Too busy to blog???

I notice it is almost two months since I last blogged. I have been thinking lately that I have been spending too much time working for and promoting other peoples practices and not enough on my own. I have been spending a lot of time helping with the organisation of the next IAPMA Congress that is happening in Fabriano Italy from 1-6 July. And yes, I will be attending and having some holiday time in Paris, Amsterdam and Rome before the congress.

Connections cyanotype on handmade cotton paper

Nexus - detail cyanotype on hanji

These two pieces will be exhibited as part of the member show in Fabriano, they are on their way to Italy now, I have my fingers and toes crossed that they'll arrive safely. Back in 2000 the work I sent for the members show failed to arrive. Three of the boxes arrived back in Melbourne in January 2001 and one was delivered to the Tuscany address a couple of months later.

This dress is currently in Jeonju Korea but due to the ferry disaster there won't be shown until some later date. All public events have been cancelled or postponed.

I have made a few journals lately including a new series of Melbourne icons. It all started when I made my daughter who is currently living in Netherlands a cardboard Christmas Tree and Vegemite jar ornament. Since I had the photo of the Vegemite jar I put it on the cover of a couple of books but they were deemed to breach copyright so I started again with some Vegemite on toast, lamingtons and twisties. They in turn led to using photographs of some Melbourne landmarks, The Skipping girl and Luna Park.

Skipping girl

Skipping girl inside

Skipping girl

Luna Park

Lamingtons

Vegemite

These books are currently available at Open Drawer and The Alcove Art Shop, not on Etsy yet.

new work

Some new books

 

And cards featuring cyanotypes

And an artwork for 'Camberwell on Canvas', runs from 14 November to 1 December 2013. The piece is called Cinema, coffee, clothes, culture, Camberwell and consists of a series of lino prints on discs of paper made from cotton and plant fibre. The background paper is made from yukka and daphne bast fibre.

Christmas and Silver

Yesterday I was heading out the back door with a bucket of pristine white pulp, a few moulds and deckles and some other stuff to take up to my shed and I dropped the bucket, it broke into pieces and pulp went everywhere, I managed to scrape up most of it and the chooks took care of the rest, they loved it, the picture shows when they had eaten half of it, when I came back later there was nothing left, I hope it doesn't do anything strange to their digestive system or the eggs! They seem fine this morning though no eggs yet.

  

I managed to finish off the paper for the wedding programs yesterday along with some plain paper for cards. Next year I am organising an exhibition celebrating IAPMA's 25th birthday and it will be a silver show. All IAPMA members were sent a piece of silver paper to use to create something for the show. The silver I used is made in Italy by Quill and I came across it because MJ wanted it for her wedding invites and because I printed off one set of slips with the wrong information, I had lots to recycle. I just used a blender to pulp down the silver and combined it with some recycled black mountboard to make my Christmas cards and a book for the Silver Show. For once I am way ahead of the game, closing date for entries is 1 August 2011, mind you I haven't bound it yet, I'm still deciding how to go about it. I printed on the silver for my Christmas cards and used the same punch I bought for the wedding invites.

Front of Christmas Card

Inside

All the sections of the anniversary book

 

Inside one of the sections

detail of cover silver on black

Detail of inner cover black on silver

I realised the other day that I had nothing left in my etsy shop so it is time to make some more books. So far I have only arranged one and haven't even bound it, I'm still deciding on the thread. That is today's challenge once I get off this computer. I recently took a range of my journals and a few artist books down to Open Drawer a textile shop, gallery and workshop space in Hartwell, very close to where I live.

 Last month I taught a cyanotype workshop for 69 Smith Street Gallery and when I came home I exposed some organza using a peacock feather as the mask, they are beautiful pieces but I am not sure what I will end up using them for, I was a little surprised that they worked so well because I had kept the mixed chemicals for a couple of weeks before I coated the fabric, then I left one sitting in the dark for a couple of days and the other for a couple of weeks awaiting time and sunshine. I bought the chemicals from Gold Street Studios and their service was fabulous and the chemicals were beautifully packaged.