Christmas!!

 I nearly missed the date! 25/12/25.

I haven't done much textile work lately but I am hoping to do a couple of workshops in the summer school for the EGV and the HWSG. It is an attempt to make me try something slightly different - not totally different as that would be too daunting. 

The hollyhocks are flowering again - I am still collecting them - just need to actually use them!! I have a few days coming up with no appointments so, perhaps, I'll give it a go. 

It was overcast a lot today and cool for Christmas Day. It's supposed to warm up next week, so I'll see if I can get myself organised. 

I am also thinking about doing some sun dyeing. I saw a gorgeous plant in the garden a day or so ago. It is actually a weed and has thorns but it has beautiful, fragile-looking leaves.  So I rescued a piece from the green bin and it is waiting for me to get myself organised. 

I love thy way the stems  grow horizontally.

That time of the year

 It is coming to the end of the year - Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year, the summer holidays.

It's a strange time - trying to catch up with people. finishing off some regular things, getting ready for the big events, getting ready for a quieter time of year!

I have finished a small tapestry - not needed till February but I am going to do a tapestry workshop in January and will need to the loom, so it is done already.

The theme was From Above. 

My thoughts were first about messages from Above - thou shalt not kill, love thy neighbour as you would love yourself, etc. But, given the state of the world, I decided that I would get too depressed. 

So I have worked on a piece inspired by a photo taken while walking through the Fitzroy Gardens recently.

The water is coming from above - not very much above, it is not a very big waterfall.

It was good to be working on it as it takes all my concentration. But it is rather small, given the size restriction of the challenge. 

It is done and looks much better from a distance. The photos are more close-up than I would like but it is not too bad. Maybe stand back from your computer/iPad/etc and it might work better. 

                                                       

It isn't wonderful in itself but it did give me focus and purpose. 

Working on a small tapestry

 Thank goodness for groups that set themes and have due dates!!

I'm working on a small tapestry (no bigger than 20cm square) and I have set myself the task of doing at least half an hour every day. It usually goes to an hour but my body doesn't like it much - ahh the joys of getting older. 

Admittedly, I could do half an hour, do something else and then do another half, or even an  hour! But the impetus seems to leave me after about an hour. 

However, I am getting there. 

The theme is From Above. I had all sorts of ideas, many to do with messages from 'above' (love thy neighbour, thou shalt not kill, etc) but I found I was getting too depressed about the state of the world. So ... I have taken a photo of a small waterfall in the Fitzroy Gardens. I rarely go there but had the time to walk through recently. The gardens are wonderful - peaceful and restorative. 

Water is coming down from above!

I have taken a few photos of the tapestry as I have gone along - mainly to prove to myself that I am actually achieving something, 

I can't believe how many bobbins I use for such a small piece!!

Today I was across the room and saw it from a different viewpoint and am actually quite happy with it. There are some things that I would change if I had the time and energy but they won't matter much. I have done what seems to be my usual thing lately, make it up as I go! I am putting some marks on the warp from my images but I am not doing it prior, I am doing it as I go - it is rather an interpretation rather than an exact copy of the photo. 

An indication that Christmas is approaching

 The hydrangea is starting to develop flowers, always an indication that Christmas is on the way.

                                  

The pink is from another plant, the hydrangea is still developing.

The weather has been rather changeable but that isn't too unusual for spring - it snowed on Mt Donna Buang last week! It only rained and hailed in my part of the world. We were tricked by one very warm day just prior but that is forgotten now! 

I have been thinking about the new theme for next year's challenge: From Above. I had all sorts of ideas but have finally settled on one that is rather ordinary - and I may not be able to do it to the required size - no larger than 20cm square. I think there might be too much detail in my photo but I will persevere. 

I took lots of phots of flowers that were on the ground - I was looking from above, I eventually decided to do a small waterfall I saw in the Fitzroy Gardens - the water is falling from above.

Exhibition is up

 The Annual Members Exhibition is up - we had the opening night for participants last Friday. 

There were some pieces that were obviously based on the theme - Magical. Other pieces needed the artist's artistic statements but then were clear. 

There were pieces that didn't try to do the theme, any work completed in the last two years is accepted - a great idea so that people who are not inspired by the theme can still participate. I also love that any piece done by a member is accepted, it doesn't have to be of a particular standard. Mind you, there were a lot that were of exceptional standard!

As I have already said, I wasn't that inspired by the theme myself but, probably because I read so many fantasy books in the past, I do love images of dragons. So I put two pieces in. 

I ended up having to have the second one framed because I mounted it on foam core that was too thin and it started to bend when I sewed the backing on, I actually think the framing helped, it gave it a nice darkness at the edges. 

You can see more of the exhibition here.

Not happy with my design!

 The EGV annual members' exhibition is coming up. The theme is Magical. I have always had a fascination with dragons, so I am trying to come up with a piece that I think is ok. 

So far, I have done one that is using a piece of silk that I painted many years ago, possibly in the 1980s! I'm not certain that it was that long ago but it definitely was a while ago. I haven't done anything spectacular with it, just put some hand sewing on it and mounted it. 

My next idea is also dragon based. I have done a free motion embroidery dragon, with two smaller ones to put on - perhaps. 

But I can't find a background that I like!! It is stopping me in my tracks. 

I made a small quilt based on Ricky Timms' convergence quilt ideas but I think the dragon fades into the background too much. 

I decided that I needed a rock for the dragon to be sitting on but now I think it is too dark and takes the focus away from the dragon.

Note the two much smaller dragons peeking in from the sides. I think I may end up not using them at all. 

I may just put it away and let myself try something different or I may get out lots of differennt  pieces of fabric that I have collected over the years and see if I can be inspired. 

Hopefully, I'll find something that speaks to me. If not, I will have to move on, which I am finding hard to do at the moment. 

Alphington Community Centre art show.

I have just visited the art show at the Alphington Community Centre. It is only on for this weekend, so much work for such a short time! Well done to the organisers!!

I am a newish member of the Melbourne Collage Meets group and we had a room for our works - as well as some space for a few other local artists. It was beautifully presented and fun to see all the works that I have seen in the making at our meetings at a local cafe - we meet there every fortnight. 

I am still trying to develop my own style and am learning from seeing the different styles of other participants. I enjoy it for the creative stimulus as well as the social connection, Collage is not my strength but it is expanding my understanding of art - as well as my enjoyment.  

I really liked this felted tree trunk! 

Some of our collage group pieces as well as a couple of paintings by local artists. 

More collages.