Our hosts are very inspirational people, he a poet, she a writer, with creativity being at the core of their existence. Very focused, they work hard, yet make time for relaxation. They have always tried things out, and take on board the mistakes they make on the way. They are calm, which is a quality I need within my life.
We had some good conversations. For many years he questioned 'What is the point?'. I think that has been my question too. Whilst in the past it may have been negative, 'What is the point?' with a groan, I think more and more I ask now 'What is the point?' as a line of enquiry.
Having created ourselves an 'alternative' life as such, different from the expected norm, he felt it was easy to 'drop out'. I slightly disagree with that. It is not easy for people to 'drop out', some just cannot do it, may have family commitments, financial constraints etc. What he did say, was that it is harder to 'drop back in', to find your place in the world, under your own steam and with your own revised beliefs. I definitely agree with that, and I think that is where my problems lie at the moment. Having spent quite some time 'away from it all', I think I would like to 'drop back in' now, only a little mind you, but I don't know where I could 'drop back in' and in what form? We discussed 'form' coming up with no definitive answers, but that is the exciting bit for me to work at and find out. It could take a life time.
Our hosts are very interested in traditional or ancient methods of making and productivity and for a few years they ran their own weaving business, he making simple functioning contemporarily designed wooden looms and she weaving on these looms. They very generously shared their knowledge with us.
Our host where we live mostly, further down in Portugal, has five sheep and back in June this year they had their yearly shearing of their woollen coats. It was one of the best days we have spent here and I could have listened to the shearer talking about his passion for sheep and wool for hours. We have five fleeces ready to clean and spin into yarn.
Shearing in action.
Shearing in action.
Shearing in action.
Five fleeces ready for cleaning and spinning into yarn.
Five happy sheep munching their way back onto the land.
The shearer's felt shoes he wears for shearing. I love them and want a pair...
Our weaving hosts have recommended I try a peg loom to weave the un - spun fleece into fabric. Shawn has made the loom and I now need to weave the fleece.
Hand - made peg loom, ready for me to weave some un - spun sheep fleece.
I have also been trying out weaving with a cardboard loom, just some square samples to see what this weaving method feels and looks like. I am enjoying the process and it is something I could do whilst on the move, a mobile creative activity.
Cardboard loom weaving samples.
Another mobile creative activity is knitting, and I have recently read a book on the therapeutic qualities of knitting for health and well being called 'Knit for Health & Wellness: How to knit a flexible mind & more...' by Betsan Corkhill. Knitting can be a form of meditation and the author recommends having a range of knitting projects on the go at any one time to fit your moods and feelings in the moment. Perhaps it could be an intricate project that needs your full attention or a project where you don't have to think at all, 'just' knit. It could be a mobile 'bag' project to take out with you and work on whilst you are out. A long term knitting project gives you something to aim for, a goal in mind and a tool for enjoying the process.
The author references a book about hands called 'The Hand: How Its Use Shapes the Brain, Language and Human Culture' by Frank R. Wilson, and I have since discovered another book called 'Hands: What We Do With Them - and Why' by Darian Leader. These two books I have put on my wish list for future reads, linked to my interest in the subject and process of making.
The author references a book about hands called 'The Hand: How Its Use Shapes the Brain, Language and Human Culture' by Frank R. Wilson, and I have since discovered another book called 'Hands: What We Do With Them - and Why' by Darian Leader. These two books I have put on my wish list for future reads, linked to my interest in the subject and process of making.
I have been looking back at Blog 58 , revisiting my knitting I was doing back then. How could I take my knitting further?
I said on my last Blog 61 , that I am thinking about the idea of a writing course, finding another outlet for my creativity. Our recent host recommended that I try the practice of Proprioreceptive Writing. It is another kind of meditation where you write about your thoughts, for twenty five minutes or so at any one sitting, your thoughts unraveling at the speed it takes to write down these thoughts. Whilst writing them down, you regularly ask yourself 'What do I mean by...?' continually asking this question as you write, as a line of enquiry, maybe, or maybe not, reaching a conclusion. This practice is a bit like 'Morning Pages' where you write continuously pouring out your thoughts. The difference with Proprioreceptive Writing is that by continually asking the question 'What do I mean by...?', you hope eventually to get to the essence of what really is on your mind, to then be able to respond to it within your life. Artists that have used this method of writing have found it extremely helpful in understanding their art practice and the artworks that they make and how to explain why and what they are doing.
Here are a couple of links:
Meditation has been a topic of conversation with a number of people recently, whether through the activity of sport, knitting, writing, mindfulness. Pooh-poohing the conventional methods of meditation (I just can't sit with my legs crossed!), I would like to find a method of mediation that works for me. Repetitively piercing paper with a needle could be said to be a form of meditation, but I would like to move on from that...
Whilst on our house sit further north we had the pleasure of visiting the Burel Factory in the Serra da Estrela mountain range of Portugal.
The Village of Manteigas in the Serra da Estrela Mountains of Portugal.
