It's Almost Christmas and It Was My Birthday

I think I must be the most organised that I've ever been in the lead-up to Christmas; I posted out my cards the first week of December and bought most of my presents, which got wrapped pretty much straight away, and the tree is up.

The angel on top is from the 70's and is the one we had on our family tree when I was a child. It's amazing that she's still going.

Work is incredibly busy at the moment and I'm loving the frenetic pace. There is Christmas magic in the air as I found myself invited to tea with friends I hadn't seen in a long while - it was so good to spend some time with them.

Then yesterday was my birthday, my last day off before Christmas. So as well as catching up on chores such as ironing, changing the bed and cleaning the bathroom, I also got to spend time with family and friends drinking cups of tea around the kitchen table - fab.

I love this time of year - I have little splashes of Primrose colour in my garden and the delicate flowers on my Viburnums are just perfect. My pictures aren't the best but things are hectic so it's a wonder I got any at all.

Amanda xxx

The Empty Stocking

Christmas is fast approaching and the thick layer of sparkling frost covering everything this morning seemed to herald its coming; which brings me neatly to the reason for todays post - my absolute favourite Christmas book of the moment:-



'The Empty Stocking' by Richard Curtis
illustrations by Rebecca Cobb

I absolutely adore this book and I urge you to get your own copy, whether you have children or not. It will give you that 'feel good' feeling and have you reaching for a nice glass of port and a slice of stollen.

Written by well known film director Richard Curtis, his hand is very apparent as he pulls, to great effect, on your heart strings. The utterly charming illustrations by relative newcomer Rebecca Cobb work perfectly to bring the story vividly to life. She has a childlike style combined with a sophisticated attention to detail.

It tells the story of 7 year old twins Sam and Charlie who, on Christmas Eve, are preparing excitedly for Father Christmas to visit. But Mum and Dad are a little bit worried as this has been Charlie's naughtiest year yet. Does Father Christmas know? And will he fill her stocking?

The first time I read this book I immediately fell in love with it and had to get my own copy. My son was already a teenager at this point so I couldn't pass it off as a present for him, but I was more than happy to gift it to myself.

Books are such great gifts, never more so than at Christmas, the perfect time to cosy up by the fire with a warm drink and a great read. I'm busy compiling my list now.

Amanda xxx

Beautiful Bird (in stitch)

It's been a while since my last post, but I felt that I'd put a bit too much pressure on myself to post on the same day every week, and so I've taken a step back and realised that I need to allow myself to be a little bit more flexible with my posting. I've blogged before, but as part of a group, so I'm still getting used to having sole responsibility and I need to strike a balance between blogging and my other commitments. So I'm going to try a more relaxed approach and see how it works out.

So time now for an update on my artistic endeavours:-

I am and always have been entranced, fascinated, and captivated by birds. I could happily spend hours gazing out of the window, observing them flying, perching, feeding and singing in my garden.

I still have my Usborne Birdwatcher's guide from childhood and can remember clearly one warm summers day following the instructions for suitable camouflage clothing and layering myself up with a thick brown wool cardigan and wellington boots. I was thus prepared, to crawl up and down a grassy bank, much to the amusement of the neighbours I'm sure.

Birds had to play some part in my 'Maps' embroideries as they are woven through my life. When I see the Blackbird tugging a worm from my lawn or the Robin with his plump red breast chirping away from atop the fence post, I feel a joy that lifts my spirit.

I used to love looking through bird books to find pictures of baby birds with their mouths gaping open for food and I love to watch 'Springwatch' where the cameras literally give you a birds eye view of feeding. I don't know what sparked this interest - it's just always been there - I'm not a serious twitcher traveling the country hot on the wings of  a rare sighting. At the moment I don't even have a bird table - it's most definitely on the wish list. But I love that birds exist and I'm lucky enough to share my space with them.

