Taking the long view

Hello!

Early summer is upon us here, and no idea how as the weather is still not behaving all that well! However, it has been warm and there have been one or two sunny days…

May and June are extraordinarily abundant months in the UK. All the fields around me have been white, or yellow and the carpets of bluebells in May are always magical. I definitely feel more creatively energetic in Spring and Summer when the sap is rising.

My Earth Stitchpots were finished and I took some photos of all the sets I’ve done before finding them a bed in my studio cupboard.

I also attended a fabulous painting course with Jo York up at Lund Studios. Jo is coming here this week to meet up with another artist, Margret Petrie, who runs the Authentic Obsessions podcast, on which we were both guests. I can’t wait to have such an exciting artist date!!

In other news, we have been trying to move house for many months now and were near the end of the process third time round until a few days ago when our buyer dropped out, again. In this country, there is no tie-in or deposit and the legalities can take at least four months. The result is that many people lose their sales and often quite a lot of money – it is extremely disheartening. It’s pretty disgraceful and even with a national election coming up, no-one to my knowledge is even remotely considering this issue. And now I feel a bit better having had a rant! It’s taking me time to readjust as we will stay put for a bit, we need a rest from the stress. I would have always missed the countryside that we live on the edge of, and having it for a bit longer is really nice. It gives such a sense of place which in turn, inspires a lot of my work.

I had been trying an idea based on walks in the local landscape, but in the end, it didn’t work. I had invested quite a bit of time and hours of thinking but this happens; that’s the creative process for you. Clearing the mental decks has left space for something else I’ve had brewing for a few months. I’m able to use the same theme and thoughts about colour palettes but the result will be a different format.

I would probably still say that I tend to look at smaller things in my textile work and out at landscape in my paintings but this is changing. I can see the longer view apperaring in my textile art. I think I always knew it might, it was just going to be how long before it did. Now, some of you will know just how much I love houses, and walls, and boxes and vessels. I have a strong desire to make objects which contain. So no surprise that I’m currently enjoying making a nest. So that’s me looking in and down. But the subject matter is the long view of landscape which the colours represent so it’s a very satisfying way to play with both.

Do you notice the slow changes that seep through your art-making over time? Sometimes you don’t recognise them for a while, and it’s usually after you’ve done some work that you are able to identify a forward motion more consciously. There is also something about timing. I have been thinking about this idea for a while but is it coincidence that I’m actually doing the nest-making right when I thought we would be moving and now, trying to fall back in love with a home we were leaving? Probably not. Regardless, it feels helpful (as art so often is) and it’s a process bringing all sorts of things together which is my happy place! You know when something gives you that deeply satisfying rightness down in your gut.

I need to tell you, I hate weaving. Always have. I find it irritating and so I have to have a laugh at myself weaving a nest – all I can say is the chase of the idea is stronger than any annoyance. It’s not ‘real’ weaving per se and there’s a lot of working things out so I’m ok for now, don’t worry. 😄

I find construction a challenge but I notice a number of parallels to actual nest-building. My poor attempt would disgust any self-respecting robin or blackbird but I made a wire frame, then started wrapping painted muslin strips and teabag paper ‘yarn’ to get a solid base. Then I used painted teabag paper stuffed with wadding to get a thickness to the nest. All this took about a million hours 😂 but it’s been just right to pull threads in and out of – soft enough and strong enough. So that’s the large twigs if you will.

Then I’ve used plain yarns and wool to form it more and get more solidity. The finer twigs. However, it looks nude and needs some clothes!

So I’m now starting to add my delicious, fancy, hairy yarns which is the what I’ve been waiting for. Smooshing together all sorts of fibres, colours and traily, sticky bits…I’m loving this part.

Nest one will be colours inspired by looking across winter fields to distant sky. The fields stay green all winter, you might have thought to leave that colour out or dull it down but it’s pretty vibrant. The other colour that’s at my feet is a burnt sienna colour around scrappy edges of paths and in the dried leaves. Dark grey/green of distant hills against grey skies then dominate a really long view for miles over to the Pennines and Peak District.

Just as birds use local material to line their nests or construct them, I’ve been collecting yarns from second-hand shops and friends, recycling where I can with the exception of one or two very fancy ones I treated myself to. I’m also using bits and bobs I’ve collected on walks to include in the nests. Each nest is going to take a long old time to make, but hopefully I will have one to show you next time 😊