Threads

More fast sewing… I might be obsessed.

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I have a few long running projects on the go at the moment, and some pieces of work that are labour intensive, with a finish date well into the future. But sometimes, it’s nice to start and finish something in the same day. Had a lovely bit of left over old blanket, blue and stripy, having used the plain white bit for something else… will show you that another time maybe.

I wanted to just stitch into it. Play. I had a phrase in my head, one that I use with my children when they are about to do, or have done something reckless… it indicates my concern, but kind of tells them to do it anyway.

“Oh, do have a care!”

My hands are/were there, either physically or metaphorically, waiting to catch them if needs be, when they hurled themselves into something or from somewhere.

When I started to draw and stitch around my hands, it was a nothing piece of work, for no purpose just the “joie de faire” (having a French tutor must be rubbing off). But now it’s done, it fits. My hands, protecting, but my voice encouraging the risk, but with caution.

It took me half a day to make. I suppose the moral of the tale I tell is this: every piece of work I make fits, because it is me that makes it. My brain thought of it, my hands brought it into being. So if I want to make something, make it, don’t over-think it. Just bloody do it. I might make another one tomorrow… got more stripy blanket, and it was fun.

3 posts in 3 days… what can I say? I’ve had a thoughtful week and everyone else in the house is obsessed with football, and I have to avoid it somehow.

It’s Monday morning and it seems appropriate to post this on the brink of my working week…

Having been brought up as a Catholic, and having sent my children to Catholic schools (one of which I now work in), it seems that whatever my views on God end up as (generally they fluctuate between comforting belief and raging atheism); whatever my views on the Catholic church are (this is not the forum for THAT discussion); that upbringing and life has had an effect on me. It occasionally blurts out unexpectedly into my work. I talk of the confessional here and there, rules, morals, and parental responsibility…blah….blah….Anyway…

Recently I’ve been thinking about the bits of life that are art and the bits of life that aren’t.

I don’t know if non-Catholics do this, but if there is some duty you do that you hate, or is painful in some way, it is said that one can ease that burden by offering it up to God.

I have decided to ease myself of burden by offering the non-art bits of my life to Art. Heresy? Probably. But it’s ok, I’m currently in my Atheist Cycle.

Music for winding down and pondering on a Sunday afternoon…

Elbow: The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver

World Party: Santa Barbara

Villagers: I Saw the Dead

Nick Drake: Man in a Shed

Elbow: Scattered Black and Whites

Miserable Rich: Boat Song

Jose Gonzales: Teardrop

John Martyn: Couldn’t Love You More

Elbow: Dear Friends

I Am Kloot: Proof

I don’t usually do pick’n’mix, I’m a bit of an album purist, but I’m in a particular mood, that requires a particular selection.

If you’ve not heard them, go and find them and have a listen.

I do not apologise for being heavy on the Elbow. Ever. God Bless Guy Garvey’s pen and voice.

I did an artists talk thingy this morning. I’ve only ever done that sort of thing to my fellow students before, so it was a bit daunting. I wasn’t the only speaker, there were 4 of us, from 3 different educational settings talking to a group of Artist Teacher Scheme students, and some MA Art Practice and Education students. It was interesting to hear the talks, and catch up with people, but as is often the case with these occasions, some of the most interesting exchanges happen in the pauses. Thanks to Stacey, Sue, Sheri and Gill particularly, I’ve come away from that building inspired again, and with a big fat smile on my face!

I talked about myself for about 25 minutes, without looking much at my notes, then at the end was cross with myself because I hadn’t said some of the things I felt were important. However, I think it went down well, people seemed to like my work, and what I said about education, but I was disappointed as to me it didn’t seem as coherent as I had intended. But never mind. I swapped email addresses with people, and cards, and had a great half hour in Starbucks afterwards, chatting with two of the other speakers about Art, Schools, Work, Children, and the backwards step of carpetting classrooms.

Some days make you feel like a teacher, some days make you feel like an artist. Today was the latter and it felt pretty good to me.