the end is the beginning

the end is the beginning... a scan of a pencil sketch I made last night...

mosaic monday - personal favourites 2009

1. knowing, 2. hyacinth, 3. lonely chair of my imaginary friend, 4. spring circus (still life), 5. into the green, 6. a deeper blue, 7. it's lonely in such lovely places, 8. blood roses for my love, 9. inside the hills, 10. in reverse, 11. we creatures, 12. lovers, 13. angel series, 14. untitled I, 15. she sings all day and night, 16. quiet lives, 17. tangle, 18. a bookish jug, 19. yesterdays, 20. tiny hermit, 21. mystic (owl dress), 22. poetry heart, 23. shibori, 24. octavia & rabbity friend, 25. oval brooches, 26. autumn - mixed media doll, 27. october spell, 28. look at me, don't look, 29. bird&cage, 30. out of time yet still we dream, 31. snowglobe, 32. storyteller, 33. Summer remembered, 34. november painted, 35. yellow into pink, 36. nov 29

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

A bright frosty start here. The snow melted, for now we have the green back and sunshine. This Monday, the last of the year, I'm sharing a mosaic of my own work - personal favourites from 2009. Incredibly difficult to select 36 from a busy year of many ideas and designs. There have been times I've loved and hated my work, such is the creative life..... I think the 36 images above represent those moments when I felt I have succeeded for myself. I have made something that I desired to put together. With many many grateful thank yous to everyone who has encouraged and supported me throughout this year. I'd love to hug you. I am humbled and made happy by your interest in what I make, my vision, my things.....

This mosaic does not represent the best of the most popular work. Infact there are few things in there that either never got offered for sale or never sold, for one reason or another. This is some of the work that really made my heart sing. And I have to say now that if something does not make my heart sing I don't offer it to others. I kept a few of these. I still have some other artworks. I've got plenty from this year that never made it into a photograph. Some of it I gave away, as gifts, thank yous. Other things are still in a drawer or box, to be discovered. The year is not carefully catalogued or journalled. It's a bit of this and some of that, and loose threads permeating through the weeks.....

I've already been thinking and plotting for the year ahead. I mentioned a few weeks back that 2010 is going to be a year of daily practice. I think that a 'ritual', if you will, of making and working on a task as a daily thing is a positive - and will be an interesting experience. Some say their prayers, meditate, water their plants, walk the dog, talk to the wallpaper - as a daily practice. I don't do all these things. Well, I don't have a dog.....:)

My daily practice for 2010 is to make a new drawing or drawing-collage every day. It may be a simple pencil sketch. Or it could be a monoprint drawing, an inky portrait. It might be a drawing in stitch with collage. Or perhaps a combination of these, or a biro doodle, or a painted sketch. Rather than keeping the daily work, I shall be offering it for sale immediately or just about. It will be the process of making that is the practice. And by offering for sale, I hope to have the income to buy new materials and keep the project afloat. Chances are I may make more than one drawing, and that will be ok. I'll not restrict it. Also there may be days when life happens, or I just need a break. The daily drawings will be available in my Etsy shop - the first one will be there sometime on January 1st, of course. And to kickstart the project and gain interest, the first week's work will be offered at lower than usual prices.

Also as daily practice, I shall be writing privately in hand written journals. And spending more time on my writing is a definite for 2010.

I'm looking forward also to all kinds of new work: new natural dye experiments, mixed media objects such as chairs, more work in stitch and publishing poetry......

I'm going to be updating my own shop on a monthly basis, around the start of each month. A variety of work each month. So my next update will be January 6th.

If it seems like I have my whole year mapped out ahead, it's not quite that simple - I know! Personally, I have a lot to consider over the next several months and I am looking forward to the road ahead. I hope to share this year with you, of course, and thank you thank you thank you for being here and reading, and for comments.

This week I'm mostly relaxing with family, catching up with laundry, going for frosty walks, reading books that I've ached to read for a while..... Everyone is very busy with new projects and toys. It's lovely and I feel very blessed.

