Musings of a textile itinerant

last Call for a Tour of France!

2012-02-01T18:40:00.000+11:00

I was hoping the tour to France would go ahead but we have had someone drop out and now it's time to cancel or go ahead. So if you were thinking you would like to go at all now is the time to let me know, because in another two week sit will be too late ( please see the itinerary in the blog post before last- it really is a great trip with lots of interesting historical and textile things to encounter and inspire let alone a wonderful 6 days in Paris!)

I have been busy this last 5 days or so as a friend from New Zealand - Rahima Macdonald came to stay. I tried to show her many of my favourite places in Geelong- but we just could not go past the waterfront every morning- so we started the day off every day with a walk and then a latte and then some bunting making at home.

Isn't the colour of this bark the most amazing colour? I have never seen bark that was bronze.

Little sculptures in the pavement- aren't they fun!

I wonder who made this image?

Camels was not something I was expecting to see at the waterfront, but there they were. 3 camels waiting patiently to be saddled up for beach rides.

Wonderful reflections of sail boat masts in the water.

Don't forget there is still time to join the next Travellers' Blanket class starting on 17 February

Australia Day 2012

2012-01-26T08:53:00.000+11:00

Thank you for all the comments on my shearing post, I am glad you enjoyed it- as I said at the beginning of this year i want to celebrate ordinary people more.

Well today is the day we celebrate our nation- when Captain Arthur Phillip sailed into Botany Bay on 26 January 1788 and claimed the land in the name of the British crown thereby ignoring the fact that the land was inhabited. In the more recent years the focus has been on reconciliation and I must admit some of my recent thinking in terms of creating work has been along the lines of the the folly of early explorers, who could have laid the foundations for co-existence but instead chose to ignore indigenous knowledge and people.

As a new Australian i come to this land with mixed emotions- I love this land no doubt but I am not sure I feel truly Australian, however I also do not feel truly Dutch either- I am suspended somewhere and for me the place that makes me feel most at home is France- maybe it's the ancestry from way back that creates this affinity.

So this morning I took a walk along the foreshore in Geelong-I must admit I have only recently fallen in love with this part of Geelong- I knew it was there, passed by it for years, but never really used it, it seemed to outside my means to use it- but there is a park all the way along the foreshore for anyone to use- it's one of the nice things about seaside Australian cities/towns- most of the foreshores are public.And the last few days there has been a little romance on the shore with a wonderful hand built caravel in the 15th century Portugese/Spanish style, made from recycled timbers and named Notorious. It was built by Graeme Wylie and you can inspect it from today until March.

So this morning on the Geelong foreshore amidst set up operations for Australia Day celebrations....

The "Notorious" docked with Cunningham Pier in the background- I love the moody early morning sky and the diagonals of the sails.

A closer look at " Notorious"- the caravel is surprisingly small.

Hi s masters keeper obviously- this dog sits on the caravel all day and keeps an eye out for anyone inclined to try and wonder on the caravel- I think we surprised each other this morning because it was the first time I had heard the dog bark in all the days I have gone to admire the caravel and imagine swashbuckling stories.

A carved detail on the front of the caravel.

Geelong's Bollards are a well known foreshore landmark- painted by Jan Mitchell

These sculptures are called "North" by Mark Stoner- they remind me of shark fins and have a very interesting patina though they are made of cement.

More Bollards outside the mussel boat- which I must try as I love mussels.

This fountain is at the Botanical Garden end of the foreshore- this fountain surely must date from the 1930's when the swimming enclosure opened

This plaque was attached to the fountain- I loved the textures on the rusted metal plaque.

So here is my Australia on this Australia day!

Dilemna's

2012-01-25T09:42:00.000+11:00

Life offers all sorts of dilemna's which offer no easy solutions and which sometimes leave you scratching your hear. For example I have finally found a small part-time job as a library assistant- the catch is that I have to be enrolled as a student at the Gordon Tafe- so then I look at their course offerings and think ok I might do a women's access course-the course fee is $4916 including course materials and because I have a higher qualification there are no concessions ( I am a low income earner) so I have to pay it- the job will earn me less than what I have to pay so whilst I would dearly love some employment I think I am going to have to pass. This paying full service fee if you have higher qualifications is a new initiative of the government started last year- until then I would have been entitled to a concession as I am a job seeker. Some of the things I want to study were not available when I studied- for example desktop publishing- computer programming in my days at uni still involved punching cards and main frames the size of apartment blocks.It is all quite frustrating as living expenses keep escalating and our ridiculously high dollar is impacting on many a small businesses that rely on selling overseas.

Then there is the extraordinary amounts some sports people get paid- yes I know they train and sacrifice much , and it takes dedication, hard work and slogging it out. But for example on Monday I went out to my brothers farm to cook for the shearing team of three, they were to shear 300 sheep that day. The temperature gauge reached 35 degrees celsius and they worked in a tin shed with electric equipment.This was one of the days a tennis player retired because of the heat ( and yes I know centre court gets hotter than the stated temperature- but so does a tin shed) Two men do the shearing and the third does the rousting- ie sweeping, sorting the wool and packing it and filling the pens when they empty. I can tell you that to shear 150 sheep per man in one day is no mean feat. For a start you have to manipulate an animal which is not always happy about being shorn ( though I am sure they are happy afterwards), your waist and back is constantly bent at 90 degrees as you manoeuvre the animal around to get all the woolly bits, and then some sheep have very daggy wool ( ie wool full of crap), they have burs and lanolin, and you keep going until all the sheep are done. You get paid a very average wage and you can almost certainly expect to have back problems as you get older. So after watching the shearers in my brother's shed I was full of admiration ( in my youth we lived and worked with sheep as well) for these working men who can expect to work an 8 hour day in stinking heat in less than perfect conditions ( they tell me it's worse shearing in cold weather- because the conditions in a tin shed are cold and you stiffen up), yet what a reasonably good tennis player may earn is like lottery figures to them- yet they work just as hard if not harder- after all tennis players get a day off between matches and it's extremely rare for a tennis match to last 8 hours.Anyway if you ever wonder where your wool comes from just take a look at Dean ( in blue), Jack ( in red) and John ( in dark blue) doing their job- and they will never be "heroes"- just working men.

I love shearing shed though- the tin acquires all sorts of shades of grey and rust- the wood also colours depending on the exposure to lanolin and other elements.

Don't forget there is till time to enrol in my On-line Travellers' Blanket class starting on Feb 17!

Aussie Travellers' Blanket & France Tour

2012-01-21T15:59:00.000+11:00

I have been hand stitching another Travellers' Blanket whilst watching the tennis ( after watching Tomic play so well last night a thought passed through my head that maybe I should call this blanket the A-Tomic travellers' Blanket because surely he will travel far!). The colours are much more subdued than my other travellers' blankets and much more Australian. I am also trying something different in the background to suggest creeks and water as the rounds remind me of little micro-climates or water holes.Also whilst there is an underlying grid on the fabric I am making up the embroideries as fancy and colour take me- I am enjoying the process!

And on that note that will be another on-line Travellers Blanket Class commencing on 17 February,here is the information;

Creating a Traveller’s Blanket On-Line Class

Cost $50 AUS

This class explores hand stitching and creating fragments of memory. It is inspired by the idea of the silk road and the great travellers ,like Marco Polo who travelled the road in order to source silk, eastern spices and other treasure. If you travelled that road and you could not write but wanted to keep memories of the fabrics and silks you encountered, and wanted to remember the patterns and stitches and wanted to keep warm at the same time- what better way then, to sew fragments onto a blanket- a visual aide de memoire. The texture is created with simple running stitch and the embroidery on the fragments of fabric likewise employ simple stitches. This piece is about the rhythm of the stitching and to create decorative effects yet keeping things easy.

Any kind of stories can be incorporated- you may wish to use scraps of fabric that belong to family, you may use fabrics that have been given to you, you may use findings from the beach and create stitching around that, you may choose a favourite motif. You can use square shapes or round shapes or any other shape that you feel drawn to. You can use the motif in the appliquéd fabric to inspire your embroidery. You will find the blanket starts to dictate the story to you and that is part of the fun of the process.

Email me if you are interested

Also I shall be guiding a tour to France commencing on 11 April 2012.It will be a fabulous trips with lots of highlights. This is the itinerary:

Wed 11 APRIL MELBOURNE / PARIS

Day 1 Depart Melbourne with Emirates Airlines to Paris via Dubai.

Thu 12 APRIL PARIS / VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAONE

Day 2 Upon arrival into Paris you will be meet and assisted to the Paris CDG train station with in the

airport. 2nd Class train from Paris CDG airport to Lyon is 462 kms and takes about 2.00 hrs. Upon

your arrival into Lyon train station you will be meet and assisted to the coach for your transfer to

Villefranche sur Saone. 32 kms / 0.30 hrs.

Villefranche-sur-Saone Overnight Best Western Plaisance (B)

Fri 13 APRIL VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAONE

Day 3 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. After breakfast, you will be meet and transferred

to the Quilt Expo Beaujolais. Includes entrance fee. Remainder of day free.

Villefranche-sur-Saone Overnight Best Western Plaisance (B)

Sat 14 APRIL VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAONE

Day 4 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. After breakfast, you will be meet and transferred

to the Quilt Expo Beaujolais. Includes entrance fee. Remainder of day free.

Villefranche-sur-Saone Overnight Best Western Plaisance (B)

Sun 15 APRIL VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-SAONE / LYON

Day 5 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. After checking out of your hotel you will be

transfer by private coach to Lyon. Transfer from Villefranche to Lyon. 32 kms / 0.30 hrs. Remainder

of day free in Lyon.

Lyon Overnight Mercure Lyon Charpennes (B)

Mon 16 APRIL LYON

Day 6 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. This morning includes a morning visit to the Lyon

Silk Museum. Entrance to Musee des Tissus et des Arts Decoratifs de Lyon. Afternoon free in Lyon.

Lyon Overnight Mercure Lyon Charpennes (B)

Tue 17 APRIL LYON / PARIS

Day 7 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. After check out you will be transferred by coach

to Lyon train station. 2nd class TGV Train from Lyon to Paris. 462 kms / 2.00 hrs. Upon arrival into

Paris you will be met and transferred by private coach to your hotel. 5 kms / 0.30 hrs.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Wed 18 APRIL PARIS

Day 8 Continental buffet breakfast served in your hotel. Full day sightseeing using Paris Pass. Issue of

6-day Paris Pass. Morning Seine River Cruise. View the main sights of the city from the River Seine.

Afternoon Visit to the Centre Pompidou. Some time for shopping in the local area.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Thu 19 APRIL PARIS

Day 9 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Enjoy a full day excursion to Versailles. Use of

6-day Paris Pass. Using RER train. Includes entrance to Versailles Palace and Gardens.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Fri 20 APRIL PARIS

Day 10 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full day Visiting museums using Paris Pass. Use of

6-day Paris Pass. Includes entrance to the Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay and the Dali Museum.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Sat 21 APRIL PARIS

Day 11 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full day sightseeing in Paris using Paris Pass. Use

of 6-day Paris Pass. Morning visit to Galleries Lafayette. Entrance and free gift to Galeries

Lafayette.

Depart: Wednesday 11 April 2012

Sat 21 APRIL PARIS….Continue

Afternoon wine tasting at 'O' Chateau. Includes entrance to the Wine Cellar and tasting session.

(3 French wines).

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Sun 22 APRIL PARIS

Day 12 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full day sightseeing in Paris using Paris Pass. Use

of 6-day Paris Pass. Tickets aboard the Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour. Morning Visit to the Paris Fashion

and Textiles Museum. Includes entrance to the Fashion and Textiles Museum. Remainder of day

free for shopping/exploring etc.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Mon 23 APRIL PARIS

Day 13 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full-day sightseeing in Paris using Paris Pass. Use

of 6-day Paris Pass. Tickets aboard the Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour. Includes entrance to the top of

the Arc de Triomphe for a panoramic view of Paris. Afternoon visit to Notre Dame including

entrance to the Towers of Notre Dame. Remainder of the day free for shopping/exploring etc.

Paris Overnight Duminy Vendome (B)

Tue 24 APRIL PARIS / ROUEN

Day 14 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. After checking out we meet our guide and travel to

Giverny. 77 kms / 1.20 hrs. Includes entrance to Monet's House and Gardens. We then travel to

Jumieges. 84 kms /1.20 hrs. Visit to the Jumieges Abbey and includes entrance fee. Continue onto

to Rouen 27 kms /0.30 hrs to meet our local guide for a half day walking tour. View the main sights

of the city.

Rouen Overnight Mercure Rouen Champ de Mars (B)

Wed 25 APRIL ROUEN / BAYEUX

Day 15 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. After checking out we meet our guide and travel to

Caen. 126 kms / 2.00 hrs. On arrival we meet our local guide for full-day Landing Beaches tour and

view the main sights of the city. Next we travel to Bayeux. 30 kms / 0.30 hrs. Tour of the Landing

Beaches and see the Bayeux Tapestry. Continue onto Arromanches. 9 kms / 0.10 hrs. to view the

landing beach at Arromanches including the Mulberry harbour blocks. Onwards to Longues-sur-Mer.

6 kms / 0.10 hrs. to view the German Gun Battery before proceeding to Colleville-sur-Mer. 12 kms /

0.15 hrs to see the American Cemetery. We then complete our tour with our trip to Bayeux. 22

kms / 0.20 hrs. for our overnight accommodation.

Bayeux Overnight Novotel Bayeux (B)

Thu 26 APRIL BAYEUX / TOURS

Day 16 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. After checking out we meet our guide and travel to

Mont St. Michel. 115 kms / 1.30 hrs. Includes entrance to Mont St. Michel site and abbey. After the

tour we continue onto Tours. 280 kms / 4.00 hrs. for our accommodation.

Tours Overnight Mercure Tours Centre (B)

Fri 27 APRIL TOURS

Day 17 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. Full day touring the chateaux of the area. Tours to

Blois. 65 kms / 1.00 hrs to see the Chateau de Blois. Includes entrance to the Chateau de Blois.

Next to Chambord 16 kms / 0.15 hrs. Includes entrance to the Chateau de Chambord. We then

continue to d to Chenonceau 60 kms / 1.00 hrs. Includes entrance to the Chateau de Chenonceau.

Return back to our hotel. 45 kms / 0.45 hrs. Tonight we enjoy a gourmet dinner at a quant rural

and rustic French restaurant just outside of town.

Tours Overnight Mercure Tours Centre (B/D)

Sat 28 APRIL TOURS / PARIS / MELBOURNE

Day 18 Continental buffet breakfast served in the hotel. After checking out we will be transferred to Paris

CDG airport to board our Emirates Airlines flight to Melbourne. 262 kms / 4.00 hrs. (B)

Sun 29 APRIL IN TRANSIT

Day 19

Mon 30 APRIL ARRIVE MELBOURNE

There is a land fare only available for those not in Australia. Again if you are interested please contact me and I will send you the full details

Yesterday in Melbourne

2012-01-11T10:53:00.000+11:00

I found myself with some time to kill in Melbourne yesterday so decided that i would pop into the NGV Ian Potter Centre to see if there were any Fred Williams paintings on display. The gallery did not open until 10 and as I got the the city at 8.30am I had a bit of spare time. So i walked the block bounded by Degraves Street, Flinders Lane, Hosier Lane and Flinders Street/federation Square- this is what i found:

This statue on the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders lane- I have never noticed it before and I think it must be newish- don't know what it is called either...

People practising Tai Chi in federation square- with the iconic Flinders Street station in the background- it doesn't look so interesting from this angle.....

St Paul's Cathedral taken from Federation Square....

Heading towards the Ian Potter Centre- a maze of glass and angles

The Forum Theatre built in the 1920's built in a moorish revivalist style- but with gargoyles?

And graffitti- lots of graffitti and grotty laneways and alleyways- the city could do with a decent scrub there was grimy dust and dirt and rubbish everywhere- second story windows were often opaque with grime- and the green garbage trolley bins do not add to the ambience one iota even when they have been graffittied...

This graffitti consisted of a paper cut out which I really liked

This image is not so much about the graffitti but the fact that someone had made the letters for the word material out of actual fabric which had been hung from the barred window shutters ( imagine this is all in the most liveable city in the world according to some...)

A sentinelle face of sorts- certainly an icon

And finally to the Gallery and Tjukurrtjanu: Origins of Western desert Art- could not photograph here as many of the pieces were from private collections and the exhibition will travel to Paris inApril- click on the link and you will find images once you enter the site.
And then these from the Qantas Airways Indigenous Galleries;

Walangkuna Napangka- "Women's Dreaming at Tjukurla" 2007
Just to the north of the Tjukurla community in Western Australia a ceremonial snake entered the earth leaving upon the surface its dry ribbed skin thereby transforming this previously open plain into a large iridescent salt lake. A group of ancestral women tracked the path of the snake to this newly created water form and began to prepare for ceremonies by manufacturing mjimparro ( hair-string-skirts) and collecting and preparing various bush foods. The lakes' creation alos attracted a variety of animal life that came to inhabit the landscape including tjikaka ( black ducks- cool name for ducks don't you think- I mean duck is such a blah word) kuurkuurrpa (owls) and lungkata ( blue tongue lizards)

Bugai Whyouter, Pinyirrpa Nancy Paterson "Parnngurr" 2009
The artists walked on foot int his country in puyiman ( nomadic bush) days. The minyipuru ( Seven Sisters)also travelled through Martu country in the jukurrpa. They flew close to the Parnngurr, where the women's law tells that an important event took place. Afterwards they flew to Kalypa. The dance for this site is performed by both men and women.

