Evening Sun

Waiting for a bus at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol at 4.50pm - the sun just thinking of setting....


 
I looked up and there was this amazing tree.  I was feeling a bit sad leaving my buddy in her bed, but thankful for seeing her.

There's really a lot to be thankful considering everything. 
A running theme for the last few weeks.

This time of year and being on the edge of the city, closer to the countryside, the quality of light. It throws it all into sharp relief, or rather sharp contrast. My biggest girl is back at school and we're all back to the same old routine.  Feeling a bit somber, but all in all perhaps its just a little bitter sweet.

St Valentine

This is my effort. Started it a couple of days ago with plans. Its wholly dependant on symmetry as I have no time to do both halves of anything today. Daughter still very unwell and I can't be ignoring my children in order to draw pretty pictures on my computer.

Feeling like a half hearted artist and a shitty mum. Can't do anything wholehearted today.

Sorry. Back later with some cheer, maybe.

London Plane

I lived in London for 10 years and I love these pompom trees, especially with only a few leaves left. Just a whole load of bobbles.
A ton of pom poms falling from the sky...
...well they don't actually fall off, that's why they're still beautiful in February.

Another paper cut or screenprint? The beginnings of something. I'm just playing. I'm also doing a lot of stuff with thistles and leaves too, and trees.  More like this. We'll see.

I was hoping to do more actual cutting this weekend but my eldest daughter is ill. Poor sausage. I hope she's properly on the mend tomorrow.

Double helix and flower arranging.

This is the thing that's got me hooked on paper cutting.


About 6 years ago I started photographing and drawing trees and leaves. I had loads of ideas about where it was going, mostly around making jewellery. I did what I often do, took the idea, ran with it until it was too horribly huge and daunting to even start, with massive set up costs and no time - I'd just had baby no.2 in 3 years. Another folder in the "projects" folder.


Then it turned into an idea for a cot mobile. Something based on a spiral that would be interesting, viewed from underneath. Once again I did nothing with it. But then, I did have 2 babies to look after at the time!


So........

Another couple of years on I got around to cutting it out. Hugely satisfying, but it took ages and a few scalpel blades. I am hooked on paper cutting and there will be more of this to come. I'm hopefully going to get an electronic dye cutting machine in the new year - its like a plotter but with a blade. 

I still want to do some hand cut pieces of framed artwork. Hand cut stuff has a life to it that you don't get with a machine and you never follow the file exactly and you can make it up as you go along, but a machine would be great for testing stuff and I also want to do some stuff that I can make and sell aside from that. 


Below is the illustrator file. It was printed it out with a stroked outline on one sheet and cut from 2 sheets of paper at once (red and yellow). Before I started cutting I stuck the 2 sheets together along the spiral spine. It's been hung up for a while now so it's sagged a bit. I'm going to try cutting it out of some stiffer nicer card, with a digital dye cutter.


I still have those jewellery plans and tons of others but baby no. 3 is 15 months so it may all take a bit more time...