‘Recipe for Hope’ – school environmental banners at the Great North Museum.

 

‘Recipe for Hope’, banner drawing together the instructions from the school children addressing their active hope for our planets future.

Earlier this year, I was asked to work with the Great North Museum on a very large project working with ten schools across the North of England to design and paint eleven two metre sized banners which illustrated the young peoples deep concern for our planet and what we are doing to it. These banners are instructions for us to follow. The banners were to be a ‘Recipe for Hope’ for the future and to be hung in the museum whilst ‘Dippy’ the diplodocus skeleton was on display there as part of #dippyontour from the Natural History Museum .

Warkworth C of E Aided Primary School – ‘Respect our seas’.

The ‘Eco Club’ at Warkworth School, made up of children from Year 1-6, have worked very hard within their local community to challenge people to think about their use of plastic and the importance of recycling. The ‘Eco Club’ are worried about the effect irresponsible disposal of rubbish and an over-reliance on plastic is having on not just land animals but also creatures which live in the sea. Their banner illustrates ‘Life Below Sea’ and how the sea should be free from: pollution from rubbish and chemicals; over fishing which can affect biodiversity and the food chain; and the acidification of the water currently taking place.

The Warkworth School ‘Eco Club’ calls for us to “Look after the ocean”, “Respect our seas” and “Save our wonderful creatures”.

Corbridge Middle School – ‘Clean, Respect, Care, Protect.’

Pupils from Corbridge Middle School are angry as “Humans have already reduced the number of animals on our planet by 60%”. They and future generations will suffer the consequences of this, along with other climate and environmental disasters if we don’t make big changes now. The pupils aged between 9 and 13 years wanted to use their banner design to raise issues which are part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 ‘Life On Land’. The goal includes: reforestation; halting the loss of biodiversity; preventing extinction and ending animal trafficking. To reverse these trends, we need to be living more sustainable lifestyles and reversing land degradation.

The pupils had a simple message: “Clean. Respect. Care. Protect” – “YOU can save the World.”

Kieder First School – ‘Enjoy the wildlife’

The children who attend Kielder First School live in an area of special scientific interest, home to over 50% of England’s Red Squirrel population., with Osprey and Roe Deer nearby. Besides conifers, Kielder Forest also has cherry, oak, beech, willow and birch trees. This woodland provides habitats for bugs in the ground layer; grasses, ferns, flowering plants and deer; through to smaller trees and shrubs; and birds and squirrel up in the canopy. This densely populated, biodiverse habitat can still be affected by weather changes, seasonal variance affecting food supply and even fly tipping! The young children were very aware of how easily their beautiful surroundings and the creatures that live there can be adversely affected by laziness and lack of respect for their beautiful countryside.

The children from Kielder First School were keen for everyone to remember to visit and “Enjoy the wildlife” but to “Put your rubbish in the bin” and “Look after the trees”, as they look after us and make a home for the wildlife.

Montalbo Primary School – ‘Enjoy the countryside’

Montalbo Primary School is close to the countryside with woodland, rivers, upland and moorland habitats. This brings rich diversity and natural beauty. But the children at the school realise that to maintain it, it needs to be protected and used. They are setting up an ‘Eco Club’ and working towards their ‘Green Flag Award’.

The design of their banner shows some of the many ways everyone can “Enjoy the countryside” as “Exercise makes you happy”. By looking after our natural habitats such as rivers, woodland and hills for walking, we can encourage tourism which will bring money to the area not just from visitors but it will also provide incentives for governments and individuals to keep these areas intact. The children regularly play football, ride horses, take picnics and visit the river; besides their physical health it also maintains their mental wellbeing.

The children from Year 3 at Montalbo Primary School want to remind us all to “Look after our World”, “Visit the countryside” and “Enjoy the fresh air.”

South Wellfield First School – ‘A small change can make a big difference.’

The children from South Wellfield First School live close to the coast and visit it regularly with their families and friends. A beautiful coastline encourages people to visit these areas, to spend time and money which helps the local economy. However, the children are keen to point out that to make this a fun and happy place to visit, our beaches need to be free from rubbish and our water clean from pollution. The design for their banner illustrates how they would like to see their local beaches and the sea to be: colourful, clean happy, healthy places for people and wildlife. The children point out that wildlife often mistakes plastic for food and each year millions of animals and birds die because of this. This should not be something that continues to happen in their, and their children’s, future.

The children from Year 4 of South Wellfield First School would like to point out that “A small change can make a big difference” so that all our lives can “Be greener and cleaner”.

