A new journey

This year, for the first time, I am taking part in #septtextilelove arranged by @seam_collective on Instagram.  You can find me on IG at @msbernice7 

The topic for day 10 was Risk.  I put that I was considering launching myself into giving talks and workshops and had so much positive encouragement from my post, that I was convinced that it is the right thing to do.   I was already booked to do a workshop locally and here are some of the results.

We worked through my Venice Tiles workshop, firstly printing fabric.

 

 

A couple of the ladies had to leave early so I only have these almost finished pieces.  The fabric is ready to be mounted onto a 20cm square canvas once the ladies have finished adding stitch.

The day was about process and technique rather than completing a finished piece.  To be honest, when they think about it they may not like the piece they've made but they have all the skills to make it again and make it their own.  Which is what I think it's all about.

You may not have noticed but at the top of this blog there are now links to the talks, workshops and Exploring Creativity courses I am offering.

I am asking for my fees to be paid as a donation to Jubilee Solihull Community Trust where a team of wonderful people run a children's clothing bank: Jubilee Children's Storehouse.  You can find information about the weekly clothing needs and how many children are clothed each week on their Facebook page.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

The Sigh

Last month's Theme Poetry session with Sara-Jane Arbury was about Heirlooms and Keepsakes.  For the warm up exercise she gave us a list of objects to choose from and write about.

I'm not going to tell you what I chose.  You'll work it out as you read, I'm sure. But the picture is not a clue!

(c) Karen Wicks

The Sigh 

 I crunched my way through the woodland
Boots crushing the brown, dried leaves,
some still frosted from the night time chill.
No other sounds. All wildlife stilled
as I, the interloper, crushed the woodland floor.
I stopped to sniff the air, the chill
fierce against my cheeks. 

The air scented with Autumn
A pyre for the end of the year.
As I walked further in,
wisps of smoke wafted past me.

A dangerous place for a bonfire!

I hurried forward uncertain of my path
and found to my surprise
as I had walked these woods so many times before
a ruined cottage. No roof.
Just walls and a chimney.
Snatches of smoke appearing
not from the chimney
but the cracked and broken window.
Brambles and nettles
growing round the door frame, in mockery
of the roses-round-the-door
chocolate box image of a country cottage.

No sleeping beauty here; I pushed through
the weeds to find the lingering remains
of a fire in the hearth.
A heap of ashes still exhaling
last breaths of smoke.
Not all was ash. A remnant remained.
A partly burnt notebook.
Cramped indecipherable writing
closely packed
filled the remains of pages.
Crinkled edges where the flames
had charred the outer margins. 

No name.
No reason
why the book was there
and burned.
But as I turned the pages
I heard a sigh.
Was it from the book
or merely the wind in the trees? 

 

Thank you to Karen Wicks for being able to use one of her prints for this post.  You can find her on IG @iacartroom or at Ghostbuildings.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

PS
Did you work it out?  It was 'a partly burnt notebook'.

Maps & More

This month I rejoined the Art Textiles monthly group at Littleheath Barn.  This years theme is Maps & More.

We started with a warm up exercise in our sketchbooks.  I'm using a 20cm square Pink Pig sketchbook.

 

 

We had been asked to take a map with us and I took a map of Venice - where else?  It was that or the canals of the UK.

 

The next exercise was to take just part of the map and draw 3 lines then 5 then 7.

 

 

We moved on to A3 paper, drawing with ink and adding watercolour

 

 

I made my second piece of paper square.

And add handmade paper to the piece I had cut off.

The last exercise was to draw with a wax candle and put a wash of colour over the top.

 I folded the square paper into 16 squares and cut them out and put them randomly into my sketchbook.

With the large rectangle I made a book (surprise! surprise!)

 
I made a zine with the added paper piece.

I used little brown paper bags as pockets to keep the books in. I had made a collage using the pattern from the 5 line drawing

 We made a Turkish Mapfold booklet with the wax and watercolour wash paper.

It doesn't help that the writing is upside down but I'm not going to worry about it.

It was a really enjoyable and productive day.

To be honest I think I make a dreadful student and feel really sorry for any tutor who has to cope with me.  I frequently want to be doing my own thing!

But before I went I promised myself that I would be a good student and do what Liske suggested.  And it worked.  I had a lovely time.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice