Moments are Out, Even is Uneven

 

I have been making since the end part of Dec 2013 on a number of small weavings that would in a moment create an image in my mind. It then moved to the small looms and 4 selvedge method of weaving Tapestry. Colour seemed to answer itself almost with myself viewing these two colours sitting comfortably together in a box, one soft the other stiff and man-made. 

To make is always a mixture of excitement and wonder how an idea comes to life and develops into the expression of emotion, thought and soul of both the materials and my response to them thus giving myself the encouragement to make.

I then came to finish the weaving when I realised that each piece was not yet complete, the sense of a completed work was when they were on their backgrounds which gave the weavings a place to call home.

These works are being shown as my solo exhibition and I am pleased how they have come together as both a body of work and individual pieces.



Time passing - when to make Again

It has been a hectic time that is too much to explain. But I have finally got four warps partly on two looms. By this I mean I have wound four warps beamed them but only one is threaded and I have yesterday started weaving.

I know I was supposed to open my wonderful OLD 1850's STUDIO to the world and show it and what I do to you all, but life throws curve balls and sometimes we or me in this case just decides (after some pushing by faceless, nameless people) I hit the ball, into a better place I hope. I will always come back to me and that itch to make comes back with more - so I am pleased about this. The studio is still a work in progress but I now have a purple (me) door and the step will be fixed better than a patch up job. I hope people will come when I get game to open Moments studio - which is what I named the studio as I have had where life can change for the good or bad in a moment but it is a moment in my life.

I am weaving a yellow/red on a white warp which is challenging as I do little with yellow - but it seemed needed for my soul. I have made a small piece for a friend's birthday which I enjoy.

I would like to thank all my friends who have been and are their for myself during this time, too see them make is always great to my soul to look at beautiful textiles, glass and metalsmithing of such talented people.

Reflective Shape

The showing of the reflective tape yarn hanging at LOT 19 for the recent Sculpture exhibition. The first few images show insitu while the last is it reflecting.

To shape a piece of weaving after it is woven, or to cut up is always a interesting for me as one who likes to multi use a piece I have made which is straight length.

1st Workshop Weaving with Natural Materials

These are some of the pieces I have made and show how they can be either a brooch or magnet. The workshop was two 1 hour sessions in a beautiful Art deco building in Richmond, Victoria. Which I feel added to the experience, as it was light filled (skylights) and how the building had been modernised. This is my idea of using nature in weaving, along with 4 selvage method of warping and weaving. This allows for an other styles of brooches.

Bark, twigs, firm grass's, leaves and flowers have been used, with awareness of the flower may breakdown sooner. The people at the workshop came away with the one they made and seemed happy. A fun project to do, with the people from (EEEC) Sharing the Journey conference. Thank you all who participated in the day and my two helpers.

Close up of just a bark piece which is lacquered.

One of my favorites, yet I do like them all.

Trios from a warp

 

trios weaving - throw under is part of a set to be shown at another time.

These came about from a couple of weaving's exploring combined colours in a warp. I use a finer warp than weft and clasp weaving method that I feel gives interest and difference in pattern.

100% wool warp and weft, red (two different reds) and two- thirds dark green and pink in the left and centre weaving, the combining of clasp-weft and putting in other colours give interest to my weaving. I also tried out a couple of fringing ideas from two threads the same colour to twisting options.

These are what has inspired the trios above.

 

Two lengths using clasp-weft and is one way I do free form, in which it is done by eye and is very enjoyable.

Weavings from a Rigid Heddle Loom

I recently received a gift of a rigid heddle loom and I have woven these two items on it whilst being away from home. This orange cotton and viscose was the first and it took a little to warp up as I was blending a couple of ideas on ways to warp up. But I wove this at the local artist market where I have a stall. It was a very winters day and weaving away gave both my hands and mind something to do that didn't involve the cold. I have tried a rough version of hand Leno at different points to see how the loom handled it.

A very happy piece and I was soon back at the rigid loom with more ideas abound for the future. For now I am trying a combined colour warp and another threading method after watching a few ytube video's. I found a slightly quicker way and was soon weaving away.

The way to yarns interact is something I find fun and are happy exploring, along with how different plys with different colours make for a rich textile piece wether that is light or heavy in both yarn and or colour.

