helen sill @mycathasniceboots

Oct 3, 2016Oct 3, 2016

David Beckam’s Ferrari..

has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with this blog..apart from the fact that I drove it a couple of weekend ago..sorry couldn’t resist the urge to share as it was rather fun…the first one I drove wasn’t David’s and it didn’t go very fast..(the black one) however the yellow one (his old one evidently)..well what can I say..look at photos and see my hair and stance… sort of says it all….any way back to the future… sorry point…. what have I been doing dear reader since my last blog? and why havent I updated my blog in the last month?……well apart form swanking about in high speed over priced cars..(and yes I did spend an evening on auto trader fantasy shopping…19k for a second hand spider incase you’re interested ……..NB you don’t need a fully functioning left leg to drive a Ferrari.. I knew I was meant to have one….will this impact on my art work? who knows………

I’ve signed back on at uni in an attempt to finish my fine art degree..managed to lose my student card after hanging on to it for over a year….so had to fork out for another one…and the student debt begins……fabulous to have access to great art facilties and looking forward to my art history lectures…already had some good tutorials and am now deciding which direction to take my work in for my final show…all I know at the moment is I’m liking… a pack of cards, a big box, biology and opus anglicanum..go figure?

…supposed to be experimenting this week but instead I was getting ready for Liss In Stitches private view at the Triangle Center, Liss…..

.. .Travelling books from Liss and one of my pieces…’All Roads’

….. and also been plotting with Sarah for our first combined exhibition..also…. watch this space..very excited…

Missed one of my uni lectures as I decided – in the pursuit of all things Lanyon..I’m loving Peter Lanyon at the moment….. to try to find out what aerial views were actually like.. ……so to get a view on his perspective = thanks to my big sis= I booked a hot air balloon flight…surreal……cried on take off…….yes totes embarassing I know….but it was fab….. and we only flew to Basingstoke….. gawd help me if it had been over somewhere really impressive….sorry Helena and all those who hail from there….

Peter Lanyon

Also visited the Chistopher Woods at the Pallant -amazing work and love the way he studied and learnt his art…. but such a sad story… as well as serendipitous as I only discoverd him earlier this summer when in St Ives…and the Bishop Otter Collection also at the Pallant..some lovely and inspiring work..slighty concerned that they were displaying an Alfred Wallis in a frame that looked like it cost 2.99 at Sainsbury but there you go…

Christopher Wood

Went to see Abstract Expressionism at the Royal Academy..can’t make my mind up about this genre…. missed really great talk about the AB Exs by a local artist which sounded really interesting…..thank you Annabel for giving me an edited version..wish I’d gone now but was child watching….

….popped in to see the David Hockney while there..didnt like… sorry David.. I love you and your work but I didnt like this..colour was fab tho…..check out the pink keks on Mr Humphries ….but didnt like the subject matter or how it was executed…..also been to ASpex in Portsmouth to see the Graduates in the Platform finalist’s show.. well done Consuelo your work looks fab!!…. ..also started back with my life drawing which was great..not brave enough to make public my efforts just yet..am a wee bit rusty!!!

Image result for Abstract Expressionism Royal Academy — Abstract Expressionism at the RA

…….and so its Sunday and it’s October..where has the year gone? Went to see Christine Watkins in Romsey for wash up of Open Studios. News is she doing another Open Studios for Christmas..first weekend in December. Should be good!

Looking forward to the Knit and Stitch – am going up for a couple of days.. Friday and Saturday… to help out the Embroiderer’s Guild -the Guild are showing the Hardhome Embroidery…. looking forward to seeing it in all its splendour…and the tiny bit by your truly…EXCITING!…..just remembered I didn’t take a photo of my final piece..I’ve got a photocopy of it tho! OOPS! – see you there!

also they will have a part of their huge collection on show… proud to say they have a piece of my work on show as part of this……

And finally, dear reader, I’m off to watch Poldark so bad its good…YES I am in that camp sorry if I offend the real devotees…mad canadian you are outed!!!! Poor Francis ay…..

And need to produce a biological pack of cards in less than 24 hours.. Oh dear went off on a tangent and did this instead

and I have a strange obsession with maps a the moment.. I must stay focused…I must stay focused….I must stay focused….onwards and upwards…….

P.S. Fab to catch up today Sarah looking forward to exhibiting with you x.

