My Mother's Garden

A small section of  My Mother's Garden - which is based on rubbings taken from my parent's former home of 40 years. Over the years, some of the gates, wire and trivets have made their way to Tarome. One gate was rubbed here as part of a day with some of the 2QAQ artists. Other pieces were found in the garden beds at Mackenzie, or were rubbed from steps, pipes and tiles in and around her beloved gardens. The leaves that gathered around the pavers were a source of constant action by my mother - the finished quilt will include a tribute to her ongoing war with leaf litter.  My Mother's Garden is the next part of the quilting (or more accurately the emotional)  journey from "My father's Shed".  And now to finish off that last assignment on copyright ....

My Father's Shed - journal cover

 Some serious fun with fabrics left over from the larger My Father's Shed pieces - an A3 sized Journal cover  that wraps around many of the drawings and ideas for MFS. The fabrics have been variously stamped, monoprinted, painted, printed, Shiva'd and burnished. The free motion machine quilting is a memory of all the rocks and stones he gathered from the paddocks to preserve the blades of the ride-on mower.



Hearts from Boonah retreat

Thanks to the Boonah retreat group for your beautiful hearts last year when I missed my own birthday party. I've taken the liberty of including myself (the missing heart). Each heart was matched to a coordinating fabric - fifteen hearts, fifteen fabrics. Once used, each fabric was then gifted to a neighbouring heart (something we all tend to do on retreat). Each block was finished with a round of black fabric, in varying widths, then cut down to 11" squares. I am pleased with how the blocks seem to float over the background. Also thinking a lot more about visual balance - this was a great opportunity to practise some more of Ann Johnston's wisdoms from The Quilter's Book of Design (thank you Sue D)

 

1500 words on copyright (hearts from Boonah)

This is my 1500 word assignment on the issues with traditional concepts of copyright in a digital media environment. Before the University police jump on me,  I know it needs a little tidy up and correct referencing. The Boonah retreat gang needs to be correctly acknowledged. I did think it wasn't bad for a first draft and best of all,  it's not due until 26 November.  (I should have clarified ... I am supposed to be writing a 1500 word assignment .....)

Reflecting on design and texture

Today has been a day for contemplation and a chance to think some more about design. I've been gifted  Ann Johnston's The Quilter's Book of Design and am looking afresh at some of the fabrics created on recent trips. This piece was originally rubbed in Auckland - the lift (elevator) doors and a copper Shiva providing a nice contrast to the flowing indigo lines from a previous pole wrap. The piece was then printed with leaves we found walking to the Auckland Museum.  I had also played with a piece of rusted silk and printed it with the same leaves as the indigo dyed fabric.  Today I fused the silk to webbing, then cut out the individual leaf shapes. These were then fused, in part or in whole, onto the dyed and rubbed panel.  I've enjoyed playing with the different scales and shapes of the leaves, plus the way the overlay of silk has given depth to the leaf shapes.  




Before

Panel and printed organza



 

They all start with "S"

Sundial, George Washington Uni.

 Sundial. Sunshine. Scenic. Special. Shiva rubbing. Silky Oak leaf. Shadow printing. Stitched. Sewn. Sircles. Shiva shimmer. So much fun. Saturday.





GWU, Foggy Bottom, Washington DC



Shadow printed with Silky oak leaves

 

Stitched in sircles



Shape and size

Shiva shimmer

 

Saturday afternoon

 

Suzy Buhle Exhibition on 1 December

Suzy Buhle's studio and gallery is just down the road in Aratula, opposite the old wares shop on Elizabeth Street. You can't miss the place with its vibrant re-purposed door for a sign - and there's plenty of great art inside. Suzy's next exhibition opens at the gallery on 1 December at 3.00pm. All welcome and further details are available from Suzy. The painting I acquired last weekend is similar has lots of the vibrancy of the exhibition invitation (left) - and can't wait to see it framed!