deirdre nelson

2012-01-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

2012 has started really well with being successful in applying for a Making Moves residency with Craftspace at Jephson Gardens in Leamington Spa. I will research and develop new work , work with a local group and mentor recent graduate Stewart Easton .

Later in spring I will be starting a residency on the Isle of Mull in Scotland with An Tobar and creating new work as a result of research into contemporary communities on Mull .

I also have started one to one jewellery making sessions at The School of Jewellery with Alison Macleod and am beginning to experiment with ideas relating to a project 'The Kildas' exploring St Kildas in Scotland, Melbourne Australia + Dunedin, New Zealand.

Watch this space for recycled silver coins and saintly medals!

2011-12-29T09:26:00.000-08:00

Gin socks

Shetland wool, silk

2005

Gin Socks and Football will be on exhibit at WOW at Gallery@Rheged 14th January - 15th April . The concept for the WOW was developed by artists, Trevor Pitt and Rachael Matthews and the WOW exhibition has been curated by Trevor Pitt.

Gin Socks : In Shetland in 1700's women knit socks in winter and when the dutch fishing boats came in they would barter their knitted socks for gin.

3 socks = 1 pint of gin.

2011-12-07T05:48:00.001-08:00

White' at Porte Peinte. France 10th December - 20 March2012.

2011-12-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

My 'Emotionally embroidered shirt' ( patience ) is now on exhibit in 'White' at Porte Peinte . Burgundy. France December - February 2012.

"when I saw Deirdre Nelsons cabinet of emotionally embroidered shirts I laughed out loud. for anyone craving empathy, it was a delightful surprise: three exquisitely hand embroidered shirts – a blow against corporate uniformity and the machine age – decorated with hidden flowers inside the collar, daisy for patience, rosa eglanteria for compassion, pasque flower for empathy. and in many ways it was an emblem for this show"

jerwood contemporary makers review by Liz Hoggard 2008

2011-11-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

Craft in Dialogue
Dovecot Studios 4th November - 26 November

An exhibition celebrating the work of all of the makers who have received craft development bursaries from the Inches Carr Trust since it was established in 1996. Including a diverse range of work and showcasing many of Scotland’s leading craft practitioners.The purpose of the bursaries is to help established artists develop their skills or research a particular aspect of their practice.

I have exhibited work produced on residency at IASKA in 2008, a series of 'historically modified crops' . A piece of text by Christos Tsiolkas accompanies the work and both works on exhibit present commentary from both resident and visitor to Australia.

While on residency in rural Western Australia in 2008 , I became overwhelmed by the scale of things ; the landscape ,land use and troubled social history of such a vast country . My focus turned to the 'small' things such as the leaves and flowers of Eucalyptus , a tree which retains enormous cultural significance to the Indigenous traditional owners of the country. Sheep, wheat farming and gold mining are referenced in material choice and those materials are affected by salt ( salination ) , rain and sun to express the extremes of both weather and land use. The embroidered and written work presents commentary from both resident and visitor to Australia.

They say this is the wild west.

They say this is the back of beyond.

They say this is Out. Back. The back of Bourke. My friends and I joke, Nah, it is the back of Bulgaría.

But it is not.

This is not my country. I am fearful of this country. I am scared but I am also awed.

This is not my country, whatever my passport says. My citizenship is not enough to make me feel at home.

Country, they say, is the land that is home.

Country is a defintion for land that is not urban.

Country is a synonym for the nation state.

Country is the blackfella word for ‘my place’.

Country is a whitefella term for myth of origin.

Country is Hank Williams breaking my heart singing I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.

I am fearful of belonging to this country.

But any other sun, any other light; they’re not mine. The smells here are mine, the harshness of the wind and the vastness of the oceans.

Somewhere between the desert and a Hank Williams song on the radio, that’s my country.

Christos Tsiolkas

2011-11-03T03:41:00.000-07:00

aran 0.5
re purposed Ebay aran jumper

Modern Languages Exhibition is now at National Craft gallery of Ireland . Kilkenny until 11th February 2012

'Modern Languages presents the work of five international artists and designers with varying relationships to Ireland. The exhibition focuses on the adoption and corruption of traditional craft practice and repositions the Irish vernacular to convey meanings that are dictated less by historic provenance and more by the personal objectives and narratives of the makers.'

Curated by Katy West

barántúil blog http://barantuil.tumblr.com/

Irish Times Article HERE

PDF catalogue HERE

2011-10-25T10:19:00.001-07:00

football to commemorate Anne Geary of Cobh Co Cork .

( keen football fan, fisherwoman and knitter for Cobh Knitwear )

2011-10-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

contemporary souvenir Sirius Arts Centre . Cobh . Co Cork

2011-10-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Installing Contemporary Souvenir todayat Sirius Arts Centre. Cobh. Co Cork . Sun light streaming into the gallery is calming the exhibition nerves.

2011-10-12T04:40:00.000-07:00

one duck

ceramic. hand stitched lace

contemporary souvenir

2011-10-10T16:17:00.001-07:00

2011-10-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

I am getting organised with lables and additional information to support Contemporary Souvenir exhibition in Cobh. Each piece made relates to a location within Cobh so I have been playing around with maps and symbols.

2011-10-06T03:21:00.000-07:00

Things have been quiet on the blog front as I have been busy getting work ready for Contemporary Souvenir a solo exhibition at Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh Co Cork. Ireland. I was lucky to do two residencies there and now the resulting work will be on exhibit 14th October - 13th November.

With an interest in social history I have explored the colourful town of Cobh and its stories of lace makers, knitters, ships, emigration, and the sea . I attended lace making classes with local groups in order to learn techniques and to hear new stories. Many stories uncovered were of sinking ships (Titanic and Luisitania ) and of emigration. With an interest in presenting positive stories of the area and its people, Contemporary souvenir will present a series of positive 'souvenirs' for Cobh playing with the colour and characters of the area .

Amongst the works is a Sailors hat with a map embroidered on the top and a bowler hat to celebrate the visit of Laurel and Hardy to the town and the playing of their theme tune on Cobh cathedral carillon. A knitted football celebrates Anne Geary a local woman part of a knitting co-operative who traveled following the world cup in her later years .

A series of deck chairs have been made in collaboration with Anne Kiely ( printed textile artist living in Cork). These are created with imagery and stories of Cobh and the visitor is encouraged to sit upon them and look out to sea .

2011-08-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

This week I have had an unusual residency . A 24 Hour residency sleeping over at Dovecot Studios as part of the Edinburgh International Festival . The micro residency was featured in The times . (Text below ) I tweeted throughout the night @dstitch and blogged at kantha sleepover

"Cramming as many shows into the shortest possible time has long been an Edinburgh International Festival tradition. It is fitting, then, that an artist in residence at the festival this year condensed her project into just 24 hours.
Deirdre Nelson, who works with textiles and new media, spent a day and night at the Dovecot Studios, sleeping in the main hall of the gallery which was once a Victorian swimming pool.
She blogged and tweeted about the experience, taking pictures and lifting snippets from the internet as she heard the sounds of the city outside. At 10.30pm there were the fireworks from the Tattoo; at 3am there was the sound of the bottle bins; at 5am there was the squawk of the seagulls and the drunken song of a group of lads heading home from nightclubs.
Nelson’s work is also on show as part of the gallery’s Heirlooms exhibition throughout the festival. She had spent time in India with traditional weavers who taught her the art of kantha — quilt embroidery from rags, usually old saris. The pieces were used traditionally either as bed covers or to wrap everyday objects. Nelson used what she had learnt to make covers for modern objects — iPads, iPhones, USB sticks. Each carries a code that can be scanned on a smartphone to connect to an online exhibit linked to the physical one — for example, a video of the images that she has embroidered.
“What I wanted to do was to not make something specifically Indian,” she said of her display, which is called Repository of Memory.
“I think people sometimes come back and make very Indian-looking work. I wanted to make something contemporary rather than ethnic.”
Nelson, who is originally from Ireland but is now based in Glasgow, used old jeans and a T-shirt — the latter was bought on the British high street but made in Bangladesh.
The graduate from the Glasgow School of Art said: “I tweet a lot and do a lot of social networking as well as traditional embroidery and textiles. Roanne Dods [the deputy director of Dovecot] invited me to do a residency and we thought about a blogging, tweeting residency.”
Both women spent the night in the gallery surrounded by looms, threads and installations.
On the Kanthasleepover blog Nelson has posted the boyhood recollections of a regular at the pool. “On the Friday night my Ma would send us to infirmary Street baths for a plunge (bath) as we had no inside baths or toilets in Arthur Street. I think it cost 3 pence in old money.
“You’d get a towel and a bar of carbolic soap. It stank. The man running the plunges was miserable. He’d shout, ‘Come on, your time is up, you’ve been in there for hours’.”
The artist hopes the blog, and her experiences creating it, can become the basis for more extensive work.
“I was only there for one night but I’ve had so many ideas,” she said.
“I’m very interested in social history so I think there could be lots I could work with.”

