Large Tapestry

After weeks of working on one design for my large tapestry then changing completely to another , I finally have a design that I am happy with.  It will be called Visiting Tim and it includes experiences and memories of our journey that are important to me.  I started using ochre powder which I had been given last Christmas. It took a while for me to find out how best to use the powder.  In Kununurra I asked an Aboriginal woman called Agnes at one of the galleries and she told me to mix it with PVA. However I think I should have used more PVA to get the right consistency.  Tim's partner Karen had organised for me to go to Warmun to work with the artists there but  sadly one of their community died so the visit was cancelled. So after weeks of playing with the ochre design and symbols, I started again. The second lot of designs, done in soft pastel, are very different, more colourful and they too, have taken time to jell.  The whole process  has taken me 5 weeks as I am not a natural drawer. Lucky for me my drawing teacher from RMIT had started to take classes and his help and advice have been invaluable.  He keeps pushing you to refine your design.

I will explain some of the symbols used. While in Darwin, we went to the Military Museum and experienced (I can't think of any other word to use) the Bombing of Darwin in WW2 light and sound show which was very moving; I was surprised at my reaction which was one of genuine patriotism. Hence the aeroplanes. The tree in the red shape comes from the grave of Albert Namajira which we saw by accident and didn't appear on any of the tours we had access to; it s almost as if he is forgotten.  Family featured largely in the trip so I included boab trees  which grow in families. and  finally, I did catch a barra; but sad to say it was about 20 cm long so it went back.

Second Assignment Finished

Why did I decide to try and do 1 post a week!!! at the moment it is proving impossible.  My new tapestries are small, approximately 15 cm sq, so I was able to do them fairly quickly.  The sides on the green one are not very straight although they were fine in the loom. I like the pinkish one best.  I decided to try using the flying shuttle technique and tried 2 versions of it; the attempt on the wall is the most successful. On to the next assignment, a large tapestry 3,600 sq. cm.  I told someone that it had to be 3,6000 cm. sq. and wondered why I got surprised looks. While in  Kununurra I saw a painting of the Bungles in the Lovell Gallery which was 32 sq. ms; it was in 4 panels each 4ms X 2ms. It was amazing. I am going to use the experience of going from Adelaide to Darwin to Kununurra to see Tim as my inspiration.  I am also inspired by a painting by Sue Anderson called Oodnadatta, so we will see what happens.  I have started my research and come up with some themes - journey, family, spirit, freedom; I have been playing with symbols to illustrate the themes that relate at the same time to the trip. Soon I need to translate these to a work on paper not one of my strong points.

Maybe this would be better if I rotated it.

Photoshop is a wonderful thing.

The Kimberleys

There is a reason for my silence of late and that is I have been to the Kimberleys to see Tim of Tim's tapestry.
The trip involved 3 days in Adelaide, the Ghan to Darwin, 6 days in Darwin then flew to Kununurra for 8 more days then home.  What an amazing trip. The Ghan was great with side trips around Alice Springs and to Katherine Gorge; the food was especially good. Darwin is hot and very hip.  While there we went to Kakadu which is very special. But nothing prepared me for the Kimberleys, the highlight of which was a trip to Lake Argyle then a boat ride down the Ord River to Lake Kununurra. We were lucky to be shown around by locals, my son and his partner, and probably saw things not on the tourist agenda. Ivanhoe crossing was lovely and at Wyndahm it was awesome, in the true sense of the word, to stand next to a 2,000 year old Boab tree. Saw lots of art work and I was supposed to go to Warmun the day before we left but it had to be cancelled because of a death in the community.  Next time.
However with all this travelling I am weeks behind in my work, so will have to make a big effort  trying to catch up.  But it was worth it.

Katherine Gorge

Loved this in the Rundle Mall

Rock Art inKakadu

Mini Bungles Kununurra

Ivanhoe Crossing

Escarpment along the Ord River

                                                                      

Tim's Tapestry

 I have been doing Tim's tapestry at odd times and am up to here.

Getting there.  I have taken photos at various stages and put them into a slide show  for Tim and I tried to ulpoad them on here; however to no avail.  They uploaded but it looked like a puzzle to solve as they were not in order. So far I have spent nearly 70 hours on this tapestry which will measure 37 cm by 27 cm.

Finished my first assignment.

Bobbins used for weaving the Picasso image

I have finally finished the first assignment which I found very challenging, but enjoyable.  I  also finished Miro and the sewing of the lines across the image took ages and was more difficult than I imagined. Here they are, hopefully.    As you can see I wove the Picasso separately because I thought the hatching would work better vertically.
                                                                                 

 
                        

                                                       

I have managed to download both which is an improvement on my last attempt at adding photos. However I now need to work out how to make them level. I have done it but it was accidental

During the past week I have been to see a couple of exhibitions before they close. I went the Sensorial Loop at Storey Hall and after that I went to see the Analog Digital  at the First Site gallery downstairs at RMIT.
Both were worth the visit but the Analog... had more fashion than in other years.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Another tapestry done.

I don't know where the last 2 weeks have gone. I have managed to see a couple of exhibitions; Real Nowhere Land at Manningham Gallery and About Time at Bundoora. Both were worth the trip (both galleries are on the other side of town from where I live). We were early at the Manningham one and bided our time sitting in a shelter made from old slides painted pink which I loved. However as usual, we left the camera at home. At Bundoora, the homestead was worth a trip on its own, beautiful place. We had a meeting of our tapestry group at the Spinners and Weavers last Saturday and it was good to welcome 2 people from the SWTAFE course. Some people worked, mostly we chat and exchange information. I have managed to finished another of the exercises called Leti, a difficult piece to interpret.  I decided to put it 5/6 ft away from me as it is so complex and weave what I can see. Hope that works.

I wanted to put a  copy of the original beside my woven one and although I have downsized it to 1.23MB, it says it is too big.
C'est  la computer!!!!!!!!!!!!!

           

Miro

Miro is finished; Miro being the small, feisty character on the bottom of 3 tapestries I have to do for my first assignment.

 I had started it when I was in Warnambool, however I didn't get far.  The picture above shows lines over it which I intend to sew on.  I also have some  mentors one of whom thought I should weave the lines. Sewing them on seemed a much easier option and I will do that when I take it off the loom which will be after I do the red one. Although the image is small, it took me several days to do and I am reasonably happy with the result.

Here it is.

Mine doesn't look as happy as the one above and I see that I missed weaving one of the stars. C'est la vie.