Busy, busy being creative..!

Monday 20 March 2023

Episode No. 4 - Some exciting news, update & puppets



Hello there! Here I am, back with another update!

EXCITING NEWS! One of my short films – the one about making oil paint from red ochre found in the Mendips, has been accepted to be shown at the Homegrown Shorts Film festival at the Curzon Cinema in Clevedon on the 23rd March!! 

OMG, my little film will be on the BIG SCREEN! I’ve delayed telling you, as I wanted to make sure it was going to be high enough resolution to actually be shown – and all’s good – so this is mega exciting! 

From the trailer, it looks like there will be some fantastic films. I’m really looking forward to it and also feeling a bit nervous. Excited nervous. Links for more info about the festival are at the bottom of this post.

So, that’s my BIG news. This episode also includes my recent trip to Manchester to see the Mackinnon and Saunders exhibition at Waterside Arts, as well as a visit to the archives of Cosgrove Hall Films who produced Danger Mouse, Count Duckula and Chorlton and the Wheelies – among many others!! Hope you enjoy the tour…!

Additional notes & links relating to the update video:

  • Home Grown Shorts - https://www.curzon.org.uk/film/homegrown-shorts-2023/
  • https://www.facebook.com/GrowYourShorts/

Audio Books: Did you know you can listen to audio books through your local library? Mine is Libraries West https://www.librarieswest.org.uk/client/en_GB/default so check your local library and try it for yourself. I LOVE it! The Seven Sisters Book I listened to was book 2 – The Storm Sister [My sister got me on to this series]: https://lucindariley.co.uk/seven-sisters-series/

  • Waterside Arts: https://watersidearts.org/
  • MacKinnon & Saunders: Website: https://www.mackinnonandsaunders.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mackandsaund/
  • Amanda Thomas – Head of Costume at Mackinnon & Saunders: https://www.instagram.com/amandathomas_creative/
  • Archie Animated Film: https://youtu.be/5c9wtTqMT0E
  • Cosgrove Hall Films Archive: https://www.cosgrovehallfilmsarchive.co.uk/
  • Chorlton and the Wheelies: https://youtu.be/Tos8Ao9JrdM
  • Danger Mouse – The Custard Episode: https://youtu.be/kzeLAr9wygY
  • Count Duckula: https://youtu.be/cEvtdTaBzWU
  • Jamie and the Magic Torch: https://youtu.be/5ntylpZWn_M

What is the UK Islands Project?

In 2017, I visited a different Island a month, and I am creating artworks, short stories and whatever each island inspires me to create in response to my exploration. 

To read about the project, visit my blog here: http://www.morwhenna.com/p/uk-islands-project-2017.html

Looe Island is now cared for by the brilliant Cornish Wildlife Trust and you can find out more about visiting and / or staying on Looe Island here: https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/looe-island/canvas-holidays

I visited and stayed on Looe Island in September 2017 - yes, I know - It's taken me this long to get to working on it ;-D

Until next time!

Happy Creative Adventuring

Morwhenna

x

Thursday 26 January 2023

Episode 3 UK Islands Project Update: Looe Island & Other Stuff

 


Hello! I'm back with another update!

If you are subscribed to my YouTube channel [thank you!], you might have already seen this video - so feel free to skip watching it again :-D.

If this is all new to you - settle in for a few minutes [bit of a longer episode this one] for me to share the projects updates with you - and as the film references - a few other things that have happened I've included some additional notes below...

Additional Notes & links relating to the update video:

The Majorelle Garden is a one-hectare botanical garden and artist's landscape garden in Marrakech, Morocco. It was created by the French Orientalist artist Jacques Majorelle over almost forty years, starting in 1923, and features a Cubist villa designed by the French architect, Paul Sinoir in the 1930s. 

In 1980, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, who first arrived in Morocco in 1966, purchased the Jardin Majorelle to save it from destruction at the hands of hotel developers. The new owners decided to live in Jacques Majorelle’s villa, which they renamed the Villa Oasis. 

“For many years, the Jardin Majorelle has provided me with an endless source of inspiration, and I have often dreamt of its unique colours.” Yves Saint Laurent.

On the Instagram there’s examples of the different postcards designed by Yves Saint Laurent

  • Composer Prof. Andrew Hugill

Enjoy a virtual visit to Looe Island created by the composer Andew Hugill, who has so very kindly given me permission to use some of his music on my own short Film about Looe Island

Listen to Andrew’s Looe Island Symphony and read about the story of the symphony here.

