mash up

The time spent playing, reworking and just 'plain-ol' looking at bits and pieces plastered up on the grubby white walls of my tiny studio counts as some of my favourite moments in the whole creative process.

I love re-imagining artworks and seeing new things, old things, abandoned things and commissioned things speak to each other - as they hang alongside each other like a 90s mix-tape mashup. It makes my head whirl and whip round like a spinning top, and I start to see new ideas take shape. 

When visitors come by the studio and they see an old work up on the wall, they often ask if im holding onto it ... for keeps. 

Usually the answer is that its on the wall to keep inspiring me, and pushing me to explore new directions. As once is gone - its gone - and I cant have another conversation with it! 

Strange as that may sound....

(foreground) Turning on the Fall 2016 - Acrylic  painting on wood.
In the background a mix media drawing on paper entitled
Quiver (among the stars) 2016

the light

This week I had the privilege of hosting the lovely John Mangila in my studio space to take some photos of me (oh joy!) and my work.

Its always interesting having people over to my second home - and hearing their reactions to my new work and seeing what initially catches their eye. 

John loves using soft natural light in his photography. He loves moody shadows and backgrounds that fade into inky indigo blues. So as soon as he saw me turn on the fluorescent studio lights he immediately asked for them to be turned off. 

And then I saw my work through the soft natural light that filters through the space - and observed every painting, drawing and weaving in a new light. 

How lovely to see things from a new and beautiful perspective...

h 0 v e r .   2 0 1 6

baseline or bottoms up.
you choose!

big sky dreaming

October and the Christmas season has officially begun! Or so say our major high streets! 

I can barely get my head around the idea that 2015 is nearly out the door... 

Too many things have been happening around in me since coming home from Europe in mid July. And in amongst it all ive had some studio deadlines for a few new works on canvas, on paper, and in coil weaving. So today I thought id share an image of a new series coil woven objects that will be heading to Adelaide next week. 

They'll be taking part in a group exhibition at a lovely space called Council of Objects that is owned by Elise Short who is passionate about promoting local artists. The show is called TONE and it will feature the work of some great Australian artists including Mel Robson (ceramics), Amanda Dziedzic (glass), Abby Seymour (jewellery) and Vic Pemberton (textiles). 

The opening is on Friday October 23 and on Sunday Oct 25 Ill be teaching a five hour coil weaving workshop at the beautiful Gate 8 studios in Thebarton. Its been two years since I taught there, so Im looking forward to going back and playing in such an amazing creative space.

If youre in Adelaide please come along to the opening or the workshop.

All the details can be found at www.tinytrappings.bigcartel.com

And in the meantime I hope you have a great weekend - 

x

each artist was given this beautiful swatch of colours
that was to act as the inspiration for the artworks

graphite markings. 2015

charcoal sketch. 2015

raindrop. 2015

interwoven 2015

^Beautiful multi media coil woven artwork by Gina...
who had never woven before!^

This post has been a long time a'comin!! 

Nearly two months to be exact. 

Where those two months have flown to - I have NO IDEA! 

It has been an insanely busy start to 2015. 

And even though Ive often thought about posting on this tiny blog, 

Ive rarely made it to my desk to compile and write.

But today im so happy to finally share some images with you of my Sturt summer school course that took place at the beginning of January. And let me tell you it was hard to cull down these photos as I had about 100 beautiful images to choose from. 

The course was entitled Interwoven: from abstract drawing to multi media coil weaving - and yes - that is complicated title for a summer school course. I believe many of my students were confused (fair enough!) and just took a punt when enrolling. 

I just couldn't think of another way of describing it - as over the week long course - each student draws with lots of different materials; paints their own textile designs onto fabric; and then finally learns how to coil weave with many materials including raffia, plastic, rope, fabric, etc.

It is a fun, colourful and and extremely creative class and no two coil woven artworks are the same. 

Everyone creates something within their own aesthetic + style. And that's the most exciting thing - seeing all the work come together for the exhibition on the last day, and realising that everyone found their own way through the course by creating something unique to them.

Plus we all got to meet and get to know a whole new group of amazing people.

Thank you again to Mark, Tracey, and all the team at Sturt.

And thank you to all my amazing students! 

I hope you enjoy these images from the week...

....................

This year I wont be teaching many workshops but for ART MONTH 2015 - I will be giving one adult multi media coil weaving workshop in my Camperdown studio. 

All the details can be found here...