This factory produces woollen fabric from Portuguese sheep breeds. We had a tour of the site seeing first hand the fabric being made and the old fashioned weaving machinery in action with the most wonderful smells of oil and wool, and the sounds of the rhythmic clicking of the equipment. We were shown some of the weaving patterns they produce, the patterns hand drafted in notebooks going back years and still in use today. Ranging from rugs to handbags, to garments to wall hangings, there is a team that sew and hand finish the products. Alas they were on their lunch break, I would love to have seen them in action, even have a chat. I believe they have an excellent brand image, contemporary, lovingly hand finished products, in a stunning ray of colours, very simple in design yet with a nod and respect to history.
To learn more about them, take a look here:
My favourite was the deep red plain coloured fabric which you can order by the metre. Hmmm, I think I might have to treat myself sometime...
The hot weather still continues here in Portugal and I still struggle with it. Temperatures have been reaching nigh on 40C. The most prominent experience that I will take with me this summer, in terms of sense of place, is the heat and power of the sun here. From the cold climates of Scotland to the extreme temperatures of a Portuguese summer, never has the weather had such control over me in my life until now. I have become almost stationary at times, finding the heat debilitating, often too hot to function. I have seen first hand the devastation of the unpredictable fires and smoke that appear on the land, one link from the hot sun. Two symbols - sun and smoke. We will be back in this heat again in the future and whilst Shawn finds the heat easier to handle than myself, we will need to think more carefully how we manage our daily existence. It is an engaging prospect, from a 'What is the point?' line of enquiry, to 'How can we do this?' study.
In Portugal there are extensive forests of Eucalyptus trees, fast growing, on a mass scale for paper manufacture. This industry is a key source of employment and economy for the country. The trees are planted very close together and their papery bark can be seen everywhere scattering the ground. These flaky bark peelings along with the swaying branches and leaves of these trees, close together in proximity, combined with the heat of the summer, add to the tinder box atmosphere ready and waiting to spark fire and spread at any one moment.
More and more we are being encouraged to use less paper in our daily lives, something that I struggle with. I like paper. Seeing the destruction of land, the sense of loss of people's homes, livelihoods and lives, due to the commodification and commercialism of Eucalyptus trees for paper, makes me realise how I must try harder to use less paper. Seeing it first hand, this experience has been an example to me in how I should think more carefully about my choices of what I use and what I buy, ethical shopping, something we are all being encouraged to do across the globe. Of course for Portugal, they couldn't stop this industry overnight, it provides necessary mass employment and finance for the nation. How can they turn this problem round?
This year I have started reading the Antennae Journal. Their summer issue 2015 (I think it should read 2016), includes an article on best practice environmentally for artists when choosing and using materials and the making of artworks. It is really good, something I have been looking out for and thinking about with my own work for a while.
You can go to the Antennae website and download their issue #36 Summer 2015. The information can be found within the last article titled 'Pondering Eco - Art Criticism / Eco - Art History' on pages 137 - 140. I do hope you can find it.
http://www.antennae.org.uk
In Portugal there are extensive forests of Eucalyptus trees, fast growing, on a mass scale for paper manufacture. This industry is a key source of employment and economy for the country. The trees are planted very close together and their papery bark can be seen everywhere scattering the ground. These flaky bark peelings along with the swaying branches and leaves of these trees, close together in proximity, combined with the heat of the summer, add to the tinder box atmosphere ready and waiting to spark fire and spread at any one moment.
More and more we are being encouraged to use less paper in our daily lives, something that I struggle with. I like paper. Seeing the destruction of land, the sense of loss of people's homes, livelihoods and lives, due to the commodification and commercialism of Eucalyptus trees for paper, makes me realise how I must try harder to use less paper. Seeing it first hand, this experience has been an example to me in how I should think more carefully about my choices of what I use and what I buy, ethical shopping, something we are all being encouraged to do across the globe. Of course for Portugal, they couldn't stop this industry overnight, it provides necessary mass employment and finance for the nation. How can they turn this problem round?
This year I have started reading the Antennae Journal. Their summer issue 2015 (I think it should read 2016), includes an article on best practice environmentally for artists when choosing and using materials and the making of artworks. It is really good, something I have been looking out for and thinking about with my own work for a while.
You can go to the Antennae website and download their issue #36 Summer 2015. The information can be found within the last article titled 'Pondering Eco - Art Criticism / Eco - Art History' on pages 137 - 140. I do hope you can find it.
http://www.antennae.org.uk
Shortly Shawn and I will be back on the road travelling for a while. No doubt it will include some form of creativity somewhere and hopefully I will do some making in between.
A long blog, my mind is on the life that we lead, where I fit in, the consideration of a more thoughtful environment, wool, weaving, knitting and fabric. I think that about covers it!
A long blog, my mind is on the life that we lead, where I fit in, the consideration of a more thoughtful environment, wool, weaving, knitting and fabric. I think that about covers it!
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