Inspiration from world travels – Part 1

In Oct/Nov EPH (Ever Patient Husband) and I took a trip of a lifetime and spent a wonderful four weeks exploring mostly Cambodia. Initially, we were on a two-week tour with a group, before saying goodbye and then doing two weeks solo exploring.

Below is just a glimpse of what we encountered from a creative viewpoint, although I have slipped in a few extras, beginning with….

Transportation!

 

 

 

 

 

We started in Vietnam; a country we have been to before and as we had organised our own there-and-back travel we arrived a day earlier than the group – to allow for any travel glitches! We actually stayed for our first night in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) in the same hotel we stayed in 23 years previously….it was exactly as we remembered, so much so we could have been there just a few months previously!

 

Parcels, packages and wares

 

 

 

 

 

Transferring to our next hotel, within the city, we met the group and after an overnight stay we then transferred to a river boat. Yes, we spent 7 nights in total luxury (I did say the holiday of a lifetime!) cruising the Mekong River from Vietnam into Cambodia, before discovering Cambodia overland with the group.

 

The Mekong is Ennnnorrrrmous!

 

 

Along the way we were participants in all the side excursions. Many involved local industry such as lacquer work, silk production, silk weaving and water hyacinth weaving etc, (water hyacinth is very abundant along the river!). It can be argued that these venues are purely for the tourists, and I agree to an extent….All I can say is that without these excursions I might not have been able to, easily, access the sites.  What I did see was that we were a small part of helping these crafts to survive, providing much needed employment (often for disabled persons) within the communities, whilst also allowing the skills to be passed on….but this is not a discussion for this post!

 

Lacquer work in Saigon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water hyacinth weaving in C’ai Bé

 

 

Bamboo

Another grown product that is extremely plentiful and is used ubiquitously

 

 

Everywhere nurtured our souls and provided inspiration for our creative spirits. From the contrast of the busy city to ‘gentle’ rural landscapes, from simply daily life to the busy crafting communities, to the amazing architecture both ancient and modern.

 

As I have too many photos for this post I’ll sign off until my next one. Just a taster – silk, rice, sweets etc will be included!

But as this post was entitled ‘Inspiration’, and most reading this will be working with textiles, I will leave you with a couple of thoughts on I how I see creative ideas everywhere in terms of shape, colour and design etc. These can be translated into – sewing, embroidery, landscape stitching, patchwork, felting, painting, and weaving to name but a few.

 

 

I hope you are able to use your surroundings for inspiration.