So here is my finished embroidery:-



'Come Into My Garden'

Amanda xxx

A Lifetime of Books

I came across an article in the press recently about a report showing that sales of ebooks was falling while paperback sales had increased. I am not surprised by this at all, now that the initial excitement of a new toy has worn off, and been replaced with the realisation that you are not downloading a book onto your ereader but digital content. For a true book lover nothing can replace or emulate the physical book. The smell, the touch, the weight, the creak of the spine, the turn of the page.



one of my 'to read' piles

I was recently on the bus and as I settled into my seat, I reached into my bag to retrieve my latest read. As I opened it, to where I'd left my Chris Riddell book mark, I noticed that the lady immediately in front of me was also reading - on an ereader. As I glanced from my page to her screen I was left in no doubt that technology could never dim my love of books. I could see at a glance how far through my book I was and how far was still to go; I could look at the cover art with a quick turn of the book; if I read a passage with particular resonance or impact I could turn to the back cover and look into the face of the person who had crafted these words; I will leave traces of myself amongst these pages as the words in turn have entered my consciousness. The experience of reading a book is a tactile and emotional one.

I have read books my whole life, a passion I have carried with me from before I can even remember, and I hope that I have passed that passion onto my son. We both have bookcases filled to the brim. Along with friends and family, my childhood was also populated with Paddington Bear, The Famous Five and Cinderella, to name a few. They lived in my imagination as vividly as any real person that I knew. Books have enriched my life and my mind and I keep meeting new characters all the time such as the wonderful Jack Reacher as mentioned in a previous post and I was recently re-acquainted with the literary legend that is Scout Finch.

Books from childhood

My posts may be less regular for the next few months as this is a particularly busy time for me at work, and I also want to dedicate some serious effort to my artistic ventures, but I will still be putting stuff out here. This is becoming like another form of diary or journal for me, both interesting and enjoyable.

Bye for now
Amanda xxx

Misty Mornings, Sunny Days

What a wonderful way to transition from Summer to Autumn. The mornings were grey and misty with an eerie, mythical atmosphere cloaking the landscape in a timeless sense of mystery.

Then the sun broke through to give us a last indulgent burst of warmth, blue skies and rich Autumn colours.

After the previous week, when my mood was quite dark, this wonderful mix of weather lifted my spirits.

I found time to catch up with all the news from London Fashion Week where collections for Spring/Summer 2016 have been shown. This understated look from Jasper Conran is an ideal Summer look for me with a slim silhouette and touches of gold :-

Jasper Conran

I also felt myself drawn to the Giles collection which had a dark forest theme; anything with a forest theme is sure to make me take notice and it was a beautiful collection reminiscent of Alexander McQueen with its sense of narrative and hand-crafted quality:-

Giles

But for now Autumn is well under way so time to embrace cosy nights in with warm drinks and a good read.

Amanda xxx
 

Autumn/Winter fashion

Hi, this post should have gone out yesterday but I had some technical problems so I do apologise. 'tis the nature of computers.

I could most definitely feel Autumn in the air yesterday. After the morning mist burnt away, it was a lovely clear, sunny, crisp day perfect for cutting my lawns, and it was so good to be out in the fresh air as I seem to have some sort of bug that has me feeling headachy, disgruntled, and having somewhat of a creativity crisis. Not even being in the garden letting my mind do some wandering seemed to snap me out of it. I guess we all have these little blips ( I hope so anyway).


Emmanuelle Alt

The noticeable change of season has turned my thoughts to fashion; the new collections are already in the shops and I've decided who my style muse is for this season - Emmanuelle Alt editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris. She's a similar age to me and is on my personal list of most stylish women as she always seems to get it just right. This is the look I would love to achieve this Autumn/Winter. It's a very simple, understated look but it's done with the utmost style and elegance.

Although she has access to any number of designers and a pretty healthy budget, I'm hoping I can find something similar on the high street. I'd also like to inject a few Autumn colours - I was thinking forest shades of green and brown. I'd love to find a flare that works with flats. I know they look so much better with a heel but I have to impose some practicalities as I spend most of my days on my feet running around.


