1.5 T HARD DRIVE DIED.

Oh my God!!!  My main hard drive, 1.5 T, has just died.  It says there is nothing on there, zero.  I cannot tell you how much work there was on there, 2 years at least, and in this past year I have created hundreds of designs for all sorts of things as I have at the same time, been learning more about the amazing facilities available in digital designing - all gone!  I am distraught.  I am praying one of these I.T. whizz kids can retrieve the information for me.  Most of my source material is gone too.  A couple of months ago I bought a 2 TB hard drive to copy this one on to and kept meaning to but had no reason to worry.  I had umpteen little reminders to do it the week before it died.  Always, always back up your work.  Can anyone tell me what 'Cloud' is?  I need more I.T. instruction.

I am taking it in to the 'expert' tomorrow so fingers crossed, legs crossed. 

'REFLECTION'

Not a bad time to reflect on created work:-

ZEN TIES.  Now working on a new range of tie designs, I thought I would review some of my original designs

A one-off 'ZEN' tie created in meditation on Crepe de Chine Silk using verious tools, layered dyes and pastes, steamed together.  One of my favourites. 

Cream silk tie as above.  The imagery was amazing in that although created whilst in healing meditation, each image had a life of its own, a language. 

Racing Green silk tie on a very special piece of madder silk from David Evans, again created in meditation using multi dyes and pastes.  As each layer takes forever to dry, these ties take a considerable amount of time to create and are all one offs.
I enjoyed this range (there are many more) and intend to create new items on different coloured silks.  I plan to experiment with more use of this method within drawing.  As well as the drawn image, I am honing my digital skills.  Still a long way to go - and I do not want to spend my life at a computer screen.

TIES - OTHER

Navy and rust colour discharge screen printed silk ties.  (almost gone now).

NEW BEGINNINGS POST M.A.

I can't believe it is a year since my graduation, an odd year of readjustment and connection.  Where do I go from here?  It was a shock to discover that I loved my original work.  I so want to move into more conceptual work, wall pieces, 3-dimentional art and gallery pieces, corporate work but am drawn to create products. 

Decision - I shall do both.  Meanwhile, research, research, research.  Creating a range of tie designs, I am now shocked to find that my wonderful makers have been bought by Vanners and they have doubled their making costs.  I do want to work with digital printers and makers in the U.K.  Business plan needed.

Time to make my wonderful studio scream with passion and creativity.  Watch this space!

POST M.A.CHALLENGES

Wow.  M.A.s challenge us to  follow a pathway, to achieve innovative work for an end; our M.A. show.   We must do it or fail.  Afterwards, having worked towards exhibition pieces, I must now survive, create products to sell, place myself in the same pathway I left behind. scarves, bags, ties, bow ties - or wot??

I am excited about entering competitions, rejoining organisations, Paris, getting designs out there. 

I am more interested in working from the heart, of allowing my work to speak - the Zen of Tankers, the Spirit of Life.  I have no interest in creating commercial pieces, but I guess I must. 

More soon.