Priscilla Edwards Workshop

This is an edited version of the original post due to a problem with photographs, links were broken.  I have reloaded the photos where possible.

Around this time each year I take a workshop with Fibre Arts Australia. This time my workshop was with Priscilla Edwards. A fun week playing with wire, silk, wax, found objects and other ephemera. 

My week culminated in the creation of these pieces of wire sculpture. First up, learning to work the wire and the to cover with wax and silk.

My first piece, a simple flower destined for the ‘Top Table’. The top table is an institution at these events, each class makes something that is displayed and eventually auctioned for charity. It is a hoot and there is a lot of competition for the artworks.

Then it was on to the serious business of creating our own pieces.

The creation of ‘Bird Brain’ involved the making a wire frame, destruction of a porcelain doll for the head which was then cooked in an eco dye pot for a couple of hours to distress the surface and making the birds. The final step was a leaf garland to twist around the base.

The creation of ‘Bird Brain’ The component parts wired together to create the sculpture.

Beach Finds

Quite some time ago I did a course with Tara Alford - Inspired by Nature, as part of the Fibre Arts Take Two program. One of the activities in the course was based around a daily walk and collecting small objects that could go into a pocket. These pocket finds could then be used to make a small vignette or assemblage.

I love the simplicity of this arrangement, the contrast of the shapes and textures.

Shades of grey, I seem to be drawn to small stones.

And circular or round things

A fun way to spend some time

A few more vignettes

and finally a self portrait.

Print and Stitch Assemblages

I always enjoy getting away to do a Fibre Arts Workshop. As always I load up the car with all the essentials, the class requirements and then anything that I think might be useful. I have no idea how people who fly in manage. This time my workshop was with Sally Tyrie. I did  with her a few years ago and really enjoyed it. You can read more about my last class here. 

My morning walks to Lake Wendouree were a source of inspiration especially in the printing stage of the class. We created many monotype prints in both acrylic paints and oil/ink.

I enjoyed the gestural mark making that reminded me of the trees, grasses and the lake. It was also good to experiment with different sorts of papers.

Then some fun creating mono prints with leaves and found objects

and collograph plates

Next was some collage of our printed papers

 

and construction of a variety of books, boxes and tray frames to mount and house our work.

A view of the class with Sally, our tutor.

It is customary for each class to make something for the ‘top table’ which is auctioned for a charity. We made a tag tree, lots of small collage pieces. These are the three that I made.

There is also an opportunity to buy small pieces in the 10 x 10 or 15 x 15 display. These works are donated by attendees and hotly sought after. I was lucky enough to be able to purchase a 15x15 made and donated by Sally.

Some more images of Sally’s work

Just Make Art

Andy Warhol - Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art. 

With this quote in mind I set about the project that was presented in my mixed media class. We were asked to bring a tetra brick carton, glue, needle and thread and some papers. 

Gaye, our tutor set a project that involved rolling pages of magazines or our own gelli print pages around a bamboo skewer to create long straw shaped paper cylinders. These were to be the beginnings of a 3D piece of art. 

So we busily set to making our rolls. I opted to cut mine in half and then tie them up into small bundles. I used my milk carton to make a container. The carton was covered with a pattern sheet from a magazine and lined with some black paper.the same red thread was used to stitch into and around the container.  

It was good fun and an interesting challenge to create or make a small assemblage using very minimal equipment a discarded materials.

Think Inside the Box - Concept to Product

The workshop with Shelley Rhodes is over and I have flown home.  It was a great week away, the workshop was fabulous - lots to consider and busy. With papers and fabrics to prepare, boxes to be made and altered, the contents of the boxes to be considered and curated, it was a busy week.

My final product, a series of books, scrolls, both paper and fabric and my collection of heart shaped rocks, shells and coral piece from my recent trip to the Kimberley and Broome. 

Each group is asked to produce an item for auction on the last night. A light hearted event that raises money for the scholarship fund. Our group decided that we would each make a large tag/bookmark.

This is the one that I made.

We also made a small matchbox that formed a small group display.

This is mine, a collection that I referred to as  Bits from Broome

Although not part of the class I made these orbs, always a pleasure to learn a new skill from another participant.

And this card on behalf of the class. A small square from each of us and space for Shelley to add one of hers.

A little bit of fun. Each day Shelley gave us a quote and was known to say just one more thing as she added another technique or idea to our repertoire.

Some close ups of each  of the pieces in my collection. This box contains a book, three small scrolls and a selection of the heart shaped rocks.

This box contains a fabricscroll and three small concertina fold books.

This box contains a large concertina book that when unfolded is more than one metre long.

One of six small collages, each approximately five centimetres square.

And another.

Unusually, I had two friends in the class. This is Lariane’s work

And this is Gillian’s.

I began each day with a walk to a coffee shop, taking a slightly different route each time. On one of the days I came across this yellow climbing rose that covered a a pergola and carport. It brought back so many memories, my mother had one of these growing on a side fence.

These metal sculptures of a young girl called Marion were to be found along the historic walk around Marion.