Sentinels Taking Shape

I have been working- yay. I am working on a large sentinel piece, but am fighting a battle with a thread I am using and got annoyed with it so switched off the machine and will restart on it later this morning. I have a lot more ideas for these ladies.

A lot more stitching needs to go into place and I will perhaps do some foiling on the haloes.
I also hand stitched a small one  ( 11x 19 inches) to see the contrast between hand stitching and  machine stitching. The effects are a  lot more subtle with hand stitching. But I do like both because of that contrast.

I have used colonial knots and running stitch.This piece is for sale- remember it's entirely hand stitched. It  has been hand printed on hand dyed cotton.  It measures 11 x 19 inches (  28  x 47 cms) The price is $250US inclusive of shipping.

Don't forget - it's still possible to enrol for my on-line linocutting class. Simply email me. The cost is $55 US.Here is some information:
 The start date will be 7 March. The course is  3 lessons ( with various exercises) delivered fortnightly with the  intent of building your skills with the tools as well as your design skills, looking at how to use  your photos,three colour printing and various other things like simple repeats, alphabets etc. The cost of the course is $55US. Lessons are delivered as a pdf file and number approximately 100 or so  pages, with exercises and tips and  inspirations. I also organise a discussion group to troubleshoot problems or discuss discoveries and to share work.

Sentinel Finished

I have finished stitching the River Sentinel- the fabrics have been heavily textured with stitch. I am thinking I want to make these life size and am dreaming of lots of possibilities.

I received earlier this week a wonderful book of Angie Lewin's prints which I ordered as my birthday pressie for last week. I love linocutting and any kind of printing and really like Angie Lewin's work the book is called
Plants and Places and shows many of her working drawings and water colour sketches and gives a real insight into how she produces her final prints.Her inspiration is often weeds and unassuming  plants and seed pods which are layered in interesting  designs.The layout is clean and uncluttered- I have had fun just studying one print a day.Not surprisingly she also designs fabric. Anyway it's my book of the moment!

And speaking of linocutting- I have had a few emails  from people interested in another course.I am going to Syria ( nearly certain ) mid April and then to Europe to teach and exhibit work. The only start date before then  would be 7 March. The course is  3 lessons ( with various exercises) delivered fortnightly with the  intent of building your skills with the tools as well as your design skills, looking at how to use  your photos,three colour printing and various other things like simple repeats, alphabets etc. The cost of the course is $55US. Lessons are delivered as a pdf file and number approximately 100 or so  pages, with exercises and tips and  inspirations. I also organise a discussion group to troubleshoot problems or discuss discoveries and to share work.If you are interested in the course email me.One of these days I will make it all into a book if I cna find a publisher! 

Sentinels to the Land

I have been working on a new linocut , toying with the idea of sentinels/guardians/keepers of the land. I know they look kind of  madonna like, but the intent was also to  incorporate a spiritual orientation,the idea that we need to  heed  things that are greater than us, and not fool around. The patterning was inspired by a piece of lace which I blew up, to suggest my cultural heritage and I wanted a human shape.

The sentinel measures about 18 inches high, and I printed with turquoise printing ink as i do not have other colours here at the moment. I am making a prototype with stitching and some gypsy piecing around her.

I haven't finished stitching yet as my machine has decided it's not happy today, but you can see the stitching adds a lot of texture.

This last image is of some damask I dyed some time ago thinking I would make an underwater scene- but life and inspiration has taken me elsewhere. This piece measures 58 inches wide by 48 inches long -145cm x 120 cm( the photo is of only half the cloth as I did not have anywhere big enough to photograph the whole, but the dark on the right side also goes up on the left side of the cloth). Anyway it is For Sale for $110US inclusive of postage.