St. Bede’s RC Primary School – ‘Less cars, more legs.’

Year 4 at St Bede’s have been learning about science and climate change by being involved in the Polar Explorer Programme and looking at the British Arctic Survey. Although their school has a concrete playground with no green spaces, they have been learning about how they can care and protect for their environment. Living in an urban area the children were very aware of the importance of small but very important things we can all do to help make our local environment a better, cleaner place for the benefit of everyone.

The design for St Bede’s banner draws upon the streets where they live and how they would like them to be: free from litter, with less pollution from traffic and more greenery.

They want to see “Litter free, happy streets.”

South Hylton Primary Academy – ‘Keep the planet green, not grey.’

Year 3 at South Hylton Primary School are very keen to share some of the very easy ways we can all “Care for the Earth” with their local community and all the visitors to the Great North Museum. The design for their banner reflects some of the things they have been thinking and talking about in school .

Some of the things Year 3 would like us all to try:
• Use a reusable water bottle.
• Always recycle.
• Buy Fairtrade.
• Take clothes to, and buy from, charity shops.
• Don’t use plastic straws.
• Don’t buy things with Palm Oil in.
• Use reusable bags.
• Reduce your food waste.

For the children’s future they say: “Keep the planet green not grey”.

Laurel Avenue Community Primary School – ‘Happy environment, happy life.’

The residential streets around Laurel Avenue Primary School are all named after trees, which you can see to the rear of the school. The children are aware that although they live near Durham City centre, they can play an important part in helping with the habitats of the insects and birds that make urban areas their home. The children feel that having a space for the natural world all around us, no matter where we live, helps us all to feel happier and safer. The Year 5 and 6 children created a design for their banner which reflects the bright happy colours that nature brings us through butterflies, bees, ladybirds, the flowers they pollinate and which might even grow into fruit on the trees. The children had discovered that 9 out of 10 land plants rely on pollination from insects and that it is important to grow pollinator friendly plants and leave wilder patches for insects to hibernate and breed.

One of their motoes is “Happy Environment, Happy Life”.

St Mary’s RC Primary School – ‘Tree-mendous!’

The children at St Mary’s Primary School live near to the busy A1 and the Metro Centre. This has encouraged them to embrace the benefits of trees and the natural environment which lies behind their school. They have become very aware of the negative side of being close to busy roads, with all the fumes and what that means for everyone’s health. The children have done lots of research over the last year about the benefits of trees and this has played a big part in their design for their banner.

They point out that:
• Neighbourhoods with few or no trees are more likely to have higher incidents of violence.
• Trees on shopping streets encourage people to slow down, allowing drivers to look at the shop fronts.
• Trees increase property values.
• Trees can be teachers and playmates.
• Trees absorb CO2, removing and storing carbon while releasing oxygen back into the air.

The children of St Mary’s say “Thumbs up for clean air” – “We love trees!”

Lowick and Holy Island C of E First Schools – ‘Keep colour in the world.’

The children of Lowick and Holy Island First School’s design for their banner focuses on how close they live to the sea. They understand the importance of keeping the beach and the unique area they live in clean from rubbish which might wash into the sea; to help with this they carry out a weekly beach clean. Their banner illustrates the two sites of their schools: coastal and lowland. The children feel that the natural beauty that surrounds them should not be taken for granted. Living where they do, concerns about the impact of sea level rises on this beautiful Northumberland coastline are an important consideration.

They wished to pass on the message that we should always remember to “Take our rubbish home” so that we can “Keep other animals safe” and “Keep colour in our World.”

Projections used in the #dippyontour exhibition, using quotes from the pupils from the ‘Recipe for Hope’ banners.

The above photos show the projections within the #dippyontour exhibition using quotes from the pupils who worked on the ‘Recipe for hope’ banners.

Showing some of the ‘Recipe for hope’ banners on display at the Great North Museum.

Dippy and the school ‘Recipe for hope’ banners will be on display at the Great North Museum until the 6th October, 2019. And if you would like to ‘have a go’ at designing your own family banner, here is a copy of the worksheet designed by the GNM for schools: Design an Eco Banner

‘Green Pledges’ in the Northumberlandia woodland.

This summer I have felt very privileged and excited to have been one of the two Artists in Residence at Northumberlandia. It has given me the opportunity to work on a beautiful site, looking at a subject I am very passionate about: our natural surroundings, the environment and climate change. I have previously shared images of the pieces I have made in response to visitors pledges and the work of local children. Here are just a few more images of the pieces on-site in September, 2018.

