Collaboration With Joe Donohoe

Today I recorded a spoken word piece with good friend and composer/ambient musician Joe Donohoe. We will be working together for the duration of The Cure For Love project, translating my poetry and prose poetry on love into sound pieces. These will include sound textures from Walthamstow in East London, where we both hail from, together with Joe's own original compositions.

Joe performing Hope/For Daniel at the Secret Garden, at Bossanyi Studios in West London:

More on the E17 Art Trail

My work has been featured on the E17 Art Trail blog:

DAY THREE, "Don't be an artschool arsehole"

"I have always associated cross stitch with pricked fingers and a feeling of frustration from knotted thread that won't go through the eye of the needle. However, Kate Rolison's exhibit Literary Stitchery made me forget these memories and my prejudiced view that an embroidery exhibition would be annoyingly twee. Kate, who hails from the 'Stow and is a student at University College Falmouth, has stitched wryly amusing phrases that play with the idea of the tortured artist/writer and the pretentious art school student. "Don't be an artschool arsehole" is beautifully stitched and illustrated. Here are a few pictures, but you can see more and follow the progress of her project here. Literary Stitchery is on show in the window of 61 Somers Road so do peer in."

Some more feedback on my exhibition from the wonderful people of Walthamstow:

"Loved the mix of contemporary ideas with vintage lace/crochet and embroidery. I dabble a bit in embroidery but you've inspired me to add some "wordage" next time. Cheers!"

"Loved the humour - especially "He's just at artschool."

"Loved these a lot - great to see textile art on the trail. Well done."

"Loved it - beautifully executed, but also subversive and laugh-out-loud funny!"

"Kate - your work is amazing - both technically and creatively."

"I love the use of old table cloths, doilies, laces etc and I love the embroidery work. Not so sure about the text. Not sure if the words add anything good to the piece. Do keep using text but see if it is necessary."

"Charming combination of modern sentiment and old-world material."

"I really enjoyed your work, it's clever and skilful. I like the use of old place mats and needlework. Thank you for showing it. Please let me know of future projects."

"Love your wit, skill and craft! Congratulations, do add me to your mailing list - good luck with your show and thanks for letting us see your work."

And lastly some comments from my granddad to go alongside those from my grandma:

"You should get "A's" for all your "D's" - design, delicate needlework and drive to get your thoughts translated into your display. Very well done."

Too Wit To Woo

The text reads:

TOO WIT TO WOO

Too intellectual to function

Too intellectual to eat luncheon

I survive on a diet of musty books and air

I'm pallid and wan, I'm fey and fair

And I'm far too academic for affection

I'm hard at work practising the studious purse of my lips

I've hired horn rimmed glasses I can hardly see through

I've acquired a socially stunting lisp

My minds is filled with higher things

Than Gretna Green and wedding rings

And in the evening the owls coo

"Too wit to woo, too wit to woo".

Sparrow Heart

Dishwater Eyes

A complete poem in and of itself.

E17 Art Trail Exhibition

Literary Stitchery

"Literary Stitchery is a selection of modern text-based stitched works in cross stitch and hand embroidery sewn by Kate Rolison, a student at University College Falmouth but hailing from 'The Stow'.

Subverting the twee tradition of the medium, Literary Stitchery utilises punning and play on words, together with images rendered in stitch, to create a playful collection of embroidery.

Kate studies Performance Writing at University College Falmouth. Thus far, the course has involved spending considerable lengths of time inside a tree, amongst other things."

Today was the opening of my front-window exhibition as part of the E17 Art Trail, "Literary Stitchery", showcasing previous stitched works and a few pieces from The Cure For Love project. To celebrate I had a small tea party with family and friends.



We had goat's cheese and watercress and red onion and cheddar sandwiches, as well as asparagus and mayonnaise and home-made smoked salmon paté rolls, followed by four-nut chocolate brownies, vegan chocolate chip cookies, and clotted cream and strawberry jam scones, washed down with white wine and tea. It was the perfect excuse for me to wear a new tea dress!

Some visitors left comments about the exhibition:

"These are brilliant - love the way the "new" embroidery and the found pieces come together. Good luck with your degree!"

"Love all the birds in your embroidery - really intricate and lovely and strong messages."

"The detail in all your work is amazing! My favourite piece is "Stopper Your Heart" because of the intricacy. Well done!"

"I am in love with the embroidery work you have created. The themes of love and loss and the concept of the tortured artist really relates to my current work and is inspiring. Being able to convey these themes in such an elaborate way is also inspiring. I especially love the embroidery work for "Brief Encounter" and the embroidery work for "You had dishwater eyes..." Can't wait for you to produce more."

"Really lovely detail on each piece. Especially liked "Don't be an art school arsehole" and the owl, it's lovely! Detail on "Brief Encounter" is amazing too. Very impressed!"

 And finally one from my Grandma:

"A lovely surprise when we arrived to see the professional display of your embroidery. Your work has really improved and is so intricate. I especially like the "Brief Encounter" one. I'm sure you will go on improving and I feel very proud of you."

The Cure For Love

A title embroidery for the project. I may write a piece of poetry/prose to accompany it.

While I was stitching this design, I came across a remarkably similar ink drawing on Flickr. Coincidence?