Weaver Jack Lungarung 2007- no artists statement

Spider Kalbibidi Judi 2006- also no statement

And last bot not least- though this is not my favourite Fred Williams painting- Echuca Landscape

So that was my morning- now to get to work and be inspired.....

Small Sentinelles

2012-01-09T09:27:00.000+11:00

I am ready to start really working again, not that i have sat idle, but I went up to my mothers, so that took 3 days out of my week, and I did do some handwork whilst i was there. I did however forget to take my camera, so no photos to share of some of her garden, which is full of all sorts of vegetables and flowers. I miss my vegie patch and yes i could have started one here, but when I am away the plants aren't watered enough and then I feel it has been a waste of effort.

I have been printing more sentinelle panels. These are for sale if you are interested. Each panel is hand printed with a linocut and printed onto my own hand dyed fabric. Each panel measures approximately 19 inches x 8 inches (45cm x 20cm). The cost of each panel is $15 AUS plus postage ( maximum $5 AUS for overseas- less for Australia). Please contact me if you are interested. And i can custom print as well if a colour you like is not present.

I stitched one of these small panels during the week- I am finding it a very soothing process and they seem to acquire their own personalities and subtleties.It is difficult to get the colour right in the photograph, the blue is much more of a cornflower blue, but she just oozes mystery- I am not quite sure what she is trying to reveal yet.....

I am thinking of making a series of just sentinelle faces as well- after looking at some of the drawings I made as i was working on the bigger pieces.Have to go to Melbourne today and thought I would visit Opendrawer Gallery as I have to take some Pukka Essentials to them. And yes Creative Arts Safaris is planning a tour of Southern France and Barcelona in 2013- if you need more information or would like to go on the mailing list for more information just click on the link.

Wow 2012!

2012-01-01T10:40:00.001+11:00

I want to wish everyone who reads my blog a Happy, Safe and Creative 2012! For my part I wish that the troubles in Syria would end and worry about my friends as we can no longer email, I wish that there be peace in the world and that the useless death of young men and women in wars would end, i wish that there was more monetary equity in the world instead I see more and more money in the hands of fewer and fewer people- these are big picture wishes and I would like to be able to do more but often feel powerless to be able to do anything. I would also like to see less focus on celebrity ( this is a very personal peeve) and more celebration of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. On a personal level I hope to see my children continue on with the great progress they made in their studies in 2011,i hope and pray that friends and family who are dealing with the dreaded c illness continue to show the courage and will to survive that they have, despite moments of despair, and I wish to continue on with my Sentinelle work but will focus on different things- perhaps some of the concerns I have expressed here.And i hope to enter more quilt exhibitions and start a new body of work.

The last week since being home ( and whilst I was away) I have been exploring stitching by hand on paper. It's something I started about 6 years ago when I was looking at cross stitches and crosses in relation to expression, but wanting to have something to stitch on whilst away that was not too bulky to carry around. So I stitched in a Khadi book- i am really enamoured of book making and intend to do more in the coming year, though struggle with how to add meaning to a book. So I started stitching - initially just straight stitches, and recording when I stitched, to see whether my stitches differed at different times of the day or night or depending on whether I had eaten or drunk some wine- yes I know pretty boring really.

I couldn't really detect any discernible difference so decided to end that exercise. But how different do these strokes/stitches look compared to a stroke made by a pen or pencil?? Then I looked at altering the length of the stitch- intitally I started with colonial knots but they pulled through the khadi paper so I ended up using short seed stitches.

I love the effect because the fact that the paper is recycled from cotton rag gives it a very strong structure and a pleasing puckering( is that the right word? ) of the paper where the stitch enters and emerges from the paper- the texture is really really interesting..... and dare I say it I am finding a reason for stitching rather than drawing ( because my stitching really is a kind of drawing)- and it feels very textural under your hand.

So next I tried something which was quite drawerly, and though it is not readily apparent from the photograph ( one of the shortcomings in photographing stitching) the texture on this is quite different to a drawing and is exactly why I am drawn to stitch.... and then last- this took ages...

Again the photograph does not do it justice- the texture on the page is actually quite dense and undulating and completely different to a machine stitched line or a hand drawn line. I will keep stitching into this book and exploring differences.

France Itinerary for April 2012
Don't forget I will be taking a tour of textile enthusiasts to France on 11 April 2012- there is still time to book. I tried to upload a stand alone page with the itinerary but blogger would not co-operate. If you would like to see the France Itinerary for April 2012 please email me. We have some wonderful sights organised and the Quilt Expo in Beaujolais will be a highlight, as well as the wonderful Textile & Decorative Arts Museum in Lyon and the stunning Bayeux Tapestry.

My Sentinelle Catalogue is now officially for sale. The cost if $15 Australian plus package and postage which will vary according to the part of the world you live in- just email me if you are interested in buying one.

Travellers' Blanket On-line Class
And I shall be starting another Travellers' Blanket on-line class on the 17th of February 2012- again email me for details and cost.

The Year That Was

2011-12-28T10:20:00.000+11:00

Have been back from Europe for a few days now and we spent Christmas at my brothers' in Melbourne and am now settling back in at home after having unpacked things ( I brought back some of the things I seemed to have needed when I lived in France for 2010) plus inevitably books plus a wonderfully inspirational book on Calligraphy by Denise Lach a gift from my friend Christine Moulin. However I need to get back to work- there are many things to make and who knows what the new year will bring?

I hope everyone had a wonderful festive season however you celebrated it!

The first photo is of a cot quilt I made for a friend- the instructions were bright and with an elephant with the trunk up. I really liked the colour combination of the poppy quilt I made earlier as a cot quilt so decided to use the same combination of fabric ( and yes I had dyed some extra pieces). The hardest part was getting the grey for the elephant dyed the right colour and not be too green for the background and to contrast nicely with the blue of the sky.

We really did enjoy our stay in Venice and I can share more images if you are interested, but I also want to propose and idea for my blog for the next year. I take many photos like so many people do these days, but how to translate these photos into textile or even how to assess whether it's a good photo for translation- whether it meets certain design criteria. Every photo I take is not a good photo - so i wanted to be critical about the photos I take whether they are any good for translation or simply stand alone, and i wanted to discuss a little my decision making process for choosing what I think works. And of course there are many reasons to take a photo- to remember something you saw and liked, to remember textures, to remember an idea, to remember colour combinations.

The photo above is a small boating quay in a walled village near Lazise on Lago di Garda- the day was grey and still and cold and the scene was quiet- it was still fairly early and only local people were out and about.

When we were in Lyon checking out the Musee des Tissus we travelled on a tram, and found this graffitti on the wall, walking to the tram stop- another sentinelle perhaps? Her face seemed very sweet somehow.The textile collection in the Musee was fabulous ( we did not get to the decorative arts side of it as we ran out of time) and I loved the exhibition Icone de Mode- the dresses and cloaks used to adorn parade madonnas. No photographs were allowed but some of the dresses and cloaks were wonderfully embroidered and the method of display was also very evocative- it definitely gave me some ideas for sentinelle adornment!Oh and what joy to find some printed fabrics designed by Raoul Dufy!

I have also been travelling to places to see whether they will be good for the 2013 Creative Arts Safaris tour particularly in the south of France. We stayed in Aix-en-Provence and of course visited Cezanne's atelier which they said had been left exactly in the state he had left it in in 1906- the outside is rather charming and the light inside was really good with a very large north facing window and south facing windows. Unfortunately we were not allowed to photograph inside.The garden seems to have grown somewhat since 1906.

And last but not least of course I went to see my friends in le Triadou and went for a walk in the shadow of Pic St Loup- it just never seems to be the same and the grape vines had been pruned and were all bare with not a sign of life.

The rosehips on the wild roses added a lovely accent of colour and a pretty grey and cold landscape.

Venezia Picturesque

2011-12-10T05:14:00.000+11:00

My first image of Venice is the random signs/images we have encountered on the walls of the streets. Some of them have been stencilled al la Banksy style but others have been more seriously executed into full blown drawing sketches or even paintings of a kind. My favourite however was a tiny piece of paper pasted to the steps of The Rialto Bridge of 'another' earth creature. I doubt if I would have noticed it had it not been early in the morning before the crowd really got going.It is the image on the bottom 2nd on the left.

And Venice as always weaves it's magic- despite the hordes of tourists, the shops selling fake Murano glass and extra special prices for tourists- yes we know about those!But on the whole we have had a most enjoyable time- walking walking and walking and making a few purchases as Christmas gifts to take home ( we even have a little Christmas tree in the Bed and Breakfast we are staying in Al Saor- which we have found delightful and got at a very good rate through the internet- it's well placed, has delightful owners, and lovely rooms with even our own kitchenette- I highly recommend it)

After the debacle of Prague my large Sentinelles are for sale if anyone is interested- images can be found on my blog and use the link for the Earth sentinelle. Please email me for the price and I will do you a very good deal if you email me before 17 December 2011. Also my Sentinelle catologue is for sale for 12 Euros plus postage and off course my hand printed ( from an original linocut printed on fabric) is also for sale for 12 euros plus postage.Monday we are in france- so postage is very reliable from France!

From Prague

2011-12-02T16:44:00.000+11:00

We have been walking and walking around Prague these last three days and yesterday evening installed my quilts at ArteTextile Praha so that is where we will spend the next 3 days. The collaged photograph gives some idea of what we have been seeing. I must admit to being a little disappointed with local food- whilst I am not vegetarian I am also not a big meat eater and that seems to be a major part of the diet and of course dumplings. There are many little mini-markets which seem to sell a lot of cigarettes and alcohol but little real food and we have yet to find anything resembling a supermarket. Supermarket you might ask? But as I always travel on an extreme budget I source most of the food i eat at a supermarket at the end of the day. The first day we did sample local fare at one of the Christmas markets in the many little squares around the city thinking it would be cheap, but not so- bratwurst/sausage and potato and cabbage and bacon- the potato tasted a little like rubber.

We have also searched for local artisans/artists but most of the tourist fare is the usual mass produced stuff that comes from China. We did find one artist (in the collage) doing inventive things with prints at Prague Castle ( many of the Prague scenery paintings are nothing more than prints to a formula)- he took it a step further and added his own touch , and yesterday we found a little shop around the corner where a group of young people sold screen printed t-shirts, hand made brooches and baubles ( it is Christmas) and clothing and cards. I bought a booklet of cards by Lucie Capkova which had some quite captivating and quirky reproductions of her work. I hope I will see more work of artists at the Arte Textil.

All in all there are some wonderful buildings and the cobbled streets add to the atmosphere, and some interesting nooks and crannies- many of the buildings house inner courtyards- however everything has to be paid for including the bread with your lunch and apart from one or two exceptions people were not very friendly or helpful- yesterday was different and we met some lovely people keen to tell us about their city and things we should not miss.The Christmas decorations have been gorgeous with many very large live trees and yes Christmas does seem more Christmassy in a cold climate!

Sentinelles Catalogue is Done

2011-11-20T08:30:00.001+11:00

My catalogue is done, and whilst my inadequate scanning technique ( the pages are A4 size so i can scan only one page at a time) does not do it justice I am really happy with the way it turned out!I know it's a large size but I made a video of the way the book looks , however because I did not scan everything exactly the same some of the pages do not line up like they actually do in the catalogue. Please do respect my copyright in all aspects of this work.

It was strange finally holding the final printed version in my hand- it's a risk to take- firstly there is the work to make, and there have been moments of despair in the making- are they good enough, are they conveying what I want to say- are they interesting enough, is it too boring to use the same form , am i wasting my time and money in making them- then there is the photographing, then the layout which was a whole learning curve for me, and would putting the images in the background work in the final printing, would it convey the story and finally paying the money and committing to printing. There is not a publisher who has taken the risk, just me.

A lot of if's, but if you don't do the work nothing happens, and as I have not had a lot of luck in finding " real" work ( ie what those that tick little square boxes consider to be work), you just have to keep doing the work- so if nothing else this will have been my sentinelle year. The catalogue will be for sale- but at present I am so busy finalising things for Europe for whence I depart tomorrow it will have to wait until I get back.My Sentinelles will be exhibited in Prague from 2-4 December and next year in Beaujolais.

I Sewed 6 Kilometres of Thread this Week!

2011-11-13T18:45:00.000+11:00

Thank you for your positive comments regarding the earth sentinelle- it's much appreciated. I think she may be my favourite too-I love the colour and she seems to have a gentle aura.

It's been a bit of a marathon week- I am determined to try and keep to my promises I made to myself- there have been a few steps forward and a few back but this is what I managed to get done this week:
1xThe Earth Sentinelle- full size piece
2 x lutradur machine stitched Sentinelles
1 x hand stitched sentinelle
3 x teapot and rosewater jugs series
1x article for Downunder Textiles- an Australian magazine I have been writing for lately
I attended school all week.
A few past midnight nights ( not common for me). So all in all I used 6 kilometres of thread this week on my domestic sewing machine- and my back is feeling it!

And I finished the catalogue- now I am waiting with bated breath what the cost of printing of it will be. I hope I can afford it as this has been a challenging year.I do have my doubts whether a catalogue would be interesting enough- but I have so often though of a catalogue of some of my own work and have always fallen by the way side. Now I do actually have the skills ( with a bit of help from my teachers) to be able to do such a thing. The catalogue will be 28 pages in full colour- explaining and highlighting my sentinelles.

Don't forget there is still time to enrol into the on-line Travellers' Blanket Class- if you have a penchant for hand stitching and want to spend some time doing it over summer or winter ( depending on where you are ) this is the workshop for you! The class will start on 19 November .If you are interested just email me.

Earth Sentinelle

2011-11-09T19:59:00.000+11:00

Here she is! Earth Sentinelle in earth colours (the Australian outback is always depicted in reddish colours) sporting kangaroo paw as her decoration because the shape of the flower is so distinctive and kind of strange and very Australian ( it was discovered by french Botanist Jacques-Julian Houton de Labillardiere in 1792 in South Western Australia)

I wasn't expecting to make another sentinelle- but here she is ready to be photographed for the catalogue I am making- she is really the most Australian one together with the ochre one, and I am surprised she just kind of came from nowhere as if to remind me what it was, I was trying to say when I embarked on this sentinelle journey.I was trying to make sense of the place where I find myself as well as express my concerns about environment and the world. Everything just came together as well-I used the last of my gold ink, the last of my iridescent blue ink, in each case there was not a smidgen left over, the last of my bobbin fill, the last of the thread for the quilting on the outside which did run out but serendipitously I had another cob of thread in which one of the variegating colours was the same so you can barely see the difference, my machine behaved beautifully- I often run two machine embroidery threads through the top of my machine and it does create some tension problems- this time I forgot to put my feed dogs down and wonder whether that might be the reason for the better behaviour. I think of her as Lady Serendipity- doing the work and other happy accidents do happen.

Travel,Itinerancy and Sentinelles

2011-11-06T09:06:00.001+11:00

First of all some exciting news for my eldest daughter- she has been studying this year at Brighton Bay School of Art Design and Photography- their presentation night was last Friday and she won an Award for Excellence and the Ceramics Award- I was so proud of Celeste- she has worked very hard- a 2 hour journey every morning and every night with a transport system that has many failings- so four hours of travelling before she even got to school and then a very intense program which has seen her produce some wonderful pieces- it will put a fillip in her step and give her choices which were not possible before she started this course.Simply said, country high schools do not have the means or the access for students to create folios to compete against more intensely taught students with greater access to short courses, galleries and other fine art options( this is also true for some city students)- so this year 13 option really creates the opportunity for young people to develop their folios and to find their strengths and weaknesses. Who knew my daughter had "clay hands" as her teacher called it- and yet her other skills I knew about but the year has helped her fine tune them.

I am trying to work like the fury- have set myself a schedule which part of me keeps saying "you can't do this" but which the other part of me says "It has to be done, you can do it, if you simply work like the fury". So I have been rewriting my statement regarding the sentinelles ( I did rework it the week before last but as I was working on a school computer I forgot to save it) I have worked on creating and finishing a new ochre one and then a earth coloured one has fallen out of my hands in the past week and then a lace one is being conjured up out of the stencil which has acquired such an interesting patina from all the different printings I have done with it. They must be made and I only have two weeks to go until I go overseas.

My catalogue has to be done this week so I can get it to the printer in time- which means Thursday is my deadline.I am trying to bridge the gap between mere descriptive material to a more lyrical rendition of what I am trying to do with these sentinelles- it's almost like I need to dream on words every night for new words in the morning- but the mornings are starting to run out. And sometimes I look at the sentinelles and think do they work- are they really what I wanted to do- but when they hang together they are strong, and they do speak. The doing has been interesting to- how to reinvent a shape that is essentially the same into an individual and distinctive form.

And then I am thinking about the travel- various places in Europe- I do want to make a new travellers blanket for this journey- as it will be in the winter and the light is so different in the North. The Sentinelles have already done some travel and they are destined for more- in some way they are quite static in appearance but their movement is anything but- they are the caravan for my idea about land and connectedness- about a mystical relationship with the earth- I have a need to always grow something- at the moment it is just herbs and some tomatoes in pots but I can't imagine not growing something.Lots of food for procrastination but I have to make sense of it all by Thursday!Hmmm more thinking and I have to go- a bobbin's worth of sewing before I do anything else. I read this morning Rima's blog Into the Hermitage- as always interesting thought provoking writing- about the Romany/Gypsies and their travelling- well worth visiting- make sure you have a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy.

