February hearts

January gently passed.

In a tiny corner of my rented apartment I opened up a box of hearts and spread out with some carefully considered work I have yet to share.  I enjoyed the feel of the fabrics again, stitched with love and deep emotion.

Although winter remains my favourite season, I have struggled with the Cornish storms and constant mizzly rain of recent months.  I find myself longing for spring and light and sunny bulbs.  I find myself longing for yellows, soft blue greens and a home of my own, a studio to work in, space to spread out with my thoughts and a cosy armchair.  Things will gently fall into place, I'm sure.

These hearts are spring and summer … memories and hopes … of walks on the beach, little Cornish cottages and time spent looking for pearl shells and dark mussel tangles.

One or two of these hearts were featured in Maggie Grey's WOWbook 4.  I was very kindly invited by guest editor, Lynda Monk, to make some work for the alphabet series featured in this issue which was published in 2019.  "B" is for beaches and beachcombing (something I have always loved since I was a little girl) and there evolved twelve hearts, three for each season.

I very much appreciated being asked by Lynda to participate in this wonderful textiles book.  The invitation came at a difficult and dark period in my life, when I was doing very little creatively, and when my focus was simply trying to get through the days.  I look back at this collection of work with grateful thanks to Lynda and Maggie.

I would also like to take this opportunity to give many thanks to Anne Kelly for inviting me to share work in her book "Textile Folk Art" which was published in 2018.  Anne very kindly selected two stitched collage pieces, a nostalgic one called "the sparkle of the water" and a slow stitched piece called "faraway cottages" … inspired as always by the sea and the sky and the wonderful feeling of just being in Cornwall.  I will write a little more about these pieces and how they were inspired another time.

1st February 2020 - and I have a very busy week ahead, but my online shop will open today.  These hearts and other work will find their way there over the course of this week.  You will find I am still working at a slower place at the moment, there is no rush.  I am currently limited with space to work and also trying to buy a house/studio.  If you are interested in a stitched piece, please keep checking back from time to time and I will also post updates on FB and Instagram when work is listed.  I very much appreciate all interest in my work and wish you all a very good weekend - Carolyn x

down at the studio ...

I'm down at the studio today ...

I'll be taking new stitched beach and rock pool hearts to the exhibition

and hoping there will be some photo opportunities when I stop for lunch

please pop in and say hello if you are nearby ...

Porthmeor Studios on the Back Road West, St. Ives

stitching a purple sea garden and other dreamy thoughts

1.  the meaning of you  2.  shell  3.  at swim two birds  4.  seated figure  5.  vintage ladies

6.  little riffs  7.  garden in a box  8.  dirt cloud  9.  winter white vintage style felted stocking

 

since I last posted ... it's been a whirl of fun and busy-ness

 

making mosaics and gathering shells for still life

and being inspired by the colours and tones in my collections

 

 

looking closely at shells

and noticing that some of them have their own little sea gardens growing on the outside

 loving purple fossilised seaweed on mussels

 

and being inspired to create my own little purple sea garden on a heart

with a shell found on Mousehole harbour beach

sourcing just the right shade of mauve to use with tones of chocolate and shimmer

I enjoyed creating a new jar scene with this adorable vintage photo
and posed the heart with the little girl who is looking shyly off camera

I wonder how long she was made to stand there and pose ...

the jar photo was meant to be just for a moment in art
but I've kept her in the jar to be enjoyed on my hallway table

I could have sold the purple sea garden heart several times over
and had a lovely commission to make one as similar as possible

but, gladly, and uniquely, they all come out a little differently

 

I called this one ... "believe in dreams"

I adore stitching these one of a kind seaside, ocean and rock pool hearts
I love to source the fabrics and shells that I will use
muse over text and enjoy the quiet time that hand stitching affords

with shop sales and commissions creating the hearts keeps me very busy indeed
 and I think I've made around 20 recently with more commissions still to stitch

and for those who have asked me whether I will be making more textile art beads
the answer is "yes" ... they are in progress but I had to put them to one side
while I got my panel for Festival of Quilts finished

and will share more on that once it's been up to the show
Festival of Quilts, NEC Birmingham 6 - 9 August 2015



for the past couple of months I have been seriously weather watching
and capturing moments of mood and colour on the landscape and seascape
photographing, pushing paint around, paper and fabric collage and stitch
working in my sketchbook towards my show later in the year

something catches my eye every day ...

cloud formations, brewing storms, rain drops on windows, huge waves
mist hanging over the village and rainfall on the far Lizard coastline
the lichen changing colour on the cottage rooftops
the sea changing from silver to deepest aqua, phthalo green and thunderous indigo



there have also been some beautiful sunrises

and early morning pink skies ... serene and calming



it cannot help but inspire ...