P.P.S. Sorry reader if this blog feels a bit like a list…

Aug 21, 2016Oct 19, 2016

A cow, a cow my kingdom for a cow!!

well too many flipping days since my last blog and I’m definitely starting to get confused over where I’m putting stuff a the moment as I gear up for Open Studios – I am exhibiting at the Physic Garden in Petersfield from Thursday this week..10 30 til 5pm ..do drop in…. I am also exhibiting at Christine Watkins Art House in Romsey….I shan’t be exhibiting at Owselbury this year as I’m spreading my self a bit thin! The Room6’ers will still be there tho and it’ll be great..have a good one ladies!

So why so long since my last blog? I hear you ask..or not as the case may be..well there are a number of reasons, and I’m writing them here whether you are interested or not…because I can….I keep having this internal conversation with myself..why blog?//..the thirteen year old going on 30 year old (ttyogotyo) tells me I should just instagram????* any way I have decided I blog really for myself as its good to get a handle on where I am..so sorry I am going to keep doing it…(*and I am instagramming as

mycathasniceboots now …I’ve a bet with ttyogotyo that she gets a share in my profits if she gets me 600 followers by Christmas…evidently there’s a method…all double dutch to me but hey I’ll try anything) ….I haven’t broken it to her that as I’m not Hemsley and Hemsley or Zoella there is no profit in it..but hopefully she wont read this…????well she will but whether she admits to it or not is another matter) the other reason I stopped was it was my birthday…..39 again…whoohoo..so I was busy…spent a great day at Art in Action….. there was also a flurry of activity when I tried to get a life size cow made …( hence the title of this blog)…. don’t ask..suffice to say it all got too awkward and mired in raising money.. not my strength…so I gave up on that lark and went to Glastonbury and Camp Bestival instead with glasto girl (Bananarama were cr** and always have been – they should have stayed with fun boy three..Turin Brakes were a completely different matter however……..)……also did a lovely work shop with the ladies at Droxford Textiles group…..they are doing open studios too next weekend too…pop by and see them..details in the Hampshire Open Studios booklet….to complicate things even further.and contribute to bloglessness.. in my search for studio space we decided to sell up and move but after selling and then losing our dream house with studio.. (yes flippin flippin heck!!1). we decided it was better to stay put and try and create more space in the space we already have…watch this space……space space..aaargh

…then there was rather a large amount of time spent writing materials for the Embroiderers’ Guild connected to the Worlds Longest Embroidery for Schools..look out for it in the autumn and please get schools involved..it will be great…….

……and there you have all my excuses…by the way… .I do realise I am just talking to myself now..this blog is about naval gazing after all….the next bit’s more interesting honest…if you;ve hung on in therr it wil lbe worth it….nice pictures to follow, anyway there are all my excuses and I do feel vindicated

Feel I’ve been neglecting my drawing and creativity so was good to get away to Cornwall for a week….

..arriving in St Ives in style…don’t ask….stitching and dinner out..when you have children….yes you are extremely happy with a plastic cup of wine and half a cheese and onion pasty….fine dining is so over rated!….who needs the Wolseley…

the mad canadian does……hello are you reading me in Canadia?

I digress….stayed in a cottage overlooking Barbara Hepworth’s garden which was definitely good for the soul and did a great Tate Walk ..as the Tate is closed .they’ve got loads of stuff going on..I had a great week….. also worked on Viyella bodies…yes the ladies are still there…..

saw some fab exhibitions in st ives.. .Arthur Lanyon..getting the household paint out as we speak!!!..one of the best exhibitions I’ve seen in ages..the images don’t do the paintings any justice they really were fabulous…really inspiring and very tactile…

also saw great work by Terry Frost, Tony Shiels. and Bryan Pearce…...

aren’t these lovely?..There was a lot of rubbish too…

So that’s it, my edited highlights for the the last month and a bit and I think I’m back to the present and I’ve caught up with myself….

Just been to drop off some stuff at Petersfield Arts and Craft Annual Exhibition this morning and tomorrow I will be mounting some limited edition prints I’ve had done..my latest money making scheme.. or not……hmmm

FullSizeRender (5).jpg

PS I have called them Mighty Chondria..thanks for that one Annabel!! BTW tell your daughter Nathan threw a pot on a wheel in St Ives and he’s a natural!

PPS If my car holds up I’ll come and see you at Open Studios this week Sarah..sorry this is a bit of a jumble but I just decided I need to get it written and posted..once you fall off the horse its hard to get back on if you leave it a while…x.

Jun 13, 2016Oct 19, 2016

Just a quickie

Too busy to prattle which is a first for me…. Great art sale coming up in Langrish just outside Petersfield.. Wednesday night ..33% of all proceeds to go directly to Rural Refugee Network which is helping re-settle Syrian Refugees..lots of Lovely work.. Including mine.. For sale.. Lovely surroundings and all for a good cause.some great artists showing….. Go.. You know you want to!

