Friday 22 May 2015

Five on Friday - My Week

A snapshot of my past week for Five on Friday. This week I have been

1. Painting

 
On Saturday my Mum treated me to a day out painting with artist Jamel Akib. Although I draw, and despite my brief foray into egg tempera painting earlier this year, I don't really paint and haven't been formally taught, so a day learning to use acrylics was a new experience for me... What fun!


Jamel was hilarious and kept us laughing all day throughout the frantically paced workshop. We started by painting wild animals and we all did a gorilla. We could then choose a different animal so I picked this fabulous rhino. I thought the strong silhouette would make it easier. What was fun for me was I hardly used a brush. The background was put on with a roller and most of the rest was done with a piece of card. Who knew you could do that!
 

After a delicious lunch provided by the organisers he got us all doing a mini seascape... Best if looked at from a distance with squinty eyes!



And finally we all painted Marlene Dietrich. What fun and a lovely birthday present from my Mum ( even though it's not my birthday until July).
 
2. Visiting an Exhibition


On Monday I met with my friend Jude and we spent the morning at the V & A at the Alexander McQueen exhibition Savage Beauty. I was totally bowled over by the drama, theatricality (is that even a word?) and the sheer talent and vision. Stunning!
 

This goes way beyond fashion and as you might have gathered I absolutely loved it.


This are just a small selection of some of my favourite pieces, but I loved it all. Impossible to pick favourites really.


I will go back again before it closes.


3. Exhibiting.


If you read my last post you will know that I have work in an exhibition this week with Prism and this is just a very small taste of some of the other work on show. The birds above are by Ali Brown.


Fragile knitted wire by Anita Bruce.
 

Found object installation by Jackie Langfeld and the trio of machine stitched women by Sass Tetzlaff. There is so much more of course, and such variety so it is well worth a visit. Details can be found in my last post.
 

4. Baking


I couldn't really go a week without some sort of down time in the form of baking. This week's offering is a cinnamon and Nutella cake, which made the house smell divine as it was baking. Didn't taste bad either!

5. Talking


Last night I was giving a talk to the Milton Keynes branch of the Embroiderer's Guild about inspirational women and how they have influenced my work. Despite a small technical hitch it seemed to go well and I was reminded how much I enjoy this sort of interaction. I woke up this morning totally inspired by a conversation I had with one of their members and some of the Alexander McQueen  images and I'm already enthusiastic with ideas for what I might make for next year's Prism show. You'll just have to hang around for another year to find out what it is but I'm thinking skulls and feathers!

Joining in with Amy for Five on Friday.

25 comments:

  1. All such wonderful things!!! Your paintings are stunning!!!!!!!!!!! Really!!! Just amazing! Your artistic talents always amaze and delight me! So good to see some other work from the exhibition too, although I still like yours best! Glad you had some time for cake in all of that!! Thank you so much as always for joining in! I hope that you have a great weekend!! xx

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  2. How lovely to have day learning something new and getting such fab results too. I'd love to see the Alexander mcQueen exhibition - must look the details up.

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  3. Well that was a very inspiring week!
    Love the rhino. :)
    V x

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  4. You certainly have a talent for painting, your creations are a real delight. I particularly loved the rhino it must have been a great day.

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  5. The workshop sounds like great fun, your paintings are really good you are very talented. :)

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  6. Your energy & enthusiasm really come across in this post. Sounds like a healthy dose of Alexander McQueen, would do us all good. Reading this post has made me want to get my sketchbook out again. Fab paintings!

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  7. Skulls and feathers - that's different. What a fabulous post. Your painting class sounds so enjoyable and the results are great. Stunning exhibition and talk, and you even managed to squeeze in a delicious cake!

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  8. Your paintings throb with life! What a super gift from your mum. The Alexander McQueen exhibition looks so inspirational! And yes, theatricality is a word!! X

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  9. Where to begin, Gina? You've show us so many interesting parts of your week.

    Your mom's gift of that painting class seems a perfect choice. I expect that you'll be doing lots more painting. How encouraging to get great results on that first use of acrylics!

    I found that visiting the McQueen exhibit several times when it was here at the Met yielded more and more inspiration. Having had this peek at your own Prism exhibit, I expect that lots of folks who are lucky enough to actually get to the exhibit are going be quite inspired, too.

    Oh...that cinnamon nutella cake speaks for itself!

    Your last photograph reminds me to mention that there is now a Freida inspired show now at the New York Botanical Garden. If I do manage to get up there to see it, I will report back. Promise. xo

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  10. and no mention of the looming prosecco crisis...!

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  11. So many exciting things in one week!

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  12. All wonderful but your paintings are dynamic! I should keep them up. Be fabulous on fabric with a bit of stitch too.

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  13. I am totally bowled over by your post today. your gorilla painting is fabulous as are the others but he is fab. I've booked to take my daughter and mother in law to the McQueen, we cannot wait. Your enthusiasm is infectious. Loved loved loved this post x

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  14. I love this post full of gorgeousness (is that even a word ha)! I used to love living in Milton Keynes and popping to London to the V & A. I loved the painting too. Have a great weekend x

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  15. Lovely post Gina, no wonder you're tired!

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  16. I've just wrestled a bird off of Bobo but you wouldn't want the feathered remains...

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  17. You are so creative. Your paintings are lovely. And the cake you made looks so yummy!

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  18. So many great things squeezed into one week! Fab gorilla painting and as for your cake - nutella and cinnamon sounds like a winning combination.

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  19. Thanks for coming to Milton Keynes (I know we invited you!)It was a fascinating and inspiring talk, wonderfully presented. A pity about the 'slight hitch' but you dealt with it with aplomb. Fantastic painting, you obviously had great fun, brilliant early Birthday present from your Mum.

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  20. the rhino or Marlene in a stitched version? It's fascinating to see your distinctive use of colour, in a fresh medium. So fluid and alive!

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  21. Sorry I am so late on visiting for this past week's Five on Friday but woha am I happy I made it to your blog! What a fabulous time you must of had in that painting class and the V&A Museum! Your post is like an actual tour! I've never had the chance to come to England although I have dreamed of it for ages, perhaps one day yet!
    Hugs for now,
    Beth P
    #17 Five on Friday

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  22. This looks like a week well spent! Hope this week is great, too. x

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  23. Wow Gina -- you've been a busy, busy girl! I LOVE your gorilla and rhino pictures -- so cool. And did you, like me, think life would slow down when the kids were gone? What happened to that LOL?

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  24. And I didn't even know that we had a branch of the Embroiderer's Guild! I have only lived here for forty three years...

    Love your paintings!

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  25. Woah! How multi-talented you are!! Those paintings are fabulous. They have a kind of freedom about them which speaks of the enjoyment you had in their creation. Great to see and hear about all your outings and plans, etc. You are so busy! xCathy

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