Culture in Edinburgh

Its hard to avoid culture in Edinburgh.  I love the city.  One day I will get to stay a few nights and walk and walk and walk to explore it much more.  DH and I used to do this when we lived in London.  Its the only way to discover the hidden gems of cities. 

I’ve already found my hotel – the Witchery by the Castle.  I live and dream…… (and keep hinting a lot!)

I never tired of this view either.  Guess I have a thing about castles……

  

 

Two Sunday’s ago (yes I am behind and catching up!) we went firstly to;

 

Just love that daisy, would look great on my studio!

My favourites pictures -

Charles Courtney Curran - Lotus Lilies

Klimt - Italian Garden Landscape (finally got to see a real Klimt!)

Monet – The Water Lily Pond

 

Then a few miles away for something completely different;

Dali

Marion Adnams

John Pemberton

 

Another day we had a “cupcake” moment – only a photo as I can’t eat the darned things of course…. managed to embarrass DS taking the photo.  Isn’t being embarrassing in the job description for mothers?  Yes I thought so too :)

The Red Skirt

I made it to the Vintage Market in Berwick today.  Didn’t get to the Mind, Body and Spirit show as I blew the budget at the first stop.  Along with some wonderful lace I came home with a very special skirt.

I took some quick pictures for you and will take more tomorrow.  Its been cut down from another piece – a dress?  Not sure, but its the real thing in terms of metalwork embroidery and it is really heavy.

 

 

 

 

Land of the far horizons (with snow!)…..

On days when I wonder why I live somewhere so isolated from museums, galleries, M&S food and my old friends, I see views like this and I know exactly why I’m in Northumberland.  I don’t think it is ever more beautiful than in autumn.

You can see why its called the “Land of the Far Horizons”

 

and today SNOW!!!!!!!!  Pictures taken at lunch time from the opposite side of the valley (just south of Wooler – I’m in the hidden valley just behind from the old Dovecote).  Those pylons are the bane of my photographic life!

 

History blog and gallery opening times

There is a new post on the History of Embroidery blog we’re at 1800-1899 this week.

Here are the details for the Gallery exhibition.  I shall head over on Wednesday as Saturday I’m in two places already! 
A Vintage Market in Berwick and then to Newcastle for the Mind, Body & Spirit show… a good 130 mile round trip.

 

Welcome back!

Phew!  have just sent out a hundred+ emails to inform readers that my blog has moved and that I have a new web site.

If you’ve just found me… 

Welcome back!

Quote of the day

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”. George Bernard Shaw

I’ll keep fiddling with those textiles and paints then…….

Renaissance Collage R1003

  

 

 

24 x 30cm framed

New post on the History of Embroidery blog

I have found a really good way to transfer my word document into the blogspot blog at last.  No more resaving photos and manually adding them.  Thank goodness.

There is a new entry on the blog for 1700-1799. 

Renaissance collage

I’ve had a sick child on and off for a few weeks now.  Poor thing has been through a horrible operation (nothing serious thank goodness but very sore).

To keep myself occupied I’ve been doing two things:

1. Indian Art; A History – 10 week online course from Oxford university

(Main developments in the history of South Asian art in this period, including Buddhist and Hindu architecture and sculpture, paintings and architecture from the Rajput and Mughal courts, and the impact of European colonialism. You will also examine the religious, ritual, social and political contexts in which these buildings and objects were made and used.)

I’m on week 6 and loving it.

2. Stitching some collages.

Here is the first of four or maybe five, maybe more in the series….

R1001

 

 

 

They will all be mounted and framed in off white frames ready for sale, this is the best pic I could get when it was framed. 

30x40cm framed

I’d be really interested to know - What do you think?

Yesterday I forgot to add a note about the collage I’ve submitted for the art exhibition.  I thought long and hard about submitting work I had created in a class.  However the work I produced was nothing like the tutors samples and very much my own (yes I am the student that goes off at a tangent and did my own thing with colours and stitching), so I do feel it is my own work – guided by Judy H, as I acknowledged.

Berwick Open Art Exhibition

 

I have a piece accepted for the Gymnasium Gallery Open Art Exhibition in Berwick.

The exhibition runs from 23rd October - 11th December, please check their web site for opening times.  My collage was created during the Judy Hooworth class I took at Festival of Quilts in August.

You cannot believe how happy and relieved I am to be back exhibiting and working with stitch again.

   

Oh yes….. and I recently got this to make dreadlocks for my large Goddesses.
A new skill to master.

New hanging

I am still here working away at different ideas and projects.

Here is a hanging I made recently for a friends wedding present, at the same time I made one for myself.

Its not often I make the same item twice, but if I work them in tandem it feels as if I am working on one large piece and isn't duplication - which is SO tedious.

The last photo is of the wedding present - about a metre in length.

This week I'm really busy putting together a talk on the "Story of SiIk", I've been asked to cover for a speaker who can't make a date - so if you are gong to the Quilters Guild Region 15E I'll see you there - and I'll bring along this my version of this hanging.