And as I seem to be on the theme of travelling/travels a collage I made of an old steam tractor that was in the gardens of the cottages we stayed in in Bright- the weekend before last. I marvelled at how sturdily this machine had been built and even though rust encrusted it's body there it still stands sentinel to a time gone forever- another connection with the earth.

I will be starting the new Travellers' Blanket On-Line Class on 19 November. If you are interested there is some information on my previous blog post. I will be starting a new blanket to accompany me on my journey to the North.

Travellers' Blanket On-line Class

2011-11-03T18:47:00.001+11:00

I have decided to run another on-line Travellers' Blanket class over summer/northern winter- as a lot of people like to have something to stitch on over the Christmas period .The cost of the workshop will be $50AUS and will cover a 4 month period with access to a group for discussion and sharing work and stories!

This is the description:This class explores hand stitching and creating fragments of memory. It is inspired by the idea of the silk road and the great travellers ,like Marco Polo who travelled the road in order to source silk, eastern spices and other treasure. If you travelled that road and you could not write but wanted to keep memories of the fabrics and silks you encountered, and wanted to remember the patterns and stitches and wanted to keep warm at the same time- what better way then to sew fragments onto a blanket- a visual aide de memoire. The texture is created with simple running stitch and the embroidery on the fragments of fabric likewise employ simple stitches. This piece is about the rhythm of the stitching and to create decorative effects.

The layers have been created using hand dyed muslin and flannel- this gives the piece a lovely drape

We will spend the first session dyeing the muslin and flannel which is utilised in this piece. The muslin has been dyed ,using a shibori technique in order to create the underlying grid . Then the stitching will begin!All other fabrics are scraps left over from various projects.

If you are interested please email me.

I have finished another ochre sentinelle- - just need to finish the hand stitching.She replaces the ochre sentinelle I sold back in July in France. The catalogue is coming along, but a word document I worked on last week somehow did not get saved and today i felt so devoid of words that I just about gave up thinking I can make this catalogue. It is not that it needs lots of words, but I had written some extra explanatory things and can't for the life of me remember what i wrote- so I will have to try and dream it tonight! And yesterday i printed a terracotta sentinelle- and earth one was needed plus I intend to use the stencil I have been using to create a sort of lace sentinelle and after my last lot of stencilling she was the wrong colour, so the only solution was to print another so that the stencil would end up the right colour.

I had promised myself to make 12 larger quilts this year ( by larger I mean more than a metre either in width or height)- and look like actually getting to that goal and perhaps one better - i didn't think i would get there since I decided to study this semester. But sometimes you simply just have to do it. The last years I don't seem to have made as much work as I used to- so I feel like I underachieved- so it feels good to have met a target finally.

More Sentinelles

2011-10-30T20:24:00.000+11:00

My goodness..... I meant to report in on the 23rd of October - my seventh anniversary for my blog- but it didn't happen. However i do have a winner for the Teapot and Rosewater Jug give away to celebrate- Chris- Textile Traveller from Tasmania- can you please contact me?

I need to find extra time and energy to finish everything that has to be done- somehow last week disappeared without much getting done although I have started work in earnest on the catalogue- rewriting some of my explanation and rationale and working on the page layouts- I suppose that takes time too.

I did print some more linocut sentienlles.They are for sale for $15AUS inclusive of postage.

Ideas are Jumping

2011-10-21T08:32:00.000+11:00

Yesterday we shot photographs of my sentinelle work in a studio- they came out so good..... the only thing lacking is maybe the work itself and the fact that I did not finish the sixth sentinelle in time ( I sold the sixth ochre sentinelle in France earlier this year-I had not intended to sell part of the series yet as they will be exhibited in Prague and in Beaujolais next year but as sales have been way down these last two years economic necessity determined otherwise and so I have to make another- different but still referencing the desert). So I am working on a seventh and have to finish the quilting- she will be the lady of the bilbies- creatures who are endangered that live in the desert and are thought to be important in maintaining vegetation in desert regions) So thank you to my teacher Michael Brand for allowing me to shoot the photographs and helping me set it all up- and my other teacher Christine McMahon for letting me loose on InDesign and on making a catalogue! The photos came out so well that it's got me sparking at all the edges thinking of interesting ways of using them and then making the catalogue have an edge of difference!

Then I have to think about how to get money together to get it printed so that it is affordable.

I just wanted to share lady of the Forest again with you- she exudes a sense of mystery to me that obviously derives from the hand dyed fabric:

And this little one is a printed panel that has been hand stitched- I sit and do these at night- the look is so different to the machine stitched pieces- I still have a few colonial knots to go but then she is done!Thank you so much for the feedback on this little panel- those who have emailed me to buy them ( the printed panels are $15 each) tells me I am on the right track as well as your comments on my previous post.

This icon/madonna/spirit/sentinelle/mother/earth thing has been floating around in the brain ether for a long time and has in fact made various appearances in journals over the years and even as a small linocut quite some years ago ( though I can't find the linocut any longer)And when I travel and visit cathedrals I always seem to be drawn to the Magdalene/Madonna churches, but it isn't only about that- it is also the way they look out into the world that draws me and the message they send- and then being able to somehow encapsulate my cultural heritage and express love for the land- i love the spirituality with which many indigenous artists have connected to the land- but theirs is a sacred journey - my european connection is different yet I to feel that the land is an essential part of my being. I also love how Fred Williams came up with such individual marks for creating his landscapes and his changes of perspective- he found a voice with which to express his connection to the land- it's very intimate and personal and I marvel every time I see his work. These sentinelles are expressing some of this feeling and yet of concern too- that's why i want them in all corners of the world and already they are finding places in different parts of the world. The stories are important!

Sentinelles- more

2011-10-17T07:47:00.000+11:00

I have 34 days until I go to Prague and France and in that time I have set myself a schedule which I probably can't make- I always think I can do more than what I actually get done. It's been a bonus that the course work in part of my course is finished and they are happy for me to make a book/catalogue that I want to get ready before i go. I want it devoted entirely to my sentinelles- the different ones that have emerged and ideas associated with them and how I have made them- I am a bit stumped with number of pages at the moment- I am thinking about 28 or thereabouts.I also get to photograph my sentinelles in a proper studio with lighting as photography is part of my course as well- so I am doing this on Thursday- so I am trying to get as many done as I can. Below you will see another printed panel- this time red ( the panels are for sale- handprinted on hand dyed cloth $15 per panel)

The bottom sentinelle has been printed onto lutradur and stitched- she is also for sale but as she has been stitched she is more expensive . She measures 18 cm x 47 cm and costs $100US inclusive of postage. I photographed her surrounded by some of the indian wood block stamps I have.

Don't forget I am teaching at Sew Bright next weekend 22/23 October- machine quilting in which you will make a machine quilting sampler of lots of different quilting ideas and Linocutting- where you will make your own texture linocut/stamp and one stamp with a design and you will print your own fabric. I will also bring some of my linocuts with which to play. And some of the work of the tutors will be on display- maybe my Sentinelles will make their Australian debut!I t will be the last teaching I do in Australia until next year unless you want to come to my house and learn something!

More teapot and Rosewater Jug

2011-10-13T18:37:00.000+11:00

Another teapot and rosewater jug- I don't think I have made it in greenish colours before. It's hard to remember though I know I tend to stick to warmer colours.
Thank you for all your comments and feedback on my new sentinelle linocut. Sometimes when you are close to the work it's hard to know if you have achieved what you set out to do.

Don't forget- leave a comment and you will be in the draw for a teapot and rosewater jug little panel that will be drawn on 24 October- which is a give away to celebrate 7 years of blogging.

Also there is still time to enrol in the on-line linocutting class but you will need to hurry as it starts this weekend! Email me if you are interested.The cost is $55 US and the lessons take you through many steps to help you master the tools and various ways of using images for linocutting and various ways of printing and colour printing.

Working on More Sentinelles

2011-10-09T18:21:00.001+11:00

So much for school holidays- I barely know where the time has gone and I have a commission to do ( a cot quilt) but I like to think about the fabric when I make a quilt and I haven't quite decided what to use yet, though there is a few fabrics auditioning.

But I want to make more Sentinelles for Prague both small and a few large ones ( for which I will make a new stencil). I had made a linocut previously for small sentinelles but somehow they did not seem quite right, so I cut a new linocut- she is such a mix of influences that she is quite different to the others- she has a classical Greek feeling about her but I am sure that is only because of the way I made the headress.

Here she is printed on bamboo paper- I know the print is not quite clean- but I prefer hand printing on paper and live with the slight mistakes ( though I must admit a press is on the wish list and has been for some time- one day in better times...)

Here is the linocut beside the paper printed sentinelle.

printed on lutradur with transfer dyes and placed over a aqua coloured piece of fabric.

Printed on cloth with gold ink.

Printed on lutradur with transfer crayons- a much softer effect and perhaps not sufficient for what i want.Now If you are interested in buying a single sentinelle panel- you can buy one from me.Each panel measure 6 inches x 18 inches (15 cm x 45 cm).The cost is $15 AUS inclusive of postage.

My aim is to get them to all corners of the earth ( I can't believe that I have visitors from 191 countries visit my blog....) one way or another- they have a message and it's for a better world. I have also written previously about their message and am still working on refining it- it takes time and I am slow- this idea has been with me such a long time when I look back through my journals that i can't rush.

And then after reading Lucallian Delights today ( one of my favourite food blogs and one I have read for many years now- I love the food and the photos) Ilva mentions she has been blogging for 6 years- which made me go check my own archives and blow me down on 23 October I will have been blogging for 7 years- can it be all that time?? You my readers have been through so much with me- the travelling, the amazing places I have been, my personal up and downs, and my work- always my work ; you have left many comments, encouragements and I have made many friends, so I will have the following small piece as a gift to thank a lucky reader- simply leave a message in the comments box and I will draw out the winning name on October 23.( I will be making some more of these in the next few days so you dear reader( and winner) will be able to choose which they would like)

And don't forget- there will be another on-line linocutting class running from 14 October- just email me if you are interested or want further information.

1061- post 1061 that is.

2011-10-02T10:48:00.002+11:00

Somehow that number struck me- not sure why- 1061- 1061 pages, don't know how many photos or how many words and how many comments...it just seems a lot.

Spent the last 4 days at Textile Fibre Forum in Geelong- it was cold, numbers were down, sales were down ( I was selling things for Pukka finds and Desirables) and all in all there were moments- actually hours where the only people around were the other traders. That makes for slow time- so quite some stitching was done on the travellers' blanket . I was next door to Peter Radford and Barbara Schey who sell paper and Barbara's wonderful shibori scarves. paper is almost as enticing to me as fabric- as I have a yearning to make books. I have made some in the past but I feel there are some waiting in the wings in the boiler room that is my brain.Peter was giving away strips of hand made paper with every purchase over $20 and if you made something with the strip of paper you were in with a chance for a $20 voucher. That occupied me for a day- and I was the only taker and therefore the winner of some lovely mulberry paper. The strips were very book like- so i made 4 altogether devoted to a couple of different entries in my journal.

Seed pods ( bought by Barbara), icon images, patterns and then my fountain pen ran out, and Jean Cocteau's cat which was bought by Inga Hunter- so that passed the time a little. Working on the strips was kind of fun- a scrolling kind of hierarchy- so they gave me a whole lot more on which to draw. The ink of my fountain pen runs into the paper a little and though its doesn't quite run it does slightly blodge the line.

And it's official!!!

I shall be leading a tour to France next year in April- we will start with the Quilt Expo in Beaujolais, go onto Lyons, then have a wonderful 6 days in Paris- where I will show you the Paris i love and then onto Giverny and Monet's house, the ruined Abbey at Jumiege, landing beaches, Bayeuax and tapestry, Rouen, Tours and castles. If you are interested please email me and I can send you the full itinerary and costing. We have included plenty of things to interest men as well as women- for example whilst we are in Beaujolais there is also some kind of wine festival event happening

I shall also be teaching another online linocutting class starting 14 October so please email me if you are interested.

And I have not done a lot of hands on teaching in Victoria this year- not sure why, but I am available to teach. However I will be teaching at Bright on the weekend of 22/23 October for the Bright Spring Festival.I will be teaching one day of free machining and one day of linocutting- which will see you make 2 stamps to take home and to hopefully spark you to create your own unique fabrics. I will also bring my own linocuts to print with .

Textile Fibre Forum And Pukka Treasures

2011-09-28T06:33:00.000+10:00

I will be attending the Textile Fibre Forum at Geelong the next four days selling Fiona Wright's Pukka Finds & Stitching Project -clothing and sari silk scraps. Some of the stitched jackets are to die for- luscious colour all stitched and so wonderfully soft. I will share some photos next week!

I have also been working on my travellers' blanket again- I want to get it finished. I am on school holidays at present but went up to my mothers for the weekend ( hence the flower photos) and by the time I got back and attended to some necessary administrative tasks it's Wednesday already.The cloth that I am working on for the travellers blanket was only partially tie dyed - and the tied areas leant themselves beautifully to being stitched. For the rest of the blanket I am using sari silk scraps and the effect is quite different- though I have been working on blending them in with the stitched tied areas. See what you think...

I can't wait to see what the whole blanket will look like- there is so much stitching happening on this blanket and I haven't yet decided what I will do for the "quilting" stitching and what colour.

I have also decided to do one more online linocutting class for the year.It will commence on 14 October 2011- so you will be finished before the madness of December. Here is a description:
The course is 3 lessons ( with various exercises) delivered fortnightly with the intent of building your skills with the tools as well as your design skills, looking at how to use your photos,three colour printing and various other things like simple repeats, alphabets etc. The cost of the course is $55US. Lessons are delivered as a pdf file and number approximately 100 or so pages, with exercises and tips and inspirations. I also organise a discussion group to troubleshoot problems or discuss discoveries and to share work.
If you are interested in enrolling and learning how to make your own linocut and stamps please contact me.

And last but not least some flowers for you from the garden of my mother:

And of course a great favourite- an uncurling tree fern frond- I am not sure why I love these so much, but love the idea that the whole fern frond is contained within that spiral- and the shapes.

Poppy Quilt is Finished!

2011-09-19T07:47:00.000+10:00

I don't know where the time is flying but I have managed to finish the Poppy Quilt finally- even the bindings are done!Thank you for all the positive comments on my last blog post about how it was looking- I really appreciate your feedback even if I don't get back to you individually. I think I need to make another one as I find the colour combo quite pleasing in the end.

I did toy with hand quilting the sky but decided against it as it did not show enough and I did not want to spend hours and hours making the stitching dense enough- so I opted for machine quilting the sky in skipping meander - sort of. I did however hand stitch/embroider some wheat in between the long stems to add contrast and just a bit of play with the lines. So it's done.You can click on the images to get a larger image.

The next thing I have to make is en elephant cot quilt.I haven't made cot quilts in such a long time and it really does not sit all that well with my other work or the series which I am working on and developing to get another kind of sentinelle shape happening- so part of my problem in getting these done is how to make the work mine and not make it look like some premade panel that could have been bought in Spotlight or some other cheap and nasty department store.

I also got the little list books from Margaret Cooter one of her books du jour- I do keep lists of things I have to do but I like the idea that a list book can both record things that need to be done and things that have been achieved without the crossings off. If you email Margaret she can send you a book or a pdf file for the booklet. You will need to scroll down her blog page to find the little books( i couldn't get the post to make a direct link so sorry about that). I will share an image of mine in my next post. I am writing this post before I have to go to school- which is keeping me out of lots of trouble I can tell you!!lol!

I have especially been enjoying the typography part of the course ( and other bits as well) but typography is so much about pattern and shape that it suits my patterned heart. I love that we are making our own fonts for things and even though mine are far from polished I am enjoying the process immensely and can see all sorts of uses for it. It has also opened up a whole new world of more books ( as if that was needed) and I could not resist getting Marian Bantjes I Wonder. I set aside a few hours on Sunday afternoon to just absorb and read and really study all the patterns and typography she uses. I love the section in her book Notes on a Life- which were the lists her mother kept all through her life and which recorded the daily chores, interactions and little things of life as well as big ideas- her mother was a political activist and early recycler- and so amongst lists for shopping or reminders to call friends you will find a note that says the Politics of Altruism. Marian and her siblings called the lists Mum's Brains and they were not allowed to tear a page from it though they inevitably wrote notes to each other on it. It looks scrappy when the rest of the book is so much about pattern but it is all about the pattern of life- the little things that we do every day, and years after her mothers death - she has a immediate link with the everyday of living with her mother- precious really, really precious. The book itself is a study in richness- there is gilt on the cover and the pages are gilt edged- something extremely rare these days but done originally to protect books form dust and moisture.... I am looking forward to next Sunday!

Poppies

2011-09-06T15:07:00.000+10:00

One month ago I showed you some fabrics I was preparing for a poppy quilt which is for a little girl with that name. Then I did not get much further than the fabric, partly because I have been busy and partly I am not sure why. I liked the colours , I knew what to do but somehow nothing would come out of my hands. Last Sunday I decided enough is enough with all this procrastination- it's not getting the quilt made- it's simple really - "you have to make a poppy quilt". When I started to work I suddenly realised why the ennui- the poppies made me think of France- of missing France- of missing the summer there and the poppy strewn fields- I was feeling homesick for something that is not my home at present- how can you be homesick for not your home?

So the only way is forward with the quilt and realising the dream- somehow by hook or crook. Maybe my block of land will finally sell so I can move on with my life and start something new!It's too much of a waiting game at the moment- if the block sells I can go do other things and maybe buy a house in france.

