Thursday Thoughts...

I like intellectual reading. It’s to my mind what fibre is to my body. 

 Grey Livingston

I had a cheeky laugh at this one; or at least the way I read it!

I try to have a cycle of: non-fiction reading; literary fiction reading; and trashy reading.  Sometimes I get too caught up in tough intellectual reading and then really just need a mind-numbing read - hence the trashy novels.

I also like to read quality literature as well - which can challenge and confuse; and is sometimes followed by the release of some trashy novel.

The reason I laughed at this one is that I was thinking about how fibre gets your gut moving; how it moves stuff along and out, and wondering if that was what he meant: intellectual reading pushes the crap out? Suggesting perhaps that we absorb way too much rubbish; and then along comes intellectual reading and moves all that stuff along and out, allowing our minds to be open to the larger matters of life?

So perhaps I should make sure that each time I read a trashy novel, I follow it up with some intellectual reading. I just need to get the sequence of my reading cycle in synch...

Fields of wheat in the north of Scotland...

Teamwork and the non-making work of art

 Some days you do the work that helps you make; rather than spend the time making.

The week was pretty much like that - following on from the big clean up; there were one or two jobs left on the list which got done today (filing and sorting bookshelves).

If you follow Barry's blog, you will know he has been busy making what he terms 'product' - some fabulous ladles are done; as are some butter/pate spreaders, and I know leaf tea caddy spoons and leaf teaspoons are on the way.  What that means for me is where the teamwork bit comes in - I write the swing tags for his work.  

Today I set about writing 50 swing tags. I cut the paper to size; punched the holes and then wrote. 

Here's the first part done.

Then the second part.

This is halfway through the third part which happens on the back.

And to finish where I got to today, I cut 50 lengths of thread to be tied onto each tag. Then the price is written on each one and the tag attached to the item. Barry pretty much takes it from here now (altho I often write the price).

We have emerged safely from our 3 day lockdown.  Brisbane had to stay another day, but they are out now too.  In terms of work you do for art that isn't really art... I organised for the studio to get its own QR code.

I am not sure how many other places are doing this; but here we do it a lot.  You scan the code into your phone to check in, and this allows contact tracers to firm up where you have been and if indeed people who were at the same place are at risk. Hence our short and sharp lockdowns - rather than really long ones.

In other news, I have been updating our websites. A long way to go still, but if you head to DEP you can see that I have put my 6 feminist posters online for sale.

This was prompted in part, because a while ago I sent a number of our female journalists posters to say thank you for the amazing work they are doing holding this country to account.  As best they can. Seriously we are in bad shape in so many ways, but I digress. 

Included in these was a "nevertheless, she persisted" poster to Annabel Crabb.  Who, during the week popped this little thank you on her instagram page.

Which got almost 3,500 likes and then I got quite a few enquiries!  I never expected her or any of the others to promote the work; so of course, was behind the 8 ball when she did...

Sadly, we had to postpone our Celebrating Books Maleny event "Sunday Morning Talking Crime" which was due to happen this morning.  Given the uncertainties about travel, lockdowns and numbers of people allowed to gather in one spot it was the only option.

Our organising group decided early in the year that rather than have our full festival on one weekend and risk losing it all if we locked down; we would split events over several weekends.  We have had some great successes so far this year and it has been exciting to gather again and share our love of books.  Had we gone with the one-weekend-only it would have been this weekend; so we feel very fortunate that we made that strategic decision to help manage our risks - and we did!  Hopefully we will be back with another Sunday Morning Talking Crime event before the year is out.

Thursday Thoughts...

“When shall we set sail for happiness?” 

Charles Baudelaire

As part of my regular bibliomancy - reading for and about art related but not directly related kind of thing - I read Alain de Botton's The Art of Travel.

There were some marvellous descriptions, explorations, and whimsical meanderings throughout the book. Some chapters captured my attention deeply; others I skipped over. And every now and again there was a a quote.

This simple question just tugged at my heart immediately and still does so.

The idea that we have to leave where we are to find happiness is so sad. The longing in question - seeking a departure time, the opposite of the child in the back seat's refrain "are we there yet"? 

