Olympic Pennant Journey

The Olympic pennants will be on exhibit at the Macclesfield Silk Museum In Macclesfield, Cheshire in England for the entire month of April.  The Museum operated by the Silk Heritage Trust has a wonderful history dating back to 1813. 

    Macclesfield is located in the north of England, near Manchester, which is a known textile industrial centre.  In 1832 there were 71 working silk mills operating in Macclesfield.
    There are in fact three museums on the site with the earliest building dated at 1813.  One houses costumes and handles conservation, one is a working Victorian Silk Mill ( with a restored Jacquard loom operated by attendants, many of whom worked in the silk mills which were in operation until 1981 )  and a third site documents Silk Manufacturing and displays, and that one is where the pennants will be exhibited.  This building was built in 1877 and was once The Macclesfield School of Art where many designers were trained for the silk industry.  Just a few facts:  Macclesfield was once the world's biggest producer of finished silk and can be traced back to the silk route to China. The design and production of silk neckwear has been one of Macclesfield's most enduring industries.  During the second world war, silk was created for use in parachutes, maps and powder bags and there is a recently redeveloped display " Secret Work of Macclesfield During the War", which I am sure is fascinating.
    The Silk Museum's vast archive includes working power looms, a huge collection of pattern books dating back to the 1800's, machine embroidery, silk fabrics, intricately decorated and embroidered couture clothing and every day fashion.  The collection and library are consulted by researchers from all over the world.
    What a wonderful place to have your work hung in an exhibit!  Join me next month when the pennants will be exhibited at the Stockwood Discovery Centre in Luton, a city to which I have a sentimental connection.

As an aside: For those of you who might be rhythm and blues fans like myself, Macclesfield is also the birthplace ( 1933) of John Mayall, ( the Blues Breakers )  the father of British Blues                     

PHILOSOPHY Friday - Silence is Golden

" Remain quiet", says Paramanhansa Yogananda.  " Don't feel you have to talk all the time.  Go within and you will see the loveliness behind the beauty."

                                    

" Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence". - Desiderata

Happy Birthday to the philosopher king - the DA - x

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - Dreaming is allowed

" Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.

Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning "

                                         

                                        - Gloria Steinem

LHH - photo credit

Webinar - learning new things!

                                                                

     On Tuesday night, I took part in my first " Webinar" - Best Photo Forward - Refining Photos of Fine Embroidery" and what a terrific experience it was!
The webinar was hosted by Melissa Shanhun of Australia http://www.digitalscrapbookinghq.com/ and Jen Weber of Alaska   http://www.funkandweber.com/  .
To me, it was fascinating to think that all the participants involved in the seminar were  online all at once from all over the world in different time zones....Norway, England, Australia, Canada, and several points in the US - Hawaii, California, Kentucky, Florida, Chicago -  and there was a live chat to boot.  Melissa was exceptional and did a bang-up job on lecturing and demonstrating various techniques we could use with Photoshop Elements in order to improve our needlework photos, making them look more professional.  Her instructions were clear and the pictures were sharp and easy to see. There were a lot of " aha" moments! It was a packed hour long session with questions and answer times included. Paid up participants have the opportunity of being able to run the video again through Melissa's web site and she is providing a more refined video for purchase in a few days time.  Also included were handouts, coupons, special offers and some additional techniques.  The webinar was a most positive experience and I would highly recommend one of their programs to you.   You can check the web sites linked above for upcoming offerings. Thanks ladies for a first rate program.  It was enjoyable and very worthwhile!

   I am now ready to install my newest version of Photoshop Elements and become more familiar with it before I am soon to embark on an 8 week course on a local level.  So, with a little educating and some serious practice , I am hoping to improve those skills.
     At this point also, I am researching the best camera for photographing needlework,beadwork and textiles that doesn't need a rocket scientist to figure it out.  Any suggestions from those of you with a little more experience in that regard?  Please leave a comment or contact me through my g-mail listed. Any info would be most appreciated.

Remembering with love.......

.....my beautiful friend and fiber artist extraordinaire,

Roxanne Barkofsky on her birthday........

