Rethinking

If I were to adda picture to this post it would have to be one of a wheelie bin. Because that is where three pieces of work in progress ended up today!
Do you ever find yourself being constantly pulled to creating something that you know you just don't have the skill to produce?
I am like this with 3d work. I have all sorts of fantastic ideas but the reality is - I am a 2d person. It's just the way I work best, a nice flat surface that won't budge no matter what I apply to it.
So I am now three pieces down. What next? It's interesting that I have spent years trying to establish my own 'stlye' of working and now I have, I seem to be spending all my time trying to create work that shows I can do more than just my 'style'.
More soon no doubt......

Excavation

Once, when I was about seven years old and still living in Felixstowe, we had a school trip to the site of an anglo saxon settlement. It had been recreated with the little huts and models of children dressed in authentic clothing. There were lots of remnants lying around of original tools and living items that had been excavated at the site. I was awestruck!
My love of history continued from there but it was always the tangible that excited me. I was gutted to find myself on an A'level history course examining political history. Looking at various *yawn* leaders and their *yawn* policies. I like to see the real - the evidence I suppose that what the books say happened years ago - really did happen!
So, to bring things up to the here and now, I have been excavating in the soil left around the demolition area in Balfour Street/Tintern Street etc.

I have found some fascinating stuff. It is amazing how under large areas there is absolutely nothing in terms of pottery waste and then under a particular area, obviously a specific waste location, there was just so much I couldn't have picked it all up myself.

One of the most exciting finds was a piece of waste clay that someone has, whether intentionally or not, squeezed with their hand and left immaculate finger prints embedded on the surface.

I have found lots of handles and hundreds of these little conical things that I think were used as kind of supports for other items in the kiln. I am hoping that when they go on show in Burslem someone will soon give me a definite on that.

Here is a few of them on my kitchen drainer - not a great photo but more to follow. I am currently embedding them into felted knit.

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busy days

Well I just feel like I'm flying from one thing to the next at the moment. The school day feels like it's shrunk from six hours to about two and although I am making progress it still feels far too slow!

I can feel the pressure of the 'Heirloom' show at Burslem now as I'm in the last eight weeks. I have so many different pieces on the go. I am stitching paper, knitting gloves, excavating pieces of discarded pottery from demolished homes, printing, machine knitting, felting, painting, photographing, mapping, collecting wallpaper, archiving and glue gunning - so it should be an interesting show!

Here is just a little glimpse of a few bits and bobs on file at the moment.