So here are some photos of the layers for applique- stitching and quilting has to be added- and I am still contemplating whether it needs a small pieced border or maybe not.Any thoughts?

I dyed the background fabric especially- it looked fabulous out of the dye bath but greened up a lot once it was washed ( sorry i forgot to take photos). I was trying to get the effect of the wheatfields in the background, looking up to the sky , like the photo below- though I did not quite want so much blue stunning though it is.I have a better photo of this but I can't find it at the moment.

I had to piece the transition between the blue of the sky and the blueish green of the dyed fabric as the top of the fabric was too green and the blue too blue to make a pleasing transition- eek I have not pieced in a long time!It starts to look better with more stems.

And last- I think that's as much as I am going to do in layering pieces- I don't want it to be too busy, and more lines can go in with stitching in any case. the piece is finally starting to speak to me- it's calling me to another place.

Time is Flying and How!

2011-09-03T17:36:00.001+10:00

My course is keeping me very busy, though I am enjoying it a lot and learning a lot. Last week it seemed like some of the things had finally sunk in and I feel as if I may be able to get my head around illustrator after all. I am also doing photography as part of my course (will photograph something textile in the studio on Thursday and share it I hope) and am really enjoying that. I have found out things about my camera that will make life easier photography wise. So I will share two of my "urban" photos we had to shoot this week. When you think of an urban environment buildings come to mind, but I tried to focus on the multiplicity of signs- so many that it can be confusing as to what you are asked to read. Some businesses have so many signs it's difficult to know what they sell. We had to frame the photos with two frames and convert them to black and white. You can't see the white frame too well because my blogger background is white.

I was quite pleased with the way these two photographs turned out and it will give you a little urban glimpse of Geelong.

Last Saturday I went to a artist talk by Mario Luccio and his new exhibition called New York Found 2 at Metropolis Gallery in Geelong. I have written about this artist before and found his talk very illuminating about his work- the layers and the metropolis,the pentimento below the surface and the cracks of civilisation.Below is a scan of an invite to an earlier exhibition of Marco's where his concern was the urban landscape and the representation of urban icons .

Today my eldest daughter and I went to see Reflections of the Soul- Contemporary Chinese Inkwash Painting.There was some beautiful work in this- soulful as you would expect and really large. It was well worth the visit!

And watch this space........

Next year in April 2012 I will be conducting a tour to France which will take in The Quilt Expo in Beaujolais, Lyon, Paris and major museums and some quirky and interesting ones that not all the tourists go to, and Giverny and Monet's garden and Normandy and the fabulous Bayeux Tapestry, the Landing beaches, chateaux and Le Mont Saint Michel. We are finalising the itinerary now, so when I have it to hand I will share it. if you think you may be interested or you may know someone who is interested please email me . The tour will include plenty of things to interest husbands or partners- I can even write postcards for you a la Frances Mayes style ( Under the Tuscan Sun)... nah I just said that but hopefully you will get a wonderful taste of France!

Slowly Getting the Working Cap Back On

2011-08-21T11:01:00.000+10:00

Life has been hectic . The course I am doing in Graphic Design and Print is keeping my very busy- have to do lots of homework so i can remember what to do- the young ones in my class find it all easy, but I am slowly getting the hang of it. It does not leave much time for other things and i came back from Europe a bit flat in terms of inspiration.

I did do some dyeing on Friday and was very happy with this piece of dyed fabric.I have dyed forest fabric in ages- I really like the blue at the bottom it reminds me of a pond. Anyway it got me thinking about the fabric i want to make for the poppy quilt I have to make so after this post I will be trying out my ideas and see if it works and then finally I might get going on the poppy quilt!

Then yesterday i was guest speaker at Geelong Patchworkers and Quilters Guild at their AGM- somehow I walked out of the meeting as Vice President- with an earmark for President next year. I would really like to see some exciting things happen and enthuse everybody from the traditional patchworker to the textile artists- got to brainstorm some ideas for being a vibrant community that others want to be a part of.Alas i won't be at the annual exhibition as I will be heading off to Prague as guest artist at Art Textil

And whilst I have not blogged for a week or two, my article for Quilting Arts in Stitches has been published so that was exciting- my first foray into an American publication. You can see parts of the magazine by following the link

And the travellers blanket class has started- already some wonderful ideas being played with and some wonderful stories by people from all over the world.It always amazes me that you can make so many connections with the internet . I don't think I would be doing what i do without the internet!

And I have the thinking cap on for the next evolution of Sentinelles- I want to make a new stencil - vary the form and patterning and have them be about ideas- a world of ideas- like the muses. Whilst the internet has opened so many doors we also seem to be losing connections with the past because everything is so fast and without a past it is difficult to connect to the future- or anyway that is one of my thoughts.When I sit and hand stitch on my travellers blanket I have time to sit and think- and I really am enthused actually passionate about books and ideas. I read an excellent book by Alan Loney entitled The Printing of a Masterpiece last week that has me all fired up about book making again.His book is about the decisions he made in typesetting the book and its layout- dry subject matter in a sense- but the wow factor came from his passion for what he was creating and his involvement in the whole process- he was completely immersed in the project and his passion and the content informed his choices and led to new ideas .It was a wonderful insight into one man thinking about his book which was quotes from Leonardo da Vinci about nothingness that he was making into somethingness.I like the idea of somethingness.....

Ohh and the next photo is simply because I love the shapes of the leaves of the plant.Not the most wonderful photo i know but this plant is just so well you want to touch it and stroke the leaves.

Tie Dyed and Procrastination

2011-08-07T09:19:00.000+10:00

I have tie dyed some of the khadi fabric I have for a customer order- I was really pleased how this piece turned out and the customer really liked it too!and could see it making a fabulous jacket or quilt. The khadi takes the dye beautifully as well.

And I have been in procrastination mode. I need to make a quilt incorporating poppies for a little girl-I have dyed some fabrics to try and get the right colours but am still not sure if they are exactly right.It's been awhile since I have done some dyeing as I have lived in rented houses and I worry about causing stains and until recently the weather has been too horrible to do it outside.

There will be green going into the mix as well and I am still thinking about what kind of border I will make- it will be a two sided border- will i make a linocut of poppies or do a gocco print.

I have had more car troubles- this time the clutch, and I was lucky the gear box was not damaged- I can't believe how much this car has cost me in the last month, which means a lot less money to put towards the book I intend to write and self publish sigh......

School has been busy- I am learning lots but I am so slow compared to the young ones who just seem to know all this stuff. Still I am learning and it's quite different being with people all the time- working at home is fine but the downside is that you don't have a lot of interaction with other people.

I have also finally tidied up the sun room ( after lending some furniture to a friend as it would not fit in the house) and I now have a good light workspace ( although it's not well insulated which is a bit of a problem when it's cold and hot)- but as such there is space to do some regular workshops from home. If you are interested in learning some new things or develop your work or ideas let me know and I will work out a schedule. Cost will be $60 for a day session ( 9.30-4.00pm) which will include lunch and tea/coffee. Groups will be small as I don't have lots of space.I am also thinking that we could work towards an exhibition of sorts.

More Stitching on the Travellers' Blanket

2011-07-31T18:14:00.000+10:00

I have been doing some more stitching on the travellers' blanket whilst I ponder a cot quilt I should have made months ago- it needs to include poppies as it's for a little girl called poppy. I have to dye the fabric for it but also have to think about how I will make the quilt as it will be washed and needs to be soft- so not so heavily stitched.

The travellers' blanket is starting to look like wobbly millefiore- the effect of the circles is so different to the effect with the stitched squares. I only tie dyed the upper third of the blanket so am now appliqueing circles of recycled sari silk to be the centres of the circles. The sari silk is a bit tricky to sew with as it is very fine and so shreds easily- so the only way to deal with it is to stitch it heavily. Don't forget there is still time to enrol in the Travellers Blanket class which starts on 13 August. You can chose to do circles or squares or any other shape that appeals to you like tear drops.Details are here if you are interested.

I am so over cars i can barely write the word car- one problem fixed and now another more expensive problem to be fixed- it's driving me nuts, not only is it consuming precious pennies but also quite a lot of time plus kids need running around and sans car that is proving to be difficult.Does anyone know a good reliable mechanic in Geelong?

No Sewing Done but....

2011-07-27T17:58:00.000+10:00

The week has flown and very little sewing has gotten done, in a sense I am treading water- wondering if I should continue with the sentinelle series or developing something new. I thought that perhaps I could make a different stencil and change the next sentinelles in the way they appear, but haven't decided what changes to make. Making six as I did, really did push me to think about how to give each an identity.

The week has been marred by more car troubles- cars and I don't seem to have a good interface. I did teach at Portsea on the weekend and that was a lot of fun- it was a retreat so lots of ladies just out for the weekend enjoying themselves with stitching and the odd glass of wine. I couldn't believe my luck when I won first price in the raffle and some paintings by Andrew Page-Roberston- there were two so i decided that someone else should have the opportunity to have one of the paintings and blow me down my name was drawn out again!

The collage is of natural things encountered last week at Elsternwick whilst waiting for my daughter to do her assessement presentation at Brighton bay College, at Portsea Jetty and the Ian Erskines building in Geelong- it's derelict but heritage listed and does have some lovely features despite the battoned down windows and other dilapidations. There is another image here. I wonder what Grand Designs would do with such a building? In fact there are some quite lovely buildings in Geelong, but they seem to get lost in amongst malls and shopping squares.

Another teapot and Rosewater Jug

2011-07-18T17:54:00.000+10:00

I found another lutradur panel with a teapot and rosewater jug already printed so I have stitched it.I really needed to get some stitching done- my sewing machine has been sitting in abject silence.

It measures 8 inches square or 20 cms square and is for sale for $45 AUS inclusive of postage. Just email me if you are interested.

And I have enrolled in a Graphic Design and Printing course at the Gordon Institute. It is a full time course, running for a semester ,but as I want to write more books I really want to work with Illustrator more and short courses are not in depth enough. Today was my first day as student- it feels rather strange being so much older than everyone, though the young people were quite friendly and one of the guys fell asleep in the lecture- tomorrow is a free day.

I have also been invited to exhibit in Prague in December- this is very exciting as I have never been to Prague and it is a textile event rather than a quilt event and i shall be the only Australian there.So I have made a commitment to get there by hook or crook and would love to meet some Czechoslovakian textile artists.

Next weekend some of my work will be shown at Chabeuil near Valence in Southern France along with some other terrific artists at De Fil en Fil

There are still some places left in the Travellers Blanket on-line class but it is filling so if you want to do it you will need to let me know soon. It starts on August 13 and I have been working on the blanket itself ( to be able to show participants a different version) and also the notes.

Last week the latest Magic Patch ( France )arrived with a project I did of the Gypsy Blanket. I love the orange background for the image of the quilt and the styling of the photograph!

The Faceless One is Finished

2011-07-08T08:38:00.001+10:00

I honestly don't know where time gets to sometimes. I set out with good plans and good intentions but nothing comes of it at all. Add to that the need to job hunt with tweaking resumes and writing covering letters( which take up quite some time I might add) and the week has gone when it has only just started. Then we have the unemployment figures saying there was a small increase in jobs this last month- but really when the figures classify employment as including jobs that may only be 3 hours a week- what are we to make of the figures- they really do not reflect the real situation at all.And I think I need to work hard at my art and business because I think it may be the best hope after all.

But I have finished my faceless Sentinel portrait and she now has a face- I think she is The Sentinel of the Desert and Barren Places, places which seem bare but in all reality hide many treasures and miraculous happenings.The close-up images are closer to the true colour- she is really a deep ochrey orange colour.

A close up of the hand stitched medallion- reflecting ridging in the desert and then the tiny buds of growth after winter rain.The idea of the medallions came from pilgrim badges in medieval times- they wore badges to identify the pilgrimage they were on and to help protect them. They wore them on their clothing or they were sewn to the clothing.Here the badges depict the environment the sentinel is watching.

The photo above is a detail of the face and the stitching in the aura- both by hand and machine and of course the machine stitching was done with Aurifil threads- 28 weight.

This Sentinel is for sale, because she is a different format than my other sentinels . She measure 32 inches square and she has been hand dyed and hand printed , machine and hand stitched. The price is $600AUD including postage. If you are interested in buying her please contact me. SOLD to a fellow traveller!

Workshop in Reduction Linocutting

2011-07-04T12:17:00.000+10:00

I don't often take workshops but a few weeks ago my eldest daughter and I visited the studio of Pip Williams a linocut printmaker from Drysdale.Her studio is known as 135 Gallery and it was a lovely light space filled with wonderful prints and other art and ceramic objects. My daughter and I loved her work ( just wish I had a little more money sometimes) and were intrigued by the layers of colour she incorporates into her work. In talking to Pip we found out that she holds regular workshops in reduction linocutting (a technique I have been fascinated by but couldn't quite get it into my head how it's done) , and as it was my daughters birthday coming up in the end of June I suggest she may like to do a workshop with Pip.So last Saturday we spent a delightful day with Pip learning her technique for reduction lino cutting and being introduced to her philosophy of truly hand printing without a press ( something that appeals to me as I cannot afford a press, and I do like that each print differs from the hand process).

We started off with just making an ordinary linocut and perhaps doing something which was outside of our normal style ( but can't help it - just love visual textures!)

This one was of a mushroom and we tried out several different papers for printing on. The we came to the reduction printing. it is a process where you cut away each layer for each colour you intend to print.So it does take some planning. My biggest problem was what to use for inspiration as i did not want it to be too complex as I really wanted to understand the process.I choose this hand woven basket or a detail of it.

I thought it gave me nice simple shapes to work with .......I forgot to photograph my first layer of printing but it was in a teracotta colour with the intention of the white from the paper to continue through the layers.

The final colour was to be a soft ochre to offer nice contrast.

On the bottom left hand print I reversed the linocut to see what effect it would have on the resulting print as I had mucked up the print in any case- I found the effect quite interesting. So we had a wonderful day and learnt lots , and I finally have some concept of a technique I have been wanting to pursue for a long time. I like the way the layers of paint load up onto paper and the mottling because the layers sit on top of one another.

Yesterday we went and looked at an exhibition at the Wintergarden in Geelong ( it's possible to lunch there or drink coffee) by the Friday Printmakers- some wonderful work there and we will be going back for their opening next Saturday and to take a better look!

And if you would like to learn some printmaking for textiles- I am teaching at Jiddi's Patch this coming Saturday- we will make a simple linocut and then print on fabrics using various techniques.

And....

I also have an article in Issue 5 of Textiles Dowunder on African Painting which is available now.- this is a fun technique to create truly unique painted textiles .There are lots of other inspirational articles and how to's.

And there is still time to enroll for a my on-line Travellers Blanket class- we start on August 13.You can see some examples of other travellers blankets I have made here and here. Details of the class are here.

De Fil en Fil and More Travellers' Blanket

2011-06-27T17:44:00.001+10:00

My sentinel quilts and some other work will be shown at De Fil en Fil at Chabeuil in France on the weekend of 22-24 July. I would so love to have been there but unfortunately can't be there. I will be teaching at the Mornington Peninsula Patchworkers Inc. Guild Retreat.

I will also be teaching linocutting and printing at Jiddi's Patch on 9 July- there are still some places in this workshop. It is a workshop that looks at how to make linocuts, actually making one and then printing with linocuts- I will bring plenty of my own linocuts to play with as well.It's a great way to make your own unique fabric and even cards. I use the technique a lot in my own work.

I have been stitching away on the Travellers' Blanket. There is still time to book into the on-line workshop which starts on the 13th of August. Information for the workshop is in my previous post .

I went to my mothers on the weekend and admired this unfurling fern frond- nothing like that in this garden where we are living now- it's times like this I miss the bush and the forests which were part of our lives for 15 years. I don't think I am a a city girl at heart- small villages yes.

Travelling and Blankets

2011-06-22T10:11:00.000+10:00

I have been working on the khadi cloth traveller's blanket and it is quite addictive- as I sit and sew I think I will just do another one and another one. The stitching is simple so it's easy to be lost in thought and think back on the wonderful trip I had to Syria and Europe and all the little stories that I encountered.At the moment I am filling in the tie dyed circles I made in the khadi cloth which I dyed a darkish blue. The paler fabric on the right hand side is also khadi cloth but has coloured threads and a slightly larger weave. I have used it for the back of this blanket.

I wondered for ages what to do with this piece of cloth as I did not tie dye it all over, but the softness of the khadi, the slight graduations in the spun thread of the hand woven fabric and the way the dyes absorbs into the fibres are all interesting. And so each tie dye is calling for its own treatment. I don't set out with a plan in the stitching , it just builds as I stitch and as the colours demand.In the areas where there is no tie dyes I intend to applique some sari silk remnant which Fiona Wright sent to me - these are so colourful.

The on-line class for the travellers blanket will definitely go ahead- I have quite a number of people express their interest.The cost of the workshop will be $50 and will cover a 4 month period with access to a group for discussion and sharing work and stories!

The layers have been created using hand dyed muslin and flannel- this gives the piece a lovely drape

Or if you would prefer to use khadi cloth- I can sell it to you but you will need to contact me.