Not sure why I sent what I sent but I got in a bit of a flap which is not me or is it… Anyway what will be will be.. I hope they sell loads and raise lots of money. Really delighted that they selected me to take part. There’s some great work for sale. The whole ethos of the sale really Fits nicely with my beliefs, recycling ethos and giving back yadayada…him in doors was telling me last night about some community that’s been set up in Wales by a record guy recently to do with bartering and giving back and creating a community feel vibe thingy love it and am going to investigate more…watch this space.. Sorry digression….

Remember this one? She’ll be there along with cell work… Spot the homage to Marlene Dumas……I had a few that I tried to work that weren’t quite right… Want to rip this one up and start again .. Not sure what to do with it but it’s not right or tight!!! ..didn’t submit this one.. Not sure what to do with it??? It doesn’t work tho.. Have been having a bit of a mental Block creatively recently…. flippin day job getting in the way.. It will all rebalance tho.. I hope…

Didn’t send Grayson either not sure I’m ready to lose him yet….

But sent these babies and some of my little tiny cushions which I’m selling cheap…so there’s stuff for every price bracket….

Any way off to bed. … @looking forward to teaching my keepsakes workshop at the Ashcroft Centre in Fareham tomorrow evening. Still spaces if you’re interested. Fortunately my amazing mechanic managed to stop my car from blowing up so I can actually get there now.. I was getting worried…bet there’s no direct bus route and don’t think my bike will do…..Strong smell of burning seems to have gone from the old faithful…I’m no mechanic but I think that’s not a particularly good sign…still at least people could hear see and smell me coming all last week…..also preparing for a weekend camping with the kids to get me ready for Glasto…..are you ready Glasto girl?

PS A. I’ve done your page for your book you’d better flippin like it !!! I’m not posting a picture of it!!

PPS Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday Sarah X

PPS THIS WAS SUPER QUICK! Sorry if it’s rambly….

May 13, 2016Oct 19, 2016

It’s my Turn(er)

The Turner prize winners 2015 have nothing whatsoever to do with this blog..but it is my ‘turn’, well the last seven years have been..been thinking a lot recently about what I’ve been doing with regard to art and embroidery in the last seven years… the reason this train of thought started was that i needed to give a presentation to the Embroiderers’ Guild AGM last weekend about my scholar year …more of which later..anyway thinking about what I’ve done in the last seven years and I really do believe that getting the EG scholarship was my Turner so hey…..my golden ticket …(see my very first blog!)

and what a fab time I’ve had since Brock…… bit pooped tho. Arrived home in the evening to find a house full of people around celebrating the now teenager going on thirty year olds’ 13th birthday, him in doors hadn’t really thought much past ‘ sausages and chips for the kids’ (ooh we’re classy!) so needed to whizz to Tesco express to buy nibbles and drinks,ho hum good job I’m creative! Just would rather not be that sort of creative too often! Went to the Shard the following week and sat and did some drawing up there ..and more when back on the ground…

these are really easy..go on google views of london and see what you come up with. Kids love this and so do I!

The view is fab made me think of great work by ‘paint the town’…lovely skylines..Ann is coming to do a workshop at Liss in StitcheS week after next and I’m her slave for the day.

Anyway back to the shard…. most proud of the fact that I got past the heavy security with my trainers on..evidently there’s a’ dress code’… being foolish enough to pay a tenner for a g and t should be the perfect criteria for admittance in my book but there you go…. i reckon my dangly earrings, lairy coat and too many rings swung it for me….well that along with the mad artist ethereal smile..some nice art work upthere too..cut outs…..last time I was turned away from some where for wearing trainers was the Fridge in Brixton circa 1987.. oh and Tiger Tiger, Leicester Square in the 90’s but hey who wants to go there anyway! Any hoo the reason I’m prattling on about this stuff is because I’m hoping it’s all fodder for future art works… ‘the stuff that is around you influences you on a daily basis and I think its interesting how one incident sparks a memory that sparks another and so on’..all part of the creative process..well that’s what you hope anyway.. need to stay focused enough to make something now..and not keep wandering off at a tangent as is my want….got another meeting for the Heath project coming up that’s one thing to keep me focused…and open studios….more of which later….

now any one can draw this..go on you know you want to..now stitch it…

Anyway I digress, after the shard went to the O2 which I found to be a bit like a sociology experiment….. sorry big arenas just don’t do it for me..surely you’re supposed to connect with an artist? It’s too big for me to do any connecting…. could have seen a band on the telly… but!!! its interesting how distance changes the artist’s connection (see there was a point to this ramble too) and this helps illustrate why I feel it’s important to connect with the viewer in some way…anyway I did really enjoy the lines of the building and the sheer vastness of the space..lines and light were amazing..more sketching!!! ..not many people do that at a concert now do they …..and so to the Embroiderers’ Guild AGM in Manchester last Saturday….