I wish you a good week ahead x

This year has felt like climbing a ladder

Here are cotton fabrics dyed in jars..... results are lovely and richer than this photo suggests.... I am particularly pleased with the logwood/onion skins fabric (third in from left) - the combination of purple-greys with yellow is interesting indeed. So I will continue to experiment with this combination. I love folding and making shibori type results. And subtle shades are very useful to me, so I'm pleased with this Christmas collection of dyed strips.....
This year has felt like climbing a ladder..... perhaps she is a little wisful, NOT mournful, I don't wish to suggest a bitterness toward 2009. Quiet progress, a lot of positives to 2009. Some personal disappointments. Without wishing to be too ho-hum about it. What I mean to suggest with the ladder is, a feeling that what I wanted to do is climb up and beyond a certain level, personally, creatively, and I've felt my ladder wobbling a bit for all kinds of reasons. Mostly it's been a learning experience, a necessary one. Still learning about myself. Without wishing to be too cryptic, I think mid-February, things that happened in my personal life, really dented my confidence and it's taken me months to feel right about myself.... So the ladder has felt like something I've had to climb up, or get stuck. Just keep going, don't lose your grip, all those metaphors... and that's about it.....

Glad to say I feel my wobbly climb up the ladder has been ok. Looking forward to 2010 very much. There's a lot of positive in my life and plenty ahead. I feel more certain and focused than I did a year ago. I know there are new experiences I want and there will be new challenges.

Tomorrow I'll share with you a mosaic of favourite images from 2009 - a selection of my own work. Until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Merry Christmas

A robin in the snow yesterday..... today the snow lingers but is slowly melting....

A manga-inspired angel designed by my daughter (aged 12).....

A Merry Christmas to you and I hope your holidays are full of light and joy.....

Part three of 'Winter Magi' is now over at Nevering.

patchwork & snow

Patchwork natural dyed cotton colours...... a hand stitch project for the holidays....I'm using a variety of colours from the past year.... But next would like to make a more tone-theme piece..... slowly, slowly......

The snow lingers..... we have had snow upon snow.... and energetic neighbours with spades are out there now, and a litter of cars blocks the end of the road, so no one is getting very far today.....

a goldfinch in the snow......

mosaic monday

1. a wish come true, 2. button hole stich books, 3. the 25 stones of christmas, 4. Winterlandscape, 5. Pebbles shells and candles, 6. Amelia (detail), 7. Christmas 09, 8. bob bob bobbin' along, 9. Hiver Hibiscus, 10. Untitled, 11. green winter, 12. mitts, 13. love what is real, 14. let it snow 4, 15. Embroidery Brooch, 16. presépio, 17. Night forest, 18. post struggle, 19. Untitled, 20. Christmas Angel - detail, 21. "A Serious Matter", 22. Señor, 23. Untitled, 24. river II, 25. SDC11328, 26. cirkels, 27. millicent, 28. perched in the soul, 29. Untitled, 30. Circle and circle, 31. Brooch, 32. 6, 33. Untitled, 34. Oh, 35. Untitled, 36. eco print with oak leaves

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

A very good Monday to you......The snow fell and lingers on, icy snow outside, I can hear the birds singing in the hedges by my window but it's not quite light..... Many thanks to the artists and photographers featured here for sharing their Wintry inspired and wonderful work!

This week I shall be attempting to take it easy, which is not what will happen with a busy small household and plenty to do.... (yes I still have gifts to wrap, no I am not cooking for ten thousand....)..... I shall continue to make small steps of progress on existing projects. The chairs are slowly getting their layers of paper. I'm thinking of ideas, jotting notes, writing lines...

Today is Winter Solstice, the 'shortest day of the year'. So, no surprise that it is as I type 8am and still no sun. It will rise in its own good time, as I consider good times ahead and good times past....

I'll be quiet here this week, with festivities happening and children busy. On Christmas Eve I'll be sharing the final, third part, of 'Winter Magi' - a poem sequence over at Nevering.

This week's colour is green, the most hopeful colour to enjoy. I sleep under a green duvet with the hope that it might give me dreams of a bright green world :) I wear green and love to eat it too.....

I have some fun 'gifts' to look forward to this week.... Natural dye jars have been slowly fermenting in our airing cupboard and all will be revealed later this week. If you have read my natural dye posts this year, and indeed if you have experimented with solar jar dyes, you may know how much fun it is to wait and see the results.... It's something you either 'get' or you just don't! I have a range of experiments slowly cooking..... Walnut with onion. Walnut with blackberry. Madder. Logwood with onion. Logwood with copper pennies. Ivy leaves. (I think my family are pleased these are dye and not cooking experiments.) I will share the results with you next week some time.