^Sturt campus in Mittagong. Such an inspiring place to stay and create^

^One of my returning students Ruth - who is an amazing weaver and all-round lovely person^

^Vanessa - getting her hands around the beginnings of a beautiful piece^

^The mark makings of Gina^

^ Mel - another lovely returning student - who decided to try working with 3D coil weaving^

^This is her amazing completed object^

^This colourful multi textured bowl was by Jane -
who was another new student to this week long workshop^

^An amazing sculptural woven piece by Zoe -
who incorporated some of her hand made textile fabric into the piece^

^The beginning of a large coil woven form by Ruth.
On the right are some of her abstract mark making drawings that inspired the coiled object^

^This multi media installation piece was created by Kath -
who was taking it home to finish as it was going to be MASSIVE^

^A beautiful 3D sculpture by Joanna - who again - had never tried coil weaving before^

^Mel's mood board - complete with abstract drawings,
hand made textile designs & multi media coil woven forms^

^At the end of every day it was lovely to walk into the the gardens at Sturt... and relax!^

b l u e

^ Manly^

Watch out.
Im back collecting blue again.
Its the colour of the sky... the sea... the night.
Its the colour can symbolise communication... trust... wisdom,.. faith.
It can make people calm. relaxed. peaceful.

For me it means all those things and so much more.
For me it symbolises harmony and truth.
And it just makes me happy.

Sydney is bathed in blue this week.
And I cant stop wearing it.

When I get back to the studio to work on some new pieces
im sure ill be like a bower-bird
surrounding myself in it and make my hands dirty with it.

It always happens this way.
Spring makes me happy and so does this beautiful colour
in all its forms and hues.

^Shelley beach in Spring^

^Light Runs through it.2012^

^stitch and rhythm. 2014^

^October skies^

woven connections

New woven form in raffia ... 2014

Its June.

Its winter.

And ive been hibernating.

And I have to admit its been lovely to take a deep breath and just be quiet and still. 

Especially in the studio.

When I moved into the Camperdown space in January 2013 I immediately named it The White Room - as that is what it is - a blank canvas. And after the last few months of working on big projects that have drawn my focus outside - and literally onto the streets - its been lovely to clean it out and refocus my attention on smaller, more detailed drawings and coil woven objects, that make me sit and think in a quiet and thoughtful way. 

And now that Winter has well and truly arrived with a rainy, grey dark day today  ... 

Im looking forward to this new season ahead.

Which may surprise a few of my mates who know me to be a warm weather/summer/beach kind of gal.

Maybe check in with me in a few weeks to see how my new relationship with the cold weather is going? 

......

oh and one quick update - I have one more workshop next Saturday at the studio and there are a few places left. If you would like all the details please click here... cheers 

blink and the workshop has gone

^Coil weaving workshop this month @ Koskela^

Its amazing how fast three hours can go. 

When you're waiting in a queue - three minutes can feel like forever.

But when it comes to a coil weaving workshop, the hours disappear in the blink of an eye.

Thats what happened earlier this month when I taught my latest coil weaving workshop at Koskela in Rosebery. All I remember is setting up the space, greeting fourteen lovely people, giving a demonstration of how to begin a coil woven bowl, and then it was over!

So I have to apologise for my lack of photos.

I needed another hour and another set of hands.

But I think you can see that it was a big class, full of colour, conversation, and questions.
Thank you to everyone who came along and make the class so enjoyable.

The next workshop will be my last for the next couple of months as I go into hibernation to complete all my new artworks for my solo show that opens on July 31.

So if you would like to come and learn how to coil weave before Winter truly arrives -
please click here for all the details and to book a place for my studio workshop on June 7.

^some of the weavings I took with me for show + tell^

^inspiration of a different kind on the showroom floor ^

^^

^Tree inside^

^Tree outside^

while waiting for the rain....

^raffia weaving. 2014^

Sorry for my silence this past week.
Ive been out on the street painting murals
And absolutely loving it.
Well - aside from the wind, rain, noise, and car + truck fumes.

But what has surprised me is the lovely reactions and interactions that ive had so far with the locals.
And when I say locals - I mean professionals in suits!
Id didnt think people looked up to say hello to random people on the street these days, let alone stop and positively react to someone painting a very colourful artwork on the street.

Goes to show to you that you should never make quick assumptions and generalisations.

Anyway...

Todays images come courtesy of the rain and my general exhaustion.
I havent been and to paint everyday.
So while I wait for the weather...
and for my body to recover...
Ive been weaving and taking a few photos of Autumn -
that has truly arrived to say hello!
........

