I have just installed some work in a joint show in a gallery in Aberteifi (Cardigan). The work is based on the Immortelles and the dried flowers. I picked daisies in the grave yards where I had photographed the porcelain flowers. Having pressed the daisies and some other flowers I put them into small books which were made of tea stained paper from vintage duplicate note books, which has a lovely fine quality, but is quite strong. I covered them in the end papers from old broken books.
For this book I used the cover of an old book with lovely gold detail around the inside edge.
The circles which I stitched into the books, some gold, some plain, represent the glass domes. In some of the books I glued circles of tissue paper over the flowers, partly obscuring but preserving them.
Inspite of the original subject matter I did not want the work to feel morbid as they are small saleable items for an August bank holiday exhibition.
I am enjoying working with this theme and a lot more ideas are coming.
There are some lovely pieces of work in the gallery showcasing a wide variety of skills, materials and techniques. It includes textiles, ceramics, furniture and mixed media etc. Well worth a visit.