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• 8.3 Billion metric tonnes of plastic produced since the 1950’s
• Plastic can take 500 years to fully decompose.
• Only 9% of plastic is recycled (79% goes to landfill and 12% is incinerated).

 

‘We pledge to do a litter pick every time we visit the beach’.

‘We pledge to plant flowers for the bees’.

‘I will try and make ecobricks’

Damselfly ‘We will try and use less plastic’

‘Reducing food waste around the World would help curb emissions of planet warming gasses’.

‘I pledge to recycle more items, buy less groceries and throw away less food’

 

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‘To use no more plastic folks’, Green Pledge.

After four months working Northumberland Wildlife Trust at Northumberlandia, over 120 Green Pledges were made with local families and school children and 17 large pledges were made in response to the pledges made by local visitors. I am hoping to be able to work again with the NWT and other organisations on similar projects encouraging people to think about the positive actions they can take to help their local environment and the World’s climate.

Recent ‘Green Pledges’ made for Northumberlandia Residency

Over the Summer I have been busy working on making individual ‘Green Pledges’ to illustrate some of the environmental commitments visitors to Northumberlandia in June and July have made by making small lifestyle changes.

‘We pledge to try and reduce the amount of plastic waste we are using’, Green Pledge.

In a couple of weeks, all of the ‘Green Pledges’ made by local school children, young visitors to Northumberlandia made onsite and those I have made to reflect visitors environmental commitments, will go on display within the woodlands at Northumberlandia.

Here are some photos of a few of the finished pieces, with brief information about the environmental commitment that inspired the piece.

‘Reduce plastic waste’ Green Pledge.

The ‘Green Pledge’ above, illustrates some quite shocking statistics:

• Over the last 65 years, more than 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic has been produced.
• Plastic can take over 500 years to fully decompose.
• But only 9% of that plastic has been recycled (12% incinerated, the rest landfill/litter).

‘To use no more plastic folks’, Green Pledge.

‘To recycle more plastic items’, Green Pledge.

‘Planting bee bombs in our garden’, Green Pledge.

‘No more nappy bags’, Green Pledge.

The above piece reminds us that over 3796 disposable nappies are used by babies up to the age of 2 1/2 years old. I tried visualising that – not a nice vision, and all that to go to landfill. The materials used in disposable nappies are extremely slow to decompose. Many children will use more…

‘To follow a Vegan diet to help save the planet’, Green Pledge.

I admire all the people who have been involved with this project and set themselves a challenge to improve things for the their local environment and, often, themselves. There are many statistics about the positive benefit to the planet if more people have days where they follow a vegetarian/vegan diet instead of meat – a big reduction in carbon dioxide reduction would be one benefit and the use of land purely for food production would be another, to just name a couple of things.

‘Planting flowers in our garden for the bees’, Green Pledge.

One thing I must highlight is that the majority of all the pieces of work made for the residency and the Green Pledges, are either made from recycled, vintage materials or from ‘found’ objects, which I have then further worked on – some in great detail. A great deal of my work is made this way. I collect vintage fabric from markets and charity shops, often I am given textiles that are still lovely but are of no use to the owner. I also ‘find’ things on my walks and recently, I have been bringing home plastic bottles etc that I have found littered whilst walking the dog in the park.

One piece I have made for this residency is made from just ‘found’ pieces like bottles from the park, cardboard dumped in our back lane, recycled wood and yogurt pots our council will not recycle. This piece is my ‘Gull’ which you can see below – I hope you like him!

‘To do a litter pick every time we go to the beach’, Green Pledge.

 

New Artist Residency at Northumberlandia

I am delighted to have been asked to be Artist in Residence at Northumberlandia.

Northumberlandia: ‘The Lady of the North’, landscape sculpture.

Northumberlandia is a landscaped sculpture of a reclining lady, designed by artist Charles Jencks. She is 100 feet high and a quarter of a mile long. You can take walk around the paths that curve around her body up to her hips, breasts and face.

A view from Northumberlandia’s ‘forehead’ looking down to her nose, breasts, hip and further into Northumberland.

This is a beautiful site to visit and take a gentle walk (though recently I visited during Storm Hector and it was a but tricky to walk up to the top!) Families, community groups, dog walkers and people looking for a soul rejuvenating spot to visit, visit daily.

Spring flowers at Northumberlandia.

