Ali George Artist

  The annual benefit auction is nearly upon us - it's SAQA's major fundraiser for the year. Member artists create a 30cm x 30cm (12" x 12") art piece and donate to the annual auction. My piece (see below) is well on its way to the US and I can't wait to see the other 380+ pieces. I've been a member, on and off, for more than a decade including some time as the Oceania rep. I learned so much from the organisation, from other artists and attended the 2012 joint conference with the Surface Design Association in Philadelphia. A life- and art-changing trip for me and the friendships made all those years ago, endure to this day. Still inspired, still loving being a textile and mixed media artist. The auction starts September 14 through October 8  at saqa.com/auction

 It's not often we get to design a room "from scratch". Aside from the necessity to have clean clothes and bed linen, there's a lot of textile and fabric design that happens across the hall in the main studio area. So the tub had to be stainless steel, and large enough to take 4-5 metres of fabric at a time. I needed hanging space immediately above the sink which also is neat for hanging wet shirts and human-worn textiles. White-ish stone benchtop - so I see what I'm doing, and long enough to do all the folding and sorting of fabrics (and clothing). Overhead cupboards to store dyes, paints, printing supplies, chemicals, and everything else required in a wet studio. Lots of light - splashback tiles that reflected as much natural light as possible into the space (same deal for the kitchen). Tall  (aka broom) cupboards to take all manner of equipment including a recharging station and power points for operating the Elna press and another iron when the dyeing is done.

  Each week, I get together with Rebecca and we do "something" related to our art. This week we walked the lake at Forest Lake, looking for texture, line, scale and just being present in the space. I love the imagery of walking, and also the smells, sounds and general traffic around the walking tracks.  We seemed to walk for ages and talked for longer. I always come away inspired and recharged after a visit. This week we discussed exhibition spaces and contemplated the merits of and differences between the more common way of exhibiting quilts at craft and quilt shows, with seeing textile art as an integral part of the fine arts and deserving of gallery space in its own right. 

Our new home will be filled with art that inspires and objects that bring joy. I first met artist   Lisa Call in Philadelphia in 2012, and purchased an exquisite textile painting. Inspired then, inspired now and privileged to have acquired  three new works ahead of our move. I still smile at the serendipity of entering a gallery in the old part of Philly, without knowing how that interaction would become an enduring friendship. Lisa was in the house (gallery) on that day, and the rest is history. As the founder of the Make Big Art community,  Lisa's coaching and encouragement continues to support my own growth and help take my arts practice to another level.

It is hard to imagine this space in another month or two - the main studio and office area placed opposite the laundry and powder room. The bare bones of a new space. Currently playing with the zones - a place to work / office and life administration, a cutting station, a sewing area that will fit my Bernina workhorses and overlocker. Equally important, a space and place for reflection, reading and rest. There is a single, large window from which the WMBM will create an oasis in the outside recess - meeting the needs of viewing pleasure while maximising natural light. The laundry has a special linen cupboard designed for bolts of PFD fabric and storage of bulky items. Back in the room, I'm thinking a wall of storage and more bench space and finally, the best position for a portable design wall.  There is no rush and I'm happy to wait and see how best to respond to this new environment. The space will let me know what to do.  

Closed. Sliders. The big reveal? Opportunity. Imagination. Fresh start. Protected. Permission. Sanctuary. This will become the place where I can be, uninterrupted. What does that look like? I imagine a space where 25 hours a week of study and 40 hours a week in paid employment give way to a different statistic. Visioning. Being. Unsuppressed excitement at the possibilities. I no longer see concrete and bare hanging doors. Through these doors I see art. An artful life.  

  Priority #1: Be creative. For me, fabric selection, cutting and reassembling the pieces all contribute to the backstory of an art quilt.  Precision piecing harks back to traditional skills - perfect points can also be used to tell part of the story. I'm trying a few different arrangements using my hand dyed indigo blue paired with white, commercially produced fabric. On their own they do make a gorgeous quilt top - but hardly art. I've been researching the impact of climate change on migration patterns and particularly migratory birds. Exploring things like how temperature changes impact the environment, the winds, storms and the signals that trigger annual migration. I've changed direction with the traditional flying geese block  - not quite confused and not quite lost, but certainly no clear direction. I've added some visual pop with the things that don't quite belong - the russet / warm flying geese sections joining the flock.