Reflectiions and ruminations on exhibition, processs and theme

As someone who has no formal art training and plays in different mediums I still struggle with the definition of art and craft.   And whether what I create is art.   And whether what I create is worthy.

I am still coming to terms with what “process” is and wonder whether I have partially confused it with theme.  And the fact that I like to work in several mediums and hop from one to the other and then back again doesn’t help.

This year I have been exploring bees as a subject.   I really enjoyed my research and what I learnt.  I will continue to explore bees (and consequently gardens and the environment) as it has given me so much pleasure.   It also fits with my concern about global warming, climate change and species extinction.  My study of bees and my consequent exhibition gave me a chance to be a voice and raise concerns without preaching.

My exhibition also gave rise to some comments which gave me cause for thought.

By way of context I said tell you that my works were in a number of mediums which included:

·        Works based in textiles and fibre: some classic stumpwork embroidery and some more contemporary installation styled works;

·         Collage involving paint, pastels, paper and stitch;

·         3D works using contemporary mediums such as polymer clays, hardened fabric and various “products” that are available to crafters; and

·        Words which included information about bees, newspaper clippings, identification pamphlets  and snippets about bees over time.

My exhibition was always intended to include mixed works, be informative, be fun and raise awareness about the loss of bees due to habitat change and pesticides.

Neon cuckoo bee - Raised embroidery (stumpwork)

One comment that resonated was that works on display were good explorations of process but, in that person’s view, were unresolved works.   That same person did not like the inclusion of what they considered to be “craft”.  And offered some ideas about how to improve how the exhibition was hung.   Some of them were goods points.  But views as to what was “art”, “resolved works” and what an exhibition should look like caused me some grief.  I looked with fresh eyes and agreed that, yes, some works could be regarded as unresolved.  But I couldn’t agree that the fibre works did not belong in the exhibition.   And we will not meet anywhere in the middle regarding my exploration of bees in 3D.

Launching - contemporary mediums - sculpture

To complicate matters I then actively sought feedback from those who came to visit the exhibition; some of whom I respected as creatives.   Every one had their own views.  Things I thought unresolved they loved.  Fibre people loved the fibre works.   There was mixed reaction to my small bees.   In short, people liked what they liked.  Some works provoked a response. Some didn’t.

Gum Blossoms - detail - textile hanging

So what should I take away from this?   By exhibiting we expose a part of ourselves.   I had to put my big girl panties on and suck up what was said that hurt, accept that some people have set views and that most enjoyed what they saw and took something away with them.   

I hope that my exhibition will encourage people to take up artmaking in any of its many forms, have the pleasure that I have had in exploring and creating and perhaps share what they learnt in an exhibition as well.

I thank the Albury City Council for its grant which helped defray the costs of putting on the exhibition.

And for those that would like a bit more reading on the tangled subject of art, craft and creating – here is a link to an excellent “what is art” discussion

On the passing of a good friend and making blue birds

Life has been just too busy - I find it hard to really believe it has been so long since I posted - though I know that it is three months since I met with the groups I belong to.

I have been making and stitching sporadically. Short trips to the studio have left me with a number of birds like the ones above. They seem to grow in my hands and I love making them. Bandaged birds I call them – they are made by wrapping Paverpol soaked strips of fabric around a polystyrene ball which is shaped with alfoil. Some of them are covered with gauze bandage as well which gives a lovely surface texture.
But, mostly I have been caught up worrying and trying to help an unwell friend who lived quite a distance away - my divided time between her, paid work and family.

