Monday, September 24, 2012

A Mad Month

...well, not really mad, just full on with Art Activities in this region - fabulous stuff happening everywhere- too much to post here with my SLOW internet connection, so please forgive the frequent links to further information.  Please go into the links because there are great works and activities to enjoy and inspire.

I will start with my GOOD NEWS.

A. Flying Arts Award.
I have been awarded the fibre prize for my entry into the 2013 Flying Arts touring exhibition. This entitles me to flights and all expenses paid to a 'Textile Fibre Forum' class of my choice in 2013. Geelong, here I come in Sept/Oct next year. Thanks very much, Flying Arts and TAFTA.
This is my entry:
‘Devil’s Dice’
rust dyed silks, machine stitched 'pojagi' style.

"These shapes relate to the mining of iron ore in North and Central Queensland.
Devil’s Dice are iron ore cubes which can change to pyrite then limonite through a process of ‘pseudomorphism’.
For me, the mining issue is a difficult one to come to terms with. It creates jobs for our people, wealth for the nation and raw materials for all those ‘essential’ goods we take for granted. On the other hand, the country is being decimated, traditional owners forced from ‘country’, and greed and consumerist mentality reinforced.
The ‘devil’ is a good metaphor for the industry and the dice has connotations of ‘dicing with death’, and taking risky chances. Will Mankind one day decide that the risk was too great?
My silk shapes reflect the fragility of the situation and the process of metamorphosis that happens not only to the iron ore and the silk, but to the whole universe".

B. 'Food as Art'
Ken [Sept 18th post] recently organised an exhibition of local artsits to cooincide with the highly successful Real Food Festival held here in Maleny. This is my entry:
'An Apple a Day'
[highly colourful for me - it was fun for a change]

C. Flags for Peace.
This project was started By Mary Jane Dodd in the US. Fiona and Ken coordinated the project locally. This is my entry which is still hanging on the front deck and hopefully will stay for many weeks yet. 
The flags read 'Peace' in English, Japanese, Arabic and Tibetan.

D. 'Sailing Inland'
Art4place is a community arts organisation which I belong to. We have 6 projects running this month. This is my contribution:
"This installation tells stories of the past and of the present, connecting the coast to the hinterland.
The white sails echo the arrival of many of our forebears by sailing ship, along the coast that stretches out far below the escarpment.
The colourful sails reflect the hang gliders that regularly float and thread themselves across the skies above, taking off from the escarpment and drifting down below, bringing the mountains to the sea"

E. Peace in the Trees
...another art4place activity - starting with a 2 day sandstone carving workshop culminating with an open day yesterday to view the sculptures in situ - beautiful.

F. Jackson Li and the Suncoast Clay Workers
We met Jackson last year in China. He is the owner and founder of the Sanbao Ceramic Institute in Jingdezhen, China. Jackie Gasson of the Suncoast Clay Workers organised a major EVENT [Ignition exhibition and competition at Cooroy Butter Factory, Hands of the Masters - [Jackson, Kevin Grealy, Greg Daly and Janet de Boos] -  at the Art and Ecology centre, Tanawah, and other various workshops and networking events.
...Mieke won the Ignition Sculpture award - congrats Mieke...
...Greg Daly's lustre work...
Kevin Grealy's works...
...Janet de Boos latest China/Australia collaborative pieces....
...Jackson Li's Australian made pieces and rice paper painting...

G. Jackson's Brushmaking Workshop
...ah - I LOVE being a student.
....preparation with a tea 'ceremony'...
...my brushes - from dog and horse hair [goat and donkey would have been better].

I think that's enough for one blog - hope it's not too much for your computer, but I think mine is super slow -  I am about to update my download.
...and we still have a week of September to go!!!



Friday, September 21, 2012

'Peace Book'

A week or so ago, Fiona co-ordinated an exhibition of 'Peace Books' in the local library display cabinet. It's always lovely to be included in these community collaborations, and as it's 'International Day of Peace' today, Friday, 21st Sept., it is nice to be spreading the word in my own humble way.
This is my contribution and words of explanation.

"My book represents the notion that life has become so complex with dark layers of ‘stuff’ forever present.
The high tide mark in the ink indicates that enough is enough.
It’s time to look beyond the distractions, however enticing, and to rise above the craziness to a peaceful, quiet, empty space where we can be replenished and renewed.
The mountains on the front cover are a serendipitous addition that appeared as the ink was settling – a wonderful metaphor for me because I truly need mountains in my life to achieve a peaceful state of mind".
Fiona's Peace book,
Barry's Peace 'Book',
Ken's two Peace 'Books'


Wednesday, September 19, 2012

My 'Sailing Inland' installation is happening this Saturday, 10 till 4pm. If you are in the vicinity of Gerrard's lookout [ about 1km Nth of Balmoral on the Maleny-Montville Rd] drop in and say 'Hi'. You won't miss me !!!
This installation tells stories of the past and of the present, connecting the coast to the hinterland.
The white sails echo the arrival of many of our forebears by sailing ship, along the coast that stretches out far below the escarpment.
The colourful sails reflect the hang gliders that regularly float and thread themselves across the skies above, taking off from the escarpment and drifting down below, bringing the mountains to the sea.

Friday, September 14, 2012

MORE WORKSHOPS & COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS

September is a creative month in this neck of the woods. Spring is here - the weather is warming up, we have had no rain in ages and the green hills are now brownish hills.
We have 'open studios' happening for the next 4 weeks, 6 'art4place' workshop/installation activities, various gallery exhibitions, a major ceramic festival with awards and exhibitions featuring Jackson Li who we befriended in China last year.
I was part of a 2 day kid's conference recently - based around environmental awareness.
The art workshops were organised by Trisha Dobson, and held in the bush. My kids cut leaves from onion skin pre dyed recycled fabrics, which I had prepared weeks before. They then tied them to twigs and branches, to be attached to a large free standing ply wood tree in the conference centre in the evening. My friend Kim's group made lovely tree roots from recycled rags, and Jill had her group decorating prefired ceramic 'spirit' forms.
It was a fabulous day - perfect weather, perfect kids [thanks to great organisation and lots of helpers] and the final installation looked great. It is now available for display in Sunshine Coast venues - schools, libraries, workshops, etc. Contact Karen Shaw of Brush Turkey Enterprises if you are interested.
finished 'Tree of Life'
...preparing the fabric for my kids' leaves,
...lovely bush setting,
...kids arrived!!!
...making leaves,
...and a kookaburra from jeans pocket,
...some finished,
...and the tree being assembled in the hall,
...Jill,
...Kim,
...me,
...tree with stage lighting [just before the band practice - OMG!!! too old for all those decibels]