CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

Christmas greetings to all....................................visitors, celebrations and snow stopped work/play!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To be resumed in the New Year.........................................................

Madame Butterfly- the design process recorded for posterity!!!! ;-)

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These pictures show the design process I went through to achieve my aim of producing ,what I think is, a beautiful design.  'Madam Butterfly' was inspired by the Victorian pre-picture drawings of garments by Burne Jones and my love of Chinese textiles. These were embellished with  flowers,butterflies bats etc. for their fragile, butterfly like Chinese lady owners ;who wore them, whilst suffering for their beauty, with tiny broken feet encased in minute silk ,embroidered, 'Splendid Slippers' (see the very interesting  book of this title for more about these shoes).

The end result.'Madam Butterfly ( unless I use her as part of another design.....)- is an amalgam of :-

•  The coloured drawing of my vintage robe
• The wings and antennae of a coloured drawing of a dead butterfly (which died of natural causes in Butterfly World Preston Park Stockton upon Tees!!)
•  the head of a beautiful Chinese lady taken from a vintage pith painting
•  Faded background made up from multiple, multi-direction photocopies of that head and shoulders

Isabelle de Borchgrave-a fellow eccentric?!

Have revisited an inspirational Belgium artist I found whilst doing market research, for both Minor and Major projects, in one of the best (in my opinion) department shops, in London -Libertys ( another target market...in my dreams!). Her book 'Paper Illusions' is full of her wonderful paper creations. The Telegraph' described her as .....'eccentric'....... in one of their articles about her work (seems to be a pattern developing with my favourite artsts!!). so I am in very good company with this character trait!!!!!! 
I attempted a very inferior attempt at emulating her style of work, for my minor project, based on my childrens christening gown. These pictures show some of the stages of it's creation!

Would LOVE to do a work placement in her magical workshop.......................

English Eccentric.................

I have often been told that I am rather eccentric............................!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whilst trying to find information about an interesting company called....English Eccentrics (!!!!) I found this lovely quote, on another website http://www.icons.org.uk/ about eccentricity, which I think sums me up BRILLIANTLY!

"  If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears" Henry  DavidThoreau

It also describes those people I have admired from the past (Rossetti, Morris, Burne-Jones, Blake amongst others)

The music they followed was beautiful and I hope to follow their drummer, to produce lovely imagery as they did.

Lastly a picture from an earlier project, also on sale in Yarm

and more............

More of my work on sale (from the same project)

One of my Minor Project designs- on sale in Yarm!!!

Dog in a basket!!!!

college.........closed

Thank goodness, college is closed today.  I have been unable to attend due to snow, living off the beaten track and being a wimp after previous awful experiences.  However, have felt very guilty (if relieved not to be going) when college has been open and I have been absent.  Wish they would just think of  the staff and students  and close the place early for Christmas.Making up the time next year of course!!!!!

More oriental work ..........whilst snowbound!!!

This shows my drawings of a vintage Chinese silk robe with inspirational vintage pith pictures (one in an embroidered frame) alongside.

my workplace at home

This is my workplace( in my kitchen), actually tidy for once, set up for trying out some oriental brushes,inks, books and paper my daughter Charlotte brought back from Asia for my project.

and even more snow........................

Can't believe how much snow we have had,the most I've seen for years.  Totally snowed in, not going anywhere........for quite a few days I think..............

Oh dear, still very pretty but also very worrying as I am terrified of driving in the snow (after a 360 degree spin, being written off and the worst journey of my life over the last few winters) and have already had to miss college due to lweeks snowfall. Long range forcast......BAD.........!!!!!!!!!!:-(

Snow!!!!!!

MAKING A MARK: Flowers in Art...and Dame Elizabeth Blackadder RA RSA

MAKING A MARK: Flowers in Art...and Dame Elizabeth Blackadder RA RSA

P.P.F. research

 Gosh all this research of Xmas markets as possible future sales venues for a craft business (Darlington Football Stadium Hardwick Hall, Duncombe Park, ) is fun..... BUT....... proving expensive ,as so many tempting things to buy!!!!!:-)

just watched lucky Kirsty Alsop.....Have been to Tobias and the Angel, in Barnes, when I lived in Putney over 15 years ago. Its full of  interesting old things and stitched toys etc. and is an example of a business  based on vintage and textiles that seems to have worked!!:-)

Hurrah..............finally got a blog :-)

Well finally have a blog page after alot of failed attempts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looking forward to filling my page with lots of beautiful imagery