by Lindsay McIntosh

2011-08-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

repository of memory: passport cover

Each piece in Repository of Memory in Heirlooms exhibition has a QR code which when scans relates to relevent posts on http://durjani.tumblr.com/. An i-phone cover is embroidered with imagery relating to date palm sugar popular in West bengal and code links to a recipe for Date Chutney

2011-08-04T04:04:00.000-07:00

repository of memory I-pad cover

Heirlooms at Dovecot Studios as part of Edinburgh International Festival is now open 4th August - 4th September

you can listen to a podcast HERE
more info HERE also

2011-07-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

its been a busy year and in February i had the opportunity to travel to Kolkata in connecton with Heirlooms exhibition at Dovecot Studios and Edinburgh International festival . It was an amazing experience and i had the opportunity to visit crafts centres with the crafts council of west bengal. As as result of this i am now making a body of work to be exhibited at dovecot studios 4th August - 4th September as part of Heirlooms.

With an interest in the traditional technique of Kantha stitch, a series of functional Kanthas have been made which reference the wrapping and protecting of everyday objects. Imagery has been gathered from a recent research trip to West Bengal through photographs and video stills. The imagery has been combined with drawings in collaboration with St John Vianny School in Edinburgh (through a series of workshops with Edinburgh International Festival.) In a collection of functional stitched textiles, ‘Repository of memory’ fuses the traditional skills of Kantha with contemporary reference to rapidly growing Information Technology in India. Each piece is accompnaied with QR code which can be scanned by mobile phone to link to online content.

I have been posting images , ideas and video on http://durjani.tumblr.com/

2011-07-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

barántúil (adj) = authentic

Barántúil is a collection of textiles by Deirdre Nelson. These have been created for Modern Languages exhibition curated by Katy West for the National Craft Gallery. A series of 'authentic' products have been made which play with ideas generated from research into Irish Textiles such as aran knit and lace.

Each piece has a QR code Lable which when scanned links to barantuil blog and background information on each work.

2011-07-01T14:00:00.001-07:00

a knitted money box + sock inspired by a play + a repurposed Ebay aran jumper + an Ikea hacked matress cover = barantuil ( authentic) a collection of new work for Modern Languages exhibtion opening Galway City Museum 12th July.

2011-06-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have just completed work for Modern Languages an exhibition curated by Katy West with National Craft Gallery in Ireland.

Curated by Katy West, Modern Languages (re-interpreting the Irish vernacular) presents the work of Nao Matsunaga, Laura Mays, Deirdre Nelson, Ciara Phillips & Barbara Ridland. Coming from Ireland, Scotland, Canada and Japan, these artists offer new interpretations of traditional Irish craft.

The exhibition explores the relationships between indigenous Irish craft and contemporary international creative practice. It focuses on the intentional adoption and corruption of craft practices within the artist’s work; each adapts elements of the Irish vernacular to convey meanings that are no longer dictated by historic provenance but by their own personal interests and motives.

Modern Languages will be at the National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny from the 22nd of October - 11th of January 2012

2011-06-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

word exchange at The Book Shop Wigtown

wii free finds a place on a book shelf below science fiction

2011-06-04T04:15:00.000-07:00

Malawian word 'sukulu' ( school) lurks in the bookshelves of the Book Shop in Wigtown. 24 words were deposited around the book shop on exhibition allowing visitors to come across them when browsing .

2011-05-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

The Ebay auction is doing well with Serendipity in the lead and red , bubble and fanny following closeby .

2011-05-30T03:30:00.000-07:00

word exchange @ The Book Shop Wigtown

Word Exchange at The Book Shop Wigtown

Words have been embroidered onto cloth and are being exchanged for new words to add to the collection. The words are accompanied by by a needle and thread and can then be stitched onto something of choice.

bamboozle exchanged for -------------purple

oxter -------------------------------------------pinkie

gazebo----------------------------------------dictionary

shambolic------------------------------------scrumptious

swan ------------------------------------------cookie

banter------------------------------------------smashing

crimson----------------------------------------cerulean

amazing---------------------------------------chthonic

skelly-------------------------------------------sextant

stooshie---------------------------------------wandering

fankle-------------------------------------------swither

2011-05-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

Wordbespoke auction NOW LIVE

'serendipity' overtakes Red , with Fanny ,Scarlet, Sukulu and Aubergine lagging behind

2011-05-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

essence

photography by Alison Marr

check all words online at Ganets Adventure School site

2011-05-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

contentment

photograph by Alison Marr

'Contentment' is getting ready to be released into the world. With the help of photographer Alison Marr and Steve McInerney , the words are being prepared for Ebay

Let the bidding begin – online!

The eBay auction of words will begin at 7pm on 26th May 2011, and will end at noon on 5th June 2011. The reserve price for every artwork will be just £5, so you could pick up an original piece of art for next to nothing! All profits go to Ganet’s Adventure School Fund.

Follow highlights of the bidding on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ganetsadventure

The listings will be posted on our eBay page at http://bit.ly/wordbespoke-charity as soon as they go live.

2011-05-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

Get set to bid on your favourite words in an eBay auction!

Wigtown words team up with Gannets Adventure School in Malawi

The pupils of Ganet’s Adventure School in Malawi came up with a whopping list of 1,254 words in English and Chichewa, which they whittled down to their favourite 20, some of which will be in the auction. Over 700 favourite words were also chosen by writers and festival-goers at Wigtown Book Festival 2010, a selection of these will be in the auction too.

The artworks will be on display from 28-30 May at The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland, as part of the Spring Fling arts festival.

Let the bidding begin – online!

The eBay auction of words will begin at noon UK time on Saturday 28 May 2011, and will end at noon on Saturday 4 June 2011. The reserve price for every artwork will be just £5, so you could pick up an original piece of art for next to nothing! All profits go to Ganet’s Adventure School Fund.

Follow highlights of the bidding on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ganetsadventure

The listings will be posted on our eBay page at http://bit.ly/wordbespoke-charity as soon as they go live.

