Transformations Exhibition up and open on Saturday.

After a huge day yesterday and much sterling work led by Liz and Debbie, the exhibition is up on the walls and ready for a few days consideration and rearranging. Thank you to the team! Lots of stairs needed climbing and work needed the hanging screws fitted- thanks to Alan and Dominic for doing the leg work. Everything looks very exciting, with 13 artists exhibiting it is a varied and interesting show. It really is worth the climb up all the stairs and the cafe does lovely food and drinks when you need sustenance! There are quilts, photographs, jewellery, collage, paintings and hangings. Loads of cards and portfolio pieces but bring a cheque book or cash because no card machine available. I have 6 pictures on show, my 4 concertina sketchbooks, cards and 2 portfolio pieces. The same frame pictures on the stairs work really well- one from each artist. Will get some photos on Saturday. So lovely to get some work up after the-exhibition-that didn't-happen!
Details-Open 10 -5. Closed Sundays and Bank Holiday Monday 7th. Nearest multi-storey car park is Trenchard Street car park. Meet the artists this Sat 28th  11-3. Ex Dates -28th April to 19th May.
 Bristol Guild, 68 Park Street Bristol BS15JY .www.bristolguildgallery.co.uk

Cycle of the seasons- finished!

Finished at last- a lot of stitching in this and the texture of the whole piece quilted through is interesting and pleasing to me. Whew! I have the frame to put this into and some cards that need finishing, then all ready for hanging on Tuesday.

Spring is in flower.

 With the warm weather I seem to have gone quite mad stitching in loads of flowers around the winter trees.

I have snowdrops, a primrose, forget-me-nots, bluebell and daisy that wreath around to the summer rose and daisies in the lawn. I didn't mean to put in so much detail or spend so long on it but sometimes the inspiration takes over. Outside the garden is in bloom with flowers, birds and bees making the most of the sunshine. This morning has begun misty but the plum tree is in blossom.

Transformations : cycle of the seasons.

 I began work on this piece last week- my final piece for transformations. It will go on the stairwell at the exhibition, where we all have a 40cm frame to fill, a piece of work from each artist to welcome visitors up the stairs. It is a patchwork of each season. I made the print of a skeletal autumn leaf first in gold then drew in the winter trees and machine embroidered those filling in with running stitches to quilt the whole thing and blend it together..

 The winter trees are growing some first spring leaves on the right.

 Summer and spring flowers are now sprouting around the bottom of the piece to complete the cycle. You can't work one patch to completion, you have to dot around a little to see the whole thing emerging and find a harmony.

This photo is about finding the correct thread to match the colour of a primrose. It is quite a greeny yellow. Easier to mix the colour in a paint box, harder to find the right shade thread. I have drawers of threads sorted into colours and then rummage around finding the one I want. Which might explain why they are a complete tangle!

Transformations flyer.

Getting ready for this exhibition in Bristol, Meet the Artists is on the first Saturday 28th April 11-3. There are 13 artists exhibiting in different media. It is right at the top of the building, expect stairs! There is a cafe within the Guild.

Winter footpaths.

These are 2 tiny winter footpaths (13x8cms) as life gets back to normal after the Easter holidays. Well not so normal. Alan, my husband and tree expert has now retired completely and is getting used to life without rushing off to work in the morning. I am getting used to that too! He is volunteering at Westonbirt aboretum some days and we hope to have more days out and more holidays. Hurray to that!

Sedimentary layers - finished

 I went back to this piece and added some more electric blue, after consideration it needed a shot more of colour.

 Layers of textures like layers of soil underground, a gradual accumulation of debris,stone,earth, bone.

A few blue beads in the layers. Gone to the framer now- will be on show at Transformations in Bristol. ( 28th April- 19th May Bristol Guild )