My new year starts today
January 7, 2013
two weeks of rest and relaxation and I am ready to face the world again. Its been an amazingly fruitful time, as being away from my own environment have felt free of the normal daily burdens that can sometimes reign in the creative process. Towards the end of last year and rather by accident I stumbled into the area of quilt making: making several as christmas presents was quite enthralling. The colour mixes one can achieve is so magical. Being a complete novice and going totally solo with it I seemed to be making it up as I go along ! The quilts so far have just been throw size, but larger bed quilts beckon, although at the moment they do feel rather daunting, not from the piecing side of things, but from the quilting aspect. I can see that I may end up with lots of quilted top pieces and not attempting the quilting. Guess I could always send them away to be quilted
I would like to share this video which I have found on the Contemporary fabrics blog. It’s a catwalk show with designers piecing together patterned fabrics. I found this really inspiring, hope you do too…………………..
So much to say but have to get on with the day job, adios folks, have a great day
santa please …………….
December 18, 2012
I have amassed some sumptuous textiles in my kind of style. Items that I would love to own . Some of these items only grace exotic cases in museums across the globe, or exquisite Fortuny locked away in private collections but I can dream. To see the full collection follow this link http://pinterest.com/carolg1849/my-style/
sewing and singing, hemming and humming
December 18, 2012
The big presentation is over, have been tying up all the loose ends, putting all the samples, together, double checking codes etc in readiness for admin to start ordering, There are several hundred different items to purchase, some items have to be made up, ie window treatments, cushions etc, furniture has to be placed and with one manufacturer alone there are 140 items, this is one of many suppliers who will be making bespoke items to IDC exacting standards. Then there is all the artwork to sort out, visiting museums, choosing images to be framed and selecting photography from all the great images from Yao and purchasing all the objet d’art that bring the interiors to life. With this design hot of the press I am now ready to start detailing up the next one, an amazing tudor gothic pile in Leamington spa. Have already finalised the layouts, worked on the lighting etc, now I will be detailing all the separate items for the various rooms. The best bit really !
In between all this I have found some soothing time sewing and making quilts, none are totally finished yet, although I am working on it, caught a sneeky few hours before I trottted off down to the studio this morning. Its so nice, sitting and sewing, sometimes singing along, sometimes just humming, something very magical about quilt making. I am a mere novice and can see how one can get hooked , already I have sketches in my art books, little swatches of fabric to record colour combinations, tufts of crewel wool, ideas for crewel work patches, intertwined branches bearing fruit, and some just plains with a real graphic style with huge blocks of colour. There is something really enriching in seeing all the colours build, and amazing when unexpected colour combinations appear as one pieces the blocks together. Magic happens.
I will post some pictures soon, cant let the cat out of the bag yet because there might be spies around, After christmas watch this space.
In the meantime here are some more quilts that have caught my attention
Amish and more
December 7, 2012
quilts that inspire – just love the colour statements here, really graphic quality
beetroot , my favourite vegetable not only for the taste but mainly for the superb rich colours. For me eating is not just about taste, it’s about EATING WITH YOUR EYES
think too these colours would make a wonderfully rich woollen quilt !
The trees are still talking to me
June 5, 2012
my creative journey continues, the forests of trees that hold such abundance. Somethings calls me when I walk amongst the dancing leaves, the verdant lushness, their vitality and majestic power.
A dear friend posted this beautiful poem, I had forgotten just how beautiful these words were, a poem I had ready many times a few years back, but had faded in the mists of time…………….
The Family Tree
May 2, 2012
The Creative Journey continues
creative emotions
December 1, 2011
painting with colour to map our emotions, painting with emotions, colours with name such as pain, loss, fear, sad, happy, joyous, loving.
Been a lot of loss lately for me, reminders of loss, actual loss, and an anniversary of loss. Want to paint it out of me, want to expel the indigo that is flooding through me, the purple, the deepest darkest violet……….. think I will put together a palette of emotions and just paint and see what happens, guess its the intention one puts in the task……..
This guy has a different take on emotions, his is interactive digital painting, see his website Sergio Albiac Just love the colours he works with in these portraits,
Imaginery creatures
August 28, 2011
Played around in my sketchbook coming up with all manner of creatures today. I was so amazed at the characters that appeared, they just evolved from blobs of watercolour and a graphite pencil……… Its the emotions that surprised me, each one definitely showing a unique characteristic
I am going to be using my sketchb00k to illustrate emotions, an “emotional” journey. Today was a start, a good start thanks to Carla Sonheim and her Snowball diaries http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/
Sunshine and Paper
July 31, 2011
Todays creative outpouring, sculptural paper curves
and then the heat of the sun turned up the colour volume !!
Ballet Russe
April 4, 2011
Thanks Mr Bowery, it was because of you I came across this image, I thought it was a costume of yours, but then I read it was in fact a costume for the Ballet Russe designed back in 1935 !
Leon Bakst drawings I have always admired, and recently when I watched the Chanel / Stravinsky story my interest in the Ballet Russe became more prominent in my life again. I find the colours so inspiring. Diaghilev was a very clever man, he put together composers and artists the most avant-garde of their time, Braque, Stravinsky, Chanel, Picasso, Matisse and Nijinsky the famous dancer and produced the most inspiring and challenging ballets. He was not at all afraid to break with convention and his passion paid off, however at his death it limped along but was never the same again.
The boldness, the colours, the loose shapes, ballet costumes had never been seen like this before. I just love them, the colours sing out, I so would love to have been around to see their opening nights, especially THE RITES OF SPRING, apparently this caused a riot and they had to close down the theatre!! It’s hard to believe that now, but here is a collection of some the hundreds of costumes that were designed and made especially for each ballet.
Could they be transformed into paper sculptures, could the colour combinations be transformed into my design work and paintings, somehow they will have an influence, my creative mind is like a sponge, its absorbs everything around me so that one day it will be expressed in some form again as I continue along this creative path
Colour creates an elevated mood
March 10, 2011
I saw this clip this morning and just knew I was meant to. It was a true gift. Colour lifts my soul, there is no doubt about it. Expressing with colour is so beneficial to the psyche. I find myself attracted to colour in my daily life more and more, bits and pieces I buy for my home lately are wild they make a wonderful contrast to the dark grey that forms the basis of my home. My own personal clothing in the main is colourless, but inside me pulsates with many shades of violet, orange, yellow, mauve, magenta, vermillion, a whole rainbow. Who wants their house painted? any takers?
colourful day
March 6, 2011
vintage fare, mexican embroidery, todays find………… where will this end up? not sure, buying lots of colourful things lately, could be destined to be upholstered in the back of french chair? or just a humble cushion, but wherever it ends up in my home, I know it will bring a big smile every time i see it……….
Oh and also some vintage adverts for Schiaperelli’s perfume Shocking by Marcel Vertes, now these are for my bedroom , this is for sure
Coat of many colours
February 18, 2011
marriage made in heaven – converse and marimeko
February 8, 2011
CREATIVE UNION
