Holiday and shows

I've done it! I've had holiday!! This may not seem big shakes to you, but for me it is a true rarity. I actually can't remember the last time I had more than an odd day off, let alone a holiday. Not that I am complaining - I love my work. But my doctor has been at me for a long time about the importance of taking time out, so I'm feeling  virtuous having done what I am told for once. Now don't go getting too excited, I haven't been off on foreign and exotic travels - one step at a time and who would look after the dog?? No, we packed up the car and the dog and headed off for my favourite county, Yorkshire, and my favourite place, the coast, specifically Whitby. If you have been you will know that Whitby, Filey, Robin Hoods Bay and Humnanby are some of the best coastal villages in the country. The weather was mixed, but we got out everyday to enjoy the utterly spectacular scenery, eat wonderful seafood and indulge in plenty of beach combing. Of course I took hundreds of photos - I won't show them all (you are safe), but here are a few:

The steps down to town from our cottage

A little nook off to one side of the steps ... these nooks and ginnels are everywhere and always beautifully presented

Boats - I took a lot of these - our cottage overlooked the harbour and I find the boats very inspiring

Wonderful entrance on St Marys Church up by the Abbey - I'm fond of steps too

Luckily we came down these ones - 199 from the Abbey. Those are my boys ahead of me - they got fed up of waiting whilst I just had to take another photo

Gerty and George Gull - these two live on the balcony wall outside our cottage, where this is taken - a prime site and well defended. I got very fond of them and they will definitely be appearing again in some work

  

More gulls on the beach ....

And this boy has just surrounded himself with some good classic seaside imagery - thank you! - that's the composition done

THE house to live in at Robin Hood Bay!

Mind you - I wouldn't mind this one either - what a door

Temptation - a shop for sale .... sadly it was just the downstairs shop and not the upstairs cottage, so not practical when you live in Lincoln. Still - if it had been both, it would have been SO out of my reach .. so no regrets

With views like these it is impossible not to be inspired and I have decided that I will start a proper series of work based on the coast. I already have several pieces, so really it is not new, but the consolidating into a cohesive series is. I have recently agreed with Grosvenor shows to put together another gallery of quilts to tour with them in 2015 and have been pondering themes. I think this would be a good one for coast and the theme is big enough to keep me going for a couple of years (lifetimes actually).  I am aiming for. About 25 prices of new work, so watch this space. 

Talking of gallerys, I will also have a gallery at the British Quilt and Stitch Village next year, which will be called 'Beauty Matters', which I am starting to plan work for. In addition, I have a solo gallery at ICHF Fashion and Embroidery show at the NEC in Spring 2014 which will be called 'The Shape of Nature'. You will have realised I love the natural world and am very drawn to the colours and shapes of plants, animals, birds etc. This gallery will be a shameless celebration of that, and I hope to produce a small, but very lovely catalogue to go with it. SiX & Friends have a gallery at FOQ next year and then in  September 2014, my friend and co-artist Stephanie Redfern and I are going together to Vivelle in France, to exhibit and demonstrate at Jane Rollasons wonderful quilt show over there. So I’ll need some more work for that too.  

You see? No wonder I don't go on holiday often! That is a formidable number of quilts to make in the next couple of years, but what could be nicer. My tutor, Marie Roper always used to say that she loved a deadline and a tight work plan, and I've clearly taken that to heart. I so wish she was still around, a gentle and much missed presence in my life.

 

I have allocated most of June to getting my book sorted out. I am still hoping to publish in time for FOQ, but I have a lot to do. End of June is also the deadline for the new work for six and friends, so I need to get on with that. The exhibition opens on 8 July and we have a meet the artists day on 21 July. I will be giving a demonstration of making a mixed fabric collage on the day, so I hope you can come along and join in - I believe most of the group are attending and it should be a good afternoon.

I'll finish with a couple of shots of some papers I have been printing for one of the book chapters. Hope you like them! 

 

Oh alright .. four then! Talk soon - Hilary x