubt I am going to find out.

let joy be unconfined

These are my Gaiety Girls for the next show in September. The exhibitions is called Concepts and Meanings so I have blathered on about Joy and togetherness. Goodness knows if they will be accepted.

I made them empty headed, feeling that when one is really joyous thoughts are not very coherent. Perhaps I should have called them Ecstasy [take that Spellchecker].

I am not in favour with the Great Panjandrum + committee that runs the group.

We have regional groups under the great ?umbrella and my group keeps suggesting we should also do smaller regional exhibitions, which we set up ourselves. This is not acceptable as we may not keep up "standards"

I have said before how much I hate committees and groups haven't I?

Well when they don't agree with me anyway.

I wanted to submit my "apologies to Tracey Emin" piece as it fits the title so well. However I showed it at a small village show a year ago and Everything in this next exhibition must be New.

I was so tempted to sneak it in, but the nervous energy I would expend worrying about being accused of deception decided me against it. Shame, I doubt it will fit in anywhere else in the area. The village were rather alarmed last time!

Why do some peeps revel in rules and some people hate them?

back to front

I am stitching this for the next show, but discovered, as so often, that I preferred the back. Doubt the jury will however.

Stewarded all day on Saturday for the current exhibition, drove there in a storm, drove back in cloud bursts, bored all day. Maybe I should change my life.

Lots of bods came in from the rain, and we sold lots from the shop ["inspiration packs" and small items, but only good old Fossils and the Reflections piece pictured in earlier blog have sold so far from exhibition room.

Partly maybe from the pricing war members had, which has resulted in some works going [or not going actually] for £400 or £600
The venue is good but we are unknown, so unless there is an budding Audrey Walker or Alice Kettle amongst us i doubt we are worth collecting for big bucks.

There is still a lot of talk that each work took weeks to create, but it is not piece work, if we catch an individuals eye that's good. I was pleased to get £175, that's a lot for anyone to shell out.

I wouldn't have sold at all if I had more wall space, but then I am a smug retiree with a couple of pensions coming in to support my habits. As long as the country doesn't go broke of course.

If we were in London, or other big city, we could sell for more [have to with 100% commission] but a wet afternoon in Suffolk countryside, maybe not.

And maybe we have to be a bit more adventurous in our work, more aware of the zeitgeist..........

Some of the ex-Young British Artists have moved this way it seems, doubtless they can still bring in a small fortune for a video installation or melted plastic dolls but they are out of our league.

Maybe the reverse of my work is worth a small fortune!!

bummer

These are some of the works at the exhibition and the other is a Hollyhock and bumbley that is all Nature's own. You can choose which you prefer. I have started a hollyhock piece, but it is a sad reflection and as for the bumbley I wouldn't even try..............

I go back to steward on Saturday so hopefully will get more pics.

Went to hospital today for a check up on why I have an ache in my bum, after what the doc did with her finger I now have a reason to complain. I suffered [a little] so I thought i would spread the pain!

The fun time that young Rupert M is suffering must also be a pain in his bum, and well deserved. Such larks!