for 'The Urban Environment' I chose the word maps and then I created a personal map of my daily journey from college to home.

Happy New Year !

Since my last blog  I have moved on from colour and texture, [my 'comfort zone'],  looking more at  the actual  'skeletal' shape of the fuchsia, which is, I think,  far more interesting than the flower itself. I found a book, [accidentally] in the library on microscopic marine organisms, the name of the book is 'Art Forms from the Sea'. These forms make up a fantastic variety of incredible shapes, a lot of them look like kitchen utensils, collanders etc others look as if they are chain-mail helmets and hats and there are even a few lampshade lookalikes !The book is by Ernst Haeckel, a German scientist and artist who was absolutely passionate about his work, all the illustrations are done by himself. I copied these shapes by making holes in card using a six-hole paper punch and to make even smaller holes I used needles. The finished pieces were redolent of something being corroded or eaten into. On a canvas I stuck down metal washers of different sizes, I also used white thumb-tacks. I wanted to see the same effect on fabric so I cut various sized circles out of wax cloth ,normally used for making table-cloths. I did not want to use a softer fabric as the resulting effect would not have worked. I prefer to cut curved lines for their fluidity and flexibility. I spotted a plastic shape that holds  beer-cans in place, the shapes are perfect and they can be pulled and stretched etc so I am collecting as many as I can from local shops and an off-licence. They're not easy to come by  because the staff in these places probably think I'm nuts, I am thinking of getting in touch with the Bulmers factory in Clonmel or C&C  in the hope that they would send me a few hundred, I'm not very hopeful but it's worth a try! I am enjoying this part of my project and am delighted to have moved on from colour using only white or opaque materials. This is somewhat of a revelation! I looked at the work of the artist Tara Donovan which is in the Stephen Friedman gallery in London. Two of her instalations she made using white paper plates and styrofoams cups respectively, it is all very white, bright and airy. whereas I don't yet have the vocabulary to descibe her work I can say that I have really surprised myself by loving it.

Amsterdam

I went to Amsterdam and spent an entire day in the 'Van Gogh' [ pron : goch as in Gok....Wan !] Museum.  For years I wondered about the correct pronunciation of this artists name. It was fantastic.....fab museum.... plenty of refreshments... also saw an exhibition of work by the 'Naturists' and it was superb. Came home to start into History of Art essay and I lost three days out of my life....!!!! Sat at the computer day and night, unwashed and unfed, not a pretty sight, felt like Ms. Haversham in herwedding dress.  I never want to see another book on Gothic Art' ever again....actually If I could make a bonfire from the books and the reams of wasted paper I would and I'd like to dance around it like a witch....handed it in today, what a relief to see the back of it and I love C.C.S .....!!!?

friday targets

I got good advice from my tutor last week to make a list of things to have completed for the end of each week, it has been  helpful in that it has kept me focussed and I did actually get thro' my list and there was great satisfaction in putting a line thro each one, I wanted to share this advice and hope that it might be of some help to others, I think I am making progress at last, 8 or 9 weeks on !!!  and I intend to hang on in there a bit longer...

progress review

My 'Progress Review' went relatively well considering that up to now I've been flapping around for 8 weeks! I should, I think by now have more work to show, both quantity and quality. Going forward [I hate that phrase] is about thinking outside of the box. I'm re-reading 'The Artist's way' in the hope of unblocking whatever it is that's blocked,  finding again the 'creative path'... paths roads journeys ...I'm back to my 'maps' again...have I moved on at all...???!!!

7 weeks later

7 weeks on and I think I know now what it is I should be doing......It has been a bit crazy, I initially felt   bombarded with information and I was not able to  take it all onboard ! Today I feel more organized and probably more in control. I'm taking on board my tutor's advice to 'stop complicating' everything, and it is good advice, I also tend to constantly project myself forward to see the 'end product' without fulling investigating what it is I am doing. I am doing a lot of 3D work on my ' fuchsias' and...... following a visit to the 'Knitting and Stitching' fair in the R.D.S where  I got materials and plenty of inspiration from textile designers displaying their work there. Also  I got to see the work of the Dutch painter Gabriel Metsu  in the National Gallery, a good week-end all 'round.

P.S

I have been looking at the book 'Textiles Now' on reserve in the library and I loved it, on Pamela's recommendation I googled 'Basso and Brooke' and I thought I had died and gone to heaven !!! I am going to buy 'Textiles Now' for myself to dip in and out of at home, tomorrow I am going to go to the 'Knitting and Stitching ' show in the RDS hopefully to be inspired and to purchase materials.