Robert Dick was the last person to see inside this press - it is still as he left it - full of papers and grasses. He died in 1866.

A book of ferns

Today I photographed Robert Dicks book of ferns.  Delicious colours of plants and faded tissue papers............ A new body of work........  inspired by this book ...........hmmmmmmmmm

 

Robert Dick baker & botanist of Thurso 1811-1866.

Iceland ~ Slovakia ~ Scotland

I've been invited to participate in the Gruntvig programme BOTH (Beauty of Textile Heritage), a collaboration between makers from Scotland, Slovakia and Iceland.

 

We will gather next week in Auchindrain.  My bags are packed and hands well practiced for sharing my 'grass weaving' skills, Angus MacPhee style, as this is why I've been invited along.  I want to investigate the ancient textile technique of "Vattarsaumur" which pre-dates knitting. It is known as naalbinding in Scandinavian countries, and knotless knitting or looping in the UK.   Made using short lengths, the entire thread your working with is passed through a loop, unlike knitting or crochet.  Like knitting and crochet, there are many many different variations on vattersaumur.  A technique developed by different isolated cultures, from South America to Australian Aborigines , they all came up with variations of what Angus MacPhee used, all using materials they had to hand.

 

 

 

The second time we gather will be in September, in Iceland, staying near Selfoss about 40km from Reykjavik.  

Your Hands Remember

I have again been busy making more grass 'weavings', replicas of Angus Macphee's for Joyce Laing, at Art Extraordinary in Pittenweem Fife.  The top photo - Angus's original garment with the black background, and my replica with the grey background. The gallery is now closed, but her collection will be going to the Glasgow Museums resource Centre, along with my replicas, later this year. But before that, they will be on display in Perth Museum (I don't know the dates yet).  My replicas are not as precious as Angu's original's wich are now old and each time you touch them, they shed another handful or so of grass fragments.  My replicas have been on display at the StAnza 2013 poetry festival in St. Andrews. Click here  for pics of the ghostly garments hanging on stage behind the performers. 

Your hands remember.
Recently I a made another pair of grass shoes for Joyce, and now I'm working on a few grass 'pouches' with very long handles. 

There are now 3 pairs of replica Angus Shoes, one is currently on display with Whitworth Art Gallery Manchester as part of their Linking and Looping project, another pair are currenly being exhibited in Devon as part of Basketry and Beyond Festival in the exhibtion From Bare Stems. Click here for more info on the basetry exhibition which is on till the begining of  June and festival in May.

Joanne's pressed herbarium sheets

As I wait for my new flower presses, acid free paper, labels and tape to arrive - here are a couple of pressed plant samples I made a while ago.
With the help of my mum, I'm planning to make a pressed herbarim of plants growing in my own field,and to contrast, I have also enlisted the help of my uncle in Devon who will do the same on his own land.  A contrast of what's growing in the north and south of the UK. 

"The Herbarium as Muse: Plant Specimens as Inspiration"

Thanks to Prof of Biology Maura C Flannery:

For the Press pack:

American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston

 

"The Herbarium as Muse: Plant Specimens as Inspiration"

                                                          Friday, February 15 2013

 

 

Prof of Biology Maura C Flannery

Director, Center for Teaching and Learning

St. John's University
Jamaica, NY 11439
718-990-1860
http://stjohns.academia.edu/MauraFlannery

 
http://stjohns.academia.edu/MauraFlannery

YouTube - all about portable museum of Curiosity inspired by Robert Dick baker botanist of Thurso 1811-1866

 

 

 

 

“The Portable Museum of Curiosity is available for schools, colleges, community groups and museums, galleries and other heritage organisations to borrow. If you would like to borrow the Portable Museum of Curiosity please contact

 Joanne Howdle, Curator,

 Caithness Horizons

by telephone on

01847 896508

or e-mail: joannehowdle@caithnesshorizons.co.uk

Boxes

My portable museum of curiosity is now in Caithness Horizons Museum, Thurso where it is available for schools, groups, heritage centres, museums........to borrow. 

 

On the right is Robert Dick's original moss collecting box. On the left is my new portable museum of curiosity which opens out to tell the story of what happened to the plants after Robert Dick picked them.