Grace passed away on the 18th August and her service was last Friday. I will miss her. She was a great champion and encouraged me in all my art endeveours.
This poem is for Grace:

What the Living Do

Marie Howe

Johnny, the kitchen sink has been clogged for days, some utensil probably fell down there.
And the Drano won’t work but smells dangerous, and the crusty dishes have piled up
 
waiting for the plumber I still haven’t called. This is the everyday we spoke of.
It’s winter again: the sky’s a deep, headstrong blue, and the sunlight pours through
 
the open living-room windows because the heat’s on too high in here and I can’t turn it off.
For weeks now, driving, or dropping a bag of groceries in the street, the bag breaking,
 
I’ve been thinking: This is what the living do. And yesterday, hurrying along those
wobbly bricks in the Cambridge sidewalk, spilling my coffee down my wrist and sleeve,
 
I thought it again, and again later, when buying a hairbrush: This is it.
Parking. Slamming the car door shut in the cold. What you called that yearning.
 
What you finally gave up. We want the spring to come and the winter to pass. We want
whoever to call or not call, a letter, a kiss—we want more and more and then more of it.
 
But there are moments, walking, when I catch a glimpse of myself in the window glass,
say, the window of the corner video store, and I’m gripped by a cherishing so deep
 
for my own blowing hair, chapped face, and unbuttoned coat that I’m speechless:
I am living. I remember you.

From What the Living Do, copyright © 1998 by Marie Howe.

Arty party & workshop

Had two fantastic weekends in a row – too much enjoyment left me exhausted and I have only got round to writing.     On Saturday 2 November I hosted a fund raising arty party.  We all had a ball!   It was quite a warm day but thankfully our venue was fairly cool.

 Wilma Simmons of Empress Wu Designs gave permission to use her Message Stick Doll tutorial as an activity.   Whilst we were waiting for people to arrive we all made a name tag.   Some were more exotic than others but it got us doing something whilst waiting for everyone to arrive;

Then we moved on to making the doll.  First we played with air drying clay to make a face.  Most of us opted to use molds in the first instance and then had a bash at working a face in our fingers – everyone made great faces - all looked different by the time they had paint/hair/other adornments.

Once the faces were made we set about making a body.  Sticks were selected and wrapped to give a bit of padding and then wrapped with cloth and adorned by their makers J.   Here is a photo of one of Wilma's dolls:

Sadly my camera played up and I am hoping to get a few photos of the event soon.

And of course there was afternoon tea laid on my nearests and dearests (husband, son & daughter).   We were spoilt for choice with banana cake, ricotta cake, exotic chocolate patty pans, cheese, fruit and sandwiches (not to mention the odd party pie and sausage roll).

The day came to an end with a massive subtropical downpour – thunder claps directly overhead made the iron roof in the hall shake, lots of lightening and rain that came down at such an angle it drove itself up the paving in waves. 

Sundaywas a much cooler day after the storm & I instructed at a garden art workshop at Azures Den.    It is a café/gift shop/gallery which has a lovely art space at the rear and that’s where the class was held.    It is inspiring to be sitting in a room with original art works all around you and getting to do your own.

A fantastic group of ladies came and had a go at something which was not the norm for them.   We started with the idea that we would make a small garden statute - here is the sample we had:

By the time the ladies variously decided to make their statutes very well endowed (boobs), make it pregnant, ditch the turban, play with hair concepts or use little fabric hardener we had a wonderful and eclectic array of statues.  Even though we started out with the same concept and material everyone made something different which reflected their personality.   They were outstanding pieces.  Sadly, my camera played up & I couldn’t take photos.  Here are some that Taryn took for me:

Of course the day included afternoon tea.   Azures Den offers high teas so we were in for a treat.   Amongst the treats was a vanilla slice which was to die for!

circles and spirals

I have a fascination with circles  and spirals – the latter often come into play into my stitching.      

Recently, I have been working on Dorset buttons with a view to incorporating them into a piece.  The buttons formed part of my show and tell at tthe August Stitchers Plus meeting>

I tend to photograph interesting circles – 

or make things with circles -  this is a close up of a tree installation - the circles were originally part of a table cloth which became worn with time and found new life here.

I used paverpol to harden and weatherproof the fabric.  The fabric was strectched over purpose made rings and the paverpol acted as a glue as well.

Seed of an Idea - an outdoor fibre tree.

