Friday, May 31, 2013

Butterfly Flutter


A smattering of butterflies painted in my favourite Winsor and Newton watercolours, placed in a toss repeat in Photoshop.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Paperweight

Caught in the act - sneaking in a snooze on a pile of my textile design artwork.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Pigeon pairs

A few more bronzewing pigeons painted and ready to be turned into a textile design.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Autumn reds


Red seems to be the colour of the moment in the garden now that the temperature has dropped. Back to painting in front of the fire-place and bad daytime TV!












Thursday, May 9, 2013

Outside my window

Eucalyptus blossoms, the old garden gate and a bronzewing pigeon who visits the birdbath every day, all painted in watercolour.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Digging up the past


Out in the dusty back paddock, under a mulberry tree lies a burial ground for long-ago broken ceramics and other discarded household items; old irons, tins and cutlery. Every couple of years the paddock is ploughed ready for the winter crops, and more treasures make their way to the surface.


This is my first go at mosaics - hopefully this pot will look OK (potted up with daffodils I think) and if so, my next project will be a bird bath. I love the delicate and ornate patterns - a shame to waste!
The owner of the mosaic studio has a garden filled with quirky little mosaic details too.






Monday, May 6, 2013

Textiles by Mary Schoeser

I love a good textile design reference book and Textiles: The Art of Mankind by Mary Schoeser is a must have for any admirer of the wonderful world of decorative textiles.


Covering textile art and design from around the world and through the centuries, the book meanders through diverse subject matter such as Indian woven silk fabrics from the 15th Century, the sinuous and elegant line work of William Morris' block printed furnishing fabrics, densely stitched robes worn by Turkmen tribal women, through to the brightly coloured brocade weaves of 20th Century Guatemalan dress fabrics. These examples are just a tiny slither of the vast selection of beautifully documented textiles featured in this wonderful tome - and I call it a tome as it is one very heavy book, beware Ikea shelves! Over 1000 images reveal the beauty and variety of textiles in stunning detail.



The author Mary Schoeser writes: 'Over the past forty years, the first hand sight of hundreds and thousands of examples has convinced me that textiles are beautiful, inventive, expressive, and more. They reveal the human compulsion to engage with texture, colour and storytelling. They record our ever-changing feelings of play, joy, wonder and profound thoughtfulness. They preserve skills, encourage creativity and represent continuity'.



Themes covered in the book include Impact, Ingredients, Structure, Surface, Added Dimensions and Imagery. By juxtaposing historical and contemporary textiles from around the world, the author highlights an unbroken story of skill and invention stretching back thousands of years.