In the spirit of sharing stories, on my second last day in France we went to Fontainebleau- the "small" home largely built by Francis I ( who was a great patron of the arts) and added to by various other French emperors over the years.The photo collage is of various rooms in the palace as well as some of the entry ports and the small lake which was used for leisure activities. The rooms are highly decorated with fabulous chandeliers, tapestries or silk adorning the walls and four poster beds that look as if you are lying inside a jewellery box. Every surface is decorated, and so decorated that you marvel at all the skill , workmanship and art and you wonder how many people it took to achieve all this- quite a bit different to the blank white or taupe walls seen in so many display homes now a days with the huge plasma screen tellie dominating the scene.

In my more proletariat days i shunned visiting such palaces for their ostentation and luxuriant excess of the incredibly rich- but when I think of all the fine workmanship, all done by hand; the marvellous rich texture of seeing in such a place; of the artisans and artists that were fostered and who created this incredible interplay of decorated ceilings, walls and panelling, carpets, curtains and tassels, furniture, chandeliers, paintings and vases I am aware that our world is so much the poorer for having lost so many of these incredible skills.The skills of the hand- see I knew I could somehow tie Fontainebleau into a traveller tableau......

Stitching a Khadi Cloth Travellers' Blanket

2011-06-17T13:17:00.000+10:00

I finally finished all my paperwork for taxes which should have been done months ago but got interrupted by various things. I hate doing the paperwork for my business, but once I start it is never as bad as I imagined it would be so I don't know why I put it off like I do. Anyway as a reward I have started stitching another travellers' blanket but this time with circular motifs and on hand dyed khadi cloth, with bumff as batting and khadi backing cloth. At the moment I am decorating the tie dyes of the piece I dyed but on the pieces where there is no tie dye I will work in some of Fiona Wright's sari silks ( from our Pukka Place)

I have also been inspired by the work of my students at the Travellers' Blanket workshop I have been teaching at Jiddi's Patch here in Geelong. We dyed the fabrics first and then created the quilt sandwich ( hand dyed muslin and bumff) and then started attaching the squares and stitching in embroidery detail. I could not believe how much work they had done whilst i was overseas and was gobsmacked at some of the wonderful embroidery they had done ( unfortunately the battery of my camera was flat so i can't share some of the wonderful things they had done). There is so much interest in this class that we are starting another class on Saturday 13 August.I will also teach the travellers blanket as an on-line course and will start it at the same date as the real travellers blanket- that is 13 August 2011. The cost for the course will be $50 Aus and will go over a four month period, I will set up a group so we can share our work and discuss- I will also share details of the dyeing process for the blanket and of the stitching of my travellers blanket and any other inspirations and of course stories!. If you are interested please email me. I can be paid via Paypal but please email me first so i can send you an invoice.

I must admit I am in love with colonial knots- I love the texture of them under your hand and I like the way they sit on the surface of the cloth and yet are still soft.

I Feel Faceless

2011-06-10T15:05:00.002+10:00

Some of you will know that i have been looking for a job since last year ( longer actually as I have been struggling to pay the bills and am getting nowhere fast- the earnings of a textile artist are meagre at the best of times and right now, as everyone knows, and are likewise feeling the effects of this economic downturn, is not the best of times) and I am feeling totally disheartened and frustrated at the moment. Before I left to exhibit and teach in Europe I had applied for a fellowship at the state Library.. The object of the fellowship is to use the collection of the library in a substantive way. Quite by accident ( whilst googling for the Ned Kelly Jerilderie Letter) I stumbled upon the incredible Press Dress of Mrs Butters which is in the collection of the state library. I was so impressed by the ingenuity shown in creating the fabric for this dress I thought wouldn't it be wonderful to create another such dress - using digital technology which is wonder of the first decade of the new century and to create a dress celebrating one hundred years of women's rights by highlighting women who had contributed to the art and culture of the city of Melbourne over that 100 year period. Everyone I talked to about this idea thought it was a great idea and something I could bring off ( I also intended to make a catalogue to showcase the women and the process)....... well guess what......... the idea got the thumbs down from the library........I didn't even get to the referee stage of this idea.

I am feeling so frustrated because with all the jobs I have applied for and there have been quite some- I haven't got to the interview stage once- I know I can sell an idea if I can talk about it- which I guess means I am not so good at writing proposals ( I have had my resume vetted by professionals and they all seem to think my resumes are fine, I have several for different areas of work). And I couldn't even get a volunteer job at the Geelong Gallery depsite having a Masters of Visual Art & Communication- do you need a Phd to volunteer now????

So I am feeling faceless- a bit like this sentinel portrait I am working on- I didn't realise I had forgotten to stencil in her eyes until I started sewing and thought something didn't look quite right. My other sentinels stayed in France for Le festival de fil en fil en pays de Chabeuil, les 22,23 et 24 Juillet 2011. It would be a real treat if one of them sold, because whilst I have been busy making the big pieces very few little pieces got made to help things ticking over.

Thank you for your comments on the Jean Cocteau post. I loved seeing the chapel and his house and am so glad that you too enjoyed the little visit!

And i was quite surprised this morning when I checked visitor numbers to my blog ( I usually don't check when I am away) to find that I am 185 visitors off 350,000 visits. If only I could put those kind of stats in job applications!

So thank you to everyone for your support and visits - it is much appreciated! And I will be keeping an eye on who will be the 350,000th visitor.

Jean Cocteau and Milly la Fôret

2011-06-07T12:18:00.001+10:00

Jean Cocteau spent from 1947 ,when he purchased a house until his death in 1963 at Milly la Fôret. The village ( really town) dates from medieval times and older and still has a medieval market structure standing. The house is delightful ,situated overlooking a moat and small towered building and with a large garden. Here Cocteau made some of his most renowned work and indeed some of the rooms still have their original furnishings along with many desks littered with books and artists' materials. I dream of having such a house... sigh....The top three photos are Cocteau's desk, his view over the back garden and a view of the side garden looking towards the house. The gardener was busy cleaning up the garden.

The house has also had some of the spaces converted to exhibit some of Cocteau's art work and also to show videos of some of his movies and interviews.

Cocteau also painted a small chapel known as ChapelleSainte Blaise de Simples.

Cocteau is actually buried in the chapel along with his adopted son Edouard Dermit. The Chapel was part of a larger complex devoted to caring for lepers and was run by the Knights Templar. All that remained when it was restored, were the chapel walls which were painted by Cocteau with medicinal herbs and the resurrection. The Chapel is simple, quiet and magical and surrounded by a garden devoted to medicinal herbs. Between the campanule fausse raiponce and the campanule â feuilles rondes i found this wonderful spiders's web. It wasn't like anything I had seen before- it almost looked like an extremely fun spun bonded polyester and the water droplets weighed heavy and sat like shining irregular crystals in the web- ohhh to make such fabric wouldn't it be wonderful? I just have no idea how you would create the droplet effect.

The Work and Teaching of Cherilyn Martin

2011-05-28T15:10:00.000+10:00

When I have been in the Netherlands I have often come across the work of Cherilyn Martin but had never met her so I was delighted to finally meet the person whose work I had been admiring for many years.Above and below are images of some of Cherilyn's recent work and you will find more images on her website which I have linked.

For Aussies- Cherilyn is one of Northern Europe's foremost teachers in teaching to develop your own work as well as the use of other fibrous materials and dimension in work and she will be in Australia doing workshops for Fibrearts Australia from 18-24 Septemeber in Townsville and 25 september-1 October in the Hawkesbury.

NEW DIMENSIONS IN SURFACES & STITCH …a journey of discovery………

In this experimental class we will work simultaneously with paper, fabric and stitch. In a series of hands on experiments we will transform the character of papers and fabrics, building intriguing surfaces with a variety of mediums and surface design techniques……

The time spent together will not only be a journey into the third dimension, but a journey of self discovery.

A series of small works will be produced in this class ranging from 2D fabric/paper stitched constructions to off the wall structures.

In her classes Cherilyn encourages students to push the boundaries of ideas, materials and technique and to develop their own visual language.

Guess Where I Am?

2011-05-18T20:07:00.000+10:00

Yes I am in France and back in Le Triadou where we are having an exhibition this weekend at le Clastre- the little chapel here that is actually a gallery space- I am looking forward to seeing all our work in this wonderful little exhibition space! We are l'Atelier Printemps Sacre and here is your invitation!We hope to see lots of people there and the weather is likely to be better than last year!

L'Association des Créateurs d'Ici et d'Ailleurs (ACIA) vous invite

au vernissage de l'exposition de l'Atelier Printemps Sacré

qui se tiendra à La Clastre au Triadou (34)

le samedi 21 mai à 11h.

Le samedi 21 mai à partir de 14h,

l'artiste Australienne, Dijanne Cevaal, fera une démonstration

de teintures et impressions sur textiles à La Clastre.

Si vous voulez participer au stage, veuillez apporter des tissus 100% coton ou soie

et une participation de 5 euros pour les frais de teinture.

Le samedi 21 à partir de 14h,

Anne Deckers vous invitera à La Clastre à une démonstration de poterie

aux colombins et apprentissage gratuit pour les enfants

Le dimanche 22 à partir de 10h, ateliers de cuisine asiatique

au 151 Allée du Machessolles (300m de La Clastre):

10-11h Rouleaux de printemps

11-11h30 Nems (versions philippine, thaïlandaise, vietnamienne)

11h30-12h30 Sushi

Si vous voulez participer à ces ateliers, veuillez prévoir une participation

de 10 euros pour les ingrédients.

Le dimanche 22, à l'issue des ateliers une restauration sera assurée au prix de 7€

au 151 Allée du Machessolles (300m de La Clastre).

Sur réservation au 06 17 93 54 39.

Pouvez-vous transmettre cette invitation à vos amis,

ainsi que sa pièce jointe.

Amicalement,

l'Atelier Printemps Sacré

My goodness a lot has happened since my last post! I have exhibited in Veldhoven, then in Parma- which was very exciting- good exhibition space, very keen students and lots of positive feedback! I hope to be back in Italy next year with new work. Met lots of people and had a lovely time with Sandra Reford who helped with translating and is a wonderful artist in her own right.

Places still available in Workshops in France
After this weekend I will be teaching in several places- and there are still places available:

24 May 2011-Best of Quilting- Gypsy Blanket- stitched and embroidered collage
26 May -dyeing- class is full
27 May 2011- Au fil d'Emma-Transfer Printing and Stitching ( lutradur)
28 May 2011- Au fil d'Emma- Tranfer Printing and Stitching ( lutradur)
31 May 2011- Best of Quilting- Free motion quilting ( 72 Ways- pique libre)

Six Sentinels are Finished

2011-05-07T15:53:00.000+10:00

I am at the European Quilt Chamionships in veldhoven and managed to finish all six of my sentinels. I will be making more of them for sure! People are surprised at how large they are- but I always meant them to be large ( and the yellow one seems to be longer even though the stencil was the same size...) They are as long as I am tall or slightly longer.

Sentinels- statement

I have made six sentinels for my exhibition in the Netherlands and in Parma Italy- exploring aspects of the earth; a fusion of landscape inspired by Fred Williams and Judy Watson, a look at the french landscape so different and yet so similar to Australian landscape ( I am thinking Fred Williams would have loved Pic St loup) a tip of the hat to my heritage and a pervading spirituality and mystique of the land and my personal language of lace and the tenuous connecting threads of the lace.

I am using a hominid form to suggest Sentinel and I usedthe word sentinel rather than guardian as the word guardian implies looking after but also taking care of. Sentinels are merely guards, there is nothing proactive about their watch- they only watch and can alert others ,to what they are watching. It is for the viewer or others to act on what they see or don’t see. Each sentinel will deal with aspects of the environment, and whilst we know certain things must not be done, we are responsible ourselves to make sure they are not done- it is not some benevolent guardian that does it for us- it has to be us. This is why I have made the sentinels life size; to suggest the human aspect and they are the same height as myself so that I too must play an active role in protecting the earth.

I am weaving together imagery of things and myths i love.

I have a fascination with lace- when you zoom in on lace it is like looking at a thread map- the negative space as interesting as the actual threads forming the positive space . In this series I am exploring the land, or nature if you will but I am of nature too and I bring my past and present to this land- the past is full of lace, i see it in the old photographs of family, their finely starched lace caps. The idea of caps somehow intertwined with the idea of Madonnas and determined that my figure would have a head dress of sorts. The body is traversed by paths and transparencies that reflect the structure of lace.

I would like to see my sentinels in all corners of the world, big and small. I like the idea that they will be in many places watching, being reminders to take a deep breath in, then breathe out; let the good things in and put the bad things out.

So I have chosen a simple form that suggest madonna but also other spirit keepers from different societies and also a reference to the lace caps worn by my great grandmothers and aunts in Zeeland- a halo to suggest the spiritual aspect- an opportunity to decorate with thoughts of byzantine Madonnas of gilt and gold ,of lace intertwinings. It also represents the mother- watching over her children. She encapsulates a lot of things I want to say about the place i find my self in- Australia, but also about my migrant past and indeed the past of my family.

The Blue Sentinel

One of reflection and empathy, cool and thoughtful- what is she watching? At the present the world is in a bad state- when was it last like this? It is the sentinel that was there in the beginning, in the waters and the sea- watching life as it emerged, watching as it evolved, watching as it is squandering the earth’s resources, watching as we must draw deep within ourselves to have human empathy for the disasters we have created, watching as we must find solutions to the disasters of our own making. She stands cool and shimmering, her body encrusted with corals and urchin shapes.

The Red Sentinel

She reminds me of Demeter- the earth mother but also the watcher of her daughter- she could not prevent Persephone’s seduction by the seed of the pomegranate and the other world, the underworld- it was Persephone’s own action that meant she had to spend time in the underworld.It is a reminder to be close to the earth- to take care of the earth- if tilled with care and love it delivers great fruit.But if the tilling fails then the earth is waste.

Green Forest Sentinel

The forests are places of great diversit y of many life forms and of many plants some of them with great medicinal properties. We must look to nature for solutions and yet at the same time we must guard against destruction of our forests- which dwindle all days.

Dark Fire Sentinel

The fire within, the fire of imagination. Fire marks both danger and rebirth. In Australia where the land is subject to high fire risk , and on hot summer days when the north wind blows, fire is something that is feared – we have seen too many bush fires and seen the path of destruction that fire causes. And yet fire can be magical as well- imagine a warm wood fire on a winters evening, with a glass of red wine and a steaming cup of soup with freshly baked bread, or the imagination gets all fired up with ideas, so many that it is difficult to begin

Ochre Earth Sentinel

Ochre Earth Sentinel- this sentinel is the watcher of all things Australian- of our dry landscape despite small patches of forest and an eastern seaboard with tropical rainforest, of dwindling water resources of drought and sunburnt land. The water is the heart of our land, slow rivers flow through the land giving sustenance, to sometimes dry up in summers’ shimmering heat. We have to take care with water , it is not a never ending resource, it must be used frugally, but we seem to waste more than ever. There are parts of the world where water is as precious as gold, the only thing that sustains life.

Aubergine Tracking Paths Sentinel

Many people inhabit our land but the first people, indigenous Australians have a deep affinty with the land- the walk and sing the land, it imbues their spirit, and they take care of the land- they are the custodians and they do take care. We ,the after comers should take a lesson in loving our land and learning it’s tracks and songs so that we too can walk the paths and as a people take care of our land.

Sentinel Threesome

They are the spirit of the land- of the rivers and the plains and the mountains together they watch and hope we will awaken and that we will protect what is the most valuable - love of land and the humans whom inhabit it- to lay down all our differences and work together.

The liveliness of the stitch is what draws me most to textiles- that and the ability ot be able to colour it and print it. But the stitch is an entirely different mark making tool. I don’t aim for perfect stitching or perfect length of stitches- I want my stitches to speak , to add texture and sparkle if necessary

All my work starts as white cotton, is hand dyed, printed and stitched. I like to use simple techniques.

Travels in Syria

2011-05-02T23:51:00.000+10:00

I know I have posted about Syria already but it is a heady experience- so many things to take in , so much to enjoy. So I just thought I would share a few of my favourite things. ( I will post about the buildings again in the future). The boy above is vending green almonds- they are kept moist during the day by ladling water over them, and then they are sold in a small bag with salt and you snack on them like you would any other nuts- They are considered a delicacy and the tatse is quite almondy milky salty ( sorry about the description...).

This absolutely gorgeous mirror was int he Iwan at the Azzam Palace- the iwan was used as a sort of outdoor sitting room in th ehot weather and is lined with couches and faces onto a fountain ( which was empty) and some lush citurs trees- the tinkling of the water form the fountain was supposed to instill coolness as well as the shade from the citrus trees. The trees were all in blossom when we were there and the smell was exquisite.And I didn't quite manage to squeeze myself out of the photo. I think I could stitch quite some travellers' blankets in such a spot!

Food is very good in Syria with lots of dips like hommus and mahamara and baba ganouj, and as it was spring lots of fresh young greens dressed with olive oil and lemon- and of course always a salad- you cut your own tomato and cucumber and nibble on a chilli!

Lanterns- these lanterns were in an antique store int eh souq in Aleppo- i just love all these lights- but getting them home to Australia would be quite a problem.

This man was making tradional filled bread in the souq in Aleppo. The dough is rolled ount and place on the dome shaped griddle- as it starts to cook he placed crumbled cheese and fresh herbs onto the bread before folding it in half and cooking it a little longer to melt the cheese.

Oh and the piece de resistance- a water jug with basin for washing- this nearly came home with me- the shape beautiful- it stood out in a junk/antique shop to beat all others. Just suitcases are not designed to carry such finery- but it would give me oh so many memoriesI can only hope that by next year this time of the year things have calmed down and Syrian people can get on with their lives again and we can visit again- we are definitely planning another trip.