A close up of  motifs

Add cthe tree form I had to wotk with can be clearly seen

Inside looking  out.  It is interesting how different views   give a different look - light from outside drains the colour and makes coverage look sparse.  

I was (and still am) involved in a project at our local Library in a joint project between the Embroiderers' Guild NSW and the City of Canada Bay (my council area) in the creation of 4 tree installations.  The Council created 4 tree forms and sought expressions of interest to fibre artists to create a fibre installation to cover the the forms - one pf which was to live on a first floor balcony.

These are photos of the tree I made to live outside -  it has a western aspect which was challenging - the strong Aussie sun is a cruel mistress when it comes to colour.  The motifs are from  a repurposed table cloth and treated with a water based fabric hardener which is weatherproof.  The colours selected reflect colours used internally.  I used aluminimum wire which is a wonderfully sogft and a breeze to bend.

Thanks to Paverpol Australia for their sponsorship and support in this part of the project.

Demonstrating at the Show

I had a really interesting day on Monday helping out at the Paverpol display stand at the Sydney Easter Show.  I demonstrated and talked myself silly with all manner of folk.

I had some great discussions with costume designers, set makers and parents of small children about what you could do and came home with some new ideas myself.  In between, I managed to get a start on a small doll so I was able to talk about the process involved when making something using Paverpol.  And I also put together a tiny collage to sit on an easel with the help of a young visitor to the show.  (I think a bit of bling is needed but I haven't quite settled back into my studio space yet).

There were some little dragons on display and it was intriguing to watch  small children's faces light up when they saw them - often they were at eye level with the creatures.

The stand was directly opposite the art show and, at quiet moments,  I managed to duck over and have a look at some of the entries.  I also searched out the embroidery, patchwork and applique exhibits as well.   There are just so many talented people out there and  it was great to see the entries - this is especially so when you know the artist.

And, I think we deserved a commission for our direction giving - high on the list were enquiries as to where the vegetable carving was taking place  ... not in our pavilion.

Toadstools in the Garden

“A toad stool is an inedible or poisonous fungus with an umbrella-shaped fruiting body”.

So says the free dictionary I looked up on my web browser.  But that is not the case!  Toad stools can have no stem, no apparent cap or be misshapen.   Colours and size can vary too.

These toadstools are not poisonous and are definitely inedible.  They are also a little on the tall skinny side. I gave them to my partner in life to celebrate our 35^th wedding anniversary. 

A perfect quirky gift of toadstools arranged in a bouquet and subsequently transplanted to the garden – in a literal sense for they are made of weatherproofed fabric with a stem from a sacred bamboo bush.

I.

Woodland Imp

Wire armature of my Woodland Imp

I was trying to put a couple of mediums together to create a female form.   I made a wire armature, covered it and then made a head and face with air dry clay and some beads for eyes.   I think its a fact that some people are gifted and/or skilled in working small to miniature.  I'm not one of them!  Note to self - work bigger! The face came out decidedly masculine.

I put it aside for a while and picked it up the other day and decided to just play a bit.  I used what was close to hand and wrapped  the arms and legs with overdyed thread, used a little paverpol and acrylic lace and created a vest.

The loin cloth is a scrap of silk gauze I purchased ages ago from a very small boutique dress shop that had a hand written sign saying "Quilters will be surprised".  I went in to discover offcuts of delicious bits of silk - this is the last remaining scrap.

The hair is more like a turban and made from flower thread.  The best use I can find for it as it is very fine and not what I like to stitch with as a rule.  The bit of wood I picked up at the beach at Cabarita Park. (He is nailed to it if you were wondering).  I often find lovely bits of worn wood that has been tossed around the Parramatta River for quite a while and of course I always come home with some shells.

This little guy is definitely not my best work  and I see heaps of faults in it but, despite all of that, it has a charm that comes from being created by hand.  And I have had the satisfaction of using those bits and pieces that I had been hanging onto for way too long.  A sort of destash in reverse - I have used my materials but now I need a place for the end result!   Cheers