  • London Writers' Salon and The Writers Hour

  • The Helsinki Bus Theory – was coined by Finnish-American photographer Arno Minkkinen in 2004 – read the article by Oliver Burkman here  STAY ON THE BUS!! ;-D

Books I mention:

  • Stop Motion – Susannah Shaw [Third Edition]
  • The Island House – Mary Considine

What is the UK Islands Project?

In 2017, I visited a different Island a month, and I am creating artworks, short stories and whatever each island inspires me to create in response to my exploration. To read about the project, go here.

Looe Island is now cared for by the brilliant Cornish Wildlife Trust and you can find out more about visiting and / or staying on Looe Island here: https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org... I visited and stayed on Looe Island in September 2017 - yes, I know - It's taken me this long to get to working on it ;-D

Reminder: Done is better than perfect ;-D

Until next time!

Happy Creative Adventuring

Morwhenna

x

Monday 9 January 2023

UK Islands Project Update: Looe Island - Episode 2

Hello! I'm back with another update - later than I'd planned, [I actually started writing this last November!] 

If you are subscribed to my YouTube channel [thank you!], you might have already seen this video - so feel free to skip watching it again :-D.

If this is all new to you - settle in for a few minutes for me to share the projects updates with you - and as the film references - a few other things that have happened I've included some additional notes below...

I failed to film another update before Christmas, so will be doing an update this week as there have been some exciting things to share. ;-D

Additional Notes relating to the update video:

Luke Jerram's Gaia at Wells Cathedral

Have you seen this or his moon artworks? I FINALLY got to see the world, which was made really impressive by its location. It's on permanent tour, and you can see if it's going to be coming to you by visiting the website here: my-earth.org/

My sister and I didn't spend that long there, as we were on route to the Wells Literary Festival - which I'd fully recommend. It's been going for 30 years, and yet, this was the first time I'd even been. I managed to secure lunch tickets for us before the event with Kate Humble, and our timing was perfect as we actually ended up sitting on the same table as her along with 4 other women. That was fun and relaxed, it was great having the opportunity to ask Kate about her next projects and if she has any particular process - which she does - but running a small holding, she finds it near impossible to stick to - so it's very much more about grabbing the time to write when she can! 

You can find out more about Kate and what courses they're running here: www.katehumble.com. I was really inspired by her determination and fighting spirit. How she gets stuck right in to whatever she is doing. I've got her 'Thinking on my Feet' book to read, and my sister kindly bought be a copy of Kate's new cookbook for my birthday - I've already made a few recipes from it, and they've all been delicious so far. Happy 'Tasty' Days!

TedEx Bath

An excellent event and all the speakers are now available online to watch on YouTube: [Search for TedExBath 2022]: 

The speakers I really enjoyed and learnt from included:

From Art to AI: Robots Are For Everyone | Ruby Sant | TEDxBath

What If You Could Do Anything? | Aliénor Salmon | TEDxBath

Children Can Do More Than You Think | Max Woosey | TEDxBath

Speakers list from 2022 - There is lots of interesting and inspiring content here: www.tedxbath.co.uk/speakers

Details for this year's event will be published on their website here: www.tedxbath.co.uk/

World Textiles Day:

http://worldtextileday.co.uk/

Janice Gunner Textile Artist:

https://www.instagram.com/janicegunne...

https://www.janicegunner.co.uk/


Until next time!

Happy Creative Adventuring

Morwhenna

x

















Just a few of the photos I took of Luke Jerram's Gaia at Wells Cathedral.

Friday 6 January 2023

The Magical Animal for 2023

It took me a while to settle on a Magical Animal for 2023 until 'Lightbulb Moment' and it was my own cat, Timmy, who seemed to 'step up' to the role. Seeing that Timmy is such a confident character, he was able to impart some words of wisdom when I asked him about cultivating confidence....

"The way to confidence is by doing the doings. So go do."

He's wise is Timmy, as he knows that taking actions and 'doing the doings' helps to build confidence. It's part of The Confidence Cycle. There's an interesting article here about some research behind this:How taking action and failing often will increase your confidence.

TimmyCat also said he’d like to appear in Times Square 😆 - you know on a billboard all lit up like!! / told you he was confident! :-D

As a New Year's gift, I'll send out a Magical Animal postcard [for free] to the next THREE people who sign up to my newsletter [link is in the panel on the right handside]- pls let me have your name and address, and I'll write you a little message and post one to you as soon as they arrive from the printers.

If you aren't one of the lucky three this time - I'm also selling postcards if you'd like to have some for yourself and send to your friends and family who might appreciate a little boost for the year ahead. 

