Rainbows for Harriet

 I have not made or even felt the urge, need or desire to make a bed quilt for years . Each of my girls had two bed size quilts and I have others. I remember a time when the patchwork and quilting bug was powerful and strong in my need to create. But now I am inspired in my arts practise in an entirely different direction. Nevertheless I have to make a bed quilt for my granddaughter as she prepares to start sleeping in a big bed. A real dilemma as I had no inspiration. Then I found the perfect design which is not really a pattern, make blocks to whatever size, freestyle cutting and hand appliqué . A rainbow quilt . I have finally finished 24 10 inch blocks . I will put them together and quilt with big stitch hand quilting in Perl thread.

ATC swap

 After a short textile taster at a meeting at ATASDA we set about each making a set of artist trading cards . Last meeting we swapped them amongst each other. I ha

Be here a set made by 8 artists . They range from cyanotype, indigo dyed , printing, rust dye, embroidery, sketching, stitching, collage and include gold leaf, lace, buttons, tiny sequins, and silk cocoons . Paper, fabric, velvet were the backgrounds.

Creative Inspiration

 A visit to the Templin Fashion museum while on retreat at Boonah with ATASDA last weekend was a fabulous treat. The knowledge and passion of our host Iris Skinner was so positive and committed that I was able to , as well as thoroughly enjoy the history and stories of the museum, pieces and women creating, feel more focused purposeful and attached to the work I was exploring in fabric and thread.

Casting and moulding

 I have done some more playing with plaster of Paris . Pored into a disposable glove. I didn’t have enough of the medium in the glove so when I unmolded it crumbled at the wrist. I have been doing exercises from the OT at the Mater Hospital for my broken arm. So this is the story of healing, not feeling quite right, needing care, and time. I added a papier mâché ´egg ´by casting over a small balloon. 

I am liking it in black and white. Shadows are whispering as well. 

On my table

 While doing some preparatory work and samples for my three pieces to be sent in for the Incognito art show, I developed these two as I liked where they were going.

Mixed media a5 size using paper, watercolour paint, rusted lace, cardboard , gold pen , aquarelle 

Leaf casting

 I have been playing with Plaster of Paris making some leaf casts and putting plaster in molds. I made the plaster  and spread over several small leaves from the garden. The plaster was too thin and consequently the finished set cast broke quite easily. Another leaf a Buchanhamia ( not sure of the spelling ) an Australian native with a pale yellow calistemon type flower that the lorikeets flock to. There must be oil on this leaf as the wet plaster slid off. Then I made the plaster thicker and got better results with a frangipani leaf and a mango leaf. Poured remainder in an egg shell and added a key ring to the setting plaster. 

The small green leaves at the top have plaster on the other side. I can’t easily peel off the leaf so decided to wait until the leaf turns brown and it might make it easier. They have been like this for over a week now. Very hard herb , grows so easily . 

Cardboard collage

Playing around this morning with a piece of cardboard that has had wax from saved candle dregs on the surface in a failed exploration for something entirely different. I really like the corrugations. They remind me of a long flight of steps leading to something wonderful , a temple,  a view or the promised land. So with the inclusion of some cutout pictures and more cardboard it has become a collage of these few elements. Thinking of all the steps I’ve climbed ....Jacobs Ladder in Wickham Terrace Brisbane, Ankhor Wat in Cambodia,  in Belgium at the site of one of Napoleons battles, l’arc de triumph . I’m going to think of more to add here , random climbs that when written down together become a collection. I wonder what the collective noun for climbs is?