I hope this little video works ok ...

it is mesmerising ...

watching the sea sparkles dance

 

of all ... I think silver seas and skies are my favourite

since I last posted work at home is progressing slowly

inside ... a small ensuite shower room is taking shape
with white suite and grey and silver tiles

the living room fireplace has been opened up and a new one created
with a black sea sparkly granite hearth sourced from Carn Brae
housing a gorgeous large windowed wood burning stove

I'm gradually tackling the garden in my spare time
the outside of the house has been painted white and
a new patio has been built to take in the awesome views

my view - vintage style

since I last posted we've enjoyed Cornish time with family and friends down staying
and meals out at The Tolcarne Inn, The Water Mill, The Lifeboat in St. Ives
The Wheel Inn at Tresillian and a night out at Hall For Cornwall

we spent time at Lamorna Cove, Porthcurno, The Minnack Theatre and Sennen
St. Ives (of course ... always my favourite)

Newquay

Pentire Point and Perranporth

we can't wait to return to Pentire Point
to walk this path at a time when the seed heads are at their best

the landscape is already looking autumnal and firing my imagination

which brings me to what's coming next ...

(after completing my current orders this week)
I shall be concentrating on my work for "Seeds and Pods"
for exhibition at Porthmeor Studios in St. Ives
12 - 19 September 2015

my work will include painterly textile wall hangings, framed work
hearts, cottages, totes, cards and supporting sketchbooks

I can't wait to totally indulge in one of my favourite themes
I do hope you can come to the show!

and after that ... autumnal work for The Crow Show
an exhibition of textile art and mixed media with textile artist friend Jo
at St. Ives Arts Club from 31 October - 13 November 2015
(details on the side bar)

I hope you enjoy the photos
and thanks always for reading ♥

days at the seaside

a bit of a seaside post today

sharing some recent photos ...

 

 

in St. Ives with my mum at the end of February

 

quite a warm morning for February

the sun made everything even more beautiful ... if that's possible

the sea was calm and very green, light reflecting off the sand

we watched the seagulls coming in to land

they were quite bothersome that day ... there was much pasty stealing!

I was down in St. Ives again at the beginning of March for St. Ives Textiles

at Porthmeor Studios

 

a view of the island from Porthmeor Studios

 we were given a tour of the fishermen's cellars

at Porthmeor Studios, Back Road West

 

it was a rare opportunity to take lots of photos for St. Ives Textiles

and I will be updating the website very soon

with new work and inspiring photos from the cellars

you can sign up here to receive updates if you are interested ...

 

St. Ives Textiles

 

 

with thanks to Marilyn Weston for arranging the tour

 

it was fascinating to meet one of the last remaining net menders in Cornwall

and learn some of the history of the cellars, still in use

also to see the maritime art installation created by Mark Dion

 

even the walls tell a painterly story or two ...

 

 

vintage art materials in Mark Dion's maritime art installation

 

 the fishermen's cellars ...

 

 

 also at Porthmeor Studios ... admiring the Gyotaku prints

prints made using real fish, squid and squid ink

something I want to have a go at myself!

you can see more fishy prints on the facebook page of Porthmeor Studios here

 

back in Mousehole ...

 

Mousehole harbour

and all last week we had friends staying with us

it was nice to have company on my walks and beachcombing

 

 I took these photos of the "baulks" in Mousehole harbour

during the winter months the baulks are positioned by crane
 to bridge the gap between the two piers
offering shelter for the harbour from winter storms and the like
 

I would really love to make a largish quilted piece some time

inspired by the colours lines numbers and rings in these photos 

I'm glad I managed to get these photos as it's ...

 

"baulks up, boats down" on March 21st

that means the "baulks" will be lifted by crane so that the Mousehole "gap"

(between the two piers) will be open again for boats to go in and out

 

 

friend Sue was very patient ... I took rather a lot of photos as usual

most of the time my camera was down in one particular bit of beach

 

there I found so many things to inspire that had a textile "feel" to them ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

looking closely at nature is such a joy

 

 

 

I never imagined I would find all this on a rocky bit of beach!

 

 

(and all the while my house is in sight)

 

this time a week ago I had a brilliant crow day gelli printing with friend Jo

I think you will agree these are quite "grungy" for me!

 

 

 

I also printed with leaves (and feathers)

 

 

 

then ...

on Friday (the 13th) we were back in St. Ives

it was a beautiful bright day ... but very very bitterly cold

 

 

and blustery ...

 

 

 spray was washing right over the pier ... an awesome sight

 

I couldn't quite capture it for having to dodge it!

 

 

but, thankfully, the other side the harbour was sheltered by the pier wall

(love that ladder)

 

  St. Ives was at it's most beautiful ...

I was inspired to stitch ... 

a long sunlit day of swimming

a St. Ives cottage with rock pool details inspired by St. Ives colours

with stitches that match patterns and colours on the mussel shell

 

 

and a little Mousehole rock pool on silk
a sunny rock pool with bright green sea water
it will have gold on it ... reflections of skies and shimmer

with the bluest shells gathered from the beach at Godrevy

the hearts are almost finished ... I have several others I am working on too
but I cannot rush at the moment ... some days I prefer to collage or paint
some days I prefer to gather things and have sketchbook days

some days are wonderful and other days my heart is heavy

(there is a lot going on in my little world that I choose not to mention)

so I shall end here with a happy photo

and send you all lots of love from Cornwall ♥
(thank you so much for visiting me!)