Softearth's World: September 2011

Friday, September 30, 2011

I rather like birds

This Mother Bird is sitting on eggs

In a nest I found on the ground

It is a rather cool wall creation

I had fun making it

I am going to make more for a Waldorf School Christmas Fair

Love and light Marie

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Making a "Little Person"

My New Zealand friend Alex is a wonderful sewer.

Do pop over to her blog and see how she makes these delightful "Little People"

Click here to view.

Love and light Marie

Little Fairy

I spotted this little Fairy at a local festival on the weekend

I knew I had some roses at home, and thought she would be lovely on a little wreath

Just the thing for a sweet wee child to hang in their bedroom.

Love and light Marie

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Waldorf Postcards - Needle felted photo art

Creating postcards of my art work gives me a memory to keep

I also think they are rather cool

Love and light Marie

Sunday, September 25, 2011

I have just meet Martin on Etsy and thought I would share with you his lovely creations
He has only opened his shop in August

Do visit his Etsy shop, click here, to view

It works out that a friend of his taught my daughter maths at Taikura Rudolf Steiner school here in New Zealand, it is a small world.

A Bit about Martin and his figures

Hello and welcome to a new service to Eurythmists and any other interested Individuals!

My name is Martin van Walsum - living at present in County Kilkenny in the South East of Ireland. Born in the Netherlands to Anthroposophist parents. Moved to UK where I attended Waldorf (Steiner) Schools right through from Kindergarten. Quite some time on - my second wife studied Eurythmy in Budapest where I was asked to do a block course for the students - facilitating them to paint a set of 36 Eurythmy Figures.

For the un-inititiated, Rudolf Steiner (founder of Anthroposophy), whilst developing and initiating the new movement art of Eurythmy (amongst many other initiatives), drew some black and white figures of many of the basic gestures involved in the art. The colours specified for the different aspects were noted alongside but not painted. Thus, although for instance bluish green is a clear indication of colour, this leaves an enormous range of variation which is left to the individual artist to explore and live into!

I personally find them very stylised and hip! Although they were created almost a century ago, to me they are exceeding modern. Eurythmy is a powerful medium - not only of expression, but also lending itself to the possibility of deep holistic healing when thoroughly penetrated.

The Figures come 'Ready Painted' or 'Ready to Paint'.
Figures are cut out from quality 6mm Birch Multyply. Each Figure template is individually and selectively placed on the sheet to hand, with the aim of harmonising and hopefully even accentuating the figures. Therefore there will be no possibility of two identical figures being cut. My intuition and the available placement possibilities at the time of ordering will dictate how any individual figure will appear where the grain is concerned. Every effort is made to ensure reasonably faithful and accurate renderings of Rudolf Steiner's original black and white drawings with here and there some interpretation being made by myself. The edges are smoothed off slightly.

Bases are also from the same sheets but are of double thickness. These are coated with a single layer of Acrylic Matt varnish to protect from dirt. The figures are not glued into the base unless requested - enabling easier transportation and, in the case of unpainted figures, facilitating the painting process.

The Figures are painted using watercolour paints for the 'Bewegung' (Movement) and 'Gefuhl' (Feeling). Coloured pencils are used for the 'Character'. Painting these figures is a meditative work and the colours will therefore vary considerably and it is impossible to guarantee the end results (hence the low cost to you for this aspect of the service). Obviously I will make endeavours to obtain relatively similar effects but these will also be considerable variant according to the grain pattern. I would highly recommend you undertake the painting yourselves! It can be a powerfully invigorating and developmental eurythmy excercise!

In Summary, I happily undertake the painting of any or all of the figures you wish to order but kindly ask your acceptance of the result with a modicum of anticipation and possible tolerance! Of course, I won't send anything which doesn't pass my own quality control!

Love and light Marie