In full retreat ... at Boonah

Three days of magic time spent with friends at The Outlook in Boonah last weekend let me finish a quilt top (that has travelled with me to at least three retreats), share the SAQA 25th anniversary exhibition of art quilts, hand dye about 14 yards of fabric and collect enough scrim for a gorgeous bowl. Thank you ladies.

State of the Art Quilt 12

This Friday will see State of the Art Quilt 12 open at the Boonah Regional Art Gallery - so this morning Suzanne, Meredith and I got to hang together, quite literally. Many hands and three opinions make for an excellent arrangement. State of the Art Quilt last visited the Scenic Rim in 2010. Everything kicks off at 6.30pm and all are welcome to attend the opening. Five of the artists whose works were juried into the exhibition will be talking about their work and share the inspiration behind the art. Two of the quilts include Lyn Williams' Lust for Copper (below) and Sue Dennis'  Texas inspired Welcome (bottom) are just two of the 16 quilts on show until mid September. The Art Gallery is at High Street Boonah, adjacent to the Library building.

(As always, all images are copyright of the artist and must not be reproduced without permission)

The very heart of it ...

Inspired is probably not the right word. Artistically, there is often a trigger or catalyst from which we launch ourselves. I find myself responding to the sale of my parents' property after forty years at "509". They, I might add, are full of the possibilities for the future at their new residence.  For now, I am staying in the trauma of upheaval and disruption. The first response has materialised in "The very heart of it ..." which developed at a recent  retreat. Text and textiles. I have tried to convey the emotional quality of moving day. In a literal context I have chosen the use of text. The heart (not shown in this pic) symbolises the emotional core of  being, and the gift of Dad having survived a trauma of a different kind ten years ago). The final element was the creation of the focal point - which goes to the very heart of it.

Thank you Getaway Girls

Flew home for the weekend to the WMBM and a large stack of snail mail which contained a most precious gift from the Getaway Girls - fifteen squares with everything from beautiful red work to a crazy patch and everything in between. Thank you so much - and I'll bring them along to our next ... getaway!

A very important date

Earlier in the week, the WMBM asked me out on a date today which included lunch at the Dugie (Dugandan) pub. After that we headed the short distance back into Boonah and rubbed the plaque that commemorates the end of the line, literally, from the time when the railway used to run all the way out here from Ipswich. Then, treat of treats, it was into Mitre 10 to see Phil and check out sheets of ply for the wet studio area, look at the soldering irons, and get a few supplies for downstairs. Sponge pads, dust masks and the like.  And then there was this.  WMBM looking up and down at the crumpled remains of the list: Have you got everything?  Goddess: The thing is, when you shop, you proceed with military precision to the aisle that has the item on your list. When I shop, I cruise the aisles thinking about how each and every item could be used in the studio. I am only up to the third aisle." WMBM was last seen with the remains of the list, heading with military precision in the direction of the supermarket.