2011-05-11T03:04:00.000-07:00

word exchange

Words are being prepared for a 'word exchange' at the Book Shop in Wigtown.Visitors can come along and exchange words .Words can be the stitched onto something of choice

gusset shambolic gerrymandering serendipity skelly fusionless fankle slithering pugnacious phlegm mega bert loquacious banter propititious swither hunky-dory fleek calipigious dreich sapphire turnpined raging think scunner horses phantasmagoria peace guddle ballistic veer corrieneukin cadaverous smackered stooshie backerties pish sustain bigjessie heebyjeeby fanny cheese penis fantouche multicultural maybe swan amazing supercalafragilistic atlantean bibliophile mummy family fragrant seaside son marmaleise wifey festoon thanks love dick moss two chocolate gorgeous whimbel gay still ambit circumnavigate springtime television fecund pillywalley adrenalin discombobulated chutzpah spatula cardigan tintinnabulation foxed area wonder lagom mooncalf sinister fractious fricative velvet pithy stumour eedjit reinverdire nuance fractious lagom paul sumptuous gooey feline bacherties crapulous zombie glaikit slightly gricer mawdlet flange crimson buarach chemical cackle sylphlike bailar chemical fink aubergine frabjous palimpsest stooshie lurcher pallid tropical skelf phosphorescent discharge elemental moist flaccid strathspey haughmagandy somnolent brother iconic thistles skeelish bumptious cool mega idiot stupid jaybob beast mental hard tatties tattiescones crazy magpie doodoo weird dumdee dog looloo sam scream poo fancat leave backflip sumsum fluffy crop zang oompaloompa collector mummamia OMG ribena shing!!! word spectacular brilliant zang bob soisant amazing bakarule squidgy sport horse crazy great zippy guitar beautiful believe sheep fun chocolate hey fansheeptastic sup awesome sausages cheese hightops singer muppet water friend weird mam weeble gruesome scrubdub bong princess cake love football ozzy scribble clipclop hello tara binbag wahoo oliver food zap wicked chumchumadoo lettuce fandabydosey blob free kaboombay chubby totalwipeout dumpling clootie heuch! cullenskink faffing glint projink linguist mawkit fankle ostrobogulus crabbit keekin lobby bleather cooriein stoor polymath little onomatopoeia toxic mitsubishi sgionneil summerafternoon bosom skedaddle chin-o squeegee sumptuous zealous poltergeist plype baboon smurr meandering moose pillock boomboom chouette mignone goolie idiosyncratic extremely crumble plainstanes clarty scrofulous jabberwocky pastiche blowin wanabee life bamboozle wistful frabjous obfusc pernickety entschildigung freckle elemental eichornchan armpit curious sunflower banana historic apple excited supertastic chicken lubricant crepuscular cludgie terrifying drums silly basketball play happy spontaneous squishy pop bang bakedbeans ecstatic smelly what bus awesome paper india volcano prototype chuckling shabaladindong burger coat world knot nap cat leave red freckle crumbs crunchy plooky supertastic van jewel historic toilet stony dress twilight bed splash cast sling lola onion run princess tent ban minging tangerine kite flower pen tomatoes bird chips lollies juicy scarf lipstick nailpolish seats hairband shops hairdo morning bat transformer funny crisps bahookie transport landscape yuk terrifying bum cartoon emotion rain name

great bowl tree train fantastic enervated soncy scunner chicklit book write fantastic green school scampered thud thump rain chair bed egg outstanding cool fandabydosey squid fabulous colourful logic squash logical fun red money sun splodge huff slurp slop seats blob pig lion joyful story monkey happy fairtrade splosh mirkin symmetry kafuffle inspiration huggle bubble burble passion hallyracket rooters gentlemen guantanamera annual-leave peesweep gumption speagy bissum piglet quintessence meadow wigtown plangent incandescent pulmonary boanthropy smithereens lillypod class irnbru cludgie dodgy doctor manky nut globular blobby assume superdude laugh chortle LOL hiya hey dug bed dum excellent fiveyearsabbatical doodler gooey fandabydosey canny aye holiday thistle shoogley look pharmacy groovy macaronicheese globular passion lachrymose midden bamba ping trinklement chocolate camboloza renaissance touchpaper apricot creditcrunchie callipygous balmy cornucopia shambolic phlegm cadaverous stooshie scurryfunging disconap dryboke heebyjeebie oozing currywumple bumfle tattiebeetle randan oxster synchronicity stenter noin murderpolis knob stravagin schreike kefi landscape rapprochement gorgonzola pants drongo kafuffle bombastic plop contentment book magnetic beaver bumfluff gorgonzola promiscuous nip cludgie drongo kafuffle buddies pants denada granulated akimbo tattie alleviate suss syncope burny vernacular perspicacity silly sleepy girth extravaganza peruvian skewiff stramash fathom gracious plethora fluffy gallus pal whoa bun jammy scoop minging bin numpty naff goose gusset ginnell phlebotomy discombobulated footerin autumnal aquatic sanctuary glaikit celery superfluous icecream drauky smoorikin chiggle obtuse fontanelle spinster goitre promiscuous snuggle granulated but obsequiousness booze syrup wigtown mate friend goodness mucksavage futtock alabaster hope wine unctuous dreich rancid essence hugh treacle oxter cuddle enough dang smootch random equanimity marsupial godzilla drathais( pants in gaelic) sguidal ( rubbish) smugaid ( spit) symmetry trump

2011-05-07T06:04:00.000-07:00

words are building up in preparation for word auction and work is coming together in collaboraton with Alison Marr for 'wordbespoke'. A series of 'portraits'of garments will be on exhibit throughout the Book Shop 28th 29th 30th May as part of Spring Fling

2011-05-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

preparing words

When artist in residence at Wigotwn Book festival 2010 over 700 words were collected .

Playing with ideas of the value of words, ideas for an online auction of words are developing . Linking with Gannets Adventure School in Malawi , a selection of words are being collected and auctioned with the help of graphic designers Steve McInerny and Stephanie Posavec .

2011-05-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

shirt belonging to Jonathan stitched with words : chump champ

I have been working with photographer Alison Marr to create a series of 'portraits' for 'Wordbespoke' which will be on exhibit in the Book Shop at Spring Fling 28th 29th May.

Wordbespoke : ways to carry favourite words around. Instead of producing more new STUFF I have been stitching onto existing clothes . This adds a new dimension to an existing garment with a word which has a special connection to the owner. The work has an element of co-creation with the word donator.

2011-04-22T01:05:00.000-07:00

Date:: 1858
Description:: An embroidered sampler commemorating the erection of the monument in Wigtown that is dedicated to the Wigtown Martyrs, executed there in 1658. The monument was erected in 1858, and this piece was probably sewn around the same time. Although somewhat faded, the text was originally embroidered in gold or deep yellow with intermittent use of dark green within the border pattern. Future Museum South West Scotland

I am beginning to stitch some of the words collected and have been looking again at the Wigtown Sampler as inspiration . golden threads perhaps?

2011-04-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

It is time to begin blogging again about Wigtown Words. I am exhibiting the results of ongoing work with the 700 words donated at the Wigtown Book Festival late 2010 in The Book Shop in Wigtown 28th and 29th May .

"The Bookshop is the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland, with over a mile of shelving supporting roughly 65,000 books. We are the oldest bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland's National Booktown and our range of stock includes all subjects.

Most days people bring books to the shop at a rate of about 100 a day on all subjects, but we also clear larger private collections."

2011-03-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

Bona fide: handmade and homemade . 1st April - 5 June

Owens Gallery, Mount Alison University . Sackville. New Brunswick Canada
more info HERE

Bona Fide is an exhibition which celebrates the work being done by artists in Sackville, elsewhere in Canada and internationally who are interested in materials and methods traditionally associated with craft and the handmade. The work in the exhibition covers a range of media broadly inscribed by the acronym DIY, so as to embrace embroidery, sewing, knitting, and crocheting, as well as silk-screening and posters, drawing, film, and paper cutting. The artists in the exhibition are: Amalie Atkins (Saskatoon), Elisabeth Belliveau (Montreal), Rachel Beth Egenhoefer (Oakland, California), Leah Garnett (Sackville, NB), Paul Henderson (Sackville, NB), Yoko Homareda (Nantes, France), The Little Friends of Printmaking (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Jane McKeating (Manchester, England), Deirdre Nelson (Glasgow, Scotland), Karen Reimer (Chicago, Illinois) and Candice Tarnowski (Montreal)

article relating to the show HERE

2011-02-23T07:54:00.001-08:00

in Silhouette a recent collaboration with Dawn Youll at Gallery of Wonder Newcastle until 1st April . more info HERE

In Silhouette

new work by

Deirdre Nelson & Dawn Youll

The collaboration between Dawn Youll and Deirdre Nelson is based on a mutual interest in the narrative possibilities of each chosen craft mediums: textiles and ceramics. Over a period of 6 months there has been an exchange of ideas building up a body of visual research and inspirations relating to the many stories embedded in domestic objects. This has offered an opportunity to bring together individual practices in the creation of forms where ceramics and textiles meet. Notions of domestic service, superstition and traditions have influenced the making of the curious set of objects which question the relationship between materials in a domestic setting. The work does not refer directly to a story but instead leaves the viewer fishing for clues as to its’ narrative.

