Silk Tangles -Textile Narratives: A new space

I have been in my new studio and gallery space for nearly two years now. So technically it is not really "new" anymore.

However I am still learning how to use the spaces and, not surprisingly, still setting up equipment and unpacking long stored stashes.

It has been a slow period of reassessing my practice - what has been urgent for me to get up and going?, what has dragged on a bit?, what do I walk around all the time and not really"see"? In many ways the arrival into this space has marked the start of a new stage in my practice of 45+years. Is it the start of moving to an old age practice? It does certainly involve letting go of things that might have excited me in a younger body with a sharper set of eyes and more nimble fingers. I am struggling through this process of letting my expectations embrace the realities of my physical existence. Alongside that change is the reality that different things capture my mind now and excite my creative juices. How lucky I am to be experiencing this revitalisation. It is true that something dies to enable new growth and this has been the process in my setting up of my new studio space.

There is now just the final letting go to happen, perhaps not just yet but gradually and soon.

What will emerge once the letting go is done?

That is the great unknown that makes it worthwhile entering the making space every time.

I am working for the annual Taranaki Arts Trail coming up at the end of the month. The workbenches are covered with botanically dyed elements for bookmaking. I have been busy dying across the winter months when the woodfire could provide a free heat so there are many new pieces of delightful goodness to work with.

The looms are threaded (nearly) or will be in time for the Arts Trail. I am on a roll to finish the many partial projects I have scattered amongst the chaos, so I can create order for studio visitors. I am trying not to panic too intensely when that task seems overwhelming. Just do one thing at a time, complete it, label it, have it totally ready for the busy time that is coming along.

The interruption of Covid lockdowns has very mixed impacts on how I feel about spending time in the studio. But I am grateful and consider myself very lucky that my work place is not inaccessible by lockdowns. That would be very hard to handle.