NUBIAN HOUSE ( Weekly art project; #7, 2020)

It was Christmas Eve and instead of attending the fancy-schmancy dinner being put on by the hotel, we did something we've never done on Christmas eve before...we went to a museum!

The Nubian Museum in Aswan was built as a gift to the Nubian people in part compensation for the drowning of 42 Nubian villages during the development of Lake Nasser & the High Dam.  This beautifully presented museum houses some of the best artifacts that were rescued during construction & through a series of photographs records what was left under water for the crocodiles to enjoy!!  It was quite magical to visit this museum at night when it was dark outside & the lighting inside was dim...and we were two of only a few there!

There were so many beautiful items in those few rooms that I could possibly do weekly art projects for a whole year inspired from this one museum.. 
My muse for this week's art project though, is a display of replica Nubian Village houses.

These simple mudbrick dwellings are beautifully decorated with patterns applied in a limited colour palette.  A common pattern used is  a 'tree of life' symbol & it is the variety of these that interested & inspired me.

Using my photos as the source I began by taking visual notes of the design styles I saw.  During the process I recognized a hen & a cat were included in these wonderfully domestic designs.

The process of drawing goes hand in hand with the mental process of sifting out my favourites & wondering how I could create something fresh that will remind me of the whole experience.

Sometime later I had a design worked out, the fabrics ironed & layered & so I began the process of stitching the design in to hold them all together. The stitching took the same amount of time as a cycle of my washing machine, which led me to contemplate that artistry & domesticity are often companions.  My studio is attached to my home & I am often juggling household chores with art making.  I was also thinking about William Morris & his mission to make even the most mundane & practical items beautiful.

It was time to start cutting back this A4 sized sample of beauty.  Here's how it went.

There was a lot of fiddley cutting in this piece, but I'm glad I persevered.  The outcome is very pleasing to my eye & I am so pleased with my fabric choices as they closely resemble the Nubian house decorations.
I chose to leave the handle of the jug solid white because it seemed to balance with the chickens.  I'm also pleased with my choice of white buttons to decorate the bench displaying the jug.  We saw quite a number of textiles decorated with buttons whilst travelling, so this choice suited the overall 'Egypt' experience. I think buttons are wonderful embellishments & I am partial to the small white ones often found on business short cuffs.  They were the perfect size for this.
That ends February's weekly art projects, each of which have been challenging, but fun.  I'm looking forward to what March has in store for my creative practice!