The residency is in conjunction with Northumberland Wildlife Trust who help manage the site. My proposal responds to the importance of sites such as this where people are using our local natural environment, for walks and a quiet spot to be just outside a busy city, encouraging them to reflect upon how this urban/rural, relaxing place to walk is helping us and how we can help it.

Northumberlandia festival day.

A couple of weeks ago, during a Northumberlandia festival day, I set up ‘shop’ to be able to meet and greet visitors to the site and talk to them about my residency. I am asking people to make a ‘Green Pledge’. This is something individuals, groups and families can pledge to do to help their local habitats, places they visit, the environment on a local and national scale.

A ‘Green Pledge’ made by one of the young visitors to Northumberlandia.

During the festival weekend, visitors were making a decorating their own ‘Green Pledge’. These were made using recycled textiles, permanent pens and stitching on ribbons etc. These ‘Green Pledges’ will be hung together throughout the trees in Northumberlandia in September, for visitors to come back and see.

Caretaker’s of the World. UNITE!

Beside creating their own ‘Green Pledge’ on the day, I am also collecting pledges made by visitors to make into larger, more worked pieces which will hang individually amongst the trees. These pieces will be made using recycled textiles, hand and machine stitched, painting, printed, with found natural and manmade items on them to ‘illustrate’ the pledge.

Though, besides making two dimensional pieces, I have also decided that some pledges will require a more three dimensional, radical approach. An example of this includes the pledge to make ‘Eco Bricks’.

Entrance woodland at Northumberlandia.

Last week I visited Beaconhill Primary School, which is the school nearest to Northumberlandia as the crow flies. I spent the day with Year 4 and 5, talking to them about the Northumberlandia site (which the majority had all visited) and my residency. I had asked to school to be involved, as they school prides itself on having a very environmental ethos and is very proactive locally. I talked with the children about what they are already doing at home to help the environment, what small changed they could make to help further and if they had ideas or great inventive ideas about what we could do in the future.

The children were all very concerned about how much people are happy to drop and leave rubbish when visiting the countryside, our local beaches and just generally where they live.

Pupil making a ‘Green Pledge’.

It is heartening to hear how passionate young people are about doing things to help their local environment and things that will help the global climate issues. Over the weekend at Northumberlandia and my visit to the school, more that 120 ‘Green Pledge’ fabric panels have been made to be hung together amongst the trees.

‘I will use less plastic’ Green Pledge.

During the next couple of months, I will be making larger ‘Green Pledge’ panels, inspired by the visitors to Northumberlandia and in September everyone involved will be invited back to walk amongst the ‘Green Pledges’ hanging amongst the trees and try and track theirs down.

Families making their ‘Green Pledges’ to hang amongst the trees in Northumberlandia.

Please feel free to get in touch if you would wish to be part of this project by suggesting a ‘Green Pledge’ you would like to make in writing, or a physical piece that could be hung with the others amongst the tress.

 

Charles Darwin portrait, finished.

The Man from The Mount (Charles Darwin)

My textile portrait of Charles Darwin (1809-1882), is part of my series of ‘Cultural Hero’ portraits, including William Morris and W. G. Grace.

I chose Charles Darwin to be part of my series for many reasons including: he was a very cool naturalist, he had a great beard, he was born in Shrewsbury (where I am from) and he had a very interesting life! Simply, he has always been a hero of mine.

Charles Darwin portrait, first phase.

When I am working on a portrait, I never have a finished overall plan of how it is going to look. It evolves, over time as I am working on it. I tend to do quite a lot of background reading and like to find out more about the person, where they lived, so that I can drop in links to their background in the portrait. So when I first start, I machine sew the initial portrait onto white cotton, then paint it with tea!

Charles Darwin, with hand stitched background.

The background was drawn on and hand sewn, it includes images of the Tatochila Theodice Gymnodice butterfly which he found 1834; Scymnobius Galapagoenis found in the Galapagos in 1831; the Vermillion Flycatcher, also found in the Galapagos and sundew heads, which are found near where he was born at The Mount, in Shrewsbury.

Working on a tapestry frame, hand sewing and painting the details.

Once the lines are stitched, I start to paint in with acrylic whilst working on a tapestry frame. This keeps the textile portrait taught, as I am not working on a canvas and the fabric would very easily start to shrink and stretch in all the wrong places.

Vermillion Flycatcher, Charles Darwin portrait detail.

Tatochila Theodice Gymnodice. Found by Charles Darwin in Chile in 1834.

Detail showing the Scymnobius Galapagoenis (the Ladybug Beetle) and Sundew heads, embroidered onto Charles Darwin’s cloak.

Detail from Charles Darwin portrait.

