Printmaking journal

Printmaking is occupying my thoughts for the next 10 weeks or so and for starters, I needed to make a visual diary. Found some tough board and covered it in the fabrics I made in Sue Dennis' Leaf it Alone workshop earlier in the year - printed weed leaf, coriander and wattle seed pods. Then came the drilling of the holes and screwing in of the posts - and voila - one A3 sized record of my printmaking fun.  Can't wait to work on more textiles ... so many ideas, so many years required to do it all.

 

 

 

Charles Dickens exhibition ... and Grip

While walking the streets of Philadelphia the public library had a rare books exhibition - many of the original works of Charles Dickens (and some of Beatrix Potter). Being early (pre lunch) there was not another soul in the place and it was an privilege to be able to have the entire exhibition and displays to oneself for an hour or two. I loved the sketches and drawings - not necessarily by Dickens - and was taken with Grip, the Raven and the gravestone of "Dick" who was deemed "the best of birds". Grip is said to be the inspiration for Edgar Allan Poe's "Raven".  Vincent Price does a fantastic reading on youtube - a good investment of 9 minutes. Just love it (advertisements across the bottom notwithstanding) and as one who peers long into the darkness, now fading with the dawn of Sunday, I'll take by soul within me burning off to make a cup of tea.

Journalling, Diaries and Creativity

Curtin University through Open Learning University offers a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Arts and Visual Culture) - the whole degree can be completed online (there's quite a bit of Discussion Board participation which is akin to being in a classroom and interacting with your classmates) and lots of camera work to be uploaded. Mindmapping is one of the skills we practise. So is exploring all the possible and impossible uses of an object. I have committed the first act of vandalism in my life - I cut up a perfectly good bucket in the name of art!

 Sue Dennis facilitated the 2QAQ group through a creative thinking exercise in 2010 - also with mindmapping exercises and I'm really feeling the benefit of maintaining  a visual diary, and practising ..... every day!

Journal work and three minute sprints

holiday  musings ...

An entry a day ... or that's the good intention. Sometimes there is so much to say, and sometimes the merit is in the silence. Must practice that more often and I'm learning that, albeit slowly. Getting my travel journal completed before the memory and the accuracy of them fades is becoming a priority - another great way to relive the trip and utilise unexpected "free minutes". While we were trainbound on the Southwest Chief, the challenge was to draw madly in three minute bursts (which usually coincided with how long it took to de-train someone from the train or welcome new travelling companions. We had quite a break in Albuquerque until the heat drove us back to our compartment - this time the challenge was for five minutes of drawing.  As we travelled the sheer numbers, types, and heights (or lack of) the utilities poles were a source of constant wonder - I couldn't let go of the idea that each of these was once linked to providing an essential service like power, or communications and each had been a contributor to the place in which it was erected. In a much different way now, they still are important, if only as ghosts.We pulled into  Santa Fe and ejected a few more passengers and made room for the newly arrived. Then it was on to California and the end of the lines. 
 


Albuquerque



The Poles



Santa Fe

 

Shiva journal cover

chopped into 3" shiva squares

I had some fabric left over after the big "give it away" moment a few months ago - no regrets at all -but this plain piece of white-ish cream fabric wasn't going anywhere. It was a lovely piece of Quiltgate acquired from Hancocks of Paducah some time ago ... and in the spirit of all things art quilty, I used it for some rubbings. An old tablecloth in copper, some pewter pot pourri bowl covers in charcoal ... and so it went.  Over a few days I rubbed, ironed, frowned, rubbed some more ... and finally had a piece of fabric that was "sort of okay to look at". Yesterday I added some coffee pot pattern in gold. 



rejoined and reunited

Then a leaf from the pot pourri bowl in black.  Ironed and ironed ... then ironed some more. This morning it needed a lift so I added some Angelina fibres. Of course. Then I  fused it to some other fabric that no-one wanted - a lovely red, black and dragony piece that would have looked great in a Chinese Opera - then proceeded to chop the entire thing into 3" pieces. Wow squared.
Changed to a metallic thread and zig zagged the squares back together again. Now I had an interesting piece of fabric ... and a sister about to head overseas for the next 6 months ... so a journal cover was in order.


close up shiva'd and angelina'd

A vessel of sorts - for her art and her drawings.  I lined the journal outer with a beautiful piece of indigo dyed fabric from a day with Ankie King, and added a post card (that also used some old tea bag papers) for a pocket ... to hold pens of course!








Journal cover

I shall miss her very much - and in 24+ Saturdays, she'll be back. Woo hoo and a lot of art to share ... and yes I should have rotated the picture BEFORE posting it to the blog. But you get the picture ....