                                                                                                                                     

                                                          

                                                            

    May the road rise up to meet you.

    May the wind always be at your back.
    May the sun shine warm upon your face,
    and rains fall soft upon your fields.
    And until we meet again,
    May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - True Inspiration for our Times

“All great achievements require time.” ~ Maya Angelou 

  
My, this lady should know!  What an inspiration to hear her lecture.







Dr. Maya Angelou at the
University of Western Ontario 2012
-photo credit LHH

                                                                                 

Outside Thinkers, Science and Creativity

Further to last week's Philosophy Friday, today I came across a " Saturday Essay" by Jonah Lehrer for the Wall Street Journal.  An in depth and most interesting take on creativity and the creative process:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203370604577265632205015846.html

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - The Creative Process

" The creative process is also the most terrifying part because you don't know exactly what's going to happen or where it is going to lead. You don't know what new dangers and challenges you'll find. It takes an enormous amount of internal security to begin with the spirit of adventure, discovery, and creativity. Without doubt, you have to leave the comfort zone of base camp and confront an entirely new and unknown wilderness. "
                                          -Stephen Covey

I came across this quote by Mr. Covey, which I think sums up the feelings, excitement, fears and challenges one experiences when faced with a new creative endeavour. 

Inspiration presents itself anywhere and at any time, sometimes at the most inconvenient moments when it is difficult to pursue it to the degree you would like.  Turning inspiration into something of substance involves the creative work,  which takes a massive amount of time and energy and where one becomes deeply engrossed in the process, sometimes to the exclusion of everything else.  This initial period conjures up deep feelings of adventure and emotional highs.  It is stimulating, almost intoxicating and one's ideas run rampant , free flowing and there are elements of risk involved which you find exciting.

However, this" high" can only go on for so long and you have to call upon your self-discipline to allow you to focus on your goals. You ask yourself the pertinent questions, " what am I trying to say? " " how can I develop these ideas?"  " what do I wish to achieve?"  "How do I picture the final piece in my mind's eye?"  This is the more analytical and logical stage where you have to ask yourself some difficult questions.  What technical aspects, supports, structures must be considered? What techniques must I employ to reach my end goals? Colours? Textures?   Fibres? Threads?  This is the area where things can get dangerous. The part where you begin to seek out the special objects that will create this masterpiece.   In some instances, the ongoing seeking of the perfect materials becomes the cover-up for fears, self-doubts and procrastination........... the ultimate fear of actually starting the piece.

It takes courage to jump in, putting aside all self-doubts and being positive of your vision.  As you proceed, you will come upon stumbling blocks ; there will be challenges, difficulties and yes, in some cases failures, and you will have to trust in yourself to find your way around them and learn from them.   You will walk a thin line shrouded in uncertainty and self criticism and might be displeased with yourself over perceived weaknesses. There will be anxious moments when you need to remain objective and see these hurdles as opportunities for growth and self-discovery . You have to trust yourself to move forward and stay on track.

After small set backs, which are inevitable , you become even more determined and persistent in your efforts to achieve your goal.  Your enthusiasm returns and  your deep commitment to your work resumes with even more conviction and intensity.  Your deeper identification with the work  becomes more of a spiritual nature and you have a clear sense of purpose which is most gratifying.  Creativity is pushing new ideas and boundaries while stepping out of your comfort zone and charting new territories.

I believe that sharing my ideas on the creative process has been a reawakening and a stimulus for me to take the plunge in commencing a huge undertaking that has been in the design phase for over five years.  My initial idea has grown from the proverbial mole hill into a mountain and has been re-designed more times than I've had hot dinners.  However, I am at a more peaceful place in my life right now, where I can turn my hand to this long awaited project and once it is implemented there will no doubt be many more changes as the stitching progresses.  More to come in a while.......                                                              

PHILOSOPHY FRIDAY - Lost in the ozone.....

      

Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.  - Thomas Merton

                                                                         
That's just about where I am at this week - too many thoughts, ideas, and major distractions.
Lost in art, seeking to find my way.
Hopefully, by mid week, I'll find where I left my mind and get it to re-focus on one major project!

How about you?