Gave my out going speech as education scholar…along with the other scholars – Georgina Bellamy and Lou Baker.. nerve wracking but I did it

.and once i got started it was a little hard to stop. oops! Really interesting to hear first hand fantastic things the EG is doing.. it’s really important that it survive as an institution .an amazing educational charity that deserves to go on and get stronger..Magna Carta, Game of Thrones and Capability Brown Festival are huge!looking forward to the next project what ever that may be

Went up to the City of London on Monday night to the Beryl Dean award . Some truly inspiring teachers of adults were commended. Hannah Maughan, lecturer from Falmouth University won the award…look forward to see where this goes next. Great church for venue rebuilt by Mr Wren after the great fire. Bought the amazing book of Miss Dean’s work that was brought out in 2011 on the centenary of her birth and talked to her archivist. Read it on the train ride home. goodness she was a power house!!! Apart from all the fabulous photos of her work I really liked the ten commandments for the Deanery created by some of her students including gems like ‘ In the beginning of thy work thou shalt ask thy teacher. Thus shalt thou save thyself many problems.’ I remembered be blown away by her work at the knit and stitch in 2011.! Saving up for my goldwork course at the RSN…just need to fix some dates!! My fine stitch skills …still need much work but I love to learn
..there is always so much to do and too little time to do it in..

And finally I end this blog on a total high. Just been with the lovely Ruth Smith doing amazing Chinese stitch workshop with a wonderful tutor, Len Rappolt. Here are my efforts..trust me this took ages!!!

THINKING about my version and how to bring into my work …really looking forward to that..watch this space…. will be experimenting !!!

PS Fine Art Degree show on at Chichester..some fab work go and see

PPS went to see this at Pallant House…especially loved the Radical Craft by outsider artists…I think its just great art tho and not outside

especially liked this poottery and now want to do a pttry course and some work entotled waht i dowhen ima supposed to be doing the ironing

PPS Are you coming to mine on the 20th Sarah…have got the cereal in!

..right off to stitch…

Apr 30, 2016Oct 19, 2016

Desperately seeking…

Still looking for my Susan ..i.e. for the elusive thing that I can sell for small amounts of cash to keep me afloat and being an artist.(when is that supposed to happen?) just happily being creative at the moment….cant quite believe it’s a week since Brockenhurst …..A lovely two days showing my work and demonstrating paper manipulation techniques and book making. It’s amazing what a conversation starter putting a can of Felippo Berio on my table was ! Thank you to everyone who said nice things about my work …lots of interest in talks and work shops so that’s great! Also sold one of my little sculptures. So pleased! Hope it gives you as much pleasure as I had making it!

Also Ralph AKA The GOM. has gone to a good home!

Good luck to Worthing Young Embroiderers’ …Happy book making and email me your results will be great to see what you come up with! Been making more books this week …..

also been working on developing hand stitch workshops as well as work for the rural refugee network art sale on June 15th as well not to mention Open Studios in August…..

Check out their website ..rural-refugee-network

Didnt get much time to look around BRock .. Obligatory stop at art van go …goes without saying …..but it was fab! Lots of lovely stand there. The ladies who organise it are amazing!!! Thank you for having me. Great to talk textiles non stop for two whole days. Head buzzing with ideas!! It really is a lovely show.

Also extremely pleased with my Alison Hulme pinnie!! I’ve been trying to buy one now for the last two years but can never make my mind up,about a colour…. Got A to choose for me…very pleased!! Thank you! Can I just say the pockets are beautiful!!

still practising my Instagram technique.. Not good !!! I think your supposed to do more of a blue steel and plaster yourself with make up first ah well never mind!! Pinnie looks good….

also been making these…trying to revisit stuff and ideas I already have and develop them further….

Sleeping Woman

Really interesting art talk at local art society this week.. Always good to hear about other peoples influences…..reminded me how much I love Edward Bawden and Eric Ravillious!

Just putting finishing touches to my presentation for the Embroiderers Guild AGM next Saturday….and looking forward to the chi art dept degree show next week

P.S Thank you for looking after me Sarah at Brockenhurst. Everything was perfect!! Hope your bee making workshop went well on the Sunday!!

