Confession of a Wimp

Chrissy - love the dog (and the Monet translations).

Sorry about the book temptation, Marjorie. I do think the Visual Language book should be on everyone’s bookshelf. I love the work of all three of those ladies - Leslie, Claire and Jane. Had the honour of sharing an exhibition with Jane Dunnewold at the fibreEssence Gallery in Vancouver where we both sold really well. I think I’d do better to arrange exhibitions overseas as it is difficult to sell over here just now. Seems to be a general problem in the arts field as my painter friends, one of whom always has a sell out, are finding the same thing.

I don’t feel that exhibitions are all about selling, as it is great just to show your work to other people and the feedback can be illuminating. It would be good to cover costs, though.

Pricing is an issue - Constance Howard once made an oft-repeated remark about not wanting to have it all back under the bed. A good point.

I had to go to London yesterday for the final proof of the Image to Stitch book. They only had one set of proofs so couldn’t post it. Great to see all the pics properly - you only get low-res images in the early proofs. I was really pleased with it and it was good to see Batsford’s new home in the Anova HQ, West Kensington. I’ve not been there before so we had the ’ten bob tour’ from editor Nicola. As it is a listed building they had to keep the old cells intact and they use them for storage. All the graffiti on the doors is still there - including some very rude words. Here’s a pic.

It’s very strange. One minute you are in a modern, light, high tech office building and then, by going through a door, you are in a version of ‘The Bill’.

We were supposed to be going on to do the Collect exhib at the V&A but, with the Earth series in mind, we stopped off at the Natural History Museum. I so love the Earth Hall - I am like a kid when we get on the escalator that takes you through the centre of the earth. Here’s the interior of the globe.

I insisted that we went straight back down in the lift so we could go up again! Then took lots of fossil and rock photos (great for displacement maps) and lingered for a while to experience the earthquake. The GCs love that bit, where you are in a mock-up of a shop in Kobe and the floor shakes. Clive’s mother was in an earthquake in India and said it was the noise that was so frightening.

We eventually got to the V&A and saw the 'Out of the Ordinary: Spectacular Craft' exhibition which was fantastic in some parts, interesting in others and weird in a couple of places. I loved these paper cuts by Lu Shengzhong. The long lines of cut paper cascade from a great height.




By now it was late and I was so tired that one look at the long, long queue for Collect made me decide to go home. Today, of course, I really wish I’d made myself go and I feel such a wimp. I wish it was on for longer.

All my fault really for going to the NH museum first.

It has taken me ages to do my blog today as I’ve been following lots of threads and then found Becky Vigor’s wonderful collagraph tutorial. I must have a go at this - Jane Wild produces wonderful collagraph prints just using tissue and blotting paper. When the surface is sealed she uses them for paper casting.

She did this one for our PMS book. Can’t wait to see Becky’s prints.