Another Day - with Banksy

It was a pleasant ninety minute queue in the sunshine outside Bristol Museum to see the Banksy exhibition after spotting an original on a wall down the road. Banksy was asked to respond to exhibits within the museum. It was a fabulous exhibition. As well as the main foyer and rooms specifically to show his new work/installations, we were encouraged to 'spot the Banksy' amoungst the other galleries showing collections of ceramics, silverware, rocks and minerals, Egypt, dinasaurs etc. It was great fun. here are a few of my favourite ones that are 'printable! The leopard in the cage was a fur coat, whose belt 'twitched'.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. - Albert Einstein

View of the hill just outside Cannington, called Cannington Park.

I hope you like this quote which Kathy Johnson puts at the bottom of her emails. Thank you Kathryn for your message left here, but I couldn't find a way of replying to it other than saying here that I hope all goes peacefully for you.

Today is the funeral of my friend Jenny who died last week at 55 just before her youngest son's 18th birthday. Jenny was a gentle soul who grew native species trees and shrubs in her small nursery around her cottage, just along the narrow lane from me. She also had a strength and determination to fight injustice. She encouraged a group of us neighbours to protest about the expansion of a nearby quarry which is eating away at a small wooded hill on the outskirts of Cannington; the site of an historical iron-age fort as well as a local beauty spot. Jenny organised us, wrote letters and walked experts from English Heritage around the hill. The battle is not won as too many motorways and runways call for the limestone from this hill. I expect the whole village will be at the church.

More photos from the Summer School tomorrow.

A Final Wave

The whole class of 2009, wave from the steps outside the dining room at Urchfont Manor. Everyone looks very happy at the end of a very successful Summer School. Who is that person wearing those very loud patterned trousers in the front? Surely it can't be your tutor!

A huge thank you to all the staff at Urchfont who provided us with such cheerful and helpful hospitality and meals that seemed more delicious than ever.

On to Ontario

Johnnene and Gail against a wonderful cottonwood tree alongside the River Thames in London, Ontario.

Daisy May, left, and Bobbins, right helped to make my stay with Johnnene Maddison and Dave in London, Ontario, a very pleasant and comfortable 'home from home'.

A decorative house in the town of Stratford, (Ontario) which has several theatres, a statue of Shakespsear and a River Avon.

Jackie and Eleanor on the pebble shore of Lake Erie. 60 miles across to the other shore!

An 'assemblage' on the shore.

A ground hog 'mom' enjoying the sun in the unniversity. Her three babies sometimes joined her for a run around on the grass.

A few examples of the resolved textile pieces as a result of the 'Assemblage' workshop from Susan, Johnnene, Gail, Maggie, Kathy, Leanne, Jackie, Betty and Ruth Ann. There were many other exciting pieces, too numerous to add here that used different methods of attachment to create assembled textiles, combining old and new materials, some dipped in a dye bath of potassium permanganate solution to help to unify the different parts.

Rael, a bursary student from the University Textiles Course, arranges her work for the evaluation session.

Students attending the Embroiderers' Guild Summer School in the 'Assemblage' class in one of the spacious workshop rooms in Western Ontario University. The 19 students gather to discuss their work at the last session of the workshop. Do any of you have any other photos?

'Assemblage' workshop, Colorado

A concentrating time in the 'dry' studio; Rain in centre.

Paper collage, coloured with potassium permanganate and discharged with lemon juice by Cynde. A fragment of paper lace in the centre.

Terri's colourful painted design idea relating to her stitched paper lace pieces.

Fabulous meals were prepared by Rain and Gary to replace the calories we lost in all the energetic creative work in the studios. I never got to take a photo of full plates!!!

Colorado Class

A happy bunch of students and tutor at Rain Klepper's wonderful studios in Paonia, Colorado.
Top from left: Cynde, Sian, Terri and Georgia: seated in front, Rain (left) and Cathy.

Here in Colorado

Morning feeding for the humming birds at Pitkin Road, Paonia, the home of Rain and Gary Klepper, my hosts for the week.The Black Canyon on the Gunnison River - tributary of the Colorado River that runs through the Grand Canyon.Exploring the vertical cliffs at the Black Canyon with Rain Klepper, my host and Distant Stitch student at the workshop Paonia, Colorado.

Aspen trees