My girls have finished school for the year and we are officially on holidays! I won't be around this week but I do have a creative space item to leave here...
My youngest's class had a secret santa last week. They were allotted the name of a class member with whom they are not usually friends and had to do nice things for them. Then, on the last day of school, they had to give them a gift (no more than $5 in value) and reveal who they are.
After thinking about what $5 buys these days, the Little One and I decided we could come up with something better from what we had at home... and so a pencil case was created for the price of a green zip, a gifted hand-screenprinted panel by Anna Bartlett at Shiny Happy Art of Christmas Angels and a panel of my very first attempt at screenprinting on a thrifted tablecloth.
Other stuff which we used that I already had were the Fabrico Fabric Markers bought ages ago from here. Anna doesn't do these particular panels anymore but she does have some other Christmas Angels here.
So, this is the result.
I'm told she loved it :) See you in about a week's time!
My creative space this week has been all about fulfilling promises. Some of these involve screen printing and this orange number somehow came out of it.
I began by printing with fluorescent yellow... but this was all but invisible except in the sun. (And don't get me started on lining up a screen to print when the rest of the printed pattern has disappeared into the fabric!)
So, I overprinted with fluorescent pink... but it's kind of bland too. Another sun shot here... too proud to show it's real dowdy self. I think the more I use the computer the more I see colour in my mind as this back-lit explosion of vivid brilliance... which is obviously not the case in real life ;)
Next, out came the trusty embroidery floss... my attempt to add texture and colour brilliance to lift the bland-ness. I do rather like it but it can't be meterage... too high maintenance. So, they are going to be bags.
And I've accidentally ticked another job in my to-do list for someone I said I'd make a bag for. The others may go in the shop or they may end up as xmas presents.
I've only made up the front and back panels so far but I am pleased with how they are shaping up.
Note: flash photography can sometimes imitate that back-lit screen look ;)
What's in your creative space this week? See more here.
I've just discovered that a most amazing installation occurred in Paris just after we'd left. The Place Vendome played host to a ring of 4-metre high mirrored cubes bouncing light and reflecting scenes. The installation was created by Arnaud Lapierre for FIAC 2011.
Don't you think it has that funny surreal feeling to it that you get when travelling? Maybe there's a bit of jet-lag in the mix but also that heady feeling of seeing new things and they all fracture and jumble in your mind as you try to take it all in and make sense of your new surroundings?
I love it :) Wish I could have seen it. Better than drugs I'd say ;)
Apparently, it's currently to be found at the Paul Ricard circuit in Castellet and from there it'll be 'doing the rounds' to several art fairs around Europe. Hope you get to see it if you live over there... I'd love it if you could share some pics :)
It would be my friend Eileen's 85th birthday today. She passed away in September, just days before I was supposed to meet up with her in London.
We became friends 12 years ago now. She was 'the old lady' who lived in the basement of our Victorian redbrick in South Hampstead, London. (We lived in the top floor flat.)
When my eldest started nursery I found myself at a loss. For two years she'd been with me constantly and I no longer knew who I was without her by my side. I wandered into the cafe across the road and there was Eileen. We talked about books and social justice issues, philosophy and art... In many ways she brought me back to myself.
Over the last 10 years or so we've met up every year when I've travelled over there for the trade fair. And throughout those years we have exchanged countless letters. Eileen hated computers and loved the written word. She would send a fabulous array of clippings on subjects she knew I was interested in and we'd have these amazing debates over issues via letter. She was a prolific writer of novels too. Every couple of months there'd be a bulging A4 brown envelope in my letterbox with the latest installment from her oeuvre.
I still can't believe she's gone... and I miss her. It sets me to thinking about the special people who come into our lives... Older people who have so much to share with those willing to listen. I was fortunate enough to have four people like that in my life, and now they are all gone.
Sorry, I'm getting a bit soppy here, aren't I? I could ramble on for ages but I guess I'll leave it there...
Do you have someone special like this in your life? Feel free to remember them in the comments :)
My little one and I have just watched a DVD we haven't seen for ages. It's a real treat...
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickets. I loved these books and I really love this movie... have you seen it?
The actors are fabulous (Jim Carey, Meryl Streep, Billy Connolly etc) but the children really do steal the show for me, particularly Emily Browning's 'Violet'. Best of all, though, are the costumes...
If you haven't seen this movie, I totally recommend it. Here's a taster...
Perfect for a slow sick-on-the-sofa kind of day :)
I'm playing along with Our Creative Spaces this week - find more spaces here.
Actually, I've been quite sick with the flu this week, but I do have some bits and bobs to show you... I over-printed the fabric failure, with mixed results again. Thinking I should leave it till I'm feeling well again ;)
There's been some experimenting with making the long narrow shape cushion with the crochet triangles....
I've also been toying with a new pixelated cushion in luscious dark shades....
