Penelope's weaving

Weaving bug continues... And I must say that I am enjoying it more and more. Can't wait to start the next one!

"Healing" Tapestry © Corina Duyn '12
12 x 14 cm

"Healing" took me about 5 weeks to weave. The first part, the blanket, went fast enough, but then I just wasn't happy with the rest of it. I wove part of the background, the hair, and started the face. Felt that the blanket should be higher up on the left... the shoulder needed to be bigger, the hair, for which I had used rope was to ridged... 

So, I took all that out again. 

A brave step, as I was worried that I accidentally cut the warp threads, (the long ones on which you weave). I thought that at this rate, I never get to finish this tapestry as I was taking out more than I was adding!

My ever knowledgeable weaving teacher pointed out that Penolope took out her weaving every night so she could wait for her husband... As I had no idea who Penelop was, she enlightened me: "Penelope wife of Odiseus of the Greek Iliad Mythology. When Odiseous left for his travels another man came to the Island where Penelope lived. He said he would  marry her when her weaving was finished... (to make a long story short)... she unwove most of what she did during the day in that way advancing slowly. Odiseus came back and reclaimed his wife and land. The moral of the story being that unweaving bring good things: a better tapestry to begin with!

(For more about Penolope see here )





So I began to weave again, and changed the background. For the hair I tried about 4 different yarns, wool, doll's hair until I finally felt that it was right. Of course Penelope's story stayed on my mind. Wondering what goodness will come my way when I finally finished the tapestry. A lovely Princess?
:-)

ps... As always it is lovely to know that you stopped by to read my musing and follow my creative adventures. It would make my day if you leave a comment... preferably here, on the blog...? 

Many thanks &

 Lots of love Corina

Quintuplets

My latest "babies" 

Quintuplets in this case!

These 5 Conepuppets are so new that they don't even have names yet!

If you happen to fall in love with one of them, 

and would like to be it's "parent",

please email me and I will reserve her/him for you

(please mention the puppet's position in the group photo)

Three of these are going to Ardmore Pottery and Gallery in the next few days.

.... so be quick, if you'd like to have first choice!

You can also purchase the puppet here

Then again, maybe you'd just like to look at them here!

A family photoalbum!

For  their older sisters see: here

for a "life action", see here

ps... As always it is lovely to know that you stopped by to read my musing and follow my creative adventures. It would make my day if you leave a comment... preferably here, on the blog...? 

Many thanks & Lots of love Corina

Letterpressed Story

Anastasia is an amazing young woman I met a long time ago. She stayed in my mind ever since.

See her video here

In 2004 I was invited to give a talk in Waterford Regional Hospital as part of the Healing Arts Trust Lunchtime talks. The video Fit to Fly ( see here part 1 & part 2 ) was shown and I answered questions about my creative journey with M.E. to date. Anastasia and her mother were in the room. Anastasia was only a teenager when diagnosed with M.E. herself.
She struck me as a very capable, creative young girl. M.E. was not going to get the better of her!

We have been in touch ever since.
Anastasia wrote about her story with M.E. She wrote about the stranger in her life. I still have copies of her early writing. An amazing piece of work.
The idea was hatched to do a book together. Her story and mine, back to back. This didn't happen- yet! I published Hatched in the meantime, and Anastasia was still working on devising the right way to publish her own story.

I am SO PROUD to hear that she has now done just that.

She is putting each of the letters of her story in the letterpress and prints each page separately. A work of art. A powerful story.

If you can at all, please support this amazing work. This amazing young woman.
See the video to see her at work, read more about "Dear Stranger" or help her to raise the funds to continue, please see here

Well done Anastasia and I will be saving up for my own copy of Dear Stranger!

ps... As always it is lovely to know that you stopped by to read my musing and follow my creative adventures. It would make my day if you leave a comment... preferably here, on the blog...?

 Many thanks & Lots of love Corina

No wood is safe...

No wood is safe anymore

Every piece that comes my way

is being examined.

"Who lives in it?"

"What is the story it want to tell me?"

ps... As always it is lovely to know that you stopped by to read my musing and follow my creative adventures. It would make my day if you leave a comment... preferably here, on the blog...? Many thanks & Lots of love Corina

9990 page views

I just spottted that there have been 9,990 page views of my Little Wings Blog.

Please let me know if you are the person who will clock up the 10.000! 

There might be a little surprise in store!

X Corina

....now 10.023 so who was it that viewed my blog and became the 10.000 viewer?

Thank you all for your support!!

UPdate:
Visitor Identified!
Pressie (book) in the post.

Up to the 15.000!
XX

ps... As always it is lovely to know that you stopped by to read my musing and follow my creative adventures. It would make my day if you leave a comment... preferably here, on the blog...? 

Many thanks & Lots of love Corina

Metamorphosis

In general I like what I create as I thoroughly enjoy the process of making. I am always curious to how a sculpture, a drawing, weaving, a book will turn out.

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by what I am presented with.

"Metamorphosis"
© Corina Duyn '12

When the building of my studio became a reality, I had to make some changes in my garden to accommodate the entrance to the studio. One of the plants I had to remove was a Buddleia shrub- a Butterfly Bush. 

The root that was exposed was so beautiful that I hid it in my greenhouse out of fear it might be thrown out during a clean up of my garden. The root reached out a great distance.

A few weeks ago I used it as a base for a sculpture. I "attached" the root to piece of bark I found in my studio (obviously saved from being burned in the stove, but had forgotten about it!) 

About two weeks ago I attended an introduction workshop about Art Therapy, with the idea that this would be the first step towards finally fulfilling my dream to become an Art Therapist- a route I had chosen just before becoming ill over 13 years ago. The session was very interesting but it took more energy than I had, I had been standing too long and was in severe pain for days afterwards. I also realised that I had more healing to do of my own...

My dream squashed, but it also brought clarity, I know what I need to do.

The following morning I was feeling pretty awful, but as I thought about the communication with a friend about using our creative energy for our own healing, I decided to go into the studio. The piece that 'screamed' for my attention was the root sculpture.

I had great difficulty getting the face to work, to reveal itself to me out of the clay. My co-ordination was compromised. But I persevered... Suddenly she was there.

Detail "Metamorphosis"
© Corina Duyn '12

That afternoon and over the next few days I worked on her skirt, hair and shirt and hands. I had dyed (in tea) some rope which I had split into single 'threads' to use as a skirt. The shirt is lace which I glued on with the fabric hardener. The hair is a clump of moss I had found on a wall a few days ago. It had fallen of an old roof in a perfect bubble.

Lying on the couch, this sculpture in the making, standing on the mantle piece to dry, I was overwhelmed but it. I stared at it for ages, in silence. Sometimes my work really gets me, this one did. 

I considered if I would paint her eyes, but I decided that she should be able to look out into the world.

She is rooted and grounded. She metamorphosed from being in safe grounds into it's own little person. "Solid, but light and free", as a friend commented. "With roots like that she can grow."

The fact that the root was from a "Butterfly Bush" makes it all the more poignant... to me anyway!

I am honoured to have made her acquaintance.

ps... As always it is lovely to know that you stopped by to read my musing and follow my creative adventures. It would make my day if you leave a comment... preferably here, on the blog...? Many thanks & Lots of love Corina