The Percolating Mind- or Mind Mapping

Still no sewing done but a few ideas are percolating. It's been a case of going back to basics- ie my drawing journal, lace, immigration and sense of place. I still can't get up to the Youyangs to have a look around as the park has been closed  due to water damage- I had wanted to get there and take photos- like I did on  my daily walks in France. I am also looking hard at the work of Judy Watson an Australian artist who uses both her indigenous and european background in creating her work- creating connections with the past and with the earth of her ancestors whilst incorporating  elements she has encountered in her travels. I bought a book called Blood Language some time ago , really liking her interaction with the land, the fauna and flora and her passion for creating narrative and confronting  political issues such as racism and conservation.Her work is full with meaning and the desire to tell stories.All of these elements appeal to me as an artist and are things  I need to look at again- start at  the beginning- define what draws me and then look at how i can do something with those elements.

Watson's work speaks of her indigenous past yet there are other sensibilities at play- the work has a far reach to  human interaction as humans and as humans with the natural world.It's also this sense of incorporating the past that appeals to me- I am an immigrant in this land, and returning recently has created a bit of ambivalence. In one way I am happy to be back but I am oh so drawn to Europe and France and in particular  Languedoc Rousillon where I believe my french ancestors hailed form in the 16th century- does that kind of rootedness last for centuries? I am also witnessing the effects of immigation as my parents get older- yes the world is a much smaller place but still, their siblings are all over there, all childhood friends and connections are over there- so they rely on  my brother and I heavily for  family interaction and yet they are suspended in a kind of strange vacuum.

I celebrated my birthday earlier this week and my eldest daughter and middle daughter visited Heide. My eldest daughter is studying art & design at Brighton Bay College and part of their assignment was to visit exhibitions and galleries . So we decided to make a day of it. Heide is always pleasant and they had a wonderful exhibition called Freehand- an exhibition of recent Australian Drawing. We walked around the gardens and enjoyed the kitchen garden.

They also had a retrospective of Mirka Mora's work  from the period that she knew the Reed's, who gifted Heide to the people of Australia, and who hosted Sunday lunches for many of Australia's   poor artists of the time.

We then had lunch at Abla's- the food was wonderful and reminded me so much of Syrian food (there is still places on the trip if you are interested). And then we ambled down Gertrude Street Fitzroy to visit retro shops and other galleries.We enjoyed the Exhibition at Australian Print Workshop- it would be so  lovely to do a workshop there.There is also lots of graffiti like in so many urban centres- this one appealed.

Syrian Village Scene Finished

I have no idea where that last week went, but all the children are back at school finally- it's been a long holiday with moving and everything else as well as job hunting- and still no luck in that department- but I have organised some workshops at  Jiddi's Patch which is nice and close and will see us exploring different textile techniques and inspirations over the coming year. And I will also be looking at stitching at the Geelong Sewing Centre.

I finally managed to finish the village scene today. The first photo is with the lines of sating stitch in place but with out the quilting.

The next photo shows what happens when you put in the quilting.

And the last photos shows a close-up of the stitching and detailing.

This piece is for sale. It measures 22 inches by 20 inches and is made of hand dyed and hand printed fabrics.it is heavily stitched as you can see from the close-up. The price is $275 US inclusive of postage.If you are interested in buying this piece please email me. SOLD

Today as I was driving back from Melbourne an idea for developing an exhibition suddenly struck me. I have been thinking and thinking about how to incorporate the experience of France into my work and how to juxtapose it with my experience of  Australia. I guess since my masters degree the idea of immigration and movement and place has never been far from my mind, but how to articulate the differences and similarities- how to work that into something that's an exploration and a narrative.So there i was, driving on that awful straight  stretch of freeway from Melbourne and approaching Geelong there is a large hilly jagged outcrop called the Youyangs. It suddenly dawned on me   that in terms of iconic value this outcrop is not dissimilar to  Pic St Loup of which I have shared photos  in blogposts last year- although Pic St Loup is more dramatic.Unfortunately i cannot go to the park at the moment as it is closed due to water damage.

Fred Williams immortalised the Youyangs in his work and in doing so created a marvellous look at the often spare but messy Australian landscape.

So I am thinking how can i use this- is there a way to explore the two things side by side. Now I have to get out my journal and really ponder this idea- maybe create a mind map, is it worth exploring? I don't know- I will let you know.

