Amelia's Magazine Shelter Quilt

Here's my submission. A tad obvious you might thing - magpies, but after a lot of thinking about Siamese Twins, heart shaped biscuits and Alice and Wonderland, it seemed the most relevant. Magpies themselves set up a nesting spot with one partner and remain with them unless one of them dies. In reference to humans, it highlights the importance of companionship, perhaps not necessarily in a relationship but within a community.

Where's Nick in the New Jack City.

All you could dream about listening to at once. 

Golden Hands and goodbyes

I saw this today - and the nervous and the sick started to surface. It could be also due to an appalling apple crumble I ate yesterday - it tasted like cleaner. More to the subject, this is the flyer for 'Golden Hands' - a group show featuring the work of Chloe Bonfield, Millie Easton and Jennifer Matignas Pitchers and myself- June 12th -July 5th of this year, the private view begin on the first day 7 - 11pm, so if you're in LA/Orange Country please come along! Hopefully my work will get there, I sent it on Friday via Post Office and it should arrive at the gallery this week. 

This week can be only described as a 'transition' week - I stood at work thinking about how bored I am, and lucky to have an internship which allows me to have a brief break in the working world where I'm not secretly looking at the door and considering running out. I received an email, which was eventually leaked onto the internet that Plan B's next issue in June will be the last. 

I started reading Plan B a few years ago, after browsing the shelves in Borders, during my lunch break in my office job which I hated, despite having one of the nicest bosses you could hope for. The magazine is beautifully designed and written and published articles and interviews with artists I hadn't heard about and I should know. I had previously been a dissatisfied NME reader, buying it on occasion and not really seeing anything new of interest, mostly 'indie landfill', and a one track observation on music. I gave up on it, who really wants to read about Pete Doherty? My sister added this week that Plan B had a nice smell to it and that the NME had the aroma of period...nice.

Plan B magazine was the biscuit selection box of magazines in the music publishing world, showcasing black and white, male and female, dark and light and it will be sadly missed.

'Two for Joy'

New zine to accompany embroideries for Hibbleton Gallery show. I have made up a few so message me if you'd like one - £1.50. 

finished!

Wear polkas at midnight for prosperity and there is a Russian superstition, never give the gift of a purse without money in. 

I've nearly finished my work for LA, seven embroideries (the main bit - 'the' bit you could even say) - literally need to finish off the edges. And then put together the zine.

Anyways - I'm a bit depressed - almost like I've caught it in a flu like way (gladly, I haven't contracted swine flu as I convinced myself two weeks ago). I watched 'Sparkhouse' last night and this morning, a modern take on Wuthering Heights from 2002, the female Carol takes on the Heathcliff role. It was difficult to watch in some bits, and the dread slowing grows on you as events unfold. Really good though, romantic and tragic. It has put me in a thoughtful mood...

Amsterdam

So, I went to Amsterdam, and now I'm back. Highlights included seeing a complete psycho in his aqua-blue rickshaw with a huge framed mirror as a back window blasting Lionel Ritchie's 'All Night Long' as he shouted abuse at someone and a canal boat driver who looked like Elvis and had a Elvis with a mike on the dashboard of his boat. Amsterdam is very beautiful - but most things close to Central Station are a bit grotty and touristy. I think the last day there was the best day overall, explored some less obvious places to go, such as the flea market at Waterlooplein, visited Cafe t'Smalle, a little tapas place and Studio 80's psytrance night.

I did feel like the walls were closing in, so if you want to sample the delights of certain menus, I'd advised not doing so on the first day of your trip, four hours after landing, no sleep for over 24 hours because you will indefinitely freak out and have a panic attack like I did (managed to keep it quiet).

Back to work I suppose, almost done the embroideries, finished one of the last ones today. Need to find a wristwatch that is broken and get the watch bit. 

London Zine Symposium

The London Zine Symposium took place yesterday at The Rag Factory close to Brick Lane. I got there about 4pm and it was crazy, zinesters looking about. It was a traumatic start, with what I thought was a small child trying to get under my skirt. Instead it was a dog. Still quite bad - imagine if the dog had bit me?!

