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Musings of a New Zealand mixed media & textile artist
We have just had a few days travelling to Queenstown down the East Coast and back up the West Coast. The colours at this time of year are just amazing. I love the contrast of the autumn foliage and the land itself. The rich dark reds blend to orange and gold as we head south, I am so inspired and appreciative of the blessing nature bestows upon us. Coming back up the west coast the beaches and bush had a soft misty look due to the soft rain. The colours of our country are amazing.
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I spent yesterday in the front garden having a good clear out of plants which are now a little overgrown, needed pruning etc. After digging in a load of compost and covering it all with pea straw to rot down over the winter I found this weka coming to visit. They are a real nuisance. For those who don't know them they are the size of a very large chicken and have an insatiable curiosity about everything. They will tear out seedlings, nip off berries and baby vegetables just because they can. We have even found two trying to pull our rubber front door mat off down the path. Currently there are an adult pair and three half-grown weka chicks around the street. I am expecting that a lot of the pea straw will be flicked onto the paths soon. Grrr.
Apologies... I am on a learning curve with the website stuff. I thought I was adding the post below to the upcoming workshops page, and it has ended up on the blog page. Hmmm.. will have to rethink what I did. Anyway, all information is correct, and the class is going ahead. If anyone would like to join us for an interesting couple of days then you are welcome. Some places are still available. This hand stitching class allows you to explore the potential of simple stitches as a means of interpreting personal thoughts, observations and ideas. You will be guided through a series of enjoyable exercises and discussions as you discover your own style of stitch . We will also cover some design elements and look at examples where the mark is used for self expression. No previous knowledge of hand stitching is needed, so this class is suitable for all levels. We will work over two days with a week in between so that you can experiment and practice. Simple materials (cloth, needles and thread) will allow you to understand and utilise stitch as a mark making potential. Some materials will be supplied. Thursdays 19 and 26 May 2016 9.30 am - 2.30 pm Cost $150 (for the 2 days) Venue The Old Post Office 1381 Moutere Highway Upper Moutere BYO Lunch and Water Bottle Contact Ronnie for bookings or information ronniem@ts.co.nz or 03 5450145 There is a crispness in the air and the subtle changes of colours on the trees that tell us we are definitely into early Autumn.
We went for a walk on the beach with a little nip in the air, although the tinge of pink on my nose later that evening showed that the sun still had a little warmth in it. Here is a photo of the little plein air stitching piece I referred to in the earlier post. I probably won't do much more to it as it was merely an exercise, but very enjoyable. I think I will collect several of these small stitching exercises together and make a small fabric book with them. I have made two books this week using one of my favourite techniques. I have glued various fabrics, papers on to a long strip of watercolour paper. I then stamped and stencilled on to it and did some hand and machine stitching on the surface. It folds up like an accordion and I made a cover in a similar way. If I remember to take my camera down to the studio I can take a photo to post later. This is a good way to keep all sorts of ephemera , or to play. I tore up a small painting I had done (I liked the colours and marks but not the actual picture) and used that combined with other fabric and paper scraps for a different look. This week I have begun some new samples for my fabric art journal class in July at Sew Marlborough mini symposium. It is usually a three or four day class, but will be two days as I am teaching two other one-day classes as well. I decided to make several small fabric books which cover many of the techniques I discuss with the students. This means that they will see lots of possibilities for their own books. I have made a tag book with lots of different edge treatments . This format means I can easily add to the 'pages' if I come up with a new idea for an edge treatment.
I also decided to make a book of 'pockets'. This has pockets of all sorts... buttoned, flaps, transparent, patch, recycled....etc etc. I have used a random selection of my 'ugly' fabric stash and pulled the book together visually by using some embroidery stitches and buttons throughout. It has been a surprisingly enjoyable process. Not over-thinking can give some great results. Photo is a selection from some of the pages I discuss in the class. A wet day. Have been stitching on a small piece I began on a group outing a couple of weeks ago.
We went to a friend's home 'armed' with fabric, threads, a few watercolour pencils and an open mind. We were 'plein air stitching'. I approached this in the same way I would if I was sketching. I looked at my scene, edited it mentally to capture what I wanted to 'say' about what I was looking at. After some light blocking in of colour with the watercolours to give myself a basic ground of colour in each area I began to stitch. The colours were not going to be perfect as I was only using what had brought with me, but I quickly decided that was going to be part of the charm of the piece. The time flew past. Since then I have been adding a few stitches to it in spare moments. I took some photos on the day, but have not referred to them, preferring to work from my memory and the feel of the scene. More on this later... AS the Autumn creeps upon us I am drawn to the mindfulness of the seasons. I always feel some regret as the vegie garden is put to bed and I harvest the last of summer's bounty. I have begun some new samples for upcoming classes and I am spending more time sitting stitching. Once again I am seduced by the rhythm of my needle, the connection with fabric and threads which leave trails of thought behind them. I find the meditative quality of hand stitching grounds me and allows my mind to wander and consider as I work.
I am still busy with Changing Threads and the work involved with the show, so the quiet moments of contemplation serve as a counterpoint to the restless activity of that. To sew, to stitch, to simply 'be' ...such bliss. The 2016 ChangingThreads Awards Show is now on at the Refinery Artspace in Halifax St Nelson. We have some fantastic work on display . The award winners are really wonderful You can view them on my facebook page, on the arts council nelson facebook page or the website (www.acn.org.nz) Here is a link to the interview I did with Mainland TV about the show. You will need to forward to about 11.30 to view it.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoIcR1x91Vw
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