Listening to such a wide range of music. Loved listening to the Christmas around Europe performances on BBC Radio 3 yesterday. If you missed it then you can listen again (not sure if you can if outside UK??) It's become part of my holidays tradition to listen to a wide variety of world music, especially Christmas music. I especially like eastern European music with tingling bells and unusual organ and percussion, evoking fairytale dances and images....

Watching not a lot of TV, as frankly I find much of the repetitive Christmas fare depressing. I am not into Santa and never will be... and If I see a Santa movie I click off. We don't watch much at this time. I love old black and white movies, so if a good one comes on - well that's different:)

Next week's mosaic will be a little different, as I'll be sharing here a selection of my favourite images - my own work - from the past year.

But the year's not done just yet. The sun's up now, it's suddenly a lot whiter and brighter out there..... enjoy your shortest day! Love and light and peace xxx

red & black & snow

Two lovely vintage books that I picked up in my local Oxfam shop. They are both a delight to look at and read. Just love the old typography and charm of the illustration..... On the left is: 'The Starke Sisters' by Kathleen Mackenzie published in 1963, tells the story of Charlotte, Selina and Georgiana who live with their elderly grandmother, Lady Starke. Disliking anything modern, the grandmother insists the girls live as if forever in the Edwardian era. The story details how the girls have their first social occasions with other young people and how they realise the differences in their lives. It is a book about social change, class, and is very English.

Michael looked at their dresses and did not wonder they felt peculiar; he did not quite know what to say. But he need not have worried about hurting their feelings.

"You don't have to try to be polite about them," said Selina, interpreting his silence correctly. "No one could think them more awful then we do."

"Why do you have to wear them?"

"Grandmamma!" said Selina and Georgiana together....

From 'The Starke Sisters' by Kathleen Mackenzie 1963.
I think I am correct in saying this book is now out of print. Perhaps one for Persephone Books to 'discover'?

The other book Ivor Brown's 'Book of Words' is a fabulous treat of a book for anyone, like myself, fascinated by meanings and history of language. The book was published in 1944 and the paper is the economy type that publishers were obliged to use. With the 'war economy' logo printed on the inside first pages. It is a book of its time, and is a subjective, eccentric catalogue of words and meanings, with emphasis on words used in drama and poetry. Some words are well-known, whilst others are words in less-common use, or were on their way out by the 40's. The author was a successful journalist and reviewer. Infact he went on to be editor of The Observer. It's a wonderful book and I think there are several copies floating about in secondhand shops, so I hope it continues to be read and enjoyed.

Here, for example, is Brown's understanding of the word 'glamour'...

GLAMOUR
This beautiful word has been bludgeoned to death by modern showmanship, which has attached it to every young lady who contributes a face to the film or a limb to the chorus. It is an English importation from Scotland where it had long signified magic with magical effect. I had fancied that it was pronounced 'glam-our' until I found Burns rhyming it with grammar..... Until recently glamour was reserved for conjuring tricks and was not bestowed, as now with such damnable iteration, on all aspiring to or professing 'it', 'umph' or 'sex-appeal', to use the modish title of what used to be called plain beauty......


Nature's quiet glamour...... the beauty of rosehips in snow.... for yes we had snow overnight, just a few inches, but enough to make a delightful scene.....

One of several robins that live about our garden..... They are so very territorial, it is true... the blackbirds and the robins clash all the time. They like to keep the food supply to themselves.... I try to remember the birds and feed them with nuts and seed. We've got some new feeders to put out, so better get on with that....

A selection of bird tags, monoprint drawings with collage and stitch. Sort of an alternative to cards, a gift in themselves.... I hope they may be enjoyed...

And to finish this post, another quote from Ivor Brown's Book of Words:

FAREWELL
The word has dropped from popular speech. We say 'Good-bye' which is decent, or decline into the democratic 'ta-ta's' and cheerios and 'so longs', which are miserable. (What exactly does 'So long' mean?) Farewell is now rather literary and slightly jocose. Perhaps this is due to a kind of reverence. Do we hesitate to make common a word which sounds so beautiful? You have only to put it in a line that scans and poetry emerges.......

Well, not quite farewell, but until Monday...... enjoy your weekend. And part two of 'Winter Magi' will be posted tomorrow over at Nevering.

