sketching and journalling....

This week there hasnt been much stitching going on....I have have my fabrics out playing with some blocks to send off to a friend,  but mostly I have been sketching, a little bit of painting and a little journalling.

 

Most Friday mornings I go to a friends studio and we sit and paint....very relaxing.  I have learnt a lot about drawing and painting since I began these mornings at Meg's.  Each time we go Meg has a theme, or a still life, or maybe just a colour for us to draw/paint.  It challenges me each time, and I'm sure I wont be able to do it,  but with Meg's gentle prodding and some perseverance we get into it.   The last couple of weeks we have been working on these sketches of agapanthus from Megs garden in an old vintage jug.  I thought you might like to see some of what we work on so here are a couple of close ups of the piece (30 x 42 cm).

 

Agapanthus in vintage jug.

The finished piece....not perfect, but I'm getting there 

 

I think those gentle blue/mauves are beautiful and as you can see from my journal have been appearing in my art these past few weeks.  Even in my fabrics,  I love those demin type blues too and of course indigo.

But,  I think this blue/mauve phase is over.  This week at Megs we had to draw this amazing sunflower.  Such details in this beautiful flower as it shows signs of aging.  Click on the photo to see the intricacy of the centre....its like a swirl of tiny flowers.  At this stage I have only drawn this up and added a little yellow to the petals.  I am using gouache for this sketch instead of watercolour as I used in my previous sketch.  Will take a pic next week to show you my progress.

Van Gogh was renowned for his sunflower series, so after the day at Megs I did some reading up on Van Gogh ...he lead a rather tortured life, but produced the most amazing paintings.  Van Gogh is said to have liked sunflowers for their yellow colour and exuberant celebration of sun light and summer.  They are a very likeable flower....I think I will plant some in my garden next summer.

I hope to have some fabric work to show you again next week too.  Tomorrow I am heading off to my friend Nats home for a stitching/dyeing day.  We are both doing Jude's CWB workshop online, so looking forward to seeing what Nat has been doing.

BE SILLY

BE HONEST

BE KIND.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson -

Have a wonderful week!

Jacky xox

Valentines Hearts ......

I've been stitching these 'raggedy hearts' for a few friends for a Valentines Day swap.  I've used some lovely old battenburg lace from an old doiley of my mums,  Some sari silk and lovely floral embroidered sheer fabric that I have been hoarding forever.  The hearts themselves were old linen blend fabric samples.  Lots of recycling and stitching fun.

 

The fabrics below are from a workshop I did on the weekend with Ro Bruhn..... gelatin prints.  I loooove gelatin printing and it was so much fun creating different patterns and colours.  We used anything and everything....old egg cartons, bubble wrap (one of my favourites), indian print blocks, stamps, embossed fabrics and papers...FUN class and I look forward to including these fabrics in some cloths soon.

 The past few weeks I have also been taking Jude Hills online workshop, Advanced Cloth Weaving.  I made the little cloth below weaving without a foundation.  You finish with such a light and soft piece of cloth.  Initially I was thinking I would use this piece (all fabrics gifted from my friend Dot and sister Lee) in a boro cloth I intend to make this year.  But,  after visiting the class site and seeing what everyone is doing...I'm not sure.  Jude has made a beautiful cushion, others incorporated the pieces in clothing, boro style.  So much to see and so much inspiration as always in Judes classes.

 Close up of small boro type cloth.

I havent been able to post much lately...as you know,  I'm not so good when it comes to things computer related at times.  We put a new antivirus on our computer which has been blocking me posting pictures to my blog.  Finally worked out how to fix it, so should be back to normal again now.

ONE  SHOULD  ABSORB 

THE  COLOUR  OF  LIFE

-OSCAR WILDE -

Wishing you all a wonderful and colourful week.

Jacky xox

Mirka Mora....colour......

I've been offline too long...... combination of family visits and also blogger / computer issues. Recently my friends Julia and Dot visited the Heide Gallery to see the Mirka Mora exhibition. What a treat!!! Such a vibrant, exciting artist. If you live in Melbourne this exhibition is well worth the visit and they have so many other wonderful artists exhbiting in their three galleries at the moment. "Angel Fishing" 2004 courtesy William Mora Gallery.

courtesy William Mora Gallery.

The Heide Gallery originates from an old dairy, built in the 1880's-1890's which was purchased by John and Sunday Reed in 1934. The Reed's were passionate supporters of Australian art and culture . Artists were encouraged to live and work on their property....quite a bohemian lifestyle from all that I read. This group of artists became know as the "Heide Circle". Mirka Mora, after immigrating to Australia from France often frequented Heide and much of her work in this exhibition was gifted to John and Sunday. It was lovely to visit her exhibition in the home that so many noted Australian artists and herself had painted and lived. Gave the exhibition a more intimate feel.



I have been doing a little stitching....after visiting Kaite's blog I made some blocks for the Queensland Flood Victims. I am hoping these bright and cheery fabrics will brighten someones home. Queensland is having such a terrible time of it lately, first the floods and now cyclone Yasi.

I have had a visitor down from Queensland recently also. We visited the Daylesford area, so will have some lovely to upload and share soon. Many beautiful galleries and artists in that area of Victoria, so I cam home abuzz with inspiration.


BE STILL
AND LET THE BEAUTY COME

-SARK-

Have an enjoyable week.


Jacky xox