Oasis of calm

This is definitely the best time of year for my little garden.

(BBQ thing is ugly, though - and I keep thinking it's a "person" doing a spot of weeding)

And this morning's rain has perked things up, made the leaves shiny again, and will hopefully be plumping up the courgettes. Yes, I know there is a dead thing in a terracotta pot, but apart from that I think it's all looking good. Even the rambling rose has made it as far as the roof of the little house, which itself is nearly completely lost in the shrubbery...the little house which is no longer pretending to be a studio, btw, and now houses Mr G's midlife crisis/desperate clinging onto youth miniature train layout.

Looking out over the garden at breakfast is my oasis of calm at the moment. Everything else is a "bit mad". For example, this is my actual studio space. 

It looks like this because I've only been at home long enough to dump stuff down, then go again. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I have, however, spent a lot of time in here this week:

The conference room full of City & Guilds work to assess and grade! Yes, bribes in cake form have been promised to the students in return for such a wonderful collection of work. Cross everything that the External Verifier thinks it's wonderful too...

Once this madness is over on Wednesday evening, some sort of normal creating and blogging service will resume. It had better do, as Art Trail is in less than a month...

Back soon!

Into gear

It's that time of year, and I can't really believe it's come round again so quickly.

My weekdays are now mostly occupied with exam invigilation. Due to the increasing numbers of students using computers, it's all slightly more complicated than just standing at the back trying not to yawn, handing out pencils, and seeing if I can blag a GCSE or two! But there are the occasional quiet moments, and I can surreptitiously jot down ideas for Art Trail.

Yes, Uckfield Art Trail is now less than two months away and I need to stir my stumps. And as always, I'm pushed for time due to the exam season! I've also got to see my ladies through and out the other side of their City and Guilds, and I don't know who's more scared, them or me! A first for us all, but I'm sure all will be well, as their work is a-m-a-z-i-n-g!

Anyhoo, I've made a start. I have ideas, I have scribbles, and I have started to piece fabric. 

(Sorry about the rubbish photo, it was late and dark outside!)

I can't say exactly where this is going, and it may not even make the cut, but starting is the hardest thing and so now I have!

I'm particularly inspired by nests and pods at the moment, as well as the usual leaves and spirals, and playing with wire and vessels in class the other week started to spark lots of ideas...

I went to see the hugely inspirational PRISM exhibition in London today, and on the train home I made myself write notes about what I liked, and why. I then went and bought 8 stretched canvases for new work (which I had to carry around London in my quest for a Chinese newspaper, don't ask) and yesterday I even sent the Art Trail people my Artist's Statement and the details for my CD weaving workshop.

SO now I've laid down the gauntlet by stating what I'm doing, I've nailed my inspiration, I've gathered the raw materials and today I found the motivation to get going and start making.

Oh, you mean I have to stitch something now?!