I need to type this up now so I don't forget what we've just discussed or the ideas that have come to me during the discussion.
We've just given our first 'initial ideas' presentation and I think we (the whole class) agreed that handbags would be the way for me to go. This is great. This is the way I've been leaning too - doing a whole collection of bags, each describing something that has happened to me in the past - an event or a memory.
Some of my ideas so far are:
A razor bag - re my wedding day
A rock pool bag - re memories of when I was a kid
A family tree bag - I do come from an 'interesting' line!!!
A travel bag - with Erol the scorpion featuring heavily
There could be lots of ideas ... I need to sit back and remember!
Another idea that came up via Sophie was to do a small booklet with each bag which can describe the story behind the bag. For instance, Erol would be really hard to tell, just on his own, but with a book I could explain the whole saga behind him. AND, my dad's still got all my original e-mails which I could potential screen print or include within the books.
Things I could use to make the bags are razor blades - and perhaps latex dyed to the colour of flesh for maybe the lining or even the outside fabric of the bag, or maybe to use the latex as part of the booklet to go with the story. I could use a map for the travel bag, highlighting where I've travelled - and with it being made of paper, I could fold or pleat it and stitch it in unusual ways.
We were also thinking that each bag should be different - not just on subject matter but also on style - so a travel bag would be different to my razor blade bag etc - and for the family tree, I could use a different type of bag for each person - so a pauper would probably have a scruffy, dirty jute bag, my GI auntie would have a going out bag etc etc - all of which could be included in one large 'family' bag.
These are just quick ideas that are floating about in my head at the moment. I'm writing them down now so I don't forget. But this project, I think, will be fun for me to do and fun for the audience to see - and detailed enough to keep me busy for a year.
Anyway, that's it for now. I'm typing this up at school and if I stay on this computer for too long it will probably chuck me off and blow up, so I'll leave it here for now and carry on when I need to at home.
See ya ...
:o)