Finished! Portable Museum of Curiosity inspired by Robert Dick Baker & Botanist of Thurso 1811-1866

 

 I'm delivering it to Caithness Horizons Museum this week - it's new home.

It will be available for groups, schools, museums, heritage centres......to borrow.

Doing the finishing touches to a short DVD about my work inspired by Robert Dick - featuring the box!

 

top drawer - portable museum of curiosity

All bugs, moths, butterflies, beetles and baking stuff now stuck into my portable museum of curiosity. 

Portable Museum of Curiosity

 

 

All image panels have now been printed onto canvas, and outlined with black linen - (inspired by the traditional black museum boxes in the drawers.  Images and objects about conservation have been added. I've been playing around with the top compartment - 4 small museum boxes fit snugly under the pop-up wild flower shelf. Next to them sits the biography by Samuel Smiles printed in 1878 (sent to me by Faisal Grant who found it in a charity shop - I've included a note inside the book cover about this contemprary 'botanical' exchange.  Next to the book, a large wooden spoon and metal scoop, a reference to baking.

 

I'm getting down to the detail and checking my text before these are printed and the final panels and flaps can be added. I've a few moths and beetles to make. The end is in sight........... then it's  back to the bakers peel.

And closed ...........

 

 

Robert Dick Bakery School - is now closed! A big thank you to Lynda at Caithness Horizons museum for the baking sessions. Delish!!

Technical Stuff - Portable museum of Curiosity - Robert Dick Baker & Botanist of Thurso 1811-1866

 

The technical stuff - making sure the wild flowers will Pop-up.

 

Portable Museum of Curiosity - trying out images on the new metal box - all had to be re-printed to fit. The final images will be printed onto canvas.

 

New Portable Museum of Curiosity - the metal construction.

The top compartment has a metal corner in the middle of it - this is to keep the 1878 biography of Robert Dick in place. The Lid has a slow, down stay so it won't trap your fingers.

Open then closed.

 

South Georgia Daisy

Yes, I am still researching info for my  project to discover if the Senecio smithii DC (Magellan Ragwort) was indeed introduced to Scotland by whalers visiting South America. The Senecio smithii DC is a native plant of South America.  I've been researching this for a few years now,  inching forward - as it gets put to the back of the list while  working on projects which pay the bills!  Click the tab at the top for the story so far.

 

And more news of this daisy.............

 

Earlier this year I was invited to attend the 'Woven Communities' Symposium in St. Andrews in the Anthropology Dept.  A fantastic gathering of experts from around the world, including Shetland. Dr Ian Tait, Curator for Shetland Museum & Archives, and Ewen Balfour - master craftsman and kishie maker. Both have been in touch with info about the Senecio smithii DC .

 

The Senecio smithii DC (Magellan Ragwort) is apparently known by many different names.

In Caithness it's the Magellan Daisy.

In Shetand it's known as the Australian Daisy, New Zealand Daisy and also the South Georgia Daisy. 

Both Ewen says has it growing hear where he works, and Ian has it in his garden. 

 

Ewan e-mailed info about Shetland Photographer, Bobby Tulloch.  To see the 3 images of the Senecio smithii DC  taken by Bobby click here  

I'll leave you to click on the photos to reveal dates, names and places..........all adding a bit more to the mystery.

 

My Portable Museum of Curiosity.

 

 

 

 

The outside is made from re-claimed metal, re-using old handles and hinges. The curly metal clasp is new - the shape inspired by the one on the original moss collecting box used by Robert Dick 1811-1866.

 

 

Pop-up wild flowers.

I'm still looking through the hundreds of flowers in the Robert Dick Collection, and trying to narrow it down to just a select few to feature as the pop-up's in the portable museum of curiosity. Today I stuck at it and (for now!!) These are my chosen 5.  They were all found in Caithness by Robert Dick and have been selected for conservation.

 

I'm trying to get bold images with a variety of leaf shapes - and not making them to scale.

My small museum boxes arrived too - the 4 boxes with glass fronts which will fit snugly under the shelf. I plan to make a series of insects /butterflies /moths  for these.

The inside of the lid, I think will be left - showing the metal. This is the cardboard prototype.

 

From Left to Right:

Shepherds Purse

Foxglove

Goldenrod

Black Bearberry

( I'm wondering if thi is now known as Arctic Bearberry? )

Sundew