Sad to Leave Syria

2011-04-27T10:20:00.000+10:00

I am enroute to Bruxelles and very sad to leave Syria- but as the British and Canadian embassies ( Canada helps out Australians when we don't have an embassy on the ground) were pulling out it would have left our group without consular support, and it was still possible to get commercial flights out. There were so many rumours flying around and information hard to get and often through outside news agencies ( whose reporting I have no faith in- what footage are we seeing and exactly where) that the many Syrian people we encountered were themselves bewildered and worried , and simply want to get on with their lives .All I can say is that I do not consider Youtube to be intelligent and informed reporting of huge events affecting the lives of people, that when such footage is used ,context is important and news reporting agencies are not providing context and they seem to be using footage without being on the ground in the places they are reporting about.

On a personal level- Syria was lovely as ever- the people kind and charming, we did not encounter any troubles, though the atmosphere in Deir ez Zor was tense ( they thought I was a reporter and that of itself says something about the trust that people may hold for reporters). I am deeply worried about what will happen and hope that the outcome will be peaceful.Syria is a remarkably secular society and is nothing like the western media has made it out to be- it is a place where usually I feel safe and at ease, even in the last weeks, where strangers become friends , where history seeps through every stone, yet life is very much part of present.

Five Sentinelles Done One to Go!

2011-04-10T12:31:00.000+10:00

I can scarce believe it but apart from hand sewing five sentinelles are done! it's been a marathon of sewing and the bindings are on all but one and the sixth one is basted and set to go- so some more marathon sewing.I haven't worked this hard in a long time and I used up two queen sized batts- so thank you Victorian Textiles for your kind sponsorship of Matilda's Own wool polyester batting!

On the Workshop front.....
There are still some places available for my 5th of May workshop at the European Quilt Championship- in the Netherlands Gypsy Blanket Collage. I have posted an image of the gypsy blanket just to remind you what it looks like- we will be working a bit smaller as it is only a one day workshop but the idea is to create contrasts and harmonies with thread!

I am also teaching this workshop in France at Best of Quilting in Marcoussis on the 24th of May and I am also teaching free motion quilting ( Pique Libre) at best of Quilting on 31st of May.

It will be your last chance to do workshop with me for awhile in Europe because as a single parent travelling has become difficult to arrange as someone needs to be home for my daughter.

Work Work Work

2011-04-07T18:50:00.000+10:00

I have been slack in taking in progress photos as my sentinels develop, mainly because I am just working and working. I intend to make six and I am working on number 5 at the moment so i feel like I may actually get there if I leave the hand stitching to do when i travel to Syria next week. All together if i add all the quilts together they measure 4.5 metres wide by 170 cm long- that is an awful lot of quilting, and my back and shoulders are feeling it.

However the sewing time also gives me time to think about what i want to say with the sentinels and the badges I want to make for them. They are developing their own presences- much like a fictional character might for a novelist of a book.It's exciting - because things change quite quickly , what i thought would happen changes and adapts, and emerges as something different . The photo that follows is something I will develop into a badge- it speaks small creatures making bigger things...the photo is small because the thing I scanned was tiny- can you guess what it is ?- I have worked with it before and i think it is perfect for my blue sentinel.

And the sentinel stencil is changing- in surprising ways - I am actually thinking I might make her into lace
( but I am not sure I will have time at this stage). I do intend to make more sentinels but will make some changes to the stencil- more ideas have popped up as I have worked.

Sentinelle #3- Blue

2011-04-03T17:52:00.000+10:00

It's been a busy week- sewing, writing an article for Down Under Textiles, teaching the Travellers Blanket for the first time. On Saturday we dyed the fabric for the blanket, as the fabrics are not run of the mill patchwork fabric, but muslin and bumph in order to get the lovely soft drape. We will start stitching on Tuesday night.

I also have an article on foiling on lutradur in the latest issue of Down Under textiles. Here is the publisher blurb:
The next issue of Down Under Textiles will be out soon. I have some of my work included, showing readers how to use FOILS with two techniques - adhesives and iron-on paper-backed fusible web.
There are heaps of other great articles and projects, so grab yourself a copy! It is NOT available in newsagents, call the publisher on 02 4365 2995 or email info@creativelivingmedia.com.au to find your nearest stockist.

And work is progressing on the sentinelles- not quite as fast as I would like, but I have promised myself I will do six and even if I have to stay up nights and do it , it has to be done. In the past i would too easily have settled for five, but I have to push myself as I think six will look more impressive than five and after I return for Europe I think I will keep building on the series- depending on how people respond to them. I have one more piece of fabric to dye and to print- so then they will all be ready for stitch.The one I am working on at present is turning out much bluer than I thought she would- seems blue is ruling!

Sentinelle #2

2011-03-27T17:15:00.000+11:00

I have been sewing and sewing and my machine is not co-operating with the double thread I am running through it - the tension on the back of the piece is not the best- but running a double thread gives a different effect then stitching 4 times- it's a bit looser and more dimensional- but the back isn't pretty that's for sure- though I do not make quilts for the backs! I am still pondering what colour I will use to stitch her face with....

And am also undecided what badges she shall wear- probably something pretty vibrant as the background is quite dark and I will probably darken it some more with stitching- right now I am taking a break- my back is sore form all that sewing!

Sentinelles Taking Shape

2011-03-25T17:45:00.000+11:00

I have been hard at work but seem not to have achieved as much as I wanted. I was determined to get the blue sentinelle to a place where i could finish the hand stitching later and be reasonably happy to move onto the next sentinelle. I tend to finish one piece of work and then move onto the next. I have been hand dyeing fabric but to my chagrin found, that, despite measuring twice I manage to cut all the pieces for dyeing the backgrounds for my sentinelles 6 cms too short- and now I have run out of fabric.I had two pieces left of the right length thank goodness and they are now dyed and one is printed and basted and I have started stitching and the next is ready to print.

So I was super glad when some khadi fabric arrived via Fiona Wright of Creative Arts Safaris . Khadi is hand spun and hand woven cotton fabric made in little villages all over India by artisan weavers. Fiona sent me a couple of different weights to experiment with- I love the idea that this cloth is entirely hand made by a real person- it was Ghandi's idea to get India together and working together and to sustain the little people.Here is some more information

Anyway it dyes beautifully- slightly dullish but the colour is deep and good- so watch this space- if you are interested in me dyeing some of this special cloth just contact me-it is the ultimate slow cloth- hand spun, hand woven and hand dyed and with washing is quite soft though the structure of the fabric is good.And the price for an entirely hand made fabric will surprise you.I have also worked with it previously here

So here is my sentinelle now and they measure life size- about 175 cm by 60 cm- I want them to be like a person presence- I am showing progressive steps:

There is still some work to do on the medallion shapes- haven't decided what to put in them for this sentinelle yet ( though I have some plans for the others) simply because this sentinelle turned out so differently than expected- the medallions are a hark back to medieval times when people wore badges on pilgrimages to identify who they were and what their pilgrimage was- block printing was used to create the often paper badges that were worn- so the idea for the "badges" is that they will identify the sentinelle.

Thanks for all the feedback on my last post- it is sometimes good to push on with unfamiliar colour and think hard on how to get the result you are after- I am still not certain for this sentinelle but I do feel she rules them all, somehow, because she has taken a lot of work.

A Week to Forget

2011-03-17T09:44:00.000+11:00

I feel overwhelmed by the recent events in New Zealand and Japan and the human tragedy that affects us all and leaves us helpless.I will be donating some money as I think that is what is needed most at this time.

On a personal front I have had a week i would rather forget. I went to see my mother last weekend and on the way home on the freeway- my oil light came on and within seconds my car engine had seized. I had no mobile phone and those of you who live in Melbourne and Geelong, will know on Sunday afternoon there was a heavy rainstorm- it had just started. The freeway phone was more than a km away- so after some procrastination I decided to walk to the freeway phone- fortunately a RACV tray truck went past as I had just started to walk and stopped, and put my car on the truck as he was on the way to the other side of Geelong and could drop me at the depot ( I was about 15 minutes form home ). I can't thank that young man enough for stopping- as the rain got much heavier and the traffic was heavy. Then came the bad news- engine seized and needed replacing at a cost of $4900- need to sell quite a few quilts for that..... . Anyway after agonising for a day or so decided that it was not worth repairing the car as there were some other things that would need attention in the not too distant future , like a faulty ignition lock and wheel rotars- so i sent the car off to car heaven. I will think about what to do when I get back from Europe.But it was a very expensive afternoon.

So work on my sentinels has been slow because of getting the car stuff all sorted, and also by the fact that nothings is turning out the way I was thinking it would. First of all my stencil which I made of Vilene and which I coated with a water resistant lacquer is quite porous. It's leaving a residue behind the stencil, which in the end I don't mind the result of. Australia Post seem to have lost the parcel of dyes and printing ink I ordered two weeks ago so I have had to make do with what I have got here . I had yellow printing ink and as it is transparent you cannot print it on a dark ground. So i thought I would print the white fabric first and then dye it- I had in mind the yellow print would act as a resist against the dye and I was thinking of a glowing reddish/ochre sentinel. However the only dye I had on hand was blue and black- so ok a dark blue then with hopefully the yellow remaining yellow enough to provide contrast. Didn't happen. The dyed fabric came out quite a dull blue in colour ( that's ok I can fix that with heavy stitching) but the yellow went a murky olive green. I fixed the halo by adding foil but did not want to do that to the whole piece. So here are the results- I am still puzzling over thread colour- a deep red around the foiled area I think and maybe an ochre colour around the dress shapes....and I can liven up the colour once it has been stitched with some iridescent shiva sticks.
So nothing turned out like I wanted so now I have to think about how to rescue the situation as i cannot afford the time to ditch this sentinel.I hadn't anticipated doing a blue sentinel but maybe this can be the midnight sentinel- the one for reflection and empathy- given the natural disasters that have happened of late. I feel a little like I did not have a hand in how this turned out, that something else was at play, pushing my hand and thought- almost like she is her own creation.

Sort of Working

2011-03-11T17:50:00.000+11:00

I have cut out the stencil but as i used vilene it was not water proof so I have had to seal it with clear lacquer. Of course the weather turned sort of cold and wet so it's taking a long time to dry as i am saturating the vilene with the lacquer. My dyes and paints have still not arrived so that is a pain- hope Australia Post have not lost them!I did do a partial print today and I have to say the sentinel looks quite different to how the drawn image looked.The blotches are caused by some botched printing on the other side of the fabric.The fact that it's turned out different has me thinking about how saturated I want the print.

Meanwhile as I am waiting, I have just about finished reading the monograph on Fred Willliams and have thoroughly enjoyed the insights offered by Patrick McCaughey into the development of Williams work, who worked doggedly and hard to reach the vision that he did.I think it's time for a biography of this artist, his breakthroughs were breath taking. McCaughey says on page 213.." Williams transformed the space of landscape painting to a pictorial field, treating the canvas as a colour-field painter might, a flat area to be coated with layers of paint,placed one on top of the other, not as a window through which the world may be seen, a shallow box in which objects could be placed" and one might add a painterly curiousity cabinet.I love the paintings he created of the You Yangs- they are so determinedly Australian; all spare and messy at the same time.There is nothing neat about our landscape- often scraggly, rocky, cracked and torn, stunted and ripped. messy and layered.

Anyway the reading has had me thinking . Having seen Sidney Nolan's, Gallipolli exhibition at the Geelong Art Gallery last weekend- and thoroughly enjoying it , and I highly recommend seeing it, though I am not a great fan of Nolan in particular - it is noticeable how much "thought" both these men put into their work with quite different results. Williams concerned himself with finding a way to express landscape that was the Australian bush, Nolan was more concerned with man in the great lonely bush and icons and myth making ( think the Ned Kelly series and Leda and the Swan)- however it is obvious that great thought and break-throughs in thinking took place with quite remarkable results.This is such a stark contrast to the "quilt and dare I say it quilt art " world/ industry where everything is focussed on technique and the latest bits of glum and glitter and throwing it on, often without real focus or ideas behind the expression. What is so palpably apparent in both Williams and Nolan- yes technique/ the artisan aspect of their work was very much a part of their process - for example I am pretty sure Nolan was actually using transfer paints or dyes to create the Gallipoli landscapes ( a better insight than the word textile dye used by the exhibition signage- why did he use transfer paints, how did he come across them- and my goodness how successful was the use of them in creating the mottled rocky craggy landscape) but it's the vision that comes first and and the reaching for the result- the technique is but a tool in the creation of the idea/the vision/ the art.Both artist worked and reworked their ideas, their inspirations bringing them to their final destination.

I am wondering if there is any interest out there in my developing something that will prod and push and help find voice out there?

Sentinelle

2011-03-09T17:50:00.001+11:00

I have been cutting out a life size stencil of a sentinelle.It's taken me ages as i wanted the effect to be lacey.I finally finished it today but the printing ink I have ordered hasn't arrived yet and I am chomping at the bit to see how the sentinelle looks printed.Plus I want to make these for my exhibitions in Europe - so I have got quite some work ahead of me.
Here is the drawn sentinelle:

I don't like the shape of the halo and will change that before I cut it.

And here she is cut out.The discs will be places where I will make other prints or embroidery pertinent to the subject matter the sentinelle is watching.

I found another unfinished teapot and Rosewater jug- and finished it.It is for sale for $45US inclusive of postage. If you are interested just email me .SOLD

Oh and Happy International Women's Day!

Almost Finished!

2011-03-04T10:02:00.002+11:00

I am not sure where my week has gone- I have worked hard, making final arrangements for my trip to Syria and then Europe. I shall be teaching one day at EQC at Veldhoven in the Netherlands as well as exhibiting work from 5 May until 8 May. Then I go onto Parma in Italy for Italia Invita from 13-15 May ,where I am also teaching workshops, then to Montpellier and some work on setting up our Atelier Printemps Sacré and then onto Orleans and some workshops on 27 and 28 May with Au Fil d'Emma, and on 24 May and 31 May with Best of Quilting near Paris. This will be the only trip I make to Europe this year-as I cannot be away too much as my daughter is going to school and I have no other backup support apart from my eldest daughter.That is the hard part about being a single parent.

I shall also be doing monthly workshops at Jiddi's Patch here in Geelong starting on June 11- they will be workshops to build textile skills and develop work- they will be ongoing and will take the format of a bit of art textile school- so I will have to sit and devise a curriculum . I am also starting a Travellers' Blanket workshop at Jiddi's Patch- our first workshop will be dyeing the fabrics to be used on Saturday 2 April, and then monthly sessions of stitching the travellers memoires starting Tuesday evening from 7-9 pm on 5 April. If you are interested in doing any of these workshops please contact Jiddi's Patch ( see the link above)- we can only accommodate 8 participants.I think the universe is telling me to stick to textiles even though the going is tough and I don't make enough to pay my bills at the moment, and I am certainly not getting any interviews for jobs I have applied for.

I have done a lot of stitching on my sentinels as well as procrastinating about the further six sentinels I want to create.Thank you for all the positive comments about them and Gillian mentioned in a comment to my last post that they reminded her of Aboriginal Wandjina figures. The figures are actually an amalgum of a few things- my love of byzantine icons and madonnas, the wish to incorporate lace patterning on the bodies, and idea that we must be watchful of the earth; the last few catastrophic months here at the bottom end of the Pacific Ocean is evidence that we must indeed practice what we all know we must do- so the idea of the earth and wishing to represent it has a strong role to play - and in that regard I am inspired by Fred Williams and Judy Watson.

It measures 102 cms x 100 cm ( 41 inches x 40 inches) and has taken a lot of stitching. My other sentinels will be different. This piece is for sale subject to being exhibited at EQC and Italia Invita- the price is $1,200 US inclusive of shipping after the Italia Invita event.

Last friday i had a visit from Diane Wright who was visiting form the USA and had asked if she could see my work and buy my free machine stitching books ( they lived and worked in Australia some years ago and are passionate about Victoria). That is the amazing thing about the internet- not only do you get to meet people online but some you get to meet face to face. She purchased a small eucalypt piece I made some years ago and we had a lovely dinner that night at a tapas bar here in Geelong.

And last but not least- there is still time to enroll in my online linocutting class starting on 7 March.The cost of the class is $55 US and extends over a six week period. Here are some blog posts from people who have done the class:
Linda Bilsborrow
Linda Robertus
Sally Westcott
Vicki Welsh
Sarah Ann Smith
Robbie
And her is a collage of some of the linocuts I have made in the last few years and the lessons and exercises will look at creating your own motifs and patterns ;

Sentinels Taking Shape

2011-02-25T10:15:00.000+11:00

I have been working- yay. I am working on a large sentinel piece, but am fighting a battle with a thread I am using and got annoyed with it so switched off the machine and will restart on it later this morning. I have a lot more ideas for these ladies.

A lot more stitching needs to go into place and I will perhaps do some foiling on the haloes.
I also hand stitched a small one ( 11x 19 inches) to see the contrast between hand stitching and machine stitching. The effects are a lot more subtle with hand stitching. But I do like both because of that contrast.

I have used colonial knots and running stitch.This piece is for sale- remember it's entirely hand stitched. It has been hand printed on hand dyed cotton. It measures 11 x 19 inches ( 28 x 47 cms) The price is $250US inclusive of shipping.

