"Small Gestures"

I've had a few good days with my Art work - more Bazola, a commission for a wedding present painting based on my 'Beautiful Spirit' design, orders for new 'Wabi Sabi' jewellery from a local gallery 'Art on Cairncross', and 3 small completed paintings on canvas which I have titled 'Small Gestures'. I am very happy with these 3 and I hope to create many more of this genre - launching them in  the Main Street Gallery [Montville] Christmas show.

These latest paintings are created from the 20 metres of fabric which was exhibited last June at the Lucas Parklands sculptural show. They are only 200mm square on stretched canvas. Many more to come!

Bazola again

LATEST FINISHED PIECES

We are not going to get rich at the rate it takes me to get these pieces finished!! Never mind, are are both really enjoying the process and we keep coming up with new ideas, techniques and materials. One VERY rainy weekend, I knitted wire and this is the result - Baz beaten copper and silver plated brass, Noela knitted and wrapped wire and some silver beads thrown in for good measure.

RAW MATERIAL

Baz keeps giving me bling that is very cleverly and suspiciously shaped into twisted, hangy, dangly, bits -and they come in pairs!! - hmmmm- maybe he reckons earrings will be a good seller. The bonus for me is that they are already polished!

FINISHED EARRINGS



Bazola

The latest:

Some more Bazola jewellery

It has been a slow process between an Open Garden Studio Exhibition, rain, rain, and more rain [record amounts], and a persistent migraine, but at last I have managed a few more Bazola pieces.

 

 

 

This last pieces are pendants using techniques developed by Mary Hettmansperger - a brilliantly inspirational artist using a combination of found objects with cold formed connections.

A big THANK YOU to all our [Barry's and mine], lovely friends and fellow bloggers out there who have complimented us on our Bazola stuff. We are thrilled to bits that people are loving our collaborations. We value the comments from such wonderful artists whom we very much respect and admire.

I have just watched the last of the Chilean miners being rescued from the collapsed mine. Such a powerful message of hope and the power of prayer and miraculous happenings. So good for humanity to have a super good news story at this time



Bazola raw material

I was out to dinner last Friday night with lovely friends, lovely home made pizza and good wine. One of my lovely friends is Baz of Bazola who is the Friday Night Pizza Cooker. He is also the Friday afternoon fold former [he and Fiona ALWAYS manage to spend a few hours creating in their studios on Friday afternoons]. Barry presented me with a box full of fold formed metallic bits [almost still warm from the beating and bashing]. What a delight. Here they are with a few of my favourite forms.

...and here are some of my flotsam and jetsam driftwood pieces which I will include in my new designs. Can't wait to get stuck into it this week in between all  the Arts group meeings.  

I have also ordered 130 metres of neoprene cord off Ebay [thanks to my sister Glenys for her Ebay expertise] so some of these will be worn around the neck. We will have a good collection for the pre Christmas show at Main Street gallery in Montville.

BAZOLA jewellery design

Some fun stuff at last!!

Barry Smith - 'BAZ' -[ 'Rustnstuffblogspot.com] and I - 'OLA' -are collaborating on a range of jewellery - combining Barry's fold formed copper and brass forms and my found objects. We're making  recycled, wabi sabi styled pieces basically just for fun, and we'll have a go at selling them in a local gallery during the lead up to Christmas.

Here is what we have come up with so far - 3 brooch/pins and a pair of earrings- combining beaten copper and brass, driftwood, wooden beads, silver plated copper wire and a rusty washer.

Maleny Arts Factory

I have had a very left brain week or two - a group of us is trying to set up a new Arts Centre in the old butter factory here in Maleny. We have fabulous ideas and I've spent many bleary hours writing an 11 page business plan, Whew!! We need financial support for the first year or so then it should be self sustaining through rental space. We've had very encouraging talks with local and state govt. departments. Fingers crossed.

I am looking  forward to actually making stuff this weekend so hope to have something visually interesting to post by Monday.

DIGITAL DESIGN WORKSHOP

I have always taught aspects of design - often to people who have no formal design training. I now enjoy empowering people to use the computer as a creative design tool. For some months now, I have been fine tuning a workshop which I can take to various art groups and intensive residential art schools here and overseas. I want to share ways of applying computer manipulated designs to practical art outcomes. The workshop requires a basic knowledge of digital cameras and computers, then I teach easy ways to do the photo editing. A lot of people seem to have  'Photoshop' software, but it is complicated and daunting for the average person. There are many simple and free photo editing programmes available on line which offer great options for a whole range of creative effects.

In my workshop, the students create the design with the help of the computer then apply the design to an art work - be it a painting, drawing, 3D work, graphic element, fibre work, garment feature, etc. I have used the technique to create acrylic paintings, artist books, fibre works, 3D mixed media works, art cards and a multitude of graphic design/promotional projects. 

I belong to two Australia wide fibre arts groups - ATASDA [Australian Textile and Surface Design Association] and TAFTA [The Australian Forum for Textile Arts]. I have worked with both organisations teaching, exhibiting, networking and learning. ATASDA has asked me to teach my Digital Design workshop in Brisbane next February, 19th and 20th, and a new arts body, TAA [Textile and Art Academy] has asked me to teach a week in Brisbane in June 2011.

This is what I have decided to teach for the first weekend workshop. It involves simple editing skills and has a practical outcome. Advanced students will have the opportunity to take the process further.

DIGITAL DESIGN

 with Japanese Kanji Characters

Stylized character for ‘beautiful spirit’ on a skirt wrap.

"Learn how to manipulate, distort, and stylize a calligraphic character of your own choosing to use in your art work. Use the design to make a skirt wrap or wall panel and some art cards. You need only basic computer skills. You will need to bring a laptop computer and your sewing machine. An easy photo editing programme and a range of calligraphic characters will be provided on a CD or memory stick".

THE PROCESS

1. Kanji for 'beautiful',

2. Kanji for 'spirit',

3. Distortion of 'beautiful',

4. Distortion of 'spirit',

5. Vertically combining 'beautiful' and 'spirit',

6. Final design for 'beautiful spirit'

 

7. Skirt wrap using Kanji character made with reverse applique - [new chiffon and  recycled kimono panel]

8. Inkjet printed 'beautiful spirit' cards with stitched silk chiffon details. 

OPEN STUDIO

A couple of weeks ago, a group of local artists held 'open studios' on two consecutive weekends. The project was reasonably sucessful for our first attempt, but next time we will need to do more advertising and link it up with other arts activities in the area. However, I enjoyed the opportunity to tidy and sort out my studio and to re visit some of my older art works. This is some of what I unearthed:

"Chatterbox"

Ink, paint on paper, app 40cm x 60cm [frame]

Tiny Treasure

ink, dyed paper fibres, copper wire, app. 5cm x 5 cm [image]

Tiny Treasure

ink, gouache, gold foil, app 5cm x 5cm [image]

Pelican

ink, water colour pencil, app 8cm x 12cm [image]

"Patch"

recycled cotton fabric, tea dyed & stitched, gold foil, app 30cm x 30cm

detail of "Sedimentary"

recycled cotton fabrics, painted, stitched & dyed, app 80cm x 65cm

"Growing Old Gracefully"

recycled paper pulp, iron rust paint, dyed cotton & silk wrapped sticks, 95cm x 45cm

"Approaching Storm"

Acrylics, collaged paper & gold foils, 95cm x 45cm

This was my lovely tidy studio for 10 days.