Monday 14 September 2009

Och aye!

This is going to be a visual blog - plenty pics, minimal chat!

First your comments:

Diana. Yes, there will be free on-line classes. With my Stitches, Straps and Layers book and also with Lynda and Carol's Stitching the Textured Surface. They will begin on Ocober 19th and there will be details about early next week on the d4daisy site (http://www.d4daisy.com/) I wanted to wait until after the Knitting and Stitching show as we sell a lot of books there and then we can all start together. There will be a communal Yahoo site for all the classes so that should be great fun. The long-awaited Jae Maries book Contrasting Elements will also be on sale from Monday.


Heather - we had a cat who used to bully our dog. It would lie in wait under a bush when we came back from a walk and then stage an ambush.

AJ (note abbreviation) Hope the cats make it to the Final.

Yes, Pat. Bliss would be a great title.

JP - it has been rather more hectic than I'd like but things quieten down after the Knitting & Stitching Show. I am burning to do some of my own work - especially on the Rock Art theme.

Scotland was lovely. On Friday afternoon I did a seminar, which went really well and was followed by a talk in the evening. Great fun and a good turn out. Then the workshop on Saturday where they produced some stunning pieces - as you can see below. I worked everyone really hard and we tried lots of options for decorating metal. We made water soluble paper borders for the metal, which softens the lines, and I had made all the strips, ready for painting, beforehand as I knew they wouldn't dry - over and above the call of duty, but worth it.






















Aren't they wonderful - and that was just a few of the creations.

On the way up, we went to Newcastle as I had discovered a long line of ancestors who were shipbuilders on the Wear. I went to the archive office and looked at old maps to see where the docks and yards were sited. The maps were amazing and we were allowed to take photos. I can feel a new project coming on - the illustrated Allison. Here are some pics from the 1700s maps.

















We went down to the river to see where the shipyards used to be and found that what was once like this:





... was now:




or university buildings.


There was a sculpture remembering the past - rather good, we thought.




Back soon - off to do a talk in Newbury tonight.

10 comments:

Heather said...

Those metal samples are so luscious. I love the old maps, they fascinate me. The sculpture is very fitting and hopefully a tree of industrial life for the Wear. Don't work too hard.

Sandra Wyman said...

Mouthwatering metal pieces!

Re cats - we once had one which, whilst we were staying at a holiday cottage in Bamburgh, caught a sheepdog - jumped on its back and held on tight: the sheepdog ran into its house with the cat still clinging on - no sympathy from shepherd and wife who both thought it was hilarious!

LOVE STITCHING RED said...

Beautiful textile pieces

Penny said...

Maggie I will be in London during Ally Pally and intend to be there on the Sunday, will you be there then/ I could at least say hello after not being able to get to your class In Perth. Great excitement about this trip, probably the last big one for us.
Love the metal fragments.

Gill H said...

Just testing I can leave a message
Gill

loVe2cre8 said...

How can I learn to do that magnificent metal technique? It is fabulous!!

Mags said...

lovely work by your Scottish students Maggie. I love those maps, but the second from the bottom in particular. I can feel the new work coming on from here :)

Diana said...

Gorgeous work from Scotland, Maggie - inspirational, as always!
Really pleased to hear about the online classes (and that I wasn't dreaming it!), especially as I'm going into hospital for an op on 27 Oct and then recovering at home for a few weeks - am dreading the op but it will be so nice to have a week to start the classes before I go in, and then have time available afterwards. I may have to take your book into hospital with me to keep me going and it will be great to have this to look forward to when I come out! Thanks Maggie.

Sadia said...

The metal works are just brilliant! Beautiful coloring and luster!
Take care.

Jamie Malden said...

Wanted to let you know about a new TV series about textile art.

Check the website ...

www.talkingthreads.co.uk

to catch transmission times.