I am feeling like a bit of a charlatan on the textile front. Nothing seems to be emerging from my hands, and already another week has passed by and I have so very little to show for it. I know when I am worrying I often find it impossible to work, but usually something eventually emerges- but nothing is talking to me or jumping into my hands.

It also makes me feel a bit bereft- what if I have lost the touch, what if I never think of anything else, what if I am simply meant to be a supermarket check out person or dog washer?I have been applying for jobs but not getting anywhere fast. I have been to see people about my resume , I have phoned people, I have  tried to use as many contacts as i have but  nothing is emerging out of the fog. I have arranged one class in machine skills here in Geelong at  the Geelong Sewing Centre but that is only 3 hours for three weeks which isn't going to pay  the bills. And yet... I get regular  enquiries form Europe but alas I am here.

I did try and put one piece together today- not sure about it ......

Of course stitching has to go in which will change how it looks entirely,but I am undecided what colour thread to use to  bring out the village scene.

The winner of the auction for  Flood Relief was Julie Howard- the quilt is on its way to her now- thank you so much for supporting this auction , so many people have lost so much.

Finally Some Stitching

Thank you for all those who had placed bids on my Barrier Reef piece - there is still 4 days to go, but your generosity will help those affected by the terrible floods in Queensland, though I am  sure Victorians will need help after the  terrible floods here- not as devastating but still heart breaking nonetheless. Click on the Flood Relief Button for updates on the blogs  which are part of the auction- the updat yesterday was that $45,000 had been raised thus far- which is a terrific effort. thank you to Toni Coward for co-ordinating this!

I have finally  gotten out my sewing machine. As I was unpacking things I found several small caravanserai pieces I had prepared but had not stitched so i thought I would finish stitching them, just to get going again as ideas are still not  happening! These pieces measure approximately 8 inches square ( 20 cms square ) and are for sale for $45 US inclusive of postage- email me if you are interested in purchasing a piece.

I have been job hunting but am getting nowhere fast- I am not even get to the interview stage which is very disheartening but I need something to happen in order to make ends meet.I have had my resume  reviewed and  apparently it is ok, so I will just have to keep trying!Meanwhile I have to keep the home fires burning somehow.

Don't forget there is still time to enrol in my on-line linocutting class which starts this Monday, 24 January. the course has been designed to teach you the different mark making possibilities of the tools, working through simple designs, working up to more complex designs, including working from your photos, printing with more than one colour and repeats. Each exercise is designed to build on your skills.Lessons are delivered by way of fortnightly pdf's which contain lessons and we will discuss and troubleshoot in a group situation. Email me if you are interested in joining the class.

And I have finally create a stand alone page of work for sale- the  tab is  at the top of my blog.

Queensland- Premiers' Flood Relief Fund

The plight of thousands and thousands of Queenslanders in the face of the most devastating floods has finally made me pull out my sewing machine. So many have lost everything , and so many in the small communities in the Lockyer valley are affected by the loss of life due to the flash flood.
Some years ago  i made this little quilt inspired by rockpools at Turtle Beach ( also known as Mon Repose) near Bundaberg in Queensland, where we had a wonderful holiday. Bundaberg too was affected by floods. However I always felt it  needed something more but it was already heavily stitched and I couldn't work out what it was that it needed. Finally today as I was sorting to my quilts that i have here it dawned on me it needed more graphic line to accent the shapes. So I spent the afternoon putting in a lot of black stitching to  create more contrast.

The first photo shows some areas where I have not yet stitched with black thread. The photo below is of the finished  black stitching. This quilt measures 20 inches by 24 inches.

I am donating this quilt for auction for the 

 Premiers Flood Relief Fund

 Toni Coward of Make it Perfect is coordinating a fantastic initiative which addresses our instincts to make or do something AND raises funds to assist the flood victims. She has organised an online auction with all proceeds going to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.You can see more of Toni's effort by clicking on the premiers' Flood Relief Fund  button in the sidebar.

