Glowing Edges Designs

Glowing Edges Designs

On Thursday night, the Language Workshop was held at the Puertas de Castilla - a centre for contemporary arts - and an English speaking guest is invited each week to talk about their work - including various authors and artists. 

Ceramic wall tiles and tableware

In a classroom, with tables to spread out examples of work that I had brought with me from England, and a nobo flipchart, to write down specialist vocabulary that relates to my work as a geologist and photographer, I talked for half an hour about my Glowing Edges Designs.

Describing the technique of cutting a thin slice of rock, grinding it down to a thickness of 0.03mm and mounting it on a slide, before viewing it through a polarising microscope, is not easy, when talking to native English speakers. Although still feeling unwell, I rose to the occasion and just took my time, talking slowly and clearly, as in other English lessons.

As various photographic prints were passed around, there were various oohs and aahs from my audience, when they saw the rich colours and textures that can be seen in nature, as well as others that I had digitally enhanced.

Tavolo in pietra lavica ceramizzata

Having explained that many of my geometrical designs were influenced by mandalas and the Moorish designs that I had seen during my first visit to Spain - 25 years ago in Andalucia - they were very interested in my ceramics.

Although I had sample ceramic wall tiles and tableware with me, I could only show them photographs of the tables that have been made for me in Sicily. 

I saved the best until last and, as always happens when I have shown them to people in England, there were restrained gasps from all round the room when I brought out my silk scarves and the women immediately tried them on. During my talk, everyone had the opportunity to ask me questions and, when I finished, I circulated around the classroom - both to talk in further depth about my scarves, and their purchase price, and to help out with the English question and answer exercises that had been prepared by Maria at the Language Workshop.

Designs for the first set of GED Rock Art Fabric silk scarves

By the end of the evening, I had forgotten all about 'la gripe' and felt right as rain, even when talking for another half hour on the pavement outside the Puertas de Castilla in the cold, with some of the various people that I had met that night. 

When I got home, I was extremely pleased to discover that more soup and medicine was waiting for me and, after a bit more conversation in Spanish, I finally went to bed for a good night's sleep, in preparation for my last day out in Murcia...

A small pashmina in chiffon silk