not collages

Three versions of a not collage (as Olga put it!) today. It's interesting and useful to take photos as I go - that one step's remove seems to clarify the image and helps me to consider/evaluate it.

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Can you tell I really like this dark blueish/black circle?!

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offcuts

I took this photo of spiky offcuts on Tuesday - the last time the sun shone round here. I can't show you yesterday or today's collages as light levels have just been too low.

I find the designing for my tapestries really very hard - much harder than the simplicity of the work might suggest! As I was explaining to a friend recently I have tendancy to stop as soon as I have something I think is worth weaving and weave it. I never get into any kind of rhythm or habit of drawing/collaging and that just makes it even more difficult and anxiety provoking to re-start each time.

So - I have set myself the task of carrying on with these ephemeral collages until the end of the month - not giving in to the temptation to glue anything down or weave. The fact that the collages are just taken apart as soon as they're made does make them feel quite different - if they don't work it doesn't matter - it's really quite freeing. It would do me good to keep this as part of my daily practice.

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polka dot trees

Mistletoe grows really well here. I pass these spotty trees on my daily walk and they always make me smile.




Am collaging every day. No glue though - I cut and place my papers, move stuff around, photograph it, take it apart again and on to the next one. It's an occupational hazard to get too precious about things when you're a tapestry weaver and I'm trying hard to break the habit.

january sun

Thank heavens for sun in January...

market day

Need any knives, scissors, sickles or scythes sharpening? That's what this man with his Heath Robinsonesque - mostly made from old bikes - machine was doing. And here I am posting his photo on the internet. It kind of does my head in...!

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Starting to collage again, enjoying playing with colour, wishing I had more coloured papers...

Everything is frozen around here including the International Blue String!

Jo Barker has a solo show at the Scottish Gallery until 31st January. There is a catalogue available from the gallery if you're nowhere near Edinburgh. If you are though, you could combine it with a visit to the Henry Moore textiles show at the Dovecote Studios .

2008

Some favourite photos from 2008

weaving

sort of!