Too busy to blog!

Yes...sadly too busy too blog at the moment with 4 projects and deadlines, and also talks to give.
Its like the "buses" story....you wait for one and then two...or four in this case come together.
I went through that scary "dry-desert" time for about 8 weeks before Christmas when real creativity seemed to have deserted me....all I could do was wait in faith knowing that eventually it would return, and it has.

Treasure Arrived...a new season...and musings.

Arrived today ... a lovely collection of broken faux pearl necklaces, bought for a new project; all damaged bar one which I imediately put around my neck....inspiration is starting to return after one of those desert-dry times.
I seem to have had lots of ideas whiring away in the background, but no motivation to carry them out...that made me question the ideas themselves, as I am usually passionate about what I do.
Realising that the passion was just not there for all, has helped me to focus on the one alone, that is firing my imagination and creativity at this time, and has also given me fresh perspective on my work for EAST which is not comming from my usual subject...
I still have some issues over the source, but shall hope to resolve them as I go along....I think it's because it is a slight deviation from what I call my "real work", but also I think I am into a new season where instead of just concentrating on one thing, I may need to have "several irons in the fire",
We have so much to learn as artists, dont we, and I think one of the things is to recognise the season we are in...I always see things in seasons.
I also get very intense and probably "think too much"...then I end up with a bout of depression and have to pray my way out of it before the mist lifts!

Japanese Inspiration for EAST

I've been a member of EAST ( East Anglian Stitched Textiles) for a whole year now, and am now working on some panels for the 2012 exhibitions.
At first I found it difficult to break away from my "Exquisite Poverty:Fragments work...which is ongoing and wont be shown again untill I have completed three new additions; however, I have revisited an old degree project which was inspired by Japan and am now working on a two and a half foot panel to fit into an antique red laquered frame I have had put away for years.
I shall be aiming to make two smaller panels to go with this one, but matching the frame will be nigh on impossible, but I shall "cross that bridge" when I come to it.
I am still using the repetitive straight stitching that is always a part of what I do...and was initially inspired by Sashiko, and also the antique mother of pearl bird brooches, but am now also utilising the fragile carved bone sticks from a broken vintage fan....it is all really an experiment, but we shall see where this journey goes....here are some fragments of the panel,so far: