Carrot Orange Downriver

Carrot Orange Downriver - fused plastic, paint and stitching, 23 x 23cm

On Monday I gathered my plastic from the previous week and began assembling pieces and fusing.  It was the evening and  my finger hurt, my eyes were having trouble focusing and the plastic smelled particularly toxic.  I had lots of ideas and hope, but when the majority of fusing was finished the plastic had shrunk and twisted and although there were lots of exciting places I felt the the result wasn't strong.  So I began cutting it up and as I did I remembered it was Valentines day on Wednesday, so I found some pink and took off on a different path and had something a little corny but pretty to give the following morning - I don't let failure get me down. 

This is my second attempt at this week's plastic.  The centrepiece was a bag of mini cheddars I found while walking. I had lots of green organic carrot bags, some potatoes and Patrick's Private Eye wrapper. Also, Pamela returned some books in a bag I asked if I could have that came from Cornelissen art shop.  Turning the plastic so you have the right side and the wrong side results in different tones.

Before I began cutting, assembling and fusing I looked at Barbara Rae's Sketchbooks. I got the feeling of England's waterways in my veins and thought about a trip I'd taken to Flatford and the Stour River to draw with Ruth Philo. When I had my fused piece I kept thinking about Rousseau and then I started to paint the framed area.