India and Bhutan in Penny 2015

What would I use this basket for?  For 45 years, I’ve loved to feel natural fleece in my hands. There’s something very humbling about recognising where wool originates, and feeling the soft greasy fleece in my hands is very special; and to be able to weave into my blankets some of my own handspun yarn is very gratifying.   I like to rinse the fleece before preparing and spinning it.  I’ve tried several methods and this one suits me best, and the basket is perfect. Allows gentle rinsing without any felting. Why not save this tip to try, if you can get your hands onto some greasy fleece, and for more come follow along. #weaving #Handspinning #fleece #fibreart #weaver

This is my top number ONE Pro-tip. Do you want meaningful work - or empty trash?! I’m a visual artist and weaver, and this number one tip for meaningful work is for all creatives and your chosen medium!  ‘Tell your stories from your own experiences!’ That’s it!  My latest body of work is based on the Mullik Ghat markets in Kolkata India, where we drove our vintage car through India, Bhutan and Myanmar.   For more - Come follow along! #artisanmade #roadtripindia #weaving #creativetips #protip

The cacophony of fragrance and colour on the backdrop of damp grey fog of the Mullik Ghat Markets Kolkata; was incredible! I wasn’t expecting this place to leave its mark so deeply, and is the foundation for my current body of work. The key to creating work with meaning, whether you’re a weaver or using another medium; is to tell your own stories from your lived experience. Perhaps you could save this tip to try for your next project; and instead of thinking about things like colour or shape; why not think of a memory instead. Love to know how you go! For more creative tips - come along and follow! #creativetips #kolkata #weaving #travelart #madebyhand

Here’s a different kind of pro-tip; and it comes from a lifetime of unexpected surprises! It’s never just about technique, but it’s all about telling stories from our lived experience. I wasn’t expecting this place to leave its mark so deeply.  The cacophony of fragrance and colour on the backdrop of damp grey fog of the Mullik Ghat Markets Kolkata, India ; was incredible! As an artist, the most valuable insight I’ve gained is that meaningful work must come from lived experience.  Technique alone can create pieces, but only lived experience can fill them with meaning.  Whether you are a weaver or a creative working in another medium, the key to creating work with meaning is to tell your personal stories. Connect with your memory before you even think of colour or shape. Give it a try! Perhaps you could save, and try this pro-tip for your next project and see how your work evolves with this dedicated intention. For more - come Follow along. #artisanmade #roadtrip #interiordesign #protip #weaving

When I begin weaving, I have no idea what it will end up looking like I never have a plan because I weave intuitively from my memories Here I’m weaving my memories from the Mullik Ghat flower markets in Kolkata, India.  As I weave, I roll it, then becomes hidden. It’s always such a surprise to see my stories revealed in my blankets when I unroll it from my loom. You could try this in your form of art as well. . Try starting with a memory, and remember the colours of your experiences. You can save this idea for your next project; and for my journal notes on inspiration for this series - Kolkata; pop to my link in Bio. Come follow along with me! #weaving #weavingloom #weavinglife #madebyhand #artisanmade

Weaving is “like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” When I begin weaving, I have no idea how it will turn out. I always start with memories; and I never have a plan.  In my latest Series, I’m weaving my memories from our vintage car roadtrip; and the Mullik Ghat flower markets in Kolkata, India.  Colour is my thing. I don’t have a colour plan because I weave intuitively, and I don’t remember what colours I’ve used. As I weave, I roll the fabric onto the back beam, and it then becomes hidden. When I’ve finished the weaving and I unroll my  piece from the back beam - it’s always such a surprise to see my stories revealed in my blankets.  Why don’t you try to weave without a plan? You could try this in any creative medium as well. Start with a memory, and remember the colours of that experience. Then just go for it, and play!  You can save this tip for later; for my journal notes on inspiration for this series - Kolkata; pop to my link in Bio; and for more creative ideas, come follow along. #handweaving #madebyhand #arttips #roadtripindia #weaver

