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:

It's been a long time!

It's been way too long since I last wrote here on my blog. The noise and shallow chatter of Facebook seems to get in the way of the writing of more considered posts here on my blog. I have therefore resolved to make sure I post at least weekly, as I used to, because I find I can express myself more clearly when I'm not dashing off a quick FB post or reacting to some political rubbish that I probably shouldn't even bother with. It's such a waste of time and effort! Even if nobody ever looks at my posts, I still enjoy blogging.

At the moment I am in a mad dash to the line to get the last pieces completed for the "IMAGES" exhibition in Hobart (Long Gallery in Salamanca Place) It opens at 8 am on December 19th for any of you based in the South of the state and inclined for an early morning art experience........and CHAMPAGNE!

Here's a sneak peek at some of my pieces for that show....

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.

 

The Ancestor Project

Some years ago, my late husband and I spent an extended time in England and Europe, touching base with our roots, to some extent. During that time we stayed with my aunt in England (Gwen) and my aunt in Germany (Annelotte).........I discovered that both aunts had photographs of my grandparents that had all been taken at around the same time: ca 1917. I made quick little sketches in my travel sketchbook of all four of them for no particular purpose other than that I felt some connection to them. At the time the pictures were taken, they were 18, 17, 16 and 13 years old.

Time rolls on, loved ones die and one starts to think a bit more about mortality and the transience of our time here on earth and where we come from........hence the birth of The Ancestor Project. I resurrected  the little pencil portraits (I have to say, they are all good likenesses) to try and do something a little more permanent with them. I enlarged and transferred them onto silk organza and mounted them onto canvas using a special acrylic medium that encases them and preserves them forever. Here are the first two "Ancestor" pieces.: the first is 20" x 20" and the diptych is two small canvases - 6" x 6".

There is some acrylic overpainting on both and red stitching on the larger piece.

 

You'll notice that my English grandfather, Bertram Johnston, is wearing a British soldiers' uniform and my German grandfather, Heinrich Klatt, is wearing a German Red Cross uniform (he had a club foot and couldn't serve as a regular soldier) They were on opposite sides at the Battle of the Somme and I sometimes fantasize about them meeting behind the battle lines. Didn't happen, of course, but I often wonder what would have transpired if they had. I think they were both pacifists and hated war and would probably have got along quite well!

My English grandmother, Gladys Barnes (far left in the larger piece) was only thirteen at this time. The story goes that just before this picture was taken, she'd cut off her long hair and had got into a lot of trouble! Rosa Mohr was my German grandmother - apparently she had a very sunny disposition. I never got to meet my German grandparents, but when we were growing up, they used to send fabulously exotic Christmas parcels to us that were stitched into linen covers that had to be unpicked.....all sorts of exotic aromas were released when the box finally disgorged its contents.....cigars, marzipan, dark chocolate.......just the thought of those scents evokes feelings of great nostalgia.

There may be more to come in this series.....I have a few ideas fomenting. 

 

Upcoming Exhibition

I'm participating in a group exhibition in Adelaide, South Australia later this month entitled "THE DOLL REDEFINED" I think there are around thirty participating artists, so the work should be interesting and varied. It's at Gallery 1855 in Tea Tree Gully, opening on the 15th April at 2.00 pm.
As a native of Adelaide, I'm excited to be showing my work there and looking forward to the opening. Here are a some of the works I'm showing..........

 

New Work

I must apologize for not posting more often.........getting this house and garden licked into shape takes a lot of my time! At the moment I'm repairing and painting the roof while the weather remains warm and fine. I have broken the back of it - should be done in a week or so if the weather stays dry. You can read about it on my other blog:            http://www.fourteenstepstothebluedoor.blogspot.com.au  

Meanwhile, I AM working on my artwork - I'll have work in an exhibition in Adelaide next month - I'm busy completing the pieces so I can send them next week. The exhibition is called "The Doll Redefined" - should be an interesting diversity of work!

Here is a selection of work I've completed recently:

 

Mr Foxx Out Strolling - jointed cloth with a sculpted cloth-covered head. Painted and embroidered.

 

 

"Cirque Des Enfants" No 8 in a series.

 

"Transmutation - Mor-Rioghain"

 

"Spiritus Loci 2" w.i.p.

 

 

 

 

Enigma Stones

I'm starting work again on a few sculptural pieces.........this is number 7 in the "Enigma Stones" series. Small mixed-media sculpture painted in monochromatic greys.

I have a couple of exhibitions coming up, so I need to get together a  reasonable body of work.