Watching and waiting in blue

Firstly I will say that my blog is as always a place where I show my weekly arty meanderings, I don't get personal or political. However in the real world I am hugely passionate about politics and  how they affect each and every one of our lives.
 Within the U.K the past week has been tumultuous, turbulent and tempestuous. I was saved from  losing all sense of sensibilities by an email via facebook from a lovely lady in Australia who had seen my collage watching and waiting last year at Skyeworks Gallery when she was on holiday on the island. The original watching and waiting sold but she wondered if I could make something similar.

watching and waiting

    So, as a wonderful diversion from watching our political representatives become similar to rats fighting in a sack I set to work making a new watching and waiting in blue.

            
Started making lots of layers of paper and paint on a 10inch x 10 inch wood panel.

and ...... Mr hare is finished !!

 
Now on route to his new home. I'm sure the climate will suit him better in Australia, Its a bit stormy in the U.K at present!!

Hoping the next few weeks bring some sort of calm collective perspective.
                 

Moonlight croft

 Moonlight croft was inspired by a late August evening last year, The photos I took then create even now such strong memories of the scent of meadowsweet heady in the still warm air. There were not many still warm evenings last summer but this was one of them. Perhaps because of the very wet weather last summer there were an abundance of wild flowers.

I like digitally messing around with my photos to give me ideas around colour and composition and this is exactly how moonlight croft began.

Other new bits and pieces are on the go this week. More little croft houses stretched on wood panels. Made from sewn paper.

And other smaller pieces... mini crofts!!
Perhaps wee homes for fairies!

Other news, I have finally float framed my Buttercup hare, It was In the gallery for a wee while but I thought It really needed a frame, so I sent it to the framers and.... Ta dah!

Much better!

Spring croft houses

spring croft

More pieces from my pieces of Skye exhibition. I was emailed this week by a lovely lady called Jen who came to visit me during my open studio day . Last summer her niece visited the Island on holiday and saw my work in one of the islands Galleries, my work is available Skyeworks gallery, The old pier gallery and the Glenview gallery, she pondered over it but didn't buy anything, got home and wished she had bought a piece. So when she heard her Aunt was holidaying on the Island told her to try and find a piece of mine to take back to her. The pieces in the gallery were all new and Jen did not know what to choose, but in the end she chose this framed piece 'croft in spring'. It is made from paper sewn onto a calico backing, little houses played a big part in my pieces of Skye exhibition. Well it seems her niece is delighted, and I am thrilled she has a little piece of Skye to remind her of her holiday.

my textile pieces in skyeworks

little croft houses fill the mirrored shelves

This piece is a combination of sewn paper and acrylic paint

 The houses in the north west highlands have a distinctive feel to them. They seem to nestle down into the hillside, their walls sparkling white, I never tire of painting them or photographing them.

little house at Elgol

As a PS I have finally succumbed to pressure ( Being a staunch Luddite and technophobe) and am now on Facebook as Morag Archer Mixed Media... feel free to drop by, the link is at the top of my side bar. I doubt I will be the most prolific social media devote but I will aim to try harder. :) 

windswept sails

windswept sails. mixed media on canvas

I am very pleased Skyeworks have continued my Pieces of Skye exhibition for an extra week until the 11th of June!

I have received such wonderful comments.

So happy and touched that my artwork connects with so many people, even those who live many miles away. 

One of the recurring questions people ask me is where do I get my Inspiration.

That to me is the easy part!

It's all around!

I take lots of photos, but not to copy, more as a sensory reference. They act to re-jig my memory so I remember the colours, smells and atmosphere of a moment. sketchbooks scrapbooks too act as memory banks for ideas. Summer is a wonderful time to be out with my camera, and that is exactly what I have been doing. The weather has been glorious!

I went on a wee trip to Elgol. at the south end of the Island of Skye. From Elgol you can take boat expeditions to many of the smaller outlying Islands.

Set off on an adventure to the Islands of Canna and Rum and Sanday

The Island of canna has huge populations of seabirds, puffins have little burrows in the cliffs.

Every ledge a resting or nesting point.

Canna has a tiny population of around 10. ( It also has a sweet little tearoom) ;)

It also has a lovely little church.

Time to continue the journey to the island of Rum. On the way we passed an eerie shipwreck, apparently too expensive to salvage.

As well as seals Rum has a large population of red deer in Kilmory bay who seemed to enjoy sunbathing on the beach! So wonderful to see.

Then homeward bound to Skye, A lovely view across the sea to the black Cuillin mountains.

When the weather is kind, there can be fewer more beautiful places to be.

A summer evening, pieces of skye

 At last I can begin to show you my new collage paintings made for my pieces of Skye Exhibition in Skyeworks Gallery on the Isle of Skye which opened last week
.It has been so difficult keeping what I have been up to, Feedback be it good or bad is a great barometer, When you spend hours with a piece of work you often fail to be objective about it, Often I need someone to say " that bit's wrong, or that bit is great!" However I made the decision to keep everything under wraps until the opening day,

This piece uses  the colours of a highland dusky evening and is one of a pair I made using these deep blues and golden green tones.

I took some photos last August on a beautiful evening and I loved the way the deep blue hues combined with the whispy white meadowsweet. The air was heady with the scent of wild flowers. I wanted to capture that moment of a still summer evening.
I know many of you like to see my process so here is a little WIP interlude. You can see the paper layers and texture being built up in the sky with moulding paste.

Then paint is splattered over the texture with a trusty old toothbrush!

My other evening piece is ...

As you can see the inspiration from the meadowsweet and evening blue hues is more obvious here.

Unusually this piece is collaged onto a wood cradle, I covered the sides too, wrapping round the paper fragments, time consuming but I think it gives a better effect.

Pieces of skye exhibition.

A very quick blog post to show you a little of what's been going on for the past few days at skyeworks gallery on the isle of skye. My new exhibition opened on Monday the 23rd of May and runs for a couple of weeks. I'll show some of the new pieces in detail over the next few weeks but for the moment here are a few photos taken on opening night. I've already made quite a few sales and am so pleased seeing my work all together and displayed so well. Big thank you to Liza and all who attended opening night. I recieved such lovely comments...klimtesque I heard one person day!!! Praise indeed! !

Paperclay croft mosaic

sewn collage pieces

sewn croft cottage

sewn collage