As I said earlier, I haven't been very creative but I did manage to take a photo of a beautiful rainbow behind my house at the end of last week, so I'll leave you with this:-

Amanda xxx

Make Me

I love books and I love reading. This is a lifelong passion and an intrinsic part of who I am. The printed page, words and stories are woven into my DNA, so books are certainly going to feature in my posts from time to time. This shows a little sample from one of my bookcases:-

My current read is the new Lee Child novel 'Make Me' and for anyone not familiar with Lee Child's books, they all feature one of fictions greatest characters - Jack Reacher. Fictional he may be, but this man has become a part of my life after picking up the first book only a few years ago when going through a difficult time. I was curious as to whether these books were really as good as the sales figures suggested; there was a long back-list and I wasn't sure if my interest could be held right until the end; well it was, and I'm now one among the many people who eagerly await each instalment.

I'm about half-way through the new book, savouring every word and enjoying hooking up with Reacher again. To draw a comparison for the uninitiated, I have always been a massive fan of Clint Eastwood films and, for me, Reacher is very much in this mould. A lone wolf who lives on his own terms, by his own rules with a highly toned survival instinct and a sharp mind, aided by many cups of strong black coffee. He was a military man but now he is using his time to explore and discover the vast collection of states known as the USA. I get to take this journey with him and for me that is the great power of books; they can open the world up to you, teach you, entertain you, sympathise and empathise with you, scare you, make you cry, give you hope and fill you with despair. They are filled with life. Just 26 letters of the alphabet arranged in endless ways, printed on sheets of paper. It's amazing and wonderful.

 

So, back to the Lee Child novels. If you haven't read them yet, then get going. The first one is called 'Killing Floor'.

Amanda xxx

Beautiful Bird

Today I'm very happy that I'm able to show an update for my embroidery work. I've decided on the design for my second image in 'Maps, Series 1' - it's called 'Come Into My Garden'. This is the sketch which I will transfer onto fabric ready for hand-stitching.



Come Into My Garden

I'll trace this lightly onto linen fabric and decide the colours and stitches as I go along. I'm excited to see what the finished piece will look like. Things are really busy here at the moment so I'm afraid I've only got time for this short post - I'll let you know a little bit more about the inspiration behind this when I show the finished work.

Amanda xxx

The Perfect Chair

As you know, I love my bureau but I've never had the right chair to go with it. The one I've been using most recently was part of my dining set - not perfect as it left my table with an empty space and it was nowhere near a match for the bureau. So while on holiday I paid a trip to Ikea (I was desperate for wardrobes for mine and my sons' bedroom) and I bought myself the perfect chair. It's reminiscent of the Art & Craft style and the shade of wood is a great match for my bureau.

I hadn't realised quite how much of a niggle the old chair had become until my new one was in place. Now, when I look in this little corner, it's just right.

Amanda xx

Creativity with Collage

With the holidays over it was back to work for me today which is good because I love my job. It seems to be the holidays that I have the problem with - I always overestimate the amount of artistic work that I intend to do and then feel guilty when it doesn't happen. Anyway I shouldn't beat myself up too much; the days when I can sit and feel the grass between my toes are very few and so deserve to be savoured.

My embroidery work is moving along, just incredibly slowly, partly due to my brain being in holiday mode and partly because this is the nature of it. So I felt the urge to undertake something a bit more immediate, where I could see some results and shake myself up a bit: collage was the answer. It's a great way to work, using images from my files, to give myself the beginning of a new series of work.

Of  the artists that use the collage technique my favourites at the moment have to be Lauren Child, Peter Blake and Blaise Drummond.

Lauren's work is used to illustrate her children's books which is fitting as it's usually as children that we first try out collage for ourselves. An ability to connect with the childlike aspect of our personalities is vital to creativity - to a child, anything is possible.


