carousels...

As part of the Meadowsweet exhibition I've been doing book binding workshops in some of the primary schools which are local to the venues the tour will visit; making carousel books and flutter books and generally having a fun time. The children so far have all been a pleasure to work with, enthusiastic and friendly and inquisitive, and so creative. Makes me want to become a primary school teacher (until I realise what an exhausting job it must be really... all those questions!) Anyway, some details of the lovely books from Pegswood today:


A selection of pages from Dent School, and their work on display at the exhibition last weekend...


Looked very good indeed, I was so proud of them :)

monday

Back from a windy weekend in Dent, and the opening of the Meadowsweet Contemporary Craft Tour...


I wish I had some better pictures but I was so busy talking to all the visitors and demonstrating work I didn't really get chance, and I'm still processing it all so don't have many words to say about it, sorry! But if you're up north in the next couple of months you might get chance to see it all for yourself, a list of upcoming dates and venues here...


The venue in Dent was the lovely Meditation Center, and my dodgy phone camera photos don't really do the space justice. The light in there was beautiful, a lovely space to spend two days. And the views from Dent station aren't bad either!

along shackleton hill

A windy walk on the verge of spring. Lines of trees.

Sunday

I was tidying my studio this week, maybe even Spring cleaning, and I found some paper cuts I made a while ago. I liked them at the time but wasn't sure where to go with them so put them away to work on something else. And them forgot about them (that's the beauty of working full time, renovating the kitchen and practicing art at the same time. Oh, for hours of uninterrupted time to focus... unrealistic I know.)


I'm starting to pull everything together for my upcoming exhibition now; getting everything out on the table, seeing how it works together, how it could be displayed, if anything is missing, what needs to go. And isn't it always the way that after a period of working hard and working consistently and regularly that ideas really start to flow, I know this, but am always surprised by it, and especially as a deadline looms!

It feels like the things I've been working on are starting to come together, but now there are lots of other things I want to make too. And these paper cuts have got me thinking. I know it's this pressure that makes good things happen; it's the reason that I make that hard decision about how something should be instead of putting it away in the cupboard for later (see above.)


I like how a little bit of what's below is revealed, framed, the springy book held still for a minute. I like how sitting an object on top makes the placement look intentional, and it gives it a different meaning (more potential for a story perhaps?) But maybe its too fussy, too decorative, too obvious, detracts from the object. I don't know, too many choices. Maybe they should just stand by themselves...

Sunday

More cutting and gluing and folding and thinking.


Folding pop-up houses, smaller and smaller...


Slightly panicking about up coming deadlines, clearly more hours need to be added to the day somehow. A pleat fold in the space time continuum perhaps...

containing...

I've been thinking about boxes for my grass book; the practicalities of containing and protecting it, how to reveal it, present it, take it from the box, suggest its possibilities...


It's hard to decide when there are so many options. Circular looks good but its hard to remove from the box; squashed up will full height walls is sturdy and safe but doesn't look exciting, curves and turns are interesting but the box making is complex (too complex, and fiddly looking too.) Maybe simple is best after all.

monday

Inside...

Outside...