New work: Facing the Past

Facing the Past by Gillian Cooper

The last few weeks have been very productive for me.  Perhaps it is the coming of spring which always makes life seem easier or perhaps it was the successful use of a self-imposed deadline.  Today, Alan McCredie was over photographing some of my work, to go onto my website, which is in the process of being updated.  Alan’s a great photographer – check out his blog for the Scotman newspaper on 100 weeks in Scotland to get a flavour of some of his other work.  This week's photos reflect the 30 year anniversary of the start of the miners' strike.  I can't believe it was 30 years ago - it was a significant event of my teenage years as the strike-breaking lorries hurried in convey past my house carrying coal to the steelworks. 

This is a little piece I finished last week – only 6½ x 4½in, postcard size.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t photographed by Alan today as I had to send it off on Saturday, so don’t hold the photo against him – it is entirely my fault and when I show you some of his photos of my work over the next few weeks you will appreciate the difference!  This work is for the SAQA Spotlight Silent Auction at the SAQA Conference at the start of May.  I particularly wanted to make a piece as I am going to the Conference.  I’m hugely excited (and a bit nervous) at going to the States for 12 days.  It is a big trip and I really need to get on with planning the details.  I’m going to the big quilt show at Paducah, having a couple of days in New York, then going down to Washington for the Conference.  If anyone has any tips/ideas for things to do in New York/Washington, please let me know.  It is years since I visited.

Anyway.  Back to this piece.  I found it quite challenging to create such a small piece, especially one with straight edges.  I made another couple of pieces, but liked the shape made by their raw edges, that they have been kept for other things!  Over the top, I used an embroidery pattern I created a while ago from the remains of one of my ancient figure patterns and, of course, I’ve stencilled a figure on top.  I’m pleased with the results, so much so I might try small again.

Balfron PomPom Blossom Festival

Following on from the Loch Lomond Quilt Show, life has been beyond frantic... mainly due to the PomPoms.  I was hoping we would receive 1,000 PomPoms as that, I felt, would give us a reasonable coverage over the village.  I have been staggered by the response and last weekend we hung over 2,250 PomPoms from trees in Balfron.  It has been amazing.  The best bit has been all the people looking at them and smiling and talking about them and why they are there (because it seemed like a good idea?).

 

 

I have millions of photos of PomPoms – these are some taken by Alan McCredie, an Edinburgh based photographer.  The PomPom Blossom Festival has also been featured in The Herald, with me standing amongst them – my first national press appearance (this is a link to the article).  Not sure why they had to give my age.  I wanted to say ‘324 and very well preserved!’ but in the end I was boring and honest!

 

 

I am still logging PomPoms, doing photography and blogging them, but also am having to move on to FABFEST!, Balfron’s first arts festival, which starts a week today.  As well as being one of the three organisers (and the PomPoms are part of it), I am running two felt making workshops Friday 14^th June (still place available),curating along with Dawn our ArtWorks exhibition for the Saturday and arranging drop-in art activities to run alongside the exhibition AND I have Open Studios from 11-4 on the Sunday. Better start tidying now!

 

 

PS - I'd better say that FABFEST! and the Balfron PomPom Blossom Festival have been generously funded by Awards for All (Scotland).  We're really grateful for the grant as we have been able to do so much more than would have been the case.  Thanks!