Lino cut birds

Had a wonderful Mother's Day last Sunday, despite there being no kids at home. They rang in reverse age order, the Youngest all the way from Australia! The Middlest sounded like he got up specially & when the Eldest rang, asked if I'd received my card & as I hadn't he thought it might be the fact that it had a 2nd class stamp, hmmm. (Wondered how the youngest knew it was mothers day in Australia & discovered it was the sweet DH sending out texts ;) I thought I'd chat to my dil to be too, as altho she's not 'in law' yet she is 'daughter' So I was specially delighted the next day to find her name on my mothers day card  too, next to my son's. I was absolutely over the moon when he called that evening to say they'd chosen a date to get married, May 3rd 2014, next year, plenty of time to plan! It'll be down in Eastbourne, near my dil to be's parents. A real happy focus on the horizon.

 So, college yesterday was my most strenuous as thru the week I compiled backgrounds on which to print the lino fish below & the Curlew birds, above, only I hadn't carved the lino birds yet. I've been looking at Curlews till my eyes watered trying to draw them,to get them 'right'. I ended up carving more quickly than I'd have liked, they just had to be done as we mount up our work next week & then that's it. Which is why there is a rather naieve look to the little birds. I'd wanted some 'serious artful' birds, real art, but really I find these little sweeties quite endearing after all. I'd pulled 2 collographs with a pale middle bit so the birds would show up well 'on the waters edge'

The fish above was printed on watercolor grounds which I sprinkled with silver acrylic powder then smooshed together in a mono print type way & pulled apart. The purple doesn't really show up here. The 'real' piece with the fish was a collaged ground of collographed strips of paper then stitched. I only had one go & there was a little 'pouncing' needed where the stitching had resisted the ink too much but hopefully it'll pass, gulp.

 These birds were printed on a clean up sheet you've seen before from the collograph but it works for me. The 'real' birds piece was on a collaged mono print ground shown a couple of weeks ago but i think that post mysteriously disappeared.... left behind along with the fish to dry. The most difficult thing will be to write up the stages taken towards the final print, I think, but now I've done it I should know what they are, as for the annotations on the back of the print or in the sketchbook, well........! (I had to ask, Teach said write your observations of what worked, what didn't, the dictionary said annotate means 'to add notes of explanation' oh, I'm constantly writing notes, is that what I've been doing!) So I can sleep easy now knowing all that needs doing next week is mounting.

My sample from Wendy Dolan's 20 mins workshop last week. she kindly prepared the ground for us & at high speed we added toning organzas onto bondaweb to stitch later.

 Above are my purchases from the show, stitch & sew & lovely screen printing inks & purple thread from Wendy, solufleece & sticky 'Vilene' for a book cover from Kim T, a beautiful card by Helen,  just below them on the book some metal templates from Margaret Beal, below them spare bobbins, needles, (there were 2 packs), you can never have enough needles, an old Flair Mag from the Quilters, couldn't resist that butterfly, a lovely card from Kerry Mosley & a card the DH got me from the Hunterian museum by Whistler of 2 peacocks fighting, a wonderful sketchy sketch for a big piece. at the bottom a felting mat of a controleable size from Val Hughes (See all links on last week's post)  Last but not least a book by Gwen Hedley that I've been dipping in to each time I went into Waterstones in Inverness until they stopped carrying it - the mixed media department doesn't really exist now with only half a meter worth of 'craft' books, shocking really. Anyway, bearing in mind I'm making a mark book, hopefully among other things,  & this book is called 'Drawn to Stitch; line, drawing & mark-making in textile art' what about it is not to have? Join me while I work my way thru it. (now there's a challenge to myself!)

Willow is settling in nicely, thanks for asking. (a little blurry. sorry) Tam wouldn't move his head, not usually shy of photos but his nose is a little put out of joint, lots of extra hugs needed around this confidant cat. I had to put her out while writing this as she walks over the key board or constantly demands one hand for scratching her chin.

A refreshing walk on a  beach near Broadford at Ashaig, such different rock formations than ours down the road. We were in the area,  looking in the Byre, an Aladins cave of bric a brac, for a door to make into a table under the window in the studio for my sewing machine  but he only had 4 paneled ones, too many dips. I wanted a door made up of lots of lengths of wood, can't remember the name, a Z door turned over, like the one I've have as my desk for over 15 yrs. We have a 'shared' MDF table, nicely painted as well so it looks like a trip to Jewsons much to the DH'd relief for more MDF, he didn't fancy struggling with old warped doors!