This is how the auction works:

How this action works:

1. Bidding starts at $50 Australian.
2. Place your bid by adding a comment here stating how much you are willing to offer to own Barrier reef. Your bid must be greater than the previous bid.
3. All bids must be in whole dollar increments and will be taken to be in Australian dollars.
4. The auction is open to all and the price will include postage to any address worldwide.
5. The auction is now open and closes at midnight on the 24th of January 2011 (Sydney, Australian time).
6. I will contact the winner at the conclusion of the auction. The winner must commit to sending their bid to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal and provide an email receipt as evidence of payment. Non-austrailan donors can still donate by credit card using the online payment link or there is also information about how to do an international bank transfer.
7. Once I have evidence of payment When the Water Subsides will be posted to its new owner.

I hope you can open your hearts to help those who have need.

Stitching Khadi Cloth

I have been stitching on the khadi cloth that i dyed whilst i was still in France. I am not sure if it is worth the effort- the contrast does not seem great enough at times and then just as I am about to lay it aside  it tugs at me for more stitching- to keep going or  not.... maybe I don't seem to have any inspiration to start anything else at the moment- my sewing machine sits and looks at me desultorily- and I have no ideas that want to pop into my head.

Thank you for all the comments about the linocuts in the previous posts and the good wishes for 2011. Yasmin thank you for the book suggestion- it has been ordered. Maybe that will fire up my imagination ?? And Starfire's comments that the imperfections make it look lovingly hand made has me thinking.

And in case you are interested I will be starting another on-line lino-cutting class on 24 January 2011- there is still time to sign up. The course is designed to enhance your skills both with the tools and designs that are suitable for lino cutting and stamp making in general.We print onto fabrics- enabling you to make unique one-off fabrics for use.Email me if you are interested

Last year when I was in Syria as a Creative guide several of the women in the group of travellers talked of Jane Digby an english woman who in the nineteenth century after many adventures ended up marrying a Sheikh in the desert of Syria- indeed her tomb is in Damascus. So i ordered a book - The Wilder Shores of Love- by Lesley Blanch which recounts the lives of several women who travelled to the east in the nineteenth century including Jane Digby- so can't wait to read it . It is all part of the research for the trip to Syria from 16 April to 29 April with Creative Arts Safaris which is looking more and more like it will go ahead- we still need a few more travellers. This time I intend to study more closely some of the textile stamps in  the Azem Palace- which had it's own weaving and printing workshop.

  This is one of  the inner courtyards of the Azem Palace with its cooling pool and arched liwan set deeply into the wall for greater coolness in the summer heat.

This image is of some of the woodblocks in the collection of the Azem Palace.

More Printing

I have been playing around trying to create a repeat pattern for a linocut. Obviously this one needs a bit of work and refinement but I have  in the past found it difficult to get my head around the concept and wanted to try this out to see if I could get it to work. And yes I was a bit sloppy in transferring the lines to my lino block which means the centres of the junction of prints is not right- and maybe i should think of doing less tricky centres. But the way the design flows across the surface of the cloth is ok with no real apparent gaps and breaks.I know you can do this in Photoshop- my challenge this year is to demistify photoshop so that i can do more things with it. However I am also one of those people who needs to do the hands on stuff before I can carry the idea further- I need to have a feel for how it works, how to space the design and things to learn from my mistakes. The first two designs i drew were far too balanced- and I did not cut them because the design would have been too much 50/50 on a two colour contrast. You create much more visual interest if your design isn't 50/50

I also disobeyed the number one rule in printing on fabric- Iron the fabric First!!!

Thank you everyone for the positive comments about the grapevines- I am thinking on how I am going to use it on cloth.

A New Linocut

I have promised myself to be more productive this year and to use my time more efficiently! But as I seem to have few ideas for realising something in fabric I thought I would play with photo I took whilst in France. Nearly everyday i was in le Triadou I would walk the dog through a vineyard- and i watched as it changed from winter,spring, summer to autumn . I loved the changing light , the colours and the growing grapes. And I do want to make a quilt about that experience particularly as the theme for the  Italia Invita event is herbarium.