I think it's the sense of waiting, of feeling that happiness cannot be found where I am and at this moment that I find so achingly sad. As if happiness is just over there, out of reach...

It truly made me stop and consider how important it is to find the moments, and the joy, and the happiness in the here and now. To not assume it is over there, and 'if only I was there, doing that, with those people, at that place, during that time could I or would I find happiness'.

I think our job is to find happiness wherever we are, and in whatever small moments of things we can.

Our first ruby grapefruit at our new place. We planted this tree in September last year; and this winter it has gifted us two grapefruit.  Sitting in the morning sun, this made me happy.

Covid hankies plus Covid lockdown

Well, we got the news today that we will be going into a 3 day lockdown from 6pm tonight.  We have watched across the country as new cases appeared; as different cities locked down; hearing borders shut with resounding clangs and were pretty sure ours couldn't be too far away.  

We decided on Sunday that we would cancel our next Sunday morning Celebrating Books event - too risky we thought, and we were right.

So, here we are checking that we are prepared and ready to settle into a very tight lockdown with pretty much no excuse for leaving home, and we think are good to go.

I have mentioned before how amazed I am that I still have so much to stitch about; and I thought I'd show an update of my June information gathering.

June was ticking along with quite regular headlines as we watched what was happening down south.

Then the past 5 days things took off across the country. And in such a way that I am quite literally grabbing post it notes and random notepads to try and capture it all. I write one thing, then within hours it changes. This morning on the national broadcaster there were just rolling press conferences by the States, one after the other... 

And I am still finding time to stitch - never as much as I'd like - but who knows, maybe lockdown will see me finish May before July gets here. Cry-laughing at the likelihood of that!

This one makes me laugh - "We're off war-footing now". So many meaningless phrases.

 

On the good news front this lovely bundle of remnants appeared in the post from ink & spindle (go look, they are gorgeous) so they are there for playing with if needed.

And in further good news, some spring flowers have popped out early to give us some cheer. I think I will be investigating the garden more now we are stuck at home for a few days.

Mind you, I am not complaining about a 3 day lockdown - it is more than manageable for us; it is necessary at the moment and we are fortunate to be safe and well.  I just am so sorry for what it does to small businesses and casual workers and folk with plans when I think we could have avoided it.

Printing, tidying and others

 The last few days have been a bit of a mixed bag.  Barry and I usually alternate at the studio - he does Thursday and Saturday, and I do Friday and Sunday.  I did have a marvellous time printing on Friday; but we both spent both days of the weekend at the studio doing a major studio-blitz. See Barry's blog for the real dirt.

My printing is a bit experimental, using some words of Pauline Prior-Pitt a poet who lives in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.

I am still playing with that paper that has the stone and the stitching of ripples on it, so it is turning out to be quite the sampler of things.

 

    

But then the weekend came along and it was all hands on deck as we sorted through things in preparation we hope, for a bit of a studio sale - like a carboot sale or a garage sale or...something we can't quite put our finger on; but it will be all the things we no longer need or use; or which simply need to find new homes.

Here are some bits of printing gear that we decided we could let go of.

Here is some furniture for locking up chases all numbered by size now and ordered in a box.

Same with the word furniture - all measured in picas.

We were weary by Sunday evening - having checked every press, every drawer, every cupboard, every box; and tidied up desks, frames, bubble wrap, artworks, paper bags and even under the sink!

When sorting frames I came across this wee one and picked up a cement heart and thought - yes they go together.  So it's now at home waiting to be mounted and popped on our ledge of precious things.

And Sunday late afternoon light on some grevilleas - a golden glow.

Thursday Thoughts...

Art is the journey of a free soul. 

Alev Oguz

I wondered about the veracity of this as I skimmed over this quote, then returned.  I thought yes, that is definitely worth pondering.

I wondered at first, if only free souls can be artists? And what is a free soul anyway? Or is it that any art you see is actually just the journey of a free soul; not the intent of a free soul?  And then, is art the only journey of a free soul? Can a free soul do other things?

