Time to reflect and take a break

Stormy weather nearly every day has kept me inside. This week I went back to paid employment after nearly 5 months away to move house, set up studios and offices, study and generally stay sane. Lots of time to reflect, to be still in the afternoons and listen to the grumble of thunder, or watch rain bursts fall over the mountains. Now that I'm fully functioning (well almost) in the studio / office space it has made a huge difference to establish my routines and settle into them like falling into an overpadded lounge chair. The last 5-10 minutes of every visit is set aside to put everything back in its place, to tidy, sort, prepare and clean up before the lights go out, the fan slows to stillness and the sliding doors meet in the middle to signal the end of another day. It's now time to be gentle, and keep the promise to myself of stress free Christmas holiday. We're unplugging, as far as we can, from the digital world and have banned phones at the table during meals, conversation or when we're outside enjoying the quiet of Kalbar from the back patio. I'll be back in 2024 for another year of making things happen, my way.

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It's all in the background - designing substrate

Scaling up an image of the Brisbane River to develop the substrate for a new art quilt. Each square needs to be 6cm x 6cm to make a finished size of 5 cm square. I created a "to scale" model of the finished quilt on drafting paper. I printed an image of the river (attribution below) and then scaled it up to get a fairly accurate flow across the quilt. The substrate rightly tells the background story. It is the foundation on which the main elements or features reside. So it isn't the "hero" of the piece - it needs to be recognised and visible without overwhelming the piece. I can now easily identify which squares hold a section of the river and start to experiment on piecing, applique, fusing, printing, and painting to learn which gives the best outcome for the substrate. (Brisbane River original image: Magpie Shooter; edited version Paulguard at en.wikipedia https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/indix.php?curid=9724127) My foundation piece might well end u...

Book Review - The Untamed Thread by Fleur Woods

One of those books that almost needs no review or enthusiastic write up - it just is sumptuous, full of texture and inspirational stitch that's as good as chicken soup for the soul. The pages are thoughtful, intentional, about bringing meaning to mark-making and embracing where you find yourself, whereever that is. Fleaur's love of nature intersects with her strong encouragement to explore, experiment and above all be at one with stitching in the ways of needle, thread, a cup of tea and taking time. I found more than a 'how to' and more than the superbly photgraphed processes - this is a wonderful free-form meets the joy of being still. I have loved every page, some I pour over again and again to take in the rich, visual texture and find new perspectives every time I revisit. Koa Press is a New Zealand Publisher, and the book can be purchased through Can Do Books .

Ali George Artist

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