Workshop and talk for the Quilters' Guild

Last weekend was exceptionally busy. It was the annual conference of the Quilters' Guild in Dundee and I had been asked to run a workshop and give a talk. So on Friday afternoon, I spent a delightful three hours helping a group of ladies 'experiment with design'.

I had a lot of fun and I think they did too. We did lots of drawing, which I assured them were not going to be good and perhaps freed from the expectations of having to be able draw well, they just enjoyed it. Which for me is the whole point and some of the resulting drawings were surprisingly good.

We then translated the ideas from the drawings into fabric and there were some really interesting outcomes. I should have taken some images to share with you, but it was all rather frantic trying to pack it into three hours.

I'm running a similar workshop but over a full day at this summer's Festival of Quilts and there are still a few places available.

My talk was about how I had made the work Unsung Muses. When I wrote the blurb for the conference programme, I had called it a rollercoaster ride. This was written long before the work was completed and I had no idea how prophetic it was to be! The talk seemed well received and many people commented on how honest it was. I'm in two minds about this because I think a bit of mystic about my artistry may be more beneficial. But on the other hand, I am a fundamentally honest person and as someone said afterwards the talk was very me.

What do you think? Is it better to be honest and give a warts and all view or do you prefer to have a bit held back to make you or the artist more interesting?

Opening of Goddess exhibition

Friday evening we took the kids through to Edinburgh by train so we could go to the preview of the Goddess exhibition at the Scottish Story Telling Centre.  I think the kids enjoyed the experience of going out late on Friday.  They liked the exhibition and we enjoyed the thought-provoking performance by the Megaphone Choir.  It was lovely to see the exhibition hanging and seeing how others had interpreted the theme.

If anyone is in Edinburgh, the exhibition is on until the end of the month.

Out and about with cameras



Yesterday we took the oldest group of kids from our Saturday morning art class out to explore the neighbourhood to sketch, photograph and get inspiration for their next project.  Miraculously the rain stayed off whilst we were out.

It is amazing what you can see when you actually look closely.  We barely went 100m from the hall and found lots of interesting contrast just round the corner.  The kids photographed, sketched and took rubbings.  These are some of my photos.  It was so much fun looking from inspiration in the everyday again that it was hard to remember I wasn't there for me, but for the kids.  I took the photos to give them an idea of what I found interesting, to help them learn to look (and because I wanted to!).



Cutting Through Time: Jeanette Sendler at the Collins Gallery

Whenever I have asked people about venues to show textile art in Scotland, th ere has only been one response: the Collins Gallery in Glasgow. Sadly, the University of Strathclyde has decided that whilst it can run non degree courses in painting and genealogy that my dad attends, running a world class gallery is not part of its remit.

Its final textile show is drawing to a close and I went to see it yesterday. It was well worth the visit. Jeanette Sendler is a German born artist who now lives in Scotland. Her practice is varied and in the past has made significant work involving felt. However, this group of work is based around the notions of pattern cutting and shaping for the body. The materials used were simple, giving an honesty to the work. The contrast of the calico to the light brown of the pattern paper was subtle and effective.

I particularly liked the wall mounted, ribbed pieces, which gave the impression they may fly off the wall at any moment and launch into the air. The multiple shadows were also enchanting, a by-product, I suspect, rather reminiscent of Caroline Broadhead's work of a number of years ago.

I have always enjoyed my visits to the Collins Gallery and the symposiums they have often run in conjunction with the shows, even if I haven't been able to attend them for a while as they always clash with the Saturday morning kids art class I run, which is a terrible shame given the exciting programme they had for the last one.  Change is inevitable, but it is sad when it seems a retrograde step like closing the best gallery in Scotland.