September 2007
September 1st -21st
I have been working, teaching and researching, but not feeling at all like writing up my blog. In fact, I have been feeling so introspective I haven't wanted to write anything at all. If you kept coming back to the dreary old August page, sorry, and thank you for persisting.
I enjoyed teaching a course of 10 at Denman College early in the month and this morning collected dry-cleaned work to return to the students this afternoon.
Students working on scarves. I teach them to use masking tape rather than rely on pins, which can make holes. Scarves slightly short for the frames are secured with dressmakers pins and masking tape
A highlight of the month has been seeing the work of a student I've taught in the past, who sends me her work for steaming from time to time. Her work has suddenly leapt forward in design / confidence.
Nice, isn't it? With thanks to Fiona Lindsay, the creator of this scarf, who gave her permission to show it. Sorry I couldn't do your name in lights, Fiona...
Oxfordshire Curiosity Revisited
Here is the wall of a barn at Harpsden, Oxfordshire. It's one of several part-constructed with old wallpaper printing blocks.
Back of my car before setting off for Denman!
At Denman there was a lovely display of smocks from their textile collection.
Clay workings
It's been in my mind for some time to see how many colours of clay there are around the town. Devon is well-known for its red soil, and also the rich seams of clay which have been mined commercially for centuries.
So, armed with a map I have been walking a wide circuit taking clay samples from ditches and streams and noting their exact positions in case I need to find them again. I want to see if it's possible to use the clay as a pigment. Various books I have obtained on natural colours and dyes have helped me to see how I might try this. I started making soy milk and sizing some cotton calico squares by painting it on.
Straining soy milk
Five main clay colours I have identified. These are shown painted on the soy-sized calico at a fairly thick consistency
Poured clay drawing using three clays.