Leaf Glove

I have been experimenting with this ‘leaf glove’ recently with a view to using such stimuli with the sexual abuse survivors in my proposed puppetry workshops. I enjoy turning to nature for ideas and was going to use a flower as a starting point, but found the oak leaves at the garden we visit more interesting. The colours and textures just now are beautiful and I brought some back to my little studio. I proceeded to create one leaf after another referring to different leaves I’d found. I then embellished each leaf with embroidery and dye before assembling them on a flexible twig I had made. I slip stitched the completed piece onto an old leather glove of my mum’s, and was able to move the leaves with my fingers as if rustling in the wind. This was very satisfying and resonated as the glove was very worn from my mum having used it so much. It is now reanimated in a different way! A different kind of memorial and I do love repurposing things like this.

Birksmere watercolour and pencil sketching

We visited this very special garden and lakeside on Monday this week and I was so grateful to be able to sketch and photograph it once more. The dawn was especially beautiful, and the way some clouds were reflected in the lake was mesmerising. There is always something that lights up when I’m there, and it changes throughout the day. I’m coming towards the end of my sketchbook so will need to invest in another soon. I made a large oil inspired by this garden during lockdown and will share images once I have had it properly photographed, which could be a while yet but the machinery is in motion for that to happen. I even have some ideas for my embroidery and puppetry experiments from  drawing there. Nature  is  the  master  healer.

Needlewallet pile

I have now created enough needle-wallets for 8 prospective participants for the puppetry and embroidery workshops I hope to offer for adult survivors of sexual abuse at a local facility that offers counselling to such folk. Here you can see the needle-wallets I have made to lend to the participants. They are each different with a silk painting on the the inside. I hope they will provide a sense of ownership and belonging in the workshops. I am also gathering little starter kits of fabric swatches and threads to use in an embroidery sampler in the first instance. Onward and upward…