It is a year that I am glad is over- I managed to contract Covid before Christmas and despite vaccinations and medication it has well and truly affected my energy levels, spending several days doing nothing at all ( flat on my back actually) and then somehow having it get into my sinuses and creating more problems to the nerves in my teeth- a little known ( but not unknown) side effect. My mother had contracted Covid earlier in the month and as she is elderly it has really knocked her around badly, requiring hospitalisation three times and extensive medication for the pneumonia that developed. I have not been able to see her for weeks because of my own covid which tested positive well and truly beyond the five days that is advised for isolating. It meant a planned mini break for Christmas with my daughters at the beach had to be cancelled- we had all been looking forward to it after a less than stellar year.
So things can only go onward and upward. I have to get cracking on creating new work as I am exhibiting in one of the gallery rooms at Meeniyan Art Gallery ( MAG) in February. Covid meant I got absolutely zero done the last two weeks and even now I am feeling decidedly low energy on the creative side. I also have to finish the nardoo piece I have bene working on all year by the end of January- but I am finally at the stage of putting in the background stitching which goes a bit faster than applying all the nardoo leaf shapes. It has been slow work but then this kind of hand stitching and the size that it is take lots of time- lots of reflecting on the story of Burke and Wills - what started out as a narrative on folly ( and still is a little) it is also a reflection on fools that bluster and stomp-as these explorers did pretty much. Their story was related in history books as one of heroes ( well when I was studying) but I see nothing heroic in any of the endeavour except foolish bloody mindedness and ignorance. It is kind of interesting and ironic that the nardoo that looks so beautiful and calm also contains the story of their demise.
My youngest daughter and I have spent a bit of time planning our trip to Europe (she will join me for 3 weeks of the trip I am planning- I will be there until mid June)- accommodation has certainly escalated in cost since I last travelled. We are finishing up in Rome for the last week of her stay, as she will catch a flight home from Rome but I will continue on. Given accommodation costs have risen a lot, I cast about for somewhere, where I had not been before and which is also not a tourist hot spot, and I ended up deciding to spend two weeks in Perugia where I have never been. I am exploring the things to do in Perugia but if you know of anything that might not make it to the more obvious tourist websites please do pass on any information. I will be relying on public transport and enjoy getting into the rhythm of a place by doing lots of walking and people watching. I managed to find a small apartment not so far from the main railway station which means I can cook my own food which always a delight in Italy with so much fresh produce available at weekly markets.
I will be exhibiting and teaching a few one hour classes at Patchwork Dagen in Rijswijk on the 13-15 of April and looking forward to speaking my mother tongue again! I have hardly spoken a word of Dutch since 2019.
I will also be attending Pour L'Amour du Fil the following week in Nantes and really looking forward to it. I will teach two three hour classes as follows: https://pourlamourdufil.com/products/dijanne-cevaal-cours-jouons-avec-le-tifaifai-1 and https://pourlamourdufil.com/products/dijanne-cevaal-cours-pods-pods-pods-1. One class is machine work making mini tifaifai's and the other making pods. I will also have a small exhibition and sell my linocut printed fabrics.
The Pods, Pods, Pods class is available as an online class as well and there is more information here.; http://origidij.blogspot.com/2021/07/workshops-on-line.html. It is a work at your own pace class with no group interaction. There are pdf notes and a video.
So I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe 2023 and thank you for your support throughout 2023, especially for my last Traveller's Blanket on-line Class which finished in November- some wonderful work was made. You can buy the pdf notes (and there is also two/three small videos) if you are interested for $30AUS and payment can be made via Paypal or if in Australia email me for further information.
I am looking forward to encountering friends again, I haven't seen for over 4 years and just enjoying all that Europe has to offer.
