Tallscapes and Smallscapes

We have all had to embrace a different rhythm of life in the past few weeks. For me, this time of year is usually a flurry of preparations for up and coming courses. However, since it seems unlikely that any such intimate gatherings will be possible for the next wee while, I have, instead, been enjoying gardening, baking and walking or cycling in the mornings. In the afternoons, I have been rummaging through the piles of scrap collage materials stored in my studio, each one triggering a memory of its creative birth.

For quite some time, most of my work has been composed in a square format. So, to ring the changes and thereby create new narratives, I have decided to work long and narrow, combining these gems of old collage scraps from days gone by. I find that no sooner have I started to ‘resolve’ one, then the germ of an idea for another comes along. It is a rolling process, which means that there is a re-birth every day.

These tall and small ‘scapes’ are unframed and organic in shape, with the edges burned, fringed or left raw to the cut. They are backed with a piece of felt, with a hanging device already sewn in. I plan to post them fastened to hardboard, to keep them flat, and wrapped in bubblewrap, to keep them safe from damage. The first batch of finished works are now for sale on my re-vamped sales page and can be seen at Tallscapes and Smallscapes. I usually sell through galleries, but because that that is not possible this season, I intend to keep this sales gallery well-stocked, with new work uploaded every week. I do have several more works ‘on the boil’ already, so this is a challenge that I relish. And every dip of my hand into a bag or box of cloths, brings new possibilities: there is just no way that I can run out of possible combinations!

I hope this finds you safe and well and managing to stay positive during these strange times. And I hope you will be tempted to buy something from this selection, as a treat either to yourself or for a friend. Please look at the gallery regularly to see new work. For those of you who have attended my courses in the past, you might even spot a scrap of your own fabric, that you left behind unwanted, now sewn into a corner of one of these new creations.

All the best to you from a beautiful and sunny Elphin.

Jan

PS  Any new work will be added to the gallery on a Friday.

Let Longing be a Store

the long bench

For the times ahead
when we will be

as if at either end
of the long bench

where distance kept
is love’s measure

and death dances
the space between

when words alone
are not enough

and queued memories
reach out to touch

let longing be a store
of nut and seed

that grows each day
in strange hibernation

readying for its end –
the sharing of the feast.                                    by   Jim Carruth

During this time of lockdown we will have to live off the harvest of memories and look forward to the time when we can, once again, meet and share in joyous spirit.  And so, although I am having to re-schedule some of the courses, I am content to bide my time until we are free to come together without fear or hindrance.

I am making work, though at a leisurely pace, since I am spending so much more time in the garden, just pottering around.  At some point, I will be putting a new textile gallery on the website, full of little landscapes made out of the scraps of cloth lying around my cutting table.  I think it will be called "Fragmentera", though I love getting out the Thesaurus, so the name may yet change.

At the risk of over-using Vera Lynn's words, I know we'll meet again some sunny day, so keep safe and I look forward seeing many of you later on this year.                                  

A Stitch Beyond

This winter has given me plenty of time to reflect on the direction of my teaching and so it seems that 2021 will be my year to offer something a little different alongside a shorter calendar of courses. I am running two sewing retreats – spring and autumn – each to be called “A Stitch Beyond”.

A number of you, I know, have stashes of material from previous courses, along with plans for exciting projects that never quite come to fruition. Time, space, inspiration, group support and gentle guidance from the tutor are all on offer at my studio during these two weeks. All the resources of the studio and garden will be available for use and there may even be one or two group activities, depending on the interests of the members.

But the focus will be on each of you developing your own direction as a textile artist and so, to make sure that I can support you in this, there will be a maximum of 6 participants, all of whom will be familiar with my methods through already having attended, ideally, at least two of my courses. Although there will be the opportunity to make work from scratch, you will come with aspirations, some materials and at least the germ of an idea.

A place on one or both of these retreats is by application only. I sent out this information via a newsletter in February and, within a couple of days, all the places were filled!  So, it looks like there is quite an appetite for this kind of event.

I am still taking names for a reserve list, so let me know if you are interested.  And then, I'm sure, there will be more retreats in 2022.

 Open Studio 2020

Open Studio 2020 is suspended for the duration of the Covid 19 outbreak.