P.P.S just back from teenage shopping trip on Oxford street… All I can say is thank goodness for the mad Canadian and a posh cake and coffee shop which provided necessary sustinance to keep me going and re-establish my sanity.. Urban outfitters is not a good place for me!!! Fenwicks however was ……Lancôme lady said she thought I looked like an artist… Which one said I….????

Apr 11, 2016Oct 19, 2016

i am not a quilter…

Gray Anatomy

Mitochon

Well what an amazing month. Birmingham NEC was fab. Travel up with the Mad Canadian and Mrs Masala chai was great and it was win win win..they had a great day doing loads of stitchy things at the show and I has a fab time talking about my work and spending too much money on supplies….including a plethora of plastic bags (don’t ask) and am happy to say I am now the proud owner of an original Caroline Bell and an original Alison Hulme. The day was great and as always I left the show on a high. Am back into making books big time and have started using imagery from grays anatomy work in them…watch this space…

Note to self must remember to take lemon cake to every show!Managed to get a great write up in the Petersfield post about the Hardhome Embroidery. Not responsible for the byline!! They usually ignore me….Chinese whispers should mean that before long It’ll be like I’m in the Game of Thrones…..

Since then I’ve been madly making for Brockenhurst Needlework Fiesta….just over a week away where I’ll be demonstrating upstairs …making books, brooches and hand stitching…..

Please come and say hello. Staying with the lovely Sarah Waters so I haven’t got far to travel. I ve been making lots of books… Still doing lots of grey stuff but playing about with colour too.

FABRIC – A CELEBRATION OF TEXTILES

And yesterday well it was fab! I taught a workshop at the Ashcroft Centre in Fareham at their fabric day. It was great….my class was fully booked and we did my version of crazy patchwork ….think the ladies were a bit worried when my opening gambit to my ‘textures of quilting workshop’ was’ hi my name is Helen and I am not a quilter’… But think I pulled it back! There is something about the randomness and ‘more is more’ with crazy patchwork/quilts that I love. …. anyone who knows me, knows I am far from an exact person…and I am definitely not a quilter. There is nothing more satisfy thing than bringing together lots of old bits of material cutting them up joining them back together to make something new and beautiful that just sings!… Fitted with the theme of CAROL PARKER’s VISIBLE MENDING project – which was also at the Ashcroft …REPAIR – A participative postcard exhibition about visibly mending items when her allotment shed was broken into and she had to patch it up with whatever materials she could find.

“The idea was to alter a postcard in some way…tear a small hole, scratch the surface etc then repair it…”

The postcards are accompanied by an embroidered map which is added to at each place on the journey from Lincolnshire and back. … Check out her word press site

Missed Nicky Barfoot’s talk and class I was teaching my class but there was a lovely lady who spent time later in the afternoon showing me how to knit a cord and it took me a bit to work out that she’d learnt the technique at Nicky’s workshop.. I am a bit slow on the up take sometimes!!!!! !! So thanks Nicky I have bought some wool and these strange things.. Wish me luck!!!!

Loved Alison Hulme’s workshop which I had the privilege to witness as I was cutting up oblongs of bondaweb in the same room … … the things you do in the name of art…and was itching to have a gond I listened to Caroline Bell’s talk about how she ended being the amazing Eco dyer that she is. I love the colour and the stitch!!! Anne Moore was there too as were her amazing beach huts….Paint The Town .. Really liked the way she had set out her stall. Magic! Wendy Fleckner was there too so it was a bit like an Eastleigh reunion!!

Jennie Rayment, pictured in her sewing studio in Emsworth Before I left I managed to sneak into Jenny Rayment’s talk and let me tell you that lady should be doing stand up… So glad I got to listen to her. Her next book is evidently a hundred ways with a bathroom scrunching thingy!! Loses a lot in translation. Haven’t laughed so much in ages!!NB couldn’t find a photo of her as a bunny girl??

I am teaching another class at the Ashcroft Centre on June 14th . Really looking forward to it! I’ll be making hand stitched keep sakes. Hoping it gets fully booked too!

Click the link to book
We will create a hand stitched keepsake to, and I quote ‘ remind you of a treasured moment or person’. . And so back to now……

Brockenhurst weekend after next and then I’m off to give my scholar speech at the Embroiderer’s Guild AGM in Manchester Phew. I will need a long rest after all that lot or at the very least a large gin.

P.S. Worthing Embroiders Guild were fab and am going to do a workshop there next year.

