I have been working on ways to make my stitched images more expressive. This has involved a lot of exploratory collage and painting and then sampling in fabric and stitch. These pieces have now all been stretched and set into box frames by Reid Framing. It is exciting and challenging to be pushing my work in this way – I am constantly trying to find ways to make bolder stitched marks with my trusty Bernina sewing machine and I have recently discovered the Madeira Burmilana range of threads at Barnyarns. These wool threads are fantastic to stitch with – once you have added a top stitching needle to your machine!
If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed I’ve just been to Arran. This is where the inspiration for Yellow Port, above, came from. I did lots of walking and some sketching whilst I was there and so new ideas are bubbling up in my sketchbooks. It was wonderful to focus on the dark lichen encrusted rocks around Kildonan and also to spot all the shades of yellow in wild flowers – from bold gorse to delicate primrose via daffodils and celandines.
However, I’m knee deep in experiments with red campion and bluebells at the minute, so these ideas will have to hold on for a little bit longer!
If you are interested in doing a workshop with me, I have some more coming up at the Biscuit Factory Gallery, here in Newcastle and if you are a Friend of the Hatton Gallery – then watch this space!
Bellingham, Northumberland. Changeable weather, windy and showers, 6C
Walking up the sheltered river valley to the waterfall on a damp Wednesday morning. The old, moss enrobed trees were a joy after driving to Bellingham over exposed moorland.
Such vivid shades of green and yellow.
The river was running high after heavy rainfalls, rushing down the valley maiden with peat. The water looked like liquid amber. Lots of foam and froth too.
The path crosses back and forth over the river six times, on wooden bridges. A good walk on a wet day as most of the route is paved with fossil flecked stones. Bare earth sections were squelchy with rotting leaves and mud.
Birds were singing all around but kept out of sight. The white rump of a deer, startled by a barking dog, flashed passed at the top of the valley. The trees were mostly leafless, some starting with buds already, though.
At the fall, plants dangled and water dripped from the clifftops. Rocks were scarred and slick with water. Misty droplets added to light rainfall. Everything under the thrall of the gushing water. The noise was awesome, water tumbling foaming and spilling over dark, shining stone. Carving and curving a way through the cliff into the valley. The constant motion of the water contrasting with the stoic, unmoving rock. Trees growing, impossibly from some of the rocks, their trunks curving out to the centre of the valley, and the best light.
On the return journey, coin encrusted fallen trees glint as sunlight breaks through into the valley.
Back in Bellingham, to have warming soup at “Tea on The Train” with the usual thought of how wonderful it would be if the train still ran to Bellingham!
A late winter walk taking in the low tide around St Mary’s Lighthouse. Winter isn’t all about snow and frost. Sometimes it’s damp rock and darkened seaweed. The textures of different substances caught my eye.
Water reflecting the low light levels, seaweed glistening in shades of green and pewter. An old wooden support, roughened and worn by endless tides. The knots and holes in it make it seem totemic; of endurance, of the sea’s power, indefatigable.
The columns stretch across the rock pools, solemn groups giving me a feeling unease, as if they are figures newly disembarked from stressful and dangerous voyages.
January 10th 2023 – A2 sketch using Sennelier pastel, graphite, Stabilo ‘Woodies’ and water colours. Think I will use the details to stitch more Journey Mapping pieces.
One of those walks where I carried my sketchbook but didn’t actually do any drawing. We were walking with friends so I’ll use that as my excuse!
The textures of driftwood and petrified tree trunks caught my eye, as did this stone doing a very good impression of a jawbone. I did pick up some scraps of plastic that will make good mark making tools and some old netting that I think might work its way into a collage next week.
We walked about 6 miles in total, along the coast from Huxley to Amble and back along the dunes. So many birds – listening to the curlews was wonderful – and there were seven herons perched on the shore at the nature reserve, looking like wise elders in their black grey and white feathered robes.
I’ve been reading Raynor Winn‘s Landlines this week, so once again I’m itching to get my boots on and walk miles, although maybe not accompanied by the midges and horseflies that she encounters on her route. I find that after about three thousand steps my mind seems to become calm and ideas for work start to flow, so as the mornings get lighter I hope to get back into the habit of starting the day with walking and drawing.