This was the photo i took on one of my walks- i love the richness of the texture of the bunch of  grapes and then the straight lines of the grass.

 I made the photo into a drawing in order to  to see the balance and to get a sense of the bunch of grapes.I then made the linocut and as i cut I could see much more textural possibilities for the grapes.

This is the resulting print- not  perfect as i can't find the good paper- but I really wanted to see how it looked . I also have not got my printing table set up yet so the surface I printed on was far from perfect. I liked what happened in the negative space- but will probably play around with it some more.

Marlis- I tried to leave a message on your blog to wish you  A Happy and Creative 2011- but it would not let me leave a message.

A Happy and Creative 2011

Wishing all of my readers friends and rels a very happy and creative 2011- let inspiration find you!

My catch cry for 2011 is going to be Print! I want to create a lot more linocuts and print on both fabric and paper and perhaps make some hand printed books. I will also be running another on-line linocutting class beginning on 24 January- see my previous post for more information.

Meanwhile I am still sorting through all of the things that  were in storage- hand dyed fabrics, journal covers , my pomegranate book and pages in the book- hand dyed indigo cloth from Africa.

And it looks as if the tour of Syria will go ahead- we just need a few more travellers- it will be a fabulous trip! Contact Creative Arts  Safaris if you are interested.

And I will be doing some  things with khadi cloth in the coming year.

I also would like to know  if anyone would be interested in my book on Syria- the travel and inspiration and work pieces created as a result?. Leave me a message with your thoughts!

Madonna by Michael of Crete

I must admit to a love of icons and madonnas in particular and it is the time of the year that makes you think about madonnas. There is something that draws me to them wherever I am. I think its the way the Madonna looks at the child who looks rather grown up in this painting. This particular Madonna was painted by Michael of Crete in 1813 and in the flesh it is brightly coloured  in rich reds greens and golds,with the colours creating a rich texture. It lives in the Monastery of St Serge- Deir mar  Sarkis (  Sergius was a roman soldier who converted to Christianity) in Maloula in Syria and adds a particular charm to the little chapel in the monastery. You are not allowed to photograph it  hence this image comes form a postcard.

My house is still far from unpacked though all the big furniture arrived the day before Christmas and then it was Christmas. I am getting to the stage where the sewing machine is beckoning- but now it is the problem of ideas or more exactly inspiration.

I am also making plans for  Europe next year. I am not sure the tour of Syria in the last two weeks of April is going ahead due to lack of registrations. It is such a pity as Syria is such a fabulous place and the trip that Creative Arts Safaris has created is a lot of fun with loads of different textile experiences.If you are at all interested pop over to Creative Arts Safaris and register your interest. The trip includes most of your meals , lovely and sometimes very atmospheric hotels, and inspiration galore!

Then  I will head to Europe afterwards as I am invited artist at the European Quitl Champiopnships from 5-8 May in Eindhoven in the Netherlands ( and I have to make a lot of new work for this) and then the following weekend I head to Cremona as invited artist at Italia Invita (12-15 May) and then I head for the South of france for an exhibition with Atelier Printemps Sacre. If anyone would like me to touch please email me.

On-Line Linocutting Course- commencing 24 January
I also found my books on printmaking and my box of things that I created for the on-line lino-cutting course. I have had people email me when I am doing my next course and have decided I shall do one starting Monday 24 January 2011. The course consists of three modules( pdf file) delivered in fortnightly instalments for 6 weeks, each containing various exercises. I set up an on-line group to share our work and to  trouble shoot problems. If you are interested  email me. The cost of the course is 45 euros or $55 ( Aus or US)

More Found Things

 I found this piece that I must have stuck away. I remember it was inspired by the key and keyholes of the wardrobe when I did the residency at Chateau de Chassy ten years ago- another adventure in France. I didn't finish it- maybe I will now that I have found it again.I really want to focus on work inspired by my travelling but first I have to make some work inspired by the theme Herbarium for Italia Invita in Cremona in Italy next year  in May as i am invited guest artist.

