Having been really inspired by Polly Binn’s exhibit, (and deciding some seascapes and close-ups were my next project when I have finished the Reedy Loch) I stumbled (just a few doors up – not even before the Roald Dahl museum, which is only 100 yds from One Church Street in Great Missenden) upon the fabulous Rainbow Silks.
Having been thinking about making coastal pictures – and having been on their site to look at colour charts to order Oliver Twist’s materials (because they don’t have one of their own) – I was thrilled to find this shop. I hadn’t even realised it was here and hadn’t joined up the places (there really weren’t even that many places open yesterday as Great Missenden is really small). But nevertheless, this place was my kind of place. Crammed full of stuff. Fit to bursting in places, hard to turn round in and every corner has something interesting to a textiles artist!
I concentrated on the felting/silk fibre and hand dyed thread area. Bought some excellent ‘pebbles’ that will be perfect for the sea-foam, and some knitting yarn remnants that I should be able to felt into the fabric – these will be good to add structure and shading as they are variegated yarn.
I also thought that producing knitted cables would be a good wave texture – and can be something I can bring into my work to create other layers and textures.
On the way home I passed Grafham Water. This is only 6 miles away – but I’ve never been there (I’ve only lived her 10 months…) but thought it would be a good opportunity. Since today had been such a good day, good exhibit, good cake in Cafe Twit in the Roald Dahl museum, and good materials shopping (but that’s all costing so much!) I decided just to see what it was like there. Yesterday was a poor weather day – so it was freezing and I had pretty much forgotten what the wind was like here. There’s nothing between Siberia/cold countries and us, so nothing warms up or stops the air before it gets to us. However, once the weather gets good and the gorgeous blue skies come out, this should be a fantastic source of inspiration. Or on moody days too. It only takes about 15 mins to get there, so not an all or nothing type of location either. There’s even some creamy sort of mud that has a sand-like quality to it too! with some interesting cracking.
Anyway. Here are some interesting pics I took. Some of them I will definitely come back to. The colours and ripples have a real affinity with some of Polly’s work and I would like to give them a go.
Amelia Wilson Art 