Chairs continued

Another chair in progress.... I like the slightly larger size of this one and that curved top. Playing with scale and shapes interests me and one chair seems to be leading me to another, like a parlour game.... These are very time consuming to make! Oh, a whole morning goes by with glue-sticky fingers and the snow falling outside.... Yes, we have had snow, a small sprinkling. Not enough to close the roads just yet, hmmm....

The chairs will become part of an installation piece, perhaps. I want to photograph them together. That is my ultimate challenge, to put together a chairs scene that will meet my mental picture...... My fascination with chairs comes from an interest in design, of course, interiors of many eras. But also, I like to see personality in objects that are used by humans. And also the whole business of a chair being 'my chair' or 'don't sit there it's his chair'. And, have you looked at the chairs in an old movie, film noir, with chair shadows and the rain outside..... And stage sets, and Rebecca Horn installations and so many artists who have used chairs either en masse or as single pieces.... Chairs stacked at one end of a room, waiting to topple..... So much waiting, and yes absence. A certain invitation, sit here won't you, and yet a certain set of rules. How does someone who comes from a culture of sitting on the floor think about chairs, I wonder? And what would we do if all the chairs just left?

For these Winter Holidays I am sharing a poem sequence 'Winter Magi'. Today I have posted part one, and will post the next part in a few days time, and so on, until the final part which will appear Christmas Eve. You can read over at Nevering.

With the poem notes and looking at all my chairs in progress, I have a busy time ahead.....:)

mosaic monday

1. blanketed horse, 2. IN CASE OF LOSS, PLEASE RETURN, 3. Spontaneous Journal 12/13/09 - 5 minutes, 4. white rabbit, 5. Monoprint2, 6. red robin relief print, 7. Self-portrait, 8. Untitled, 9. ida bohatta winter prints, 10. Untitled, 11. The older sister, 12. Untitled, 13. Pearly Bird of LOVE, 14. DSC00485, 15. the oracle, 16. xmas market, 17. birds67, 18. Ninfa y Alimaña en el autocine., 19. Home for Christmas, 20. Owl stories-, 21. Untitled, 22. To Live Is to Fly, 23. white rabbit, 24. 3 garotas, 25. Too little too late, 26. roots, 27. Untitled, 28. Viva La Gong knit tree, 29. Lady Cat with paper jelly, 30. revisiting the holiday wreath, 31. papermaking final project, 32. esquizoide, 33. finding each other1, 34. Cutting Board - Stage, 35. IMG_7701, 36. Les Pierres Les Oiseaux (1/13)

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

A Happy December mosaic for you.... many thanks to the artists and photographers for sharing their work. I select images from my Flickr contacts and it's always so interesting to see connections and ideas evolving.

Last week (I usually start this paragraph with 'This week....' but today it is looking back for a moment) my poetry blog Nevering was highlighted by blogger as a 'blog of note'. A surprise to me, and so many new readers, thank you. I've always considered Nevering to be a special side-shoot from this my 'main blog'. Not everyone's cup of tea perhaps, poetry, but how wrong to assume..... I shall hope not to feel stagestruck and wobbly when posting future poem notes.... it is all about NOT being self-conscious, this sharing of poems that may never end......

So, This week then - this week I am continuing to work away at various new designs and projects. Chairs and red thread and other thoughtful things.... All looking ahead toward mid-January when I hope to have a new selection of work to offer.

A frosty start today, the roofs white and the trees glistening gently in murky light. So this week's colour is white. As my daughter will tell me from her recent Science lessons, white is not a colour. But then it is all colours. Our charcoal tree is decorated with white baubles. The white glare of snow can feel overwhelming. It seems to impact on everything, making time go wonky..... I like white with red and white frosting on cakes. I don't wear pure white because I am more an antique white person:)

Listening to: a variety of this and that. Tori Amos' new Midwinter Graces CD. Some vintage Kate Bush because the Amos recording reminded me..... and of course my favourite Kate Bush song for this time of year is 'December will be Magic Again', though it makes me cry....

Reading: Moomin Midwinter - Moomin books are so lovely. However, having attempted to read these to both my children I have to say they don't agree with me.

Eating, because December is about eating, feasting if you are fortunate..... mostly too much chocolate orange (that is orange-flavoured chocolate in the shape of an orange).

This morning I delivered a stack of pristine hardback novels to my local Oxfam bookstore. A very small gesture in a needy world but worth it. Please think about donating something to your local charity shop this side of the Holidays so that others can find affordable gifts.... I bought two lovely old books. I'll take photos and share something about them this week...

