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We'll collage some of the fish shapes with junk mail and/or glitter/sequins and outline in black pen.
e this. Maybe the kids have a point.
Being at the school for the disabled today was shocking. I know what profoundly handicapped children are like. I had one of my own for a while but it's no less shocking when you see how terribly disabled these children are. One of the things that hadn't really registered with me was that a fair number of the children would be blind. What use is art to a blind child? But as the large woman with the large hat from the (then) Spastic Society used to say to me 'it would suit you better to concentrate on their abilities rather than their disabilities' so that's what I did.
Before I started my blog I was asked by a secondary school to help them make body adornment in response to Verdi's opera of MacBeth. They asked me to the resulting exhibition recently and I was delighted to see they had incorporated some of the metals and plastics I had introduced them to. Here are some details. This is not all my work by any means. I'm not a costumier, neither did I make all the lovely felt. These lucky kids have a dedicated and inspiring full time art teacher....obviously!
Here are some of my ideas so far. Pipe insulation foam engraved with the soldering iron to make a rolling printing block. Works much better with a heavy rolling pin in the centre. You only have to flick it with your fingers so make it work rather than apply a consistent downward pressure.
he could see it wasn't nearly as scarey as he anticipated. Not only was it small and friendly but the owner told us he baked his own bread, had fresh crab and lobster on offer and home made puddings(sigh) Next time.
The orange necklace on the left is the very lovely Jackie Brazil which I sell in my shop. The red/purple necklace on the right is my own bead and button version. If you want to try this, take four metres of some kind of waxed twine for a finished one metre length. I used waxed whipping twine from the chandlers. Thread a button on the centre as a fastener and tie an overhand knot. I learned how to ease my knots into place when restringing customer's pearls (ghastly job, avoid it at all costs). You lightly tie your knot and slip a large needle in the centre, then ease your needle up tight against the button or bead. Knot slips quite nicely when your twine is waxed. From here you thread one piece of twine through the button/bead, lay the other over the top and overhand knot as you go. Have fun!
ith itsty bitsy...and teeth. My kind of woman.
I saw a great fringe show while in Edinburgh. An adult puppet improvisation by the Jim Henson puppet troupe. The puppeteers (puppet ears?) stood on the stage directly in front of you holding their muppets aloft at 
arms length which is seemingly the way it's done. What arm muscles these guys must have and what energy they powered through as they grabbed an assortment of puppets to turn vulgarity into hilarity in response to audience suggestions.
In their opening number there was a line about how disconcerting it is that muppets never have teeth. Ever noticed that and might you know why? If so, please tell me. Anyway, always a gal to rise to a challenge mine became dentate (wonderful word I learned from my dentist recently. Told me I might well manage to remain dentate all my life. Hmmmm, something to look forward to). If not, the rim off some plastic bottle tops reinforced with hot glue makes an excellent set of nashers.
Some of my class mates made more cuddly wuddly muppets. These gals came from Japan and could only communicate with the tutor via an interpreter. They did a grand job despite this.
per bag and telling us to get on with it. Guess which one is mine?
ball with brown paper features covered in gloving leather and PVA. The leather I have had for a million years. Sending for a bag of leather off cuts seemed like SUCH a good idea at the time. Apart from smelling it occasionally, the leather and I haven't had much creative interface over the years, until now. Attempted cardboard hands with the idea of covering them with leather too but feel they are a bit clumsy. Progressing this guy is on the to do list.....but don't hold your breath.
I've finally finished the bag I've been crocheting and am well pleased with it. I'm off to Edinburgh College of Art for a week soon to play at being a student and it'll be just the job.
The chair it is lying on is a Victorian nursing chair that has come down through my family. The story is that one of my relatives was in service in Newfaugn Isle. When the house was broken up they were allowed to choose something to take as a memento. I've searched online using every spelling I can think of but can't find any reference to this fine establishment. Guess it'll have to say in the realms of legend. Nice chair though.
What is it with men and machinery? At a local vintage tractor fair these lovingly restored engines chug away in the middle of a field going nowhere and doing nothing expect making that kapocecketta, kapocketta noise which would appear to be enough. So what next? You build it a little buggy with a sun shade or give it some rhubarb to chop. Well at least that makes sense. About as much sense as wrapping bits of old broken bottle in wire I guess.....each to his own.
I found this strange bent piece of glass recently and have encased it in wire needlelace. Goodness only knows what it was in its previous bottle life.
This is the prize winning baby. Not what I had expected but it's quite a weird exhibition with a preference for collage. My favourite piece was ballpoint pen on the back of failed lottery tickets. Maybe 75 wee sketches all framed up as one. Could have looked at it for hours. There were a couple of other stitchy pieces too. Some nice big landscapes with odd bits of weaving embedded in the paint. I'm always a bit afraid of colour so the next target I'm setting myself is to BE BOLD.
I have a large collection of under the bed life drawing. I don't mean drawings of unseemly activity that takes places under the bed (too dusty for that). I mean pieces currently in storage that I intend to stitch into and create a bodily landscape...perhaps. A brightly coloured bodyscape. You read it here first!
Because this is the 10th anniversary of this particular exhibition they hung the rejects as well in the shed next door. A kind of smelly, badly lit salon de refuse but it has a kind of kudos all its own. A feeling of here I am, warts and all. When they were presenting me with my cheque they forgot my name allegedly (what it is to be famous) and forced me to yoohoo from the crowd. As I walked to collect my prize they asked me how it felt to be (half) rejected, just in case I was beginning to believe my own publicity.
What to do with the money? I feel I should buy art of course but most of the pieces I liked were rather out of my price range. I always go back in about 10 days time when the agricultural show in the field next door persuades a reluctant dearly beloved to accompany me. Perhaps I'll let him choose....which means we'll come home with a tractor engine.
I love Noro yarns. They are reassuringly expensive and just a delight to work with. I do however feel racked with guilt. Here I am, in the heart of Scottish sheep country, getting crafty with yarn imported from Japan. Sinfull, wouldn't you agree?
On reflection, if I reviewed my list of past crimes and misdemeanors probably I could find something a lot more worthy of my guilt, therefore allowing me to crochet on with a clear conscience.
