Outside of Time

Dearest Emily,

I've been itching to make a T-shirt out of one of Julia Margaret Cameron's images for two years now, and had put the design aside for a while to get on with other stuff. Then, Uncle Joe was trawling through my iphoto for something or other- and said that there was a T-Shirt design 'that even he would wear'. Wondering how I'd made that 'grade'- I asked him which one he meant.

Turned out it was our good old 'Iago' of Angelo Collorozzi by Julia Margaret Cameron- (we've been there before on a blog-post Em.) What struck me anew this time was how the picture that got me into JMC's work- sported on the cover of Colin Fords fabulous book on Julia- was how definitive it is of her essence as a photographer. How half a dozen or so of her images are truly magnificent. And I think- rather than being 'haphazard' as she has often been described- I think that she knew exactly what she was aiming for and her own place in this new fangled 'art'. Still, I can't do Uncle Joe's T-shirt until the owner's either agree to let me- or don't. So, I've done a sketch for Joe's purposes.

Of course, we prefer the original Em, and I'm crossing my fingers that we'll be able to use it- but in the mean-time Uncle Joe will have his wish- and it'll be a prototype. Whilst drawing it- I was so reminded of how absolutely and utterly timeless were and are, some of Mrs Cameron's images- this being the easiest case in point.

I rest my case!

I hope you and Annabel are enjoying your new home- and can't wait to come and visit very soon...

Your ever-loving Grand-mother,

GiGi xxx