The big furniture does not arrive until next week so that makes getting any work done pretty difficult as I really have nowhere much to work.We did get a Christmas tree though despite the lack of furniture.It does look lonely but is also a bright spark in the corner. I am slowly getting more used to this place

This is another pomegranate piece that I made for our Atelier Printemps Sacre exhibition  at the end of Ocotber. it is for sale for $45 US inclusive of postage. We will be having another exhibition  in the second half of May next year.

I Now Live in a City

I was at a bit of a loss  as to what to do with myself- I am trying to arrange for things to come out of storage but it all takes time and  fitting in with people and removalists...blegh...at least we don't have to pack up the house.

Then I remembered- I live in a city now- one with an Art Gallery and a very good print collection. There weren't many prints on display- but there were one or two old favourites .I need to reconnect with Australia!
Frederick McCubbin- The Burial- he's captured the harshness of settling, the losses and despair in what sometimes seemed an unforgiving bush

Rosemary Gascoigne- Assemblage of Wood- recycling

Fred Williams- i love love love the work of Fred Williams- his take on landscape is breathtaking sometimes and his seemingly minimalist marks are intricate and dense- and the scattering is so like the messy Australian bush- I don't think  Williams would have read the quote from Henry Cross which I quoted in my previous post but it seems to me this is exactly the sort of thing he had in mind .

And these last two images form an exhibition entitled Mary and Max- which was an animated film created by Adam Elliot. the entire film was made from photo stills- not computer generations, so each puppet was entirely hand build and hand embellished- for example if they wanted to show drops of sweat running down one of the characters faces- each droplet of sweat had to be put into place- they used glycerine to create that effect- but every time a drop rolled down it had to be repainted and photographed.They took 132,480 still photographs to create the animation.Obviously it required a team of clayologists and artists to bring this all to life and this exhibition was a wonderful insight into how such a film might be made. Many of the props were on display plus some of the letters and films to show how the film was made.The story sounds quirky too ( not having seen the film) it is  the story of a 20 year penpal relationship between Mary Dinkle and lonely 8yo living in Glenwaverly in Melbourne ( the "burbs") and Max Horowitz a 44 year olf obese Jewish man with Asperger's syndrome living in New York.

It's obvious what needs to be done to climb out of this lack of work- just do the work! never mind what just do it!

Finding Things

I am now officially a resident of Newcomb in Geelong. not that all my things have been moved- far from it.Last week raced by and I am not sure what happened to it. I will have to organise a removal van as a single woman with kids can't move all the heavy furniture including a piano.

So I have been packing as many boxes as i can in the car and unpacking them. I found that though I thought I had labelled boxes, I obviously didn't so some surprises have come out of storage.It is kind of fun being reunited with things I have not seen for a year.The photos are of some of the things- top is some journal pages including a drawing done with my left hand ( I am right handed). The bottom photo is of cd's I wrapped in torn fabric- I can't remember what I was thinking but they are very colourful!

I also found this quote from the book  Matisse the Master by Hilary Spurling wise words that Henri Cross wrote to Matisse who was his friend: Cross asked "What does Nature offer us?" "Disorder,chaos,gaping holes.Yet we go into ecstasies before this chaos, and cry 'How Beautiful!'. A work of art can be plucked from this.It is here that you must 'organise your sensations'. Offset this disorder and profusion.From the very fact that we experience sensual emotion, we may conclude that there is something here for us. How to proceed from a practical point of view in order to express this emotion? Select fragments, always bearing in mind the end result. At this moment, we make a work of art.We transform, we transpose, we assert power."
I wrote it down in a journal... I need to remember this as i work... when I start to work... it's been a month of nothing much.

