Silent Sunday …
A celebration …
Today I begin something I have wanted to do for a long time and a little dream has come true. Since I was a child I have wanted to become an artist, an author and have a cafe and or a bookshop. Other things overtook my dream but it seems now 50 years later it might come true. I have become an artist, a blogger and I am gathering material for a book.
However, from my dream comes the desire to exhibit and sell my work and join an artistic community. This part has been more difficult to fulfill; mainly because I lacked the confidence to show myself, let alone my work. So a little over a year ago I began to expose myself little by little and have become recognised a little locally. I have exhibited my work, sold some pieces and joined a local art group.
But then another exciting opportunity came up and this begins today. In the Reading is an art centre, where each month I meet friends to share our artistic journey. We organise workshops and organise regular community events. These have proved successful and now we have decided extend these meetings and to open the cafe to to passers by and make use of the exhibition space. One Saturday per month we can dedicate a time to exhibit and serve tea and coffee, with a hope that in time the the Rising Sun Arts Centre will become more inclusive and an exciting haunt for passers by and the local community not an exclusive and hidden place for select few.
So while it will not be my cafe it will be a delight to share my love for tea.
Snapshot from the Library …
The provenance of a book in a library is generally unimportant to the reader. He or she wants to learn, read or merely look. However, in Special Collections the books by their very nature are special. The content remains relevant but we look more closely at other attributes such as its binding, paper, design. illustrations etc. So, to colate and retrieve this information requires much time and expertise;nothing gets overlooked; not even this … simple note from the author to a colleague in an insignificant little book. A greeting from Thomas Hardy to his then secretary Florence Emily Dugdale. When his wife, Emma Lavinia Gifford died, Florence, 39 years his junior became his wife.
Tea on Thursday
Inspired by the poems about the laundry yesterday … I think tea?
Morning white awaken,
silver tongues smoky taste.
Mild morning energy
pure green leaves bathed,
Water barely boiled ,
emerald twirls, swirling
blossom of the warm pot.
Day closes so black warms,
Belly replete gentle
Pu’erh brings sleep day ends..
Tea is my tipple… dawn, noon or night. I am methodical with my choice and each brew is as ceremonious as one might experience in China, the home of fine tea. I am particular as regards quality and provenance, and also dependent on the time of day.
Wednesday’s wood engravers ….
I enjoy washing clothes, not necessarily rinsing out the smalls,but the clearing of the dirty linen basket is always is a good thing. The pegging out and the subsequent bringing in, of the perfumed delights on a summer’s day is a joy. Less, fun is the ironing of the crumpled remains at the end of an inclement day.
Nonetheless, a poetry book to celebrate such an underrated event must be remarkable and to bring to my attention some lesser known wood engravers and illustrators is a bonus.
Weekly Photo Challenge … circles
Didn’t have to look far this morning on my desk … a little pile of clock parts arrived in the post and a perfect Christmas present to put to good use at some point.
On Monday …
Without dwelling on the previous few weeks I limp into the New Year with good wishes and love to those who have been there viewing, commenting and liking, while I have grizzled and procrastinated. Fortunately my Christmas and New Year celebrations have marked reversal in these non-productive feelings. I now look forward to a change of fortune which I share gratefully now.
During my enforced vacation from blog posting,I have read a lot, something I haven’t done for months or even longer. I found myself reading for hours on end; seemingly not coming up for breath! This proved to be enlightening, relaxing and rewarding and a habit I plan to continue. Not perhaps, back to back novel bashing, but certainly time out every month or so to immerse myself in a book … What do you commend? I haven’t, I am sure exhausted the list of inspirational women.
Silent Sunday …
Weekly Photo Challenge … Now
Now, is nothing new for me and Weekly Photo Challenge, my images inspired by the prompt are usually of the moment. I have little time to browse previous data or think too deeply about something photographically correct … when there is only now.
So, what of now? It is between Christmas and the New Year an awkward void that remains so ‘unplanned’ for, a time when we forget the day of the week.
I am of a generation who remembers, when those employed returned to work the day after Boxing Day and New Year’s day was not a Bank holiday.
I don’t remember when this elongated holiday became the norm and still find it clumsy and almost uninvited!
However, it has become a time for me to take stock and begin again and time to celebrate …
Happy New Year!
New Years resolution …
Since returning from Brazil and my teacher moving away, my creativity has become muddled. While I have carried on much as usual, but without a regular ‘catch up’ with my teacher, I have lost my focus. Although I remain a print maker, I have lost direction. I have attended workshops and classes each offering opportunities to learn something new and add to my overall experience, none really fitted the bill. Yes, I did learn something new and was often successful. However, with new materials and tools I was distracted from my favoured discipline; linocut.
I have not stopped linocutting, infact even without a teacher I developed a style I like and wish to perfect, sadly with no one to discuss my difficulties.
I enjoy reduction printing, the dangerous element is exciting and I have developed a way to merely draw on the lino with brush and permanent ink ; a fluid line already spontaneous and loose, Then, I begin inking and cutting more and more until I am left with the original single line I began with.
The ink is rolled on almost painterly so I am left with a lovely layered painted effect.
However, for a printmaker, this method is flawed and is destined to appear to less than linocut.
There should be no doubt it is linocut it should bear all the hallmarks of a relief print; those we pride ourselves on.
So, my new year’s resolution is to perfect my style, registration, clarity, colour theory etc.
So my first question: How do I achieve shades like pale sky blue, rock rose pink or dove grey, without adding white that I find too opaque and unforgiving. I prefer to layer subtle colours to create shape, and depth, but the colours created with the primary colours are harsh and blemished.
I will value any suggestions to practice of the next few weeks.
Coat Hanger Doll's House 