News #Textile art

Yesterday I got this picture back from the framer. I made it just after I came home from hospital after the heart incident. I felt lind of shattered and confused and tried to express these feelings in the face of the portrait through the eyes and the layered material in different shades. My dog Ghwyny always senses how I feel, I call her my therapy dog, because she is so sensitive and always comes to comfort me ,when I feel bad.She was obviously disturbed by the heart incident and sometimes I think she knew in advance. She behaved very odd in the days leading to the incident. Anyway, I wanted to capture all this and I'm happy with the result. 

I entered this work for the portrait competition of the Knitting and Stitching Show.

 Watch this space!!

So many things have happened....I don't even know where to start!

Well, you all know we are still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, which has changed our lives in a way, we never expected. For me the most significant change is in our social relationships, how we connect with people and our attitude towards each other. I'm sure it will change our lives forever. But you know all this from your own experiences.

Some weeks ago, I got a commission from a lovely lady, who wanted me to make a portrait of her family. They are a family very connected to nature, specially to out beautiful area around the jurassic coast . They are interested in the animals and plants , love walking and exploring Chesil beach and observing the changes of the seasons. She asked me to make the portraits in my usual style, which I did, as you can see here. I think she liked it very much!

The Heart incident

On the day I finally took the picture to my framer, I had a little meeting with some other artists about a project on our island,. During the meeting I suddenly felt very weird, cold and nauseous and I felt a sharp pain in my upper back.  I thought I had pulled a muscle or trapped a nerve..

To cut a long story short, In this moment I has a spontaneous tear in my coronary artery which then caused a heart attack. I made it home somehow, but was taken to hospital in an ambulance half an hour later.

After several tests and an angiogram in hospital, it was confirmed, even the doctors couldn't believe it. Nobody imagined I could have a heart attack, because I don't fit the profile and don't have any risk factors, I'm fit, eat a healthy diet, do a lot of exercise and I'm not overweight

By now I have learned that I had a SCAD, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, a rather rare condition. So far there is not known a lot about this condition, nobody knows why it happens and how to prevent it. There is a research project in the UK, where I take part in and hope to contribute to some new  insights. For now, I have to rest for a few months till the tear is healed, have to take a lot of medication every day and wait  how it goes.

Here is the artwork about the 'Heart Incident'

The heart incident has changed my life considerably. I'm aware of the fact that it can happen again and that I could die, but I'm also determined to make the most of my life.

A lot has happened in the last few months, Open for Art was a huge success, I sold all of the sea life series, I took part in a few other exhibitions and sold the 3 large women and a few of the small ones too. I obviously have to get going and create something new.

The most important news is probably that one of my works is accepted by the South West Academy of Fine Art for their annual open exhibition in Exeter castle.

You can see my entry here

https://www.southwestacademy.org.uk/antje-rook-19 

The work accepted is a little different from my usual art. It is a little dress, titled 'Childhood Dreams'

The artwork is an old fashioned child's nightdress with images of happy dreams and the face of a little girl on the front and some terrifying images of the little girl in different situations, where she is scared and trying to hide on the back.

The inspiration for this work came from my work as Psychotherapist in Germany, where I used to work with victims of sexual abuse.

The two sides of the dress represent the reality, the back of the dress with all its fears and hopeless feelings and the imaginary fantasy world on the front, with a hiding place, a friendly dragon and some happy imaginations. Sometimes the only way to cope with reality, is to escape to a better world in their imagination.

I used the more subtle embroidery and the dull colours on the back to represent how difficult it is for abused children to let others see their reality.

The fisherman's wife was the first of a series of women's portraits. They all are identified trough men, their husband, their fathers, their brothers etc. My intention is, to show how much identity, character and expression they have as independent persons.  For me it is significant to do this in a traditional 'female' medium, sewing and embroidery, technics which still struggle to get recognized in the art world.

'The fisherman's wife' is now sold and goes to a good home in Montana/USA

After having finished the fisherman's wife, the herbalist's daughter and the beekeeper's sister I realized how much I have enjoyed making these! Therefore I want to make a piece which builds up on these 3 ladies.

Here is the plan: A large piece which consists of 12 individual pieces, all woman, but not identified through men, but with their own profession and title. 4 are finished already, they are approximately 15 cm X 15 cm each.

The artist, the fisherwoman, the beachcomber and the dressmaker!

New prints available, now on special offer just in time for Christmas!

mounted small print, approximately 40x40 cm now £50

unmounted small print £ 40

mounted large print approximately 65x65 cm now £70

large unmounted print cm now £ 60

series of all 3 small  mounted now  £130

series of all 3 large mounted now £190

the 3 womwn are back from the framer and I'm very happy how they look now! See yourself!

If you want to see a selection of my work and are looking for a Christmas present, why not visit the Engine Room in Poundbury, enjoy some of their delicious cakes and have a stroll through the Winter-Wonderland in the garden centre?

When ' The fisherman's wife' went on her journey to Montana, I was a little upset, because I had just finished her and she was gone. I know she has found a good home now, but I missed her anyway. Therefore I made 'The fisherman's wife II'. 

I'm now working on portrait number 2, 'the herbalist's daughter'.

She is not finished yet, but I show you a little glimpse. I think I have to do something with the background, at least that's what my friend said. And because she is a wise woman, I will do so.