Hand Dyed Khadi Cloth

Just before I left France I hand dyed some khadi cloth- this cloth is quite soft and the weave is a bit rougher than cotton which makes it very attractive for me, plus there is a variation in the colours of the threads which gives the cloth a lovely  ambience. I was really happy how it came up when dyed as the slightly different coloured threads picked up the dye quite differently creating quite a rich effect, I have been thinking about how I might quilt this piece- maybe a la griot?

The bottom image is of some kimono silk I found in my shed the other day. It has been printed with the light grey and red.I had never really looked  at the whole piece so when I finally opened it up to measure it I was surprised to find that some of it had been mended by hand and by machine- obviously too precious to discard. I have about 5 metres in this piece- if anyone is interested it is for sale for  $60.00 US.

And we found a house! Yay- and we move on friday all things going well.It's been a frustrating month having nowhere to really work and I find I get quite despondent when I don't have all my creative triggers around- you know how it is, touching fabric, playing with colours, dye a little of this and a little of that  and ideas are born.

Embroidery and Bower Bird Bower

I have ben making small embroidered brooch pieces these last few days. As i don't really have anywhere to work except what i can carry in my hands. Obviously big pieces are not selling so i thought I would see if little teeny  tiny pieces would sell. Each little hand embroidered piece measures 5 cm square and is entirely hand stitched. They come with a brooch pin and cost $17.00 Aus inclusive of postage.I think I shall call them travellers badges- to be donned by all travellers both in the real and in the imagination! If you would like one please email me.

                                                      The Turquoise brooch is sold
This morning when i got up I found this very close to my caravan door- a bower birds bower.This one belongs to the Satin Bower bird . The male bird builds his dance hall out of twigs and then decorates it with all manner of blue things- whatever he can find and  drag there.The idea is to attract the female bird. Whilst it seems incredibly charming bower birds have become a bit of a nuisance- they are voracious eaters and will destroy vegetable gardens and anything vaguely edible.

And my daughter got accepted in the course she was hoping to get into! Her interviewer thought she might have real flair for fabric design/fashion design......

Here is a photos of a canvas bag she made. Would you buy it?

I am getting very frustrated at not having a home- I feel homeless and whilst I know in reality I will find something eventually and I have places to stay ( I could even live in my shed if I had to but i would rather sell it) , it makes me acutely aware of how really homeless people must feel- not belonging anywhere, not having a place to be creative , having no warm bed or warm meal, having nothing but the street- I can't imagine how alone and futile things must feel.......and the numbers are growing.

Fabulous Syria

I am hoping that there will be another Creative Arts Safari tour to Syria next year- there is so much more to see. I spent some time this morning working through my photos of the last trip and am longing to go back for these reasons:

Food- the food in Syria is really seriously  good- great dips, salads, and traditional dishes ranging from kebabs to wonderful aromatic casseroles:

This repast was a "quick" lunch with our friend Samir who owns a terrific shop at the Roman gate at the entry to al Hammadiya souq( upstairs)

History- layers and layers of history. Agatha Christie wrote a book about her adventures in Syria with her husband Max Mallowan. I have also seen the best Roman  ruins I have encountered- and I have seen ones in Italy, Algeria, France etc.These images are the long road in Afamia- 2kms of collonaded road that once housed 200,000 Romans ( I don't know whether this included the slaves)

The basilica at St Simeon- was named after Saint Simeon the first and probably most famous stylite- he is said to have lived on a column 40 metres high for years and years in order to get away from it all- but he became a subject of devotion for many and indeed a celebrity. The bottom photo shows a black robed figure who was a christian orthodox monk  atop the  mounting stone  said to have housed St Simeon's column- you could have been forgiven in thinking he might have been a bit of a stylite himself except that he was with a large group of young spanish women.

Riads, palaces and the second most sacred mosque in the world the Ummayed Mosque to which all visitors are welcome- all in Damascus

Textiles- ancient Roman ones, 2000 years old- fragments found in burial chambers, cross stitched Syrian dresses, silk  and raw silk, felted rugs for Bedouin tents

And people- the very friendly and charming Syrian people.

Ohh and rugs lots of wonderful rugs...

Come join us....... I am dreaming.