Delighted that Lily has chosen my ‘Yellow Garden’ painting from 1994 in oil on canvas to go on her site on Instagram. I am among some great painters on there! It was made from a sketch done on holiday in Brittany in a very special garden at a gite we stayed at. Here is the sketch fyi. I can revisit the garden through the painting and so can you all too now! Here is the link to Lily’s post any support you can give greatly appreciated!

https://lnkd.in/et2vNaf4

Well I am doing battle with my current creative embroidery of the reed beds from a recent visit to Norfolk. I enjoy the comforting nature and feel of working with the dyed linen, and the slow and repetitive experience of the hand stitch brings me into the moment continuously. I work from a drawing but don’t slavishly copy it, it evolves. Will share the drawing when I am ready, but not yet. I hold the creative space loosely, this is my freedom. That is why I don’t like colouring books or jigsaws they take that freedom away that is in all of us….

Well am underway with my new embroidery/painting. It is very satisfying using the backstitch on dyed areas of the linen, like slow little paths making their way across it. I will pile in with some oil paint when I have said all I want to with the slow-stitch, all by hand never machine. It gives you time, time to just be. To feel the silk thread and the softness of the linen and the way it moves like nothing else. It is almost alive.

So am in that place at the end of one piece of work and approaching another. Ideas are always mergling around so that is not the problem. Motivation is. Once I get into my groove and start making marks be it with dye, paint or stitch I am fine! The marshes at Blakeney Norfolk will form a starting point I think. Don’t know how much I will share, I never do! Got to guard the gold or I can stop completely, but can share a sketch that is not the one I will use to move forward. Keep moving forward even if it is only tiny steps…

Have completed my tree embroidery on Lithuanian linen. All hand embroidery free stitching with Pebeo dye washes. I decided to make it into a cushion cover with some of the ticking I had in the studio to frame the linen. I made some embroidery marks on the ticking as well but have come to a natural conclusion now. The embroidery is more flexible so can become a usable textile piece as I haven’t put oil paint elements on this.

Here is another image of my work underway on my embroidery/dye/painting piece so far at the end of March 25. The tree surgeons have cut down two beautiful willows behind us on a neighbours land. I was so sad this week about that, no-one else seems to mind! I do love trees and did protest to no avail. They have taken twenty years to grow. I do love trees and understand they are not mine! Can’t help being sad. They took so long to grow and were so balanced, the birds loved nesting in them. Anyway, here is the embroidery so far with patches of marks like Cezannes ‘patches’ , he loved trees too! Click to enlarge folks…

So pleased that Lily chose my piece ‘Hanoi Rooves’ in pebeo dye and oil on canvas with hand embroidery, to go on her site. I love working with Lily, and the poetry she creates to go with the work. We communicate by email and I send her artists that have influenced me and photos for context as well as first hand impressions and research sketches. Have a little look if you like?? hewunderkammeroflil https://lnkd.in/eHZXyf2i

Here is the little sketch I made last year that I am using as a starting point for my current embroidery. It was made at a campsite in the lake-district here in the UK called Nether-Wasdale. It is really quite a magical spot and so still and quiet. Click to enlarge as usual.

I have started my new embroidery on the wonderful Lithuanian linen I bought before Christmas. I decided to just try a small piece on a corner so that I can get used to it all. Good job I did as the linen is so porous as it has been prewashed,so the dyes just go very dark because of the water. I am working in the dark and have to guess what the colours will look like once dry. But that’s OK as I will get used to it, and love the texture and feel of the linen so much. Click to enlarge so that you can see detail. Will post the sketch I was working from made at a campsite in the lakes her in UK last year. I use the sketch as a starting point and work out from that whichever direction it wants to take me…

Well this piece is done. I have said all I want to. I made a few more lines of handstitch and some oil marks after rabbit-skin glue sizing sections. I never quite know when to stop but came to a natural close here. I could have risked more radical marks but really decided against that. I then stretched it up on a little wooden stretcher and may take it to my picture framer to be framed. He has some brilliant colour mouldings and distressed effect finishes on them so am sure I will find something appropriate. This piece has been made over the winter months and Christmas period. The stitch is meditative and slow, never done on the machine, It is like drawing in stitch but super slowly. The colours are the chakra colours in the centre and motifs taken from a drawing made on the spot in Hanoi last year. You can see the drawing on this blog if you scroll down. Click on images as per usual to enlarge and see the detail.