Joy Smith's exhibition in Ballarat

 I went with a few friends to see Joy Smith's exhibition today. Here is a link.

It was, as usual for Joy, a wonderful display. She had pieces from her collection plus some new ones based on her new location. She has recently moved to Ballarat. 

I forgot to take photos of most of the pieces so can't post - you'll have to go to the link to see them. I especially loved the swans on Lake Wendoree. It reminded me of my walks around the lake when I have had the time during my attendances at the Fibre Arts workshops at Ballarat Grammar (alas, there are not going to be any more there). 

Joy had one piece on the loom and I was fascinated to see that she was using linen and cotton threads as well as other yarns.  She had her inspiration drawing, a cartoon on cardboard and it looked so easy - wish I could find it so easy, especially at the very fine warp and weft she is using!!

Her drawing and notes. 

The drawing turned in the direction of the weaving. 

The actual piece - not so easy to see with the bright background, sorry. 

The back: much easier to see. You can also see the shaped edge - the cream coloured part is waste weaving and will be pulled out. 

Weaving at Wang

I have just returned from a 3 day tapestry weaving workshop with Joy Smith.
It was a small group, 3 beginners and 2 continuers - if I can call ourselves that.

The focus was on colour and different ways to blend colours, or to use them to good advantage.
We were at the Wangaratta Art Gallery and surrounded by beautiful tapestries from the Australian Tapestry Workshop.

Not only were they wonderful to be sitting with, they were inspirational and educational. We could wander off to see how colours were blended, how different shades were made and to look at different techniques.

We worked in the actual gallery space where the light was the same all day. Once we had made some progress, we took the looms out into the bright sunshine to see the difference in colours. Some of the differences were quite startling!

I have practised with a few techniques and have an idea for a small tapestry. All I have to do now is get the colours. I decided to challenge myself and go outside my usual colour range, so I might not have them in my stash. Oh dear, I will have to make myself go to the Tapestry Workshop itself and look at all those gorgeous colours.

First I need to go through my own yarns to check if I have any that will do. I am also intending to use some embroidery thread or silk thread, so I will have to check them too.

Weaving demonstration day at the Handspinners and Weavers Guild

Our small group of tapestry weavers was invited to be part of the weaving demonstration day at the guild rooms in Carlton today.
Congratulations to Amber and the 0809 weaving group for this wonderful day. Not only was there a lovely exhibition of various woven items, there were all sorts of looms set up, ready for people to have a go.

Joy Smith kindly warped up a tapestry loom with various thicknesses of warp and had various yarns available to use with them. It was great to have her there, she is a fount of information and has great technical expertise.

There were a lot of visitors to the demonstration and the happy buzz was most energising. Lots of people who had no connection to the guild turned up, lots of demonstrations were taking place.

It was a lovely relaxed atmosphere. Plenty of interesting questions too.
I had a go with an inkle loom and have decided that tapestry is definitely my go - and not any other sort of weaving. Tapestry weaving may be slow but it didn't look as fiddly as some of the other setting up of warps, working to intricate patterns, etc. To each his (or her) own.

Buda Contemporary Textile Award and Exhibition 2014

Today was the opening of the Buda Contemporary Textile Award and Exhibition. A friend and I ventured up to Castlemaine for a lovely afternoon.
The exhibition was opened by Lesley Uren, who spoke passionately about embroidery and textile art.

It was well worth the visit. The works were quite diverse and all were interesting.

There were several works by students and we were encouraged to venture into town to see further school student work on display in participating shops. Unfortunately, we didn't have time today but I will be back there to sit in the gallery, so I hope to get to see them then.

Lucy Carroll, winner of the student award. 

It was great to see work by people I have met or whom I have come across through the internet. I felt like I knew some of the artists, even though I have never met them. The wonders of the modern age.

I was very pleased to see my two parasols beautifully displayed. Congratulations to the curator and her team.

The piece on the far left is by a person whose blog I follow.

The two little tapestries in the corner are by Joy Smith, my first tapestry teacher.

Instant Colour Lesson

At the workshop we did with Joy Smith last Sunday, we discussed colour. Joy showed us lots of examples and we discussed how intensity can be changed by colours nearby, by texture (textured weaving)  and by the type of yarn used - whether it is fuzzy, twisted, smooth, shiny, etc (which I suppose is also texture).
Then we looked at the colours I was weaving.  I am trying to do a sample that graduates from yellow to blue, just like the patchwork one I did recently. I had some colours but had to go to the Australian Tapestry Workshop to buy some to carry the colours through.  I thought I had chosen a reasonable range, they didn't look like the colour change was too marked.

When I wove the colours though, the fourth one from the right was very different.  The change was much too noticeable.  Instant lesson on how the weaving can affect the perception of the colour. 

