Prized moments...: my how time flies!

.... another busy week...

I managed to call into an exhibition at Fylingthorpe, Whitby on Tuesday to catch an exhibition I had been wanting to see at St Stephens Church. Sadly I never got a chance to meet the Artist Mandy Pattullo, but I am so happy I managed to see her work. The work was just hauntingly beautiful, the depiction of her research into the "Maidens Garlands" and her response to her findings was just captivating.

If you go on her blog she explains in alot more detail about the history of the garlands and how they were made.

I was also inspired by the garlands and they heavily influenced my work last term ....

Sea garlands....

I used the names of lost fishing boats and for each life lost from that vessel, using mainly embroidery rings, similar to Mandy's I would create a garland as a mark of respect, the ribbons echoed the lost friendship akin to the maidens garlands but introduced the qualities of seaweed. The embroidery gave a feminine touch to all the mother, wives and children left behind. The use of sheer fabric evoked the feeling of distant thoughts and memories, glass and mirrors gave reflective qualities that could involve the audience within the construction.

It was interesting to see how Mandy had built on her research and being able to view her sketchbooks was really great.

I really admired the way she uses image transfer onto the gowns and gloves, such beautiful imagery on such delicate fabric, I'd really like to have asked her how she does it!

The clever and ingenious way Mandy had embellished and developed the white gloves was really intriguing, I really loved the work and how she puts them into small wallets with notes, momento etc, might have to see if I can buy one of the pictures too!

....Just fantastic!

Mandy even thought of the young men who'd also lost their lives
at a young age, many at sea.... and as she said -
maybe they would have married the maidens ....