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.

Sad to Leave Syria

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

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

Five Sentinelles Done One to Go!

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

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

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

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

Work Work Work

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

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

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

Sentinelle #3- Blue

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

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

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

Sentinelle #2

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.