2020

The date is 20/1/20. Not sure that there are going to be that many interesting dates this year. So I had better post!

I forgot to mention that I got an image of a tree from 123RF, an online site that gives royalty free images for a low cost.

I used that image and tried it in Photoshop. I put colour on the leaves and trunk, then put in some backgrounds. I tried a few. Here is one, not quite how the final piece ended up but it gave me the overall perception that my idea would work.

My idea is about how we perceive things, influenced by what is around them. Did I say that the theme of the call for entries is Vision 2020? Anyway, I love the way that background colours change our perception of other colours. So the leaves are all the same colours/fabric in each tree but the differing backgrounds change how we perceive them. 

I tried some fabrics I had for the trunks but realised that I don't actually have that many browns, especially ones that don't have other colours in them that would have distracted from my idea. 

Off to GJ's again! (I am trying to use what I have and not buy more but that wasn't going to work this time.)

I bought 25cm of 3 browns. The warmest one worked best. I used some little bits to double-check. 

Then I Vleisofixed (new verb!!) the selected fabric and cut out 5 of the tree shapes. They are all the same, or almost the same. It is very hard to cut them all exactly!

I ironed them on to the background.

Then came the tedious job of cutting out the leaf shapes, using the same colours for each tree. 

Then sewing them on!! I tried to cut them the same and place them the same but there are some slight differences. There is even a deliberate change in the number of each colour on one of the trees - Spot the Difference!!

I say tedious but I was very glad to have something that needed some concentration and removal from the real world. The real world is not great at the moment, especially if you live in the east of Australia (with apologies to those Australians not in the east but still suffering from fires. And now floods.).

If you want to read a very interesting account of how Brenda selects the final pieces, go here. She actually had to eliminate her own piece!!

Exciting news.

I have been struggling, along with many people I know, to be creative when it seems as if all of our part of the world is burning, as it has been for many months.

I saw a call for entries for Vision 2020 textiles (I expect there to be quite a few exhibitions with this title in 2020) and took the chance to work on something that would require concentration and take me into the creative side, away from the real world.

It was very timely.

I have been fascinated for years with the way colours seem to change, depending on their surrounds. So I decided to use this idea.
I played around with a mind map (I looked online for a link and see that there are computer possibilities but I have learnt to do the paper and pen version) of possible ideas for Vision but came up with the colour and perception take on it.

I found some gorgeous fabric at a local fabric shop (GJs Discount Fabrics) that had a lovely gradation of colours.
I have been trying not to buy new fabrics lately but these were too lovely to resist. I bought half a metre each of about 4 different fabrics, so not too much. Only two have been used in the piece, the others are waiting for the right inspiration.
Sometimes you do have to buy fabric that doesn't have am immediate application because you know it is the sort that you use and you might not be able to get it later.

We were asked not to put images online till the selection process was completed but now it has been - and I have been selected. Feeling very chuffed!
Brenda Gael Smith is the curator and is encouraging of us to put in our process, so I will start that now.

Trying out the various leaf colours on different pieces of fabric.

I eventually decided that I wanted colours from several pieces of fabric. They are laid over some polyester, fairly thick, adhesive wadding. Then I sewed them on using free motion machine embroidery.

A new day, a new year, a new decade.

I was told that there might not be so many interesting dates this year, so I had better get a post done today: 01012020 is ok: 01/01/2020.

So here I am not that many hours later - and I have just realised that it is well into the new year here, mid afternoon in fact, but that my friend in New York is still in 2019!

We decided to go for a walk seeing it is a lovely summer's day here - we are well away from all the fires, thank goodness. It is sunny and warm in the sun but there is a lovely cool breeze.

As you can see, we were near the Fairfield Boathouse, lots of people out boating.

We even used the new footbridge across the river at the Chandler Highway. It had rather interesting construction beneath it - and a LOT of steps to get to the bridge so we could cross the river. 

 

Below is part of the paper mills that is being built into a huge housing development, a small suburb really. I thought it might be going to be pulled down but there were objections because of its historical significance, it is some sort of special building. I think it may be the first curtain wall in Victoria - but don't quote me on that, I am not even sure what a curtain wall is. 

So, a new adventure for me on the first day of the new year. Not hugely adventurous, it is rather close to home, but it was like being overseas and just wandering, see what we might come across. Very relaxing.