Another very busy week whizzes by in a blur ... the promise of Spring brought a renewed interest in getting our renovations and improvements finally completed and the cottage is in a state of upheaval once again. This inevitably means extra mess and cleaning on top of the usual but I'm hopeful that we could be completely finished by May so ...
I is for improvements, inspiring and imaginative artwork, interesting installations, inky figures and an ivy inchy
I is for ivy
I made a tag for the letter "I" featuring black ivy berries on layers of white tissue paper, jute and "inspire" text printed on vellum
My inchy for the inchy alphabet challenge has black ivy berries on vintage lace and the word "Imagine". I love to be inspired by nature and have quite a few sketchbooks full of stuff on seedheads and berries. I will show more of my seedhead stuff some time
Sketchbook with ivy berries, seed pods and tonal studies from galleries
The cover of my sketchbook is painted and covered in wax. The seedpod was encased in wax with copper metallic yarn wrapped round
Front cover of waxed seedhead sketchbook
I is for inspiration
This week brought inspiration from various artists and galleries. I treated myself to an artist book by Cathy Cullis and her latest zine of poems, printed pencil drawings and monoprints. I love Cathy's work which is imaginative and beautiful. I lose myself in her dreamlike words which invariably remind me of elements of my past and my appreciation of nature and fine things
This is the artist book ... a beautiful blend of her very detailed stitched work, monoprint drawings and whimsical touches
Deeper into mystery
Divinely imagine
I thoroughly enjoyed the zine and Cathy generously gave me one of her original monoprints which she refers to as her inky drawings. I added the text which I found in a book - "inky haired fairy". The figure is not a fairy, of course
I is for inky drawing
Yesterday, Spring arrived with it's hat on and we had the most wonderful sunshine in St. Ives
St. Ives from a postcard
My friend came over and we went round the galleries starting with the Porthminster Gallery and then onto the Millennium Gallery to see The House of Fairy Tales exhibition ... where we lost ourselves in a large collection of imaginative surrealistic art ... very strange ... very interesting
I is for interesting surreal art
I liked
this
piece
called
"Blue Girl"
by
Kiki Smith
... and instantly recognised the work of Tim Shaw whose exhibition I saw last year at The Millennium Gallery ...
Head with Antlers
Head with Antlers - detail
I also enjoyed the work of Ken Spooner. Mixed media works in cigar boxes
Ken Spooner - Sisters
Ken Spooner - When I grow up
I is for interesting installation!
This next piece I found extremely amusing because it reminded me of the silks and fabrics I had dyed in the week. This interesting "installation" is called "Crumpled Silkskin" by artist Paul Hazelton. It's made from an old silk shirt, cotton thread and hairspray
Crumpled Silkskin
I had to take a photograph of it ... see how it's almost the exact same shade as the silks I dyed (unmordanted) with skimmia berries last week! I deliberately let my silks and fabrics dry crumpled too as I want to use them like that on an art doll. I was amazed at this coincidence!
We also went round the Tate Gallery too but I will show the photos and stuff from Tate St. Ives on my other blog (probably tomorrow). Tate St. Ives is free to Cornish residents during the whole of March - do take proof of your postcode along with you though!
Today is Mothering Sunday and Mums are a blessing
I love my beautiful Mum
J is for joyful
My inchy for the letter "J" in the inchy alphabet challenge is of my Mum because her name begins with "J" and she is just so beautiful
I hope you enjoyed your Sunday and have a lovely week
Carolyn ♥