Anyways - lots of good things - and a vast improvement on the Alternative Press fair. The lovely ladies from Shebang and Lazy Soosan were there, as well the usual suspects. Also picked up a patch from Lizz Lunney's stall. I don't know if it is because I am more aware of it, but it seems like the D.I.Y culture of self-made press is flourishing at the moment, there's a lot of good quality zines, produced by girls and boys alike. I picked up a great zine from the active distribution stall - the one at the top, of revolutionary women stencils - which I love, profiling women who fought for social justice.

There was also a zine called 'Woody' I really wanted - if anyone out there who knows where I can get it, let me know (I didn't really have any money on me...). It was about meeting Woody Allen.

Off to Amsterdam on Wednesday morning bright and early. I'd advise anyone in a creative slump to embark on a relationship which gives you pain for years, as it really pushes you to do things! 

The Messengers

I saw Annette Messager's exhibition at the Southbank last week - 'The Messengers' and I've been thinking about it over the past few days. I love the fact her work is feminine and clearly shown to be made by a woman - she herself has state that why should a female artist produce artwork like a man to be taken seriously? The stand out pieces for me where the installation 'Casino', which can be shown above, rippling red fabric and glowing optical light and dark hovering creatures, 'Stories of Dresses', framed dresses, photos and objects, halfway between a museum display cabinet and Snow White's glass coffin and the voyeurism encouraging 'The Secret Room'. 

Probably one of the best exhibitions I've seen. 

The week my hard drive crashed...

Stitch 'em up

Horseshoes and Magpies.

Emmeline Pankhurst

It seems appropriate, especially for the upcoming week that I've been working on creating three pieces for a zine that relate to the idea of 'sabotage', more so in the political sense, of either challenging outdated values, or even the government itself. Sometimes the package something comes in doesn't matter (so me embroidery which doubles up as huge jewellery pieces) as long as it gets the point across.

On the basis that seeing two is for joy, and one is for sorrow - another illustration in preparation for the LA show. I'm one of those people who lives in limbo when it comes to superstitions, I read them and laugh and then find myself slowing becoming increasingly on the verge of obsessive compulsive as I carry them out. I don't have a problems with ladders or cracks on the ground or spilling salt. However, the sight of a magpie has caused me on occasion on the morning train to work to announce 'MORNING MR MAGPIE!' and salut the winged sign of doom. This often dilutes itself to a simple salut. The magpies don't lie, either that or I am naturally unlucky, naturally in my love life. 

I am thinking that my trip to the West Coast might be a solo one. I'm starting to plan it and try to see if I actually know anyone there. This little planning session made me realise I know no one there...

My confusion and general slowness (I blame it on the waning moon) has lead me to strange tasks at work - including a 60 page presspack several times as I eventually noticed mistakes once they were saved. 

I want to see the Annette Messager exhibition...

I need to do some embroidery. 

tings

This is one of a series of illustrations I've done for my work for the exhibition in LA we are putting together. Seeing as in hard times, people tend to hark back to better times, I've lifted inspiration for money superstitions. This particular one alludes to one claiming that a frothy tea indicates riches - the more bubbles, the more pennies. I've put the tea and vintage porcelain loving Chloe in this one. 

On the subject of hot beverages, I was thinking about a month ago how I have interned and worked at quite a few places and never been asked to make a cup of tea or coffee. You hear or read about internships, stories of being the dogbody, days of tea making and photocopying. I have made tea of course, offering than being asked.

It would be likely one day I would be asked. Unfortunately that day came, when I was asked to make a coffee for a YBA. This was fine until I went into the kitchen and looked, blank faced at the cafetiere. Shit. How the fuck does this work? I ended up trying to make a coffee from what was in there and considered heating in the microwave. I decided this was an extremely stupid idea, and ended up asking two people how the coffee maker worked (one being a senior member of staff). After the coffee was made, I walked down two...possibly three flights of stairs shaking and therefore the coffee spilled over the edges, colouring the white saucer and cup. I then handed it over.