Wonderful Artists working with muted tones

I always go back to the muted, minimal tones in what I create and what I enjoy - especialy when life is getting a little bit crazy.
Only 6 sleeps now until I fly to the UK and then to Morocco, Portugal and Spain for a great holiday with my 22 year old daughter who is currently living in the UK.
My ankle is healing beautifully thanks to physio, acupuncture, arnica, hot and cold packs, homeopathic drops, and lots of positive thinking.
I was thrilled to get a wonderful surprise in the mail yesterday - some beautiful painting/collages by Leslie Avon Miller - an artist whose work I admire greatly.

'Courage Kindled'

 

'Collage no 6'

Another artist who creates beautiful, sensitive monotoned collage works is Donna Watson. I am fortunate to own this piece.

'Collage E'

...and I love this tiny 'print' by Janet Jones.

This very evocative print  is by Kevin Oxley. Kevin is a local artist while Leslie, Donna and Janet are from the USA .

Another print I have waiting for a frame is this one I bought in Darwin a few years ago - produced at one of the indigenous desert communities specialising in print making.

I will have them all framed when I return from my trip.

MORE ON THE BALLARAT FIBRES CONFERENCE

As well as working on paper, we did a lot of 'mark making' on fabric. We talked about traditional indigenous peoples' mark making from various world regions - especially the 'Kantha' stitching from India and the 'Boro' stitching from the remote, poor and cold regions of Japan. I absolutely love the Boro pieces - the honest and noble lives of those amazing women really touches my heart. Thanks to Donna Watson, of 'Layers' blogsite, I have tracked down the book -'Boro - Rags and Tatters from the far North of Japan'  and now have my own copy - delicious. Thanks, Donna.

So here are some samples of mark making on fabric, which were displayed hanging on satay sticks suspended in a black box, but now I have joined them together into a book form.

batik resist, wax stage,

batik, dicharge dying [bleach] and stitching,

Kantha stitching front and back,

waxed kimono silk lining stitched to discharge dying 'failure' [not pure cotton],

beautiful waxed silk sample,

'pages' hanging,

 

 stacked,

in the box,

in book form, 

with cover.

This is a little book made entirely from waxed kimono lining silk.

 ....my favourite.

The fabric book is a work in progess - I am stitching a bit more every evening in front of the telly.