I was looking back through my photos on Picassa tonight and happened upon this hand pieced lone star.  I had forgotton about it.

I think it is quite beautiful, but I was making this right at the time I decided to try to make art.  I thought I could mix the two;  Art and Traditional... but I find I cannot.

When I was little (5 or 6 yo) I begged my dad to ask our next door neighbour to teach me how to crochet.  My Nan taught me to knit (but then I forgot), I hated home ecomonics (4yrs compulsory) but it didn't stop me from forming a very loving relationship with my sewing machine over the years :-). 

Egged on by one of my flatmates at uni, I spent a year doing needlepoint in every spare (and not so spare) moment and later dalied with Brazillian embroidery (always with patterns... but I did have dreams of making a big needlepoint fish of my own design at one stage)

Said flatmate, Georgie, had a fine arts degree with a focus on textiles.  She had a few copies of Textile Fibre Forum which I pored over and her address book featured the work of Annemieke Mein*.  I think that was the REAL hook.

Now I've had my diversions... I fancied myself as a potter for a few years... last year I HAD to learn how to spin and knit, I've dabbled in felting and I've splashed paint around.

But I have consistently had some sort of in built compulsion to work with TEXTILES.  I suppose for some people there is a conscious choice and others it is just as plain as the nose on your face.
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* Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale will be holding a retrospective of Annemieke Mein's work - Wildlife in Textiles.  27 May - 23 July. 

I live about half and hour from Sale so if anyone is coming through to see the exhibition perhaps it would be a good opportunity to catch up for lunch or a coffee.

Riscy and Claire

Even though I was in two minds about submitting my art for public exhibition, I am pleased that the jury selected my work, and not only because my $35 will not be wasted.

I am interested to see how the quilt will look hanging in a gallery and I am excited that others who have an interest and a passion for contemporary textile art will get to see my art and I'll get to see other textile art as well.
 

Riscy took this photo from our hotel room in Hobart

Ginger Jar

 
Thanks to everyone who emailed and texted me regarding problems viewing this blog, some bugger hacked it Grrr... as soon as we got home this morning and Riscy things set right very quickly.

Do you like my new Ginger Jar?  I bought it at the Scottsdale Art Gallery in North East Tasmania.  I'm a sucker for chrystaline glazes :-)

As predicted, we ate way to much and drank even more visiting and partying our way around Tasmania.  I'm paying for it now with a raging cold (boo hoo) and I do feel my clothes have become significanly tighter (boo hooo hooooo!!!).

The wedding of Monica and Matt went well.  My drawing of St Johns Church featured on the front of the booklet for guests which had all the prayers and readings for the wedding.

We mostly stayed with friends and family this trip, as we are penny pinching for the renovations.  Riscy's parents are always hospitable and great company.  Down in Hobart we stayed at Chelsea and Scotty's new house, Chels was my flatmate for 3 years at University, so it was great to catch up again and to get to know Scotty better.

On the last night, we had of plans for driving up north, but left it too late so we splashed out and stayed at a very nice hotel right on the docks in Hobart.  Riscy took the following photo from our balcony.

Not a bad location!

We were not lucky with the Ferry, both crossings featured gale force winds and rolly seas.  But we were generally comfortable in our little bunks :-)

Tommorow we go away (again!!) to East Gippsland this time, I'll be back next Tuesday or Wednesday.