Perhaps it is just that art happens when you follow along a meandering path, one without too many boundaries and you are free to follow where the work leads you.

Perhaps it is hard to be a rigid artist one who is restricted and limited and not free?  

I do think that it's probable that free souls/spirits are more likely to explore and express and create; but I do somehow think that great art can also be made from within constraints and boundaries.  I guess however, that physical limitations and impositions are overcome by the free thinking or drifting of creativity - of a free soul perhaps?

Somewhat unresolved I must say!

But a beautiful work of art by Cai Guo-Qiang.

Prints and magic by the sea

Whenever we spend time in Scotland I catch myself saying over and over 'the light, the light!!"

The light there is magical and stops me in my tracks time and again.  I feel the same way when we visit the Maroochy River for our mini-breaks.

Each and every time I look up from the couch - I say "oh, look what the light's doing now" kind of thing. Here are a few examples...

And onto the water...

Can you believe this??? Reflected sunset reflected onto the water.

The morning we said farewell.

 And then lucky me.  I was at home on Saturday doing a few bits (washing those tea towels!!!) whilst B was at the studio.  He was printing his 3D plates and was doing really well. You know when you hit the groove and things get into a rhythm and it all just happens?  He was doing great prints and sending me photos and I said - if you get bored, feel free to print mine - and he did!!!

I am so grateful because they are really good prints.  I would have mucked around for ages and wasted paper and ink and not ended up with as many goodies as I did had I done it myself.

 So on Sunday I returned the favour and printed the titles on the front, and the postcard and press on the back; on both mine and his - team effort!

Even more bits and pieces

 Although I am not pushing one big project forward at the moment, I am dipping into many it seems and definitely enjoying the time! This, that and the others is pretty much how things are rolling...

This - continuing to wrap pebbles with thread and wondering about whether they look OK with this more formal crossed pattern.

And if the formality works with the organic waviness of the marks on the paper.

And then what happens if you play around with stitching ripples.  Tighter or looser? My answer was tighter.

That - still stitching those hankies.  Here is April complete - yay!

Tracing May.

Selecting May's thread colour.

The others - I printed a heap of tea towels and they are taking ages to dry and to set.  I ironed them all on Saturday and was still worried about the marks that had transferred between them when I had had to clear the drying table and fold and stack them before they were ready. I thought I had lost the lot really as there were so many erroneous inky marks.  So home they went and they all got washed to see if a) the main game was set; and b) if the unwanted marks might disappear.

And yay to that.

Clearly a lot of ironing awaits me once more; but I can now sell them confidently knowing that they are in pretty good shape.

Except for this one - the first I printed when I had folded the sides back and out of the way to print, only to find that of course they changed the pressure and I kind of got unintended stripes!  Free to a good home!!!

The other others...

I think this is my best loaf so far. Need to keep practising!

And here I am charging our car at the very first EV charging station in town at the Maple St Coop!!! They are yet to trim the grass, (love a country town) but we were very keen to try it out.

Thursday Thoughts...

"People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading". 

Logan Pearsall

I can't honestly express how much this one resonates with me! I am sitting here almost cry-laughing at it and nodding enthusiastically to myself.

We are just back from another mini-break. We headed to Maroochy River once more, to our favourite haunt with the intention to do nothing more than sit and read, look up and see what the water and the light were doing, then head back down and read some more.  

The routine is up and brekky; read, then wander off on a visit, explore or shop, back for lunch, read, dinner, read, head to bed, read.

Indeed, people might say life the life is this thing - but reading, well it pretty much does it for me!

A stunning sunset on Tuesday night.

Stitching Paper

Having played with the hi tech world o f 3D printing, it was back to the real me - sitting and slowly poking holes in paper...

The paper is quite heavy (around 800gsm) and 5.5cm square.

I dot up a 0.5cm grid with pencil. And then pierce each hole with an awl.

With no stitching plan in mind, I take needle and thread and stitch.

This way and that; some work better than others.

And then I wonder what to do with them.

This way and that.

That way and this.

Who knows?