P.P.S. also went to Petworth House which as great. They’ve got a great Capability Brown exhibition there of guild members work. Lovely pieces.

P.P.P.S. I forgive you Sarah for double booking and not being able to see me this week…I pinky promise I will never feed you cereal for lunch ever again X

P.P.P.S do I get an extra prize for being home alone with the kids for the last two weeks whilst all this has been going on? Guess not hey!

Mar 16, 2016Jan 16, 2019

Rites of Spring… Birth…..

Remember that thing I wasn’t allowed to talk about a couple of blogs ago? Well I am now…… I recently did some work for the Embroiderers’ Guild to do with a launch of the new chapter of HBO s Game of Thrones and my contribution was a heraldic shield … blink and you’ll miss it…my bit is very small…. but here’s the proof I actually did it!!!! It was great fun to be part of something so big. We were allowed to do what we wanted as long as we followed the drawing and stayed in the colour scheme. The picture above shows a White Walker, a bit from my my sketch book and a copy of the original piece… …basically me trying to work out what on earth to do. I didn’t panic at all ..honest…was totally cool calm and collected about the whole thing…… a lot of procrastination was involved and lots of u-tube videos on crewel work!! Still trying to get hold of a picture of the final piece I have no idea what it looks like!!!.., it should be on social media later today..tune in for more later….or check out the .Embroiderers’ Guild Facebook page for more pictures of beautiful work submitted……gorgeous aren’t they!! I did not do these!!!!!!!

The first opportunity to see the complete “Hardhome Embroidery” created for HBO Game of Thrones Series 5 boxset launch will be from 10am on Friday 18th March until 6pm on Saturday 19th March 2016 at the Crossing Gallery, Central St Martins, 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA. It’s free too!!!

Gutted that I won’t be able to get there! Am in Worthing on Saturday giving a talk to the Embroiderers’ Guild and on Sunday I head up to Birmingham to stand by my exhibits!!! The Embroiderer’s Guild are currently in talks with HBO to arrange a travelling show so perhaps I’ll get to see it then?

(The Embroiderers’ Guild led the design and production of the piece and invited stitch partners The Royal School of Needlework, Hand & Lock and Fine Cell Work to participate.)

any way .isn’t it funny how everything I’ve done this year so far is touched with grey???? What colour will I be next year? Exciting!! Or not!!!!

So ever onwards Brum here I come…… Please come and say hello if you are visiting the ICHF show. I am exhibiting with Room6 textile group. My bit is called Gray’s Anatomy.

I gave birth to the last of my bodies- Gray’s Anatomy- geddit- I do like artistic interpretation… Ralph ….last Wednesday.. Here he is…

He’s from a drawing I did of a self portrait of Ralph Steadman at the Winchester discovery centre…he was a long time coming as I couldn’t decide on who to join my other 8 ….Korhogo, Pablo, David, Cat, Frida, Cel, Gene and Ed, anyway here they all are……

They will be at the ICHF Birmingham NEC until Sunday along with my mitochondria – (that started off as an iron curtain but thanks to a metamorphosis and wild artistic interpretation, an ex dentist with a brilliant scientific mind etc etc ) …when they will return to Hampshire before more outings in the summer. Let’s hope they don’t lose a lot in translation! I loved doing them and managed to even get in a tribute to Mr Perry.

So what with that and doing travelling books..I need a rest!!! Thank goodness it’s nearly Easter!

heres my Easter bunny…..

P.S. Hey it’s a grey bunny Sarah .. How weird is that! X

P.S. Listened to fab talk by Anne Moore last night at Liss in StitcheS. Check out her website by pressing the link. Lovely stuff!!!

Mar 3, 2016Oct 19, 2016

I ..see below*…..Grayson

*’ see below’ as I cant manage to insert an EMOJI…Well what a week and it’s only thursday!

yes it really is the man him self…look in the back ground..check out those shoes! Starting with a conflab about room 6 exhibition at Birmingham NEC at the end of the month… to finalise arrangements. Sadly I will only be there on the Sunday but the rest of the group will be there ….come along and say hello if you are visiting the ICHF Unfortunately I am working elsewhere on Thursday and Friday , also giving a talk to Worthing Embroiderer’s Guild on Saturday which I am really looking forward to! Head up to Brum early Sunday with the Mad Canadian and Mrs Massala Chai.

