Sentinelle #2

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 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.