Need to really get working!

 At last some of the restrictions are easing here in Victoria thank goodness. It has been a tough year since March- with only a little reprieve in May and early June. I have not seen my daughters since early June . I feel for all the people in the northern hemisphere who look like they are going into lockdowns. All I can say is it did work here- we have had two days of  zero new cases and zero deaths in a row- and there is a sense of  relief and even joy amongst Victorians that we all  did this,  despite many whining about the government locking things down, we got there!. Now we need to continue to stay safe- wear masks, wash hands, distance and  be sensible. It has been hard seeing people holiday in different parts of the world, of people taking trips to the outback in states that aren't locked down, but in the end if we are all safe for not having done any of those things then that is to the greater good for those around us.

I must admit as the weeks counted down and the numbers continued to lower it was actually harder to work- there was a real anxiety for many people  as to what would happen if the numbers did not go down as modelled- what if there were spikes. Days just  kind of  funnelled into the next day and then it was the weekend which was no different than other days. It became very difficult to be motivated.

I did get an order for one of my Blackwoods Dancing print so had to dye fabric so I could print the requested colour. I printed up some extras as well and also the Banksia print. I am still selling the prints- they are $23 inclusive of postage .

I have also been playing around with sea horse prints. I ended up cutting two linocuts so that the sea horses could face each other, as they are said to be devoted couples that dance for a small portion of the day and then go their own way for the rest of the day.

These prints are also for sale but you will need to message me about them or email me.

I still walk most mornings and last week went to Woodside beach which is the beginning of the Ninety Mile beach a stunning part of the Victorian coast. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was the only person there. I guess I was researching for my sea side print series but it did feel a little odd, that there was not another soul at such a beautiful spot.

The Crinigan Bushland reserve, where i walk most days has delivered up all sorts of delights from tortoises in the Tortoise dam, to delicate little orchids  amongst the grasses and gum blossoms. It's offered inspiration to make a gum leaf tifaifai. 

Now that restrictions are easing  we can finally  do the videos for the new  on-line courses I have been creating. They will be Tifaifai- or positive/negative free form applique ( which will offer a number of different methods to use the technique and design  the patterns. The paatterns are all new and not the ones contained in my book from 2001. It  will contain extensive pdf notes, videos, a FB private group and zoom get togethers ) and I have been rewriting and reworking my on-line linocutting class for hand printing- it  also will have extensive pdf notes, videos, a FB private group and zoom get togethers. I will be sharing  how i work with these two techniques and hopefully send you off with lots of ideas and new skills. I have had good reports back about the pdf notes I provide- essentially it has the contents that a book would have but as there are no longer any publishers in Australia for textile creation apart from one or two patchwork magazines - I have decided to share my skills in this way.