One of the key concepts around which my artistic work and identity as “Timespun Threads” revolves is that of the juxtaposition, blending or otherwise combining of elements of disparate chronological eras or time periods. Considering that this process is far from unusual in various branches of culture and the arts - not least in architecture, where numerous ancient buildings have been adapted and augmented over the centuries, each age contributing to the whole in its own distinctive vernacular - it seems surprising that there has, up to now, and as far as I can ascertain, been no self-contained word in English to denote something that is “of, belonging, or pertaining to more than one era or time period”.
To occupy this linguistic lacuna, I propose the following candidate: “multiæval”. This indeed appears, thus rendered, to be a new word, or practically so at least: its sole prior appearance as such in a Google search arose from a discussion in an “English Language & Usage” Internet chat room in May 2020, where one participant playfully suggested it as an amalgam of “multimedia” and “mediaaeval” [sic]; no real definition was provided, and the subject was swiftly dropped [1]. However, as a combination of “multi” (“many” or “more than one”) and “aeval” or “eval” (“relating to time or duration”, from the Latin aevum meaning “lifetime, age, eternity”) [2], “multiæval” is built on a firm etymological foundation, following the pattern of such established terms as “multiracial” and “mediæval”. Similarly, we could also have “monoæval” (of, belonging, or pertaining to a single era), “biæval” (two eras), “polyæval” (many eras), and “panæval” (all eras). It should be mentioned that, just as “mediæval” is often spelt “medieval” without the “a”, “multiæval” might legitimately be rendered as “multieval”. However, since the latter version has a pre-existing, albeit arcane, meaning (“evaluation of multiple metrics and predictions”, in the context of computer programming) [3], and is also the name of a human resources firm based in Mexico [4], I have chosen to go with the more archaic rendering, with the “æ” diphthong, to avoid any potential confusion. Anyhow, I have formulated a new Timespun Threads design, based on this my contribution to the English language, which spells it out in characters from a variety of fonts, each evocative of a distinct era, ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day. The graphic - now available to purchase on the full range of products from Redbubble and Teepublic (including T-shirts and other apparel, phone cases, stationery, homewares and more) - comes in two different versions: one incorporating a dictionary-style definition, the other having just the word on its own (plus a degree of conversation-kindling potential!) By the way, the copyright notice applies only to the design as an artistic work, and not to the word itself, which anyone is henceforth free to use without payment or attribution. “Multiæval”, spread your wings and go ye forth into the world! REFERENCES (all accessed 05 Jul 2021): [1] https://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/95/2020/5/27 [2] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eval [3] https://rdrr.io/github/rafzamb/sknifedatar/man/multieval.html [4] https://www.apollo.io/companies/MULTIEVAL/5a9e509ba6da98d93be5f6f2?chart=count (Edited 06 Jul 2021, to correct a minor inaccuracy in the text)
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The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic back in March brought my artistic endeavours to an involuntary halt, as, due to my particular circumstances, I lost access to the computer, and with it my ability to create and upload new Timespun Threads designs (and, for the most part, to make my existing portfolio available on new Redbubble and Teepublic products - I tried to do this on my phone, but it was too much hassle). Now, however, I have regained computer access, and my designing has resumed in earnest - starting with this topical "Merry Christmask" design for the 2020 festive season. The "Christmask" element is absolutely not my own unique idea - there are many other designs on that theme already - but the bit about the pandemic "not being over by Christmas after all" (echoes of wartime sentiment) gives this one a twist of its very own!
Having uploaded a grand total of 30 graphics to my Redbubble and Teepublic stores thus far (counting the three colour variations of "Bark to the Fuchsia" as a single entity), I decided that it would be a good time to make a new slideshow video, showcasing the artworks that I have created since I published my first Timespun Threads video last March. Here it is - enjoy! :-) I am pleased to announce that my new TimespunThreads Teepublic shop is now up and running - and that all of my first ten published designs (including the one shown below) are now obtainable from both Teepublic and Redbubble! Although both sites now belong to the same parent company, they continue to be run as separate entities, with different product ranges, shapes and sizes, colour choices and so forth - which means that my being on both Redbubble and Teepublic means more choice for you, as well as (hopefully) more exposure for my work. So, if you enjoy my designs, why not check out both stores - you may find that you prefer (say) the T-shirts from one, and the mugs and stickers from the other!
Although Timespun Threads is an online venture, and as such will most likely be marketed mainly online too, I thought it would be a good idea to get some business cards printed, to give to friends who show interest in what I am doing - and strangers who admire my graphics when I wear them out and about! I designed my cards in GIMP, using a mixture of "old" and "new" font styles, brickwork pattern background and orange / black / grey / white colour scheme, along the same lines as my website and social media headers / banners. It seemed best to include my web address only, as any list of my shop / social pages and contacts - which my site of course links to anyway - will go out of date as I add to their number. Doing a little research online, I found a site called myprint247, which offers "free" business cards - 50 cards for which you pay just the postage cost: £3.95 for standard UK delivery. (These cards also have the firm's branding on the back - so they get some free advertising out of it too.) There are a good number of different design templates to choose from, but - as I found - you can effectively design your own cards by choosing one of the "Simple" text-only templates with a plain white background, deleting the text elements, uploading your own design as an image, and resizing and centring it accordingly. Anyway, I decided to order these, and they duly arrived a week later. Although you can't really expect perfection from a "free" product (the printing is a bit off-centre, as the photo shows), these cards do their job well - the card itself is decent (350gsm, silk finish) - and I would recommend them to anyone here in the UK who needs, as I did, a small number of functional business cards at a low cost. ... and welcome to the Timespun Threads blog - which I thought I had better make a start on, having published my new website some days ago now!
Over the past few weeks, I have been busy laying the groundwork of my new graphic design venture, preparing my first few artworks, setting up my site and most of my social media accounts (barring one of the famous names, where I have hit upon a stumbling block due to their verification process). I still have some loose ends to tie up - but when all this is done, I can get on with producing more designs for your delectation, and otherwise building up my little artistic empire. Anyway, I shall post here, as and when time permits, on subjects pertinent to my designs and the inspiration behind them - and on anything else that seems worth writing about from my point of view (and, hopefully, yours too). That's all for now - see you again soon! :-) Peter Tylor (Timespun Threads) |
AuthorDesigns by Peter Tylor from Cornwall, UK, inspired by the juxtaposition of things past and present - or any old (or new) thing really! Archives
July 2021
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