Don’t know where time is going but days seem to be flying by. I’ve been here now for over a month and still struggling with my French, I guess you can’t learn that fast…. I have started to make some improvement with getting materials though and started to make some good contacts in the Slaughter House.
I got my chemicals ad last today, at the end I had to make a second order to be delivered from the UK – France. They where collected from customs office with not much of a problem. Which is very interesting, as here in France I couldn’t even buy some, actually they said I can only buy maximum of 15gr and I need kilograms not a grams. Apparently aluminum Sulphate Powder is what I am using to preserve the organs is used in bomb making, so they are very careful and don’t sell it in large quantities. But I hope is not going to be to late for my organs as some of the tripe has started to turn, smells of a rotten meat, but I am still giving a try and hoping that the chemicals will reverse the process.
The studio open went well, was not as busy as I thought might be. I felt little bit as a circus girl everyone came to see the tripe and the caul fat, looks like the word has been spreading around and they came to meet the wired English artist.
This made me also over of how actually small the town is.
I went to visit the Dentelle de Valenciennes, the lace school and had a very pleasant experience. The main teacher was very friendly and chatty and told me all about the history of Dentelle and offered many designs to look at and some photocopies to take away so I can develop my drawings. The ladies even gave me some of they little tools as a souvenir to keep. Making of lace is such a delicate and intricate work.