Silhouettes of semi-familiar forms allow the viewer to question preconceptions of both ceramics and textiles provoking enquiry and wonder as to their function and scale. Textiles become part of the ceramics. A bell form, with stitched soft damask, is rendered functionless and quiet and sealed urn-like forms are edged with fine detailed embroidered frills. A small plastic vessel stitched with silk is tied to a tall cone like form and mixes both materials and scale evoking curiosity into its own unique narrative. A pvc doyley plays with preconceived notions of materials within a traditional domestic setting. The resulting works although familiar evoke a sense of curiosity and wonder.

Since graduating from Glasgow School of Art in 1992, Deirdre Nelson has pursued a parallel career in creating work for exhibition and commission and in working as a tutor to various groups. Hand skills are used in the work in a humorous commentary on social and textile history within the contemporary gallery and museum. Her textile work employs a variety of techniques and materials fusing traditional textile skills and contemporary reinterpretation through photography and digital manipulation. She has been artist in residence in a variety of locations from the Outer Hebrides to Western Australia creating work for exhibition and with local communities.

www.deirdre-nelson.com

Dawn Youll is a graduate of Glasgow School of Art and Cardiff School of Art & Design. Her ceramic practice centres on the exploration of a personal landscape, and uses form, colour, surface and arrangement to engage with the viewer. She is currently represented by Marsden Woo Gallery, London and she has recently represented the UK Crafts Council at the ‘Ceramics – New Generations’ exhibition in Paris, and the UK at the ‘European Ceramics Context’ exhibition in Bonholm, Denmark.

www.dawnyoull.co.uk

2011-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

I am taking a break from my Wigtown words project for a short while and working on a few other projects . The high vis and retro-reflective tape are back on the scene in developing experiments from my residency last summer at Cove Park. Work will be exhibited at caa in London later in February . Writer Nicola White ( who lives close to Cove park and has knowledge of both the artists residency programme and of living close to a military base ) has been writing about the work .

R&R retreat and residency in contemporary craft Contemporary applied arts .London 24th February- 26 March 2011

2011-01-05T05:14:00.000-08:00

Wordbespoke:Jo's favourite word is Juicy

Happy new year to everyone .

I am now getting back into work and beginning to embroider words onto garments for Wordbespoke element of my Wigtown words project. I am working with friend and photograper Ali Bell to document the project so I will be posting images and information over the next while. There have been many elements to the Wigtown word project and over the next while i hope to develop ways to show the work at The Book Shop in Wigtown at Spring Fling 28th - 30th May 2011

I have an exciting year ahead with work being developed from my Cove park residency summer 2010 to be exhibited in London and Sydney. I am also developing work for an exhibition 'Modern Languages' curated by Katy West with Crafts Council of Ireland and am researching Irish textiles and economy for this . Further details of whats happening next can be found HERE

2010-12-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

wigtown words adorn the Scottish Poetry Library christmas tree in Edinburgh . The words are spreading their way around through donation to a variety of places. In 2011 they will be donated to first year visual communication students at Glasgow School of Art and I look forward to seeing what becomes of them.

2010-12-06T04:30:00.001-08:00

The word bespoke itself is derived from the verb to bespeak, to "speak for something", in the specialized meaning "to give order for it to be made"

wordbespoke

the word is out and i have a few takers willing to have their favourite word embroidered onto a garment! each contributer is deciding on the garment and the placement of the text so watch this space for further news ....

'squiwiff' has landed inside my coat sleeve

sarah : pants

jo: beret

emma: wedding dress

rebecca : wedding dress

christos: shirt

roy:jacket

2010-12-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

wearing your words

wearing your favourite word... a badge ?....though i have been thinking of ways to carry favourite words around. Instead of producing more new STUFF i have been wondering about stitching onto existing clothes . This would add a new dimension to an existing garment with a word which has a special connection to the owner. The work would have an element of co-creation with the word donator.

what to call the project ?
wearing your words on your sleeve ? bespoke words ? wordbespoke ? offthepegwords?

favourite word
garment
location of embroidery
size of words

2010-11-24T03:14:00.000-08:00

Spring Fling 2011 preparations are under way and we are thinking of where to show my work in Wigtown . I loved The Book shop there and had an idea to develop work which would be placed inside the bookshop amongst the books. Thanks to Shaun at the book shop the idea is all systems go in May 2011 so i had better get planning and developing ideas further.

check out a wee video of the bookshop HERE

2010-11-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

Wordcount is an interactive presentation of the 86,800 most frequently used English words, ranked and scaled in order of commonness, and arranged side by side as one very long sentence. Each word's size reflects its frequency relative to the words that precede and follow it, giving a visual barometer of relevance. The larger the word, the more we use it. The smaller the word, the more uncommon it is'.

jonathan harris

have a look at his work HERE

2010-11-14T06:27:00.000-08:00

wrapping a town in words

'These typographic maps by axis maps take locating a destination to a whole new level. Each map accurately shows the location of streets and highways, parks, neighborhoods, coastlines, and other features of each city using only words. To create these impressive maps, every single letter and word was manually placed, taking hundreds of hours to complete each map.'

design milk

2010-11-08T03:32:00.000-08:00

I have just discovered the work of Stephanie Posavec and am really interested in how she visualises words. her project 'writing without words' is a project that explores methods of visually representing text and visualises the differences of writing styles of different authors. take a look at this project and her website HERE

2010-11-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

discovering a piece of work by roman ondak has made me think of the varied age groups who were involved with the wigtown word project . in the participatory installation by the Slovakian artist every visitor is encouraged to mark their height on the wall and after several months a dark band encircles the gallery.

listen to him HERE

2010-10-29T03:26:00.000-07:00

Progressive decoration for your walls. Start with a grid of printed letters, and add circles around words as you find them. This wordsearch-inspired wallcovering is created by 5.5 designers.

g u s s e t s h a m b o l i c g e r r y m a n d e r i n g s e r e n d i p i t y s k e l l y f u s i o n l e s s f a n k l e s l i t h e r i n g p u g n a c i o u s p h l e g m m e g a b e r t l o q u a c i o u s b a n t e r p r o p i t i o u s s w i t h e r i n g p u g n a c i o u s p h l e g m m e g a b e r t l o q u a c i o u s b a n t e r p r o p i t i o u s s w i t h e r h u n k y d o r y f l e e k c a l i p i g i o u s d r e i c h c o o l m e g a i d i o t j a y b o b b e a s t m e n t a l h a r d t a t t i e s c r a z y m a g p i e d o o d o o w e i r d d u m d e e d o g l o o l o o s c r e a m p o o f a n c a t l e a v e b a c k f l i p f l u f f y c r o p z a n g o o m p a l u m p a c o l l e c t o r O M G r i b e n a s h i n g !!! s p e c t a c u l a r b r i l l i a n t a m a z i n g s q u i d g y s p o r t h o r s e c r a z y g r e a t z i p p y g u i t a r b e a u t i f u l believe sheep fun chocolate hey fansheeptastic sup awesome sausages cheese hightops singer muppet water clootie friend weird mam weeble gruesome scrubdub bong princess cake love football ozzy scribble serendipity clipclop hello tara africa clarty binbag wahoo oliver food zap wicked chumchumadoo lettuce fandabydosey blob free kaboombay

2010-10-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

balloons over wigtown

look HERE letters made of foam flying above heads at IFA Berlin. How they're made? A foam printer...

