Sampling Week 1 continued:  Mark Making:

·       During the first drawing week I decided on my ‘On location’ theme, I wanted to explore the folklore and customs found in my hometown Stroud. This is a continuation of my CP1 essay Thread-lore: Exploring the interwoven relationship of British Textiles and Folklore. I identified the main customs and practices still taking place in Stroud mostly through books, my favourites being ‘Discovering English customs and Traditions’ by Margaret Gascoigne and ‘Gloucestershire Folk tales’ by Anthony Nanson. From my research I was able to weave a tapestry, embroidering symbols relating to each tradition, from left to right: Morris dancing, Mummers plays, Clypping Painswick’s church, Bisley Well dressing, The Minchinhampton Longstone, Stroud Wassail, Pagan hill Maypole, Randwick Wap and Hetty Pegler’s Tump.  Later, in the week I went Mud-larking along the banks of the River Severn (A mudlark is someone who scavenges in river mud for items of value) to gather mark making tools. The local lore of this river is that a princess was drowned there and still haunts its waters. I found a cow rib, old bones, Devils toenails (local name for a common fossilised oyster) and a lump of quartz. I also went on a walk round Uffington white horse to collect some tools, I decided to use these tools because they would be able to make more textured marks and I wanted to make some colour swatches from them.