Winter art and a visit to sculptress Jessie McLennan

Winter has finally arrived to Melbourne, and when I can no longer garden comfortably with the wind, cold and rain, I have been multi-tasking in the studio.  I like working on several things at once.  It not only is more interesting, but each technique seaps into the next, making for more interesting work.

 

I have pulled out some of my dyed cotton fabric, and have been making more goldfish.,  There is a long way to go before they are all embroidered and sealed, but they are coming along.

 

 

I also pulled out some watercolour papers which I had treated with rust and iron and did this portrait using ink, conte, watercolour pencils and watercolours.  I like the effect so much, I am sorting through other old papers and photos for more inspiration

 

 

I used other watercolour paper that I had treated with inks to create this view of a sinister raven, using conte, ink and  watercolour pencils. (I think I have been watching too many episodes of "Vikings"!)

 

 

(I had to ban the kittens while painting as they thought it was fun to add to the patina of the papers.)

 

I am working on another piece of watercolour paper treated with rust and iron, but this time, using hemp, cotton and polyester yarns to embellish it.  Not sure how this will turn out in the end, but I am enjoying the process.  So is Smudge, one of my new Maine Coon kittens.  He loves chewing the thread and tried to chew the paper as I sewed.  Not helping!

 

 

On finer days, I have been dyeing cotton using turmeric, leaves, tea, coffee and leopard tree seeds.  I am preparing for another art quilt.

 

 

 

And, I finally finished my youngest grandson's little fox.  Rather cute, if I do say so myself!  I enjoyed the knitting so much, I am now working on a jumper for myself.  God knows when I'll finish it!  Probably in time for summer!  The new kittens are not making this process any easier either.  They love wool too.

 

 

I also was lucky enought to be invited to a Winter Solstice party at sculptress Jessie McClennan's property.  The weather was miraculously good, so I could wander round and admire the sculptures

 

( this is a portrait of writer, Hal Porter)

We were all agog at the size of this pumpkin she grew from seed and which she has used to cast a mould.

 

This smaller one is also impressive

 

 

All together, life is looking up!

 

Of birthdays, Maine Coon kittens and artistic presents

I have just had my first big ( as in the number of people attending, as well as in the number of years I have been alive) birthday party as an adult, courtesy of my family and friends, who organised it all, and I had the most brilliant time!  Great food, the best of company (ranging from just borns to nearly 90 year olds), freakily good weather, and held in my own home and garden.   Plus, all i had to do was tidy up the house and garden!  I am such a lucky woman!

I asked for no presents, unless they wanted to donate to the Asylum Seekers, but I still managed to get some lovely ones, from some naughty, but generous, friends  and relations.  So many of them are of an artistic bent!  Here are some of them:

a felted woman:

a cardboard dragon sculpture, courtesy of the artist, Kirsty Fletcher:

 

 

 

crocheted doilies:

 

a runner with embroidered birds:

and some brilliant books:  Betty Churchill's "Australian Notebooks", Alain de Botton and John "Armstrong's Art as Therapy", and Lena Corwin's "Made by Hand".  I am looking forward to sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea!

My husband and I also decided to spoil ourselves with some Maine Coon kittens for our birthdays this year.  They were amazingly shy at first, which rather surprised us after reading so much about them, but after staying  home 24 hours a day, and persevering in the face of sheer terror, they have finally settled in and are busily making the house look lived in.

Here they are recovering from a morning of mayhem:

 

This is Loki, who is the most timid, and who follows his brother everywhere, but who loves to snuggle under blankets

 

And, this is "my" cat, Smudge, who is very brave and has even sniffed the dogs.

Both are enjoying teasing our older cat Bridie, who hisses a lot but has not really tried anything vicious.

As well as partying, and playing with kittens, I managed to finish knitting the little fox for one of my grandsons,

 

and am in the throes of making it a little pair of shorts and a jumper.  This is taking longer than it should because the kittens are helping.

I also used some of the cord I won from Knotmore, as well as felt and embroidery thread to make these little pictures:

I am going to use the rest of the cord to make some embroidered felt pennies into mobiles.  Stay tuned!