Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Renovating Stawberry Cottage





It's time to give my old dame a face lift. I have started in the kitchen and had to take a break while working on the Dirkie Sanchez Project. I am keen to pick up where I have left off.

Wresteling with new skills












The suite of Dirkie Sanchez is now a thing of the past. It was a great project and I can say it's official, I now know how to sew on leather, satin and suede. Not an easy task and no, don't even think of using the same needle for all, you'll soon realise that they each have their very own personality and special needs.

I spend hours sequencing masks for the pillows and once again I made a quilt after promising myself that my quilting days would have to wait until I am well into old age an have loads of time on hand... well, no such luck.

Now that I am packing away what remains of the project scattered throughout the house, I can feel happy with a job well done. We have given our Lucha Libre Wrestler a home where adults will be able to go and visit and play. There are costumes and masks hiding in the dressing room, the bed is a wrestling ring and there is enough detail and tips on the blinds to get them going.

So what next...?

Monday, February 8, 2010

Theatre in my garden
































The girls and I got together for our first, of hopefully many, creative explorations.

It was to be of a theatrical nature with the help of Ashley. The initial inspiration came from Ashley's "car goblins" that caught Sarah's eye. These mesmerizing masks staring blankly out of the back window of her car became the object of our curiosity.

Armed with aprons, water, gypsum, Vaseline and some Chardonnay (and Mark and Sarel cooking lunch in the corner) we readied ourselves for the wet messy affair.

It was quite an experience being confined inside these faces that reflected our own, yet drying as a snapshot in time. As the layers build up an overwhelming sense of isolation takes hold and inside your own image you become anonymous and unable to speak until you are released from your mask. It was a marvelous feeling that needs further exploration.

Next stop... Sarah's - for a lesson in oil painting!