Since finishing my portrait of Charles Darwin, I have started again working on my portrait of the War Poet, Edward Thomas, which I hope to get finished by the middle of March, ready for the anniversary of his death during the First World War, on April 9th, 1917.

 

New interactive pieces for The Sill, Northumberland.

The Sill, is a new landscape discovery centre in beautiful Northumberland, very close to many of the famous Roman sites along Hadrian’s Wall. The Sill helps visitors to look deeper into the landscape, culture, history and heritage of Northumberland.

View from The Sill roof

Last year, whilst The Sill was still being built, I was asked by the Education Team to work with them on creating some interactive bags for schools and community groups to use whilst visiting their building and galleries.

Inside The Sill’s gallery, which explains many of the uses of the landscape, materials and habitats found in the area.

A large part of last year I spent working on the Shipley Art Galleries Centenary Quilt but as soon as that was finished, we started planning in more detail what interactive materials The Sill would benefit from first and how they would like them to look. So the first two interactive bags I worked on was the Moorland Curlew Bag and the Geology bag.

Curlew Children’s mask

The Moorland Curlew bag was great fun to make. The bag itself is large enough to carry all the interactive pieces in plus room for teachers notes. I always find children love as much opportunity to dress up – so any chance to make wings and masks is great!

Curlew wings, child size.

The Curlew bag also had a crochet nest, with eggs plus worms for the Curlew to eat!

Curlew nest and eggs.

Habitat bags always need a predator and what better than a fox – great fun for interactive role play!

Fox mask.

The Moorland Curlew bag itself had two sides, as the curlews nest in the moorland building their nests on the floor and they also spend their time at the seaside amongst the mudflats – which you may have seen, with their long, curled, distinctive beaks.

Moorland Curlew (mudflat side) and Geology bag being used at The Sill.

The geology bag looked at how the stone and the Whin Sill had been created over thousands of years. The bag itself illustrates very simply how the stratigraphic layers in the area have built up to create the landscape and stone in the area.

Geology bag cover, textile illustration of the stratigraphic layers in Northumberland.

To help illustrate to children visiting with schools and community groups, small textile panels were made to show how the local stone is used in Hadrian’s Wall, making roads, sandstone walls and limestone kilns.

This bag was also quilted so that rocks and stones, plus other materials could safely be placed inside.

Four textile panels illustrating the use of stone in the area: top left – road building, top right – sandstone walls, bottom left – limestone kilns and how limestone enriches the ground and bottom right – Hadrian’s Wall.

These bags have now been delivered and I am now working on a ‘Dark Skies and Mythology’ bag plus a large, layered map which will be used up on the grassed roof, to assist discussions about how the landscape has changed over the last two thousand years.

Artist Residency Day 13 at Bergby Konstcenter, Sweden.

In the last few days whilst my ‘Häxors Trosor’ exhibition has been open, many of my Swedish visitors have also been keen to make their ‘Green Pledge’. During this time I have also been busy making more from the list of pledges I brought from Newcastle.

Visitors to Bergby Konstcenter making green pledges.

I have been using local resources to make some of the pledges, including milk cartons, plastic bread and chocolate wrappers. Helen and John the artists who run Bergby Konstercenter have also made a pledge to be hung with the others.

‘I am making a compost in my garden’.

‘Here I write my solemn pledge to grow and eat organic veg.’

Visitors to the exhibition seemed to really enjoy looking at the craftsmanship in the environmental textile pennants, from the heavy embroidery to intensively worked beading and the sentiment in the poetry. It was extremely heartening to hear the very sincere feedback.

A local bee keeper and her daughter looking at the ‘ Life giving bee’ embroidery.

Talking to the visitors, asking them to also make a ‘green pledge’ has made me really think about taking this project so much further. The exhibition of the work produced during the residency is going to Gateshead Old Town Hall in September and October but I feel I would like to continue encouraging people to make pledges, so that the number of pledges made grows past the 50 we have so far.

‘I will eat less dairy and milk.’

‘I will recycle more’.

‘I will try to raise awareness with my friends about the issues of sea creatures’, by Rosie age 13.

Visitors to the exhibition.

If you would like to be a part of this project, please get in touch. You can just write a green pledge which I will make for you or you can make your own to form part of the growing numbers of green pledges made so far.

Residency Day 12 – Digital Detox

Coming out to Bergby Konstcenter in Sweden for a two week artist residency, has been an amazing experience and opportunity for me. I have absolutely loved the arts centre, the enthusiasm of Helen and John who run it and it’s beautiful locality.