Thank you

Winter warmers

I have been weaving three throws - wraps using some yarn that I have had for a few years and until recently I was unsure what to or how to use in weaving. Then I came across another yarn and ping went in my mind, these two can go together and even though they will create differnt width in the reed, they lend to  be woven clasp weft with the introducing of angora, alpaca and wool in some of them, so with this sorted I started.

This is the first one just off the loom with my new idea for measuring, little tags with the length it measured from the last tag eg 120cm plus 20cm = 140cm under loom tension. There is wool and alpaca in this one and a new happpy owner who fell for the weaving when I was doing some bark weaving workshop with school children recently.

Number two from the same warp this time a darker green running up the middle and different edge finish shape. Yarns are wool, alpaca giving a nice touch.

This one has angora, wool and aplaca in it which is giving a nice feel to the weaving even at this stage. I have started the final one and are please the light blue works well, the red looks more red on the loom, but I will wait and see when weaving is finished.

Start of Winter Weaving

 Winter Weaving has be brought in by the use of wool in 3 & 8 plys and the interesting find at the Bendigo woollen mills of a rainbow coloured yarn with a black thread twisted around the rainbow. I am still on the Saori way of clasp weft and freeform as is more easy to see in last couple images. Squares by way of inlay and or clasp wefting gave a great sample or small piece.

Front before trimming.

Front now trimed, I like the threads showing the way I made

and possibly the unfinished and slightly messy way it looks.

I have washed this sample and knotted using two threads together.

This is the whole piece looking at the back, before it is ironed.

Moments wrap is showing how in winter the moments of sun, fun and comfort can be time shortened

yet much enjoyed and needed. I have very much enjoyed making these three weavings.

Winter Moments a very fun bit of weaving was had by myself with shape and rainbows against the black background showed the colours well.

Thank you

Weavings -

Weaving is the common theme in this selection of previous makings.

I have been exploring different materials and equipment to see what happens.

 From plastic's to barb wire and rust, loom to free hand working and then beading.

 Anywhere from metre to 15cm wide and many sizes in between.

 To have metal and fibre's together developing texture and form, then adding glass gives a reflective quality.

3D - and bendable to fishing line and copper and gold colour wire go together nicely. Then green garden wire with speaker wire and a length is made that is flexible but different.

Experimenting with heat and mix media, along with recycling materials that can be found in most homes. So here are a couple of different ideas that I have explored over the last few years. 

Thank you for seeing a few ideas, I have been making in the past.

Reflective Tape Weaving

From the idea to loom then a bit longer than expected and onto delivery at RMIT First Site Gallery in Melbourne. I enjoyed the process even if it took longer than I thought. In part because somewhere I miss calculated the length, it was supposed to be 2.5metres long but resulted in closer to 4 metres. But very effective when light shines on it in a certain way.

  

 The loom looked a treat and almost space age.

 Now it in it's unreflective state. The method of clasping the weft has given myself a whole new world of opportunities to explore shape and pattern with texture.

Above shows the way reflective looks when partially aglow, and below when rolled up on it's black square rod as I didn't want to take away from the total effect by hemming or creating a pocket and this way it completes the project by showing all parts, and this is a me thing.

Laid out at home with the flash for bringing out the glow.

Now for the reveal at the gallery RMIT First Site Gallery - Melbourne.

When looking at the length looks like the first one, but under the flash there is the glow. I am a very happy with this piece.

Tapestries - ART in the Street (Bendigo)

My exhibition at Goldfields Library Bendigo

I have been making a number of pieces for this exhibition that is run as a collective of 18 artist's, each in a business of Bendigo and 2 in Eaglehawk. It is organised and supported by the Bendigo Advertiser and City of Greater Bendigo.

My pieces have been influenced by my interest in weave, the materials around home and the ways of creating works that stimulates the senses.

These range in size from 10cm x15cm to over 50cm x 50cm and all woven in the no selvage method. I collected the bark after released from the trees around the home. I then looked at the way the gum's leaves would range in lovely greens.  

To use yarns from cotton to wool to express the many colours that is gained from the viewing of many trees looking back at myself. So from light to dark mixed among shapes as can be seen in the way the bark has shaped itself.

The sunset, (left top) is the view overlooking the town, gum tree (left bottom), close up memories of home (right top) and blocks of land (shaped right bottom) are all how I see the area I call home.

The Battery

This is to show my view of a dream gold mine in the old days.

I finish off with my two samples that was part of the Tapestry studies I started in 2004 as part of my textiles studies. Tapestry is one way I get express visual, textural and experimental elements that may stay with this method or go into other textiles ideas.