SPLAT!!

I have been experimenting with getting colour onto cloth, and with compositions on paper - with a view to finally completing the painting I started right at the beginning of the residency.


This in turn will inform a tryptich of embroidered pieces that I want to do for the exhibition, which will explore the juxtaposition between life and death. Although it might seem like a lot of these 'experiments' look similar, the more I do them, the more I can work out how best to approach them to get the effect I want. The process is very hit and miss, but for example, I now know I need to leave them to dry before adding layers for more interest, and to stop the drips just 'following' each other (as they do if the paper or fabric is even slightly damp).

The work on fabric will be further embellished with hand stitch.

Being ill may stop some people.....

....and it did me, for a bit! But I got damn bored of staring at my four walls over the past week, so decided to do some light crafting. This is an idea I have had in my head for a while. The puffs are made from recycled pillow cases and buttons that I picked up in an op shop (that's charity shop for you UK readers!) in Sydney.

I love the idea that these fabrics have a history to them, and that they have been fashioned into something new. This is something that I want to explore in my new work for exhibition. Apart from buying new white cotton for samples, I have decided to only use found and recycled fabric. In this way I am also making my work exclusivley linked to the country where it was made.

My first solo show!!

I am so happy to announce that I have managed to secure my first solo show - at the Orange Regional Gallery. The working title of the show is 'Journey' - and it will look at not only my own journey whilst in Australia, but also the journeys taken by settlers in the past. It will also explore my favourite juxtaposition: life vs. death, in relation to the impact that the settlers had on the flaura and fauna of the country. I was pretty shocked by the statistic that over 50 species have disappeared in the past 50 years.

I am super (x100000) excited about the show. It is such a wonderful opportunity for me and will hopefully mark a huge step forward in my creative career. Now I just need to start producing a hell of a lot of work in order to fill the space!!

Suitably chuffed......

Tutorial: How to make suffolk puffs/ Yo Yos

This is a very simple photo tutorial on how to make suffolk puffs, or as they seem to be known on this side of the world, the yo yo. What the hell, they're both ridiculous names!! So without further a do......

1. Cut out a circular stencil from paper. I wanted my puffs to be all different sizes, so I used a few different things to draw around like masking tape, or a mug. GO WILD!
2. Pin your template to your fabric.
3. Cut out your fabric. If you want to make more than one puff, I suggest cutting out all your fabric circles first.
4. Thread your needle and sew a regular, loose running stitch all the way around the edge of your circle. I have done some really retarded lines on paint so you can see a bit better what I mean!
5. Once you have gone all the way around the circle, pull gently on the thread and begin to gather the circle
6. Keep pulling the thread until the fabric is all gathered in the middle. Work the fabric so that it sits right
7. Now pass the needle in and out of the centre of the puff a few times and secure on the back. Et Voila....une puffe!!

A busy bee in springtime

I still can't get my head around the fact that it is getting nearer to Christmas but also getting HOTTER by the day. This weekend I have mostly been getting up, sunning myself in the garden with a good book and then heading into my office/studio/art staff room to explore exciting blogs and actually do some work!!

These suffolk puffs have been made by printing a map of Sydney using the acetone technique. I quite like it but want to experiment with getting the image of the map onto fabric so it has stronger colours. I would also like to experiment with using different maps - so am making a conscious decision to collect them wherever I go on my travels here in Oz.

I have been making notes on things that capture my imagination and experiences I have whilst in this wonderful country. This is an experiment using the ancient Bernina I have on loan here. The background is printed from a diary page of mine using the acetone technique. I think I have fallen out of love with machine stitching at the moment though!

This is a sample on the same piece to compare....I am experimenting with stitching my own handwriting and quite like the effect. I am also finding that the hand stitching is really allowing me time to meditate on these memories. I was literally re-living this magical time whilst sewing this.

some drawings...

I am slowly starting to pull together some ideas for exhibition proposals. I am thinking of something horribly selfish like a 'visual diary' of sorts - I am collecting bits and pieces for use in any embroideries....trying to work when I can. In the meantime, some drawings from my sketchbook:

This one has become a hand embroidered piece already (will post pictures soon). I am really enjoying my hand sewing at the moment - I think it is a backlash against all the machine embroidery I had to do when I was making products for the business. I have to say that I am LOVING being able to create for the sheer pleasure of it.....although I loved the business and all the opportunities it has given me, I can't help feel that maybe time has come for me to expand and move on with my creative practice.

And yes, they're birds.....what of it?

Inspirational: Louise Weaver

As part of my plan for this year long residency, I have decided to immerse myself in the culture of Australia as much as I can. For me, this means travelling to the country with nothing (no materials or pre-conceived ideas) and allowing my surroundings and experiences to shape my work. As part of this, I am looking at Australian artists who inspire me.

First up is a female textile artist by the name of Louise Weaver. She creates crocheted sculptures in bright, eye catching colours.

Her work is a lot of fun, and although she works with some serious ideas behind her work, such as concealment and metamorphosis, above all her work has some great visual impact, and more than a little bit of a sense of humour to it.

I also find her work very interesting because it is reminiscent of an idea which I have had since coming here about starting to work in 3d - wrapping and weaving wire sculptures in a way reminiscent of Aborigine weaving. I am a bit scared to do so, but moving here has opened my eyes to the fact that I am OBSESSED with birds (and the sooner I realise this, the sooner I can learn to deal with my affliction). Because of this, I think my duty is going to have to be to try and explore the bird form in as many ways as I can - so my work doesn't get boring. But try as I might, I just cannot escape the fact that I keep coming back to them as inspiration time and again.