I then blended the the two colours, to see if I could lessen the large jump in tone. I started with two strands of the lighter colour, one of the darker.  Then I changed it to two of the darker and one of the lighter.  This was in the midst of counting the passes and half passes that make up the change in colour.

It is 6 half passes of colour 1, 1 of colour 2, 5 of colour 1, 2 of colour 2, 4 of colour 1, 3 of colour 2, 3 of colour 1, 4 of colour 2, 2 of colour 1, 5 of colour 2, 1 of colour 1, 6 of colour 2.  Then start with the new colour. The notes I had were written in half passes, so that is how I have counted it.

But I had hoped to do a sample with no blending, seeing I tend to blend my colours all the time. I have put it aside for the time being.  I will visit the shop again and see if I can find a colour to go between these two, allowing me to use flat colours.  I will pull out the blended wool if I can find the shade I want. If not, I suppose I will just have to keep going and see how the other colours go.  I keep telling myself it is only a sample and that is what it is for. 

There will be a bit of a hiatus before I get back to it - the workshops have finished and I have a machine embroidery assignment due soon. Then I will try again.

Seeing it is a sample, I have decided not to worry too much about the pulling in on the sides.  Joy tells me it is probably because of the way I pull the shed forward as well as using only one bobbin across the piece. Who knew that I might need to use a few bobbins on this small a piece?

Starting a new tapestry

Our small tapestry weaving group met today.  We asked for a longer time to use the guild rooms and it was granted.  We now meet between 10.00 and 3.00.  It is a much better amount of time, it means that it is actually worth collecting together all your stuff and taking it there.  Previously, by the time we had caught up with each other and the lovely ladies on duty at the guild, it never seemed worth bothering setting up my loom.  Now there is time for chatting, eating the delicious food people make and bring to share - and weaving!
It is also wonderful to be able to ask advice about what you are doing, how to set about doing a design, how to fix up problems, etc.  I have missed that sharing of ideas and knowledge that you get in classes and groups that physically meet.  I like the ability you have to actually show someone, or see someone demonstrate for you.
There is also enough time to be able to chat to everyone, catch up on everyone's news, rather than have half conversations with people that get interrupted because you are trying to catch up with other people's conversations too.
Having the longer time put pressure on to have some weaving to take.  I have spent several hours this week finalising my design, warping up my loom and hitching on.  It made me keep to the task, not go and play patience games on the computer, as is my wont.  It was a bit like having a deadline, something that can be very helpful, even when it stresses you.

By the way, the guild is offering a certificate course in tapestry weaving.  It will be taught by Cresside Collette and Joy Smith.

Practising my tapestry weaving

I have started tapestry weaving again lately, in response to the tapestryweaversoz Yahoo group's theme of Mountain to Sea. I have several designs competing for prominence and not much luck coming up with one that actually looks like it will work.
Our local tapestry group also has a theme - Building.  Although it is not due for months, ideas have been floating around in my head, and my visual diary/picture collection.

I met with Joy Smith (a member of our local group and one of my teachers when I was at RMIT) to have a discussion about my weaving (and its problems), how to develop some of my ideas and generally to have a lovely afternoon tea. She helped with ideas for better technical weaving but also for developing more doable designs. So much to think about.

I would like to just start weaving a piece to improve my technique but I find it hard to work that way. I think I may have to use my theme pieces as my practice and if they are not successful, I don't have to put them in. After all, I did two for last year's theme (Circles and Squares) and only put one in.

The one I didn't put in.  I've noticed that it has a similar problem to the one I am currently working on - bulges where I have straight edges.  But the problem with the current work is worse, maybe because it has single warp wraps also (images to come - perhaps). Joy gave me a good tip about the wrapping.  It seems obvious now but I didn't do it at the time - sew it up as you go, build up one side of the tapestry, then do the wrap and sew it every 3 passes.  I have done the wrap independently of the weaving and it has too many wraps, hence the bulging (well, that is part of the reason for the bulge).

This is the one I put in - it is based on an optical illusion.  You can see the circles if you squint.  Actually, now that I look at it, this one has a lot of straight lines too.  If I remember correctly, I used less wool for the orange bits, the vertical ones at least, and that helped with the bulging. I don't think that is the best way to solve the problem but it worked for me at the time.

The themes and group challenges are great for motivating me, giving me a focus and actually making me develop a design and work out how to weave it.  Thanks to all those who put in so much work with the online groups.  I belong to a few, and they often have very interesting discussions. 

Joy also gave me the courage to have a go at fixing the very untidy plaiting I did on my little piece that I did in France a couple of years ago.  So I will have to do that, after the warp has had a chance to uncrimp (if there is such a word).

