Carving with 'Ministry of Stone'

I finally made it to Lincoln and the gargoyle carving course, actually a grotesque but who cares.
Working with stone again and learning new skills with new tools, what more can I say.

I was a little worried about it all due to my tendonitis flaring up for the first time in many years...typical timing, but all was good.

Pattern cutting

As the title suggests, I have been learning pattern cutting, my tutor is the wonderful Tracey Stewart (aka MIN atelier)
More and more I've been getting fed up trying to find clothes that I like and that fit me. If something is in a nice fabric, the pattern is horrible or the garment has some silly frilly bit or cut too low or just plain doesn't fit.

This is a very precise science and I love it. Proper measuring and marking out. Really appeals to the engineering side of me.

Too involved to take photos but will try in the future.

Visiting friends in London

Finally got away!
I've been looking forward to this trip for about 2 months now. A friend I haven't seen in too long.

Love train journeys too, so wee picnic in tow and off I go.
It was a very restful journey, well, once I'd found a seat - had booked one - unfortunately I got on the wrong train in Edinburgh. There wa sone leaving at 11, 11.20 and 11.30, all going to London. I hadn't expected so many, was in a rush and just saw London 11. something so went for it. Anyway, not a problem with ticket and I eventually ended up with a great seat in a lovely peaceful carriage.

Such a gorgeous spot, I do love it here, Enfield Docks. Loads of green nearby for walking the dog.

 

Here's a couple of scenes from walks.

      ..............More to follow...........

Things to come

I am so excited!
I've finally booked myself onto a Gargoyle carving course.
Ages to wait as it's not til Oct but so excited!!
I'll be off to Lincoln to carve stone and of course check out the cathedral amongst other sights.

Looking up is something that many people just don't do especially in a town or city but up there are fabulous things.... gargoyles of course, but I've also seen the beautiful architecture, strange items in windows such as large models of Noddy and Big Ears, and once I saw the most beautifully stone carved ship in full rig - such a sight.

"The origins of the word 'gargoyle' are derived from the old French word 'gargouille' meaning throat. In Architectural terms only the creature serving as actual water spout is called a Gargoyle, otherwise is it known as a Grotesque. A grotesque may function solely as decoration."

What is the purpose of Gargoyles? The first is a practical purpose - gargoyles provided a method of drainage which protected the stones and the mortar of churches, cathedrals and castles from erosion. The number of Gargoyles added to buildings were numerous because dividing the flow of water minimized potential water damage.  The second purpose of gargoyles was as 'guardians' of the buildings in the form of abstract symbols designed to represent, and to ward off evil.

http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-art/gargoyles.htm

This information means that technically I'll probably be making a grotesque, but I really don't mind. I would love to make a proper gargoyle that is for water, maybe in a bit.

Another interesting fact is that there are no two alike!

These are a few of some I like.

photo by Richard Nilsen

photo by Annette Wagner

 


The last one is a modern take but equally appealling
 

 

Happy Solstice!

Happy Solstice!! 💗

This is the main reason for the post because it's good to celebrate the changing seasons. 

Good to celebrate change because there is no thing more inevitable than change.

For a change today, I went through to Cupar to check out some of the artwork on the Arts Trail and saw Celie Byrne's fantastic portraits, alongside them, the collages of Phill Jupitus which definitely bring a smile. As well, a SKELF Sonic Chamber installation and Artobotic.

There was also a very amusing, well illustrated, modern tapestry about a certain public figure. Extremely tongue in cheek and a bit of a protest about the politics of today. I was lucky enough to win an original artwork from the artist Wulfgar The Bard from a machine. For £10 you win an original artwork from one of 3 artists. 

Lovely chat with some folks and a cup of tea, all in all a great interlude to my usual life.

Cupar Arts Eden

The sea ice moved slowly as the ferry passed, and from the shore, the solid ice held the silence.

Archipelago Series #I

This is the very first (at the moment) of a  series of 10 images inspired by the archipelagos in the Baltic Sea, between Stockholm, Mariehamn, Turku and Helsinki.

The trip was for my sister's birthday and that happened to be in March. Maybe not the best time to go (locals were a little surprised to see us at that time of the year) but with Brexshit in process we decided to go then.

Therefore the weather wasn't always the best. During the ferry journeys it was often very windy, wet and mostly snowing. Quite glorious in it's own way. Whe we did see the islands in passing they were sometimes almost completely obscured by snow but the ice near their shores was thick and undulating slowly as the boat passed by.

 

Another two from the Archipelago Series. 

The series is being exhibiting as part of Cupar Arts Eden, an art trail in Cupar, Fife, Scotland.

Cupar Arts is a voluntary community charity. It aims to combine high quality arts events with community involvement focusing around Cupar’s public and natural assets. Really pleased to have been picked to exhibit.

I have been absent!

As the title suggests, I have been absent for a long time. Busy times and then emotional family times made blogging a very difficult thing to do.
In fact it made everything difficult to do. I feel that I'm appearing out the other side but consequentially I have a lot of catching up to do.

I reasoned that playing catch up would not be beneficial to me so thought I'd just jump in again now.

I will be slowly publishing previous posts that describe and illuminate some of my adventures during my online silence but this is a beginning which will make it easier to carry on.
Much more to follow.

See you all very soon.