“Stop the rot, keep moving”

Art portfolio- my work, Studio news/blog

Its been a while since I wrote to you, but October was a wonderful, intense, creative, and thankfully productive month for me, and I hope for you too?!

I am pleased to announce that I finished the commission which occupied most of my time in the studio. I am really chuffed that I finished it on the time I set aside for it. My self-imposed ‘deadline’ was for the end of October. I allowed myself to focus on it for two months. I need deadlines (but is there not perhaps a better word for it, since deadline sounds so final) ;-P

“You are born, you die, and the rest is just marking time.” (James Joyce)

I had the pleasure of having Kleinjan Groenewald over for a photo shoot yesterday! I will share some photos from this shoot over the next couple of months!

I was also introduced to Ike in October. His owner says that he always smile for the camera:

he was the inspiration for a new “family member” – The Good Boy!

The Good Boy

And he is off to join the rest of the clan in this collectors home:

Other news is that I had to get reading glasses/goggles/spectacles! I was diagnosed with PRESBYOPIA which is just a fancy Greek word meaning: “Old and eye.” “Presbyopia is the name given to the condition of the sight which develops as a natural senile change” (quoted from an encyclopedia) I was so stressed out about my appointment with the Optometrist, but I am glad I went, since now I can enjoy reading again. I am just curious why most of the frames for glasses are made out of plastic! eek! Anyway I am celebrating by reading a book I found in the library: “The secret dairy of Hendrik Groen 83 1/4 Years old”

“Biologically speaking you become superfluous on your fortieth birthday or thereabouts. Since the children are born by then, approaching self sufficiency. That is when slowly but surely the rot starts to set in with hair loss and reading glasses. On a cellular level too things start going wrong. You have more and more errors of division and multiplication. A slowing metabolism leads to a weaker nervous system which also makes the mind to weaken. One thing is clear: “Use it or lose it” from the book …..

I really enjoy spending time with Hendrik Groen. Like him I also “rarely say what i want to say. I tend to choose the path of least confrontation. My specialty: wanting to please everybody.”

In other news:

I painted the wall in my studio a dark grey, in preparation for my next ‘Studio exhibition: The Haunted Stitch” coming soon…watch this space. 😉

I will also be participating an a group show in November…more about this a bit later:

Other news: Feel free to visit the stockroom at MContemporary gallery for some available work, or feel free to send me a message:

Until we speak again….”Stop the rot, keep moving” Hendrik Groen

Studio news…almost Winter…

Art portfolio- my work

The days are getting shorter and the nights longer…winter is in the air, and since I’ve just finished reading the book: The Stone Gods by Jeanette Winterson, I thought I’ll share this quote with you:

“There was a world formed out of Nothing, and from the Nothing grew a tree, and in the tree sat a bird, and in the bird’s mouth was a worm, and the worm that had lain in the earth knew all the secrets of life and said, “There is a world, forming out of Nothing, and out of Nothing will come a tree, and in the tree will sit a bird, and under the tree there walks a man, and that man will learn the language of birds, and find that the buried treasure is really there.  And when he has dug it up, he will spend the jewels and the gold, and last of all he will find a bag of seeds and when he plants them they will grow into a forest whose leaves are a canopy of stars.  And one day he will climb the tree, and put his hand out to a star, and the star will be his home.”‘

‘Forever?’

‘Until the leaves fall.’

‘And then?’

“And then it will be winter.”

pg 109 The Stone Gods by Jeanette winterson

*Besides reading I am working on 4 different embroideries at the moment…3 Giant ones (can’t wait to share it with you) and a smaller one….but more info at a later stage.

*I’ve started reading “Wilt” by Tom Sharpe…and find myself laughing out loud, which is a good thing, because I’ve had the blues on and off….

* Cutting and cleaning some inner tubes… and I’ve started to experiment with a sewing machine to prepare my rubber canvasses…Initially I didnt want to use machine stitching anywhere in my work, but if it turns out well I’ll tell you more about the why I started to do this.  The embroidery part will only be done by hand!.

*I am in the process of preparing for two different Art Fairs…but again it’s too soon to tell you more.

*Trying to organize ADSL uncapped internet for our home/studio, and oh dear, what a process…I’m not even going to start trying to explain!

*Working on some ideas in notebook/sketchbook.

*I’ve tried yoga last week, next is pilates, karate, badminton, squash…I would like to try everything at least once and then decide…since I am mostly in front of needle and thread, or the computer, I realized I have to do some sort of activity besides jumping trampoline or riding bike with the kids….

On that note I’ll share this image with you….

 

from the ongoing "young wife' series

from the ongoing “young wife’ series

 

Safe

Art portfolio- my work

"Safe" Cotton thread, rubber, batting and wood

“Safe” Cotton thread, rubber, batting and wood

Sometimes it’s ‘safe’ not to say anything.

or

Sometimes I wish I could lock up my words to keep the ‘safe’…

Anyway so I’ve tried to make some time for reading because a new Douglas Coupland book has found it’s way to my bedside table!

So I will say goodnight with a quote from the book: “Generation A”:

“Terrorize, threaten and insult your own useless generation.  Suddenly you’ve become a novel idea and you’ve got people wanting to join in.  You’ve gained credibility form nothing.  You’re the talk of the town.  Develop this as a story you can sell.” -Malcolm McLaren