Busy, busy, busy.....

I've been busy lately....lots of things on the go!
Last weekend I had my get together with Nat to do some of our shibori class homework.  We are both doing the workshop with the lovely Glennis Dolce and loving the results of our samples.  Great online class.  These are some of the samples I made with Nat last weekend.  This time I have used the indigo dye rather than a few colours like my last effort.  I would like to include these pieces in a boro cloth I plan to start later this year.

 I have also been painting....my art group are putting on a little exhibition at the end of June,  so I need to get into some painting and get things happening.  The work below is using artists gouache....still a WIP,  needs some finer detailing,  but close to being finished.  As you may be able to tell,  I love still life and a quite naive style.

Lillies and chinese ginger jar

I've also been doing some linocut......Below is a piece called 'Sunshine Owl' (of course I had to do an owl, my favourite).    Sunshine Owl is approx. 12" x 13".  I have plans for this owl.... I will add more detail to the background maybe....and later .........more plans for him.  You never know where he'll end up.

"Sunshine Owl"

 I want to hand colour my final prints so I have played around with different colours and colour variations on the sample below,  just to get an idea of what will or wont work together....lots of fun!

I've also had fabric out,  playing around with different options.  Will play around a bit more and maybe have something to show you next week.

Meanwhile I hope you are all busy creating.

LET MIRACLES FIND YOU

- SARK-

Jacky xox

Shibori moments ......

As I said last week,  I am participating in a shibori workshop with the lovely Glennis Dolce....it is such FUN!
Last Sunday I met up with my fellow classmate Nat to do a few class projects.  I know I'm starting from the wrong end...but couldnt resist showing you my shibori pieces drying on the line.  They look like prayer flags I thought,  so I've decided I will use a few of my class samples to make myself a set of shibori prayer flags to remember this workshop.

Shibori samples drying on the clothes line.

Getting organised.....we made up our dye bottles,  had our instructions/recipes at the ready and collected a myriad of shapes to use for our shibori dyeing.  Then the fun began.

Here we have our little dye baths with our fabrics all folded, clamped and soaking.  It's so exciting...you just dont know what to expect.

And these are some of the results...very colourful and I was very happy with some of the designs we achieved using mosaic tile,  cut up CD's etc. (some may need a little overydying next time the dyes are out,  I'm not sure if I can work with the turquoise....but you never know!). 

The top piece is one that Nat had eco dyed (using either gum leaves or bark...sorry cant exactly remember which),  but they had not coloured very well.  Thus we thought we'd do a bit of over dying and see what happened.  This was the result of being dyed in a leaf green dye bath...very happy with the results and the different colour.

 

Nat and I plan to get together again in a couple of weeks and do more dyeing,  its so much fun doing the class with a friend....nutting through things together,  sharing ideas and bit and pieces of fabric etc.

EACH DAY IS A SUCCULENT NEW BEGINNING

BE STILL AND LET THE BEAUTY COME.

- SARK - 

Not long now until the weekend.....

Jacky xox

Altered book.....

Last weekend we had our Art Group get together.  This time it was DotS  turn to host and we all lunched at the lovely La Bel Amici cafe in Frankston....this cafe is owned by an artist and has such a wonderful bohemian feel.  Beautiful food and surrounded by gorgeous art.  What better place for us all to meet.  As usual we shared art we had been making,  fabrics, collage elements, arty goodies.  It is always like Christmas when we meet...such generous girls.

As you know we are doing an Altered Book Round Robin and each meeting we swap books so we can each work in each others book.  The pages below I made for Ro's book.  Ro's theme is Africa (and at first I was quite daunted.  But once I got going things just flowed.)

Ro loves colour!!!!!  So I thought a colourful elephant would be perfect for her book.  I have a lovely wooden elephant whom inspired the spread below for Ro.  I am loving this naive style of painting.

 

This is the full two page spread.  I left a little of the wording from the book showing through.

 

This is the second spread I did for Ro's book.  It has more of an African feel.  I really enjoyed doing a little collage on these pages and loved the images of the young African boys singing.

Our group doesnt meet again until early May and in the meantime I will be working in my friend Dots book.  Another one who loves colour, so this will be FUN.

Meanwhile I am doing a shibori workshop with Glennis Dolce,  so  Ishould have a few new fabrics to share with you and include in my art.  Dyeing day tomorrow!

Meanwhile..... IMMERSE  YOURSELF  IN  COLOUR....it will make you happy!

Jacky xox

Sunflowers and Indigo ....

My friend Nat and I are soon to being a shibori dyeing workshop with Glennis Dolce (Shibori Girl)....in readiness we decided to have a dyeing day last Sunday.  Nat is a very proficient dyer...I am quite new to it, so it was lovely to have Nat teach me more about dyeing with colour (procion, rit etc.).  I have done a bit of eco dyeing using gumleaves,onion skins etc.  but LOVE indigo and especially shibori, so I'm very excited that our online workshop begins this week and I dont feel quite so intimidated after Nats help.!

 My fabrics all folded after their dye bath, rinse and dry.  I'm very happy with this little stash.

 My fabrics once dried....we used indigo and a leaf green.  We used cotton voile, calico, linen, silk, silk chiffon, silk noil...lots of different colour variations which I am looking forward to using in some of my Jude Hill style cloths.

 And now for the sunflower......  This is a WIP from my day at Megs.  At this point sketched in pencil with a touch of gouache.  I will add more gouache and some pen and ink.  I am enjoying sketching from nature and think I will do a little botanical journal.  My friend Coral and I have made some concertina style books using good quality watercolour paper for this next project.

And this little sketch I drew after visiting the Mirka Mora exhibition earlier this year .... I was inspired by the womens head dresses in a few of her sketches and I thought of the five girls in my art group all gathered around admiring Mirka's work....taking in every detail, discussing, enjoying being able to share the moment.

So......this week.  I am getting to the end of my online workshop with Jude Hill, will have some work to show soon and I begin my shibori workshop with Glennis.  Another full week!

"WE  CAN  LOVE  OURSELVES

THE WAY WE WISH TO BE LOVED"

Have a wonderful week!

Jacky  xox