Close up in brown tones

My parents bought me a proper camera and close up lens (60mm Macro lens) so I've been enjoying getting up close to with around the house. So keen for warm weather and garden delights to get amongst though I'll still need my trusty old compact for wider angle shots.

Wyatt Ellison - Bear Head & Boulders

Wyatt Ellison - Bear Head and Boulders, on Etsy

We don't have bears here, but it certainly has been wild. Storm force Gales 100 mile an hour winds, power cuts. I'm embarrassed by how dependent I am on having internet access. I can manage without food, heat, money and do ok but take away my broadband and I feel lost. So glad it's back.

Flower arranging

I thought it looked like a butterfly wing so I did some playing...

Or maybe a moth...

Paul Beelen - jewellery

Paul Beelen: Brooch - Untitled 2006. Maple, amethyst, white pearl


Paul Beelen: Brooch - Untitled 2006. Maple, crystal

There is something deeply satisfying about whittling away at a piece of wood, letting the form reveal itself as you work. I think that's what attracts me to the sculptural wooden jewellery of Paul Beelen found via Klimt02. I'll add my wood carvings to the list of 'things I really must photograph and show on my blog one day'.


Paul Beelen: Ring - Untitled 2006. Maple, malachite


Paul Beelen: Ring - Untitled 2006. Maple, jasper

Foliage and a fish

Old wood

Beautifully weather worn old wood.

My trip - clue No. 2b

In the garden

Hydrangea

We're having a lot of blustery weather here, severe winds knocked both fences down the other day so the garden suddenly feels really exposed. In the brief calm, dry moments I'm making more effort to use my camera again.

Hens and hot air

I'm too sore to sleep so I little post seems a fitting distraction and a chance to edit some Christmas photo's. It was strange being at my parent's house on Christmas day but having no energy to 'be busy'. Instead I had time to notice things I'd made around the house. One shelf had Christmas cards I'd made, one was about 20yrs old and was painted on fabric, Id forgotten it completely until that moment. Then there was a collage card I did for Mum on the back of an envelope...




Card for Mum's birthday - old envelope, pen, felt tip, pencil, tape, tracing paper

Above are some badly photographed images of a birthday card I made for mum. I saw some cute chickens on Flickr and knew my mum would like them illustrated and patterned. As is often the case, it didn't turn out as I'd planned in my head so I thought it was shit, but I knew my mum would like it. Seeing it framed I quite like it now. It's like finding old folio pieces, you see them with fresh eyes and can appreciate them for what they are, instead of worrying what they were meant to be. Like so many things in life, we should enjoy things more at the time.

Another card that was a disappointment to me, but a hit with everyone else was for my Dad's birthday which has just passed. I had planned an elaborate papercut but with my muscles as they are it became clear (by 4.30am on his birthday, through tears and frustration) that I simply just can't do even basic paper cutting just now.

Instead I did a layered cut out card of their house, with the fields and rowan tree, each on different layers, with a hot air balloon attached by a pin so it swings when the card is moved. We got him a hot air balloon trip for his birthday, though he can't take it till later in the year. We all plan to go on it with him but until then the card will be the reminder of what is to come...


Card for Dad - photocopies on cereal boxes

My work: Pic 'n' Mix 1990/94

Seed pods, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens 1992


'Quality' 1992, word based layered image
cartridge paper, tissue, tape, acetate, charcoal, ink, dictionary photocopies

I found some old plastic sleeves with photo's in them. I only took very quick snaps so you can see the reflections of light and my red top. You can click to see them larger, though they are very fuzzy.


Various Pieces from the early 90's

As well as these pics from an old file, I also found some contact sheets of other work including the following two, the 1st is a very large recycled copper pod, the second is phase one of a perpetual calendar which got left in a locker at college along with a whole ton of other work because I forgot the combination on the lock!


Copper Pod and Perpetual Calendar, 1993/94

I was so stressed after the Ceramics Dept. broke my degree show pieces that I gave up on the ceramics aspect and forgot about the locker entirely. When I returned the next year they had been emptied, so it was quite a treat to find I had a photo of this half made. I still have the little carved wax animals that were going to be cast as part of this piece, it was all tied in to animals on a medicine wheel.

I was researching moon lore and mythology which related to a lot of my work. In doing so I found out my animal totem was a Wolf and, given my love of wolves, I got a bit side-tracked by the book Earth Medicine. Reading the description of 'wolves' (Birth date Feb 19 -March 20) was the clearest most accurate description of myself I have ever read, both the good and the bad aspects of my personality. I must look it out again and see if I've changed since then.

My work: papercut + the 4 day sketchbook

Drawing from the 4 day sketchbook, 1991.
And one part of a multi layered papercut that was developed from it, showimg shadows cast from another layer...

My work: the 4 day sketchbook

strange forms, from the 4 day sketchbook 1991
(accidentally cropped the bottom off)

Mr P has been great today enabling me to get a solid day of rest, and a few blog visits which was lovely. I think he was happy for me to stay in bed giving him free reign over my TV, 2 big football matches and 1 big rugby match. He was very content.