Do you find that certain pllaces make your heart sing? I had that sensation this morning when I found a beautiful wildflower meadow. It wasn’t lost! I’d just never heard of it before. In the UK the Wildlife Trust is holding a *30DaysWild event this June. I’ve been taking part – feeding my love of nature again ! I was so enjoying it that I’ve joined my local Wildlife Trust and now I have information about the location of lots of pockets of nature close to where I live, in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
This morning I cycled to Cross Lane Meadow in Gateshead, a beautiful wildflower meadow situated just above the A1! Talk about incongruous, look one way and its all clover, grasses and yellow rattle, look the other and its juggernauts and the Metro Centre, Geordieland’s indoor consumer playpark..!
Durham Wildlife Trust
I felt so happy, even on a cloudy day strolling through the waist high meadow on narrow paths cut through the swathes. I’ve been doing a lot of small wildflower pieces lately but have found myself getting bogged down in intricate detail. Too much fiddly detail when I am trying to make my work more expressive. Walking through this meadow made me want to come back to my workroom, get my paints out, and work on larger and looser wildflower compositions. Something else on my to do list!
In the meantime I need to get on and finish the piece I’m currently working on – again a beautiful landscape in a quite urban area – just along from Weetslade Country Park – a reclaimed colliery site between the A1 and the A19. There is a beautiful purple field – I cycled there too (But not this morning – phew!) The crop is phacelia, related to borage, a natural nitrogen holder and weed supressant that is also good for pollinators.
Phacelia field, near Weetslade Country Park.
All of my new large pieces are coming with me to Art in the Pen in August, along with some small works, giclées and cards. Prepping with this along with showing at The Biscuit Factory and Just Canny is keeping me very busy! I’m only just managing to get out on my bike in search of these landscapes that make the heart sing!
Here are some details of work that I will be showing there…
A detail of ‘Vagabond Plants’
This large hooped piece is all about my joy in seeing wild flowers across the city where I live.
Urban Efflorescence V
The work I am showing is all inspired by wild flowers in the landscape. There will be original framed pieces, giclee prints and greetings cards.
I will be running workshops this year on the theme of wild flowers – the first in June at Land of Oak and Iron in Gateshead, the second (so far!) in Gallery 45 in Felton, Northumberland so if you want to join in with this wildflower mania of mine (!) come along to a workshop or, now we can travel a bit more, how about a trip to Harlow Carr – I hear there’s a lovely cafe!
The Garden Fence Gallery has been on tour to Byker! I’ve been working with families living in the famous ‘Byker Wall’ helping them create their own garden fence art. This was part of the Pocket Full of Sunshine project run by Byker Children and Young People Partnership, supported by the Community Lottery Fund.
Alongside the Garden Fence Gallery, participatory artist Betty Hill helped residents create ‘Windows of Wow’ with collages of spirit animals so between us, I think we brought a lot of colour and fun to Byker!
PFoS Flyer with details of all events
First task was to source some plywood – got some great offcuts from a company that line out vans and lorries – they even cut them to fit in my little car! I was also donated a great piece of MDF (thanks Jane next door:)) and the talented team at Northern Stage cut that into heart and easter egg shapes. My associate artist, David then did a grand job of whitewashing everything read for painting on.
I wanted families to work BIG and use acrylic paints but not everyone is familiar with that , so to start off all participants were given a heart, some drawing paper and an acrylic painting kit. The were asked to draw something they love on the heart and then to paint it in bright colours – something to eat, a favourite place, favourite hobby…anything.
This was one of mine – kept by a resident after the project to give to his mum!
Lots to love here!
More ideas on things to love
A friendly cat
colour and fun!
The idea being that they would get comfortable with using the paints before tackling something a bit bigger! The next task was to draw an animal onto the paper provided – this could be a ‘Spirit’ animal – one with the characteristics the participant has or wants to have. Or it could be a favourite animal – real or imaginary- anything from the family pet to a Unicorn!
I took the drawings to my temporary workshop at the Youth Centre in Byker and scaled them up on to the plywood. Initially this was done, old school – gridding up and scaling up the grids – took….for…..ever!
