May's Meeting

Right girls here we are the night before the meeting tomorrow and I am just writing the report! But hey ho!

I have got to tell you that since I am no longer Programme Secretary one of the joys of coming the Embroiderers' Guild meetings is that I have no idea about the speaker or what she is going to say, and I have got to tell you that I am so rarely disappointed, and last month was no exception.

The speaker was a delightful lady called Janet Browne and I knew nothing of her until I signed up for her class and was directed to her website and when I saw that I knew I was in for a treat and she delivered big time!

The main feeling I came away with was the absolute delight she had in herself at being able at the age of 48 to allow herself to draw and paint exactly as she wants and her work has a wonderful naive quality which reflects this.

Her work is based on maps and she started by drawing small maps of her walks and these just got longer and longer! She draws very quickly and she draws things that are important bigger (rather like children do). She adds symbols from OS maps for texture and rather like children if she draws a hill it goes up and has to come down again and features are added as though they are laid down. This explanation is not reflecting the quality of her work at all - it is one of those things you have to see.

As well as mapping her walks, she also draws and maps her garden and allotments and journeys on holidays particularly the South West and has recently started to draw and work with birds.

Her textile technique, which she was so generous in sharing with us, is really a variation of reverse applique, but to say that is too simplistic - the work is staggering.

As was the workshop that several of us participated in the next day.

I am sorry I have no photos to show you - if I round some up from members I will post them, but I would recommend you to her website (http://www.janetbrownetextiles.com/).

Notices for tomorrow (I know I'm a bit late!) - in the morning I will be available to show you a possible solution for mounting the Olympic Guinea postcards. Sad to say I am still struggling to find images and information about Guinea, but will keep plodding away!

See you tomorrow - please be warned I will be a bit excitable tomorrow - I may be getting a new dog!