Even my mum was quite sweet when we went to visit my uncle together. As I shuffled like an arthritic pensioner, clasping my middle as if I didn't trust banks and had all my worldly goods stuffed in the top of huge high waisted knickers, she joked (kindly) that people around the hospital would think she was visiting me and taking me out for rehabilitation. It's nice when she's motherly, maybe what has happened with my uncle has softened her. Or simply made my health seem less like something to freak out about. Either way I hope it continues.

I got 2hrs sleep but have woken again. Luckily Mr P pulled the broadband cable through so I can read blogs from bed till sleep returns.

Brown down the back track

Huge cones

If you go down to the woods today...







The hedge is gone :0(
But the new fence is pretty good compared to what was originally proposed. It's a good height and there is enough soil to get some nice thing growing up it over time. Till then, we shall just have to appreciate the birds further afield in places with huge cones and lovely grasses.

Sketchbook - belly stones early 90's

Also found the other week were sketchbooks from the days when I made ceramic 'belly' stones. I sent Paula a photo of the actual stones but it's very blurry so I'm hoping to find some the originals and re-photograph them one day. They each had words impressed in the top of the clay, mainly to do with my concerns about fertility, menstrual cycles, the pull of the moon etc.




Vanessa, missing you and all my regular blog reads, can't wait till I have time to read again and so much hope the summer is good for you all Re. your question - nope, the flooring is at Mr P's house, my own house renovations have ground to a complete halt for a while, but project managing Mr P has been fulfilling some of my home improvement urges and it's lovely to see him starting to care about his own home and his own way of living.

Flooring

It's done, it's done!
The floor is finally laid in Mr P's room, and not a moment too soon as K arrives in 44hrs. See the cat as he climbs over the dangerously trailing extension cable... no time to re-wire! Still lots and lots to do, the original contents of that room are piled all over the house and goodness only knows where to put them all. But hey, who cares about that, finally there is a room where the cat shows up for photographs. Have fun on the weekend.

Seed Project 1992 - seed bundle

Seed Project 1992

Melanie, just for you, I had one more photo I took last week when I found the old portfolio. Some time in the future I'm sure I'll stumble on the full collection (there were 100's) and show more.

I remember swooning when I found this because they were held in a net and nets were such a key part of my work at the time. I'm a bit obsessed with nets really, to the annoyance of Mr P who isn't even allowed to throw out the net bags that fruit, onions and garlic come in.

I used to collect old fishing nets washed up on the beach (especially the blue ones) and after a trip to a museum in Germany I became fascinated with the craft of net making. Plus it tied in so nicely with my love of macramé, well, I was a 70's child after all and loved nothing more than going through my granny's macramé magazine's and making hanging plant pot holders. I started making a huge macramé room divider when I first moved to my new house but quickly realised I would need mountain and mountains of string, so I just hung lace panels instead. I still hoard string so maybe one day I'll have enough to make it.

Ok back to work, the floor is still not laid, wah, unforseen problems etc. but fingers crossed there will be progress today.

Seed Project 1992 - alien seeds

Some seed photo's from my studies at the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens in '92. I had never seen anything like these before, the ones above (8 in the original photo) look like little bats heads, or aliens (Yoda/E.T.), and are responsible for some of my stranger looking artworks. Crappy picture quality, I must get my negatives digitised.

Wet & wood & hot food

The smell from this Scots pine wood pile is divine.


Lasercut Skate Deck originally uploaded by Refill Seven

Thanks for the well wishes, I'm I'm continuing to look after myself.

The 7th month usually means summer for us but things here have been cold, wet and gray all week. I prefered when we had thunder as then at least the sky was interesting. There is something so opressive about this heavy blank sky low cloud (the hills are all missing again).

I had to put the heating back on today as it is now the same temperature as it was in December '03 when I moved into my house. I've resisted 'till now as it seems so un-green but I can't feel my hands and feet. When I went to the dentist* on thursday I had to wear late autumn clothes, usually my summer check-up involves me plotting a route where I can walk in the shadow of trees and buildings because it is too hot for me. *No dental dramas thankfully. They give scores now, I got 95 out of 100 so my obsessive flossing is paying off.

Banana, raspberry & mango milkshake before...

and the view as I wait for those last drops at the end...


Mr P is at a wedding in Bristol today. It's the second event he's had down there in 2 weeks and both times I've had to cancel my chance of going down too as I'm still not well enough. The plan was that I would have a holiday-ish time while he went to his events but now I'm glad I was too sick as it's done nothing but rain rain rain. The groom's sister & brother-in-law, and also the best man, missed the wedding because they were stuck on motorways in yet more floods. Mr P only had to step in for the registry and witnessing part but the best man arrived in time for the speeches at the reception and the family arrived later. The weather folk say there is no sign of the rain stopping in the next few days.

Sorry, such a miserable post! The weather is getting me down, I need sunshine and blue skies to help me get better and to pe me up through this allergy diet. Pretty much everything I've grown to eat in the garden has been destroyed or stunted by the weather and that is getting me down a bit too, my veg and fruit growth usually bring me so much pleasure. Anyway, I'll probably do pictures not words sporadically 'till things improve. And on that note, some steamed carrot I'm about to add to my hot wintery dinner with mashed potato. They echo the wood pile at the start of the post...