Plotting Strands and Filaments

Work of the stars

I really like this diagram because even though I have only a passing understanding of the maths, the fact that science proves the existence of such a form makes me smile wryly at the enormity of non proof about how I see stars and even more feel them to be important in my life.

This is what drew me to this particular course really, the thought that I would be able to spend some serious time exploring this simple motif and at the same time exploring my response to it by creating 'new' stars through lines and colour on paper to 3D objects.

Looking around my home I realised just how many stars are here made from a wide range of materials. i also realised that though i was educated and grew up in the Christian tradition it has always been the star that has excited me not the cross, even the wonderful Celtic stone crosses we have here don't do it for me as much as looking up into the roof struts and seeing the star shapes formed there and I am not just talking about Ely Cathedral like roofs here.

Gathering all the bits of paper, pictures, line drawings of stars together has been a process of discovery and remembering, always a gift for me. Finding so many books on my shelves with stars in them has been a little overwhelming but kind of thrilling too.

Melodrama alive and well then!

Anyone familar with the C+G course I have embarked on will be scratching their heads at the image above, you and me both:0)

Complimentary colours shades and tints is part of this chapter so a colour wheel/circle is a requirement. Surprise surprise guess who couldn't remember what the implement in her hand actually could do and compasses became spelled connundrum which took me hours to work out and that was only the beginning... if in doubt, trying to clear my mind, dig myself further into a hole:0) doodle.

It did help and eventually this week has found me with some sort of colour wheel many notes on why I found it so difficult etc., plus research and gathering of visual information on stars, which is the shape I have chosen to do this module on.  It was between a star or a cross, no contest really.

I will acutally post the images and notes next Sunday now as the day is almost over and my eyes cannot cope with scanner and camera at this moment.

But posting here today was important and a blank piece of paper would not have been the reality.

Beginnings

Enrolling on the City and Guilds course was a major step not just the obvious stretch on small income, which was and is an ongoing consideration, but making that step midst the absolute mayhem that was certainly my life when I made the decision added to an already overloaded oft times dysfunctional brain but it felt needed, and I ignore such promptings at my peril I have discovered over the years.

I did the research, considered the options and my particular ‘complications’ and found that long distance learning seemed best option. Then I trawled through as many places as I could find offering textile courses, at first not really knowing what area I needed to explore. Got totally confused and demoralised in the search until I decided to stop, take breath and consider why this need was driving me on midst the obvious physical mess of a home needing attention and a daily life that had slipped more towards basic survival rather than living life as fully as it deserves.

Finding an old knitting pattern was the first drop of oil on a very rusty hinged door, the door had never been locked, bolted and key discarded it had just been forgotten like many other things in this life.

Here’s the front of the pattern –