Sunday 2 June 2013

and into June

I haven't had anything to say for months. Everything has been quiet, not much art happening and the garden is going into dormancy with Winter approaching. Rodney installed a combustion wood heater in our lounge room last weekend and we've been enjoying the comfort and warmth. One of the nice things I look forward to over Winter is using the original, still functioning woodstove in our kitchen. It is a big perk of living in the country to have wood fires, made easy by having ready access to collecting wood from the properties of local farmer friends. Winter is a whole lot less daunting and dreary gazing into the flickering flame and clutching a steaming mug of milo in front of the crackling embers. Very primal....


the newly installed wood combustion heater in our lounge room

On the floor to the right thats Oscar, our fur baby, doing what dogs have done around the fires of their human companions since the beginning of time - snugging in as close as possible without singeing his fur!

One of my few creative projects recently was to make this charming dress for a 7 year old child. Just a few houses down our street lives the very accomplished artist Charlotte Drake-Brockman and our granddaughters are only a year apart in ages. I offered her a gorgeous dress my granddaughter had grown out of but it also didn't fit the other child.....but Charlotte loved it so much I got talked into making something similar.....

The patchwork bodice with hand beaded detailing

The whole dress with stencilling on the skirt

Rodney and I are looking forward to taking our annual holiday at the end of this month. We are off to Brisbane to attend "Textile and Art Academy" at Indoorpilly. I'm very excited to be taking a 5 day nuno felting workshop with textile artist Catherine O'Leary. I have long admired this ladys fabulous creations and know I'll be coming home fired up with lots of inspiration!