The Windsor Experience

I was very flattered to be asked to open the Windsor textiles exhibition yesterday evening. Flattered and scared stiff - I love doing talks but speeches are a different thing entirely. Personally I feel that they should be very short but when it's such a big occasion they can't be too short. Anyway I did it last night and it seemed to go down well.

I have to say that the work is wonderful this year. The higher education stuff is always great and this year is no exception. I couldn't take many photos as I was on my best behaviour (aka chatting a lot) but did manage to take this photo of Alex with her wonderful 'pods'. It was based on a bush, covered with webs, she saw in Canada. If anyone has been watching Springwatch this week, you will have seen a similar effect where caterpillars had completely covered a bush with spun webs.

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Here is a detail.

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Mary wondered what could possibly be hatching and came up with the idea of the pods. There is also a sequence showing the pods as they 'ripen', complete with gooey drips down the wall. The final creature is left to the viewer's inagination.

I loved Glenys' crisp monotonal work with very clever use of the embellisher. She is sending me some photos of that, plus lots of other exhibition photos so I will show you them later in the week.

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Gill made this amazing structure to be placed in a garden. Shuna Rendell, who makes the most amazing baskets (among other structural pieces), is one of the tutors on the course and her influence showed here in the wrapped withies. I do love the idea of a piece designed for a garden - such a clever idea and the weathering would change it gradually, so it was always different.
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Her drawings were lovely too - this one inspired the finished piece. It was light filtering through a gate.

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The City and Guilds and Advanced Workshop stuff is also very strong. So, more on Windsor soon.

Thanks for all the messages of back sympathy. I do seem to be fully operational again but I'm taking it a little slowly. I'm working on more stuff for the book I'm doing with Isobel Hall. The working title is.........

Mixed media surfaces for jewellery, books, bags and quite a lot else.

I want to get across the fact that the book has lots of Isobel's amazing mixed media jewellery (which is so unusual) but still get across the fact that the surfaces can be used in lots of other ways. Any ideas, anyone?