Sunday, December 16, 2007

Teapots





Thinking about the word caravanserai, has got me all enthused and suddenly I can see lots of ideas and ways of bringing those ideas to textile form. I must admit I was a bit blocked even though I was doing the Coral Variations, and got a wee bit on the panicky side as I really do have to make a lot of work for my exhibition next year.

Of course a big element of the caravanserai ambience would have been the drinking of tea- and indeed every where you go in Syria there is some method of brewing tea. Tea is also a hospitable activity - it is the means by which you talk to your neightbours and share the news and the stories. When I was in Damascus I thought long and hard about buying a Syrian teapot and decided against it, as I thought it somehow would not suit here and now, and of course now I am regretting it. I trawled through all my photos and found one of a window of an antique shop and voila lots of intersting shaped teapots. So these pieces will be the beginning of the exhibition- the sharing of a story over tea with my friends and neighbours and viewers. I will make a series of 64 ( well that is the current thinking- it may change depending how I go time wise). I made a lino cut of some of the interstingly shaped teapots, and then transferred it onto paper and lutradur to make this little textile piece- which measures 8 inches square. This is a prototype as I still want to play around a little with cutting away and texture, but it filled my day. Does it feel like an invitation to you?
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

heb thee leren maken van marokaanse vrienden. Heb muntplanten van ginder meegebracht en ze staan nu in mijn tuin.Als ik thee maak in mijn potten en speciale glazen voel ik mij altijd een beetje GINDER. Zou zo mijn huis kunnen vol hangen met je theepotten prachtig

Dianne said...

I love your teapots. They remind me of the genie in a bottle lamps.

Kristin L said...

Sharing a story over tea seems a perfect vehicle for your caravanserai. I would agree that you are on the right road. Invitation accepted :-)

sionwyn said...

lovely. I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with this whole shebang - "caravanserai" is one of my favourite words, with all those connotations of silk & spices & slow journeys through (and perhaps to) riches. Yum.

Dianne said...

OMG this is so gorgeous, your BRILLIANT... Love it..

Carol said...

Lovely lovely print, clever you, the machining is just lovely too.

Paula In Pinetop said...

I just love being in the creative process and so enjoyed that you shared your process with us.

Sixty four pieces is quite a lot and I'm anxious to see how this goes.....you've got me !!!!

Anonymous said...

fabulous teapots, what a special photograph. i love your teapot quilt and the story behind it. what a marvelous idea to narrate your story thru it. i sometimes regret not having bought certain things on my travels, so i know how you feel. at least this marvelous exhibit will recompensate at bit. 64 is quite a lot, look forward to seeing more.

Anonymous said...

Ziet er geweldig uit Dijanne! Een plaatje!