Blog - Page 15 of 171 - Arnolds Attic

6th October 20246th October 2024

They Shall Grow Not Old

They Shall Grow Not Old is a new piece of work featuring darning and repair, and my red hand embroidered text.

The artwork is based around my love of poetry and features the poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon. born in Lancashire, England 1869.

For the Fallen

For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon, was first published in The Times, London, September 21, 1914.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, England mourns for her dead across the sea. Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit, Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; death august and royal Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres, There is music in the midst of desolation And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted; They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again; They sit no more at familiar tables of home; They have no lot in our labour of the day-time; They sleep beyond england’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound, Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, To the innermost heart of their own land they are known As the stars are known to the night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain; As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness, To the end, to the end, they remain.

Darning and Repair

A used and well worn table runner became the starting point for the artwork. The cloth was thread bear in places and the embroidery was starting to disintegrate.

They Shall Grow Not Old - Darn and repair — They Shall Grow Not Old – Darn and repair

My first task was to repair the fragile cloth and for this I chose a vintage Coats crochet thread.

Larger holes were backed with scraps of silk, linen and cotton cloth, before stitches were woven through to strengthen the cloth.

The final stage was hand embroidering the text with red Aurifil thread and adding a tab top and bottom made from an old pillowcase.

The piece is 114 x 38cm and will be on exhibition this November, the month we commemorate our lost and fallen servicemen.

2nd October 20244th October 2024

Nearly Home Exhibition

I’m delighted to share that ‘Time for Tea‘ has been accepted for the ArtCan ‘Nearly Home’ exhibition in Spain by curators Catherine Fenton and Walk Bye founder Catalina Aranguren.

This digital exhibition takes place at the Mostrador de Mirasierra Gallery, Madrid, Spain, October 21 – November 20 2024.

“Mostrador de Mirasierra is a gallery cafe bar in an affluent area of Madrid. It is set over two floors and has a reputation for excellent art exhibitions in Madrid. In the basement level there is a large screen on which we will introduce ArtCan to Madrid by having the Walk Bye projection running throughout the month. We will also have a list of participating artists and a QR code to the ArtCan website on the wall next to the screen.” ArtCan.

Nearly Home Exhibition

“Nearly Home asks us to consider how, beyond the obvious structures of shelter, do we personally define the often intangible quality that gives each of us a feeling of belonging? How do some fortunate enough to have had a happy childhood home, consolidate the feeling of nostalgia, with a need to grow new roots? Whether displaced by circumstance or choice, we navigate the world physically and spiritually in search of home, a place where we are in tune with who we are and comfortable to welcome in the people we love.” Catherine and Catalina.

Curators

Catherine Fenton’s work frequently deals with issues surrounding the environment and human rights. Using collaged material relating to the subject, her paintings subtly draw the viewer in with colour and texture with the intention rousing further curiosity. Her paintings have been exhibited with the Just Water campaign in St Paul’s Cathedral London, along with exhibitions and installations for Greenpeace, Toilet Twinning and The Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture.

Joining ArtCan in 2016, Catherine is now the Philanthropic Programme Director and curated an ArtCan exhibition for The International Day of the Girl Child which combined a programme to engage disenfranchised women with the charity Hibiscus London.

Catalina Aranguren’s work is a documentation of the mundane. Her work is a dialogue about the modern world and our place in it. Because her childhood was a constant wavering between languages, cultures, and third and first worlds, on a daily basis, her work focuses on the relationship between the learned and the subconscious. Her work is in private collections across the United States, UK, Australia, Chile, Sweden and Colombia. She has exhibited across the Unites States as well as Turkey, Spain, UK, Canada and Sweden.

Catalina founded Walk Bye as collective outdoor art exhibition that invited creators to exhibit original work to be displayed outside their home or from a window visible to the public from a distance during the pandemic. Walk Bye continues to create exhibition opportunities and promote the work of artists to positively contribute to their careers. Catalina is a new member to ArtCan. She joined after moving to Madrid from New York.

2nd October 20244th February 2025

Soulful Stitch – Book Review

Artist and author Deena Beverley reviews her latest book, Soulful Stitch, which she co-authored with artist Cas Holmes.

The book is a thoughtful, meditative guide to the ways creative textile art can soothe and comfort us during challenging times. The authors share how to use found objects, repurposed threads and personal items to create deep emotional resonance in your own work.

Soulful Stitch Book: https://amzn.to/3BnMD8m

The Authors

Cas Holme’s work often contains snippets of text or discarded materials that have associations or conjure up memories. There is always a dialogue with the materials she uses. They bring their own history which is woven into the work. These collections of ephemera might seem meaningless but their apparent banality is open-ended. They are available to stimulate the imagination through the poetry of ordinariness. Everything has a connection and each viewer makes their own connections. Cas is author of Embroidering the Everyday.

Cas Holmes https://casholmes.uk/

Deena Beverley’s passion is for ‘making the ordinary extraordinary’ by taking a little time to inject a personal touch into the mundane. ‘Luxe for less’ is her personal mantra; often finding its form in repurposed items or reworked found materials.

Deena Beverley https://deenabeverley.com/

Both authors have recent lived experience of having to navigate new paths through big life challenges, making this book particularly heartfelt. It truly demonstrates how even in the toughest times, creativity in textile art can keep you afloat. Packed with practical ideas, techniques and inspiration from two acclaimed textile artists.