The new project for Thames Valley Contemporary Textiles is to be 'Halfway between'. We brainstormed the idea through a range of methods - talking, writing and words, images, paper collage and 3-d collage.
We came up with loads of ideas in a relatively short space of time, and I'm sure there are many more ...

Briefly summarising a few of the responses, some of the themes that could be explored include:

Interpretation as a phrase
Point of view - Specific, precise or vague, ambiguous
Best of both worlds
Compromise by committee
Neither one thing or the other or is it just right?
A stage in a process, a point in a transformation
The missing link
One thing and another

In or out of focus

Boundaries

Opposites
Light and dark. Near and far. Hot and cold. Earth and air. Adult and child. Young and old. Heaven and hell. Black and white. Thin and fat. Full or empty. Pattern and plain. Science/art. Sunrise/sunset. And many, many more ….

Combinations Pairing of people, or collaboration

Colours

Seasons

Technique Exploration of innovative techniques - hybrid techniques
Layering

Physical Location (abstract or specific)
Evolution. Equator.
“A human is halfway in size between an atom and the known universe”...

Negative space Spaces in between
Flat/relief
Position of something halfway between in a 3-d object

Psychological/spiritual States of being
Awake and asleep. Gutter and the stars.

Jobs

Halfway point

Mathematical/scientific
Fractions. Geographical plates. Molten/solid

Political/Sociological

Some food for thought ... and in fact food was also one of the ideas sparked by the session - or was it because we were getting near to lunchtime?

On Tuesday the Whatever floats your boat ... exhibition was installed for its final showing at the National Needlework Archive near Newbury. Thanks to Sandy and Mavis who put the show up with me. Some new pieces are on show - including this beautiful embroidery of trees by Marion Robertson, and embroidered books by Annie Hamilton.

The highlight of the September meeting was a talk and mini-workshop on the technique of cyanotype (blueprint) led by artist Barbara Gunter-Jones
She showed a range of her work, more of which can be seen on her website, then gave a demonstration. The group made cyanotype prints on paper. The technique is the same on fabric, but the process takes longer than on paper.
Luckily we had a sunny day, so we could get out of the hall and into the sunshine to get our experiments to react.
I found it fascinating how the image became positive and then negative as the colours changed with the chemical reactions.