Tuesday 5 February 2008

Ouch!

I stand before you a disappointed woman. Actually I am lying before you, with the laptop balanced on my tum and, as I am not built for such manoeuvres, it’s quite difficult to see the screen. I have a BAD BACK. This used to happen quite often but it has been so long that I thought it was cured. It will only last a few days (I hope) but is very painful right now.


The worse thing is having to cancel a proposed London trip to see Prism, the RA’s Russia thing and the Blake at Tate Britain. We were going to treat ourselves to a hotel and have a really good time. Boo Hoo. We can catch the painty shows but Prism is a great loss. I think we all want to show support for Julia at this time. Has anyone got any photos?

Clive is very sympathetic and is cooking and waiting on me. Bless. He has also dangled before me the prospect of a couple of days in Dublin to make up for it. We live near Bounemouth airport and the fares with Ryanair are very reasonable. Something to look forward to..

Comments on Comments
Thanks for all the comments about the earth piece and Cyber Fyber. Now that Susan has told me how to get comments on email I could reply individually but I like our communal chats so will continue, if that’s OK.


Paddy’s Daughter - don’t really have a book on the current work - that’s a bit of an experiment. Stitch, Dissolve Distort does have some stuff on zapping and lots on the water soluble paper shown further down the blog. Raising the Surface is useful for backgrounds in general and a bit of 3D stuff.


Aussie Jo - yes, that piece of work been growing through the last few blogs.


Those ATCs were great Julie - still on the mantlepiece.


Arlee - yes, it’s good that we will be able to 'hang together' at Cyber Fyber. Will you be able to go to see it? I am very seriously considering going over. It sounds so exciting and it is ages since I visited.


I was determined to stagger down to the Beyond Stitch group as we are having a ‘challenge’ day. We each have to take an A4 design and swap them, so that we get one by someone else. The designs must be mono photocopies and can be anything from a well known painting to a texture study. We then have to use L shapes to select an area to turn into a finished piece. This is the design I was given - it's a good one.


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I shall try to somehow fit it into the Earth theme. I think it is probably a shield and the motifs look faintly lotus-like. Time for reflection. I’ll show you how the others in the group fare after next month’s meeting.


Due to the back I haven’t managed to do much work but I did mush up some water soluble paper over a fossil. Here it is on the fossil mould.


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Here’s the result: the fossil is convex so the resulting cast is concave - not so fossil like. I made a mould by pressing warm Softsculpt onto a fossil and using that for the paper. It doesn’t give such a clear cast as the original but will probably look OK. There was some paint residue on the mould which is why it looks a bit grubby. It will cover up Ok.




I shall use both. Now they need painting with acrylics (watery paint would dissolve them). Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. I loathe inactivity.

11 comments:

MixPix said...

I love your blog and have "tagged" you - see my blog for details http://fibrefan.blogspot.com/

artisbliss said...

I'm so sorry about your back, Maggie, and I hope it's better soon. I know that sort of thing can get a person down in more ways than one. I'm glad Clive is taking care of you and that you have something to look forward to.

Unknown said...

Oh poor you and glad Clive is looking after you. When you put the paper pulp onto the mold do you put anything on the mold so it releases easily? I always seem to have bits left in the mold

Annette J

Becky Mairi Farrell said...

I hope your back recovers soon, it does sound both painful and inconvenient. I also wanted to go to Prism but am going down to London for the printmaking exhibition (same gallery) on 20th and can't go twice.

This feels like stating the obvious, so there's probably a very good reason why it wouldn't work, but could you not turn your convex fossil up the other way and have a concave one? Maybe the paper is too thick for this?

chrissythreads said...

Hi Maggie,
I'm stewarding at Prism tomorrow (although not exhibiting). If you like I could pass on your request for some photos and try and get some sent to you.
Hope you are better soon.

Aussie Jo said...

You poor thing, bad backs are so debilitating.
I once had my back go into spasm after too much wheelbarrowing, had to take all sorts of drugs. The osteopath recommended hot packs and anti inflammatories. My hubbie has a dodgy back and regularly does nightly stretching exercises to stop him seizing up, originally did it on a windsurfer!!
We did water soluble paper on printing blocks at Dale's workshop. I came home and have made lots more, some for the altered book I'm making for my daughter's 18th. They add great texture.

Julie said...

sorry to hear about your back Maggie. I hope you'll soon be free from pain and moving about freely again. Take care. x

Penny said...

Maggie I sympathise about the back, I seem to keep mine under control with daily stretching exercises but sometimes it doesnt work either and I agree I hate to be inactive. Your blog and Dale's are so helpful in so many ways, thank you. Now I wonder if I can find some fossils!

The WestCountryBuddha said...

Ah poor you. I'm also a bad back sufferer but happily (touch wood - and hoping MDF will do instead!) it's been a lot better since taking up pilates. Hope you're feeling loads better soon.

louise@opus said...

Prism members were so sorry to hear about your back troubles Maggie and wish you a speedy recovery. Rest assured that the Prism 2008 fully illustrated CD catalogue is winging its way swiftly to your bedside. Enjoy!

Digitalgran said...

I sympathise with you so much Maggie after suffering a bad back for years. I have gone a long time without trouble too. Your suffering has made me realise I must still take care. You are still doing wonderful work through it all as I notice in the latest posts. Glad to find you are slightly better by today. Take care.