Lost Leaves is a fabric book (completed May 2011). The book is made of a number of fabric pages, illustrated using a variety of techniques. This is the one piece of work I’ve completed in the last two years that does not technically have a Mercy theme to it…
I was inspired by John Connolly’s The Book of Lost Things, a beautiful adult’s book that references so many fairy stories and children’s books. In it, the imagery of ivy, twisting and creeping, is a metaphor for a surreal, other world, taking control of a little boy (actually, in his mind, but anyway) - in other words, fiction encroaching on reality. This world is inhabited by the characters of fairy stories that the boy has read, but they alter, they change, warp… So I started thinking about what books might influence my inner world, or informed how i see the ‘real world’. I chose five of these to illustrate (more below). I also loved the metaphor of the ivy, and decided to have real ivy (wired, for stability) coming out of the binding of the book - fiction taking over reality - or reality taking over fiction? You choose. I also purloined Connolly’s style for naming chapters - “Of such and such…” and named each double spread with the emotions and ideas that specific book instills in me.
The prologue states: “Lost Leaves explores the relationship between dreams and reality and how one can affect the other. The events chronicled are fictional but have been coloured by the artist’s experiences and conversely life has been influenced by fairytale.”
”Of Fortitude” illustrates and quotes a scene from Violet Needham’s The Black Riders, where the characters are discussing what Fortitude is, and how one can acquire it. The line “but remember for your guidance in hours of peril, that the soul of man is unconquerable; no pain, no ignominy from without, can ever crush or smirch it, however much spirit and flesh may suffer” has stood me in good stead.
“Of Fear and Lonliness” (detail) is an illustration of an incident in Gay from China at the Chalet School, by Elinor M Brent Dyer. On the right, you have Joey (on the couch) and Nell (holding Joey’s baby, Stephen). Nell has just returned from a stint in hospital, following a disastrous bus crash, that left her dearest friend and co teacher, Hilda, fighting for her life (see left). Joey is throwing a strop, and Nell calms her by changing the subject, and explaining how close Hilda came to death, and how this made her realise how much she loved her. Hilda’s sheet/bedding is an old hanky which came from my Great Aunt, who died too young. I know that, platonically, she and my other Great Aunt, were as close as Nell and Hilda are. So this was my little tribute to their friendship. The material used in Joey and Nell’s clothing, and the Sofa, comes from my Gran’s collection of material she used for making dolls clothes when she was at a boarding school not unlike the Chalet School (nowhere near as posh, but still!).
“Of Loss and Life” illustrates Gandalf’s fall in Moria, and his reappearence in Fangorn Forest. (Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien). This has always been close to my heart, as my Granddad was like Gandalf to me - I used to call him ‘Ganda’ as a small child…
“Of Midnight” (and the other page) is inspired by John Masefield’s The Midnight Folk, which has been an inspiration to me before now… It was my Granddad’s favourite children’s book, and here i have illustrated some of our favourite characters… Further, Great Grandpa Harker is based on my Granddad’s best friend, and my ‘adopted’ Granddad, and the mare Dowsabel is based on his horse. This was the first time I eveer tried this kind of machine stitching (for the fox, rat and Great Grandpa.) There is a real sense of doing the right thing, as well as adventure, in The Midnight Folk, and even now I get emotional sustenance from going back to re-read it - as with all the books mentioned here.
“Of the Hours after” is from Michael Cunningham’s The Hours, a beautiful book that was turned into an equally beautiful (though different) film, starring Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. Friends have often likened me to Clarissa, and sometimes, I’m inclined to agree with them. Certainly, I find myself feeling her monologues very deeply. And Richard’s plaintive description of how he wanted to capture a moment in time is something most artists know, I think…
Final notes… Amongst others, here are the techniques used: photo transfer (my own photo), machine embroidery (yes, white text on white linen/Black text on black linen is exceptionally difficult…), machine applique, hand embroidery (various stitches), hand dying with cold water powder, copper wire wrapping… Materials used: Donegal tweed, Ivy, Copper wire, Linen thread (binding the book!), Rayon threads, Silk Floss embroidery threads, Linen, Vintage cotton hanky, Vintage silk, silk damask, cotton, hessian and hard card as the base for the covers. This took around three months to make, but I did have a two-three week break in the middle when I damaged my hands…