Then my lovely fellow artist Betty lent me a proper old school OHP so I could just transfer the drawings to acetate (actually cut up old poly pockets!) and then project them onto the plywood…so much quicker! (Will have to find one for my toolkit)
I worked with quite a few children who enjoy the activities at Kids Kabin – thanks to Angela for introducing me to them and letting me use the Hobby Room as a pick up and drop off location! The animals started to appear – first was this gorgeous panda
Closely followed by these cats, painted by two sisters – I love the bright bold colours they’ve used
Next thing I knew it was nearly Easter and I was asked to help with an Easter Egg trail for residents at the South end of the estate. I designed some egg ideas to get them started and painted a couple of images, then the residents were given MDF eggs, paints and brushes so they could paint their own eggs. Here’s some of the eggs on the trail – beautiful, bright and bonny!
During the Easter Holidays, lunches and activities were offered to families from the conmmunity building on Gordon Road, to make the street look jolly, we asked people to exhibit their artworks along the street – having got permission from residents to use their garden fences and bin stores as the gallery space – everyone agreed and it made the street look very bright and cheerful – despite the cold weather.
At the end of the holidays, the paintings were taken down and returned to the people who had made them – although the Highland cow and teapot heart that I painted got ‘adopted’ by Gordon Rd residents – so I guess they liked them!
We worked with dozens of families across the Byker Wall and heard from other residents how much they enjoyed seeing the art as they went about the streets of Byker. Now the project is complete, the art materials are packed away, but hopefully we can be back in Byker soon to help residents build on their creativite skills.
Bringing art to patients and hospitals for 20 years….
For just over 5 years, as part of my work as a freelance artist, I have been taking art and craft activities to cancer patients and their families in local hospitals. I was the newby, the project itself has been running for 20 years. Covid 19 put a stop to our work in hospitals in 2020 and though we tried hard as a team of trustees, counsellors and artists, it has proved impossible to develop suitable methods to meet our objective of providing emotional support through creativity. So I thought I would share the highlights of the time I have spent working for this amazing project. Firstly, I’ll look at some of the bigger projects I have worked on for Room for You and then I’ll write about some of the ‘Take Home’ projects I delivered with patients and their families.
Installing the Triptych
Sketchbook Cover for St Bede’s
At St Bede’s Palliative Care Unit, I often made large scale pieces for display around the building, encouraging those who were able to help with the design and construction of the art work. Often this meant working with family members as patients were so very poorly, or sometimes staff would have the opportunity to add some colour or stitch to pieces. The triptych shown here expresses the philosophy of care for the unit and also includes a quote from the founder of the hospice movement, Dame Cicely Saunders. I took my CAD machine in to the unit and this meant that people could choose the colour, press a button and stitch a word.
This project led onto my designing a cover for the little books we gave to patients to record their ‘Thoughts and Feelings’ the textile design was scanned and then printed as postcards which were stuck onto the cover of the notebooks.
My next piece was a special donations box, embroidered with flowers.
The flower theme continued in four panels made for the Quiet Room, in the unit, where patients, family or staff could sit and gather their thoughts.
To make these pieces, I asked participants to silk paint some of the flowers, birds and insects and these were then collaged on to the panels. Most of the flora and fauna are symbolic, or have links to the treatment of cancer patients.
The four panels
Looking in to the Quiet Room
The staff at the hospice worked really hard to fundraise for special furniture in this room to make it a calm and nurturing space for those going through grief and heart ache.
It was enlightening to work in the Palliative Care Unit. The staff were simply amazing; calm, caring and positive although they too sometimes needed to use the Quiet Room. The patients and their families were in such a desperate part of their lives but the care they received helped them to manage this time. I hope that the art work we did there gave them comfort, solice and strength. I know there was conversation, story telling and laughter amongst the paints and projects. I hope the pieces we made together will continue to bring colour, calm and conversation to the unit.
Wise Birds Wise Words 2016
Wise birds Wise Words 2016
Meanwhile, over in the chemotherapy ward in Newcastle, there were different challenges to work with -patients fixed up to chemo machines that would bleep and fetch nurses running if arms moved too much, work spaces limited as staff obviously needed to get to patients, some people being treated in beds. All sorts of physical and practical limitations to consider.
I did notice that patients and carers would sometimes bring their own knitting or crochet with them and that led to he Wise Birds Wise Words project. Room for You provided patterns and materials for knitting or crocheting little owls…once completed these wise birds carried messenger bags with words written by patients, carers and staff to encourage those going through cancer treatment. The birds were perched on papier mache branches and could be seen through the window by those in the treatment bays. Lots of people got involved, if they were not able to make an owl, they could write a message to include in the little bags.When the time came to take the display down, the owls took flight and settled on the noticeboard by the Nurses Station, so I think they were appreciated!
