Saturday 30 April 2016

Light at the end of the tunnel.

There has been little of interest to post here for some time, but we are settling into our new routine and life is getting easier.
A few weeks ago I treated myself to this book by Roxanne Evans Stout.   I have been fascinated by collage for some time and have dabbled with it in a very minimal way but since reading this book, suddenly I have an idea for a small book of collages to celebrate my special relationship with my maternal grandmother.  I always need a reason for making something before I can start.

Like many techniques everything appears to be simple, after all I will only be cutting or tearing papers and fabrics and sticking or stitching them down to a background.  But, choosing the right elements in the right proportions and arranging them in the most effective order is the tricky bit.

I have started gathering together fabrics in blue, as blue and white was a favourite colour combination for my grandmother.

She made rag rugs so that has to be included.  This one appears in one of Kaffe Fasset's books but as I will not be parting with my book when it is finished I am not worried about copyright.  She also made crocheted lace.

I have collected various images from magazines - granny kept bees at one time and her favourite soap smelled of Devon violets.

I may include some stamping - the meadow reminds me of long summer holidays spent crawling through the long grasses of Granny's paddock looking for ladybirds and grasshoppers.

This is just a mock-up at creating the first page.  The photo is of me aged about 18months old with Granny on a lovely summer day.   I think progress will be slow and I must not let my enthusiasm run away with me as I have done so often.   There is so much to think about and each memory seems to trigger off another one.

It is lovely to have time to think about doing some art work again.   At last my husband seems to be making real progress and I have a bit of spare time to play.  

12 comments:

ferinn said...

It's good to hear that your husband is making good progress.I love your ideas and your final image has such a lovely feel to it .I look forward to seeing you progress with it.

Gina said...

That seems like a lovely project to work on Heather. Pleased to hear your husband is making good progress.

Lyn said...

well done. I look forward to seeing it evolve. I too need a reason to do some artwork, I can't just sit and 'do' something out of thin air. I do love the photo for the first page. xxx

The Bug said...

That sounds like a great project!

Clare Wassermann said...

Sounds like a good idea to me. Pleased to hear your husband is progressing xx

Carol McFee said...

You have made a great start Heather, your book will be wonderful.
I am glad life is settling down for you x

janet said...

Glad things are getting better Heather. It seems to me that the older we get the more we think about our mothers and grandmothers. I am currently working on a book that includes them both, but it does make me feel rather emotional at times. x

Ro Bruhn said...

Looking forward to seeing the progress Heather, you have some really nice collage materials there.

Robin Mac said...

I am so glad your husband is on the mend at last. The collage so far is looking wonderful. I love the picture of you and your Granny. Sadly I have none of my beloved granny with any of us - I suppose not nearly as many snaps were taken back then. Cheers

Vagabonde said...

I like the beginning of your collage – quite charming. I am happy your husband is getting better – pneumonia makes you feel weak. I had pneumonia over the Christmas holidays. My husband could not drive me to the doctor (or even take care of me) and I was too weak to drive myself, so I had to stay in bed for 3 weeks without medical supervision. I did not even know I had pneumonia but was very sick. It took a long time to get better. I look forward to seeing more of your collages.

Digitalgran said...

I'm so sorry your husband has been ill, but glad he is recovering. The collage will be lovely.
Unfortunately i have no photos of myself with my grannies. Both grandfathers had died before I was born.

Sara lechner said...

I hope you husband is well now. I am coming back to blogging in September because I just moved and now I have a studio settled. I am travelling to Austria though to visit my children till the 25th of August. These visits are a real draw back in my working capacity but I enjoy them now that I'm living most of the time at the end of the world...:-)