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.

Saturday News (with random photo of me at 17)

And no, the MG was not mine.

I went into Chichester this morning to get some portfolio sleeves prior to mounting some drawing for (potential) interviews. I decided to nip into the Oxmarket Gallery to enquire about exhibition space. Lo and behold, there is a window available from May 15th - 29th. Cue phone call home to ask Mum to send some of my other 'Avebury' pieces down, and renewed vigour for cropping and mounting - now all done except one monoprint and two small tapestries which are still in the process of having their backs tidied up. And on the subject of backs...... mine is behaving extremely well, and I am back at the loom, have been for five days now.

Hoorah and Jubilate!

Display of Work

I put some of last year's work, and a few textile pots from the 'Avebury' series on display in the old bread oven display cases near the dining room. The photos show the whole display, the four 'Avebury' pots and the 'Nefeshot Teomot' pieces - holey stones woven together in pairs - 'twin souls being woven together across space and time'.

Being a bit of a numpty, I forgot to include a label with my name and details on, and the fact that the works are for sale. I will remedy this....

Today, for the first time I...

1. Walked barefoot in the grass (first time this year).

2. Did some welding (first time ever)

I was on a sculpture course for the day, and learned spot welding (for making iron wire maquettes) and MIG welding (for making full size armatures). Great fun. I was working in the forge, which, when the fires are not lit for smithing, is one of the coolest places to be on a hot day. And the last few days have been very warm indeed.

It has been a strange couple of months. Prolapsed lumbar disc and nerve compression (and associated sciatica) began in mid Feb, became acute in early March and made it impossible to finish 'Lament' by Easter as planned. I was able to advance some of the extended practice work so all was not lost, but working at only half speed and strength was very frustrating. I managed to do the library residency that I was committed to over the Easter hols, making a 3D piece ('Experimental Vessel') on the small ring loom, ready to be further treated now I am back at WD. It is my final term; the last months have flown by, and I think the next 12 weeks will zoom. Initial trepidation has been replaced by excitement about work and the future. The weather is beautiful, there is a constant soundtrack of birdsong, and the gardens are leaping into colourful life.

I have tried updating the blog a couple of times, but no joy. Here's hoping for today's effort!

"Pull for the Shore, Sailor, Pull for the Shore!"....

....is what Erica chose to sing to accompany our hauling round of the finished area of weaving. The warp is so thick and heavy that it is very like sailing rope.

This is what I have accomplished so far (8" already wound round).

And some detail of the 14ply jute,

which twists so beautifully, creating lovely texture and a row of soumak insertion.

And my willing slaves, Erica and Diana, 'pulling for the shore'. Thanks girls.

It's About Time!

Dissertation writing ('The Function of Textile in Funerary Ritual and Remembrance') , preparation for assessment and recovery from same have caused a hiatus in weaving, but I am now beginning to catch up. The continuous warp has been wound round by about 8"/20cm, and quite a bit of the bodies has been added in. The communications department here interviewed and photographed me at work last week; I have excised my face from the photo - even with judicious application of the Photoshop healing brush failed to make me presentable - it was just one of those days. The plan is for a press release when the work (now titled 'Lament' rather than Pieta) goes outside around Easter.

Lines and Surfaces

After a lot of thought and some experimental sampling, decisions have been made about the thickness of the lines for the living body, and the amount of binding and integration into the background structure. The original lines were very fine, and I realized that they would not show up sufficiently in the outdoor setting, especially when the salt / papier mache / porcelain slip treatment is added. So now the lines will consist of 20 or so strands of the 18ply jute, with additions of coloured linen, wool and silk, loosely twisted and loosely wrapped on the whole, but with lengths of tighter binding using split 18ply. The ends of the bindings, and some of the finer core yarns will be woven into the background; this both holds the line in place, and disrupts the woven structure, adding to the eccentricity of the background. The bulldog clips are NOT part of the finished piece!