new beginnings

I've had an idea for a tapestry sitting on the back burner for a couple of years. For one reason or another it has been pushed aside in favour of other ideas, but I finally got around to projecting my drawing to scale by the end of last summer. Then it got abandoned, again, as I didn't feel in the right head space to start it. By January I decided it had too much potential to leave languishing in my sketchbook and that if I didn't commit now then I'd never make it.

I always like to have a rough idea of how I'm going to treat a surface, whether it's woven or painted, even if I change my mind as I'm working and I think this was the main reason for the delay. When stuck like this I often turn to smaller studies. I don't always find this to be a necessary step in my creative process, again for painting and tapestry, but they can be useful for experimenting with different techniques, surfaces and colour blends before venturing onto the "real thing."

Often these studies become lovely individual artworks in their own right. Below are two studies which I no longer need for reference so I'm happy to release them into the world. They're also listed for sale on the gallery's website under Jo Original Artwork.

"rockpool edge" *SOLD*

size: 18cm sq. (inc. limewaxed wooden box frame.)

materials: cotton, linen, rayon and wool; woven on 8 warps per inch.

"sky ripples"

 size: 17cm (h) x 18cm (w) (inc. limewaxed wooden box frame.)

materials: cotton, linen, rayon and wool; woven on 8 warps per inch.

*sold*

In March I started the "real thing" which will be 3ft square when completed. The beginning is a watery rock pool. I love that almost luminous shade of green in seaweed and rocks that can be found around rockpools on the shore.

I've taken a break from weaving for the last couple of weeks as I was feeling burned out and having increasing bother with aches and pains (oh the joys of recurring repetitive strain injury.) Instead of feeling frustrated by it I've used my time to catch up on admin and other things which invariably fall by the wayside when I'm tunnel-visioned with creative work. Hopefully I'll get back to weaving next week with renewed energy.