Getting ready forJanuary exhibition at Pomona

Four weeks to go and head down at the sewing machine to create Wallum2Waves2Textile pieces before the 15th January. This wallum piece is close to finishing so one major piece just about done. I have used chenilling to create this art coat.

the finale - Melbourne Cup creation with ALAW 2nd set of letters

I am not one for photos but without wearing the final art piece you don't get a view of how it feels, looks and sits. The soy silk fibres give a subtle finish to the final piece which gives that lustre of silk, with the texture and rawness of organic. I hope you all have a safe and holy Christmas and rest up with family and friends over the Christmas period and come back ready to create.

Textile Exhibition WALLUM 2 WAVES 2 TEXTILES

If you are at a loose end and want to see what the Textile group here on the Sunshine coast are up to, trek on down to Pomona for January 15th opening. If you can't make the opening drop in over the following four weeks. It is a follow up to our Kolora Magic Exhibition which was highly successful in 2009.

Finally film school course over

Film school is over......I was going to upload video I had to do for the course...but too big!!! I will just have to play around with it.

Simplicity plus

This month....just naked soy silk fibre on florist wire to adorn the hat. I hope by the end of alaw I will have picked up the elegance of the letters the true calligrapher does with ease. I have a long way to go....but I love the little treasures.

Simplicity plus

latest dyeing with luscious lychen

Recycling is something I love to do. Great purples and pinks with lychen. A little shibori and laharia tying and voila new wardrobe.

Madame Harbulot, one of her students and I

Mont Dore is a friendship city with Sunshine Coast and is a little south of Noumea on the coast. Madame Harbulot is a french artist who is famous for her pastel portraiture. Madame Harbulot wore a Ken Done shirt in my honour on the day I met her. She had three beautiful french hats hanging in her studio which I could not resist. So here we are. She teaches watercolour, pastels and pottery in her studio...she is interested in art cultural exchange in the future....and sharing studio space. We had a lovely morning filming her doing a pastel of her view of the sea.

Kite found on the side of the road

I found a beautiful kite on the side of the road....now it's spirit lives on in alaw. I did not have the heart to touch it but the next day a wild animal had taken it and left me these treasures to use after some tender loving care.

New Caledonia artist studio visit

I visited Madame Harbulot's fab art studio where she lets artists rent out small sheds on her property for little money. Pictured here are Titia and Vincent in front of Vincent's small shed/studio space. He is a wonderful wood/shell/bone sculptor.

Chinese visitors from Xiamen Sister City

Xiamen Youth Palace Orchestra visited the Sunshine Coast last week and worked with the Sunshine Grammar School orchestra to produce a concert for each day they were here. The instruments were mind blowing...so much divine sound coming from 2 strings. The children/students were between the ages of 10 to 18. I was privileged to have them play the instruments solo when I ferried parents one day to the school.

Flutterings

Taking time to shoot the breeze," move forward " and bite the bullet! New alphabet here I come. Decision was difficult but I have decided to go silk. The challenge for me is going to be using different forms of silk and tones to bring it together in the end...perhaps a Melbourne Cup fascinator or hat...who knows. These 4 have been made with soy silk felted onto a leaf for embossing and also felted onto some hat wire for flexibility.

Done and dusted

Experential Wanderings have now been trapped in their own space....time for me to move on to new letters, new beginnings.

Art Cultural Sister City exchange with Tatebayashi Japan

Having an inspirational calligraphy artist for the exchange has been exciting in many ways. Watching her perform on stage with Yayoi Negishi Tatebayashi's famous international concert pianist in Japanese costume in such a dynamic manner was so exciting and a world first. I don't think everyone who was at the concert realised what a special night it was. The stroke making was so exciting to the music. Something to remember for life.

last duo

Wow so much as happened in a week and now all thoughts of the new alphabet have changed after having the Sister Cities Art exchange with Tatebayashi Japan. Calligraphy artist Juko Saruta has inspired thoughts of sumi markings and now I will need to reassess which direction I will take for the next 26 letters. Time will tell.

X marks the spot, yet Z is not the end....

Christine: X and Z were hard to find so creativity was the key. I am looking forward to new horizons with the forming of a new alphabet. Uni has taken it's creative toll on me and can't wait to get into something new. Perhaps the Japanese calligrapher will inspire me when she visits Maleny on the 26th June with our Sister City Exchange. Perhaps her mark making with the 1 metre brush will be inspiration plus for a few of us.

autumn changes

Christine - Well this month's letter have come from a far a field - Grass tree "U"s and "S" believe it or not...it is true....Nature provides. They have not done the coffee thing or breakfast but did get to have a joy ride in the old holden ute. Last month the "O" did not photograph well - I just didn't get it's best side. Hope these show well....enjoy.

Christine: Time has not been my own this month and the rains have really put a dampener on nature walks....so it was really soothing to get back out there and find some more letters. So enthused was I that I have finished my quota of five early.

Still doing the experential thing......

Well I feel like I am all over the shop but it would look a little contrived if I had letters in order doing it experentially. I am still not completely focussed and feel that the true letters and thoughts will be revealed in the second alphabet but this series feels organic and I am OK with that. I don't know how a watercolour can be organic but I think it is.

Great time watching 22 students working with fibre. It was heartening to know that this particular group of Grade 11 students were into textiles more than the normal painting and paper works. Maybe the tide is turning.

I am starting to see the alphabet in everything now...am I sending myself round the twist in a "water drip" kind of way. I am sitting at the breakfast table eating toast and an "E" in bark is on the floor beside me on the deck!!!!! Perhaps my mind was on other things on my walk this morning and my brain reminded me of my duties. At least the right side of my mind functions without me and keeps working.

Experential Wanderings

Christine - I have decided to search for my letters during my meditative walks. My focus of late has been to find the real in reality. Searching nature for something more than just colours and textures and looking into things microscopically or as a whole. For now I have if you all look closely A, C, I & D. No I was not "tripping"..!!!!! From fronds, grass, mangroves to gorgeous tree bark... No clues next time.