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.

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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

"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

 

 

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

highvis highland cow .
 

highland cow with hearing trumpet 

work in progress Cove park artists residency 2010

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.

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

photograph by Al Mc Caffrey

finalising work for Stroud Textile Festival . 

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/

 

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.

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

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/

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 

 

dowry   detail

cotton,goldleaf

made on artists residency n.uist 2008

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'