My work: the 4 day sketchbook

Fom the 4 day sketchbook, 1991

Infleunced by cross-sections of plant stems under a microscope.

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.

My work: the 4 day sketchbook

Another page from The 4 Day Sketchbook, 1991

And some black and white details, I lost the fine lines on digitising. This one is a bit of a cheat, I hadn't actually finished some of the repeated parts so I filled them in. Felt good to complete it, I think I'll do that with more things in future.

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.

Chive sketch

Another page from that old garden sketchbook...

Tagged 7 things- Jade & Milla

I've been tagged by Milla of Made by Milla and Jade of Spectrescope (click their names to see their response to the 7 Things tag). I planned to blog about Jade in April and about Milla in May so this seems like the ideal opportunity to say a bit about them before listing my 7 things.

Jade Pegler of Spectrescope lives in Wollongong, Australia (coincidence - I nearly went there to do a residency after my degree). I strayed upon her blog by accident a few months ago and immediately fell in love with her work. She uses the kinds of papers that I love working with; creamy colours, clothing patterns, book pages, all intricately layered, folded, illustrated, made into books or sculpted. Paper heaven.


Jade Pegler, Crumpling & Small sculpture

Do you remember me getting excited about Origami Crumpling last year? Well she crumples in an organic, scultpural way that I far prefer to the very geometric perfection that most of the 'technical' crumplers were doing, and she photographs her pieces well. She's another person who's studio space I could spend hours on end exploring and never get bored.


Jade Pegler, work on paper


Jade Pegler, detail from 'The Mechanical Equitant'
See full piece and read more here

Camilla of Made by Milla is a seriously busy person, I've said a little about her before but I don't know if I had pics? The following three are my favourites...


Made by Milla, Self Portrait, Calico, paper, stitching


Made by Milla, St Werb's poster.


Made by Milla, Bluetit screenprint

Milla has her finger in so many pies I don't know how she keeps up with it all. Milla, you probably would say you don't keep up, but I reckon you're doing a pretty well (planning to send you some of my images to order badges in summer). She paints, sews, prints, curates, has an allotment AND she's studying. I'm tired just typing it all. Oh, and she's the only person I know who also likes Kimya Dawson, 'Hold My Hand' is one of the saddest but most powerful and beautifully sung songs ever.

Ok, it's getting late and I have to get this posted before I conk out so here goes. I have to reveal 7 things about myself and then tag 7 of you. The last tag I responded to was 6 odd things where I think I maybe did seem quite odd, so this time I've gone with some simpler things:

1. I'm 5ft 7inches tall and have UKsize 8 feet (Euro42)
2. If I feel sick I watch science fiction to distract my mind
3. I hate wool next to my skin, but tolerate merino for the warmth.
4. I like to lie in long grass in the sun and watch tiny insects going about their business.
5. I'm very shy, but once I feel at ease you can't shut me up.
6. I can't eat first thing in the morning, unless it's chocolate
7. I hate seeing food dribble on people's necks.

That Oasis add where the juice goes all over his face, eurgh, hate it. I freak out if anything sticky, like juice or jam gets on my neck. When I was about 14 I mentioned my dislike to my mum and she confessed that when I was a baby, and she was a first time mum, she didn't know that babies have folds in their skin and it was a few weeks (or more? I must ask again) before she realised I'd had food gathering in my neck crease and it had gone foosty and made my skin all horrible.

Now, since I was tagged twice, I thought I'd give you another 7, this time I'm theming it, 'things I never cease to be amazed or excited by, no matter how old I get'...
1. Seeing big blue dragonflies at a pond
2. Meeting foxes in the middle of the night
3. Watching November meteor showers
4. Playing on tree swings
5. Eating nutty chocolate
6. Finding a major bargain in thrift shops
7. Being listened to and believed

I forgot about tagging 7 of you. I'm so tired, I can't face double checking who's been tagged and who's not, can you tag yourselves and let me know in the comments? I do hope so. Got to get some sleep now. Have a great weekend.