Amazing atlantean ambit adrenalin area aubergine armpit apple awesome annual-leave assume apricot alleviate akimbo autumnal anguish aardvark alabaster

Banter backerties bigjessie bibliophile buarach bailar brother bumptious beast bob beautiful believe bong blob bosom baboon boomboom bleather blowin bananna bakedbeans bus basketball burger bed ban bird bat bahookie bum bowl book blab bubble burble boanthropy bamba balmy bombastic bumfluff buddies burny bun bin but booze buoyancyaid bananna

Calipigious corrieneukin cadaverous chocolate circumnavigate cardigan chutzpah crapulous chemical crimson cackle cool crazy crop collector cheese cake clipclop chumchumadoo chubby clootie cullenskink crabbit cooriein chin-o crumble clarty curious cludgie chuckling coat cat crumbs crunchy cast chips crisps cartoon chicklet chair colourful class chortle camboloza creditcrunchie callipygous cornucopia cadaverous currywumple contentment cow celery chiggle cuddle contentment clitoris

dick discombobulated discharge doodoo dumdee dog drums dumpling dug dum dryboke drongo denada diva drauky dreich drathais discomknockerated discount dashing disconap

eichornchan emotional ecstatic egg excellent extravaganza essence enthusiastic elemental eejit

fusionless fankle fanny fantouche family fragrant fantouche festoon fecund fractious fricative foxed flange fink frabjous flaccid fancat feline fluffy fluff fun friend food free fandabbydosey faffing fankle freckle flower funny fiveyearsabbatical footerin fontanelle futtock

gussetshambolicgerrymanderingserendipityskellyfusionlessfankleslitheringpugnaciousphlegmmega
loquaciousbanterpropitiationsswitherhunkydoryfleekcalipigiousdreichsapphireturpinedragingthinkscunnerhorses
phantasmagoriapeaceguddleballisticveercorrieneukincadaveroussmackeredbackertiespishsustainbigjessie
heebyjeebyfannycheesepenisfantouchemulticulturalmaybeswanamazingsupercalafragilisticatlantean
bibliophilemummyfamilyfragrantseasidesonmarmaleisewifeyfestoonthankslovedickmosstwochocolate

2010-10-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

word kites over wigtown

As artist in residence at Wigtown, I spent some time asking visitors and writers at the festival for ideas of what to do next with the collected words. Robert Twigger , a fan of kites suggested making word kites and setting them to flight over Wigtown.

great idea !

wigtown wordle 18 HERE

2010-10-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

using big words

a wall of fridge doors stacked: giant words and a ladder to reach them ...now there's an interactive / active idea??!

there is a great interactive work by Berlin artists TheGreenEyl

'A surface is covered by a large number of coloured stickers, positioned in a grid. People can remove stickers, leaving white spots in the layout, as a result individually and collectively changing the walls appearance. These stickers then take on a life of their own, as they spread, extending beyond the installation itself, inﬁltrating private space and merging the boundaries of public and private space.'

have a look at the film HERE

wigtown wordle 17 big sheep pants

2010-10-18T03:45:00.000-07:00

fridges, their doors and fridge magnet words. It would be interesting to make work which is interactive and could have a life beyond the exhibition or residency so i am trying to come up with ideas which consider this.

check out an igloo made from fridges HERE

have a look at virtual word magnets HERE

a wall of fridge doors?

stacked fridges?

large scale words?

wigtown wordle 16 HERE shambolic promiscious treacle

2010-10-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

Erin at Central Station has been blogging about garlic, Narnia, waves, gussets and hangovers @Wigtown Book Festival.

wigtown wordle 15 HERE gooey sheep drongo

2010-10-15T03:53:00.000-07:00

she couldnt string a sentence together

1. A light cotton or woolen cloth used for making flags.

2. Flags considered as a group.

3. Strips of cloth or material usually in the colors of the national flag, used especially as drapery or streamers for festive decoration.

wigtown wordle 14 HERE

2010-10-14T01:42:00.000-07:00

stringing words together

string - a lightweight cord

string - a linear sequence of symbols (characters or words or phrases)

language unit, linguistic unit: one of the natural units into which linguistic messages can be analyzed

linguistic string, string of words, word string - a linear sequence of words as spoken or written

journalism . a compilation of clippings of a stringer's published writings, submitted in request of payment according to an agreed space rate.

2010-10-12T23:12:00.000-07:00

words ready for posting

A package of Wigtown words are on their way to the scottish poetry library I am interested in following their progress and to see what becomes of them.

wigtown wordle 13 HERE

2010-10-12T03:02:00.000-07:00

When in Wigtown I noticed an image of a sampler on display with other objects relating to Wigtown. I had been thinking of using a similar technique when stitching the alphabet so it was great to find a sampler relevent to Wigtowns history. The sampler commemorates the erection of the monument in Wigtown in 1858 dedicated to the Wigtown martyrs who were executed in 1658.

Date:: 1858
Description:: An embroidered sampler commemorating the erection of the monument in Wigtown that is dedicated to the Wigtown Martyrs, executed there in 1658. The monument was erected in 1858, and this piece was probably sewn around the same time. Although somewhat faded, the text was originally embroidered in gold or deep yellow with intermittent use of dark green within the border pattern. Future Museum South West Scotland

THE WIGTOWN MARTYRS

There were many cruelties perpetrated in Scotland in the 17th century during what became known as "The Killing Times." People were imprisoned, tortured, deported and even hanged or beheaded, for wanting to worship according to the dictates of their conscience. One of the crudest acts ever perpetrated during this period took place at Wigtown. Two women were martyred in a heartless fashion for adhering to the Covenant. They were tied to a post in Wigtown Bay, and then drowned as the tide rose over their heads.
Their names were Margaret Lauchlison and Margaret Wilson. Lauchlison was the 63-year-old widow of a carpenter from the parish of Kirkinner, and Wilson was a farmer's daughter of 18 from Glenvernock Farm in Penninghame parish near Newton Stewart. Lauchlison's stake was driven into the sands below that of Wilson so that she would drown first. In this way it was hoped that Wilson would recant when she saw the older woman drown.

I have been reminded of a really interesting contemporary project called Sampler Culture Clash which is an international collective of djs, embroiderers, sound artists, textile designers, dancers ,spoken word artists, curators and graffiti artists. Together they are exploring the connections between textiles and sound and the cultures of embroideryand dj-ing using the common word 'sampler' as the starting point for investigation.

click here for pixel-piano-players by sampler culture clash

sampler book bought in wigtown when on residency

wigtown wordle 12 HERE

2010-10-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

On the last night at Wigtown the sweary words were released from their box and over the duration of the festival had magically transformed into a printed scroll tied with a red ribbon . They were eloquently read out by an important member of the Scottish press.

2010-10-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

680 words now and I am enjoying the combination of words that the wigtown wordles have been throwing up

wigtown booze
supertastic venacular
fractious freckle
mitsubishi morning
chocolate muppet
shambolic skedaddle
incandescent lettuce

The Wigtown words were donated to Jean Atkin a local poet and I had a poem delivery the next day.

chouette words for Wigtown: believe

a crazy magpie backflipped round the bookshops. Mingle

tangerines and baked beans on trolleys. Scribble

fricative pastiche on a mawkit linguist. Zap

his crepuscular cludgie with ribena. Toss

that pithy gentleman a sapphire.

This unicorn is foxed. Guantanamera!

This Van is outstandingly frabjous. Squid!

This bosom is opalescent. Goolie!

This tent's a lurcher. Bum!

This rain's a scunner. Hum!

Keek!

at the glint in the polymath's eye;

Scamper!

from the totalwipeout tatties.

Huff!

at the squidgy princess.

Ogle!

the wanabee wicked.

get with the wistful interloper,shlep with the zealous tip-top cat,

clip that scrofulous jabberwock, sling that burger, stop that yak.

repeat these awesome wordy wordly words:

assert, splosh, egg, book;

flirt, lipstick, chick, book;

fantail, thump, fun, book;

nail-polish, green, ban, book;

curious, moose, name, book;

furious, scary, blame, book;

estatic, tangled, bed, book;

historic, fairtrade, red, book

bumptious, off the hook book

read book, write book love, book

book, look, book.

wigtown wordle no.11 here

2010-10-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

Its the last day of the festival and the words are being rounded up in Wigtown. I shall take the words away and begin to think of how to develop the work for Spring Fling in May 2010 . Many ideas have been suggested ......bunting to wrap the town in words, poetry slams, donating the words back to writers ..kites flying over Wigtown with words ....