Are you floundering with making a project meaningful?  As an artist for most of my life, who has meandered and searched for meaning within my own work; I have a couple of tips for you.  If you don’t know where to start, think of an experience that is meaningful to you. Recall the colours.  Just start there!  Tip 1. Remember the colours. Tip 2. Use ONLY those colours. A meaningful experience for me was our journey to Kolkata and the Mullik Ghat Flower Markets, and is the  inspiration for my handwoven blankets.  You can save these tips for future reference for your next project. Let me know how you go! For more, come Follow along.  #artisanmade #handweaving #madebyhand #artisttips #visualstorytelling

Want one secret tip for visual storytelling? There is an art to visual storytelling.  As an artist, there are some very important things which contribute to making a work meaningful and an expression of it’s intention.  Here I'm using the memory of my journey to Kolkata Mullik Ghat markets as the source material for my handwoven blankets. One secret (not so secret hehehe) is to 1. Remember the colours of an experience or scene which is the subject matter of your project; and use ONLY those colours.  Perhaps save this for your future reference, and give it a go for your next project.  For more, come Follow along.

Curious, Creative, Living Boldly - That was my tagline I put on the footer of my emails 30 years ago; well before Instagram came into being.  It was not known to me then how important ‘curiosity’ was to be for me. Being curious, and creative; has helped me navigate my life’s challenges; to heal; and provided the pathway for me to experience the richness of living - despite these challenges.  Curiosity is the intrinsic desire to learn, explore and understand. I am an artist. My work has included conceptual photography & video; multimedia installations; and textiles. Working with my hands is important to me. I am a weaver. I weave my stories into blankets.  I wanted to express my experiences of Kolkata, but didn’t know how to share with others the magic I felt in this city of extremes. Poverty and wealth. Colour and darkness. I didn’t know where to start.  I was curious about how to express my stories of Kolkata. What I did was to just start. Experiment and play. I let my inner voice and memories  guide my colour choices. I had no idea whether my handwoven blankets would ‘turn out’... but I was curious and felt the most incredible gratitude and joy weaving these blankets which hold my memories and stories.  Why don’t you try becoming friends with your curiosity? What a lifelong friendship that will be; and hopefully that friend will remind you every single day, despite everything; to keep holding on to, and never let go of being curious. For more on my journey, follow along. For those interested, I’m using a 48”/120cm @ashford_wheels_looms Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom. #curiousity #createeveryday #creativelife #weaving #selfdiscovery

What would I use this basket for?  For 45 years, I’ve loved to feel natural fleece in my hands. There’s something very humbling about recognising where wool originates, and feeling the soft greasy fleece in my hands is very special; and to be able to weave into my blankets some of my own handspun yarn is very gratifying.   I like to rinse the fleece before preparing and spinning it.  I’ve tried several methods and this one suits me best, and the basket is perfect. Allows gentle rinsing without any felting. Why not save this tip to try, if you can get your hands onto some greasy fleece, and for more come follow along. #weaving #Handspinning #fleece #fibreart #weaver

This is my top number ONE Pro-tip. Do you want meaningful work - or empty trash?! I’m a visual artist and weaver, and this number one tip for meaningful work is for all creatives and your chosen medium!  ‘Tell your stories from your own experiences!’ That’s it!  My latest body of work is based on the Mullik Ghat markets in Kolkata India, where we drove our vintage car through India, Bhutan and Myanmar.   For more - Come follow along! #artisanmade #roadtripindia #weaving #creativetips #protip

The cacophony of fragrance and colour on the backdrop of damp grey fog of the Mullik Ghat Markets Kolkata; was incredible! I wasn’t expecting this place to leave its mark so deeply, and is the foundation for my current body of work. The key to creating work with meaning, whether you’re a weaver or using another medium; is to tell your own stories from your lived experience. Perhaps you could save this tip to try for your next project; and instead of thinking about things like colour or shape; why not think of a memory instead. Love to know how you go! For more creative tips - come along and follow! #creativetips #kolkata #weaving #travelart #madebyhand

Here’s a different kind of pro-tip; and it comes from a lifetime of unexpected surprises! It’s never just about technique, but it’s all about telling stories from our lived experience. I wasn’t expecting this place to leave its mark so deeply.  The cacophony of fragrance and colour on the backdrop of damp grey fog of the Mullik Ghat Markets Kolkata, India ; was incredible! As an artist, the most valuable insight I’ve gained is that meaningful work must come from lived experience.  Technique alone can create pieces, but only lived experience can fill them with meaning.  Whether you are a weaver or a creative working in another medium, the key to creating work with meaning is to tell your personal stories. Connect with your memory before you even think of colour or shape. Give it a try! Perhaps you could save, and try this pro-tip for your next project and see how your work evolves with this dedicated intention. For more - come Follow along. #artisanmade #roadtrip #interiordesign #protip #weaving

