West Coast, 2021
2020 was an extraordinary year for all of us. We all have stories to tell. Mine is of temporarily relocating to Fremantle in Western Australia to help my husband avoid constant quarantine, and the strictness of the WA border controls. It was hard, but an opportunity to see a completely different landscape. We missed the rolling hills and high country of the Tablelands, but were amazed at the diversity of landscapes and coast line that we visited.
This exhibition is about the Coastlines that we saw, the dazzling white sands, the weather, the turquoise shallows, and the hinterlands along it. The Tapestries also point to the issues that the environment faces over there with long term rain deficits from climate change and the ocean rubbish that lands on the west coast from locally dumped rubbish and that from oceans away.
I hope you enjoy my response to the West Coast.
This exhibition is about the Coastlines that we saw, the dazzling white sands, the weather, the turquoise shallows, and the hinterlands along it. The Tapestries also point to the issues that the environment faces over there with long term rain deficits from climate change and the ocean rubbish that lands on the west coast from locally dumped rubbish and that from oceans away.
I hope you enjoy my response to the West Coast.
These Woven Tapestries reflect places we visited and the beaches around Fremantle. The endless blue skies are a purposeful reference to the rain deficit that South West Australia experiences now as a result of climate change, and the fragments of rope woven into the sand are from deconstructed rope found on our beach walks.
All these Tapestries are 13 x 18 cm in size and are box framed under glass, with the overall dimensions of 22.5cm x 27.5 cm.
Pre exhibition sales are welcome, however the price is firm and the work will be on exhibition until the 14th of May, whereupon I can post it at cost.
All these Tapestries are 13 x 18 cm in size and are box framed under glass, with the overall dimensions of 22.5cm x 27.5 cm.
Pre exhibition sales are welcome, however the price is firm and the work will be on exhibition until the 14th of May, whereupon I can post it at cost.
The Cloth Collages in this exhibition draw from my drawings and photos, and walks alongside the coast. I took an extensive stash of fabric over to Western Australia, and its from this and fabric sourced over there, that these collages emerge. Each piece is hand stitched and sometimes machine stitched, and some incorporate the old photographic process cyanotype and mono prints on silk organza. The collages are framed under glass.
Short Stories, 2020.
The Corona Virus restrictions pushed this exhibition On Line, as Galleries in New South Wales were closed during the first half of 2020. It was a tough time for the industry, and it meant that this exhibition didn't see the light of day.
All works are woven on a cotton warp and use natural dyed wool and silk, natural coloured wild silk, commercially dyed silk and wool, commercially dyed cotton and found yarns.
All the tapestries are ready to hang, framed in box frames, under glass.
For all enquiries to purchase works, please email me. Thank you.
All works are woven on a cotton warp and use natural dyed wool and silk, natural coloured wild silk, commercially dyed silk and wool, commercially dyed cotton and found yarns.
All the tapestries are ready to hang, framed in box frames, under glass.
For all enquiries to purchase works, please email me. Thank you.
Horizon Line series
This train of thought is an ongoing fascination with the horizon, with what leads up to it and speculating with what’s beyond. At this stage the work is small scale, but may lead to further investigation as the ideas flow.
When I worked at sea in the 1980’s on merchant ships, the horizon line was a constant companion, a linear definition of the world around us. Sometimes it merged into the sea, as grey clouds dulled the blue of the ocean, other times it drew a line between the reflections of clouds on a glassy sea. Watch this story, it’s not finished yet.
This train of thought is an ongoing fascination with the horizon, with what leads up to it and speculating with what’s beyond. At this stage the work is small scale, but may lead to further investigation as the ideas flow.
When I worked at sea in the 1980’s on merchant ships, the horizon line was a constant companion, a linear definition of the world around us. Sometimes it merged into the sea, as grey clouds dulled the blue of the ocean, other times it drew a line between the reflections of clouds on a glassy sea. Watch this story, it’s not finished yet.
Little Gems
This trio of Tapestry are the in-betweens. Series sometimes take a while to emerge. I can’t stop weaving though so these are some that punctuate longer stories. “Bald Hill Hill End” is a small postcard to Hill End that was exhibited with BRAG to celebrate 20 years of Artist in Residence at Hill End.
This trio of Tapestry are the in-betweens. Series sometimes take a while to emerge. I can’t stop weaving though so these are some that punctuate longer stories. “Bald Hill Hill End” is a small postcard to Hill End that was exhibited with BRAG to celebrate 20 years of Artist in Residence at Hill End.
