Re-Igniting My Blog! Yes!

 It's been a while........but I've re-discovered my desire to blog regularly. So much water under the bridge since I last made an entry here, in fact too much to even contemplate writing about, so I'm just going to launch in and post some pictures of recent work. I will try faithfully to make regular updates.

So, here are some recently-completed works, starting with some art pieces:

.......and some dolls:

Assembling the Unassembled

When I start a mixed media assemblage piece, I usually start with a rough sketch with just enough information so that I don't lose the idea, because sometimes it takes me a while to get around to actually making it. Here is the sketch for my latest piece: "Artemisia's Chest #2"

 

I then start assembling all the pieces I need to make the piece - a combination of found objects and sculpted parts, usually. I play around with these bits and pieces before committing to the final arrangement.

 

It is then a process of permanently joining all the parts together into a cohesive whole. Usually, because there is a great disparity between the materials, I use layers of colour to harmonize everything and make it look like it all actually belongs together!

 

 In this piece, I sculpted one foot, two hands and a head. I made a stiffened felt conical hat and everything else was found: empty silkworm cocoons, fabrics, driftwood, rusted, flattened hose wrapping, a tiny jar, snake bones, a pulley, a box and some plywood.........a whole bunch of very discrete things pulled together into a cohesive whole. I have been fascinated by some of the interesting feedback I have had about this piece - some see it as a statement about lost childhood, which is something that had not entered my mind! Mostly, I work fairly intuitively when I'm making something like this.....I like meaning to be hinted at, but not spelled out. After all, those looking at it have to do SOME work!

The doors are hinged, so the cam be closed.

 

More Mood Indigo

Here's the second piece in - for want of a better title - I'm calling the "Mood Indigo" series. Lots of references to books, words and poetic ideas in this one. This is a mixed media assemblage piece: the head is cloth over air-dry clay, painted with artist's acrylics with inserted "pages" made from water-colour paper; the torso and hands are sewn fabric, painted; bundle of painted sticks in the lower opening of the box and there is a tiny glass phial containing a scrap of peer with a poem on it held in the hands.

……and something a little more prosaic - a tiny baby - jointed cloth body with needle-sculpted hands and feet, cloth over clay head painted with artist's acrylics, hand-knit leggings and cap and cotton gauze smock-top:

A Bit Of Indigo

I love the colour indigo……such a dark mysterious blue!
My latest piece is painted mostly in indigo, with a bit of white and flesh colour thrown in. But the overall mood is indigo: Mood Indigo.

Exhibition

I'm busy getting the last few pieces of work done for my upcoming exhibition in Victoria......these two were completed this week:
"Weeping Forest" 2

Memento Mori: Ligatus:

Imagined Poet Series - Second Piece

This piece, entitled "Lost Love Poems 1" is the second in a series I am working on: the "Imagined Poet" series. Third and fourth pieces are in planning. Here is what I have done so far for the next piece....... "Smallwings"

Reliquary For An Imagined Poet

This is number one in a new series....a few progress pictures and the final piece.