I am still here
November 24, 2012
Does not look like I have been very creative for awhile does it !! Please be assured I have been beavering away ! Apart from painting, sketching and working with paper sometimes, my day job as an interior designer has kept me extraordinarily busy of late.
Working with space and colour, planning space to create dramatic effects, almost like stage sets, these are always playing in mind like virtual 3D. These past weeks the moving images of my thought processes have kind of hijacked my personal work, but I have been keeping a small “toe in” by looking on ETSY to see what others are creating.
I couldn’t resist purchasing this cute little mouse, I have fond memories of having real little white mice as pets when I just started school. This cute little fella, all the way from Chile stands only 3″ high, and is sitting on the shelf in my newly painted dark blue bedroom.
Another find was upcycled felted wool, all naturally hand dyed and purchased from the USA, its been a little slow, but I have been piecing together a woollen quilt, my first ever ! probably be throw size I think. Could really become addicted to quilt making, so much love goes into them and I feel this need to make one for everyone I know !! Picture soon
felted with Kashmir shawls
January 31, 2011
I have just purchased a wonderful felted woollen blanket, fabulously rich colours. Vintage kashmir paisley felted together with stripes of woollen felt in delicous fruity colours. Found in a wonderful little shop in Woodbridge that was just oozing with colour. Chatted away with Julie Phipps , a lovely lady who is most passionate about her products, we found that we both frequented Maison Objet in Paris and just how inspirational this exhibitions is, it puts our UK trade shows to shame………..
I found my way here because I was spending a long weekend in Suffolk, at a wonderful “dolls house” like cottage. The owners were so attentive, when we arrived the table was all laid up for tea with a delicous handmade victoria sponge taking pride of place on pretty cakestand. Cosy pub lunches, walks by the sea, reading books by the fire, what more could one wish for………
sunset and sea
January 16, 2011
I enjoyed a most creative day with a dear friend of mine in her studio. She is a felt maker, and we sat together , chatted about our creative endeavours, and what was inspiring us, we pulled out lovely coloured wools, my selection inspired by the beautiful sunsets down at the sea that I had been photographing over the month I had off from work. I had gathered a stone that was really special to me and the sunsets themselves so significant. So away we went, laying out the strands of wool in the sunset hues, soaping and rubbing. I knew I wanted some kind of tendrils, not sure why, but now I can see. My finished pouch that holds my treasured stone has taken on the life of a sea creature, perhaps an anemone e or a squid like being. I am so pleased with the piece, it feels so special and has become a very treasured object.
Inspiration came to me this morning in many forms
June 5, 2010
wow I came across a link to an exhibition called FASHIONING FELT at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. The beautiful textural image on the flyer I found out was created by Claudy Jongstra and was actually a huge wall mounted piece for a public library in Amsterdam. How amazing is that !! so inspiring, her work really moves me and from my one small piece of felt I feel really moved to scale up, be experimental and felt, felt, felt. i can feel this is going to keep me occupied and find ways to be creative and install large pieces into my interior projects………….
Something about Claudy’s whole ethos of felt making and dying, she even has her own flock of rare breed sheep and an herb and plant garden for experimental work with dying, using Weld for beautiful shades of yellow and Madder for rich earthy reds. Such an inspiration to me this sunny morning……
My first piece of felt…………….
May 30, 2010
what an amazing day spent with my friends in deepest sussex. Ali is an artist, and today she passed onto us her amazing skills as a felt maker. Sitting together amongst a riot of colour, pinks and reds, blues and greens, sketch books, paintings, the tools of the trade and from the windows a view of the sussex downs, what inspiring surroundings. We chose our colours and with patient instruction slowly constructed our chosen designs, poured on hot sudsy water and rubbed and rolled the wool into submission, then like magic the fibres all “knit” together into one glowing piece of wool felt cloth. What was really great was sitting n a circle with my friends, rolling and rubbing in the soapy water and all chatting and laughing and sharing our stories, a magical day which I know will inspire some future work……….. Thanks so much Ali.
Please follow the link here to Ali’site www.feltgoodfeltfine.com
