Thursday 19 May 2011

Passing the Two Metre Mark....



....and ready for another 'pull for the shore' session tomorrow. The end will then be in sight, and it may not need another roll around if I can work off the platform up to the top. I am back to full weaving strength, so have been able to do two 7 hour weaving days - the other days I have done other things too! I had an interview for a Residency yesterday, and heard today that I had not got it. Rather disappointed, as it would have been a good place to be and a good opportunity to widen my skills, but not to be. Looking onward to the next thing....

We decided today that 'Megalith' should be moved in advance of the End of Year Show in order to allow the grass to recover for other exhibits. She is going to relocate to the tree circle where 'Lament' should have gone before Easter, so I will have a presence there after all. Need to organize a Land Rover to get her up there, and some flyers to explain her presence to WD Gardens visitors.



Friday 6 May 2011

Lazarus

A first incarnation of 'Lazarus'. The image has not been cleaned up in Photoshop - I have spent long enough doing that for brochure images this morning. I decided to 'float' the canvas rather than supporting it with an armature. I shall leave it like this for a while, and then try other arrangements.

Thursday 5 May 2011

Soumak and Spot Welding

This was the progress just before we moved the weaving line down again. I am now just under half way..... I have decided to display it with the rest of my work at the End of Year show, rather than it being up in the arboretum, where people might be unable to walk that far, especially on the night of the private view. Had it been established up there as originally planned, and had anyone else been exhibiting in the arboretum, I might have left it there, but I think this is now the best plan. It certainly makes things simpler logistically!

I have done another soumak band, five rows thick, on the right hand side of the tapestry. The lyrical curve is in strong contrast to the dark vertical slits. It will pack down a bit more, and recede into the background once there is more weaving above it.

This is the piece I made during the residency. It's working title was 'Broken Column' when it was taut on the loom, but it folded beautifully, as I predicted it would, because of the eccentric weaving and the mixed thickness weft. I made an armature (fed into the warp) from iron wire, then spot welded it together at the base. The spot welder is just the coolest tool; I love it. I am now searching for the correct title for the piece as it now is. I was going to add papier mache and corrosion products to it, but decided that I like the purity of the textile, and the simplicity of the form and texture. I have to take some proper studio shots for the catalogue, because this will be going into the exhibition.

Two other jolly things happened yesterday: I got the parcel from home with the 'Avebury' pieces ready for the Oxmarket Gallery (Thanks, Mum and Dad!), and then in the afternoon I went down to Selsey for a walk / cobweb blowing on the beach. I found the most perfect little house / studio right on the shoreline. The light, and seaviews would be marvellous. Sadly it is not for sale. However, it may be possible to rent something in the same area..... I have always wanted to live by the sea; I love it in all weathers.






 
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