Wednesday 26 November 2008

More on the way


I've now woven the base of the next circle.

This was followed by two brief attempts to start filling it with a design. However, I wasn't feeling very inspired at the time - which showed in the weaving - it wasn't really going anywhere - so I unwove it again.

I am going to revisit my sketchbooks and image bank and consider a few bold patterns, particularly the patterning on frog skins. I can then mark out a design on the warps and weave it.

I also plan to make one of the circles consist solely of text - that intrigues me.

Now I feel engaged again..and enjoying the potential.

More soon. . .

Tuesday 25 November 2008

And I did !


I somehow managed to stand on both pairs of my faithful old glasses in the last week and bend them out of shape, rendering them unwearable. Thus, before I could start weaving, I spent an hour fixing, tending and cleaning my glasses - now they have a new lease of life and work better than before. I note the metaphor of getting ready to look.

So I completed the circle finally - after an 8 month lapse.

At this rate, I will be cutting it off the loom in 2020.

It is not perfect (note to self - the world did not end), but it is done.

I was interested in trying to make the circle more like an orb, coming out of the tapestry, floating in space. So I manipulated the weft quite a lot as I was weaving. It is slightly eccentric (ie not completely at right angles to the warp). I might try to use this feature more. One thing I was keen to do when weaving was to convey the shape without giving it a solid outline.

My creativity is a playful and social thing and I very much like to include viewers.

If - dare I say 'when'? -I have an exhibition one day, I would like viewers to leave feeling that it had been an enjoyable and interesting use of their time.

Now I can move on to the next part of the weaving. How exciting - starting something new!

The plan was to make a strip of circles, with different black and white designs. The warp is circular, allowing me to pull it round the frame as I go. I enjoy the idea of free will within a contained space, which is why I am working with clearly defined circles. What goes in them, I don't know yet.

I would like to weave text soon - something brand new to me.

Thanks again for all your encouragement - it really has made a big difference x

Monday 24 November 2008

I am going to do it - right now


I welcome:
mistakes
botch jobs
forgetting what to do
happy accidents
sublime moments
losing myself in the exquisiteness of the fibres
remembering that i can do it
unexpected bursts of creativity

Wednesday 19 November 2008

The loom is looking at me from the corner of the room


still awaiting some attention.

The mad thing is, I know what I want to do, or start doing anyway - it feels like a mixture of stage fright and fear of failure. What if I mess up what I have started?

So what? is the answer. Better to be weaving and making mistakes than not weaving. Time is short as I have three jobs - but I could still find time to do a half hour in the day. I do want to see movement there.
I have re-posted the above picture - this is where I got up to - and is my starting point.

Friday 14 November 2008

The loom is still out...


...and patiently awaiting attention.

I found this skydiving photo online just now. Together they look like a net, it made me think of weaving, connection, communication.

I intend to revisit some previous 3-D work that I made. I have the photos knocking around.

Tuesday 11 November 2008

The loom is out


..of its resting place and in the living room. I am going to do an hour later - and I'll time it to make myself do it - once I get back from my walk. I am expecting a bit of resistance at the beginning as it has been a while. Note to self: learn how to use the digital camera - it can't be that hard. Surface design, such as these frog skins, really intrigues me.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

An online sketchbook


Time to start bringing a bit of fun and randomness to this blog.

Originally, my self-imposed rule was that I would only blog when I had some weaving to show. However, as it turns out, all that does is put the pressure on and I end up doing nothing, no weaving, no blogging and feeling guilty.

That rule has just been dumped.

Instead, I am now going to treat this blog as an online sketchbook - as a creative work in its own right.

I have kept sketchbooks for years in different ways. Drawing, photos, words, all kinds of things. The main thing is to let it go where it needs to go. My sketchbooks are records of ideas and thoughts, but they are certainly not about perfectionism.

Historically, I have been very protective of my sketchbooks - they are a sanctuary for fresh, creative, vulnerable ideas - I keep them safe from critical eyes and tongues and lack of imagination, so the ideas stay magical to me while they are manifesting.

The end results - the work produced - is generally what people get to see later when the pieces are done and robust enough to stand alone.

So who knows what I might decide to share here in this blog sketchbook.

It is impossible to turn every single idea into a finished piece of work, there are far too many ideas. The discipline is in picking the best ones and seeing them through to completion.

As mentioned in the last entry, it has been a healing experience to compare notes lately with another ex-art-school artist.

Four years at art school taught me some important lessons and honed certain skills. Over this period, for whatever reason and there were probably a few, I also lost a lot of confidence and didn't feel inclined to draw or paint for quite a long time afterwards. Since then, my relationship with my creative side has been quite sporadic and has never quite healed. Also, the whole issue of earning a living has been centre stage for a long time.

So it's time to start having fun with this and become fearless in the face of negative criticism - especially my own. At the end of the day, all I need to do is make things in whatever way feels right to me, document it in whatever way feels natural and take it from there.

So from now on, the timing of these blog entries is going to be completely and utterly random. I'm only going to write them as and when I get the urge.

Your visits to this blog are always welcome, as are your comments if you feel like writing. I very much like that you can share your thoughts here too. I haven't got into the habit of responding individually - I may or may not do this, I'm not sure yet - but this doesn't take away from the value of what you say. I do read them all, as do others. The energy you bring through viewing this blog and what you write is a significant part of this process. Sometimes when I get stuck, it is your comments that gradually tip the balance and get me going again. Thank you for that.


Image: a pile of sketchbooks (not mine)