What Are You Like by Lauren Child

 

At the moment I'm preoccupied with the notion of home. We all want a place we can call home, a refuge we know we can always return to. I've been in my current home for two years now and I'm gradually shaping it in my style, adding pieces and making plans, considering what pictures to put on my walls. So I collaged a series of interior works. They are interiors that appealed to me, peopled with images that I felt drawn to. I didn't think too much about it, but instead worked fast and intuitively so that the work I produced is honest and spontaneous. Here are a few examples:-

 

It's incredibly liberating to work like this. My embroideries require a much slower process, from the sketching out of the initial work to the actual hand-stitched piece itself. Hopefully I will have something to show very soon but for now I'm very happy with my collages which may well form the basis for future work.

Amanda x

'Wave'

To get the week off to a good start me and my sister decided to go to Yorkshire Sculpture Park yesterday. There are a couple of exhibitions in their final weeks at the park and I wanted to catch them before they moved on - 'Henry Moore: Back To A Land' and 'Laura De Santillana and Alessandro Diaz De Santillana'.

I found the Santillana's glass work beautiful and calming helped along by the serene setting of the refurbished 18th century chapel. It was a very warm day and we chose a secluded little window seat in the balcony to rest and do a little people-watching.



HS-YSP, 2011-15

As we walked down towards the river we had a surprise that made the trip extra special - the installation was underway for a brand new exhibit. 'Wave' is from the original installation 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' which could be seen at the Tower of London in Autumn 2014. This act of memorial, created to mark the centenary of the outbreak of war, is to be preserved for the nation at the Imperial War Museums but until then we are incredibly privileged to have it on show here in Yorkshire.

Men at work
 

Poppies cascading down to the river
 



Planting poppies

 

 

This huge crane was used to lower the poppies over the bridge and was ideally placed for a spot of bungee jumping but the workmen were very focused on the task in hand. The exhibition opens officially on 5th September. As we walked further on up the hill, the sun burst through the clouds, outer layers of clothing were shed, and we were treated to a field full of red poppies.

 

I often bemoan the fact that I don't live closer to London and all the amazing galleries there are to visit, but I am so incredibly lucky to have the ysp just down the road. It's a wonderful blend of two of the great passions in my life - nature and art.

A Space Of My Own

As Summer's end approaches it's good to take some free time and appreciate natures display in the garden. The days can be so busy that it's easy to miss the changing seasons.

I treasure my garden - more so because it's really the first proper one that I've had. I'm actually lucky enough to have two - a front and a back one; and they have both helped at various times when I've felt bogged down by emotions. Getting divorced was a painful experience but being in the fresh air, digging in the soil, getting dirty hands, and watching plants grow and bloom is incredibly therapeutic.

There are two small lawns so I had to invest in a lawnmower as I'd never owned one. When I mowed the grass in the Spring of last year it was a first for me - a momentous occasion indeed!

Pink Lacecap Hydrangea and White Astilbe
 

I'm learning as I go along and loving seeing my garden slowly take shape. It's such an amazing thing to see the transformation from Winter to Summer in this tiny space that is mine. From dark earth such wonderful colours and shapes appear.

 

a snoozing bee on my Caryopteris

Amanda xxx

Once Upon a Time...

So, I promised in my last post that I would tell you the story behind the first image from "Maps, Series1" which is a collection of work in ten parts - I love books and stories and felt inspired to tell aspects of my own story with the narrative thread being told in actual thread.

This first image is called 'I Never Thought I'd Find You' and can be read in several ways - we journey through life and take certain paths often searching or striving for something or someone, but life is a continuous journey and not always neat and tidy. The best we can do is stay true to ourselves and set our own course through life. So as to what you find along the way - it could be an ambition fulfilled; it could be a person to share your life with; it could simply be discovering yourself.



The path here is depicted with sparkling sequins and continues, through the other nine pieces, represented with silver thread which links each image.