Note that I don't have an image of the very wobbly top edge, I couldn't bear to photograph it.

The problem might be that I didn't hitch off tightly enough, as well as my loose plaiting.
Maybe I can use this in our Building exhibition - if we actually get around to putting it on - and if I can fix up the plaiting.

It was so good to talk to a mentor about the problems I am having (it would be better to call it 'the learning I am doing').  The online groups are good and the people on them are very generous with their advice but there is nothing to compare with sitting with a person, or group, and talking specifically about issues and having the tapestry there for reference.

Joy mentioned that she had entered some works into the British Tapestry Group's current exhibition - Tapestry Mischief.  She said that there were pictures on their Facebook page.
Go here to see them.  Beautiful.  And you don't have to be on Facebook to see them.

Joy Smith tapestry exhibition

Today's date is another good one - 12/5/12.  Once again, I have something I can post about, fortunately.  Joy Smith's tapestry exhibition opened today, at Hawthorn Studio and Gallery.  It was an exhibition of Joy's tapestries and Wendy Steer's paintings.
There was a good crowd there and it was great to see some familiar faces.

Joy hiding in the crowd

The exhibition being officially opened

Joy with two of her works (three, if you look carefully)

Congratulations to Joy on her work.  She seems to have done a lot of weaving this year, many of them had 2012 on them.
It is always amazing to see the intricacy of Joy's work.  It was good to be able to speak to her about some of them and to have her personal insights and explanations of the works.
Joy is hoping to give a floor talk about her works,  I hope this eventuates.  She did not have the opportunity to do so today but I went to her last one and it was great. There is always an interesting story behind Joy's work and it would be good to hear that in more detail.

Kate Derum tapestry award

I have just come home from the Kate Derum tapestry awards at the Australian Tapestry Workshop.  It was an especially exciting night as Joy Smith was announced as the winner.  Joy was my teacher at RMIT in my first year of tapestry.  Saffron Gordon won the emerging artist section and she was a classmate of mine in second year tapestry.  Very exciting!
It was also good to see work by other people I know, Sally Harvey and Julie Paul (also past students from RMIT).  Congratulations on being accepted into the exhibition.
All the work was great, as you would expect.  There was interesting variety in interpretations and materials used. The exhibition is on for several weeks, well worth a visit.  I may have to go back when I can actually have a slow look at the works, not distracted by catching up with people and trying to see around the crowds.

Tapestry exhibition

Last week I visited the tapestry exhibition at Hawthorn Studio and Gallery.  The work being exhibited is by Joy Smith (my first tapestry teacher) and Gerda van Hamond.  They based their work on monthly visits to sites along the Yarra River but they have produced very different works.  Joy and Gerda spoke at the gallery and it was very interesting to hear about their beginning inspirations and processes.

Joy said she works more from photographs these days and is interested in people in the environment.  Her work clearly reflects this.  It was great to see scenes that I instantly recognised as places we have taken our dog for walks in, especially Yarra Bend Park.

Gerda tends to look at very small aspects of the scene, possibly fungus, bark or some very small element of the site. She also exhibited some of her drawings that she works on before weaving.  She does them with oil sticks and may combine several sketches from the day to make her cartoon.

Based on the river in flood.

Despite concentrating on such small images, her works can be quite large.

This one is based on a piece of bark but is quite large, over a metre square.

It was great to catch up with other students with whom I learnt tapestry over the last couple of years.  We will have to keep meeting at tapestry exhibitions, maybe even put on one ourselves.  I have not done any weaving this year but do have three images I would like to work on soon.  Maybe when this semester is over and I have less assignments due.

Working on a Community Tapestry

Today I had the privilege of working on a tapestry that is being woven for the Dorothy Impey Aged Care Home in Brunswick. (That's the founder, Dorothy Impey at the bottom right hand, woven by Joy Smith, my teacher last year.)  It has been designed by past and present students in the tapestry area of the Textiles and Design course at RMIT.  There are four separate pieces to be woven.  Each piece relates to a different historical use of the site.  It has been a munitions factory, a migrant hostel, the Melbourne College of Textiles and is now the aged care facility. The link between the Melbourne College of Textiles and the current Brunswick campus of RMIT has contributed to the development of the tapestry.

So far, the first two pieces are well on the way.  Students are encouraged to participate and can actually claim part of the work as one of their tapestry assignments.

It is a bit nerve-wracking to be working on someone else's design. Fortunately Cresside, our teacher, was present and able to give advice and some teaching of those techniques you touch on in first year but forget when you have to use them again.  It looks like being a valuable learning time for me.

It was also good to meet another student of tapestry who is in a different class and whom I would otherwise not have met.  It is often a gathering place of like-minded people putting in some extra time between classes.  A good chance to catch up.