My Grandmother's Garden

Having recently attended a 2 day history of patchwork and quilting course, I am developing ways to integrate these techniques within my work.

The patchwork is bringing together a collaboration of previous work and ideas. Layers of fabrics, texts, paper, and stitching creating a palimpsest containing 'clues within the calico'.
I am using fragments from found letters, photographs and diaries as the templates. These will be left inside the fabric, allowing the work to be viewed from both sides.

Traditional American blocks all have distinctive names. Blocks were named after people, e.g. LeMoyne Star, which is named after the brothers who founded New Orleans. Other blocks were named after historical events, e.g. Rocky Road to Kansas, Whig Rose, Queen Charlotte’s Crown. Biblical names were also common, e.g. Golgotha, Crowned Cross, Hosanna. Equally popular were domestic names such as Sister’s Choice, Swing in the Corner, Grandmother’s Fan. It is possible to have the same block with different names, e.g. a block that was named Duck Foot in the Mud on Long Island was called Hand of friendship by the Quakers in Philadelphia and Bear’s Paw in Ohio (Gutcheon, 1973). The same block can also have different names according to the way it is pieced, e.g. the class Drunkard’s Path block becomes a number of other blocks, such as Millwheel or Illinois Rose, when the configuration of the piecing is changed. Interestingly each variation of Drunkard’s Path also has multiple names, e.g. Snake Trail, Falling Timbers, Diagonal Strips, Vine of Friendship, Chain are all the same variation (Cory, 1991).

Imagine a vast sheet of paper on which straight Lines, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons, Hexagons, and other figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about, on or in the surface, but without the power of rising above or sinking below it, very much like shadows--only hard with luminous edges--and you will then have a pretty correct notion of my country and countrymen. Alas, a few years ago, I should have said "my universe:" but now my mind has been opened to higher views of things."

Flatland
by Edwin A. Abbott
1884

smell and memory

“But when from a long-distant past nothing subsists, after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered, taste and smell alone, more fragile but more enduring, more unsubstantial, more persistent, more faithful, remain poised a long time, like souls, remembering, waiting, hoping, amid the ruins of all the rest; and bear unflinchingly, in the tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection.”

– Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past (Volume 1)

Rearranging Formulae - unwrapping books

There's a moral to this tale

Moral

Little girls, this seems to say,
Never stop upon your way.
Never trust a stranger-friend;
No one knows how it will end.
As you�re pretty, so be wise;
Wolves may lurk in every guise.
Handsome they may be, and kind,
Gay, or charming never mind!
Now, as then, �tis simple truth�
Sweetest tongue has sharpest tooth!

I must get back to the studio

Baby hanging in a tree



The bird tries to console the wolf



The fawn invites the fox inside



Praying and dead flowers

I started this drawing a few months ago, at my studio, then my dog got ill and I didn't go back to the studio for a while.
Although the dog is better now, I still haven't been back to finish the drawing. I really must get back into the routine of going to the studio again.
The drawing is probably about 5ft long by about 1ft, so it's kind of panoramic. I started it initially as a quick collage, just to get me back into the swing of things, however I ended up getting really involved with it, and it became something which I was spending hours on each day.

It is inspired by fairy tales, especially Little Red Riding Hood, although it was never intended to be a literal translation. I was playing around with different ideas, but what was particularly interesting was that the story unravelled the more I drew. Each time I worked on a different section, more of the story would unfold within my mind. So without actually sitting down to draw, I wouldn't know how the story was to evolve.

I have always had a love of fairy tales, and am inspired by Perrault's writings, see: http://www.angelfire.com/nb/classillus/images/perrault/perra.html

Badgers

A few old badges from the car-boot sale. I can't believe there was a badge expressing a love for school meals! Did anybody actually enjoy them?

Mum's Trifle

This is Gordon's Mum's Trifle Recipe. I made it at Christmas, and it was delicious!

Gay Venture

This is Gordon's stamp book from when he was little. He was very proud of it, especially the page on Romana which he did himself!

Brilliant cerise

I particularly like the description of the Indian assistant cutting the bright material.

New car

weeping

Growing a goatee

This is a section of one of the letters I mentioned in the previous post - see 'old letters'.
I posted this one because I like the little ilustration which he has done to accompany his text about his new goatee beard!

old letters

A few years ago, I went to a house clearance sale. I went there initially to take photographs, as at the time I was working on a collection of photos of car-boot sales. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't find what I was looking for, although in one of the bedrooms I discovered an old cardboard box (which to my delight and excitement) was filled with dusty old letters. 

I came to an arrangement with the house-holder that I could 'borrow' the letters for what I described as 'research'. I planned on reading the letters to see whether they would inspire any illustration work.

At the time I was commuting to London on a daily basis, and my 3hr journey (each way) would provide me with the opportunity to read through this 'real-life novel'.

