Voices

The thread of the latest Write Poetry was exploring voices in poetry.

The first exercise was to write a poem that featured descriptions of a voice or voices.  This was inspired by the poem Voice by Ann Sansom.

Don’t 

Don’t use that whine-y
twist-me-round-your-little-finger voice.
It won’t get you anywhere. 

Don’t use that sulky
brattish tone with me.
It will get you nowhere. 

Don’t roll your eyes at me
uttering ‘mother’ in that uppity tone.
It will get you nothing.

Don’t bat your eyelashes at him
hoping your father will give in
to your pleading tones. 

What happened to please and thank you,
to pleasant speech and loving words?
They can get you everything. 

I didn't do the second exercise about writing in someone else's voice because I couldn't think of anything.

The third exercise was based on Answer to a Child’s Question by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  In this poem we were to imagine what a bird, animal or plant might say.  I'm not sure I hit the brief but I'm happy with what I wrote.  And that's all that matters in the end.

Underground

It’s sunless here, below the surface
moving the earth to form
a passageway. Eyes blind in the darkness.

Senses on high alert
in case an earthworm or a slug
falls into my earthwork trap.

The soil, aerated by my efforts
as I live my subterranean life,
lies unappreciated by those above.

The thuds and gasses show
their displeasure as I pursue
my dark journey underground. 

I hope you enjoyed today's words.  Thanks for being here
Bernice

Maps & More update

This year's Textile Explorations at Littleheath Barn Studio has come to an end.  Over the past 9 months I have shared various aspects of Maps & More.  Today I have put most of it together.

Firstly, there's the cover to my sketchbook.

8" square sketchbook

Sketchbook cover using one of the samples I made on the back

Some pages from my sketchbook

Colour mixing dyes

I've included photos of my finished pieces.

And here they are so you can see them

 

The square books aren't finished.  The peach one needs some stitches. The blue one will have small fabric collages and some stitches.

I am going to leave the rectangular book as it is and use it as a sample for a workshop I'm teaching next month.

Thanks for being here today.
Bernice

Choose One Shape

The theme this month for our photography ladies group was to 'Choose One Shape'.  I chose the Quatrefoil.

I know!  Bizarre, but there you are.  Here are a selection of the photos I took.

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

Satin Stitch Chains

This week I have been mostly satin stitching chain links!

In a previous post I showed you the start of the next piece in my Dancing in Fetters series.  I had used a thermofax screen to print chain links ready to stitch.

I started with the broken chains and some thin variegated thread.

In close-up these look like seagulls!

I used a solid colour Paintbox thread for these chains.

And then an Anchor 6 strand embroidery thread for the heaviest chain.  The problem with this was that there were 12 threads to push through the fabric where the needle eye was threaded.  A sore thumb and finger was the result!!

However, it was worth it to see the weight of the chain lighten and break across the 3 sets of footprints.

And so - it is finished.

I'm calling it 'Dancing into Freedom'.

Thanks for being here today
Bernice

Book Covers

During this year of attending Maps & More at Littleheath Barn Studio I became somewhat addicted to printing fabric grid patterns.

And then not knowing what to do with the fabric.

But recently I made these book covers:

8x8 inch Maps & More workbook

8x8 inch Venice sketchbook

11x11 inch Australian Connections workbook

A5 Octopus sketchbook from Maps Summer School 2022

Love them!

Thanks for being with me today
Bernice

Inspired by John Piper

This week I went to a Jenny O'Leary workshop at Littleheath Barn Studio.   It's not often that workshops use architecture for the inspiration so of course I was going to sign up.

I found some John Piper images online of his paintings of Venice - where else!!

Jenny introduced us to a variety of tools and ideas for a more experimiental and user-friendly way of doing batik.

Firstly we coloured our fabrics with ink.

I added pattern with oil pastel rubbings

I drew with the oil pastel

I added more inks - this time dark brown and blue - before bleaching some of it back with Milton.

These pieces are too dark for me but there are possibilities.  I may well cut the fabric up and collage it back together.

I have learned some new techniques and I know how to do it again to have a more muted colour palette.

Thanks for be with me today
Bernice

And it's done

Although I still have to work out how to store this piece and I may need to add some stitch to ensure the woven strips are in the right place on the chain!

However: here it is

And the next piece is underway. It is also part of the Dancing in Fetters series.  This piece is about 'dancing' out of captivity into freedom.  The white footprints on the right are freezer paper to stitch around and then pull off.  The other footprints are various dyed fabrics and bonded onto the calico. The music notes are also bonded dyed fabric.

Close-ups

I added the chains with acrylic paint through a thermofax screen.  I'm going to fill in the outline with satin stitch.

Another close-up

I had bonded the backing fabric to some thin wadding and machine stitched the turnings.  I bonded the front to the wadding.

Thank you for being here today.
Bernice