In Sunderland, we worked with patients having treatment for cancer and other life limiting illnesses, bringing along projects for participants to take away and also projects to decorate the treatment spaces. This silk painted pond was inspired by the Winter Garden in Sunderland. We took the silk frame and paints to patients so that they could add colour to the piece. Silk painting was a good medium to use, no large arm movements necessary and we could either leave the patient to work quietly or sit and work alongside them, chatting as we painted.
Outlining the design to trace through onto silk
A patient helping to paint the pond
A smaller panel , inspired by the Winter Gardens
Needlefelting was another good technique to use, again, a small work station could be set up on a lap tray and the repetitive action of stabbing the fibres could be relaxing, or stress relieving! The local Souter light house was recreated in needlefelt and framed to go on the wall in one of the treatment bays. The act of needle felting – stabbing the fibres into the backing fabric – helps release tension and is an easy technique to learn; just keep that needle nice and straight and keep an eye on your fingers to avoid unprescribed acupuncture!
Lots of projects were created for the Radiotherapy Unit at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care. Here we worked in the waiting area, with patients and their families, providing a creative activity and a listening ear for people undergoing radiotherapy treatments. The nature of the treatment means that patients attend regularly for several weeks, so often people would be able to help create larger installations. The waiting area has large glass windows looking over an enclosed courtyard. The perfect spot to display silk paintings as the natural light would shine through them and enhance the colours.
One of the biggest projects was to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War in 2018. I designed and prepared a silk panel featuring the dates and a soldier in a trench. Each Wednesday afternoon I would set out the panel and ask people to help paint in the colours. To complete the installation I asked people to make red poppies to surround the panel. Initially I left a simple knitting pattern, yarns and needles. This project really touched a chord with people – lots balls of red yarn were donated and each Wednesday we would arrive to find bags of completed poppies that people had made either on the journey to the hospital or on days when we were not in. My one pattern grew and eventual there were a dozen different styles of poppies. All of them were stitched on to black netting and the silk panel was added to the centre of the piece. The hardest job was actually hanging it all – it was very heavy but luckily the radiotherapy engineers had some very strong velcro tape, and tall step ladders, that we used to fix up the display.
Annual events such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter also provided inspiration for the windows. Using simple craft techniques such as pompom making opened up conversations as people remembered their childhood pasttimes. New style pompom makers made the task much simpler and quicker than in the days of using cardboard milk bottle tops.
Starting a Proggy Valentine Heart
More pompoms to make a love heart
Leaving string art heart kits for patients to make on days we weren’t in
As people would often donate yarn to the project we would find creative ways to use it and put across our message that being creative and sharing your thoughts can help. I made bobbins for knitting – similar to ‘Knitting Nancy’ or ‘French Knitting’ kits using cardboard tubes and hairgrips. Patients began to knit long strings in different colours and talked bout what we used to use this knitting for – stiching into rounds to make coasters and mats, very long scarves for fashion dolls, book marks for grandparents…We decided to make them in to words! So we asked people in the waiting room to think of words or sentences to encourage people as the went through their treatment programme. My long suffering counselling colleague became adept at threading wire through the knitting and then we shaped the words and phrases before hanging them in the window spaces.
Another project seems to have pre- empted the NHS rainbows that have appeared all over the country to show the nation’s support for the huge effort put in by all the doctors, nurses and support staff during the current pandemic. We made a silk painted rainbow, emerging from pompom clouds, with needle fleted rainbow raindrops, and stitched with messages of hope and thanks from patients and their families.
Make a pompom for our clouds!
Needlefelted raindrops
Another creative process that always brought patients together to talk, take part and reminisce was proggy or hooky rug making. One of the first methods used by Room for You artists and one that I was familiar with through my work in primary schools. The craft is traditional in the North East, patients would tell us of childhood when they had to cut strips from old woollen clothes for their families to hook into rugs. The cycle of use took new rugs to be (very heavy) bed covers, then to use on the floor and, when too dirty to have in the house, they would line the leek trench on the allotment with them – ultimate recycling!
The radiotherapy waiting area has several large metal columns along the corridor. Initially these were ‘yarn bombed’ but I thought that there was scope for an ongoing project to cover them with proggy rug panels. Using old wooden picture frames as the support, I stretched hessian and drew on designs. We would start the panels in our Wednesday afternoon sessions and then leave them out for patients to continue throughout the week.
