Phooey!

I am feeling so totally creatively frustrated and knotted up I am not sure what to do  - I  probably need to slosh around some  paint and glue and then toss the result in the bin. I have been trying some more needle felt animals, but after my initial pleasing first attempt I am frustrated as I cannot get the shapes I want - I also need to just throw the failures in the bottom of the cupboard and stop trying to put them right - the cost of the material is minimal, but  I am finding a reluctance to let go of my failures and move on. I have been very busy on some other projects, but as these are gifts some how they have become a chore - I don't think I would be very good working on commission. Being cooped up by the weather isn't helping - I want to stretch - what do you do? It's not that I feel a creative 'block', just hemmed in.

 By the way I had these two cuties on this journal page for ages, just waiting for the right word!

Keep warm, keep smiling

More maps and stuff

Lesley, on Printed Material has been talking about artist using and creating maps and this brought to mind Grayson Perry's etching, 'Map of Nowhere' (above). Here Perry has combined a medieval map of the world with a diagram of his body/life. It has many modern social and psychological references and it made me think of what many of us try to do in our journals albeit on a rather simpler level.(Clicking on the picture will reveal some details.) His Walthamstow Tapestry has a similar style, but is a woven textile. This maps the seven ages of man and although at first glance looks like a medieval piece, contains many references to modern life including many familiar brand names

Grayson Perry's first piece is reminiscent of the Hereford Mappa Mundi - a 13th century map of the world which combined the known world with mythical lands and beasts as well as spiritual guidance provided by Christian images.

and these in turn made me think about creating a Mappa Me-a but I haven't got very far in filling it in. Lesley's posts made me dig it out, so perhaps I will have some inspiration to finish it off. I was going through a rather introspective phase when I started it - I don't think it will be as revealing as the Perry piece!!

I'll let you know if I get and further.

(Please note the comfy shoes)

Better late

Here is my completed December calendar, I meant to post it earlier, but I definitely had some sort of bug over the weekend. I am feeling much better today, especially after a hair cut, nothing like it to lift the spirits. I know most people get this done before the holidays, but actually this was just what I needed today.
Everyone here seemed to be expecting heavy snow tonight so  Mr T and I went to Sainsbury's as we had been unable to do our shop at the weekend due to me being bluuur and Mr T being a non-driver. The shelves were empty and everyone was chatting as if we were expecting a siege. It can snow now if it likes - the larder is full and I have enough projects to keep me going (for a month)- although fingers crossed with the old sky+ box which is playing up (again) Mr T is in the middle of watching the cricket (England v SA)
( 8pm - snowing hard now)

Pick-me-up

Woman's Own 1939


Feeling a bit delicate today - I think I have a food hangover. Perhaps I need a nice G&T.
I hope you are all feeling perky!

Happy New Year

I had a wonderful New Year, and promised I would post some pictures today. I hope you all had an excellent time too. John and Trish had 16 guests for a true feast - sitting us all was their first triumph.

The meal started with Goran's Swedish fish soup - apparently he had a bit of a search to find saffron in Tesco's...

In between each course we sang a little Swedish snaps song...

most of us had no idea what we were singing which I think was probably a good thing! Skol!!

Next came a chicken curry provided by Viv and then Rustan's Swedish meatballs, brown sauce and cranberries (Linden berries left in fridge in Sweden) delicious...

most of us were too full up by now to try Trish's Caribbean sweet potatoes, so time to clear the tables

(That's Mr T in the specs)

But we had to find room for dessert...

After the meal and greeting the new year, it was necessary to stand up for a while!!

A big thanks to John and Trish and for any in the gang there are more photos on flickr, click on the link on the side bar.

Here's to 2010

Calendar Challenge

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank.

We are going to put words on them ourselves.

The book is called Opportunity and its 

first chapter is New Year's Day"

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

When I posted my art calendar at the beginning of the month a lot of you expressed an interest in having a go and Kate over on The Kathryn Wheel is throwing down a 365 day challenge. I am more modest and propose a month at a time  as sometimes I find making a long commitment off-putting. But either way, please join in, make a January calendar and post a link here or with Kate - she'll be posting soon. Here is how I do it, but really anything goes. I fill mine in retrospectively, sometimes several days at a time, and with just a doodle or a rubber stamp, so it need not take up much time. I use a double page spread in an A4 'portrait' spiral bound sketchbook. I use a pink pig as they are cheap and sturdy.

Then I decide on a background

I often use a layer of gesso first as I like the texture it gives. For January I wanted that watery sun look, so I started with a pale yellow and then rubbed  a blue colour from a water soluble crayon and added some torn images of bare trees.  For this project I printed the month, year and days of the week rather than writing them.

I cut out 31 4cm x4cm squares - sometimes in just white, sometimes from off-cuts from other projects and work out how I am going to arrange them. Don't forget the 1st of January is on a Friday.

I decided each week would start with Monday so had to rearrange the squares.

When I am happy I stick everything down and add a few embellishments - here I have a couple of January quotes. If you click on the pictures you should get a large images so you can see the details.  Have a go and have fun.  I would say that one of the liberating things I have taken on board in keeping an art journal is that anything goes-embrace any mistakes and incorporate them into the work. There are lots of different calendars here on this flickr page - good luck.

January opens 

The box of the year

And brings out days

That are bright and clear

And brings out days

That are cold and grey

And shouts, "Come see

What I brought today"

Leland B. Jacobs 'January'

Link to last month's diary here.  And older ones here .

    

A Berry Merry Christmas

Happy Christmas to all my talented Blog friends around the world who have enriched my life.

It is a pleasure to open my Blog and see who I am going to chat to today.

Have a great holiday whatever your pleasure, and look forward to hearing your news.