Once more, collage on the bus back to Canberra from Sydney. Words by Claudia McGill https://claudiamcgill.wordpress.com/2019/03/28/put-pen-to-paper-marathon-2019-week-12/, the last poem “I don’t like strangers, each one is too much of a fresh start, I no longer have the heart for. ”
At last, again, sketching at my local cafe on a Wednesday. It’s been a long time.
Sitting at the next table.
Relaxed.
It’s been a while, but I am moving forward again with my opening stitches project. This time a most beautiful piece of fabric and thread, (both made by Deb Lacativa, http://morewgalo.blogspot.com) contributed by Mo Orkiszewski.
Mo’s original submission.
Mo’s current exhibition ‘I dream of a world where love is the answer’ at Artsite Gallery Sydney, seems more relevant than ever given the awful events in Christchurch, New Zealand. Mo’s exhibition closes 24 March. (https://www.artsite.com.au/exhibition/2019-03-mo-orkiszewski-catalogue.php).
This was a piece that had me thinking of complex wetlands, filled with intense colours and flashes of light, glinting off the water. Couching the threads down proved quite challenging, so choosing to use some slippery rayon thread was possibly more challenging than necessary. Here are the photos of the front and back sides, now that I have worked on it.
The front side.
The back side.
The opening stitches project is still open to new contributions, check of the link to get the full details if you would like to join in.
I have been looking at some interesting art lately, which has revved me up to get out and make something. Collage is my go to for quick work that encourages me to bang something out without thinking too much about it.
I try to follow the principle of not stopping at making one collage, or only one of anything, when I am exploring new ideas. I managed three collages before I ran out of time to complete anymore.
Using paint to isolate the images was inspired by seeing some of the 19th century photographs from the collection of the Australian Museum, currently on display in Sydney. Many of the images on the photographs have white paint surrounding them. This was to facilitate focussing on the specimen. If you look at the final image you can see how some of this paint has deteriorated over time, resulting in some very artistic marks.
I was undecided about painting around these last collages. But I probably should to at least unify it with the other two works.
OK, I took my own advice.
Finally, here is a photo of the back cover of the catalogue for the exhibition Capturing Nature. It’s well worth a visit if you are in the area.
I have just received word that I have been blogging with WordPress for 6 years, although when I look at my archives I started this blog in March 2011. Even I can tell that doesn’t quite add up.
In reality I started my blog on a platform, Posterous, that subsequently became defunct after a company takeover. Such is the way of social media.
Anyway I have decided to honour my 6 years on this platform because at least I have maintained a reasonably regular presence here, which is something to celebrate.
I leave you with a random piece of vernacular architecture and it’s somewhat singular decorative adornment that I came cross over the weekend, in the central western town of Dunnedoo in New South Wales. For non-Australians the term ‘dunny’ is slang for toilet so this town has, and continues to be on the receiving end of much unwanted mirth.
leonieandrews 