Don't forget - it's still possible to enrol for my on-line linocutting class. Simply email me. The cost is $55 US.Here is some information:
The start date will be 7 March. The course is 3 lessons ( with various exercises) delivered fortnightly with the intent of building your skills with the tools as well as your design skills, looking at how to use your photos,three colour printing and various other things like simple repeats, alphabets etc. The cost of the course is $55US. Lessons are delivered as a pdf file and number approximately 100 or so pages, with exercises and tips and inspirations. I also organise a discussion group to troubleshoot problems or discuss discoveries and to share work.

Sentinel Finished

2011-02-17T17:31:00.001+11:00

I have finished stitching the River Sentinel- the fabrics have been heavily textured with stitch. I am thinking I want to make these life size and am dreaming of lots of possibilities.

I received earlier this week a wonderful book of Angie Lewin's prints which I ordered as my birthday pressie for last week. I love linocutting and any kind of printing and really like Angie Lewin's work the book is called
Plants and Places and shows many of her working drawings and water colour sketches and gives a real insight into how she produces her final prints.Her inspiration is often weeds and unassuming plants and seed pods which are layered in interesting designs.The layout is clean and uncluttered- I have had fun just studying one print a day.Not surprisingly she also designs fabric. Anyway it's my book of the moment!

And speaking of linocutting- I have had a few emails from people interested in another course.I am going to Syria ( nearly certain ) mid April and then to Europe to teach and exhibit work. The only start date before then would be 7 March. The course is 3 lessons ( with various exercises) delivered fortnightly with the intent of building your skills with the tools as well as your design skills, looking at how to use your photos,three colour printing and various other things like simple repeats, alphabets etc. The cost of the course is $55US. Lessons are delivered as a pdf file and number approximately 100 or so pages, with exercises and tips and inspirations. I also organise a discussion group to troubleshoot problems or discuss discoveries and to share work.If you are interested in the course email me.One of these days I will make it all into a book if I cna find a publisher!

Sentinels to the Land

2011-02-15T17:38:00.000+11:00

I have been working on a new linocut , toying with the idea of sentinels/guardians/keepers of the land. I know they look kind of madonna like, but the intent was also to incorporate a spiritual orientation,the idea that we need to heed things that are greater than us, and not fool around. The patterning was inspired by a piece of lace which I blew up, to suggest my cultural heritage and I wanted a human shape.

The sentinel measures about 18 inches high, and I printed with turquoise printing ink as i do not have other colours here at the moment. I am making a prototype with stitching and some gypsy piecing around her.

I haven't finished stitching yet as my machine has decided it's not happy today, but you can see the stitching adds a lot of texture.

This last image is of some damask I dyed some time ago thinking I would make an underwater scene- but life and inspiration has taken me elsewhere. This piece measures 58 inches wide by 48 inches long -145cm x 120 cm( the photo is of only half the cloth as I did not have anywhere big enough to photograph the whole, but the dark on the right side also goes up on the left side of the cloth). Anyway it is For Sale for $110US inclusive of postage.

The Percolating Mind- or Mind Mapping

2011-02-12T18:03:00.000+11:00

Still no sewing done but a few ideas are percolating. It's been a case of going back to basics- ie my drawing journal, lace, immigration and sense of place. I still can't get up to the Youyangs to have a look around as the park has been closed due to water damage- I had wanted to get there and take photos- like I did on my daily walks in France. I am also looking hard at the work of Judy Watson an Australian artist who uses both her indigenous and european background in creating her work- creating connections with the past and with the earth of her ancestors whilst incorporating elements she has encountered in her travels. I bought a book called Blood Language some time ago , really liking her interaction with the land, the fauna and flora and her passion for creating narrative and confronting political issues such as racism and conservation.Her work is full with meaning and the desire to tell stories.All of these elements appeal to me as an artist and are things I need to look at again- start at the beginning- define what draws me and then look at how i can do something with those elements.

Watson's work speaks of her indigenous past yet there are other sensibilities at play- the work has a far reach to human interaction as humans and as humans with the natural world.It's also this sense of incorporating the past that appeals to me- I am an immigrant in this land, and returning recently has created a bit of ambivalence. In one way I am happy to be back but I am oh so drawn to Europe and France and in particular Languedoc Rousillon where I believe my french ancestors hailed form in the 16th century- does that kind of rootedness last for centuries? I am also witnessing the effects of immigation as my parents get older- yes the world is a much smaller place but still, their siblings are all over there, all childhood friends and connections are over there- so they rely on my brother and I heavily for family interaction and yet they are suspended in a kind of strange vacuum.

I celebrated my birthday earlier this week and my eldest daughter and middle daughter visited Heide. My eldest daughter is studying art & design at Brighton Bay College and part of their assignment was to visit exhibitions and galleries . So we decided to make a day of it. Heide is always pleasant and they had a wonderful exhibition called Freehand- an exhibition of recent Australian Drawing. We walked around the gardens and enjoyed the kitchen garden.

They also had a retrospective of Mirka Mora's work from the period that she knew the Reed's, who gifted Heide to the people of Australia, and who hosted Sunday lunches for many of Australia's poor artists of the time.

We then had lunch at Abla's- the food was wonderful and reminded me so much of Syrian food (there is still places on the trip if you are interested). And then we ambled down Gertrude Street Fitzroy to visit retro shops and other galleries.We enjoyed the Exhibition at Australian Print Workshop- it would be so lovely to do a workshop there.There is also lots of graffiti like in so many urban centres- this one appealed.

Syrian Village Scene Finished

2011-02-07T17:33:00.002+11:00

I have no idea where that last week went, but all the children are back at school finally- it's been a long holiday with moving and everything else as well as job hunting- and still no luck in that department- but I have organised some workshops at Jiddi's Patch which is nice and close and will see us exploring different textile techniques and inspirations over the coming year. And I will also be looking at stitching at the Geelong Sewing Centre.

I finally managed to finish the village scene today. The first photo is with the lines of sating stitch in place but with out the quilting.

The next photo shows what happens when you put in the quilting.

And the last photos shows a close-up of the stitching and detailing.

This piece is for sale. It measures 22 inches by 20 inches and is made of hand dyed and hand printed fabrics.it is heavily stitched as you can see from the close-up. The price is $275 US inclusive of postage.If you are interested in buying this piece please email me. SOLD

Today as I was driving back from Melbourne an idea for developing an exhibition suddenly struck me. I have been thinking and thinking about how to incorporate the experience of France into my work and how to juxtapose it with my experience of Australia. I guess since my masters degree the idea of immigration and movement and place has never been far from my mind, but how to articulate the differences and similarities- how to work that into something that's an exploration and a narrative.So there i was, driving on that awful straight stretch of freeway from Melbourne and approaching Geelong there is a large hilly jagged outcrop called the Youyangs. It suddenly dawned on me that in terms of iconic value this outcrop is not dissimilar to Pic St Loup of which I have shared photos in blogposts last year- although Pic St Loup is more dramatic.Unfortunately i cannot go to the park at the moment as it is closed due to water damage.

Fred Williams immortalised the Youyangs in his work and in doing so created a marvellous look at the often spare but messy Australian landscape.

So I am thinking how can i use this- is there a way to explore the two things side by side. Now I have to get out my journal and really ponder this idea- maybe create a mind map, is it worth exploring? I don't know- I will let you know.

2011-01-28T17:15:00.000+11:00

I am feeling like a bit of a charlatan on the textile front. Nothing seems to be emerging from my hands, and already another week has passed by and I have so very little to show for it. I know when I am worrying I often find it impossible to work, but usually something eventually emerges- but nothing is talking to me or jumping into my hands.

It also makes me feel a bit bereft- what if I have lost the touch, what if I never think of anything else, what if I am simply meant to be a supermarket check out person or dog washer?I have been applying for jobs but not getting anywhere fast. I have been to see people about my resume , I have phoned people, I have tried to use as many contacts as i have but nothing is emerging out of the fog. I have arranged one class in machine skills here in Geelong at the Geelong Sewing Centre but that is only 3 hours for three weeks which isn't going to pay the bills. And yet... I get regular enquiries form Europe but alas I am here.

I did try and put one piece together today- not sure about it ......

Of course stitching has to go in which will change how it looks entirely,but I am undecided what colour thread to use to bring out the village scene.

The winner of the auction for Flood Relief was Julie Howard- the quilt is on its way to her now- thank you so much for supporting this auction , so many people have lost so much.

Finally Some Stitching

2011-01-20T15:33:00.001+11:00

Thank you for all those who had placed bids on my Barrier Reef piece - there is still 4 days to go, but your generosity will help those affected by the terrible floods in Queensland, though I am sure Victorians will need help after the terrible floods here- not as devastating but still heart breaking nonetheless. Click on the Flood Relief Button for updates on the blogs which are part of the auction- the updat yesterday was that $45,000 had been raised thus far- which is a terrific effort. thank you to Toni Coward for co-ordinating this!

I have finally gotten out my sewing machine. As I was unpacking things I found several small caravanserai pieces I had prepared but had not stitched so i thought I would finish stitching them, just to get going again as ideas are still not happening! These pieces measure approximately 8 inches square ( 20 cms square ) and are for sale for $45 US inclusive of postage- email me if you are interested in purchasing a piece.

I have been job hunting but am getting nowhere fast- I am not even get to the interview stage which is very disheartening but I need something to happen in order to make ends meet.I have had my resume reviewed and apparently it is ok, so I will just have to keep trying!Meanwhile I have to keep the home fires burning somehow.

Don't forget there is still time to enrol in my on-line linocutting class which starts this Monday, 24 January. the course has been designed to teach you the different mark making possibilities of the tools, working through simple designs, working up to more complex designs, including working from your photos, printing with more than one colour and repeats. Each exercise is designed to build on your skills.Lessons are delivered by way of fortnightly pdf's which contain lessons and we will discuss and troubleshoot in a group situation. Email me if you are interested in joining the class.

And I have finally create a stand alone page of work for sale- the tab is at the top of my blog.

Queensland- Premiers' Flood Relief Fund

2011-01-14T18:14:00.003+11:00

The plight of thousands and thousands of Queenslanders in the face of the most devastating floods has finally made me pull out my sewing machine. So many have lost everything , and so many in the small communities in the Lockyer valley are affected by the loss of life due to the flash flood.
Some years ago i made this little quilt inspired by rockpools at Turtle Beach ( also known as Mon Repose) near Bundaberg in Queensland, where we had a wonderful holiday. Bundaberg too was affected by floods. However I always felt it needed something more but it was already heavily stitched and I couldn't work out what it was that it needed. Finally today as I was sorting to my quilts that i have here it dawned on me it needed more graphic line to accent the shapes. So I spent the afternoon putting in a lot of black stitching to create more contrast.

The first photo shows some areas where I have not yet stitched with black thread. The photo below is of the finished black stitching. This quilt measures 20 inches by 24 inches.

I am donating this quilt for auction for the

Premiers Flood Relief Fund

Toni Coward of Make it Perfect is coordinating a fantastic initiative which addresses our instincts to make or do something AND raises funds to assist the flood victims. She has organised an online auction with all proceeds going to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.You can see more of Toni's effort by clicking on the premiers' Flood Relief Fund button in the sidebar.

This is how the auction works:

How this action works:

1. Bidding starts at $50 Australian.
2. Place your bid by adding a comment here stating how much you are willing to offer to own Barrier reef. Your bid must be greater than the previous bid.
3. All bids must be in whole dollar increments and will be taken to be in Australian dollars.
4. The auction is open to all and the price will include postage to any address worldwide.
5. The auction is now open and closes at midnight on the 24th of January 2011 (Sydney, Australian time).
6. I will contact the winner at the conclusion of the auction. The winner must commit to sending their bid to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal and provide an email receipt as evidence of payment. Non-austrailan donors can still donate by credit card using the online payment link or there is also information about how to do an international bank transfer.
7. Once I have evidence of payment When the Water Subsides will be posted to its new owner.

I hope you can open your hearts to help those who have need.

Stitching Khadi Cloth

2011-01-11T11:48:00.001+11:00

I have been stitching on the khadi cloth that i dyed whilst i was still in France. I am not sure if it is worth the effort- the contrast does not seem great enough at times and then just as I am about to lay it aside it tugs at me for more stitching- to keep going or not.... maybe I don't seem to have any inspiration to start anything else at the moment- my sewing machine sits and looks at me desultorily- and I have no ideas that want to pop into my head.

Thank you for all the comments about the linocuts in the previous posts and the good wishes for 2011. Yasmin thank you for the book suggestion- it has been ordered. Maybe that will fire up my imagination ?? And Starfire's comments that the imperfections make it look lovingly hand made has me thinking.

And in case you are interested I will be starting another on-line lino-cutting class on 24 January 2011- there is still time to sign up. The course is designed to enhance your skills both with the tools and designs that are suitable for lino cutting and stamp making in general.We print onto fabrics- enabling you to make unique one-off fabrics for use.Email me if you are interested

Last year when I was in Syria as a Creative guide several of the women in the group of travellers talked of Jane Digby an english woman who in the nineteenth century after many adventures ended up marrying a Sheikh in the desert of Syria- indeed her tomb is in Damascus. So i ordered a book - The Wilder Shores of Love- by Lesley Blanch which recounts the lives of several women who travelled to the east in the nineteenth century including Jane Digby- so can't wait to read it . It is all part of the research for the trip to Syria from 16 April to 29 April with Creative Arts Safaris which is looking more and more like it will go ahead- we still need a few more travellers. This time I intend to study more closely some of the textile stamps in the Azem Palace- which had it's own weaving and printing workshop.

This is one of the inner courtyards of the Azem Palace with its cooling pool and arched liwan set deeply into the wall for greater coolness in the summer heat.

This image is of some of the woodblocks in the collection of the Azem Palace.

More Printing

2011-01-03T18:07:00.000+11:00

I have been playing around trying to create a repeat pattern for a linocut. Obviously this one needs a bit of work and refinement but I have in the past found it difficult to get my head around the concept and wanted to try this out to see if I could get it to work. And yes I was a bit sloppy in transferring the lines to my lino block which means the centres of the junction of prints is not right- and maybe i should think of doing less tricky centres. But the way the design flows across the surface of the cloth is ok with no real apparent gaps and breaks.I know you can do this in Photoshop- my challenge this year is to demistify photoshop so that i can do more things with it. However I am also one of those people who needs to do the hands on stuff before I can carry the idea further- I need to have a feel for how it works, how to space the design and things to learn from my mistakes. The first two designs i drew were far too balanced- and I did not cut them because the design would have been too much 50/50 on a two colour contrast. You create much more visual interest if your design isn't 50/50

I also disobeyed the number one rule in printing on fabric- Iron the fabric First!!!

Thank you everyone for the positive comments about the grapevines- I am thinking on how I am going to use it on cloth.

A New Linocut

2011-01-01T17:03:00.000+11:00

I have promised myself to be more productive this year and to use my time more efficiently! But as I seem to have few ideas for realising something in fabric I thought I would play with photo I took whilst in France. Nearly everyday i was in le Triadou I would walk the dog through a vineyard- and i watched as it changed from winter,spring, summer to autumn . I loved the changing light , the colours and the growing grapes. And I do want to make a quilt about that experience particularly as the theme for the Italia Invita event is herbarium.

This was the photo i took on one of my walks- i love the richness of the texture of the bunch of grapes and then the straight lines of the grass.

I made the photo into a drawing in order to to see the balance and to get a sense of the bunch of grapes.I then made the linocut and as i cut I could see much more textural possibilities for the grapes.

This is the resulting print- not perfect as i can't find the good paper- but I really wanted to see how it looked . I also have not got my printing table set up yet so the surface I printed on was far from perfect. I liked what happened in the negative space- but will probably play around with it some more.

Marlis- I tried to leave a message on your blog to wish you A Happy and Creative 2011- but it would not let me leave a message.

A Happy and Creative 2011

2010-12-31T17:23:00.000+11:00

Wishing all of my readers friends and rels a very happy and creative 2011- let inspiration find you!

My catch cry for 2011 is going to be Print! I want to create a lot more linocuts and print on both fabric and paper and perhaps make some hand printed books. I will also be running another on-line linocutting class beginning on 24 January- see my previous post for more information.

Meanwhile I am still sorting through all of the things that were in storage- hand dyed fabrics, journal covers , my pomegranate book and pages in the book- hand dyed indigo cloth from Africa.

And it looks as if the tour of Syria will go ahead- we just need a few more travellers- it will be a fabulous trip! Contact Creative Arts Safaris if you are interested.

And I will be doing some things with khadi cloth in the coming year.

I also would like to know if anyone would be interested in my book on Syria- the travel and inspiration and work pieces created as a result?. Leave me a message with your thoughts!

Madonna by Michael of Crete

2010-12-29T13:51:00.001+11:00

I must admit to a love of icons and madonnas in particular and it is the time of the year that makes you think about madonnas. There is something that draws me to them wherever I am. I think its the way the Madonna looks at the child who looks rather grown up in this painting. This particular Madonna was painted by Michael of Crete in 1813 and in the flesh it is brightly coloured in rich reds greens and golds,with the colours creating a rich texture. It lives in the Monastery of St Serge- Deir mar Sarkis ( Sergius was a roman soldier who converted to Christianity) in Maloula in Syria and adds a particular charm to the little chapel in the monastery. You are not allowed to photograph it hence this image comes form a postcard.

My house is still far from unpacked though all the big furniture arrived the day before Christmas and then it was Christmas. I am getting to the stage where the sewing machine is beckoning- but now it is the problem of ideas or more exactly inspiration.