Painting together.

But, it has also provided a creative and interesting experience for my three daughters, aged 13, 11 and 8 – through a ‘digital detox’. This has encouraged intensive bursts of drawing, painting, sewing, reading and 3D art using the natural environment.

Tablet free zone !

The girls embraced the idea of a Digital Detox, occasionally there was a bit of a wobble,  but overall they enjoyed it. My middle daughter has also read six books in the two weeks – reading some twice!

The girls have been taking their sketchbooks with them on their days out, too.

My youngest daughter sketching with her Dad.

The ‘Young Artist’s’ exhibition wall includes the work by the young children who live here, who also really enjoyed drawing and painting.

Young artist’s exhibition.

Sharing, learning new artistic skills and learning new words in English and Swedish has been a great bonus – especially when learnt with friends!

I can’t say that when my girls are back in the UK they won’t be straight onto their electronic devices, but the two weeks without them has taught the girls that they can not only enjoy themselves without these devices, but  they  have learnt again to entertain themselves, regained their love of reading, and that boredom is a great way to ignite a creative imagination. They have also all said how lovely it is to play freely outside, to be able to run around with no socks on, feel grass rather than concrete and just play.

Residency Day 9 -new ‘Green Pledges’.

Before I came out to Bergby Konstcenter in Sweden, I had asked people who had visited my studio in Newcastle if they would like to make a ‘Green Pledge’ and I would make them to hang with the others in the exhibition in Sweden.

Here are some new pledges which have been made:

‘I will encourage bees into my backyard’.

These new pledges have been made using resources I had at hand in Sweden including plastic bread bags (the tassels above) to milk cartons ( the patchwork below).

I will stop eating beef.

I will grow my own fruit and vegetables.

I will turn off the lights.

This one contains a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: ‘Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.’

All of the ‘ Green Pledges’ are now up in the exhibition, already more new pledges are being made. I hope to go and hang them all up in the woods this weekend! Then I shall send photos to all the people who have been involved in the project so far…

Residency days 7 & 8, at Bergby Konstcenter.

Sunday and Monday have been very intensive sewing days, like all my pieces for my residency, the ‘Sea Juggernaut’ has been very heavily worked.

Reverse side of ‘Sea Juggernaut’ – a sperm whale.

This piece represents the issues facing creatures living in our seas: pollution (chemical and waste), sound pollution, over fishing, climate change etc. Over the years many whales have died on beaches across the world due to these environmental issues and this year, 18 sperm whales washed up on beaches in Germany. When they were autopsied, they were found to have in their stomachs: 43 foot of shrimp nets, plastic parts from car engines, even buckets inside them, as well as many other unusual objects. They were young whales who had died from heart failure.

‘ Sea Juggernaut’, beaded, machine and hand embroidered textile hanging at Bergby Konstcenter, Sweden.

The textile piece I have been making whilst at Bergby Konstcenter is heavily beaded and embroidered. It also has lots of ‘found’ objects seen into it, to highlight the disposal of waste from our over consumption. In the textile piece I have sewn in items such as plastic nets used for packaging fruit, items found on the floor such as a tiny ships wheels and anchor buttons!

Mini ship’s wheel found on the floor outside a local ‘Loppis’.

Within the piece I have embroidered and beaded creatures of the deep, plus also loosely beaded the sea, these are both to represent real and synthetic things found in the sea (like microbeads used in cosmetics).

Detail showing beaded and embroidered sea creatures as well as stiched poetry.

Each sea creature is unique and took many hours of sewing. One, I have also linked to flowers found in Carl Linnaeus’s garden, as I was keen to make links to this great Swedish scientist who was the first to use the Latin classification system for plants and animals. Within each of these pieces, the animals latin name is also stiched into the picture.

Detail of beaded sea creature.

Each of the pieces made as part of the ‘Häxors Trosor’ (witches knickers) residency, work on many levels and as part of this piece ( and the others) a poem is stitched through:

Sea Juggernaut 

 

Dive down deep, deep down

Where the nocturnal day or night light

Eclipses the sea juggernaut.

Though, the salty sea stars

Still shine spiral bright.

 

Dive down deep, deep down

In search of balloon bursting, rich tasting

Stringy limbed squid

Sea Juggernaut penetrates past

To wrestling octopus hid .

 

Dive down deep, deep down

To find a pea souper, stomach filler

Of man’s eternal waste,

An all you can eat sea buffet,

Of gut corroding, life stealing bait.

 

July 2016