Hello - photo: sketchbook from 2011
Shiny Things
When my children were much younger, we used to watch a tv programme called The Shiny Show. I have sleepy memories of this being tolerable viewing, with endearing banter between chirpy puppets. The idea of being attracted to shiny things and wondering what they might be for (the show worked around this idea) is relatable. I wonder why we are interested in shiny things and how so much of our world is filled with shine, attractive newness, or the playful glitter of nostalgia, or the gleam of the next thing.
As a creative person, who does not consider herself seriously intellectual, I often ponder the psychology behind attraction and the allure of shiny new ideas, coming to this with my own set of prejudices and hang-ups. I am often mindful of just how many projects I have on the go at one time. How easy is it to be attracted to the next shiny project, the thrill of the start….. There are days when I feel compelled to start something new: the shine of a glittery old/new thing really gets to me. There are other days when I feel equally compelled to be quieter, to focus on just one thing at a time, whilst still mindful of the shiny things around me.
It’s this balancing act - that is never truly achieved - of giving oneself permission to do this or the other, that ultimately shapes the day. And of course steers the way to what is made, if anything. I realise I say with this great ‘luxury’ of being self-employed and able to determine, to some extent, my own working day. But I am forever a realist, who has to make a living. I juggle, I negotiate with myself, sometimes to the point of bickering. But mostly I get things achieved because I have a learned self discipline and a keen desire to make my best work.
Some creative folk may become very anxious about their attraction to shiny things. They may keep a tight grip on their time/budget/focus. Perhaps they have developed blinkers or some kind, to stop them from getting too diverted. Or maybe they simply know what they love and this love is everything.
For those of us who struggle with the darker days, shiny things are a gut-felt joy. The attraction is about survival. We really do need shiny things, light and hope, in our days and evenings. Those long evenings that can feel longer if sat in shadows. Bringing out the fairy lights, putting them across bookcases and cupboards, really helps me at this time of year. I told a visiting friend recently - who gets this feeling just as intensely - that there will be just more and more lights put up over the weeks ahead. We will strive toward a battery-powered cosiness. For, where there is light, the shiny things are yet more glittery and evening stitch projects feel so much easier in our hands. I can sit for longer with tactile projects on the go.
I have recently counted up all the shiny projects I want to do during these darker months ahead - both ‘work’ and ‘personal’ - though there is no real boundary. Oh my, there are a lot of attractive things I want to work on. This is all good, I tell myself, so long as I don’t have too much on the go. When will I know there is too much? When I run out of space to stand up from my armchair, might be the answer. But sincerely, I have been making an effort to finish more projects. But my approach to tackling those long-term half-finished things is for another week….
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Wool Knots
photo: french knots in wool - a completed cushion made a few years ago, alongside a work in progress
One of the things I love to do during the evening, or any time really, is to sit and make knots. I have been creating wool french knot pieces for several years now. It started when I kept buying vintage tapestry wools from charity shops, mostly to knit with, in the days when I knitted stripey things for dolls and small quantities of colours worked well. Over time, I amassed quite a collection of vintage wools and mindful of the space they were taking up (how hard is it to close the cupboard, is the question often asked) I decided I needed something else for these wools. I played about with the idea of some version of rug hooking, but it was not for me. So then I went back to the stitch-needle, began to make french knots all tucked together to make a texture and soon enough I was finding something quite exciting about it all…..
I have since made several cushions/pillows, smaller pieces including table mats and brooches. As much as I have enjoyed making pictorial things, I actually prefer the abstract circle motif the most. There’s a freedom and challenge in this. The playfulness with colour really makes my heart sing.
Recently, I have been sorting through wools, making new pieces and generally enjoying the process of knotting. The larger pieces, such as cushions, take time to make. Brooches, however, are a little less time-consuming. I like making them because they can be so different, with great colour ideas in a tiny, wearable object. They also look good on a Christmas tree! (I am, as a shiny lover, naturally attracted to Christmas trees).
So, this coming week, I will be offering in my shop a special selection of my wool knot brooches. They will be in a variety of colours. They really do add a little something different to a favourite jacket or top. All the brooches will be at special modest prices.
photo: a brooch in progress
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A few small stories from this week
The hospital I attend as an outpatient (broken foot saga) employs many military -trained medical practitioners. My consultant is, I believe, a colonel. When I go into the room I am greeted warmly and with prompt instructions to remove shoe, sock and declare foot into his hands. Unfortunately numerous x-rays of my foot show that it has not yet healed. I am told, quite simply, these things can take time. If bones are not knitted together within the next few months, an operation will be necessary. But never mind. The consultant massages my foot. As someone who does not usually enjoy my feet being handled, I find his touch mildly pleasant. I am so grateful. I think of all the far more serious injuries the specialist must have seen and feel yet more glad I have just this foot to heal and that somehow, or other, it will probably get better.
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Quick, quick! Look! I declare - pointing to the back window. There are so many starlings on the grapevines it is quite ridiculous. I have never seen so many at one time. Maybe twenty. There are more birds than grapes in reach. Just as soon as they have taken, so they depart, in a great collective wing of escape. It is as if they think this supply of food is just a little too good to be true. I wonder about the one bunch of grapes hanging low, not so accessible. If, eventually one two birds will work out some strategy….
photo: recent sketchbook pages - inspired by feasting starlings
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I absolutely love your knotted woolen circles! The cushion covers could quite easily be imagined in Charleston Farmhouse! I hope that your foot heals properly and soon. I know it takes time and that you can at least enjoy your art making while you wait, but I also know the tug to be outdoors and walking through the seasons. We had fresh snow this morning so after I fed the horses and donkeys I walked around our property adding my human tracks to those left by rabbits and coyotes. The geese were flying overhead and my heart did a little happy dance. I’m sending some of that energy your way!
Your shiny things topic would make a wonderful poem. You obviously have multiple artistic talents. I enjoy your writing.