The Beauty of Barcelona and the gorgeousness of Gaudi!

I haven't blogged for over a month, how very remiss of me! It has been fun with my girls being on school holidays but better still I've been away for a few days to Barcelona- it was definitely a work trip, research and inspiration all in one! I spent lots of time just taking photo's of all the amazing buildings and sculptures. 

The area leading up to the National Museum of art was particularly beautiful and impressive. The area pictured below is actually flowerbeds and fountains.

However, the Gaudi architecture was my absolute favourite- there are hundreds of photo's I could show you but here is a taster....

Sagrada Familia outside and inside (above)
Dragon gate Guell estate (below)

Casa Batllo (above) and Parc Guell (below)

My youngest daughter thinks this building looks like the perfect gingerbread house.

We had a wonderful time at the Joan Miro foundation too. Although I was unable to get a photo of it, his large wall hanging/weaving was incredible. Barcelona rocks! I hope you all had a good summer too.

Feeling Inspired

I am feeling inspired today, it's been a while since I've had time to think, let alone work! The summer is always a bit tricky as there is so much going on at the end of term and the girls are then on holiday so I am busy spending time with them, however, today I am on my own and so I've been drawing in my sketchbook and starting something new inspired by flower formation. (Nice choice of yarns for this item, even if I say so myself!) It started off with a wander around the garden.... first I collected a basket of yummy veg

then I took some photos of the gorgeous flowers with interesting centres, or seed heads...

How could I fail to be inspired with all these around me, and the sun is shining! Have a happy inspiring day.

P.S. I said I'd show you the results of the party costumes and cake...

The birthday girl as Edward Scissorhands,

and with her sister as Marilyn Monroe,

and finally the cake!

The collusions begin....

A week or two ago I visited all my installations at both Thornham Walks and Lackford Lakes to see how natures imput had begun.

As you will see the weaving is holding out nicely with very little change to it so far and the knitted mushrooms still look fine if a little droopy!

The moss carpet seems to murge into it's surroundings even better than before and has some wonderful ripples in it that make it look very organic,

There is also a collection of debris slowly gathering on the surface too.

But something strange and exciting has occurred..... an infestation of caterpillars!!!

I am pleased to say 

that some of the children's groups that meet at Thornham have been making some creepy crawlie critters to add to my moss carpet- this was a collusion I hadn't expected but I am honoured that they were inspired by my work (although I have to admit I was a little concerned that people may think I had made them however it is a public project and why shouldn't they collude just as nature will).

As for the work at Lackford Lakes, the purple feathery reed heads are fading a little.... 

the green tassels are not so green any more.

The bracket fungi are collecting debris and some are fading a bit,

There are signs of life here too which is really pleasing, it is being inhabited by spiders!

As for the puffballs little has changed but as I have been so slow adding this post I will be going back to take more photos very shortly and maybe things will have begun to change even more.

Part of the reason I haven't blogged for a while is that I have been having some time off work and then it has been full swing on fancy dress birthday party bits, the theme is movie characters, I am currently finishing an Edward Scissorhands costume and a Marilyn Monroe dress!!!

Rural Idyll 2 opens

Rural Idyll 2 is now open and you'll be pleased to hear I did get all my pictures completed in time. There are eight in total, you can see them here hanging on the wall in the barn with my sculptural work in the foreground. As you have seen the majority of the pictures in my last blog I will just show you the last three ( including the one shown incomplete at the end of my last blog).

Here are some images of my felt and wire maquettes.

I also included my sculpture that you may have seen in the early days of my blog.

And there are some wonderful pieces by all the other artists but this feather fall by Ruth Richmond is amazing.

If you are in the area why not go and see for yourself- Rural Idyll 2 is open every weekend in June 2011, 11- 5 or weekdays by appointment, at Little Dodnash Farm, Bergholt Road, Bentley, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2DQ.