ATW

I made a snap decision to go the Australian Tapestry Workshop today. I am considering starting a new piece and needed a specific blue - but I didn't take my printout of the idea so had to make a random(ish) decision about which blue I wanted. Not to worry, it is going to be an abstract piece and the colour I chose will be ok, I bought enough to keep the idea working. 

There were some interesting works on show. I love the texture of the one below.

I was also very pleased to meet a friend of mine who is doing an internship at the workshop. She is being taught by another friend! 

I could see that the architect prize pieces are being woven too. And an old winner was up also, it is huge. (You can see it on this page - assuming it doesn't change too soon. The big blue one.)

Obviously, I haven't taken enough notice of titles of pieces. I will see if I can find out more information about them. 

It was my first outing on the trams in over a year!! I used the train too, the second time in the last year. 

This time last year I was working on my Vision tapestry for the Bendigo Sheep and Wool show. The theme is the same this year, I am thinking of trying another piece on the same theme, totally different idea. It got me through the first lockdown last year, here's hoping this new work won't be needed for a similar reason!

I doubt that I will get the piece done in time for the show but I will start and see how I go. I seem to need a theme to get me going. I haven't done any weaving since I finished the piece last year. And I haven't done much sewing (apart from the blackwork embroidery course). So I am hoping to get some impetus and go on from there. 

Another interesting date

 Today is 7/3/21. 

I was at the guild today, being the hostess. We had a steady stream of people through. It is good to hear the laughing voices, the interested comments and feel the positive energy of the appreciative visitors. 

I forgot to take any photos of the exhibition, I'll be on duty again later in the week, so I'll try to remember. 

But I do have a grumpy Mr Banana-face! I can't resist taking photos of food. It can be so interesting. The cut tomato, the surface of the broccoli, the interesting pattern in the middle of the parsnip, etc. 

Today's treat was the banana and ice-cream. Maybe he didn't like the cold. He certainly doesn't look happy. 

Interesting date!

 Today's date is 4/3/21. I don't have much to say but I had to recognise the date.

I have spent more time at the Guild rooms today, doing some more things for the opening. I only went for half a day, others have been helping and we are almost there. Opening night, for exhibitors, is tomorrow night, then it will be open to the public on Saturday. 

It was good to be back at the guild this week, seeing all the people at their interest groups, people doing various jobs (Collection Committee was in, going through donated goods and working out provenance, etc). Many people happy to be seeing other people! 

Upcoming Exhibiton

 The Embroiderers Guild, Victoria (they have added Australia to their links, to avoid confusion with the Embroiderers Guild, Victoria in Canada) is having it members' exhibition starting next Saturday. It is usually held in October but that didn't happen because of the dreaded virus. And lockdown. So this year's one is in March, none in October, 2022 is planned for October. )Plenty of time to get to and make some pieces.)

The exhibition, Stitch Brilliance, will be on for two weeks, visitors welcome. You don't even have to book in prior to turning up. 

We have been receiving works and hanging them this week. There are not as many exhibitors this year but many of them have put in multiple entries, so it is not that much smaller than previous years. The standard seems particularly high - maybe the really dedicated embroiderers were able to beaver away. 

I know I found it hard to do my usual practice and I have found that many members have been doing things that are absorbing but not necessarily up to their usual creative level - the effort to come up with an idea, design it , and then work out how to do it is a different energy from that required to actually make it - well, it is for me. I have seen quite a few embroiderers knitting at our Zoom meetings. 

The exhibition is going to be wonderful, the standard of the entries is great!!

Missed the correct day but still posting.

 Yesterday was 12/2/21. I just have to put that one up.

It was a momentous day for us here in Melbourne, we are back in hard lockdown - but only for 5 days, hopefully.

Not wanting to have to wear a mask while doing my allowed walk outside, I have done a little bit more sewing. I am still playing around with the postcards. The people who get today's effort will be privileged. I will not do this one again! 

It involved tedious cutting, tedious sewing that required lots of stopping and starting while I went around the fiddly edges. I used a variegated cotton that didn't like being twisted when I changed directions. Lots of rethreading required. Thank goodness I had my machine serviced lately and the needle threader was fixed. It has been broken for almost a year, I had it booked in last March but then lockdown happened and shops were shut, the workshop I was intending to attend was cancelled, etc. Luckily I got inspired a few weeks ago and had it done. 

The colours on this piece of sample fabric didn't come out as bright/dark as the previous one, so it is not as successful. But it was challenging and I hope the recipients like them.  

I used some bag stiffener on the back for these two. I hope I can write the address on it, when I get to that point of the process. 

Playing around again

 I have no big ideas going at the moment. 

I am in a group that is going to do postcards to send to each member. I don't have much of a theme going so decided to just try some ideas.

I used the Liquid Radiance paints to colour some samples of drape fabric. I have no idea where I got the book of fabric samples but it has turned out to be useful at the moment. 

I used the white fabrics this time and washed them before use. Then I only used the three primary colours and let them run into each other and make multiple colours. 

One piece of fabric was much darker on one side than the other. 

                                     

This made me think of the Notan positive and negative idea that I tried previously. 

I didn't want to do trees this time, the colours didn't seem to suggest trees to me. I have a book of Japanese Optical Illusions and Geometric designs, so I traced one and then cut out the fabric using that. I put one lot of cutouts onto a piece of the same fabric, other side up though, to give the contrast in brightness. 

I used the base fabric I had cut the shapes out of to place onto yet another piece. 

I sewed them up using variegated fabric. I couldn't actually decide on what colour would work best, the variegated was there, to hand. Decision made. 

If I have to make an artist statement, perhaps I can say something about the shapes reminding me of the ever-present images of the covid virus! But that wasn't really the inspiration, I just like the shape. 

February 1st

 The date just cried out for me to post! 1/2/21.

I went to the NGV today to see the Triennial exhibition, my first venture out on public transport in about 10 months. Of course, my Myki card had expired. That necessitated a walk from one station to another where you can get a new one - fortunately my two nearest stations are not far apart from each other. 

I had to book online for the NGV too. As I had seen that there were delays on the trains, I had decided to go by bus. But by the time I had fixed up my ticket, the trains were back on time and I was able to get there at the time I had said I would be there. 

There were plenty of people there but it was easy to move around and there was no problem with social distancing. It was actually good not to have a big crowd, you could see the works and didn't have to dodge around people taking photos! There were a few (me included) but it was easy to see the works. This social distancing, timed entry thing might not be all bad!

There is so much to see that I decided not to overload myself and to go back. It was exciting enough to go on public transport! And to walk around the city. I didn't want to wear myself out.

Just to prove that I did use my camera, here are a few images. 

These are of shadows on the floor. You could walk through the installation. Most people were looking up, I think I was the only one taking photos of the floor (at that time, anyway).

Installation by Kengo Kuma, Kengo Kuma Associates and Geoffrey Nees' Botanical pavilion 2020.  Here is a link to the exhibition, with reference to this work.

I seem to have been inspired by shapes and illusion again. Maybe I am still influenced by all the calls for entry that had Vision as the theme last year. And I really do like optical illusions.