Have a very good week and more soon x

following the thread

As many creative people know, ideas work in cycles and happy dances of chance and circumstance and connections etc....... Red thread and paper combined are making a 'comeback' in my work, it seems... I like the feel of it and it feels right to be working in this way. Perhaps my recent pared-down monoprint drawings have suggested this is the way my stitching work should follow.... Abstracting the figure just a little more and playing with the 'other side' - that is the other side, or bobbin side of the stitched work. Have you flipped over stitched work to see that the back is sometimes more interesting than the front? If you use a sewing machine you understand this....

This weekend the Christmas tree has been discovered in the garage, hauled out and decorated.... Difficult to photograph in dim December light but I'll attempt to get a photo some time. It's very birdy... I found some rather extravagant even camp birds that I bought several years ago and haven't used the past couple of years.... They seem very at home with us.

I hope your weekend is going well and more soon x

more chairs etc...

Tiny Jack balances himself on a vintage cotton reel, upon a papier mache chair..... he is one of the new yesterdays dolls that I am making right now and will continue to work on over the next few weeks or so.....

Yesterday I had plans to work on this and that but was feeling slightly under the weather after having a swine flu jab Tuesday afternoon. Don't let me put you off - it's more important to have the jab if you need, and I feel better today. It is good to see sunshine today! This morning I was sorting the rubbish (garbage) for our weekly collection and the bird song was .... ah lovely....


In case you are wondering why there is a needle in this shot... it is because I use the needle to draw. The paper is placed on an inked sheet of glass and then I draw, in reverse... This makes a one of a kind monoprint drawing. I've explained before but this is one of those questions I get asked, and I am happy to be asked:)

And another, for my chairs series.... 'taking the chair to the story'....

seeds

Agapanthus seedhead in a lemonade bottle.... a little Winter decorating... Agapanthus have good looks all year round. I especially like this stage, so full of promise, seed for next Spring. I tried to grow from seed last Winter and got the seed to germinate but of course there was not enough light. I should not be so impatient this year and will wait for Spring....

Seed - a monoprint drawing..... In the new year I shall be making one new drawing every day - that will be a daily practice for 2010....


Oh Primrose please don't give me all your flowers now, save some for Spring..... I love cowslips also... My primrose seems to be popular with the slugs, but there's enough of a flower to enjoy. We have had a lot of wet weather lately, so there are rotten leaves in my flower border and things are looking very 'transitional' :)

There's a new poem 'Snake Bark' over at nevering. I hope you enjoy reading.

mosaic monday

1. in my kitchen..., 2. Untitled, 3. Untitled, 4. Untitled, 5. Rowen, 6. building an edge from fragments, 7. the woolen trees make an entry, 8. Untitled, 9. Untitled, 10. String Jars, 11. paper doll #93, 12. Oblivious II, 13. Loin Avant Nous, 14. Miss Susan Confessed..."I Lit The Match", 15. dec062009, 16. Untitled, 17. Christmas time, 18. Untitled, 19. Brut-Bird Framed, 20. Myrna, 21. Coaster, 22. Untitled, 23. Untitled, 24. painted horse, 25. Robin Love=Creature Ornament #29, 26. Good night - rabbit, 27. red onion eco print, 28. Quartet, 29. Ceramics pins, 30. draw everyday 2009!, 31. A wreath, 32. Done, 33. for a and c, 34. quaquaraqua, 35. A caminho de Lisboa, 36. YES!

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

First mosaic of December and just a hint toward Winter Holidays..... just a little decorating going on with my Flickr contacts. Many thanks to all the artists and photographers for sharing their work. I'm a little later than usual posting this Monday, as I've been out attempting to get a few Christmas gifts and braved the rainy dull weather. We have really noted how short the days are here, over the past several.... It is so dark in the morning and afternoon.... But looking ahead I have pots of spring bulbs starting to make their leaves, pushing through the soil, in anticipation of brighter days to come.... Although I have just a modest back garden, rented, I still try to make the most of what I have, with plenty growing in containers. An hour outside at the weekend - in sunshine - was such good therapy, a real boost. I stood and watched a long dark worm make her way across the earth, between the tips of daffodils coming through, toward my one special snowdrop just starting to emerge..... So good to just watch how things are, so simple, so often missed.... My one special snowdrop is indeed special because it is a rare variety and these days some galanthus varieties can sell for quite a few quid.... But I understand how easy it must be to get hooked, I would be if I had the income and the growing space.... I am a bit of a plant collector, in a modest way, as I have several of my favourites and they are all Winter and Spring flowers. As much as I love Summer, it is the Spring that brings the most interesting plants, for me.....