You can pre-order a pack now if you'd like to, ;-D I'll be selling them in packs of 3 for £3 or 5 for £5 plus £1.50 for p&p. If you're interested, please send me a message with how many postcards you'd like, your address, and I'll send you a payment link. Thank you! 

AND there will also be MUGS!! I'm having a few made up in different colours as a test - and seeing that I've already had an order for one, will also be offering these too. I'll share more details of these once the samples have arrived and can share photos of the different colours - which are - Yellow, Pink [pictured below], Blue and Green.

As I'll be getting these printed on demand, I'll need to have a certain number ordered before I can place the order, so there might be a bit of a delay before you receive your mug as they aren't something I'll keep in stock here. I'll keep you fully updated and hope that you understand this way of working!

My your year ahead be filled with wonder and creativity and the confidence to go after those dreams of yours.

Morwhenna x


Screen shots of mug samples I'm having made up.

Thursday 29 September 2022

On seeing things through

 


It’s been a long time since I’ve written to you and, like many people, I’ve been struggling. I’ve been struggling with life really and with how our current world and society is panning out. Most of the time I’m asking why is this happening and how can that be allowed to happen [I have written to my MP], and for the most part, I have felt heavily weighed down by it all. I have felt unmotivated, despondent and deeply apathetic.

I’d somehow forgotten ALL the things that actually helped to support me, and I had forgotten how to do these things, which is weird! It seems to be a fault of being human, that even though we KNOW what’s good for us, we don’t do it. Or we do the opposite and then wonder why we feel s*hitty.

It’s definitely something that I’m getting curious about again and asking myself ‘why’ and then really, I mean really listening to the answers that pop up. It can be surprising, painful [sometimes] but always illuminating. Bear with me, though – I promise things have taken a turn for the better and I have made a commitment to myself that what I can do is to see through my creative projects, no matter what. The good, the bad and the ugly!

You might have guessed that I’m talking about my long-standing UK Islands project that I started in 2017. I have felt shame about it taking so long and for one reason or another not being able to finish it, and beating myself up about why can’t I just do it? It’s not really that hard! Well, until you overthink things, or get distracted or lose motivation, or wonder why you are doing it in the first place, but I KNOW deep down how important completing this project is for Me, and really that’s the only person I need to impress. Yes, of course I want you and everyone to like it and for it to generate complimentary comments – but actually by not doing it, the only person who’s really missing out and suffering is me. [Have you got a creative project that you're working on, or would like to be working on, and can resonate with this?]

So, I am saying it here – I am seeing it through, no matter what, to the end.

Yes, I am working on this becoming a book and I have publishers to pitch to, so I'm figuring out how to go about this…

Yes, I have big ideas of how I would like the films to look that have been bubbling away in my imagination for the past few years, I have accepted that they might not turn out exactly like that, and Yes, some of what I create and produce might start out a bit rubbish, but actually, I can’t know how to improve on that unless I actually make a start and DO IT! All nothing new here – but something I’ve had to strongly remind myself of.

So in the spirit of diving-in, earlier this week I filmed my first proper ‘UK Islands Project’ talking to camera and everything update. And I shared it on YouTube, and in the process of doing that I discovered something unexpected and hilarious that has had me laughing ever since.

I couldn’t figure out how to get YouTube to create automatic captions for my video [I’m sure it’s done that before] so I used some software to transcribe the audio. The software didn’t quite interpret what I said correctly, so I had to make some corrections – for example Looe Island to the software was either Lulu or Blue island – so I corrected those plus a few other minor corrections, but one, ONE was just too funny not to leave exactly as it was. I’ve included a screenshot below – can you spot it? Or if you’d like to watch my first ‘talking to camera project update’ you can watch that and turn CC on to look out for the funny caption. I hope you enjoy the film.

 
This small thing reminded me just how much I love the random fun that does happen when developing creative work. And that’s actually one of the things I love about creating – those totally 'random', 'unexpected' things that happen as a result of taking action.
 
That’s it for now, as I am really reconnecting with you after a long time, I do hope that you'll join me on completing this creative adventure. I will be in touch with you more often as I work on this project.  Take care and see you soon!
 
PS, if you want to know when the next update is live on YouTube, best to subscribe to my channel as I’ll be uploading there first.

Happy Adventuring and to seeing things through.

Morwhenna
xx





Thursday 15 October 2020

LAUNCH DAY!!!



Very excited that Launch Day for my NEW collection inspired by the Isle of Portland has finally arrived!

To view the full collection fly on over to my Folksy shop here: https://folksy.com/shops/Morwhenna

THANK YOU!

Morwhenna xx