Category: 2023 Weekly Project

Fifty Two Creative Ideas and Sources of Inspiration for 2023

2023 – My Weekly Project

Weeks 12 & 13 – A Spirit Cloth

The intention for week 12 was to make a spirit cloth. It seemed appropriate as I had an opportunity to go on a pilgrimage. I duly packed some silks, threads, linen fabric, scissors and a needle. I anticipated time and energy to enjoy some creativity as part of this journey.

The Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage took 23 people from Cornwall to the Holy Land in Israel. It was a long journey and during the course of the week we travelled from North to South, East to West. We sailed on the Sea of Galilee, floated in the Dead Sea, visited many special and holy sites in Bethlehem, Nazareth and Jerusalem. We sang, danced, laughed and cried. Some of the pilgrims were baptised in the River Jordon. We read passages from the bible and considered the context of these readings at the various locations we visited.

Humble Beginnings

I only managed to find a small amount of time to begin my spirit cloth whilst away. I started it after our trip on the Sea of Galilee that first beautiful morning. It was a special time for us all. All twenty three of us.

Reflection

Returning home several of us had caught Covid. So I have spent a week both recovering from the pilgrimage and also getting myself well again. My creative energies have been quite limited and this has become a two week project. Why not.

Final Piece

I continue to work on this. But the essence has been captured. “The Calm After the Storm”. It was a very calm day. I have come home with such peace in my heart.

2023 – My Weekly Project

Week 11 – Make a Textile Vessel

My initial thoughts for this week’s creative endeavour were to use either hand or machine stitching. Layering and building as I went along. But however I made this 3D vessel the pliable nature of fabric would mean that it would inevitably remain “fabric” in its nature.

So how do you change the nature of something? Especially when working with lightweight cotton fabric and even lighter weight silk and chiffon?

The answer lies in a product called “Powertex”. I have had a container of this in my stock cupboard for a while now and have only experimented with it in a limited way. It is environmentally friendly. It is water-based so easy to clean brushes. It’s an alternative to polyester and it’s transparent. When it dries – it dries surprisingly hard – even with these lightweight fabrics.

I made two small bowls using a ceramic bowl as my template. Wrapping it in cling film I proceeded to lay my fabrics over this as a mould. I did have concerns that it would all stick together forever. With hindsight the application of Powertex for my first attempt was probably a bit enthusiastic. I had applied two layers of material. Cotton for the outside and silks for the inside surface. Which is why it took a little longer to completely dry.

I was lighter handed with the second one which took much less time to harden. And I was amazed how rigid they became. The top edges were a little untidy, so I used scissors to remove unsightly corners and threads. It cut so cleanly. I even cut into the second bowl a little more.

There are endless possibilities with this product. It can transform waste materials and produce rigid forms from very soft fabrics and materials. It is easy to use and there is no limit to age or ability. I already have ideas as to how I can use this method going forward with my own work.

https://www.powertex.co.uk/

2023 – My Weekly Project

Week 10 – Walk, Collect and Paint

I try and take a minimum 15 minute walk every day. When I have time it is longer. I have always walked and find it is just a great way to relax, refresh and connect with nature. The first stage of this week’s creativity was the walk. But what to collect? The time of year and the environment will dictate what is available. There was plenty of dead leaves and winter debris laying around. Then I spotted the new growth. Beautiful new leaves. The promise of spring.

Appreciating the Form

I see leaves every day. But rarely collect them. Or display them like this. All the forms are so different. The texture, colour and size of each one made me appreciate the wealth of inspiration which is available.

Draw and Paint

I drew around the leaves using a soft pencil onto watercolour paper. I used watercolour postcards that I found in the cupboard. This gave me smaller spaces to work on but still provided an opportunity to repeat the form. Not having used watercolours for a while I settled on a limited palette and decided to just have some fun.

Play with Paint

My intention was to use the form and “play” with the paint. We don’t often give ourselves permission to play. These forms can be developed further working with alternative colours and composition.

Small Leaves of Great Importance

All leaves are of enormous importance in providing us with the oxygen we need to breathe. They soak up the carbon dioxide we emit and in return give us back oxygen. I often walk through the woods as I feel very peaceful in the company of trees. They are ever changing and I often wonder what they would be able to tell us if they could talk.

We all need to be planting more trees now wherever and whenever we can. They mean the world to us.

The Woodland Trust has a wonderful website with lots of information and guidance for the planting of native species.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/why-plant-trees/

Start Walking

The days are drawing out. There are so many lovely places to walk. Even a short stroll can provide a rich source of material. Be mindful of what you collect though. Take a small bag and limit yourself to between 6 and 10 pieces. Don’t overload. And you don’t have to use paint. You can draw, print, collage or photograph. The choice is yours. Have some fun.

2023 – My Weekly Project

Week 9 – Slow Stitch for 30 Minutes a Day

How often do you hear the phrase “I don’t know where the time goes!”. How fast the week goes by. Our attention span is only seconds now. This week’s project has been a sheer delight. Just a piece of white cotton fabric. An embroidery hoop. A needle and a length of embroidery thread. Just a single strand.

No television, no radio, no podcasts. Just a quiet uninterrupted 30 minutes set on the timer on my phone. Just to see where it takes me.

Trust Your Instinct

I had no plan. No prior drawing in mind. No subject matter. I just started with a simple running stitch. But just one stitch at a time. Initially I felt like I was taking a walk into a space I had not visited before. After the first 30 minutes I realised I had not made any straight lines. I felt like I was taking a walk around the garden. Following a footpath. Coming across borders and flower beds.

Listening to the Stitch

With each session I turned the work around so that I was not drawn to a particular image. It continued to evolve. Each stitch quietly made. I became aware of the sound of the needle piercing the fabric. And the thread drawn between the woven fibres of the cotton fabric. I didn’t care about the time it took. The timer sounded at the end of the 30 minutes. It seemed longer than 30 minutes. 30 precious minutes. 30 minutes where I became fully absorbed in the simple act of making a running stitch count.

The Slow Movement

.. is all about making a connection. It attempts to address the very serious issue of “time poverty”. For myself it was a conscious act to slow down for these 30 minutes each day. By day 4 of this week’s project I was looking forward to the moment I would pick up the needle and thread again.

https://www.slowmovement.com

There is plenty of unused space on my length of cotton fabric and I will continue to find those 30 minutes each day to make this process part of my on-going practice. I can see further potential for the image I have created this week.