"Brilliant" she said. Apparently, I had done an amazing job with Curious Narratives, at the RWA, Bristol, in collaboration with the first class team of staff, a seven day, working in situ, residency/exhibition,(extended to eight due to public demand).
The opportunity for a solo show in a city art academy was inspired by trialling new work and submitting into the RWA Bristol, Drawnexhibition, in Spring 2013. To my utter faint-like amazement, for my, never-done-it-before, embroidered cloth storytelling book,Dreaming & Stitching, I won a bursary trip to Italy and the offer of showing my humble research findings and works in progress on my return. Hilds, a dear friend and writer, said how about trying for Arts Council funding, and I thought, yes, why not, I need a business angel, and that became a really positive focus for endless possibilities.
Now, after months of preparation, excitement and the sheer dread of Excel spreadsheets for accounts, gallery titles, labels and sizes of photographic works, costs of prints, framing,and decisions around graphic publicity and curation, a watershed in my practice has been reached. I find myself suddenly standing in the quiet stillness of the Feddon Gallery presented with an armful of beautiful fragrant Spring flowers, as a thank you "for all your hard work" by the RWA Director. She is wearing a huge smile and a lovely wool jacket, whereas I am under a layer of utter exhaustion, totally happy and yet sad that I have to leave. What a wonderful gift, all thanks due to Theresa Knowles, the mystery patron! It is time to close up my storytelling shop, after one week one day engaging with over four hundred visitors, two workshops the first of 8 participants/morphing over the week to twenty or so folk ready to get hands on and make stuff, plus in the family storytelling workshop so many I couldn't count as I was a blur, but we think it was fifty odd, with three assistants, plus RWA helpers, a team of friends, family and others along the way such as Cristina in Italy who was so open to creative collaboration and exchange. I feel truly blessed.
 |
| Turning not a page, the flowers looked to left and right |
The opportunity for a solo show in a city art academy was inspired by trialling new work and submitting into the RWA Bristol, Drawnexhibition, in Spring 2013. To my utter faint-like amazement, for my, never-done-it-before, embroidered cloth storytelling book,Dreaming & Stitching, I won a bursary trip to Italy and the offer of showing my humble research findings and works in progress on my return. Hilds, a dear friend and writer, said how about trying for Arts Council funding, and I thought, yes, why not, I need a business angel, and that became a really positive focus for endless possibilities.
 |
"Brilliant, she said,
I would come into this space in order to feel uplifted"... |
Now, after months of preparation, excitement and the sheer dread of Excel spreadsheets for accounts, gallery titles, labels and sizes of photographic works, costs of prints, framing,and decisions around graphic publicity and curation, a watershed in my practice has been reached. I find myself suddenly standing in the quiet stillness of the Feddon Gallery presented with an armful of beautiful fragrant Spring flowers, as a thank you "for all your hard work" by the RWA Director. She is wearing a huge smile and a lovely wool jacket, whereas I am under a layer of utter exhaustion, totally happy and yet sad that I have to leave. What a wonderful gift, all thanks due to Theresa Knowles, the mystery patron! It is time to close up my storytelling shop, after one week one day engaging with over four hundred visitors, two workshops the first of 8 participants/morphing over the week to twenty or so folk ready to get hands on and make stuff, plus in the family storytelling workshop so many I couldn't count as I was a blur, but we think it was fifty odd, with three assistants, plus RWA helpers, a team of friends, family and others along the way such as Cristina in Italy who was so open to creative collaboration and exchange. I feel truly blessed.
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