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Newsletter - September 2008

Welcome to the September edition of the Newsletter.

I apologise for the lack of an August Newsletter, but what with the children being off school for summer, the exhibition at Gatehouse of Fleet and several unexpected instances of life getting in the way, I decided to focus on one for September instead.

So, coming up in this newsletter:

Feedback from the Exhibition at The Mill on the Fleet
Last call for New Mailing System Sign-up
Velvet Memories
Video of how I use velvet in my work
High Resolution Image for you to Download

Exhibition at Mill on the Fleet

Thank you to everyone who managed to come along and visit the exhibition at The Mill on the Fleet from the end of July and throughout August. And a special thank you to all who left such wonderful comments in the visitor's book.

There are no immediate exhibitions currently on the horizon, but research, letters and connections are always underway, so watch this space.

Last call for New Mailing System Sign-up

For those who have still not signed up, or confirmed, using the new GetResponse system then please do so on the Newsletter Sign up Page as I will no longer be sending out newsletter updates one at a time. So unless you confirm you wish to remain, you will drop off the mailing list.

If you have any difficulties or questions about it then please contact me directly.

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Velvet Memories

Memories play a large part in the motivation and inspiration behind my art. Often they pop up in response to some outside stimulus, like the scent of a particular flower or a sprinkling of chords from a well-loved piece of music.

For me, many of my earliest sensory memories, arise from the sight and touch of fabric. Usually that fabric is velvet. The feel of the age-worn mossy green velvet cushion that rested on my grandmother's armchair, beautifully faded and soft under my cheek. My scarlet velvet flower girl's dress trimmed with white fur (worn with shiny black patent-leather shoes) - how rich and fancy I felt! Forward to the crushed velvet dresses of young adulthood, lavish with Indian embroidery and expectation.

My mother's favourite material was always velvet. For curtains draping to the floor, for dresses, usually soft deep greens and even for shoes, high heeled and brown velvety folds with little topaz jewels.

Of Mother - 50cm x 70cm

Velvet is the fabric of sumptuous luxury, of course, but because of such early memories, it also represents to me comfort and familiarity, love and pride. I do not think that velvet's gorgeousness is diminished by the faded wornness of use and age; rather it has become imbued with the enrichment of experience.

I gather velvet in all kinds of forms with the intention of using it in my work in the future. I wonder how much it has become like a security blanket, comforting me with memories, mainly of my mother when I was growing up?

And I am still looking for that special piece of well-aged velvet that one day I can wear as a wondrous flowing embellished coat.

Video of how I use velvet in my work

Download a free high-resolution image for your own wall or computer desktop

This image is a manipulated detail of the artwork "Of Mother".

Right-click on the image and select Save Target As. You can then save the image on your computer and print it off on photographic or watercolour paper at up to A4 size without losing any quality, or use it as a desktop background for your computer.

Be advised that the image is approximately 2MB big, so might take a little while to download

If you run into any difficulties then please let me know.

Questions and Comments:

I would very much like to hear from you. Please email me with any questions about my artwork, or with ideas of things you'd like to see and read in future editions of this newsletter.

And finally, if you know of anyone who you think might be interested in receiving this newsletter, please point them to http://www.maggieayres.co.uk/newsletter.htm to sign up.

Wishing you all the best until next time,

Maggie

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