The canvas 1

Today, the day has been spent waiting for paint and glue to dry. This is why I prefer textiles, no waiting for stuff to dry/set/cure or generally be ready for the next stage. Straight on to the next bit once something is done.

I'm working on some test canvases for the Growth project, which is the main project for college and has a deadline of November 11th. I may manage it, but it will be cutting it very close.

So far I've tried paint first then collage on top, collage first then paint on top and now I'm going to give stitching on top a try. Working towards a slightly different approach which, I hope, will look the best.

Here are some progress pics. Let me know whet you think, but be gentle with me I'm having a rather annoying day with it all. it's not doing what I wanted it to do. The words bugger arse and poo chops come to mind!

Need to update my sketchbook for this project and then get my sewing machine out. I'm looking forward to that cos it's been a while since I played with my machine. Yummyness will abound.

I'm more in the mood for making and playing with books. Must.....remain.....focused......or ....will.....lose......way. Or I may turn into Captain Kirk! Oops, the geek popped out there, I'll just.......push her back into the the cupboard. *Slams door and locks it securely* Right she's safely out of the way for now, not sure how she keeps getting out of there unless she's got a sonic screwdriver in there with her! Oh bugger it's catching!

Annnnnnnywayyyyyyy! Back to the focused self, sketchbook, tidying and sewing! Yay! The problem I am having is that other things are always distracting me and maybe I just have to accept that this is probably the way I work, with a lot of preplanning, thinking and general navel gazing prior to actually getting down to it and doing something. Or maybe I just need to be more disciplined. I'll get back to you on that one.

Just need to get these pictures looking tidy for my blog. I'm not sure that it will work, but I can try. At last, after about 5 minutes of fiddling, got them to line up tidy like. Right, publish and back to the desk of doom.

As for the pics, they don't look much at them mo, but shortly will be rather good. Honest, I'm not sh**ting you. They have to be good, cos I'm submitting at least three of them for the Winter Open at the Clocktower, NGH, which of course everyone will be attending won't they? Please? Ta, love you all. Mwah!

THE Book 1

As an experiment, I wanted to alter a book, being much impressed with how others create things of beauty and form from old books. And as usual I took on something way bigger than a beginner should.

The theme of the book is religion. Nice, simple, non-controversial subject. Ahem. Ok......so....I kind of did it again. It's like the corset all over again. Oops. So far I have been fiddling with bookbinding and photoshopping and trying to find tales, myths, parables and stories from all of the major religions which are basically the same story. I have 65 two page spreads to fill with stories illustrated in my own(ish) style(ish)! The good news is that many of the stories are multi-parters, so I may get away with 8 to 10 stories. Not THAT many then.

Beginning with creation then. Nice easy place to start. Except which creation story to tell? Christian, Greek myth, Aboriginal, Chinese? I'll get back to you on that. They do, however, all begin with darkness and chaos.

In the meantime, I have sorted out the cover for the book. It involved a lot of patience. And glue. And photoshop.What do you think?

Answers on a postcard marked "FAO: the complete raving lunatic woman who thinks she has talent".