I have been celebrating the natural world with a couple of workshops and lots of lovely folk. My guild were brave enough to allow me to practice a new printing, collage and stitch day I have called ‘Natural Selection’ and I have just met folk from the Manchester ICHF show who signed up to have a play. Either arms and bags were presented with hedgerow plants and feathers or people snuck out to exercise a spot of judicious pruning at our venues. I have found that late summer is the best time of year for this, as leaves have lost a little moisture as they prepare to give back their goodness over Autumn. They make a firmer print as a result, and ferns are laden with spores on the underside which make for added texture. I just thought you might like to see some of the work. I’d really like to show it all, but here is an edited set which tells the story of the day. Thank you to everyone who came and for allowing me to post your work in progress. I am thrilled.
Printing chosen items, positive and negative images…
Developing some lovely complexity and interest in the ‘waste’ areas at the side of the printing plates…
Tables developing their own delicious colour themes…
Starting to arrange collages, paying attention to colour, balance and moving the eye through a piece…
Using free machine and hand stitch from the front and back to build coherence and emphasise focal points…
A few more treasures…
Next week, I am providing a different workshop at Goosfest, Cheshire. We will be making little bowls for the art festival. Thereafter, it’s heads down with my own pieces as I prepare for the NEC in March. I hope to be able to advertise a couple of workshops there – do look out for them.
When I was six I wrote my sentence for the day which said ‘When I grow up, I want to be a teech’ and I became one. I still have it. It has a picture of me (I think) with some sort of fury coat which is a bit of glued on fluffy fabric. This has shown me how much I still enjoy being a teech. Not so sure I want to grow up though.
Rachael Singleton 
Lovely stuff