My creative journey on my sabbatical in India and beyond
I had the opportunity of spending the evening and staying overnight in Margate with Louise. We had a fab time. I saw this wonderful exhibition too.
I have always loved this Dutch artist’s work. I first came across him in Jacky’s bedroom when I was a school girl on a sleepover. It was the picture of the hand drawing the hand. I went to this with Elle whom I met as a fabulous medical student and now she is a fabulous friend!
Another marvellous Hockney exhibition. He did this on his ipad in his penultimate year. Amazing. I went with my 2 old school friends. We have known each other for many decades. Nina from when I was 7 and Rebecca when I was 11.
Such a treat. Now on to M C Esher
I realised that when I went to Japan, I forgot to take any art materials. I like to start off every day doing something creative how silly or simplistic it is. I like to make 3 or 5 or 7 similar but slightly different pieces.
I am not sure where I bought the washi tape. But I didn’t have any scissors so had to tear it and wrap it round to the back. It is pretty transparent so you can see the colours behind. 21 July 26.
I found some lovely pieces of flat slate on the beach. I drew around them and then around them with more lines using different colours or the same pen with water smudging. 22 July 26.
I bought the googly eyes (thanks Galina) and adhesive sticky lilac/purple lace in a craft shop in Skibbereen. Now I had scissors I had a whale of a time! 24 July 26.
If you really want you can open the bag and have a cup of tea. Just make sure you replace the packet. That is why they are all sewn in with wool using a tapestry needle. 25 July 26. Then I sewed them all together like a book.
One of my colleagues was organising an art exhibition. So I thought. Why not enter some of these pieces and some new ones.
Hello, My name is Carly, What can I do for you today?
These were made using my stamps with cat washi tape on top to blur and hide them.
Then using a black biro and obfuscating this text with purple paint I added.
Why do I always have to conform to my woke organisations edicts?
Then adding to making a book theme I used some gold thread I found on the street to make them into a book that is only partially openable.
Here is the prep work!
On entering Mallety
Skies outside Mallety. Late August
I went for a glorious tea at Heron Gallery at Ahakista, West Cork. They sell these wooden kits designed by Anabel Langrish. Of course, I painted them purple.
This book was for 12 postcards. I used Phil’s washi tape and then wrote a heartfelt message for my wonderfully dear friends Fran and Phil for hosting me. It is such a nourishing time.
I made this piece with a rainbow coloured selection of wrapped sugar cubes and 7 black and 7 white babies. I asked my friends for witty title captions.
Michael. Found my sugar daddy, but he’s remarkably small and full of sucrose
Stephanie. Oops
Sandra. Who loves you baby? Who loves you? Daddy!
Tamar. Hmmmm it has the vibe of a gender reveal party without the gender!Â
Natalie. Daddy obsessionÂ
Bella. Baby daddies/Or babies daddy/Or babies daddies
Noa. Daddy, 2026. Mixed media, questionable genetics.
Tova. Racist Daddy: the story of why white babies are on top.
Rae. Gene pool
Christian. Bold choice to have the white babies on top. I’m trying to think of something… So far, I’ve come up with this: Colours. UnNatural Selections. Paternal Constraints. Colours – Make It Anywhere. UnNatural Selections – Make It Anywhere.
Irene looked it up on ChatGPT.
I had an A5 book with 15 pages. I thought they would all stick together but they didn’t so I had to tape them all! I made this for Catherine. It is clearly tongue in cheek.
Hey there. Which do you prefer? Cats or babies? Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Justify with facts not feelings.
I had another postcard book of 12 A6 size. I used small origami papers from the Tokyo Origami Museum. Let’s face it. I am not that good at origami.
I’d like to think I’m good at origami. I’m not. Oh dear. This was under different coloured crayons. I do so love cats. They are terrific and utterly unpredictable often. This was in pencil at the bottom and sometimes hiding. Then I sewed it all together with embroidery thread so you would need to concentrate with reading it all!
Maria and Christian gave me a beautiful octopus as a leaving present. It came with a card (see at the end). Octopus likes to go on journeys. A bit like all the Barbies – they (M and C) were both great fans and went back to Germany with one of my pieces – Trafficked Barbies. These photos are in no particular order but are taken from mid-July 2026 onwards.
Simon and I went on a 3 day trip to Cork before joining friends in Schull. We had a number along the beach. Here are some of my photographs. It was a wonderful time staying at the Inchydoney Island Hotel. Wonderful food and spectacular views.
I asked Natalie Smith to bring out a load of babies. One bag of mixed colurful ones and one of pastel/beige/brown babies. I used them in varoius projects – particularly on shoes and candles. But I had this pregnant Barbie who did star in an album as Kwashiorkor Barbie (she really did look malnourished with stick thin legs) but then she just went back to being pregnant. There are many mix ups with the transfer of correct embryo and usually most couples are pleased that the baby is the same colour of them. This was the inspiration behind IVF Barbie and her worries and concerns. Twins are now much rarer in IVF but still common.
Not everyone is happy with this but for sure it is trying to be a playful take on a genuine error and concern of couples undergoing IVF/ICSI. I suspect with the new DNA testing kits there will be more errors detected
I cannot remember now who bought me the white Barbie but Simon bought me the black one in Cyprus! I decided to make them a lesbian couple and they could go on some adventures. I was invited by a new friend Sigal Kersh to go on a trip up north.We visited the control and warehouse for Brothers and Sisters of Israel who manage the volunteer programmes so that the right people get the right stuff (soldiers/Druze villagers etc) and they have a whole cadre of volunteers. This was in Alonai Abba. Then we went up to the Lebanon border, saw some tunnels built by Hezbollah which were deactivated and collapsed and had a kurdish lunch in a small village. Finally, there was a photoshoot in Container House 3 in the Jaffa Port and many of the participants posed with Barbeh and Barbah. On the way home they posed in some acrylic paint on the pavement. And finally with my three pets!
Maria and Christian are leaving Israel soon to return to Germany. Stephanie was staying for a few weeks in Mevo Beitar so we decided to get an AirBnB and join her. What a wonderful weekend. Full of fun, dogs, walks and eating with laughter.
Flora 1
Flora 2
Flora 3
Art around the place!
Carly, Stephanie, Maria and Christian.
Rui, Taiyo and Talulah
I am not sure how many of these came about. But some I do!
