My latest piece – a mini artwork called Away from the Chaos – has been chosen by curator Ivonne Fernandez for the ”Miniatur-Ausstellung zum Thema Autismus – Autism” Doll House exhibition at Villa Mosaïk, Steubenstraße 79, Aschaffenburg, Germany.
The artwork
“Children on the autism spectrum often play in an inflexible, rule bound way. The features associated with autism, including cognitive rigidity, pervasive anxiety, and resistance to change.”
For people on the spectrum routine, repetition, and ritual bring order to an otherwise chaotic world.
The colour blue’s association to autism originated with the autism advocacy association known as Autism Speaks. Their “Light it Up Blue” campaign calls for people to wear blue to promote autism awareness. Blue is also the organisation’s primary colour and is associated with a calm feeling and acceptance in an otherwise loud and busy world for people on the spectrum.
Size 11.5 x 11.5cm, perle & embroidery thread, hand embroidered onto vintage cotton cloth.
My latest artworks called Reel Stories, started life as a handful of reels that I rediscovered after a day sorting through my collection of vintage cotton reels. The smallest reels are a perfect size for my hand embroidered text.
It’s funny how a relaxed day pottering around can spark an idea.
Reel Stories
The cotton cloth is an old pillowcase that I eco printed with plants from my garden – to date I’ve created three artworks in this series.
The first features an extract from a Lancashire poem ‘Hand Loom v. Power Loom’, author unknown. Unwound the artwork is 2 wide x 2m long.
Come all you cotton weavers, your looms you may pull down. You must get employment in factories, in country or in town. For our cotton masters have a wonderful new scheme: These calico goods now wove by hand, they’re going to weave by steam.
There’s sow-makers and dressers and some are making warps. These poor pincop-spinners they must mind their flats and sharps. For if an end slips under, as sometimes perchance it may, They’ll daub you down in black and white and you’ve a shilling to pay.
The weavers’ turn will next come on, for they must not escape. To enlarge the master’s fortune, they are fined in every shape. For thin places or bad edges, a go or else a float, They’ll daub you down and you must pay three pence or else a groat.
If you go into a loom shop where there’s three or four pairs of looms, They all are standing idle, a-cluttering up the rooms. And if you ask the reason why, t’ould mother will tell you plain: “My daughters have forsaken them and gone to weave by steam.”
So come all you cotton weavers, you must rise up very soon, For you must work in factories from morning until noon. You mustn’t walk in your garden for two or three hours a day, For you must stand at their command and keep your shuttles in play.
‘Hand Loom v. Power Loom’, author unknown.
First in the series of Reel Stories
The second artwork is a list of all the cotton mill workers jobs which includes titles like quilter, beamer and tenter. Unwound the artwork is 2cm wide x. 2.7m long
Second in the series
The third artwork documents the cotton industry mills and works that processed the cotton. Unwound the size is 2cm wide x 70cm long.
I’m pleased to announce that Reel Stories 1 & 3 have been accepted for the 3rd International Micro Textile and FIbre Art Exhibition “Scythia” at 17.00, str. Mariyky Pidhiryanky 23, Ivano-Frankivs’k, Ukraine. 6th – 20th June 2023 (the exhibition catalogue is available to view here – my artwork appears on page 34)
The new edition of the international textile and fibre art exhibitions Mini and Micro Scythia, now in their 11th and 3rd year respectively, will open on 6 June. These two important events, which take place every two years, are part of the larger project that includes the well-known International Biennial of Contemporary Textile and Fibre Art Scythia and the Fibremen exhibition.
In the Mini Textile category, works by 131 artists from 33 countries will be exhibited, while 50 artists will be selected for the Micro Textile and Fibre art exhibition, representing 23 countries.
My latest piece – a mini artwork called The Blues – has been chosen by curator Amy Oliver for ‘The Time of Her Life III’ dollhouse exhibition at The House of Smalls.
The Time of Her Life III. An exhibition of artworks conveying women’s thoughts, feelings and emotions as they navigate and negotiate the restless waters of peri/menopause and beyond.
Amy Oliver, Curator at The House of Smalls
‘The Time of her Life III’ – House of Smalls Dollhouse Exhibition
The exhibition takes place at The House of Smalls, Cambrook Court, High Street, Chipping Campden, Glos GL55 6AT from 27 May – 24 June 2023.
The Blues
The artwork
The changes in our hormones during perimenopause and menopause affect both our minds and our bodies. Some of the symptoms affecting our minds are known as the ‘Menopause Blues’.
“The spiralling effects of anxiety and depression, insomnia and brain fog changed my world. There were times I felt I was existing rather than living.” Anon.
Size 11.5 x 11.5 cm. Hand embroidered textile art. Perlé cotton thread, cotton cloth.
This is the second time I’ve taken part in The House of Smalls dollhouse exhibitions. I’m thoroughly enjoying the challenge of making small artworks and look forward to taking part in future exhibitions.
Update
Here are a selection of images courtesy of Amy at The House of Smalls.
