Erosion Bundle (Part II)

My erosion bundle has rested in this hedge since I collected it from my dad's garden a couple of days ago.

You can imagine my disappointment when I found it, seemingly unchanged, tucked into the heart of this bay tree. It serves me right for not trusting myself to keep it suspended from a tree in my own garden. The temptation to peek or meddle would have been too much for me.

The gentleman's napkin that wrapped my little bundle, revealed things that I forgotten all about. Pine cones, heather, ears of barley, all damp from the rain.

Natural paper, and beech leaves, they seem so right together don't they?

A mixture of natural fibres. Wool of natural colour, or dyed with natural dyes. A small selection of pre-dyed wool that was given to me as a gift.


The heather has changed a lot. softer, less vivid in hue, mingled with alpaca wool.


A felted heart resting on some green cotton nuno gauze. I'm looking forward to playing with these.

And at the centre, another bundle with an acorn cup peaking out.


I enjoyed unrolling this nuno silk so much. Magical oak leaves...

Leaving their enchanting prints.

A label for the first felt kit I ever bought. A reminder of the artist who introduced me to felt, and made the shroud that I buried my baby girl in a year ago today.

Its funny how things turn out. I look back now, and find myself a changed person with new outlooks and skills. I marvel at some of my inspirational blogging friends that have also endured a lot. Who smile, create beauty, and share kind words.


You have all been a blessing in my life and today, I am feeling fine, optimistic.


I see so much potential for this bundle, and am thrilled with my silk prints.

Have a wonderful week end xJ

Inspiration

 Recently I treated myself to one of Lynne Hoppe's muslin 'Nearly There Books'.   The picture below shows one of the leafs before anything is added.  I began to draw a mandala, not really knowing what I had in mind.  The book is so pretty to begin with. 

 

I felt the need to work with bright colour with an emphasis on orange, which I have always considered a healing colour.  Next came oak leaves, making the core of this mandala healing and a provider of strength. I have really enjoyed working on this mandala.

 This morning, my book order arrived.  Lots of poetry for inspiration but also, 'The Secret Life of Trees' by Colin Tudge.  I have been wanting to read this book ever since I read Elizabeth's review of it at Luchair  .

 

It was a real pleasure to finish off the mandala this morning in Lynnes book while considering which book to read first.  To top it all off, my silk order  also arrived along with some angora and cashmere.   

An energising start to the day xJ

Creative daze

We have had what feels like the first summer in 2-3 years here in England. The past 2 years have been so overcast and rainy it was a gamble to step outdoors.

I've had lots of day trips out with my family and a visiting friend from overseas. Creating lots of happy memories. Taking in shows, long walks, art projects in he garden.

My visiting friend is an artist and she carried one of her mermaid canvases all the way from Seattle to give to me. The shells glued onto the mermaid canvas are ones that she has collected herself from Hawaii and Costa Rica. Looking at them whisks me off to distant shores of colourful sun kissed lands. Last time she visited she brought me a painting of her 'super donkey' overlooking Seattle's space needle. I love them, my walls are blessed ;o)

During the quieter moments we have been painting new pictures over old canvases. I like recycling. Megan has been creating another mermaid for her collection. I have been painting a tree in a wildflower meadow.

Painting is not really a strength of mine. I tend to stick with textiles but I'm enjoying the experimentation of it all. The girl who used the canvas before me coloured the canvas in with felt tip pens so I have had to apply quite a dark base colour to cover it all up. I'm now building up paler meadow colours. Both paintings are works in progress and far from complete.

While taking a break from painting, Megan has been decorating tins with layers of paper and glue montage style. The tin looks great. I have been making beads out of old copies of 'The Big Issue' and letting my daughter string them into necklaces for friends and family members. I got the idea from a visit to the shared earth shop in town. The shop was selling these necklaces for £5 each which I thought was disgraceful for a bunch of newsprint beads. But having made them myself now I accept that although the materials have virtually no cost and there is not much skill to the technique, the process is very time consuming. I love the end result, very DIY punk, and i'm all for creating things out of recycled materials.

Earlier this week I received a cut out 'Alice' from Susan at Artspark Theatre. I have had great fun taking Alice along with me on day trips and trying to find interesting ways to photograph her. It's a really fun project that Susan is working on right now (thank you Susan for letting me take part). More visual testaments to Alice's adventures can be seen on the blog Artspark Theatre.

A Magical Midsummer Morn - Stonehenge

Delightful distractions

So, right now, I'm throwing myself into the ARt of distrACTION
As I see
the wonderful art of all of the blogs I follow

My mind whirs with creative ideas
I'm glad I still have my feet felt kit
I look forward making my own feet felt installation

I can't thank
Yuli Somme, Felting Your Soul and Aotearoa Feltsisters
enough
For introducing me to this magic

Felt touches my soul x