Scapescrape workshop @ 2QAQ

Here's the wonderful scraped tissue that we all played with at 2QAQ on Saturday. Lots of wonderful colours and opportunities to create beautiful landscapes ... or sunsets ... or bush fires ...



Ready for action

All the pieces dyed over the weekend are now airing in the study. Some delightful patterns and colours emerged especially since the focus was on using primary colours + black or combinations thereof.  I cannot wait for our dyeing workshop in June. Closer to home, 2QAQ meets tomorrow @ 44 Esher Street Wellers Hill (Brisbane) and we are kicking off at 12.30pm with Scapescrape followed by Ankie Kings beautiful Indigo exhibition "The Lady Dyed the Blues". 

Take-away dyeing

Definitely not edible but totally yummy. Ankie and I spent the day playing with different ideas for a workshop in mid-June. I managed to do some gradation dyeing with an electric blue, made a sea scroll, pipetted my way through three fat quarters, and did some pole dancing (in the textile sense). Also managed to dye the final New Zealand piece -  a variation of Moroccan red. I can't resist a good international colour! Also stretched smaller pieces of silk that are now transformed. What a great, grey, rainy day.

WMBM, a shiva stick and the Dyson

Left alone this evening with a copper shiva stick and some poplin WMBM tried his hand at an antique doily, an old jug and ... the vacuum cleaner hose. 

Dyeing and Printing Day

I dyed again today.  I still get a laugh from people when they ask what I'm up to on the weekend and the reply is a version of  "oh, I think I'll be dyeing".  Had a great time transforming fabrics with prints and finger-painting-on-glass mono print.  I learned how to combine black pigment with yoghurt-like goop (there is a technical name for all of this but I love goop)  and printed four different designs. Upper left is finger painting on glass and pressed onto PFD poplin, the middle black and white banner is created from 4 different wood blocks, the dark strip is actually black pigment and gold finger painting on glass pressed onto aubergine dyed poplin and the bottom piece is the same blocks used on hand dyed silk. It was a transforming experience on a number of levels and I had such a hoot of a day I forgot to have lunch! Now that is saying something .....

7 more sleeps to 2QAQ's May meeting

Next meeting is on Saturday May 28 - we're going to kick off at 12.30pm for those who want to workshop Scapescrape - using stencils, acrylic paints and tissue paper to create an art quilt over the next three meetings.  The highlight of our get-together will be Ankie's Kings exhibition "The Lady Dyes the Blues" - Ankie will share her beautiful indigo exhibition pieces with the group. Can't wait and hope to see  you there.

Silk surprise

As I was leaving paid employment this afternoon the courtyard area was emptied of intruders - just the blustery wind and me left to argue over a piece of red silk. I love the public art in and around the streets of Ipswich - so many ideas, and 40 more circuits of the sun left to do it all!  Thanks for your comments Sue - I still want to know how you get the little bits of shiva off the tiles in the motel rooms. WMBM and I spent quite some time on our knees in New Zealand scraping minuscule bits of gold, cooper and iridescent charcoal from the floor tiles.