For centuries women have used cloth as a tool of comfort and as an expression of beauty within their homes. Creating cloth for warmth, cloth for shelter, our female predecessors embellished these linens with hand stitch using laborious and time consuming techniques thereby enhancing the functional beauty of objects which enveloped and protected their families. Inspired by these women I hope my creations pay tribute to and recognise the devotion expressed in cloth by our female ancestors .







''the use of traditional often time consuming process alludes to the devotion of a mother''. c K. A. Ruane 2007







Thursday, December 31, 2009

Try again....

Things aren't going to plan creatively at the moment. I seem to be making the wrong decisions at every turn, don't know what's going on really except to say that maybe things have run unusually smoothly for so long that when they don't work out it's a massive shock. Well not a massive shock but a kind of headache, the good variety I must add. It makes you look again, re-asess. I have been thinking a lot lately about design. It's a fact that I don't consider myself a very good artist with pencil or paint. My skill in that area definitely developed whilst I was at university but I haven't done any ''proper'' design work for ages, years even. Recently though I have had a hankering to draw, experiment like I used to at the start of a new brief. So what's stopping me? Time, or the perception I have of the lack of it, and probably fear too, fear that all I will come up with is a load of old rubbish. It has to happen though and this piece is a perfect illustration of why. I had a plan for this and true to my word I have changed those small scraps into something bigger but it's awful. I really don't like it, it doesn't work at all. These pictures aren't too bad, I can do wonders with a camera but honestly, in it's entirety it's truly hiddeous.The small pieces are now removed from the larger piece and I do have an idea of where I am going with this now but in the meantime, whilst agonising was going on and damp stretching was happening I started something else. And...... I kid you not....that was even worse than this and is now in the rubbish bin, yes the rubbish bin. Now I don't really do New Year celebrations, tommorrow is friday, simple, and I wish good things for everyone all the time not just on a thursday night but.........as everything is pear shaped here I may aswel join in this one time and make a decision that from friday I will set aside some time for drawing, designing. Even half an hour a day would help I am sure. I am not saying you will ever see what I come up with but hopefully the results will show in my embroidery.
I would like to wish you all a year filled with the best, brightest light.

10 comments:

méri said...

Thanks, Karen!
Wishing you many happy drawing fridays :)
all the best for you and your Family!

Threadspider said...

And the brightest shiniest things for your New Year too! Sometimes this time of the year seems to provoke dissatisfaction....I hope you soon return to the kind of productivity you are pleased with.

hens teeth said...

Time to embroider is so special and in short supply that I suppose you feel you have wasted the time and energy! Frustrating, but it will bring you to a clearer conclusion in the end and perhaps bring around the general use of pencil and sketchbook too? That can't be a bad thing.....I whittering, I will go now...Happy and Productive New Year to you Karen. x

Jane said...

I suppose that is all part of the creative process, we learn from, pick ourselves and move on. Hope the drawing proves successful for you and I am sure next year will have us looking over some more of your beautiful creations

leilani said...

Interesting thought: Sketching and drawing exercises to improve the embroidery design.

I too don't draw well and I'm responding to this exercise. Think I'll go to the supply cabinet in the garage and get one of the sketch pads I got on sale months ago.

This design slump you have found yourself mired in will pass. I'm certain of it. And throughout this new year, I wish for you much inner peace and contentment, good health for you and all your loved ones and much love.

Joei Rhode Island said...

You are your own *Best* critic. And, yes, you do great photography work. Time for passions is never in abundance...but perhaps you will find enough 2010. Best to you Karen.

Chrissie said...

Hope you can get things going in the right direction for you Karen. (But, p.s., if I knew where you lived I'd be rummaging in your bins right now!!)

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Gosh, I'll bet any one of us would love to get the piece you threw in the rubbish! Happy New Year to you & yours and thank you, as always, for the inspiration you provide.

Gina said...

I can't imagine anything you do being rubbish. Happy New Year Karen... hope it's happy and creative!

Anonymous said...

I just discovered you through a number of clicks and blogs---your work is so beautiful!!! I am completely knocked out.