Slowly Getting the Working Cap Back On

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

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

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....

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

 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

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

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.