Hand Out/Handout

Hand Out / Handout

I had a lot of fun playing around with the phrase. Not being able to choose any single meaning since I just couldn't make any of them turn into pictures in my head, I resorted to messing around with words instead. 

For the background I chose one of "failed" dyed pieces. It had been put aside for overprinting. Here it represents the sometimes conflicting meanings of the word/phrase Hand out / Handout. Some have meanings which arouse strong feelings in some people - hence the bright colours. I searched for meanings in my dictionary and Thesaurus, jumbling these all together in to a sequence of words which are repeated as part of the background. The calligraphy was achieved by writing directly onto the background fabric using permanent markers. Over the top is the outline of my left hand printed onto silk, again with repeated words. The whole piece has been free-machine quilted using hand outlines in variegated thread.

Townscape - Ghost buildings.

Ghost buildings

During a tidying session in my workroom, I came across some photos I had taken during the winter of 1974/5 as part of an art project for my final year at Teacher Training College. Ooh dear, that last statement really dates me, doesn't it. I am one of the last to have gained a Teacher's Certificate rather than a degree....................

Ah well, back to the plot. At the time the centre of Macclesfield, Cheshire was being redeveloped. Walking around, I took several photos of buildings which were soon to be flattened. This little collection of shops used to stand in Derby Street, now long gone, lying underneath Churchill Way, which was built to ease the traffic in the town centre.

I like to think of these as Ghost buildings, memories of what once was the townscape. As in all things, there has to be change.

My own dyed fabric, with photos printed on cotton, free machine quilting. The brick images have also been printed onto cotton. These were part of a series of paintings produced at the same time.
I really ought to apologise for being so very late with this piece. Sorry about that.