Corrugations
I see patterns everywhere, and these 2 tapestries are the observations of burnt and old corrugated iron. The repetition and rhythm of these were mesmerising to weave and I hope look at.
I see patterns everywhere, and these 2 tapestries are the observations of burnt and old corrugated iron. The repetition and rhythm of these were mesmerising to weave and I hope look at.
Flora Sensa
These Tapestries were woven in response to a brief for a group show, which went by the same name. The premise of the show, was our emotional response to flowers. I settled on the resilience and sheer impact of the Sturts Dessert Pea. Common across the arid regions of Australia, its showy flowers are what I seek out when I return to visit the Pilbara every year. The tapestries show the flowers but also where they grow, both on the Burrup Peninsula and further inland. In this series I have played with pixilation thinking about how we view the world now, often through the lens of the digital camera in our phones.
These Tapestries were woven in response to a brief for a group show, which went by the same name. The premise of the show, was our emotional response to flowers. I settled on the resilience and sheer impact of the Sturts Dessert Pea. Common across the arid regions of Australia, its showy flowers are what I seek out when I return to visit the Pilbara every year. The tapestries show the flowers but also where they grow, both on the Burrup Peninsula and further inland. In this series I have played with pixilation thinking about how we view the world now, often through the lens of the digital camera in our phones.
Landlines
This series is on-going. When I draw the landscape, I am drawn to the physical underpinning of what I see, without trees or structures to clutter up the undulations and fractures in the land forms before me. I speculate where rolling hills go, and mark these with dotted lines. I like to have a pared down palette in these works, relying on natural colours of wild silk, or perhaps natural dyed yarns. These works pop up in between other stories, kind of like moments of introspection, before I forge on. The designs for these works are nearly always drawn en plein air. This style of landscape featured in my work from my previous exhibition here called “Hidden in Plein View”, which were a survey of the landscape around the Blue Mountains.
This series is on-going. When I draw the landscape, I am drawn to the physical underpinning of what I see, without trees or structures to clutter up the undulations and fractures in the land forms before me. I speculate where rolling hills go, and mark these with dotted lines. I like to have a pared down palette in these works, relying on natural colours of wild silk, or perhaps natural dyed yarns. These works pop up in between other stories, kind of like moments of introspection, before I forge on. The designs for these works are nearly always drawn en plein air. This style of landscape featured in my work from my previous exhibition here called “Hidden in Plein View”, which were a survey of the landscape around the Blue Mountains.
Hill End
This series of Tapestries tells the story of my work and residency in Hill End. Hill End is a gold rush era village, now a living museum, and the site for a long running Artist in Residency program run by the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery. Artists have had a connection with Hill End since the 1940’s, and the energy in this village and surrounding landscape is palpable.
The Tapestries on show are woven using wool that I dyed from dye stuffs found along the roadsides and in the common around Hill End. The resulting colours reflected the palettes of artists that had gone before me, and I was amazed at the synergy of these pigments and what artists see. I also use natural coloured wild silk in the weaving and the odd bit of gold thread.
The disturbed ground around Hill End fascinated me and I found myself drawing these compact landscapes again and again, so they are reflected in the works you see here. Like the rest of NSW, the drought has wreaked havoc on the bush surrounding Hill End, but in a stark way that’s arresting as well.
This series of Tapestries tells the story of my work and residency in Hill End. Hill End is a gold rush era village, now a living museum, and the site for a long running Artist in Residency program run by the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery. Artists have had a connection with Hill End since the 1940’s, and the energy in this village and surrounding landscape is palpable.
The Tapestries on show are woven using wool that I dyed from dye stuffs found along the roadsides and in the common around Hill End. The resulting colours reflected the palettes of artists that had gone before me, and I was amazed at the synergy of these pigments and what artists see. I also use natural coloured wild silk in the weaving and the odd bit of gold thread.
The disturbed ground around Hill End fascinated me and I found myself drawing these compact landscapes again and again, so they are reflected in the works you see here. Like the rest of NSW, the drought has wreaked havoc on the bush surrounding Hill End, but in a stark way that’s arresting as well.
Hill End Artist in Residence 2017
Here are some images from the residency and the catalogue from the exhibition held in December 2019, at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.
| Catalogue for Palette of Place 2019 |
