Monday 10 February 2014

I spoke too soon!

Well, having just said I wasn't going to miss a moment of this year & just as I was about to get on with my 3rd 15 minute challenge & post it into Myfanwy Hart's 'Be Creative' group, open to everybody creative, I was gripped by such a pain!


a heart for Myfanwy

The first one I managed above is 12x12cm & only took 15 mins as it's a familiar card/collage design. I wanted to start easy. You can spend as long as you like but the idea is to do something creative every day.

Beetle (found on floor while tidying in the studio) tied with gold thread on slate found on the beach, wrapped with raffia.

This would be just a bit bigger all round than the first one. The poor little beetle had obviously come into the studio from the cold & never left. ;(

The pain turned out to be a stone blocking my kidney, just one thank goodness & after some wonderful care thanks to the NHS, most importantly a few special pills to reduce the stone from 5mm to nothing, hopefully, (& pain relief!) I'm on the mend. I'll find out if there's anything still lurking in a couple of days when I have an x-ray locally!


On one of the mornings of the 3 days from hell,  I was totally pain free, took the dog for a walk & even did some seaweed pressing inspired by Julie commenting on a pic by Alice Fox, someone who's work I really admire. (why am I, who adores color, so often drawn to work using delicious neutrals?) I admit I haven't looked yet, hope it's cooking nicely on the damp studio floor ;)


I was quite knocked for 6 having not eaten or slept properly for days,  but during last week when I started  recovering from it all - I've never done so little in my life! - I had a very important piece of jewellery to finish & post off. 


It's the Youngest's gf's 21st today so I made the lovely girl a wrist cuff, hope she likes it.

I worked at the day job yesterday but luckily had previously booked today off - such a relief! I don't know how I got thru but I did despite having to take a little longer to do some things. So, determined not to waste this day off (I was actually on days off when it all started 2 weeks ago, not a good way to spend 2 days holiday!) I put together the start of some collages. I managed last week to sort some piles of paper you've already seen from a mono printing session (with a store cupboard geletine plate) but that was as far as it got. I'm determined to use these papers & not just hoard ;)


12x12cm sample


12x30cm ish

 12x12cm

 12x12cm 'abstract'


12x12cm

It's a start, the last one  needs a lot of integrating, (it might turn into the sample!) the 2nd one a top & bottom, very tempted to draw into the 3rd one & even tho I like the simplicity (so hard for me to do 'less is more'!) They all need wax crayoning with lovely rich oil bars, darkening here & there, or lightening & lots of stitching. I know, I've said that before. To feel a creative tired tho is a wonderful change from the last 2 weeks, I'm catching up slowly but surely!

12 comments:

Heloise said...

Hope you feel better soon.

ju-north said...

Hope you will soon recover all of your energy! Great work and lots of potential for great art!

Erica said...

Having suffered from gall stones, you have my sympathy. Like you, I was on pretty stiff pain killers. I was exhausted and it took quite a few days to recover. All the best.

Cate Rose said...

Feel better soon, Emma! I love your collages!! xoxo

Linda Vincent said...

Oh poor you Emma.......hope that's gone and never returns!
Loving the artwork, especially the first heart; wonderful colours and gold (transfer foil?)
As for the beetle....you really do believe in using found materials, don't you ;-) xxx

Amanda said...

Gosh! Hope you're feeling better soon. The creative weekend was great wasn't it!

Anonymous said...

I hope the nasty stone is gone for good. I understand that pain is absurd it's so bad. Glad you are well on the mend. Catching up too! xox

Julie said...

I'm sure the wrist cuff will have been well received and I'm glad to hear you are on the mend. I hope that nasty stone is nowhere to be seen. Hope you're not being blown away tonight with these awful winds. x

Fibre frenzi said...

Hope you're feeling better.....as usual, I love your work!

Lesley Crawford, Gaia Art said...

Hope you're feeling better now. Love the pretty cuff.

Jan said...

Sorry to hear of your kidney stone problems, I hear they are absolute torture! Hope yours come out painlessly and fast. Glad you found some energy to make the beautiful cuff! and the fern collages. Very nice. I'll have to steal that idea and pull in some ferns for my next gelli printing session. Great colors, as I have come to expect from you.

Anonymous said...

What gorgeous and imaginative things you've been doing! I really hope the kidney stone responds to treatment - I've had one so I can completely sympathise with the agonising pain they cause!