I am also making plans for Europe next year. I am not sure the tour of Syria in the last two weeks of April is going ahead due to lack of registrations. It is such a pity as Syria is such a fabulous place and the trip that Creative Arts Safaris has created is a lot of fun with loads of different textile experiences.If you are at all interested pop over to Creative Arts Safaris and register your interest. The trip includes most of your meals , lovely and sometimes very atmospheric hotels, and inspiration galore!

Then I will head to Europe afterwards as I am invited artist at the European Quitl Champiopnships from 5-8 May in Eindhoven in the Netherlands ( and I have to make a lot of new work for this) and then the following weekend I head to Cremona as invited artist at Italia Invita (12-15 May) and then I head for the South of france for an exhibition with Atelier Printemps Sacre. If anyone would like me to touch please email me.

On-Line Linocutting Course- commencing 24 January
I also found my books on printmaking and my box of things that I created for the on-line lino-cutting course. I have had people email me when I am doing my next course and have decided I shall do one starting Monday 24 January 2011. The course consists of three modules( pdf file) delivered in fortnightly instalments for 6 weeks, each containing various exercises. I set up an on-line group to share our work and to trouble shoot problems. If you are interested email me. The cost of the course is 45 euros or $55 ( Aus or US)

More Found Things

2010-12-14T17:45:00.000+11:00

I found this piece that I must have stuck away. I remember it was inspired by the key and keyholes of the wardrobe when I did the residency at Chateau de Chassy ten years ago- another adventure in France. I didn't finish it- maybe I will now that I have found it again.I really want to focus on work inspired by my travelling but first I have to make some work inspired by the theme Herbarium for Italia Invita in Cremona in Italy next year in May as i am invited guest artist.

The big furniture does not arrive until next week so that makes getting any work done pretty difficult as I really have nowhere much to work.We did get a Christmas tree though despite the lack of furniture.It does look lonely but is also a bright spark in the corner. I am slowly getting more used to this place

This is another pomegranate piece that I made for our Atelier Printemps Sacre exhibition at the end of Ocotber. it is for sale for $45 US inclusive of postage. We will be having another exhibition in the second half of May next year.

I Now Live in a City

2010-12-07T14:59:00.000+11:00

I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do with myself- I am trying to arrange for things to come out of storage but it all takes time and fitting in with people and removalists...blegh...at least we don't have to pack up the house.

Then I remembered- I live in a city now- one with an Art Gallery and a very good print collection. There weren't many prints on display- but there were one or two old favourites .I need to reconnect with Australia!
Frederick McCubbin- The Burial- he's captured the harshness of settling, the losses and despair in what sometimes seemed an unforgiving bush

Rosemary Gascoigne- Assemblage of Wood- recycling

Fred Williams- i love love love the work of Fred Williams- his take on landscape is breathtaking sometimes and his seemingly minimalist marks are intricate and dense- and the scattering is so like the messy Australian bush- I don't think Williams would have read the quote from Henry Cross which I quoted in my previous post but it seems to me this is exactly the sort of thing he had in mind .

And these last two images form an exhibition entitled Mary and Max- which was an animated film created by Adam Elliot. the entire film was made from photo stills- not computer generations, so each puppet was entirely hand build and hand embellished- for example if they wanted to show drops of sweat running down one of the characters faces- each droplet of sweat had to be put into place- they used glycerine to create that effect- but every time a drop rolled down it had to be repainted and photographed.They took 132,480 still photographs to create the animation.Obviously it required a team of clayologists and artists to bring this all to life and this exhibition was a wonderful insight into how such a film might be made. Many of the props were on display plus some of the letters and films to show how the film was made.The story sounds quirky too ( not having seen the film) it is the story of a 20 year penpal relationship between Mary Dinkle and lonely 8yo living in Glenwaverly in Melbourne ( the "burbs") and Max Horowitz a 44 year olf obese Jewish man with Asperger's syndrome living in New York.

It's obvious what needs to be done to climb out of this lack of work- just do the work! never mind what just do it!

Finding Things

2010-12-05T14:16:00.001+11:00

I am now officially a resident of Newcomb in Geelong. not that all my things have been moved- far from it.Last week raced by and I am not sure what happened to it. I will have to organise a removal van as a single woman with kids can't move all the heavy furniture including a piano.

So I have been packing as many boxes as i can in the car and unpacking them. I found that though I thought I had labelled boxes, I obviously didn't so some surprises have come out of storage.It is kind of fun being reunited with things I have not seen for a year.The photos are of some of the things- top is some journal pages including a drawing done with my left hand ( I am right handed). The bottom photo is of cd's I wrapped in torn fabric- I can't remember what I was thinking but they are very colourful!

I also found this quote from the book Matisse the Master by Hilary Spurling wise words that Henri Cross wrote to Matisse who was his friend: Cross asked "What does Nature offer us?" "Disorder,chaos,gaping holes.Yet we go into ecstasies before this chaos, and cry 'How Beautiful!'. A work of art can be plucked from this.It is here that you must 'organise your sensations'. Offset this disorder and profusion.From the very fact that we experience sensual emotion, we may conclude that there is something here for us. How to proceed from a practical point of view in order to express this emotion? Select fragments, always bearing in mind the end result. At this moment, we make a work of art.We transform, we transpose, we assert power."
I wrote it down in a journal... I need to remember this as i work... when I start to work... it's been a month of nothing much.

Hand Dyed Khadi Cloth

2010-12-01T14:10:00.000+11:00

Just before I left France I hand dyed some khadi cloth- this cloth is quite soft and the weave is a bit rougher than cotton which makes it very attractive for me, plus there is a variation in the colours of the threads which gives the cloth a lovely ambience. I was really happy how it came up when dyed as the slightly different coloured threads picked up the dye quite differently creating quite a rich effect, I have been thinking about how I might quilt this piece- maybe a la griot?

The bottom image is of some kimono silk I found in my shed the other day. It has been printed with the light grey and red.I had never really looked at the whole piece so when I finally opened it up to measure it I was surprised to find that some of it had been mended by hand and by machine- obviously too precious to discard. I have about 5 metres in this piece- if anyone is interested it is for sale for $60.00 US.

And we found a house! Yay- and we move on friday all things going well.It's been a frustrating month having nowhere to really work and I find I get quite despondent when I don't have all my creative triggers around- you know how it is, touching fabric, playing with colours, dye a little of this and a little of that and ideas are born.

Embroidery and Bower Bird Bower

2010-11-24T13:02:00.002+11:00

I have ben making small embroidered brooch pieces these last few days. As i don't really have anywhere to work except what i can carry in my hands. Obviously big pieces are not selling so i thought I would see if little teeny tiny pieces would sell. Each little hand embroidered piece measures 5 cm square and is entirely hand stitched. They come with a brooch pin and cost $17.00 Aus inclusive of postage.I think I shall call them travellers badges- to be donned by all travellers both in the real and in the imagination! If you would like one please email me.

The Turquoise brooch is sold
This morning when i got up I found this very close to my caravan door- a bower birds bower.This one belongs to the Satin Bower bird . The male bird builds his dance hall out of twigs and then decorates it with all manner of blue things- whatever he can find and drag there.The idea is to attract the female bird. Whilst it seems incredibly charming bower birds have become a bit of a nuisance- they are voracious eaters and will destroy vegetable gardens and anything vaguely edible.

And my daughter got accepted in the course she was hoping to get into! Her interviewer thought she might have real flair for fabric design/fashion design......

Here is a photos of a canvas bag she made. Would you buy it?

I am getting very frustrated at not having a home- I feel homeless and whilst I know in reality I will find something eventually and I have places to stay ( I could even live in my shed if I had to but i would rather sell it) , it makes me acutely aware of how really homeless people must feel- not belonging anywhere, not having a place to be creative , having no warm bed or warm meal, having nothing but the street- I can't imagine how alone and futile things must feel.......and the numbers are growing.

Fabulous Syria

2010-11-20T12:55:00.000+11:00

I am hoping that there will be another Creative Arts Safari tour to Syria next year- there is so much more to see. I spent some time this morning working through my photos of the last trip and am longing to go back for these reasons:

Food- the food in Syria is really seriously good- great dips, salads, and traditional dishes ranging from kebabs to wonderful aromatic casseroles:

This repast was a "quick" lunch with our friend Samir who owns a terrific shop at the Roman gate at the entry to al Hammadiya souq( upstairs)

History- layers and layers of history. Agatha Christie wrote a book about her adventures in Syria with her husband Max Mallowan. I have also seen the best Roman ruins I have encountered- and I have seen ones in Italy, Algeria, France etc.These images are the long road in Afamia- 2kms of collonaded road that once housed 200,000 Romans ( I don't know whether this included the slaves)

The basilica at St Simeon- was named after Saint Simeon the first and probably most famous stylite- he is said to have lived on a column 40 metres high for years and years in order to get away from it all- but he became a subject of devotion for many and indeed a celebrity. The bottom photo shows a black robed figure who was a christian orthodox monk atop the mounting stone said to have housed St Simeon's column- you could have been forgiven in thinking he might have been a bit of a stylite himself except that he was with a large group of young spanish women.

Riads, palaces and the second most sacred mosque in the world the Ummayed Mosque to which all visitors are welcome- all in Damascus

Textiles- ancient Roman ones, 2000 years old- fragments found in burial chambers, cross stitched Syrian dresses, silk and raw silk, felted rugs for Bedouin tents

And people- the very friendly and charming Syrian people.

Ohh and rugs lots of wonderful rugs...

Come join us....... I am dreaming.

Still No House

2010-11-17T18:15:00.002+11:00

Well that week has flown by and I still haven't found a house to live in which also means not a lot of work is getting done either. I could do a lot of hand stitching whilst I wait , but it makes the finished piece too expensive for todays' market seemingly. So I need to reinvent what I do in some way enliven it , make my mark. If I have a style what exactly is my style? I would love to hear what you think.

I have also been thinking hard on the idea that I would really love to set up a print workshop somehow- in a space. I have always loved printing and this week I have spent some time with my eldest daughter helping her with some of her printmaking- it's got ideas bubbling, but I also find that a one day workshop really is not good for exploring printmaking and the design of printmaking.

The following photos of some of the printing my daughter has been doing:

She has combined linocut printing with gocco printing and tried different papers.I really like the contrast between the two forms of printing.

Isn't the colour green in this photo just the best.......... light on the leaves.

And some pieces for sale- they are $45 AUS inclusive of postage. Email me if you are interested. More pomegranates- Persephone's forbidden fruit.

And I have only recently realised but my blogroll is gone- what do other people use- obviously blogrolling was causing a problem with google search engines- any suggestions?

Back in Oz

2010-11-10T16:38:00.002+11:00

I arrived back late last Thursday and the first few days went by in a bit of a blur-was quite tired from all the travel (early train from Montpellier to Paris and then 22 hours flying with a two hour stop in Doha and then arriving late at night in Melbourne).

Househunting is the pits because I don't fit any of the little square holes on a real estate tenant application forms- but I have to find a house in which to live sigh.... yes I am self employed and i don't earn a squillion.Plus Australia has become very very expensive even in the 11 months that i have not been here. I have been putting in job applications but in all reality my age counts against me but I will keep trying, maybe there is an employer out there who thinks a fifty plus employee is actually able to do things. So I need to sell some work! Most of my small pieces have been sold but most of the bigger pieces are still available.

This photo was taken at the dyeing and printing workshops we gave at Atelier Printemps Sacré during the exhibition the weekend before last. We had quite a number of young people come and do the workshops and only one quilter. I hope the younger people will be inspired to continue to do some creative things with textiles. And of course in the future we will look to do more work with some of these young people- perhaps getting them to jazz up clothing or some such things.Anne Deckers also did some pottery workshops again for young people- who really enjoyed getting their hands into the clay and building pots. I think in the world out there there are those of us who build and construct things and there are others who deconstruct- both processes are valid as a means of expression but for me construction contains an element of optimism whereas deconstruction and destruction seem to contain an element of pessimism- who knows?

My mothers garden is in full bloom and I always love the very sculptural shapes of the grevillea and they are so very Australian.

And jazzing up a Ikea polar fleece throw- they really are quite stable for embroidery and it gives my hands something to do whilst i try and find a house in which to live.

Pic St Loup

2010-11-01T22:24:00.000+11:00

I dare say this will probably be my last blog post from Le Triadou for awhile- I leave for Australia early on Wednesday morning, and have to go house hunting on arrival, Anyone have a house to rent in the Geelong area???

I am posting another photo of my friends with whom I am exhibiting this long weekend at Le Clastre, mainly because I think it is the only photo of myself that i have seen in the last who knows many years that I am smiling ( I hate photos and so always look so serious when in all reality there is nothing like a good laugh)

And this is my last collage of my le Triadou year- the late autumn vineyards of Pic St Loup and a bursting pomegranate after all the rain, and ripening quinces.

Exhibition in Le Triadou

2010-10-30T20:41:00.000+11:00

Last night was the Vernissage of the exhibition Anne Deckers, Liwanag Sales and i are having in Le Clastre in the village where I have been staying.I had taught near Valence so i was a bit exhausted when I got back and unfortunately no sales ...sigh i wish there would be an upturn in the economy- it surely is tough if you are an artist trying to sell work and make a living. Some people said my work was expensive- but I dye and print and then stitch- i work all week, sometimes way more than that, and I don't think I am even earning a living wage or what is considered to be a living wage and yet living costs keep escalating whilst artists' income diminish.

Anyway onward and onward- I am doing a dyeing and printing demonstration later today and I have to get the stuff together for that- and then I have to start packing. I hope the TGV is running on Wednesday.

Anne Deckers, myself and Liwanag Sales

In front of my traveller's Blanket- there was an occasion recently when I was very glad I was a quilter and not a canvas painter. I drove around and around trying to find a hotel and they were all booked full- so i had to sleep in my car and the temperatures have been very cold recently- I was very glad to have quilts in my car and use those and my traveller's blanket was one of those because it is so soft and drapey.

Gallery view- I love the stone walls- textile and stone walls are just wonderful together!

Gypsy Blanket #2

2010-10-26T19:37:00.000+11:00

It is finished! The sleeve is done and even the labelling is done!I even included a coqueclicot print. I feel that this work really represents a lot of how I feel these days and i hope it keeps up!There is a good rhythm to my daily endeavours- early morning walk with the dog through the vineyards in view of Pic St Loup, fruit for breakfast, work, lunch french style, more work, apero's, dinner french style ( I love rocquefort!) some computer time or reading and sleep. I hope I can keep this rhythm up as I have also lost weight- all good things.

Now all i have to do is find a house to live in back in Australia... I am thinking about Clifton Springs if i can afford it sigh...... I am also working on a book proposal so keep your fingers crossed for me. I have also been applying for jobs back in the legal world- but they don't even bother with a response... I guess I have been out of it too long- as if you lose all that experience.

Penchant for Cathedrals

2010-10-25T06:58:00.000+11:00

My absence has been due to teaching commitments- which I have enjoyed very much!

One of my favourite cathedrals in France, is the cathedral in Laon. I came upon it some years ago whilst driving at night trying to get to Holland. The cathedral was lit and sitting on a high sort of cropped hill- well that was enough, I had to stay in that town and see it in daylight. I have been twice before but today as i raced along the paege ( which is very expensive) I could not resist the temptation for another visit. It houses one of the black madonnas and really the facade with its three porches and very fine towers, is a wonderful exemplar of restrained gothic architecture even though it's quite ornate. It was damaged in the french revolution. Building commenced sometime in 1155 and was completed in the next century and some of the animals that adorn the towers are a memory of the animals that helped build this cathedral. This basilisque and the one in Vezelay are amongst my favourites in France. I have not seen them all- the gothic ones I mean, but quite a few and somehow these two really just capture my imagination.

Exhibition, Exhibition, Exhibition and Atelier Launch!

2010-10-11T17:15:00.000+11:00

Atelier Printemps Sacré is the name of the atelier my friend Liwanag Sales, Anne Deckers and I are setting up.If you are in the area on 30/31 October or 1 November please drop by at la Clastre in Le Traidou.

We are also going to be making one off art to wear as well as art textiles.

Oh and i did not miss seeing all the big tourist sites in Barcelona- just this trip - but I saw some wonderful other things!

Back from Barcelona

2010-10-09T17:28:00.000+11:00

I had a wonderful time in Barcelona- and did not really do any of the touristy things. First of all i was teaching so that took up time, but also because I stayed in Sarria, which once was a village in the hills outside the centre of Barcelona, but which is well and truly part of Barcelona now . I really enjoyed sensing the city as the locals might instead of the great tourist whirlygig. So i walked, drank coffee and the occasional glass of wine, ate food with the locals and looked. I did go into the centre so see La Pedrera, but there was a queue and I couldn't be bother waiting in the queue so I headed back to Sarria.

This was the little courtyard of the apartment where I stayed. I think the big citrus tree looked to be a clementine tree. The tiled water trough boasted tiles dating from the 17th century which had been rehabilitated form an old kitchen.

This photograph is of a building on Carrer La Provenca.I just happened to notice it when I walked past it and of course could not resist looking and taking a photo- I was very quickly told this was not allowed though I am not exactly sure why- possible to stave off the tourist hordes?

The footpath tiles near la Pedrera- inspiration enough even without the famous building!

And I have been sewing like the blazers since being back on the Gypsy blanket #2. Here you can clearly see the contrast of stitched areas as opposed to non-stitched areas.The stitching simply adds so much extra interest and texture.... Still a lot fo stitching to go and on Monday i have to drive to the Evry. There are still places in the class at Palaisseau- if anyone is interested.