The importance of community

I, like most people, I suspect, thrive when I am in a community where I can contribute to and learn from others.  When I came up here, to sunny Brisbane,  I really missed the stimulation and challenges that I used to get from my children and their friends in Victoria, as well as the older members of the extended family and our friends.  In that past life, I also taught Academic English and Literature to young adults, and I really floundered for a while up here without their warmth, excitement for life, stimulation and eagerness to question established views of life. However, in my art classes and workshops, I am glad to say that I have been lucky enough to meet people of different genders, races and ages, who help to fill the gap I at first felt.  As an artist, I have been priveleged to learn from others and be inspired into throwing away caution when approaching my art.

 

One of my fellow students, a very talented young man called Riley, was kind enough to let me use his  creation to screen print on fabric.  Isn't this amazing?

 

Last week our group took overhead transparency plastic which had been coated in black acrylic paint and cut it into strips.  We each scratched a design on a strip, and then placed the strips on an emulsified screen.  Once exposed to light, our pattern was fixed on the screen.  My friend Trish, who was taking some R and R up here, intended just to observe us printing from the screen onto material.  However, she suggested that I use some grey material which had a flower and leaf pattern that another Melbourne friend had given me, and I got her to do the printing with Nancy, and we were most impressed with the result.  (Mine is the fish skeleton).  I am always amazed at how each individual, using the same medium, comes up with different images.  And then, because we are a caring, sharing lot, we each get inspired by each other to create new images, not copy.  In fact, it is impossible to copy.  You can't escape your own personality!  and yet, when we combine the images, they work!



While Trish was printing, I fixed some images that I had transferred onto tracing paper onto another screen.  One of these images was a tree that I had photographed at Mt. Cootha Botanical Gardens.

This week, I decided to print it onto some of my ecodyed fabric:

 

(This fabric was dyed with turmeric and is much stronger in reality).

 

 

(This one is on onion-skin dyed fabric and was used to wipe up spills, and is also darker in reality).



(And this one is on commercial fabric).

I am going to use them on a quilt that I am working on.

 

Trish was very excited by what was going on in the class and got even more excited when we visited "Piece Together" a studio/workshop/marketplace, which is, unfortunately, closing down soon. We learned about this shop from a fellow artist and friend, Miranda, who is doing a bag knitting course there.   Trish bought some fabric from them and used some of my linocuts to print on it:

Apparently, this fabric is to be transformed into a skirt in Melbourne.  Photo when it is completed please, Trish!

Another friend, Elizabeth, suggested I take Trish to" Tangled Yarns", a fabulous wool shop with a great atmosphere because Trish is a great knitter.  This coincided with my darling son-in-law's request for a new beanie. I ended up getting some lovely silk, mohair and lambswool yarn by Noro and some lovely wool, cashmere and silk yarn from Jo Sharp.  Of course, I needed patterns then.  I had met  Astrid  Tedman from Garnshopen astrid in Jonkoping Sweden and she had been very helpful in translating her pattern  for Mossa i Tweed that I knitted for him  last year so,  because I couldn't remember what ply to use I emailed her, and she kindly wrote back with the information.   Trish and the lady in the shop introduced me to Ravelry and I got a few patterns from them.  And now, after swearing off knitting, I am clickety clacking away, have finished one piece and am on to my second!

Trish, Bob and I also explored Eumundi market last weekend.  Of course I bought a lot, and got inspired by the fantastic crafts there.  So did Trish!  Bob managed to keep control and contented himself with paying for it all.

  I  cut out some more images from lino while Trish was here, so this week I decided to experiment with them.

 

This one alternates pomegranates and quinces.

 

 

And this one overlaps them.

I am pretty pleased with my printing this week which is going towards a tree themed piece of work,   and adding to my Japanese inspired theme.  Thanks to Miranda, my ecodyeing on paper is improving and I am getting strong colours with the addition of more metal and rust to the brew.

But, I am still not happy with the results of my ecodyeing on fabric.  More studying of IndiaFlint's instructions needed, I suspect.........or, if I am lucky, somebody in my growing community will help me to get the perfect fabric!