I now need to spend time digest the words, the experience and information gathered. I have quite a few books to read also after hearing great writers speak at events ..

robert twigger and sara sheridan

john lancaster

jackie kay

mona siddiqui

Wigtown recommends ( by Sarah Sheridan blogging for the festival)

We asked Wigtown authors to donate their finest reading suggestion. Here are 20 Scottish Book Town recommended reads and their provenance.

At-Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O’Brien recommended by James Robertson

Animal Farm by George Orwell recommended by JF Derry

The Extinction Club by Robert Twigger recommended by William Coles

Uncle Petros and Golbach’s Conjecture by Apostolos Doxiadis recommended by Alex Bellos

The Amateur Emigrant by Robert Louis Stevenson recommended by Irma Kurtz

1066 And All That by Sellar and Yeatman recommended by Owen Dudley Edwards

Comet in Moominland by Tove Jensson recommended by Debi Gliori

The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal recommended by Charlie James

In Youth is Pleasure by Denton Welch recommended by Tiffany Murray

The Life of an Unknown Man by Andrei Makine and Geoffrey Strachan recommended by Allan Massie

Arctic Dreams by Barney Lopez recommended by Jim Crumley

The Story of San Michele by Axel Munthe recommended by Tom Smith

Water Music by TC Boyle recommended by Sara Sheridan

The Incredible Adam Spark by Alan Bissett recommended by Barbara Trapido

Elliot Allagash by Simon Rich recommended by Henry Nicholls

Possession by AS Byatt recommended by Suzanne Fagence Cooper

The Mirabelles by Annie Freud recommended by Alan Buckley

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe recommended by Fiona Watson

Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers recommended by Andy Lane

The Book of Night Women by Marlon James recommended by Kei Miller

click here for wigtown wordle no 10

cool mega idiot jaybob beast mental hard tatties crazy magpie doodoo weird dumdee dog looloo scream poo fancat leave backflip fluffy crop zang oompalumpa collector OMG ribena shing!!! spectacular brilliant amazing squidgy sport horse crazy great zippy guitar beautiful believe sheep fun chocolate hey fansheeptastic sup awesome sausages cheese hightops singer muppet water clootie friend weird mam weeble gruesome scrubdub bong princess cake love football ozzy scribble serendipity clipclop hello tara africa clarty binbag wahoo oliver food zap wicked chumchumadoo lettuce fandabydosey blob free kaboombay chubby totalwipeout dumpling faffing guff glint claggy heuch!! keekin lobby stoor linguist mawkit tangle havering polymath little ostrabogulus bosom summerafternoon baboon poltergeist pillock goolie crumble plainstanes plype zealous smurr skeddadle boomboom moose mitsubushi menescus scrofulus jaberwokey rumbunctious extremely pyjamas foxglove zebra rare archipelego taboggan squally glaikit clanjamfrie wistful serendipity oxster glaikut pernicity bamboozle love pastiche wanabee interloper chouette ( french for great) idiosyncratic opalescent offthehook quixotic sunshine any twentyfour eichornchen (german for squirrell)entschildigung ( german for excuse me ) eightyeight rhinemetal88 obfusc freckle frabjous fractous slightly pallid crapulus squirrel tintinabulation elemental pastiche armpit curious sunflower bananna bazookie historic apple excited supertastic drums silly bananna basketball play happy spontaneous chicken lubricant crepuscular cludgie terrifying squishy pop bang bakedbeans estatic smelly what bus awesome paper india volcano prototype coat world knot nap cat leave red freckle crumbs crunchy plooky supertastic van jewel historic toilet stony dress twilight bed splash cast sling lola onion run cheese tent minging tangerine kite flower pen tomatoes bird chips lollies juicy scarf hairdo morning bat transformer funny crisps bahookie transport landscape yuk terrify bum then cartoon emotion rain name great bowl tree train fantastic chicklet book write nailpolish green schoolo scampered thump thud bed egg outstanding cool fandabbydosey squid colourful logic squash fun red noney sun splodge huff slurp slop blob pig lion joyful story monkey happy fairtrade splosh essert somnulent bacherties iconic destruction toss fjord mawdlet gricer frabjous sylph-like rubbish lurcher fricative smirr velvet chuckling shababladingdingdong burger coat world knot nap cat leave red freckle crumbs crunchy plooky supertastic van jewel historic toilet sstoney dress twilight bed splash cast sling tent cheese ban minging tangerine kite flower pen tomatoes bird chips lollies juicy scarf lipstick seats hairband shops hairdo morning bat transformer funny crisps bahookie transport landscape yuk terrify bum then cartoon emotion rain name great bowl tree train fantastic slackbottom scunner chicklet book write fantastic green corrie school scampered thud thump rain chair bed egg outstanding cool fandabydosey squid fabulous colourful logic squash logican fun red money sun splodge huff slurp slop seats blob pig lion joyful story egg monkey happy story fairtrade splosh essert destruction toss fjord mawdlet gricer frabjous sylph-likie rubbish lurcher fricative smirr velvet splurge crumpet chemical palimpsest elemental slightly springtime noctilucent mirkin plangent briechel cuthie moot enorvated pithy foxed television unicorn slightly ninverdie midden gricer lurcher lagom fractious sumptious bacheries (dundee for backwards) crimson cackle bailar fink bumptious skeilish elemental haughmagandy stouter snocter fusionless inspiration summerafternoon huggle burble gentlemen guantanamera gumption bissem piglet annual-leave quintessence meadow incandescent pilly-wally spatula grouthie shuggle hura awfullymuch skellie boanthropy smithereens cackledrookit diaspora sapphire stooshie wretched pish class irnbru dodgy doctor manky nut globular blobby awesome assume dude laugh chortle LOL hiya hey dig bed dum excellent canny pharmacy groovy mararonicheese blobby globular dude sinister nuance figmaleerie stumour eedgit still incadescent passion peesweep lachrymose midden bamba ping trinklement glaikit discombobulation hallyracket conglomerate pumpernickel diaspora drookit saphire stooshie wretched scoob glider squishy bang aardvark cake fantastical cambozola balmy cornucopia callipygous apricot touchpaper renaissance cambozola shambolic phlegm candaverous feeble guddle swan veer penis think heebyjeeby bigjessie dryboke plonk scarlet creel tessera concupiscent disconap scurryfunging atlantean smackered influenza life

2010-10-02T03:58:00.000-07:00

Its Saturday in Wigtown and the book doctor is in town and is happy to advise on what to read next, or let you have an evaluation of your own writing. . The wordle is expanding as i collect words each day . The Book doctor has borrowed a few words incase anyone is in need .

2010-10-01T04:27:00.001-07:00

Three days to go in the book festival and the words are expanding . They have been borrowed for worshops and offered to anyone lost for words . Writer Jackie Kay spoke yesterday of her love of punctuation which made me think that I may need to start collecting punctuation marks also. Have a look at Fiona Banners punctuation marks here