Woods and forests were in many stories from my childhood and were an actual physical part of the landscape of my childhood - they never fail to capture my imagination, conjuring up magical images, so they had to feature in my story as the path winds its way through woodland trees; they are part of an ancient connection to the land and I think it's vital that more trees are planted. The Woodland Trust are doing fantastic work.

Amanda xxx

Embroidering The Truth

Art is right up there at the top of my happy list, be it other peoples art or creating my own. I have drawn and coloured and cut and stuck and sewn all my life. The type of art I have found myself doing most recently is embroidery; as a child I grew up very aware of textiles, living in a town that prospered in the industry and having a mother who was always sewing, making clothes for us all.

As I got older I turned away from a medium that felt too traditional and uninspiring, but then as I grew older still I found myself drawn back to the possibilities of fabric and threads when I decided to study fashion design at college.

 

My current work is rooted in traditional embroidery techniques but I have found a way of working that feels modern, expressive and inspiring; I am often surprised by my finished pieces.

The series of work I will show you over the next few months is called 'Maps, Series1'  and is informed by my own personal narrative as is all of my work - born out of the desire to map, record and detail my own history.




'I Thought I'd Never Find You' work in progress



This is a work in progress image of the first piece in the series and is hand-stitched on linen using threads and fabric that I already had in my box of supplies. It felt important for this project to use what I already had, and create from limited resources.

It's getting late now so I'll save the story of this piece until another time.

Goodnight. Amanda x

Rainy Evening...

It's a grey misty evening and I can hear the rain pitter-pattering down outside, but I don't find this a reason to be gloomy - on the contrary. I switch on my lamps, put on something warm and comfy, and settle at my desk with my notebooks and pens laid out before me. This is the perfect time to enjoy some contemplation as I scribble away and make plans for future projects.

 

I have this little old bureau in a corner of my living room and it's where I sit and sew, and write, and piece together my bits of inspiration. I've had my own desk for as long as I can remember - when you love stationery as much as I do, a desk is an integral piece of furniture.

 

I always have a journal on the go and for this I like to use Daler-Rowney artists sketchbooks. These have been my preferred books since I was at art college and I love starting a new one. For something a bit more special I'll treat myself to a Moleskine. I didn't know about these until I started working at a bookstore but they're definitely on my list of favourites.

 

 

Another benefit of all this rain is that I know the plants in my garden will be vibrant and refreshed after their long cool drink.

 

Good night x

 

 

 

Design Inspiration

In my very first post I showed a sample of my design work but neglected to give any details about the work, so here's a bit of back-story; it was from a series of designs I did inspired by royal sashes. This is the mood board I created:

I love the elegance of these very regal draped ribbons and enjoyed playing around with it in my designs, creating a modern slant on a traditional idea.

These are a few more from the same series:-



 

I studied Fashion Design, holding a BA Honours Degree in this subject, so I guess there will probably be quite a lot of focus on fashion and style in my posts. I've been interested in fashion since I was a young girl and would fill notebooks with designs and pore over the pages of my mum's 'Vogue'. That interest has stayed with me and my own style has certainly gone through some changes over the years from the pink, spiky hair of my teenage years to the more casual, elegant look I aspire to now.

 

Amanda x

 

 

Rob Ryan at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

YSP shop - Rob Ryan window display
 

Last Thursday evening I went along to an artist talk given by Rob Ryan at Yorkshire Sculpture Park - what a brilliant evening. It was so reassuring hearing Rob talk about himself and his work because it made me realise I'm not the only one with ridiculous amounts of anxiety.

Rob worries about things to a ridiculous level, he overthinks everything; so he creates his work purely and selfishly because he loves to do it, it makes him happy, and it allows him to have a dialogue with himself, reminding himself how wonderful and amazing the world is.

I've always loved Rob's work but feel an even greater connection with it after hearing him speak and, after a week of feeling stressed and anxious, I left the event feeling  much calmer and eager to throw myself into my own work.



a summer evening at ysp