FOUR STORIES

The Elephant that Never Forgot: paper based construction containing a private letter and dragging an eroded piece of wood painted with an “E”

Canvas house: sea washed bricks with text

House for a Clever Pig: canvas house and sea washed bricks with text

Lichen covered house containing peach stones collected from beneath a dying peach tree in my garden

Towering: lichen covered construction containing peach stones collected from beneath a dying peach tree in my garden

Selling Fair Winds to Sailors: painted canvas structure containing shells, each selected for having a hole in them

THE STORY OF GOOSIE

Goosie: kid glove stuffed with goose down

The Snow Queen/Goosie: mixed media on paper

Pillow Goose: mixed media on paper

The Clue: mixed media on paper

Goosie- Girl: mixed media on paper

Of ice and feathers (Snow Queen): mixed media on paper

Maiden: paper based construction containing a blown egg

MOSSYCOAT

Coat made from moss on a paper ground: snail shell buttons

“Mossycoat” : paper, moss, snail shells, gold thread.
“Mossycoat” is a gypsy version of Cinderella: however in this story the heroine, Mossycoat, has a mother who makes her daughter a magical coat from moss and gold thread which can transport her to where she wants to be. The mother instructs her daughter to wish herself to be at a grand house and seek work: on arrival at the house Mossycoat is given the most menial jobs to do because, although liked by the mistress of the house, she is resented by her fellow servants. She wears a dress of feathers to a party at the house and the owner’s son falls in love with her: she has to magic herself via the mossycoat back to the kitchen at midnight.She loses a slipper and as with Cindrella is found to be the love of the son when trying this on.
In the original text , which is written in wonderful Northumbrian dialect, Mossycoat’s feet are described as being only six inches long- the size of my daughter’s feet aged around 3. Accordingly I made the moss coat to fit her at that age.