Blog - Page 20 of 165 - Arnolds Attic

3rd February 202429th February 2024

Dementia 2 – Confusion

A new exhibition at the House of Smalls called ‘Between the Lines’ prompted me to create a new piece of work called ‘Dementia 2 – Confusion ’ for the Dollhouse gallery.

‘Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.’ ~ Dylan Thomas. ‘Between The Lines’, an exhibition relating to ageing and all that comes with it.
House of Smalls

The exhibition takes place at The House of Smalls, Cambrook Court, High Street, Chipping Campden, Glos GL55 6AT from 3rd February – 2nd March 2024.

About the artwork: Dementia 2 – Confusion

For years I was unsure what ‘living with dementia’ actually meant, then in early 2023 the meaning became very clear. A family member started displaying signs of confusion. On reflection, we realised that there’d been subtle symptoms of Dementia there for some time – the kind of symptoms that aren’t really noticeable when you see someone day to day – until you start to question it.

Dementia is devastating. It’s a rollercoaster of physical exhaustion, and emotional and mental anguish for both patient and carers.

This piece is part of a series about an experience of Dementia and in particular Vascular Dementia.

“Nothing feels the same…. I don’t know what’s going on” Mary S. 2023.

In the earlier stages, memory loss and confusion may be mild. The person with vascular dementia may be aware of — and frustrated by — the changes taking place, such as difficulty recalling recent events, making decisions or processing what was said by others. In the later stages, memory loss becomes far more severe. – Alzheimer’s Association.

Being forgetful, absentminded, or not quite remembering are often put down to old age or even menopause – but when does it become noticeable that there is something more going on?

Size 11.5 x 11.5cm. Hand embroidered cotton cloth, vintage Sylko thread.

Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia. – Alzheimer’s Research UK.

This is one of a series of small artworks that I’ve created that fit in perfectly with the scale of the Dollhouse exhibition.

Update: ‘Between the Lines’ dollhouse exhibition

15th January 20243rd February 2024

The God of Small Things Exhibition

I’m pleased to announce that Keepsake have been selected by curator Penny Woolfall for ‘The God of Small Things’ exhibition at 54 The Gallery in Mayfair.

The exhibition is organised by the Week 45 Collective, an International Womens’ Artists Collective.

Keepsake collection. part of The God of Small Things exhibition.

The God of Small Things Exhibition

This show explores the initimate and small details of our lives which mean so much to us. We explore the traces of our lives, in our homes and environment, things that touch us alone, things that mean nothing and everything. We celebrate our wonderful women artists with a range of textiles, painting, ceramics, glasswork and ephemera and often have demonstrations, readings and we also sell books and hand made cards made by our talented artists.
Week 45 Collective

The exhibition is open at 29 January – 3 February 2024 (noon until 9pm) at 54 The Gallery, Shepherd’s Market, W1J 7QX.

Please book your free tickets using this Eventbrite link .

54 The Gallery is located in Shepherd Market, a part of London built between 1735 and 1746 by Edward Shepherd on the grounds of the May Fair.

Update – Images from The God of Small Things Exhibition

15th January 202415th January 2024

Keepsake

Keepsake is a new body of work featuring my hand embroidered text and some very special objects from my childhood home.

Keepsake. Each treasured piece is bound in hand embroidered memories.

Each small piece has been collected over the years and holds precious memories. The embroidered text shares a little story about the object.

The artworks are hand embroidered with vintage Sylko thread onto an old pillowcase that has been eco printed with leaves from my garden. The cloth is attached to the treasured object by a handmade cord made from vintage Sylko thread.

This form of hand embroidery appeared in my body of work called Reel Stories, which shares narratives of Lancashire’s cotton mill industry.

Keepsake 1: Toggle

A well-worn and cherished hand-me-down made of woollen cloth fastened up tightly with wooden toggles. I could tackle any weather that winter had to offer, wrapped up tight in my duffle coat.

Words: Snow is falling … School finishes early … bus stops at the bottom of the hill and we’ve a long walk back home in the dark … Wellies, duffle coat, scarf … forgot the gloves today and my hands are frozen … snow is deep and getting deeper … strong wind and driving thick snow… our school bags get heavier with every step … Home at last … Warm air on my face … Smell baking – Flour on mum’s apron … It’s pie for tea … my favourite.

Toggles: These wooden toggles, salvaged from an old duffle coat, were found in my mum’s button tin.

Cord: Handmade from vintage Sylko thread.

Size: wound 5 x 5cm: unravelled 141 x 5cm. Vintage Sylko thread hand embroidered text, Eco printed cotton cloth from an old pillow case.

Keepsake 2 : Pencil

Measure twice. Mark once. Then back behind his ear. Whether he was working on stone flags or timber, Dad always had a sharpened pencil tucked behind his ear and ready to use.

Words: He wore a flat cap, shirt with rolled up sleeves and always had crisp turn ups on his trousers filled with grit. Of an evening he’d put his dusty cap down with his keys, a pencil he’d sharpened with a Stanley knife and a torn scrap of cereal box he used for writing on.

Pencils: These treasured pencils were discovered on my dad’s workbench.

Cord: Handmade from vintage Sylko thread.

Size: wound 4 x 6cm: unravelled 84 x 6cm. Vintage Sylko thread hand embroidered text, Eco printed cotton cloth from an old pillow case.

Keepsake 3: Key

I walked past them every day before I left the house and there was a comfort in seeing them there – Mum’s keys. If they were on the hall table, it meant she was home.

This key once opened my childhood home.

Front door key - a keepsake from my childhood home — Front door key – a keepsake from my childhood home

Words: On a barley twist table that bakes in the sun, at the foot of the stairs in the hall. On a fob on a chain near a shiny black phone, lives a bundle of keys to our home.

Key: This front door key, locks changed long ago, kept as a keepsake of my childhood home.

Cord: Handmade from vintage Sylko thread.

Size: wound 3 x 8cm: unravelled 57 x 8cm. Vintage Sylko thread hand embroidered text, Eco printed cotton cloth from an old pillow case.

Spare Key

Words: In a terracotta pot, chipped and broken in the frost, by the mossy gravel path, near the door.

Key: Orphan key found in the garden.

Cord: Handmade from vintage Sylko thread.

Size: wound 3 x 7cm: unravelled 22 x 7cm. Vintage Sylko thread hand embroidered text, Eco printed cotton cloth from an old pillow case.

These are the first pieces in a new series of work that I’m looking forward to adding to this year.