I say real-life novel as that's what these letters turned into. They were the accounts of one man's life. The letters were dated from the 1940's (his teenage years), to his death in the 1970's. 

Each letter was beautifully hand-written, in brown ink and wax-sealed in envelopes which still had the original stamps affixed. They were not only beautiful as objects themselves but also for the exquisite writing contained within.

I quickly became absorbed with the documentation of this man's life, and started to create connections with the people and scenarios mentioned in the letters.

Each letter was written to his Mother, and contained everything from the mundane, family news and gossip, friends, parties, new cars, holidays, relationships, health, marriage, births and deaths. 

Eventually,  I had to return the letters to the family and unfortunately was told that I would not be able to use them as part of my project. 

Whilst writing about these letters in this blog, I cannot mention any names, due to privacy concerns. However, I do want to share with you some of the wonderful moments which I discovered about this one man and his letters to his Mother.

I have copies of some of these letters, of which I will be posting to this blog in due course. 

Thankyou.

Knitting patterns

I have a collection of old knitting patterns.
Here are a couple of them which I spray-painted over the top. It was for a series of work which I did which illustrated the effects and psychological recovery of child abuse.

Fur Week

Anyone fancy a squirrel coat?

...and twenty Gold Flake, David

I love these adverts for Gold Flake cigarettes!

Worn-out men

Ok, just in case you drink too much tea, then get yourself down to the chemist and ask for , and be sure you obtain the genuine - De Witt's Pills!

Just what the Doctor ordered

I love tea. This is one of the adverts which I found in 0ne of my old newspapers. It's from The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post, Monday October 3, 1938.

A few good places for buying tea include http://anteaques.co.uk/clerkSt, which is in Edinburgh. It's owned by two very nice gentlemen (one of whom bakes fresh cakes and scones daily), the other is into antiques (hence the name of the shop). It's a good place not only for a good cup of tea, but you can also sit amongst the lovely antiques.

Another shop worthy of a look is http://www.postcardteas.com/ Tim, the owner is very friendly and helpful. They will send off foil packaged bags of teas for you all around the world. You can do tea tasting there too. Also see their selection of beautiful hand-made tea caddies here http://www.postcardteas.com/accessories/caddies

Complete Surrender

WANTED: HOME FOR BABY BOY. AGED 1 MONTH. COMPLETE SURRENDER

In late 1942 that advert was placed in the Reading Mercury. Two weeks later on the deserted platform of Reading railway station, a young couple who had read the advert were to fleetingly meet the mother of this baby boy as she passed the child over to them.

I heard about this book on the local radio yesterday. It reminded me of all the old newspapers which I have at my studio. They have lots of interesting ads, (although none giving away babies).
It made me want to go and get them, which means I will have to take a walk to the studio in the snow and ice...oh no!
I will post some of them later...

A quick drawing for today

Seeing as it's Sunday (car-boot day) I thought I should draw something which I've bought from there.
Here is Little Glass Bambi. He is drawn with one continuous line, and he glows...like magic!

Words for Bambi: fragile, delicate, vunerable, magical, shiny, daft.

Car-boot sale blues

A Japanese doll, which got covered in melted candlewax...

A Fisherprice record player which plays Hickory Dickory Dock. I used to have one of these.

This plays Here we go Round the Mulberry Bush. I had one which played Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head.

Pull along farmer... and a knitting pattern for an attractive bedwrap!

I bought this dresser for £5 from an old Irishman. This picture was taken before I painted it(above), and after (below).

Sunday is my day for going to the car-boot sale. Due to the snowy weather conditions, unfortunately no-one wants to sit outside for hours selling their wares. Sadly for me this means no rummaging around for unwanted and unloved items.
So to cheer me up, here are some of my most cherished finds...

Drawing of the day

I discovered http://www.illustrationfriday.com/ . The idea is that every Friday somebody posts an idea to illustrate. I thought by joining this group it would provide me a weekly challenge, which will motivate me towards my aim of 'a drawing a day'.

Yesterday I completed my first topic, which was 'confined' (see yesterday's post). 

The above drawing/collage was another piece which illustrates another concept of the  same word.

Words which come to mind: to keep in, hidden monster, anger, frustration, restricted, to keep within bounds.

Illustration Friday - Confined

'Drawing of the day'.
Collage and pen over original etching of a horse fetus.

Words which come to mind: despair, loss, confined, trapped, sadness, birth, innocence, empty, death, separation.

A walk to the pub in the snow

Little light in the garden...

A visit to the Isis pub along the river. Sitting next to the fire and eating their homemade scones...

I particularly like the scrapped off wallpaper and the animal head!

snow angels

Went out in the snow again, and made a snow angel...

How to make an origami fox

A bit of avant-garde crocheting!

Fur coat lady cut out of a newspaper from the 1930's. I loved all the old ads, which I will try and upload in the next few days. I want to do something with them, but not sure what yet.

Snowmen

Lebowski with her new owner