Making waste

In a book I'm now reading it mentions artist's 'waste'...the willingness to work for hours on an idea and then discard it if it hasn't worked - that part of the process that is often crucial but ultimately invisible - and there has been a fair measure of that this week.
It's not really a waste in the accepted sense; it's playing around and accepting that some things work out and some don't...and I do believe that you learn from every new thing you try - it all goes into your reservoir.
So - playing around with reduction, I thought this looked sort of interesting...

...but it didn't translate well into a finished object...however, some part of the process may come in useful in the future...

Having finally found a wooden chair in a charity shop last week, I have started on the seated woman sculpture-first job was to strip fabric off the seat and sand the chair.

Whoever stapled the upholstery to the seat should have been given an award for "the most staples it is possible to use" ... there were about 140 - 20 in each corner alone. By misusing a screwdriver and hammer over two days I got most of them out. I reckoned that by the time I'd finished I'd either need medical attention or have arms like a Russian weightlifter.

And the waste? Cutting out paper shapes again and again to work out the body/ corset shape. This is full-size attempt two, and there's a way to go yet...

How to make the moon for the big ship has been on my mind from the beginning and it's possible that this solution may also be discarded - I've attached it temporarily and need to live with it for a bit. It's glue-covered muslin on wire..

...and I think I like the string (also a temporary "see if it works") on the struts. Fits with the ship thing and with women's weaving - as well as possibly helping with the stability of the structure.

At some point I need to work out how to mount this on a base.

And finally, no waste here...
 A while ago I was given a shoe box full of old photographs from a house clearance - they date from the 1920's to the 60's ; typical family snapshots - of an Ireland that has disappeared. I have them copied on photo paper and make cards, mounting them in a way that suggests an old photo album.

This one of the girl with the pig is my absolute favourite.

Make and do and mend

Make ....Having finished my sister's rag rug, the next hooking project is another 'Stones' rug -  for Naomi...but before I started that I wanted to make something smaller (and quicker to complete). The power supply to the new workspace is a black cable going up to the ceiling from a socket  ... two or three small wall hangings would camouflage it. So I spent some time looking at 1950's textile designs and came up with some ideas...

Of course I checked what fabrics I had before deciding on colours....

...but as it happened what I did have came close enough. The brown is a disgusting fabric - flimsy and totally synthetic. I'd never use it for a rug but it was fine for this. Next time I decide to sew pieces of fabric to the edges, I think I'll do it first...

Work on the big ship is very slow - because the weather is so damp, some days all I can do is add one layer to a small area. I am so, so glad that I decided to opt out of exhibiting at Form this year...when I put the three figures into the ship it took two seconds to realise that they were completely wrong - I'd have been in a panic if the piece had to be done by now. I've started again and think these will work better...but if not, I'll try again...

Do ..... These are papier mache hens that I stopped making several years ago...after ten years or so I was very, very tired of  them - life's too short to be that bored.

Last year, flattered into submission by the young women at the local gallery, I made a few - and remembered why I'd stopped making them.

This is exactly what it looks like - more hens. I've promised them eight and three are already pre-sold...and they are still immensely boring ...and I did this to myself - all by myself.

Mend ...

When I was making giraffes I gave the first one to a friend...and it stood in his house for ten years..until last year his two young daughters decided to play with it... they must have had a wonderfully giddy time because three broken legs and a missing ear later it arrived back to me...was it possible to mend it? I didn't think so, but couldn't bring myself to burn it, so it's been standing about (well, falling about) in odd corners since then, forgotten until I moved all my stuff. Still not sure if it's worth doing - I might end up having to repaint the whole thing and as it's dry-brushed that could ruin the surface finish and its knees will never look the same again...