Flying Free - after a month....

It is now a month since the Flying Free Project was launched. Four free workshops have been held, averaging twelve participants each week. This project has been developed to honour and remember the women who tragically have died as a result of domestic violence. All the proceeds from the sale of bird kits and completed birds on International Women's Day 2016 will be donated to women's refuges in our local area. Unfortunately in the month we have been making birds, two women have been added to the sad statistics of 43 female domestic violence deaths in Australia this year... However, we have sat peacefully each Wednesday at Timeless Textiles Gallery stitching birds and I would like to share with you some of the wonderful moments and creative achievements of "Flying Free" in the last four weeks. Thanks to UK artist, Abigail Brown who gifted Timeless Textiles a basic pattern for a bird. .

Another 15 + birds flew south to Curve Gallery, Hunter Street, Newcastle.

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Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

A Jaunty Josie from JOY - How did that happen?

No new year’s resolutions , but I like the idea of words shaping a year …. I did not choose JOY - I chose PLAY and CHALLENGE, which I think also fits the upcoming Chinese Year of the Horse…. “ The year 2026 signifies a fresh start, embodying the dynamic Year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese zodiac, representing energy, freedom, and innovation, coupled with a Universal Year 1 in numerology, signalling new beginnings and pioneering action “ How did JOY become the focus of this story? Where better to start than with the weekly colour prompts #coloricombo by EsteMacleod …these are published each Monday night ( Australian Eastern Summer Time) , so I’ve had a week to work on these . Added to the colour prompts Este has also intensified the challenge by including a different shape or form each week. This week, she chose the word/letters J O Y Between workshops, travelling and other projects, I spent a few hours cutting and pa...

The Making of a Matriarch

Matriarch? Definitions of ‘matriarch” don’t differ much, but the following one suits my purpose …. A matriarch is a willing protector, a nurturer, and a leader of her family and community. She is a role model, particularly for women, and a fierce advocate for causes close to her heart. She is empowered and makes it her job to empower others. She is open-minded and utilizes her wisdom for the good of all. ( from https://medium.com › a-matriarch-in-the-making-52b42) The debate whether a matriarch is the exact opposite of patriarch delves deeper into power relationships and the established dominance of gender in governing bodies. I will not be subscribing to that serious debate in this blog as I just wanted to make an art doll which has a story. The Matriarch I created is an amalgam of European and First Nations concepts of matriarchs: Guardian of Nature Protector of Environment Healer and Nurturer Cultural Keeper Decision Maker...

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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