cool mega idiot jaybob beast mental hard tatties crazy magpie doodoo weird dumdee dog looloo scream poo fancat leave backflip fluffy crop zang oompalumpa collector OMG ribena shing!!! spectacular brilliant amazing squidgy sport horse crazy great zippy guitar beautiful believe sheep fun chocolate hey fansheeptastic sup awesome sausages cheese hightops singer muppet water clootie friend weird mam weeble gruesome scrubdub bong princess cake love football ozzy scribble serendipity clipclop hello tara africa clarty binbag wahoo oliver food zap wicked chumchumadoo lettuce fandabydosey blob free kaboombay chubby totalwipeout dumpling faffing guff glint claggy heuch!! keekin lobby stoor linguist mawkit tangle havering polymath little ostrabogulus bosom summerafternoon baboon poltergeist pillock goolie crumble plainstanes plype zealous smurr skeddadle boomboom moose mitsubushi menescus scrofulus jaberwokey rumbunctious extremely pyjamas foxglove zebra rare archipelego taboggan squally glaikit clanjamfrie wistful serendipity oxster glaikut pernicity bamboozle love pastiche wanabee interloper chouette ( french for great) idiosyncratic opalescent offthehook quixotic sunshine any twentyfour eichornchen (german for squirrell)entschildigung ( german for excuse me ) eightyeight rhinemetal88 obfusc freckle frabjous fractous slightly pallid crapulus squirrel tintinabulation elemental pastiche armpit curious sunflower bananna bazookie historic apple excited supertastic drums silly bananna basketball play happy spontaneous chicken lubricant crepuscular cludgie terrifying squishy pop bang bakedbeans estatic smelly what bus awesome paper india volcano prototype coat world knot nap cat leave red freckle crumbs crunchy plooky supertastic van jewel historic toilet stony dress twilight bed splash cast sling lola onion run cheese tent minging tangerine kite flower pen tomatoes bird chips lollies juicy scarf hairdo morning bat transformer funny crisps bahookie transport landscape yuk terrify bum then cartoon emotion rain name great bowl tree train fantastic chicklet book write nailpolish green schoolo scampered thump thud bed egg outstanding cool fandabbydosey squid colourful logic squash fun red noney sun splodge huff slurp slop blob pig lion joyful story monkey happy fairtrade splosh essert somnulent bacherties iconic destruction toss fjord mawdlet gricer frabjous sylph-like rubbish lurcher fricative smirr velvet chuckling shababladingdingdong burger coat world knot nap cat leave red freckle crumbs crunchy plooky supertastic van jewel historic toiloet sstoney dress twilight bed splash cast sling tent cheese ban minging tangerine kite flower pen tomatoes bird chips lollies juicy scarf lipstick seats hairband shops hairdo morning bat transformer funny crisps bahookie transport landscape yuk terrify bum then cartoon emotion rain name great bowl tree train fantastic slackbottom scunner chicklet book write fantastic green corrie school scampered thud thump rain chair bed egg outstanding cool fandabydosey squid fabulous colourful logic squash logican fun red money sun splodge huff slurp slop seats blob pig lion joyful story egg monkey happy story fairtrade splosh essert destruction toss fjord mawdlet gricer frabjous sylph-likie rubbish lurcher fricative smirr velvet splurge crumpet chemical palimpsest elemental slightly springtime noctilucent mirkin plangent briechel cuthie moot enorvated pithy foxed television unicorn slightly ninverdie midden gricer lurcher lagom fractious sumptious bacheries (dundee for backwards) crimson cackle bailar fink bumptious skeilish elemental haughmagandy stouter snocter fusionless inspiration summerafternoon huggle burble gentlemen guantanamera gumption bissem piglet annual-leave quintessence meadow incandescent pilly-wally spatula grouthie shuggle hura awfullymuch skellie boanthropy smithereens cackledrookit diaspora sapphire stooshie wretched pish class irnbru dodgy doctor manky nut globular blobby awesome assume dude laugh chortle LOL hiya hey dig bed dum excellent canny pharmachy groovy mararonicheese blobby globular dude

2010-09-30T03:01:00.000-07:00

stuck for words ?

maybe some of the writers could be stuck for words so it may be time to let them know there are now over 500 words at the ready . Words are collected in the street, writers retreat and there is also the odd delivery of words to the wordcollectors station at Glaisnock Guest House.

I had a great evening last night at Wigtown fringe , writers from guttermag read their work and i thought that maybe I could donate some of the words to the 'gutter'.

*check out Sara Sheridans latest Wigtown book festival blog entry HERE

ideas developing of bunting to wrap the town in words

cool mega idiot jaybob beast mental hard tatties crazy magpie doodoo weird dumdee dog looloo scream poo fancat leave backflip fluffy crop zang oompalumpa collector OMG ribena shing!!! spectacular brilliant amazing squidgy sport horse crazy great zippy guitar beautiful believe sheep fun chocolate hey fansheeptastic sup awesome sausages cheese hightops singer muppet water clootie friend weird mam weeble gruesome scrubdub bong princess cake love football ozzy scribble serendipity clipclop hello tara africa clarty binbag wahoo oliver food zap wicked chumchumadoo lettuce fandabydosey blob free kaboombay chubby totalwipeout dumpling faffing guff glint claggy heuch!! keekin lobby stoor linguist mawkit tangle havering polymath little ostrabogulus bosom summerafternoon baboon poltergeist pillock gooliecrumble plainstanes plype zealous smurr skeddadle boomboom moose mitsubushi menescus scrofulus jaberwokey rumbunctious extremely pyjamas foxglove zebra rare archipelego taboggan squally glaikit clanjamfrie wistful serendipity oxster glaikut pernicity bamboozle love pastiche wanabee interloper chouette ( french for great) idiosyncratic opalescent offthehook quixotic sunshine any twentyfour eichornchen (german for squirrell)entschildigung ( german for excuse me ) eightyeight rhinemetal88 obfusc freckle frabjous fractous slightly pallid crapulus squirrel tintinabulation elemental pastiche armpit curious sunflower bananna bazookie historic apple excited supertastic drums silly bananna basketball play happy spontaneous chicken lubricant crepuscular cludgie terrifying squishy pop bang bakedbeans estatic smelly what bus awesome paper india volcano prototype coat world knot nap cat leave red freckle crumbs crunchy plooky supertastic van jewel historic toilet stony dress twilight bed splash cast sling lola onion run cheese tent minging tangerine kite flower pen tomatoes bird chips lollies juicy scarf hairdo morning bat transformer funny crisps bahookie transport landscape yuk terrify bum then cartoon emotion rain name great bowl tree train fantastic chicklet book write nailpolish green schoolo scampered thump thud bed egg outstanding cool fandabbydosey squid colourful logic squash fun red noney sun splodge huff slurp slop blob pig lion joyful story monkey happy fairtrade splosh essert somnulent bacherties iconic destruction toss fjord mawdlet gricer frabjous sylph-like rubbish lurcher fricative smirr velvet chuckling shababladingdingdong burger coat world knot nap cat leave red freckle crumbs crunchy plooky supertastic van jewel historic toiloet sstoney dress twilight bed splash cast sling tent cheese ban minging tangerine kite flower pen tomatoes bird chips lollies juicy scarf lipstick seats hairband shops hairdo morning bat transformer funny crisps bahookie transport landscape yuk terrify bum then cartoon emotion rain name great bowl tree train fantastic slackbottom scunner chicklet book write fantastic green corrie school scampered thud thump rain chair bed egg outstanding cool fandabydosey squid fabulous colourful logic squash logican fun red money sun splodge huff slurp slop seats blob pig lion joyful story egg monkey happy story fairtrade splosh essert destruction toss fjord mawdlet gricer frabjous sylph-likie rubbish lurcher fricative smirr velvet splurge crumpet chemical palimpsest elemental slightly springtime noctilucent mirkin plangent briechel cuthie moot enorvated pithy foxed television unicorn slightly ninverdie midden gricer lurcher lagom fractious sumptious bacheries (dundee for backwards) crimson cackle bailar fink bumptious skeilish elemental haughmagandy

2010-09-29T04:44:00.000-07:00

The words are expanding and I am gathering ideas of what to do next with them .. I have had great discussions with Sara Sheridan, Kate Tough and Robert Twigger of bunting, kites and flags with words . I may have to set up a committee to discuss further plans for the word collection . I wonder what to call my new committee. Sara Sheridan is now blogging about the festival on the main page of the festivals website.

Wigtown:

a town full of books
a town full of people
books full of words
people full of words

5 serendipities
2 oxsters
3 gallus
2 glaiket
3 dreech
3 discombobulated

.......otherwise each word original .

have a look at wigtown wordle no.6

wigtown words:

2010-09-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

There is a fantastic writers retreat above The Book Shop which is a sort of green room where those working at the festival can go to eat, chill out and chat. It seems a perfect place to collect words and to deposit a favourite sweary and bad word box . I am looking forward to opening the box at the end of the residency! maybe a saucy stitched sampler is in order.

The term sampler comes from the Latin exemplum meaning 'an example to be followed, a pattern, a model or example'. It is believed that, although the earliest dated samplers and references to them come from the 16th century, they probably were stitched long before this time.

2010-09-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Its now day three of Wigtown book festival and I now have time to blog ..Its been a busy time with gathering words, attending events and printing . I have a studio /workspace in the front room of Glaisnock guesthouse on the main street and have been collecting, gathering and printing words .