Tuesday started badly when I managed to fall over in a posh gallery in Grafton street looking at Tom Wesselman pictures….. gorgeous …. and also dropped and smashed my phone in to smithereens. I tell you what, young girls who work in posh galleries are not particularly sympathetic to ever so slightly older women who managed to fall over in public…who haven’t even had a gin!!! I didn’t bother to explain that I have a dodgy leg I just pacified my self by persuading them to give up one of their comfy seats and I then sat and read their art books for an extended period of time while my ankle recovered. Think it had the desired effect of peeing them off. I was in a lot a lot of pain!!! An ice pack or a bit of concern wouldn’t have gone amiss!!! Anyway I then managed to limp to Charing Cross for a rejuvinating coffee to meet portrait girl before our audience with the man himself (GP) at RSA house. Thanks to Portrait Girl we ended up in the preview drinks party with the man himself and lots of arty great and good types. Mr Perry then spoke especially to me… and an audience of around another 199 people!!!!…… invited by the Essential School of Painting. …… and it was flipping amazing!!! I just love him more. Everything he says about art just makes so much sense to me. I feel inspired and will strive to make great art..watch this space…hopefully…..Alan Measels may be your god Grayson and you art mine…and you are really funny to boot!

And so fired with inspiration…..Gray’s anatomy is nearly there just a few i’s to dot and t’s to cross I have started making mitochondria…thanks A! When inspiration is hitting an iron curtain just consult a scientist..have now got enough material to keep me going for at least the next year!! Who’d have thunk….

Anyway all hail Grayson .. I will forever be a fan!!!

P.S Thanks for a great catch up on Friday Sarah, can’t wait to felt some cuffs..they really are beautiful!

Feb 22, 2016

Forgive me dear reader it’s been 60 days

since my last blogsession however I am still Perhaps it was the post prandial seasonal lull..but I haven’t been totally dormant.. I’ve started an artist’s page and I’ve been making a lot of stuff . So with the glut of blue cheese and gin and too much Xmas cake a distant memory I am back in the blogosphere? (and arent you happy about that!!) Reading Nicky Barfoot’s blogs has made me laugh thru january , well feel happy then get terribly depressed when i realise i should be blogging too and that I need to get back into the saddle…. she’s also managed to provide me with displacement activities…good and not good..as I should be doing other things!!!! Check out her post on the textile challenge https://www.facebook.com/TextileChallenge……and reader, I did enter..heres my ‘Patch’ original huh!! You bought patches to make something.. Gedditt?????

Anyway the good news is he sold and made lots of dosh for the canine trust..really pleased..it was fun to make …….

So what else have been doing..well .Ive been making something that I’m not allowed to talk about..more in my next blog, and have been finishing my’ grays anatomy’ work for Birmingham in March …

Have pilfered loads of grey stuff ……

Heres a preview it’s all about the body and have taken a lot of inspiration from grays anatomy……Ralph Steadman evidently used to use it a lot too!!!!!

steadman I love his work and the exhibition at the discovery centre last month was absolutely amazing!!!

also been finishing off my piece for the Embroiderers’ Guild on the celebration of 300 years of Capability Brown…heres a sneak preview.

Check out the Embroiderers’ Guild site for information of exhibtions across the country happening near you.https://embroiderersguild.com/index.php?page_no=278 I based my piece on Uppark, Petworth and Hills Garden in Horsham. Went to great exhibtion in a little museum and art gallery there which has uncovered original maps by Brown. http://www.capabilitybrown.org/ Was particularly drawn to this as it was pushed foward by a formidible woman called Frances Irwin, illegitimate and widowed. I really liked the strong female connection. There was also a fab piece about him on the Gardening Show on radio 4 a few Fridays ago so my sketch book filled nicely and gave me lots of ideas. I still needed to wait a while to dream about what I was going to do…don’t ask……. And my sewing machine is on the blink again but I still managed to do something..

47563890384dc56f841216a1c7f282e3 Another reason for lack of blog is I have had to take on another paying job to keep me going on the art front but there are lots of nice things in the pipe line and, as a good friend said to me, Jan and Feb are the most miserable months and the best time to work lots. I’m also still in touch with uni and hoping to finish my degree next year, so I delayed the module I was going to do this term so can work to earn money to pay for the module..isnt that a 220px-Catch22 ?

As my on line shop is suspiciously quiet at the moment, I am reading this at the mo!!!!

Dont you just love the title….Need to work out where my market is first…doesn’t seem to be in Petersfield!!! ah well someone in Midhurst loves me…they bought Patch!

Also been to Bedales to see the Tate travelling exhibition of the Matisse cut outs.. so lucky to get it here in Petersfield

Started back at my life classes the other week doing two classes a month…..

