This is going to be where I post all my BJP work for 2010

Up until today I had been undecided about what I wanted to do my project on this year. I know I want it to be big like a painting. I know I want it to include embroidery, fabric and other media. I want to be ambitious and I really don't want it to a theme as such.

I had been thinking along the lines of a carousel as I had seen few on our trip to France last summer and they have always had a strange fascination for me. In fact, I remember being scared of them, very scared. So up until recently I had been thinking and looking at carousels with the thought of Life's never ending cycle. It still an idea I want to pursue but I think it is just too ambitious for my level of experience and ability. I don't want a repeat of last year which was too much work really and I ended up giving up (much like the weight watch plan I was halfheartedly following).

So I have been searching my head for inspiration. One idea I thought about as I read the new Embroidery Magazine was exploring a famous work of art and abstracting from it. Trouble is which work...there is so much out of there. Maybe I could use the research I am doing for my docent training at the Blanton Museum of Art. Much as I like the Blanton, the idea didn't inspire me - too many distraction and too much choice- which 12 works of art and why?

Then this afternoon as I was halfheartedly(my fav word of the day!)tidying up and was about to throw away the calendar which had hung in the office, the idea just popped! Literally- why not used the 12 paintings. They are very different but have one comment theme- the reading woman, not that I am going to use the theme. It is in line with the above idea but neatly packaged- no distraction.Some famous, well known painters but others pretty obscure. One a month, ideal for the project.
 Image removed - see this blogger's post on copyright
That's decided then!

First month is a painting by Georges Croegaert called "la Liseuse"

It will be interesting to see how this develops as unlike last year I have no firm concepts of how this will work except it will be large (about 18x24) with Beads, embroidery, fabric and felt plus anything else I think will work!