Hoorah #2

Another panel completed! There are advantages to being a penniless student with nowhere else to go; lots of work gets done.

Better than giving a cosmic scream at life.

That said, if anyone wants to come and 'take me away from all this' for a while, I would have the breaking strain of a warm Kit-Kat.....

Hoorah #1

I had a record breaking weaving day yesterday (1360 square cm), but was still shy of the top edge by about 8cm. I came in to the studio at 7 am (not that I'm obsessional or anything!), and have now reached the top of panel 3, and completed the half hitches. The original planned height was 210cm, but I extended it to 215 (a smidge over 7'). It should mean that the finished lith is taller than any viewer - even allowing for a bit of shrinkage when it comes off the loom.

Now for the tops of the other four panels - all narrower than this one.

Never Make A Visual Joke in Art School....

....it might be taken seriously!

There is a Surrealism conference at WD this weekend, and I put this dressed mannequin in the bar as a joke. Lo and behold, she (for I call my mannequin Florrie Whisper) has been deemed to be orthodox surrealism and added to the gallery of special art on display this weekend. Oops.

The question for you to ponder: What does an Orthodox Surrealist look like?

The dryad becomes a naiad....

This is the new home of the lith until the exhibition; alongside the Lavant, nestled by one of the flint bridges. There was a little circle of bare earth just made for her. I had walked round the garden a few times with the lith in my arms until this spot 'leapt out'. I can sit in my favourite timber summerhouse (you'll know the one if you have been round the garden with me) and watch over her if I so desire. Look at the reflection of the gorgeous blue sky in the water!

These are the last pictures of the lith out in the 'wilderness'. Today was the last day of the 40. The sun was shining as I walked up the track before breakfast, and there was slight trepidation....what if, at the last minute, it had been stolen?

And here she is, back in the studio. There seems to have been some fading, particularly of the silk used to make the black marks. The blue tone of the acrylic knops (yes, I did set aside my prejudices and use a synthetic yarn) is thrown into sharper relief against the greys.

The next task is to find a suitable spot in the gardens to host her until the show. I also need to investigate a location that DH has found which might be good for thebigone after the exhibition.

Watch this (cyber) space.....

I finished weaving The Crown of Thorns / 'And With His Stripes...' imagery onto the main panel of thebigone last evening, and added the last of the background this morning. I think that things are on track for my wished-for deadline, although there are numerous small things I also need to make for the show; not least 163 nanoliths in plaster (like the ones above my profile, about 12cm high). As you do.

Just Because...

Giant poppies in the 'Wild' garden at WD. It really is utterly beautiful in the gardens here.

A visitor to the studio yesterday asked me "isn't it depressing working in grey all the time?". Not a bit of it, I love greys. There are so many subtle nuances; a pinky grey, a blue grey, a greyed mauve. An almost infinite range of tones to choose from. And once one begins optical mixing with yarns....

I am smiling already; 'grey' is most definitely NOT depressing.