^crossed out^

^collecting colour^

^shiny footpaths + fallen treasures^

creating with colour

^ Mix media coil weaving workshop @ the studio.
11 April 2014^

Just one.

Just one image that says it all.

My lovely photographer for the day and birthday girl, Mel, took a whole handful of brilliant photos last Saturday.

But when I saw this shot I smiled as it really told the whole story of what happened at this months studio weaving workshop.

A room full of lovely creative people -

A bowl of chocolate Easter eggs to get us through -

A whole heap of coloured weaving materials to play and experiment with -

A lot of eyes and hands concentrating on coil woven creations - 

while open mouths talked + laughed.

Thank you so much to everyone who came along to play.

Especially on such a wet and grey weekend! 

It was great to meet so many new faces and get a chance to catch up with some familiar ones too!

.......

Thankyou again to Mel for being the resident photographer for the workshop x

^turning of the season^

^ Red Ochre. raffia. 2014^

Its been a wet old week here in Sydney.

The sky is grey and so are my woollen jumpers that have been pulled out of retirement and dusted off to keep me warm and cosy. 

The school holidays have also just begun in NSW - 

and things are starting to slow down for the Easter break that begins this weekend. 

So everything is telling me to slow down,

take a deep breath 

and enjoy the start of the new season.

And one way I like to slow down is to bring home some of my weaving materials 

and work at home... which is how this little object was born. 

Ive named it Red Ochre as it brings to mind the beautiful rich colours of the Outback - 

a place that I would dearly love to visit one of these days.... 

especially as the sun out there is always warm in the middle of the day!

Oh - Im such a lizard!

d e t a i l s

^Mixed media weaving, 2014 (detail)
It is part of the new series for my solo show in July...^

Its been really hard to hide all my new work that Im dreaming of, playing with, and thinking about in the studio at the moment. 

Especially since it is the central preoccupation of my tiny life, until it is all unveiled to the public in July.

Imagining a whole body of new work and then having the time and space to complete it is becoming a difficult proposition for many creative people these days. So im very cognisant of the fact that Im very lucky to be in this position. And trying to not waste a single moment of it! 

So most days you'll find me in the studio talking to myself, singing to all the inanimate objects that share the space with me, and making a mess on the floor and walls with all manner of weaving and drawing materials. Ive also been taking a few moments to enjoy the last few days of this beautiful Autumnal sunshine before it says goodbye for another year.

I hope you can see a few linking elements throughout these images. 

The theme for this exhibition is The Quantum matrix, the stars, and the strands and threads of energy that tie and bind us together within this massive multi-verse that we all inhabit and share. 

I know. Its a BIG subject to try and tackle. 

But im enjoyed the challenge.

Detail from a mix media drawing on paper, 2013

The start of a new coil weaving... 2014

Going... BIG

Detail from a drawing on paper. 2013

Open studio // Workshop playtime

^The beautiful kids weaving workshop I held at my studio on March 2 for the
Marrickville Open Studio Trail (MOST) Weekend^

March has signalled its intentions. 

It has stated in no uncertain terms that it means business! Literally! 

And to kick it off - the first two days of the month were spend celebrating two big events on the Sydney calendar - The Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival and Art Month 2014. 

As I am working in a Marrickvile council residency studio space I had the privilege of being asked to take part in Art Month's Marrickville Open Studio Trail - which is an event where local artists' open up their studios to the public and host talks, tours and workshops. 

I decided to host two workshops for the public.

And boy were they busy! 

It all started with the adult weaving workshop on the Saturday which was filled with old and new faces - all wanting to escape the rain and get creative for the start of Autumn. And even though everyone was packed around the big table like a can of sardines it was a truly a fun class - made even more special for the fact that everyone enjoyed each other company.

By contrast Sundays kids weaving workshop was a picture of complete serenity. It was calm, quiet and industrious as parents and kids worked with rope and wool to create the beginnings of some beautiful little bowls. It was such a lovely way to end an extremely busy weekend, and a great way to meet the public and invite them to share and play...

^A beautiful coil woven bowl by Olive that was nearly completed by the end of the class...^

^colour co-ordination!^

^busy hands.
concentrated faces...^

^On Saturday I held an adult weaving workshop and boy - was it a big class!
But it was such a fun morning with lots of old and new faces all sharing
their creativity and stories around the big table^

^Wool n raffia^

^The gang
surrounded by colour and conversation^

^The lovely Pernille and the beginnings of a new woven bowl^

^Giving a demonstration while Christal took
a photo of the table in a state of colour chaos!^