Strange Days

arghhh!!! That's better! its been one of those weeks. Nothing major but a lot of small annoyances esp concerning the degree. Its so strange - This semester I have one tutor who fills me with enthusiasm and fires me up to work, she respects my views and approaches whilst ever so gently pushing me out of my comfort zone and in the right direction. Whereas the other tutor makes me feel like rubbish, every opinion I have is wrong (even my personal beliefs!),and if I produce something which isn't exactly how she would do it she denigrates it making me feel like giving up (which I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of doing!) - she also ends each tutorial by saying 'enjoy it after all its your journey' -what a load of****.
On the plus side the ERTF exhibition is now finished and as far as I can see has been a roaring success. I even made some money by selling a few bags and things which has more than covered my exhibition costs and given me something to spend at the Knit and Stitch. I also think the exhibition which drew in over 800 visitors will increase our membership in the area.. It feels so odd that the forum which I dreamed up and put into action with the help of a small band of intrepid friends just over 2 years ago has grown up and is 'out on its own' so to speak. I feel a bit like a mother hen who has watched its egg hatch and wander off into the blue and probably doesn't even know I was its mum.Oh well que sera,sera... at least it looks like we did a good thing.
The pictures in this post are from the start of the module I am enjoying. I'm looking at the Chinese concept of footbinding contrasting the beauty with the pain and these are images from the first pages of my sketchbook. I'll post more as it develops and hope you enjoy the process.

who stole last week?

I just don't know where the time is going, everything seems to be so hectic at the moment. Of course I have 'got my head down' again studying and juggling 2 modules this time is causing my head some confusion but I am hoping that will sort itself out as time goes on. Along with this I seem to be zooming all over East Anglia at the moment. Last week I visited Cambridge for the Private View of the ERTF's first exhibition. Mary Cozens Walker opened it for us and said some lovely things about my work. I thought she may have forgotten me, as I was a student of hers, but she came straight over and gave me a hug and talked about the work I was doing with her and how I'd progressed. She had her daughter with her (another old tutor of mine) , Kate green ,who said I had made an indelible impression on her. Now this may not be so good- one would like to think that they remembered you because you were an excellent student but possibly I just made such an impression because I made their lives hell! anyway they both seem to have forgiven me if I did so alls well that ends well.
Saturday I was off to Suffolk to collect my last module's work from its second marking- this box full of stuff is now extremely well travelled but has made its way safely back again much to the Cat's delight as she enjoys sleeping on/in it. Although this module was a bit of a drama the marks were definitely worth it now I just have to keep that standard up.
Yesterday it was back up to Cambridge to steward. The exhibition looks very good and I've posted a couple of pictures so you can at last see my pieces in situ. I would like to put more up as the work there is excellent but I'm never quite sure what to do about this without getting the artists' permission. Its been extremely busy- we had over 60 visitors yesterday which isn't bad for a Wednesday and apparently they were inundated over the weekend esp. as the exhibition was closed on Sunday morning for a private event put on by ERTF with Michael Brennand Wood.
So that's about it for now. More studying this week, up to London for induction day for JCS on Saturday (must remember to take all the stuff for the presentation I'm giving) and then back to Cambridge twice next week. I think by the end of September I will be glad just to be back to studying.

The End of Summer

Today Autumn has truly arrived. The light has changed from clear Summer blue and taken on those golden tones of Autumn. This time of year always gives me mixed emotions- I don't like Autumn much as I hate the feeling that everything is dying , but I love Winter when things are hunkered down, all cosy, waiting for the first signs of Spring. However I love the colours that appear ( usually round here for a nano- second until the wind whips them from the trees) and I love the feeling that the lassitude of summer is over and we can all start to move again, I hate the feeling of being static.
And the moving on has started in earnest. Yesterday Miriam collected my pieces that I am exhibiting at the ERTF exhibition in Cambridge plus some smaller items I have made for the shop as a test run. We are sharing the load of this exhibition as its not the easiest of places to reach from where we live- she is taking the work, I'm collecting and we are going to steward together. The exhibition starts next week and details can be found on the ERTF website.
We also visited an exhibition by one of the Loughborough graduates we met recently at the gallery where we hold the Material Girls exhibitions and whilst there the centre manager has asked us to run a session(s) for the local teachers to help them with their textile teaching, so that's something else to add to the list along with actually getting the work done for the MG exhibition in February!
Finally I found out this morning that I have the first tutorial for my new semester tonight even though the latest one hasn't been marked yet and they also want me to do a presentation at induction day. So there will be no 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' in this house , I'm off and running again.
ps. My Kirsty has never had the easiest of roads academically although she has always worked really hard but at long last its paying off as she had her AS level results recently - 2 'A's and a 'B'!
I am so proud of her!all those hours of hard slog were worth it. She is so desperate to be a nurse so fingers crossed she gets similar results in her A2s next summer and she achieves her dream.