Time Off for Good Behaviour!
Time Off for Good Behaviour!
Monday, 1 January 2018
Having been slaving away for weeks over a hot pillow, peering through December’s gloom to coax Partridge Birdie to live a little, a trip to Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market seemed just the ticket!
Of course, this wasn’t going to be ‘just a jaunt’, fun though it most definitely would be......this was to be Research. A jaunt of Absolute Necessity, no less! It was the whirling of the fabulously decorated carousel that was calling......
Many years ago, way back in the 1990 mists of time, a Venetian carousel , with its softly muted colours, gently rotating at the foot of the steps in Montmartre, Paris, inspired me to really get to grips with working lace with colour in a descriptive and painterly way. Creative fruit was born, as the pattern, ‘Garland’* materialised.
As a Fine Artist, I felt that if I could develop techniques that would allow descriptive form, as opposed to monochromatic form (lace of one colour) without risk of the lace falling apart, then lacemaking could become less repetitive, ever more interesting and totally individual.
So! Having digressed somewhat......
Enormous fun was had by myself and daughter Bethany, as we whirled around on our gallopers. The wonderfully vibrant colours (altogether different from those on the Venetian carousel) their reflections multiplied in the illuminated mirrors - it was like being in the middle of a wild silken kaleidoscopic tube!
After our little jaunt, we felt the need for some Gluewein and German sausage refreshment......
Research is always interesting, but not usually so much ridiculous fun!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all - my only New Year Resolution is to finally get ‘The Hares Series’ into pattern print, Partridge Birdie permitting!
* ’Special Effects in Coloured Bobbin Lace’ published by B T Batsford 1998, see page 116.