Some of you will know that l was upset that my chance to take part in Wandsworth Open House was dashed at the last moment. Well a few days ago l learnt that an Art Gallery in Southfields ( by Wimbledon Tennis Centre) was offering a few places to Artists..l applied and l have been accepted..yippeeeeeeeee.

Went for a walk the other day and here is my collection of "Windfalls" collected. I am having so much fun!

Ragwort..beautiful colour..dangerous for horses and cattle to eat but l hope produces a wonderful colour ( which l hope l will see when l undo my latest bundles!)

 Oh look a cauldron!!! I really wish l could have afforded this £200 Victorian Cauldron....see the rust...sigh!

 More rust but l would have to have a larger house to cope with all this rust l am finding and wishing for!!! Ha!

 I have been looking for ages for a Olive Tree and look l have found one that is 200 years old!!!

On my walk yesterday l found so many fungi. I have decided that mushrooms/fungi are to dangerous to play about with when you have no proper knowledge and don't want to spent time learning!

 When we got home l found this on our porch. It is so furry..gorgeous!

The following images are the sort l take for reference when thinking about creating my embroidery. 

 I do so love Eco-dyeing......

Am opening the next bundles tomorrrow....yippeeeeeeeeee!

Look what else l do!!

I realised the other day that l had been neglecting to show my "other" Art on this blog and was just showing my Eco-dyeing(shows how totally hooked l am on eco-dyeing!) . So l thought l would put some of my "other stuff" up to show you.
With a group of friends,  we decided to put on an exhibition in St.George's hospital that would give staff and patients a distration for a while, from normal hospital duties and worries. My piece was based on "Can you match people's faces to their foot wear". I used 2 white boards and magnetic photographic images. My tutors at the time didn't like the idea but the staff and patients proved them wrong. As you will see, junior doctors were playing with the piece before l could even put it up on the wall! I had loads of wonderful comments in my book and l enjoyed the whole project too.

The next few images are of a fundraising show l was involved in. It was great fun actually and l might do it again soon. Each Artists was given between 2 and 4 square pieces of plywood ( free) and you can do what ever you like with them. Each finished piece went for £10. I sold 3 pieces..very chuffed! The one which didn't sell ( l was pleased because really l wanted it myself!) was made from items l had found wandering around a graveyard..as you do!

This one was..as you see..all about size. It went at the end of the show to a very small gentleman with a very tall wife!!!!

This was one that went too...Relax! The pipe came from The Bahamas.

The next images concerns a show l was invited to particpate created in The Wimbledon Libary gallery space. It is a beautiful space that is not used or advertised enough in my view although it does have a big problem... no wheelchair access! I had new 2 pieces in this Exhibition. First  was a triptych dealing with Self-harming entitled "Hurting". It  was created after l had run an Art session for some young women self-harmers. After the session had ended l  felt so unsettled by the session l created this piece of Art.

The piece of work in the glass cabinet is a book l created on the theme  "Modern Shrines". In the British Army there is a piece of equipment called a "Housewife"! It consists of a piece of green material into which you fold scissors, threads ect, everything you would need to mend your kit.Often l have seen soldier put a photo of a wife or child in it and sometimes a folded letter. If you look closely into the cabinet image, the green "Housewife" is next to this book. I had the idea of a portal shrine for the modern soldier. A small foldaway shrine that would fit in their pocket. It would contain words, images or maybe a letter from home ect. 

When at college l started to learn about Photoshop and one of the projects we were presented with was to create a poster to go out side a Museum,Art Gallery or some other Institution. I choice The Imperial War Museum where they have a very moving Holocaust Exhibition. On the same day l was deciding how to go about this,  an article appeared in the Guardian. This covered an incident where Jewish soldiers wrote  numbers, in felt tip pens on the arms of Jewish protests. This caused uproar with such comments as, "How could you do this to other Jews" and "Have you forgotten the Concentration Camps?" The next two images are some of the ground work l did before l started on the large poster. I am still learning about Photoshop and l think l will always  "still be learning" when l die!!! There is so much to learn.

 

These images are from my degree show which deals with lonliness and talking to strangers . There were 4 images in lightboxes and a recording to listen too.

 The last few images are from the daily photo diary l keep at http://chocolatelifeandjazz.blogspot.com. I cannot imagine living with out my camera. It is part of me and l feel strange if l do not have it on my person some where!Ha. Hope you have enjoyed this little tour of some of the other "stuff`" l do other than dye and embroider!

Waterloo station

Kew Gdns

Celebrating.

On the London Underground.

In a Ladies' Toilet somewhere in a Motorway Service Staion .

Balancing at the traffic Lights...what a skill!

This is the biggest piece of cotton l have Eco-dyed so far and am really pleased with it.

 Dyed with Ecuaylptus leaves.

 My wonderful model is my husband Tony! This is another white shirt dyed with Eucalyptus leaves only.

 This is the back of that shirt. Really love the designs created by wrapping. Have not decided if l am going to embroider this one or not.

 This is a soft cotton blouse dyed in the same dye bath and bundled together with Eucalyptus leaves, like the other items above.

Love the details on this blouse...very delicate just like the fabric itself.

This next piece is dyed with Eucalypus leaves and bits of beetroot. I felt this piece reminded me of the heat and colours of Papua New Guinea, where l once lived. I started to sew using a white thread and then realised actually l should do the whole piece in white. When l had finished it, or so l thought, it shouted at me.."I need red", when l have finished it l will show you.

 More magic being made in my dye pot!

 Bundles waiting to go into an Eucalyptus and yellow onion dye bath.

Small bundle wrapped round twig, waiting to be dyed.

 Some very old lace runners waiting to be dyed. Found a large box of these in a junk shop..so happy to find them.

 Eucalyptus leaves and bath brewing! can you smell it from there!!!? Ha

 More bundles waiting..these are some Blue Gum leaves found at The Britism Museum's Australia Display! Hope it may dye blue..fingers crossed!

Teabags having been used for a dye bath, now being dried so l can use the empty bags in my Art! ....nothing is ever wasted!

 Here are some of my finished embroiderd Eco-dyed pieces waiting to be ironed.