Saturday 13 October 2012

Nudges

The kids go back to their normal duties of school and pre-school nursery on Monday..and I have to say I'm doing a wee hop and skip at the thought! Naughty mummy!
Suffice to say there's been very little creativity, so I'm dragging out some photos from a while back....which as I sit and type, I realise actually have a story to tell...

"Kite flier" my very first experiment!
                                    
When  I was at the Harrogate Trade Fair in  April, a very lovely and talented lady named Eve gave me some very astute and direct advice. I loved her ability to be cuttingly honest but extremely complimentary at the same time....this is a skill I want to develop! 

She felt my stitched girls were lost on the books I had on display, and should be pieces of art themselves. 
This matched exactly my feelings at the time...that I was leaning away from focusing on the labour intensive books and wanting to concentrate more on the blank canvas that they provided. Also that I was leaning towards stitching instead of painting...

So when I came home and digested the whole experience, the highs the lows, the feedback and advice I began experimenting...
I was loving the stitched girlies I had been creating, their simplicity and the pose that did the talking (as I had tried to capture in my paintings) but I wanted to add some more texture...just like the mixed media paintings.

What followed ......

"Wondering"

Each piece lead to the next. and I was feeling more excited about finding an outlet that covered EVERY aspect of creating that I love...paint, stitch, colour and texture...
The silent observer




It was this piece however that lead to the animals in stitch! ...who knew ducks looked good in stitchery 
form :)
"Hello duckies!"
This was the piece that started my "walk on the wild side" .... which funnily enough has taken off on a new life of its own....

Amazing where the twists and turns of life will take us...all beginning with a gentle nudge!
I've been meaning to email Eve and say thankyou for saying the words out loud that had been whispering inside. For the "permission" that sometimes we need to hear from someone other than ourselves.....it's time I did!

10 comments:

  1. i love this post, dear.
    it's downright sacred to see the evolution.
    all meant to be. all beautiful. all just right.
    + i have to add that i'm particularly smitten
    with the silent observer piece.
    jenny stitch love! xoxox

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  2. Just love seeing how your thought process has evolved and how those few little words nudged you along.

    Fab post!

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  3. oh I love your work!! Fiunny how it takes the right words at the right time to take us on a new journey. It's quite fitting that I've just written a post about experienting with paint, stitch and embellishing and then I happen upon your post! You are definately a huge source of inspiration to me and its lovely to see how your style has evolved. I love that last picture "hello duckes".. gorgeous! Take care, Lisa x

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  4. what great advice to be given and that you listened and went with the flow..well done, I love the way your work evolves x

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  5. I love your multi-media canvases Jenny - so much to see and so many details! Especially like round the edges! Glad you are following your new path! Looking forward to seeing many more!
    Ali x

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  6. these are each so lovely
    you have a wonderful way with the body language of your stitched ladies. quite beautiful each one.

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  7. Beautiful Jenny. I love where the twists and turns lead...always a pleasant surprise... :)

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  8. Hi Jenny,how fantastic to receive that nudge, as you say just hearing it out loud made you act on that feeling you already had. Sometimes a comment can take you on a whole new journey. I am glad you are happy with your work being art in their own right. Your ladies do have such movement in them I agree with Tammie Lee, you capture it so well. jayne

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  9. Your work just gets better :) I love all the detail and layer in The Silent Observer.

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  10. These are really beautiful, I had noticed a change in your work, (which is looking terrific by the way!) interesting to hear how it has progresses. x

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