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.

Alcove and postcards

I spent last Wednesday on duty at the Alcove Art Shop and it gave me a chance to take some photos of my works there and to put together some samples of my latest books, photo albums with my favorite Apollo Bay image on them. The photos of the framed works didn't work brilliantly because of all the reflected light.


The Photo albums plus a closeup of the binding, the shells came from Dromana Beach and what luck they came with ready made holes.


I am sending some postcards to Singapore for exhibition in PameranPoskad 2010.

City One and Two cast handmade paper, acrylic and watercolour paint with verdigris wax.

City Three cast handmade paper, iron paint and rust. City Four cast handmade paper, shellac and graphite and acrylic paint.

Text cast handmade paper and mixed media Her heart cast handmade paper


Apollo Bay Minis One and Two Pulp painting and digital print

Craypots Postcard digital print on handmade paper. Cormorants Postcard digital print on handmade paper.

new work and old

Since joining the magic carpet blog ride I have been trying to get to look at all the blogs of people who've left comments on mine but it is slow progress, my apologies if you are waiting for a comment from me, I don't know how Lisa does it, she has looked at all of the over 900 blogs. You can see the gifts I'm giving away in the post below this one.

I have been trying to get a few work things done in the last week or so and to prepare for some workshops I'm running later in the year. I've spent the last two days working on some A2 pulp paintings inspired by Apollo Bay, here they are with the photographs that provided the inspiration, I intend to add the birds and the cray pots later as digital images.


Here is the one that got away, I rather like the look of it so I am keeping it to see how it looks once it is dry luckily I had three of that one.

Here is my large vat and my trusty press! My standard press only handles up to A3.

The other thing I've been doing is tidying up the room my younger daughter moved out of so that I'll have a workroom and a place to run workshops at home. I have also been cleaning up my other room and consolidating all my paper, I now have two large containers of collage bits, I used a miniscule number of the scraps to make these cards and a few others.

In my cleanup I found this writing set.

And these books which I made many years ago.


Looking at them now I feel that they need some text or something so I am thinking of asking if anyone would like to embellish two in exchange for one of the books. I have two slightly different copies of the body book and a book of fossils that could be a companion to the shell book. Leave me a message if you are interested, either an email or a comment on this blog.

And I forgot to say, I'll be hanging about a dozen of my 2D in the Alcove Art Shop at Box Hill Community Art Centre, they'll be there for two months from this coming Saturday.

workshops

I have a very busy couple of weeks ahead, next Friday and Saturday I'm teaching papermaking and bookbinding at Art Education Victoria's conference, the theme is Asia so I'm putting together a powerpoint presentation on making paper nagashizuki style but we'll be making western style paper. The second day is oriental binding and I'm planning to show these three bindings.

I am putting together kits so I bought some papers from Zart Art for the covers and Melbourne Etching supplies and Eckersleys for the rice paper for inside the books. I picked up a few useful things from Reverse Art Truck and some threads and needles from Spotlight. I've made up hanks of the different coloured threads and like the way they look all together.


The other class I'm doing is a Christmas class for Lumina Gallery in Malvern, it is to be an ornament class making firstly eco ornaments which can be planted after Christmas. These ones have spinach, carrot, spring onion and candytuft seeds.


The second part of the class will cover ornament books, here they are closed.

And here open.

This class will be held on Saturday 7 November from 1pm, contact Lumina if you are interested in participating. I'll also be putting together some kits that will be for sale at http://www.luminatextiles.com.au/ and at the Alcove Artshop.