red ship
Finally, it was finished last month. Love this one and will keep it.

Red ship, 46 x 36 cm

postcard swap
The theme for this swap with Australia & NZ Art Quilters was 'photo'. I started with a pic of a quilt I'd made some time ago, printed it onto computer fabric and then stitched horizontal and vertical lines across it all in variegated thread. It looked a bit ... underwhelming.

So I took a photo of the brooch below.

straw brooch photo, backed with cotton silk

fabric pre-stamped with text

8 x 10 cm

 

I'd made the brooch at a workshop with Western Australian artist NALDA SEARLES. The small rock was found on the local beach where I love to walk and search for treasures.

The brooch pic was printed onto computer fabric, but the printer roller lines kept coming up (when they didn't come up before, derrr???!!!) ... so finally, printed the pic onto photo paper, tore around the heart shape and hand stitched onto fabric that was pre-stamped with a text stamp. Then I echo stitched around one side. I made 6 - all slightly different. Done!

They were sent to ACT, Tas, SA, Vic and NSW.

+ one
One of my postcards in the last swap - sunprinting (in earlier post) went AWOL in the mail, so I did some more sunprinting and made this one today to post to the person who missed out. I hope she receives it this time :-D

sunprinted cotton fabric using stylised leaf

 stencil template over hand dyed fabric

and sprayed with inks 

finished postcard

more paintings
This one was a little A5 'play' on black canvas with sgraffito (sp?) technique! You apply the paint, then scratch back into it with a satay stick or similar to add line and texture.

sgraffito 1

 

sgraffito 2

Mostly paint and not so much scratch here!

best last!

Here is the first stage of the painting I've been working on for a couple of weeks.

My inspiration was actually from a pic in a book by PETER ELFES, taken when Lake Eyre in central Australia was flooded.

This painting was created using inks blobbed over the canvas. Scrunched-up plastic wrap is layered over the top. Once the ink is almost dry, the wrap is gently peeled back to reveal the painting.

In this case, although it began as a waterscape - it wanted to be a very definite landscape!

 unearthed beginnings ...

finished
Not sure what to call it - Blue Hills? ;-))) Australians should get this - it was a popular radio series set in a 1950-1970s fictitious country town!

Blue Hills 90 x 60 cm

close, trees and valley

close, trees

My brilliant art teacher CHRIS SKEGGS helped and guided me with the formation and placement of hills and trees, revealing points of interest and 'knocking back' the overpowering sky. It's been a bit like giving birth so far as emotional energy goes and I'm glad - in a good way - that it's finished.

I may not update often, but I hope you enjoy today's additions :D

Thanks for visiting!

cheers
Cait