Where did last week go?

I just don't understand where all the time goes! Last week I was so excited that we didn't have anything to produce for this Monday and yet I still didn't manage to achieve even a teeny sketch in my sketch book, or read a book on the list. It's difficult for me to nag at my teenage son about keeping up with his coursework, when I'm finding the same apathy applies even when you reach your forties.

An interesting weekend - I was lucky enough to be invited to Mo Mowlam's Memorial Celebration on Sunday night. A portrait of her by John Keane was on the front cover of the programme.
It was a really lovely event - very moving and funny and uplifting, it was a priviledge to be invited. She was an amazing woman who made a real difference to the lives of the people of Northern Ireland.

But - back to design thoughts, which is what this is supposed to be about. Wasn't Hadlow lovely in the sunshine? No?

In the rush to pick a word, I managed to end up with Tribalist. I didn't want an easy one, I wanted one that would make me think, but maybe I went too far! Apparently it means "a follower of all the customs and beliefs of a tribe". Immediately I thought of all those FE students, wearing their tribal gear, speaking their tribal language, hating and fearing anyone who is not one of them. Oddly, although being part of a tribe means following rules and behaving, dressing, speaking a certain way, it is also liberating because individual responsibility is diminished. The tribe offers security and yet freedom. And so (rather neatly I thought), my word links to the "Liberate me" theme of the sketch design.

The exercises we did were interesting - my drawing looked NOTHING like the courtyard - I was making it up as I went along. Relying too heavily on the camera, I admit. But the spidery thing where we had to link words together, that was a really good way of exploring how to translate the meaning of the word into the space.

I experimented with the word tribalist on google and came up with some very weird images - lots of tattoos and people on motorbikes.

This shape came up quite a lot - it is a "tribal circle". It reminds me of the American Indian dreamcatchers which you see hanging in windows.

Well, that's as far as I've got with it so now I must try and put some of these thoughts in my sketchbook and also recreate the Hastings sketch design because I was too stupid to keep a copy.

Just one more image before I go. Isn't this pretty? Can't remember what it's called but I thought it looked beautiful and fragile and intricate. Ain't nature wonderful?