Jan's Studio in Elphin is open to visitors between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm on Wednesdays between 1st of April and the 30th of September.

To arrange a private viewing please email Jan or telephone 01854 666279 to arrange a time.

See the Open Studio page for more details.

A Journey Through Elphin is Revealed

What a great day we had at the unveiling! For a tiny village like ours, there was a huge crowd, including folk from Stoer, Lochinver and Ullapool. I think the fact that, only the day before, the Northern Times had given our story the whole of the front page, might just have influenced the numbers.

The afternoon started with a warm welcome speech by Simon Jeffreys, followed by a dramatic unveiling of the wall-hanging by our guest of honour, young Veyatie Venters (who is named after the loch in the village) and her dad John, performed with a flourish, as you can see from the photograph! In fact, the room was packed with photographers, so there was a good choice of exciting photographs to go along with this article.

As you might imagine, lots of people deserve thanks, both for making the panel and for making our celebration a success. But particular thanks must go to the musicians Eireann, Ruth, Ali, Margaret, Russell and Jenny, whose playing made for such a lovely atmosphere; Simon and Jill, for their display of local history and photographs; the tea ladies Linda and Kay, for serving us drinks and delicious cakes, and the bakers themselves, especially Rae Strang, who came up with the goods twice (you can ask her about that yourself!).

One important person who deserves much thanks is local man Dick MacLeod, who has a long memory and without whom we would not have learned the history behind the various features that appear on the panel. In fact, we learned so much history in the process that we felt we needed to make a record. So, to act as a guide, we have created a hand-bound book, with a section on the history of this sewing project and then a page dedicated to each feature, containing a written account by the person who sewed that particular piece of work. On the day, there was quite a queue to read it. In fact, the project has sparked such strong interest in the history of the Elphin area that it looks like a couple of residents plan to set up an on-line archive of local history, open to all to read and/or to make contributions. That would be such a great legacy for this particular community endeavour to leave behind.

Thanks must also go to Coigach and Assynt Living Landscapes Partnership (CALLp) for their financial contribution to this project, which allowed me to purchase materials and to offer some learning workshops without charge. Most of all, though, I want to thank the volunteer sewers, who gave hours and hours of their time to make this fascinating, impressive, and very large piece of textile art.

The wall-hanging itself is now on permanent display in Elphin Community Hall and, along with the lovely guide book, has now passed in to the care of the Craft Circle who, after all, contributed much of the work and who were such a source of encouragement to everyone who came forward to take part. It can be seen any Thursday, between 2 and 4 pm, when the Craft Circle meet, and any Wednesday between May and September, when the Elphin craft and produce market is on. If any local group would like the panel to visit them, please contact alijohnson@hotmail.co.uk .

For more information about the project, please have a look at the Journey Through Elphin page of the website.

Jan

Autumn in Drumrunie

This piece was commissioned to celebrate the birthday of a local resident, whose house nestles beneath Coigach’s famous mountains. I so enjoyed using pink and orange together, with the print marks of local plants adding to the texture and creating a harmony out of the autumn splendour of this part of the world.

To see other commissioned work, go to the Textiles Commissions page.

If you are interested in learning these techniques for yourself, please have a look at the Fabric of the Land course page.

The Healing Garden

Exciting New Course for 2020

For my 2020 calendar of courses I have introduced something a little different: an intriguing range of ways to connect with the plants in your garden.

This week-long journey into the healing powers of plants will be led by qualified medical herbalist Jan Breckenridge, with additional support from me when it comes to the papermaking and print-making that will help you present your herbal recipes in a beautifully illustrated and hand-bound book.

To find out more, have a look at The Healing Garden page.

Two Jans Eco-print Greetings Cards

In celebration of our recent successes in refining the miraculous process of eco-printing onto fabric and paper, the Two Jans - Jan Kilpatrick and Jan Breckenridge - are launching a range of unique, high-quality, eco-print greetings cards,using entirely natural methods and materials.

They are available to buy through my on-line shop, at my studio during Open Studio days and at Ceard in Ullapool.  Why not nurture a love of nature by sending someone you love one of these distinctive cards?  Visit the Card Shop to see them for yourself.

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