My second treat last week

My other treat last week, and the main reason for my visit to Cambridge, was to catch the ERTF exhibition in Jesus Lane before it finished at the weekend.    So so glad I did.   There was a lovely welcome from the duty curators, who were helpful and friendly, but not overwhelming.   The textiles work was expertly displayed, plenty of room to stand back and admire from a distance.     And so much to admire.    My emotions swooped up and down - one minute borne up on the wings of  inspiration;  the next plummeting down into despondency at ever achieving anything half so good in my own work.    I was very taken with the textile sculptures, and was thrilled to bits to see a couple of pieces, which I have often pored over in one of my favourite books by Janet Edmonds  'three-dimensional EMBROIDERY'.  

But, of course, the biggest treat was seeing 'in the flesh' (literally!) Gina Ferrari's piece called Birth of Woman, illustrating her emergence from her roles as wife and mother, to be a woman in her own right.  The feminine curves of this Venus were expertly padded and shaded and it was a truly beautiful 'emergence' from the flat and rather ghostly background of the newspaper cuttings.   I wish you could have seen it!

So now off to finish packing for our little jaunt this week - dipping our toes in the Mediterranean.   No chance of me emerging from the waves looking like this Venus!