I have been cutting pieces of eucalyptus bark into strips for basket weaving. I did a weekend workshop with a wonderful basket maker Mary Butcher http://www.marybutcher.net/ a few years ago, but I've not had a chance to do any basketry since. So today has been about reminding myself through trial and error, and, through that trial and error, how to play. Play is so important, for me it is almost always from that free space that the work I love the best comes about. I'm not saying the pieces I made today are works of art by any stretch of the imagination, but, after a few weeks of feeling stuck I can begin to feel a little movement. It is a testament to Mary's teaching that the methods she taught us were still in my head, and close enough to the surface for me to remember. 

My last trip to Cley before I submit my proposal for the NNEP annual summer exhibition. I went with Colin Johnson again, and we spent the main body of our visit taking photographs of the church and exploring the village. Pathways are always interesting to me, where we as animals run. Our bodies over time forming tracks like water in the creeks of the marshes. We picked a small quantity of sloes for my dyeing experiments, and admired the clematis and the spindle berries. 
The beach drew us at the end, and we walked a little way along the tideline, picking up scrap and, in Colin's case seaweed for inspiration. 
For me, whether my application is successful or not, I feel as if I have taken steps along a journey that I am enjoying too much to give up, so expect to see more of Cley over the next few months whatever the outcome of my submission.

   

Weaving continues ..

So this is my work for the American Craft Council Vintage Photo Project.

http://craftcouncil.org/post/vintage-photo-project-rebecca-clifford

I feel very honoured to have been given this opportunity but also quite shy. It's strange, quite exposing, to see my work on someone else's website. "Is it good enough ?" "Did I do enough ?". Some of the other projects are really good I loved Rebecca Seimering's Star Light Cape and Matthew Courtway's prints.

This is the website address of a fascinating documentary film-maker that I met on my return journey from Cley last week. I wanted to share because I have been so inspired by our meeting. I hope that in passing it on anyone who reads my blog will have a chance to be inspired similarly. There is something about internet exposure that has a chinese whisper quality which is fine but I want to direct anyone who reads my blog directly to the source because I think she tells her stories well. http://socialfilms.org/