When I begin weaving, I have no idea what it will end up looking like I never have a plan because I weave intuitively from my memories Here I’m weaving my memories from the Mullik Ghat flower markets in Kolkata, India.  As I weave, I roll it, then becomes hidden. It’s always such a surprise to see my stories revealed in my blankets when I unroll it from my loom. You could try this in your form of art as well. . Try starting with a memory, and remember the colours of your experiences. You can save this idea for your next project; and for my journal notes on inspiration for this series - Kolkata; pop to my link in Bio. Come follow along with me! #weaving #weavingloom #weavinglife #madebyhand #artisanmade

Weaving is “like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” When I begin weaving, I have no idea how it will turn out. I always start with memories; and I never have a plan.  In my latest Series, I’m weaving my memories from our vintage car roadtrip; and the Mullik Ghat flower markets in Kolkata, India.  Colour is my thing. I don’t have a colour plan because I weave intuitively, and I don’t remember what colours I’ve used. As I weave, I roll the fabric onto the back beam, and it then becomes hidden. When I’ve finished the weaving and I unroll my  piece from the back beam - it’s always such a surprise to see my stories revealed in my blankets.  Why don’t you try to weave without a plan? You could try this in any creative medium as well. Start with a memory, and remember the colours of that experience. Then just go for it, and play!  You can save this tip for later; for my journal notes on inspiration for this series - Kolkata; pop to my link in Bio; and for more creative ideas, come follow along. #handweaving #madebyhand #arttips #roadtripindia #weaver

Are you floundering with making a project meaningful?  As an artist for most of my life, who has meandered and searched for meaning within my own work; I have a couple of tips for you.  If you don’t know where to start, think of an experience that is meaningful to you. Recall the colours.  Just start there!  Tip 1. Remember the colours. Tip 2. Use ONLY those colours. A meaningful experience for me was our journey to Kolkata and the Mullik Ghat Flower Markets, and is the  inspiration for my handwoven blankets.  You can save these tips for future reference for your next project. Let me know how you go! For more, come Follow along.  #artisanmade #handweaving #madebyhand #artisttips #visualstorytelling

Want one secret tip for visual storytelling? There is an art to visual storytelling.  As an artist, there are some very important things which contribute to making a work meaningful and an expression of it’s intention.  Here I'm using the memory of my journey to Kolkata Mullik Ghat markets as the source material for my handwoven blankets. One secret (not so secret hehehe) is to 1. Remember the colours of an experience or scene which is the subject matter of your project; and use ONLY those colours.  Perhaps save this for your future reference, and give it a go for your next project.  For more, come Follow along.

Curious, Creative, Living Boldly - That was my tagline I put on the footer of my emails 30 years ago; well before Instagram came into being.  It was not known to me then how important ‘curiosity’ was to be for me. Being curious, and creative; has helped me navigate my life’s challenges; to heal; and provided the pathway for me to experience the richness of living - despite these challenges.  Curiosity is the intrinsic desire to learn, explore and understand. I am an artist. My work has included conceptual photography & video; multimedia installations; and textiles. Working with my hands is important to me. I am a weaver. I weave my stories into blankets.  I wanted to express my experiences of Kolkata, but didn’t know how to share with others the magic I felt in this city of extremes. Poverty and wealth. Colour and darkness. I didn’t know where to start.  I was curious about how to express my stories of Kolkata. What I did was to just start. Experiment and play. I let my inner voice and memories  guide my colour choices. I had no idea whether my handwoven blankets would ‘turn out’... but I was curious and felt the most incredible gratitude and joy weaving these blankets which hold my memories and stories.  Why don’t you try becoming friends with your curiosity? What a lifelong friendship that will be; and hopefully that friend will remind you every single day, despite everything; to keep holding on to, and never let go of being curious. For more on my journey, follow along. For those interested, I’m using a 48”/120cm @ashford_wheels_looms Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom. #curiousity #createeveryday #creativelife #weaving #selfdiscovery