Five Go-old Riiiiings!
Four Colly Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree...are now installed at Manchester Craft and Design Centre, as part of their Christmas decorations for the festive season.
I had so much fun building them all. My gold rings are hula hoops and corrugated card, wrapped in masking tape and painted gold, which made me feel very Blue Peter circa 1992! :)
As a maker at this time of year it can often feel a bit like your own business is in charge of you, rather than the other way around; working on orders and commissions for Christmas (which we've all been working towards since June! It's all very odd). I did this project just for me and it was lovely.
I've been making the foliage in my studio for ages now and once it was all finished I had just about run out of space in my teeny studio. Here's my somewhat precarious poinsettia, peeping out from my box of foliage:
I made the birds at home (mostly because there was literally nowhere else to store them in my studio cupboards!) and took over Space2 to attach everything together, the day before they were hung up. While I was there I had Lucy and volunteer Melissa keeping me company, from MCDC's office. These ladies are responsible for all the lovely stars and pin wheels adorning the building. They did a great job with the decorations and were delightful company. I felt very festive.
The fat body of Archie the Partridge (should have called him Alan. I missed a trick, there):
And here he is perched on his tree:
The hens are the only design that isn't brand new. I had a commission last year to make portraits of three pet chickens. These hens are larger versions of that design:
Peter the blackbird, one of my four colly birds, named after my favourite uncle who passed away around this time two years ago. I am mighty fond of blackbirds, so it seemed fitting.
So, I was quite far into this idea of hanging the things inside the rings before I realized there was nothing to put inside the fifth ring! Song lyrics! (Musicians among thee- don't pay too much attention, just in case! 3 years of teenage clarinet lessons and all I learned was that my little fingers are too small to reach the pedals. Silly miniature little fingers.)
FIVE GO-OLD RIIINGS!
All was installed ready for our festive fun day last Saturday, which kicked off our Christmas season.
The MCDC office team gave me a bunch of flowers, which I found tremendously embarrassing of course, but it was very sweet of them. They are so festive!
I had so much fun building them all. My gold rings are hula hoops and corrugated card, wrapped in masking tape and painted gold, which made me feel very Blue Peter circa 1992! :)
As a maker at this time of year it can often feel a bit like your own business is in charge of you, rather than the other way around; working on orders and commissions for Christmas (which we've all been working towards since June! It's all very odd). I did this project just for me and it was lovely.
I've been making the foliage in my studio for ages now and once it was all finished I had just about run out of space in my teeny studio. Here's my somewhat precarious poinsettia, peeping out from my box of foliage:
I made the birds at home (mostly because there was literally nowhere else to store them in my studio cupboards!) and took over Space2 to attach everything together, the day before they were hung up. While I was there I had Lucy and volunteer Melissa keeping me company, from MCDC's office. These ladies are responsible for all the lovely stars and pin wheels adorning the building. They did a great job with the decorations and were delightful company. I felt very festive.
The fat body of Archie the Partridge (should have called him Alan. I missed a trick, there):
And here he is perched on his tree:
The hens are the only design that isn't brand new. I had a commission last year to make portraits of three pet chickens. These hens are larger versions of that design:
Peter the blackbird, one of my four colly birds, named after my favourite uncle who passed away around this time two years ago. I am mighty fond of blackbirds, so it seemed fitting.
So, I was quite far into this idea of hanging the things inside the rings before I realized there was nothing to put inside the fifth ring! Song lyrics! (Musicians among thee- don't pay too much attention, just in case! 3 years of teenage clarinet lessons and all I learned was that my little fingers are too small to reach the pedals. Silly miniature little fingers.)
FIVE GO-OLD RIIINGS!
Four Colly Birds:
Three French Hens:
Two Turtle Doves:
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree:
MCDC's exhibitions coordinator Kaylee helped me install it on the wire. And by 'helped' of course I mean she did all the hard work attaching them on the wire, while I tried not to break things. Thank you Kaylee!
I also made a star for MCDC's Christmas tree and some starry bunting, which Christine (Marketing manager at MCDC) decorated, which I'm really happy about & grateful for. She did a lovely job and I did not relish the responsibility of actual decoration!
The MCDC office team gave me a bunch of flowers, which I found tremendously embarrassing of course, but it was very sweet of them. They are so festive!
Thistles! I love a blue thistle. I'll have to make some one day.
The Five Gold Rings are on display at MCDC until Christmas eve and you'll find me in Studio 9 downstairs.
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