I have been procrastinating a lot but procrastination can be seen as thinking and I do keep doodling in my sketch book so it’s all good…. Keep the faith… And all that jazz…

Looking forward to exhibiting at the Brockenhurst Needlework Fiesta in April and have some workshops planned at the Ashcroft Centre in Fareham. I will also be taking part in Open Studios again in August, will be exhibting closer to home too this time ..in Petersfield with ‘the art group collective’

Ps Sarah..him in doors has just bought me a bike from somewhere in the new forest..do you think he’s trying to tell me something?..as we need to pick it up..when are you around?

PPs thank you for all the grey stuff A..its being put to very good use…….

Dec 9, 2015Oct 19, 2016

Sugar how you get so fly*

Image result for robin schulz images

isn’t it amazing what can happen in a week? If I told you dear reader, what had happened to me in the last week since my return from the Knit and Stitch in Harrogate you would not believe me…… therefore I’m not going to..suffice to say stress over with and feeling a lot more fly… meaning unlike Robin Schultz* ( now there’s a man who likes his sunglasses) no I’m not being big headed and saying I am gorgeous but I am feeling a lot more beautiful on the inside… instead of horrible ugly and stressed out…

*(check it out on u tube ft Francesco Yates ..its my guilty pleasure at the moment. I am sure its very misogynistic but the bass line is fab….how sad am I????)

Any hoo a blog is a bit like child birth..doesn’t come till its ready..(obviously without the excruciating pain, gas air and copious amounts of drugs..but hey its a simile).. so here it is….sorry it wasn’t sooner…just been ever So just a tad stressed over the last week… and so stress week from that awful place over and I am back, my dreams are back – so I have dreamed what I am doing for the NEC in March for the ICHF and Room 6…. which I was panicking about ever so slightly..loads of ideas but nothing talking to me ( ever get that?) but I’m there now …just got a display issue but am sure it will come to me and also yesterday the fabulous Liss in StitcheS came to my rescue with this marvellous Christmas deco…all from an old book…hope the boy wonder doesn’t get to it and chop it up like he did with the last deco I made.

and so to Harrogate…. Image result for harrogate knit and stitching exhibition

Bodies II

Bodies I

…..where do I start…another amazing week with the Embroiderer’s Guild…think the graduate show case looked even better than it did in London. Really enjoyed my stint with ArtVanGo. My mini sculptures had their first outing…by the Sunday they had had enough as they kepy voluntarily jumping off their box,,,they where ready for home too, me thinks! (now on sale in Stuff...see later in this blog).

Great feed back, lots of lovely galleries to look at and I was well looked after by the EG..loads of great volunteers from the EG came by to help out on the stand which was great and it was good to catch upon all the things that are going on in different parts of the country. Special thanks to the ladies who helped me pack my stuff at the end of the day so I could get on the road home sunday eve, you were all great tho and it was lovely to meet you! Had a fab journey home with Georgina Bellamy….. following Anthea Godfrey down the A what ever its called from Harrogate through Wetherby

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..losing her by mistake north of Knebworth then driving straight through central London at night…fabulous…..I’ve never done that before! I did mean to tho as I was dropping Georgina, well actually I

Image result for christmas lights central london 2015

abandoned her to a mini cab driver in Kennington and then pushed back down the A3..to Petersfield only nearly fell asleep once… honest..home at 2am..phew…..

STUFF and NONSENSE

And finally home and shopping…I went in to the marvellous ‘Stuff’ in Petersfield,..where Lyn has been selling my work for me ..she is rather good at it …. I took also took some of my mini sculptures in ….exhibited in Harrogate for the first time. ..the shop has the most beautiful items. If you are in the Petersfield area check her out..I have got my eye on one of her lovely kantha quilts…they are exquisite!!! ‘Stuff’ sells fab furniture, artwork and stuff for your home, and is at 2 London House, Chapel Street Petersfield. GU32 3DR and is open 10 til 4.30 Monday to Saturday or youican visit stuff on line at http://www.thestuffshop.co.uk/

and finally (honestly) talking of online…. more shopping….

mycathasniceboots ….please like my page..you can get to it by clicking the link on my other page of this blog or if you click this link or type in http://mycathasniceboots.bigcartel.com it should come up…not sure how I do the liking thing independently..??? I am trying to get better at this…but I have actually started selling..somehow!! Decided to make my website bigger so will add more stuff soon. Anyway off home now been working all day have two days to myself to get making and the creative juices are flowing again…thank goodness!

PS Hello Sarah..I need a day in the new forest!x

PPS if anyone other than Sarah makes it this far..well done I am truly amazed…and thank you for putting up with my drivel ……..