My embroidered pictures, collage from junk mail and craft ideas for market stalls. The multi media approach I take to my art.

In the lead up to Christmas, I have been finishing off a few pieces, trying out some new skills and preparing some samples for my new classes next year.  No-one is getting presents made by me this year.  I wonder if there are groans of disappointment or screams of joy?

I finally finished embroidering my picture of Moreton Bay Fig tree roots and am now ready to stretch the work and frame it.  I am rather pleased with it.  It was worth the months of work and the occasional swearing when my Maine Coon kittens stole my embroidery threads.

 

I have started on a new embroidered piece - a landscape- which will appear in future blogs, and have finished blocking a new quilt which I am getting ready to embroider too:

 

 Recognise the fabrics?

Inspired by the Junk Art Mail Collective - especially the work of Virginia A Spiegel and Jacki Long, I have been experimenting with collage and come up with these three pieces.  This is my first and it is a, rare for me, abstract piece:

I was so pleased with it that I created this more colourful work, adding an ink background.  It is inspired by all the presents and decorations associated with Christmas:

My last one, and I think my favourite, is my tongue in cheek ode to the materialism of Christmas:

They are so much fun to do that I can tell I'll be doing a lot more.  I have found myself poring over junk mail these days instead of tossing it in the recycling bin.  Quite a change!


As well as working on my own projests, I have been preparing samples for classes that I am starting next year for women preparing to get back into the workforce after suffering various forms of hardship in their lives.  I plan to  prepare a lot of examples of projects they could try and let them decide what they would like to work on.  Felt birds like these, which have been embroidered and stuffed lightly could be turned into mobiles, either in groups or as individual birds:

  Crocheted little circles like these could be used as coasters, joined together to form garlands, or joined together to form a quilt.

 

Tonight, I am experimenting with paper roses and I am trawling Pinterest to get other ideas for crafts.  Stay tuned for further examples.  We plan to have a market at the end of the course for the women to sell their wares.  It is exciting to think that all the individuals will come up with new and interesting pieces.

As 2014 winds down, I look back and am amazed at the variety of projects that I have tried and completed this year.  I am still missing my friends and fellow artists in Brisbane, but am pretty chuffed that the encouragement I got from them is continuing to bear fruit in Melbourne. Even though my life is much busier here and I feel like I have much less time for creating than I would like, I have achieved a lot and learned a lot of new techniques too here in Melbourne.  I can't wait to see what 2015 brings!

I hope my readers have had as great a year as I have and that they have a wonderful Christmas break with loved ones.  May 2015 be creative, stimulating and fun for us all!.

A visit to Yering Station's sculpture exhibitiion and shopping at the Design Market

 

My nearest and dearest took me out for a lovely drive around the Yarra Valley for our anniversary.  For those not familiar with the area, it is to the north of Melbourne, just before Healesville Sanctuary ( for native animals), consists of very pretty, rolling country and is famous for its excellent vineyards.  We stopped for lunch at Yering Station.  Our visit coincided with a sculpture exhibition, so after the meal, we enjoyed ourselves exploring the variety of sculptures and the beautifully landscaped grounds.

 

This is Maria Coyle's "Children Chatting", which was perched on the side of the little pool just inside the foyer and just before the restaurant,

 

and the two figures look down on Carla Gottgens' "Voyage of the Lost Children", which reminded me of tales of the Styx.

 

This witty piece is by Clare James and is called "We Sat and Waited for the Cornucopia"

 

 

I think these slugs and snails would look amazing on a garden wall.

This piece is quite different and I loved the faces peering out - "Arboreal Gathering" by Glenn Murray.

  

 

I also liked  these pieces which were nearby: Donal Molloy-Drum's "Still".  

 

 

Outside of the main building we found this piece by Rudi Jass.  "Constellation"sits on the verandah overlooking the valley

 

I loved the way this sculpture was reflected in the water.  It is "Little Miracle"  by Bill Ogilvie.  I definitely need a bigger water feature in my garden.

 

This sculpture by Jaccob McKay made the most beautiful sound when the wind blew through it.  It is called "Outback Rust"

 

I wasn't as keen on Fleur Brett's "The Gathering"

as I was by the delightfully amusing "Sit/Stand" by Frank Veldze and Suzanne Donisthorpe which uses old mattress springs to make garden chairs.

Another favourite was  Andrew Bryant's "Stone and Feather" which sits just at the entrance to the restaurant.

 

Bob's favourite was Brian Paulusz's "Children's Entrance"  which I think would look great in my garden.  Plus, the kids would have walking through the magical portal.

 

I liked the way this sculpture echoed the pillars of the pagoda behind it.  It is called "Dancers" and is  by Andreas Buisman.

 

The gardens were as intriguing as the  sculptures.  Whoever is responsible has a really good eye for contrasts, tone, structure and movement.

 

 

 

 

Another excursion, this time with some very good friends from Brisbane, was to see the Big Design Market at the Royal Exhibition Building in the city.  The work there was excellent so the prices were not cheap and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

 

However I was also drawn by this lamp post at the front of the building and the gardens around the building.

 

I am so lucky to live in this state.  There is always so much to see and do.