This post is a little late but last Week in the Studio I had fun doing some eco printing experiments. I followed Nichola Brown’s ebook on Eco Printing and was very pleased with the results. I used some narrow strips of wool blanket with the aim of making them into small scrolls in the future. Here are the pieces:
This week I have been working on a Circle challenge by Lisbeth Degn I have only just started and the challenge is half way over! I am inspired by friends who are doing the challenge and Rita Summers of Gone Rustic. I want to add to my textile vocabulary and have chosen to work small collaging on to a khadi paper book. The brown piece is a teabag using a South African tea.
I have also been learning to machine couch and plan on using this technique in my textile practice.
I have been working in my Studio each day this week working on a variety of projects.
First I have eco printed some fabric and papers using a free type approach. I mordanted the fabric in alum and then sandwiched with leaves from my garden between some thick cardboard squares and tied tightly I placed in water on the stove in which I had placed some onion skins and some rusty bits and simmered for one and a half hours. I was aiming to get fairly abstract prints. The results below
I also worked on my two sketchbook challenges - one a wee altered book and the other mainly abstract pages.
On my design wall a have a large procion dyed whole cloth pieces. I am studying it to hopefully get inspiration to complete on the theme of Place.
I have been fascinated by trees for a long time and have decided to return to this subject as a source for some new work. There are some amazing trees in the Scenic Rim of Queensland, Hutt Valley, New Zealand and Bogor, Indonesia to name a few.
Several years ago I began a series of tree and branches and this resulted in this quilt blocks.
I later made this into a quilt.
I also made an 80 inch by 80 inch quilt of a cross section of a large tree. I was not happy with the colour combinations in this quilt and it has remained as a quilt top!
I have taken a some photos recently of trees in a paddock in the Scenic Rim.
I am going to use these for inspiration for some further work particularly relating to line and colour.
I have just revisited my Sustainable Studio Practice. This is a realistic studio practice that I can undertake.
My REVISED Plan
I will work in the Studio three hours a day for five days a week and I will keep a Studio Log to monitor.
I plan to work in the Studio normally in the Morning.
I will complete one artwork (minimum) per month and several small pieces.
I will set my Studio goals monthly and be accountable weekly and monthly.
I will create a ritual for the Studio - doing YOGA before I begin work.
As a reward (monthly) for working in the Studio I will go on an external Artist Date.
I need to think about the boundaries in my Studio(e.g. will I answer my phone? Take interruptions.
I like silence in my Studio!
I have been looking through photographs I have taken as primary source inspiration. I love some of my leaf photos and am thinking about ways to incorporate sketches based on these photographs into my abstract and art quilts. Some of my photographs from Bogor Indonesia.
My latest set of fabric postcards was inspired by photographs I took of the New England Tablelands between Guyra and Tenterfield. I hand painted the background and used hand stitch for texture.
I have not blogged my Exhibition participation with three other artists Robyn Clout, Liz Clout and Sharon Anderson at Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre in 2022. It was a wonderful experience and the large gallery space was amazing. My pieces are shown below.
It was magical to be able to visit and exhibit with my 3Squared art quilt group in Lower Hutt New Zealand at the Hutt Art Centre last week. Opening night last Friday was special.
I was so pleased to Exhibit with my art group Broadstrokes in Cleveland Queensland last month.