There are so many bookshops in Wigtown so I have been having a look to see what inspires there too and found some beautiful old textile books with traditional samplers and cross stitching. I have a few thoughts of embroidering the alphabet photographing and creating some of the words digitally.

wigtown words hanging in the window of Glaisnock guest house
photos by Colin Tennant

2010-09-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

"if a writer cannot enjoy words for their own sake how can the reader enjoy them ?"

"But i do enjoy words - some words _ for their own sake ! words like river, and dawn, and daylight and time . These words seem much richer than our experiences of the things they represent."

Alaisdair Gray , Lanark p.25

kefi landscape reapproachment gorgonzola pants drongo kerfuffle bombastic plop contentment book magnetic beaver bumfluff gorgonzola promiscious nip cludgie drongo kerfuffle buddies pants denada granulated akimbo tattie alleviate suss syncope burny vernacular percipacity silly sleepy girth extravaganza peruvian skewiff stramash fathom gracious plethora fluffy gallus pal whoa bun jammy scoop minging bin numpty naff goose gusset ginnell phlebotomy discombobulated footerin autumnal aquatic sanctuary glaikit celery superflous icecream drauky smoorikin chiggle obtuse fontanelle spinster goitre promiscious snuggle granulated but obsequiousness booze syrup wigtown mate friend goodness mucksavage futtock alabaster hope wine unctuous dreech rancid essence hugh treacle oxter cuddle enough dang smootch random equanimity marsupial

2010-09-21T02:35:00.000-07:00

i am heading to Wigtown book festival this week to begin my residency there and will blog and tweet throughout my time there. i hope to collect 'favourite words' from those i meet and listen to and these will become a starting point for work created to be exhibited at Spring Fling in May 2011

2010-08-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

highvis highland cow .

highland cow with hearing trumpet

work in progress Cove park artists residency 2010

2010-06-25T04:57:00.000-07:00

I am now half way through my residency at Cove Park and am enjoying every moment here spending time in beautiful surroundings with talented inspiring writers and artists.
I have been walking, photographing, reading and experimenting though making, taking in my surroundings and being aware of whats 'over the hill' the ministry of defence at Faslane.

2010-05-13T06:48:00.001-07:00

I have just started a residency at Cove Park Scotland for three months and look forward to time making and reflecting on previous work .

2010-04-20T02:34:00.000-07:00

photograph by Al Mc Caffrey

finalising work for Stroud Textile Festival .

2010-04-01T04:24:00.000-07:00

I am now back from Cork and putting ideas and research on hold from the residency and switching back into work at Stroud Textile Festival . With less than a month to go i am beginning to finalise work and words with poet Tawona Sithole.

The artist residency has been blogged on the website blog http://sitblog.co.uk/

2010-02-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

For the month of March I have been in Cobh, Co Cork at St Sirius Art Centre as artist in residence. I did not blog my residency but attempted to tweet it so have a look on the tweets on the right hand side. The work produced will hopefully lead to a return visit and exhibition at the Sirius art centre.

2010-01-20T05:30:00.000-08:00

My spoons (made 2008 in Western Australia) are off to Milan for The “Unexpected Guests. Homes of Yesteryear, Design of Today” (11 March-2 May). Poldi Pezzoli Museum

''The exhibition which will feature over two hundred objects designed between 2000 and today by the most ground-breaking international designers and produced by the top industrial companies. These will be displayed inside the four Milan houses in an attempt to relate, dialogue and echo with the spaces, in perfect harmony yet producing an amazing overall effect. The Milan Historic House Museums, a unique heritage not just for the city of Milan, outstanding examples of domestic life – the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum, the Boschi Di Stefano Historic House Museum, the Necchi Campiglio Villa and the Poldi Pezzoli Museum. The inauguration of the exhibition is scheduled to coincide with the Saloni 2010 Press Conference, to be held by Cosmit on 11th February. Over 70 international journalists will attend, thus giving them a prime opportunity to flag up this new cultural project .

The working party responsible for this project (curator Beppe Finessi, graphic designer Italo Lupi, Annalisa Zanni, Director of the Milan Historic Houses, organising coordinator Silvia Latis of Fondazione Cosmit Eventi)''

find out the story behind the spoons here lacy spoons

2009-12-30T09:12:00.000-08:00

stroud red

Clearing the studio and a day of photography with photographer friend Ali Bell beginning to document a process of working for Stroud Textile Festival .. The artist residency will be blogged on the website blog http://sitblog.co.uk/

2009-12-01T06:11:00.001-08:00

Image /craft exhibition at Innovative Craft .

My portrait by photographer Shannon Tofts was on exhibit at Innovative Craft . This was created as part of Changing Face of Craft exhibition in 2006 and involved a small collaboration with Shannon in creating a work incorporating embroidery, movement and light

2009-10-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

dowry detail

cotton,goldleaf

made on artists residency n.uist 2008

2009-09-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

artists object project exhibition 5th September - 31st October (now finished) but plans are afoot for a possible event where my 9 plates are used for a blousy cake tea party.......further developing ideas of 'display versus function'

2009-09-08T03:10:00.000-07:00

top of cabinet for 'shift'

made in collaboration with matt hulse and helen kalmijn for 'artist object project'.

fragments of ceramic pieces and coal dust are animated through the force of sound. discreet hidden speakers are fixed under fragments and dust transmitting audible tones and sound waves causing particles to dance and shift.

shift sound timeline by Matt Hulse

sound recorded at Nantgarw ( A470 traffic sound )

have a look at artist Keith Harrison and his performance ceramics on the Slowcoast website

2009-09-04T04:46:00.000-07:00

exhibition now installed and looking well.. now its time to take time to reflect on the work and the experience of working in ceramics....

2009-08-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

artist object project
micheal cousins. catherine bertola.deirdre nelson+matt hulse

artists responses to ceramics from national museum of Wales

5th September - 31st October 2009

brecknock museum and art gallery

captains walk

brecon

powys, wales

2009-08-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

coal being vibrated by sound

as he shut the kiln he said 'its in the lap of the gods'

2009-08-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

glazing plates with the expert help of Matt Thompson

2009-08-16T04:52:00.000-07:00

artists object project news on craft scotland website

http://www.craftscotland.org/Default.aspx.LocID-cftnewkad.RefLocID-cft04e001.Lang-EN.htm

2009-08-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

plate by Jule Jenckel

plate designed for arguing couples who want to throw pieces of crockery at each other. already broken so it means you dont have to use your best dinnerware ..

http://www.julejenckel.com/index_7.html

2009-08-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

ceramics and superwoofers

I am very lucky to be collaborating with two very talented Matts on the artist object project

matt thompson and matt hulse
http://ceramicmatt.blogspot.com/
http://anormalboy.wordpress.com/

In addition to creating 9 plates ....

we will be creating a work with the ......

'intention to animate fragments of ceramic and coal dust through the invisible force of sound... discreet hidden speakers will be fixed beneath fragments.... these will transmit a variety of barely audible tones and sound waves, causing them to jiggle, dance and shift ' words of matt hulse

....so i am stepping from textiles to a whole new world of ceramics and superwoofers which is very exciting but equally daunting in the lead up to the exhibition.

i have been thinking alot about collaboration and found this relating to architecture...

'collaboration is the making of a relationship not an object.. although it sounds obvious to say it, collaboration is about difference, otherwise why bother?. ..acknowledging difference opens up a space to recognise what you didnt know, what you do know and what you didnt know you knew: this is the substance of collaboration far more so than the material outcome that may or may not result'

Build the relationship first, then identify the differences, then create the space

http://www.publicartonline.org/resources/rescollaboration/collaboration_artist.php

2009-07-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

2009-07-26T02:27:00.000-07:00

William Billingsley AKA Bealey ( an alias Billingsley travelled under )

'possibly the most beautiful of British porcelain was also the shortest to remain in production and technically the least successful'

most beautiful

shortest to remain in production

technically least successful

2009-07-20T13:50:00.000-07:00