Sunday 28 October 2007

Of Ethics - Blogging and Shopping

Thanks for the feedback on PayPal, Julie. It does seem to have improved a lot.


Margaret R - so good to have you back. I have to confess that I was so worried about where Margaret had gone, that I emailed to see if she was OK. This blogging lark raises interesting ethical considerations, such as the fact that it is not fair to expect people to keep blogging all the time, but how do you then find out if they are OK? Your bug sounds horrid, Margaret - much worse than my pathetic little cold. Do hope that you are both soon very much better.


I'm still musing on books and thinking how good Val was at recording all her experiments in them. From the drawing stage through to all the stitch experiments they are all in books, files or folders. I think this will be next year's resolution.

When I did Val's C&G course, Historical Heirlooms (at Urchfont College a couple of years ago), we did lots of ink experiments and I made a book called The Little Book of Walnut Ink. You've probably seen it before, but here it is again.





I have found this so useful, not only for 'recipes' but for scanning in individual pages to make colour schemes. This page is one of my favourites. It is walnut ink with a squirt of Adirondack colour wash sprayed into it while damp. Then I spattered black ink to get some spots.
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I used this page, together with a design put together from catwalk photos and logos, for my piece called 'Shopping is the New Religion'. A detail, below.



The design was used as a displacement map on the coloured ink scan. The piece is based on an Islamic prayer shirt and my musings on what people did on Sundays nowadays.



The conclusion was that they shopped. The disintegrating water soluble paper on top represents the old religion slowly fading.



I do like my 'fat little credit cards, puffed up with debt'. This is a print on cotton, placed on felt and stitched. Then the felt is zapped to puff up the cotton.


Having delivered that lecture on religion and worship, guess where I'm going? That's right, I'm off to Bournemouth to do some shopping and lounge around with the papers in Border's cafe.

10 comments:

Doreen G said...

I love the "Shopping is the new religion" panel Maggie -so much texture I just want to touch it-but that is a no-no isn't it.

Carol said...

I love this piece Mags, and so many layers, so much to look at coming out of the "Scripture" Love the colours too. I can totally see why you like those colours. I have to confess to emailing Mags too to check if she was ok, so your not alone there!

Barbara said...

Wonderful piece and..you are in Bournemouth.My daughter studies and works until December in Bournemouth. Can you tell me an adress for buying goodies like beads or special papers. Greetings barbara

Aussie Jo said...

Great piece Maggie, and so apt. I must confess I used to call my daughter, when she was younger, "shopper in training" when we went off to town. Would annoy my husband who hates shopping, he's still wearing clothes I bought him 20 years ago!!!

Ruth said...

This is a great piece, so textural - and the puffed up credit cars are a hoot, but I always go shopping on Sunday =0)

stitching in the sun said...

Hallo Meg, I just visited your blog for the first time and I love it! I find it so brimming with images and ideas and life that it will take me some time to savour it all, new and old posts. I met you during your workshop at Sian's summer school in Urchfont ... I was the good Italian girl flown in from Rome. I shall keep in touch!

29 October 2007 03:40

Gina said...

That's a fabulous panel Maggie... says so much. Hope you enjoyed the shopping ;)

artisbliss said...

Well, one must shop, after all, mustn't one? With me it's more of an avocation but I do know people for whom shopping is the major focus of their life.

I love the walnut ink book.

chrissythreads said...

This is a great piece. I read your blog after dragging around Lakeside (our shopping centre) with my 15 year old daughter-need I say more- and so really felt a connection. I also loved the way the Walnut ink worked - I must try using that- thanks
Chris

Digitalgran said...

Thanks for your concern Maggie. I'm almost back to normal and have started reading my favourite blogs this evening. I hope you are feeling better too?
I love that shirt and I will join you in your new year resolution. I keep saying it all the time, but I seem to get engrosed in what I'm doing and then forget to write it down. I can never remember how I've done things.