Hertfordshire Open Studios

It is time for Herts Open Studios again!  I love it!

I am exhibiting with 6 other artists at the Heritage Frogmore Paper Mill in Apsley.

It is a great chance to develop the experiments and doodles in my sketch books and make them into full sale artwork. It is also so lovely to meet so many people who are interested in art and textiles and share experiences and techniques. It is always a very happy couple of weeks.


This year I have been getting even more addicted to lace. After my Birthday visit to the lace exhibition at Waddesden Manor in May I have been looking more closely at the way the patterns in lace link together and the shadows and spaces in between.

This year's work for Open studios is 21st Century lace.

I have used my drawings and  doodles to make resists on very modern materials and dissolved away the backgrounds to make textiles with textures and shadows which change with the light of the day.

Below are close up photos of the panels. The lace patterns look more detailed in the shadows that they cast on the wall and actually needed to be mounted further away to get the full effect. The lace image on the bird panel is flowers.

              

And the lace pattern surrounding the Hare on this panel is grasses and foliage.

You can see the bird and flower motifs which are on the lace more clearly  on this silhouette painted with acrylic on black linen.

I have also got some of my Altered Books, Textile books and embroidered blankets on show in the cases to show people what we will be making on the upcoming classes. Of course the book is for sale there too.

I'd love to see you if you can visit. The exhibition is open from Saturday 13th till Wednesday 24th September from 11am -4pm. 

It is at Frogmore Paper Mill,  Fourdrinier Way,Apsley, Hemel Hempstead. HP3 9RY

Lace and Luck! Books and Blessings!

I've had a bit of a fabulous Birthday this year.

Usually my Birthdays pass fairly quietly but this year was a bit special. Not because it was a specially milestone year but just because some wonderful people made it amazing for me.

On my actual birthday Sam Packer and I met Maggie and Clive Grey at the studio of  Michael Wicks to see the new D4Daisy book being photographed. Even more of a thrill, it was OUR BOOK!

Cut, Shape,Stitch.

We ran around with samples, and sketch books and did step by steps and stitches for the photos. We discussed and arranged and tweaked all day!

It was wonderful to see how Maggie and Michael work together to produce the book. They have amazing vision in how to make things inspirational!

The book is all about innovative ways of using cutting tools for textiles and mixed media. In it we have experimented with tools from scissors to rotary cutters and punches to die cutters. We have also got a section on electronic machines including the new Brother Scan and Cut which we have put through its paces and which we LOVE!

We will have a stand at the Festival of Quilts for 4 days in August to demonstrate all our techniques and to launch the book. 

We'd love to see you there!

Then... the day after all this excitement I had the most wonderful present from some of my Stitchy friends.

They must know me so well because they got me the perfect present.

I was given a ticket to a behind the scenes tour of the textile archives at Waddesdon Manor to see the LACE collections and be given an insight into the work of preserving the collection by the archivist Rachel.

The day started with tea in the restaurant followed by being taken to the textile stores on the second floor of the Manor in the rooms which used to be the servants quarters many years ago.

Rachel had laid out the most exquisite lace and explained the history of the collection.We were able to look at the lace really close up. We could look at it through magnifying lenses to see the detail of the miniscule linen threads that were used to make the most elaborate and intricate laces.

Most of the collection of textile pieces and related items were collected by Baroness Edmond De Rothschild who was a girl after my  own heart.

She collected things that she loved just because they made her happy; snippets of fabrics, gorgeous buttons, exquisite pieces of embroidered textiles and fabulous lace.

Of course her huge collections differed from ours in the level of their rarity and splendour, she didn't have any old doilies ;) 

But she loved to dress up and put together some of her finds to wear in quite unusual ways just because she  loved them. It kind of reminds me of how I stroke my fabrics and buttons to make me happy ha ha.

After the tour was over I had a couple of hours to wander around the house and look at all the other collections. Blissful! and then to make my day even more lovely my wonderful friends Emily and her dad William picked me up and took me home for tea and home made biscuits before Camilla took me home. 

I feel so blessed to have such thoughtful friends. Sam who thought up the whole plan and Claire, Gwen, Kay,Sarah, and Camilla and Emily for being in cahoots for making me a perfect day. 

Thank you sooo much xx

I though you may like to see a few more photos of the textiles. Below is a roll of metal lace made from real silver and silver gilt thread. Such a beautiful texture.

This beaded bird is a small detail of a series of long panels in the house. It is covered with a fine layer of net to protect the beading.

The beads sparkle even in the low lighting  of the house which protects the collections from light damage.

This is a magnified detail of a tiny piece of a lace panel. Every millimetre of lace was astonishing in its intricacy.

Hertfordshire Open Studios

It is September!  It must be time for Herts Open Studios!

This is a wonderful event where artists from around the whole county open their studios to the public to promote their art and  teaching and demonstrate their techniques for visitors.

It is a great opportunity to talk to the artists about their work and to buy the work of emerging and established artists who may live just around the corner from us.

This is my 6th year of exhibiting with OS. Each year I try to have a different theme or I base my work around a technique that I have been exploring. It is a great opportunity to stretch myself to develop new techniques and to talk to people and see what they think of my work.

This year my artworks were based around my studies of Lace. 

I love vintage lace and marvel at the way it is constructed with open areas that give texture 

and play with the light. I love the way you can look through it to partly see what is beneath.

I have been making my own lace! A 21st Century version of an antique textile. Embroidered, layered, beaded and made from very contemporary materials!

I also have  some of my handmade books and altered books on display in cases. I can take them out and show them to people in quiet moments. There are a couple of book out of the cases for people to look through. There is a lot of interest in book art and last year when I showed the books, the exhibition  led to many classes because every one wanted one of their own!

Herts Open Studios is on until Saturday 15th September. From 11am till 4pm at the Paper Trail in Fourdrinier Way, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead. Hurry if you want a peek!