Home again...

It is always great visiting amazing places overseas but coming home to that familiar environment called home always cuts to the heart. It is like landing in a large fluffy cushion of family and friends, and all that one holds dear. Especially after our return flights from Peru were complicated with one being cancelled and another delayed 10 hours!

Peru is a fascinating place with a great contrast in scenery, and the people are very friendly and helpful. I plan to show some photos in my next few blogs with some of my thoughts about what I saw.

I am already keen to get back into new work; time away and separation from one's creative environment certainly allows for reflection and determinations for the future. Where to start is the first challenge....

In the meantime, here are three photos from Peru:

My very first photo, at the Gold Museum in Lima (Museo de Oro del Peru). This was an internal courtyard and I love the complementary contrast of the red walls and green cacti.

I was surprised at the amount of desert in Peru. It seemed to be endless at times.

Further inland the countryside is more productive.

My tour was organised by Lifestyle Journeys.

Making an effort

This blog is programmed to appear on line whilst I am away in Peru. I shall be checking whether it has worked when I get home!

One subject which is dear to my heart is self-learning or auto-didacticism. I have not had a formal art training, this never being an option for an average lass way back in the 1960's. At times I have regretted this, but mostly I consider this to be an advantage (I am sure I would have been a failure anyway because I dislike being told what to do in favour of my own concepts).

Over the years I have attended many individual workshops, and indeed taught many workshops (this gets one learning). I have been very selective in my choice of direction and returned to my own studio and put my slant on what has been seen/done.

I have always made a special effort to attend the many lectures and artists' talks that accompany exhibitions at art galleries and museum. I find these fascinating, the more so if the topic/art is not what I do, ie textiles.

To keep abreast of such events I am a member of the Friends of TheNewDowse, Expressions and Te Papa, all within my local region. Pataka also offers a great lecture programme. If you don't want to become a Friend of these institutions, they all bring out monthly programmes which are available on their websites, e-newsletters and handouts.

My events diary tells me I have been to six of these since the beginning of 2010. I always walk away inspired with what I have seen and heard. Sometimes I have not understood, or liked, a particular exhibition, and an artists' talk puts a new perspective on the work. Occasionally I can't be persuaded to like the work but at least I have a greater understanding.

Learning is our responsibility. Making that effort should become a matter of routine. The insights learnt can be very beneficial, as well as most enjoyable.

Try it!

Away again...

On Saturday April 10th I am off overseas again, returning April 27th. This time my journey is to Peru. I have not been to South America yet although I have been to Mexico but am not sure whether this counts. This is another journey with Lifestyle Journeys with whom I visited northern Spain in 2008.

Peru has always had a fascinating with me since I did a project in my final year at school (some decades ago!) where we had to study a country, its climate, people, geography etc. I chose Peru and somehow got very absorbed in producing my project. I even painted many of the illustrations instead of pasting in pictures etc. I got a mark of 39 out of 40. This project is the only item I have saved from my school days.

The cover of my project 1960.

This week I have washed all my dye rags and drop cloths so that on my return I will be able to get straight back into work.

I won't be able to blog while I am away but I plan to prepare one blog which should pop up sometime while I am away. I will be testing the system (or should that be me) with this possibility.

Good news

First, before I get to the good news, I would like to acknowledge the feed-back I have received regarding my latest piece. It was encouraging to receive this while still working on this piece, and at its completion. I can recall deciding to do this exposure on my blog, and wondering whether this would be a good thing, or not. Mostly I was one step ahead of what I showed, but there was still pressure to achieve something for the next blog. It certainly kept me focused!

And at times it had me feeling uncomfortable. Any next application could ruin what had gone before, and it would have been very public. Each time I needed to move it forward even if I wasn't sure what I was doing. It seems ages since I started this piece, but in reality it took only four weeks. I am not sure whether I will be so public again; but then again, I just might!

I have yet to rate my feelings about this piece, it is currently resting awaiting evaluation.

And now for the good news! Following my exhibition at Expressions, Upper Hutt, last year, I decided I would like to see it displayed in at least one (hopefully, two) more galleries before I retire the work. I discovered an expressions-of-interest for exhibiting at the Art Gallery Papakura, Auckland, in the Artists Alliance information, and sent off a proposal. I understand they received several proposals but chose mine for the slot 8 July to 7 August. Obviously, I am very excited about this. Fortunately I did not stop working after my exhibition so I already have some replacements for those sold.

Part of my exhibition at Expressions last year.

Tis done....

The very last element to add to this piece was the red lines accompanying the escaping bird in flight. To determine where to place these I first printed out a postcard size image of the whole piece. Then placed tracing paper over this and started to sketch in some lines.

In the end I decided on just the two lines.

Well, I think it is now done. I shall leave it to 'rest' for awhile, then complete the edges/finishing. I am not yet quite sure how I will go about this. Overall size 145cm/57" x 115cm/45".

It does seem ages ago since I put up the first progress image of this piece. I have never done this so openly before, preferring just to show segments of a piece in progress. I think I have been very brave and there were certainly a few moments when I thought I must be daft! It certainly kept me focused.

I went to an artists' talk a few weeks back and the artist said she never knew what she was doing, and hoped that it would stay that way. I recognise this sentiment entirely as it reflects the way I work too. Long may it continue!

Almost there...

I am just about there! Some more building up on this piece since my last blog, and possibly just one more thing to do.

I have added some lime green to both the top left and bottom right corners. This colour may seem quite an odd choice but I often find that such a addition proves its worth.

I have also screened some more red grid patterns on the right side and this seems to work well, balancing the red grids on the left side.

I am not out of the woods yet, and the final application will be very nerve wracking!
I will need to prepare myself carefully beforehand....

Things are happening...

More progress this week. I have worked in the bird cage area and added a series of red line grid blocks in between the bars.

This involved a lot of tedious tearing of masking tape to define the areas.

The red gives a great lift to this piece and I plan to use it elsewhere as well.

The line grid silk screen is one I made some time ago, along with another of a grid of dots. Both have been most useful elements to add to a piece. I usually mask off an area in which to screen the line grid or dots grid.