This week I have a long to-do list of things I need to do both work and personal... I've plenty of new creative ideas emerging which is a good thing! I had good news too, just recently, as I am to have some poems published in one of my favourite journals and more on that nearer the publication. I'm working on new poems for both print - and stitch, of course. I have a poem that I will stitch very soon, called 'Winter Gathering' and I hope you will like it. I think it will be interesting.... In the New Year I am going to offer you a new 'Winter Hearts' series. I'm dyeing fabrics and writing notes, in anticipation....

This week's colour is silver. Silver greys and metallics. I like a little sparkle especially combined with earthy twigs and seedpods, and fine fabrics.... I have just purchased some silver ribbon to add to a doll's dress. I'm re-dressing my vintage Rosebud dolls for the holidays. Well, I hope I get round to it some time soon.

Listening to: I'm in the mood for some Gregorian chants. Do you have Gregorian chant moods?:) Well, perhaps.... But just recently we've been listening to a lot of 'vintage 80's' Japan. That is Japan the London band lead by David Sylvian. I really enjoy Sylvian's more recent work but I do like Japan's music, especially 'Gentlemen take Polaroids' and 'Tin Drum' albums. My daughter really likes them also so she is often borrowing my ipod. I like that we can share the same music, at least some of the time.

Reading: dipping into all sorts as always.... I was re-reading the introduction to 'Revelations of Divine Love' by Julian of Norwich the other day.... the medieval interest coming through again. I'm very interested in the lives of medieval women. I'm just having a book sort-through and am going to take a few to our local Oxfam bookstore, in time for the holidays. I just don't have room for everything.

I hope you have a very good week and more soon x

shadowplay

Do you remember my charcoal drawings and shadows.... oh that was Autumn 08.... how time flies by... and now I am experimenting with today's shadows and light, with my chairs series..... This shot is my favourite so far. (I am exploring chairs as a December project)...

Today is a day of special prices in both my shops - prices will be lower today and until 10am tomorrow morning (UK time)

paintings here
stitched work and dolls here

A new poem 'Starling' - now over at nevering....

have a very good weekend..... x

lines & news about tomorrow

'a line' - a monoprint drawing... I never grow tired of drawing in this way, working in reverse to create a one of a kind print. This is a recent personal favourite and I'll be offering a new selection in the New Year.

Meanwhile....

news about tomorrow.... I am offering at least 10% discount on all items in my shops for 24 hours, starting Friday 10am and finishing 10am Saturday morning (UK time). Prices will be adjusted for 24 hours only. So if there is something you have been quietly pondering you may wish to check the discounted price. (This is not a regular feature, just an early December special offer).

Meanwhile, I am busy working on new designs and my December chairs project. More on that soon. Carolyn aka Love Stitching Red asked in a comment recently if I may explain more on my chair obsession and yes I shall soonish....

I hope to share a new poem with you tomorrow....

November into December

My November painted journal (actually four simple signatures) now completed..... The process of painting each day, mostly late in the evening, allowed me to focus..... exploring colour and texture, I found these pages became both richer in colour and grungier. I enjoyed the layering. Some pages have many layers of colour washes. A few collaged over. As a student I painted abstracts and then I moved on to figures, or rather the figures found me. This has been an interesting project for me. I'm continuing to paint in this way, and hope to share more in the future.

What now for December? When I think of December, I think of short days and chilly weather and robins singing in the frosty morning....... lights and feasts...... and playfulness and storytelling. It is the playfulness and storytelling I want to focus on this month. So one of the projects I am going to work through is 'December Chairs' of course.... Playing with scale and my obsession with chairs. I'll post here some previous and new work. (And in January I expect to offer some chair-related work for sale.)

A chair in progress on this first day of December....(yes a yoghurt pot of dilute glue is the happening thing for any artist's studio don't you know:)) Yesterday was such a gloomy wet dark day, but this morning we woke to bright clear skies and frost. White roofs and frozen flower pots. It is the final month of the year - decade. Time to collect together all inspiration for warmth and reflection....