For one panel, I drew the 20th century artist, Frida Kahlo. She suffered terrible health problems in her life but continued to find release through her art, so I thought she would be a good role model for the radiotherapy patients. We made several of these proggy panels and then I stitched them together around the columns.
The final large scale project I undertook was for the Palliative Care Unit. As they remodelled their entrance, I was asked to make a panel to cover a window space into the office. We decided to use quotes from Dame Cicely Saunders and involved the patients by asking them to add colour to butterflies and flowers. This meant that it was easy for people to work on the art project whilst sitlling in their beds.
I will miss having this opportunity to share my creativity and to encourage others to use theirs. I hope that some of the projects we have done will continue to make people smile and that the skills and ideas we have passed on might have helped people fill the hours of lockdown with a little bit of positivity.
Recently, I got a glimpse of the sea, it’s been a while and I miss it so. Just to take a moment to stare at the water and be under the endless sky. That sense of space and clarity.
The water was so calm, barely a ripple and after days below freezing, 6 degrees felt almost mild.
Just being by the water gives me such a sense of calm. I can feel myself quieten and that’s when my creative thoughts have time to bubble up to the surface.
Waterfall, Jesmond Dene
Mostly, as the lockdown continues, I walk in local parks. Jesmond Dene is a long steep sided valley formed originally by glaciers and erosion, then sculpted and styled by Lord Armstrong in the 19th century to become a landscaped park. He gave the park to the city of Newcastle in 1884. The waterfall pictured above is one of Lord Armstrong’s more dramatic alterations to the natural flow of the Ouseburn. The Ouseburn flows from near Ponteland into the Tyne and one day soon I am going to walk the whole of it from the source to the point where it joins the Tyne. For now, I can walk for several miles, in and around the Dene. This green space is often busy, as it is right in the city, but walk a mile or so upstream and it becomes quieter and a little bit wilder.
I think it takes me about 4000 steps to shake my head clear of thoughts and stresses, then I become more aware of the landscape, the trees, the bird song.
The Calligraphy Tree
This is one of my favourite trees, an old yew, close to one of the many footbridges that cross the river. I love the way that it circles and twists around, as if it is corkscrewing out of the ground. And here, slicked with rain, it shines and glistens darkly against the vibrant evergreen leaves. I am going to do some drawings with ink and large brushes to explore that tone and form.
Timber and Rock
The wood and rocks hint at past industry in the Dene; before it became a pleasure park there were farms, mills and quarries. The shapes and textures will make good studies. I think I will expand my Journey Mapping series to include work based on these small but precious journeys through this local environment. Even these short explorations, though, have brought me to places that I haven’t discovered before and offer joyous glimpses of herons, owls and like a rare jewel, the kingfisher. There are otters and even deer here too, though I think I may have to walk further and at the quietest times to find them.
Calmed, refreshed and energised, I head back to my work space ready to push these images out onto paper and cloth.
There are now three permanent home workers in this household, the girls are doing lessons from home and I’m still stitching away as long as the light permits. Sometimes my very civil partner joins us – when he’s not on the rota to teach keyworker kids in his school. It’s busy, its different, but we’re making a new routine. It’s nice to have company at lunchtime! Although our post lunch walk included me piggybacking those with unsuitable footwear over the muddy bits – not easy with teenagers!!
I’m continuing with my Journey Mapping series of small pieces, it’s nice to see them selling well in my Folksy shop. I’m moving towards more water inspired pieces now. The current one is called Rip Tide. These photographs show it’s development, as I add in each layer of fabric and stitch. The part of Arran that I know best looks over to the small island of Pladda, between these two points the tide can be quite treacherous, hiding reefs under the waves that can catch sailors unawares. It does make the sea look very dynamic and that’s what I was trying to show in this piece.
It seems easier to stitch sideways with my machine rather than forward and back to create these stitch lines, good job my machine is a tough and sturdy one!
Journey Mapping – Rip Tide Donna Cheshire 2021
It’s time to do some more drawing sampling now, ready to start on the next series of these pieces. Then I will start to stitch some larger work, hopefully sometime soon we will be able to get out to galleries and exhibit work again and I intend to have a big series of these pieces ready to go.
Donna Cheshire Textiles 