Monday 31 May 2010

what happens when...



in case you wanted to know, but perhaps never thought to try
this is what happens
when one wraps a piece of damp kelp
in a piece of silk
and then
forgets to unpack it from the compost at the bottom of the suitcase
on returning home from far away

i found this fragment last night
when scraping out the depths of the Green Monster
in preparation for onward wandering on Friday

it hasn't been boiled or steamed
just quietly sulking for a month
in my very cold room
slow dyed but not at all mindfully
in fact
out of sight and out of mind entirely
[there goes that theory!]

i did wash and dry it before i made the photo
cos it was a tad slimy
but the silk doesn't seem to have been damaged at all
even though the kelp was fresh from the sea
[originally]

now i think a silk dress
wrapped in kelp
and left to rest a while
might be a very beautiful thing indeed

time is your friend...

Saturday 29 May 2010

face-off

my on-off flirtation with facebook
[revived as a means of participating in a group there]
is being put on ice again
at least for for the time being
i find facebook completely overwhelming

so apologies to those kind folks
who wanted to be friends
i'm still friendly
just sticking to a slightly smaller neck of the woods
where the only twittering is that of the feathered kind
cos i don't think i'll be signing up with the twits any time soon either

hear a leaf [or two] fall


here's your answer, Sweetpea
wrapped it around a 6 inch piece of pipe


you can see how the leaves have changed colour
red ones are now gold
deep greens now green-ish


if i had let it sit for longer
there would have been more patterns
dots begin to appear with time



here you can see the colour
and string lines
that were on the outside of the bundle
i'll be wrapping up a few
and putting them aside in the studio
so there'll be presents to open
when i return from the continent across the Big Blue Puddle

Friday 28 May 2010

autumn leaves



here's what i was doing today
with a pocketful of windfalls
to be precise


the folks at Shakerag will be able to hold the results in their hands soon
but for the rest of you
i'll post the unravelled boiled bundle
tomorrow

oh, and Zen Habits had something really sensible to say today
[well, he does most times]
go here to have a look

Thursday 27 May 2010

the air finds it hard to breathe



it's been an odd week.
some bizarre correspondence has wandered in
one in particular which accused me of having jumped ship and joined what the writer saw as 'the opposition'
an unfounded accusation
as it happened

happily there's been some nice stuff too
but
i'm mystified by the battle that seems to be raging
over ownership of philosophies
i didn't know that they could be 'owned'

the current fashion for 'slow', for example
seems to have a few people fired up

there are times that i don't want to be slow at all.
i like to walk, but i also like to drive
and let's be honest, if the conditions are appropriate
i like to drive fast.

what i think is really important is paying attention
making the most of the moment
being mindful, and doing things thoroughly to the best of my ability
whether i am walking
driving
or stitching with care and attention into a piece of cloth
or bundling a cloth around a pocketful of windfalls

today i visited the Light Square Gallery
and snapped the image above *

photography is all about capturing the moment
not slow at all
unless you're tracking stars

i also went to see Candid Camera
at the Art Gallery of South Australia
tis a remarkable exhibition
images of people doing people things


i scribbled a few notes
quite quickly
but mindfully


*'the air finds it hard to breathe' Heidi Kenyon

Sunday 23 May 2010

shakerag vacancy


it transpires there is a surprise vacancy in my first class at Shakerag
short notice
as it's in a couple of weeks time
but just in case somebody wants to go
here's the link to their site


just press button "B" [class says 'full' on their website but they tell me it's not so...]

oh, and if you're wondering where that lovely image up top is from?
new exhibition opening at the Art Gallery of South Australia this week
called
'Candid Camera'


Thursday 20 May 2010


Ming the Merciless adjusted her new red felt landskin scarf
found along with velvet offerings in red and brown
and also several in chiffon silk
at Aspects Gallery, Kings Park, Perth


"are you sure about this?" she mused
and then ducked off


to mend her spectacles
using the trusty guide from the Reader's Digest of 1970something



all of which translates as a gibbering sigh of relief
because
my mother has again eluded the undertaker
i've finally delivered an order for the West [see first image]
and
i've nearly finished that manuscript

and just for the record, the tag with the question
came from a tea-bag

Wednesday 19 May 2010

orange 2011



the embargo has been lifted
and i can now spread the word
the April Forum in Orange NSW is now open for enrolment
some 17 classes are on offer
including one by yours truly
email
tafta[at]iinet.net.au
unless you are a subscriber to
in which case you will already have received an enrolment form
tucked in with your lovely magazine

Sunday 16 May 2010

i may have mentioned this before



i wish i had said that myself
but it was actually Nicolette Fraillon
Music Director and Chief Conductor of the
Australian Ballet

Friday 14 May 2010

kawandi and another kat


it's been another extraordinary week here in Central Bumble
various treasures arrived
some by post
others along the interhighway
the image above is of a Kawandi quilt, specific to the Siddi of India
i found it in Art Found Out
and through those pages followed the bread crumbs
go on, be brave, click the mystery link


the traditional post brought
quite unexpectedly but at intervals
Other Things

a parcel with a John Wolseley catalogue [Patagonia to Tasmania]
and a delightful collection of buttons
an egg brooch [it's in the picture above], a pair of earrings
a wee folded envelope [just like those here]
from my very nice friend at Soewnearth

and then Imbi
she who shines way up North
sent me an exquisite hand bound book
made by Michael O'Brien of Oamaru
[that pink flower peeping near the top of the pic is part of it]

and if you're wondering what the horse-y shape is
lower down in the image
i piled my treasures on to another book
[only momentarily for the happy snap]
sent me in a care package
by my kindly editor at Murdoch Books
don't they know i'm supposed to be writing?
not losing myself in other people's magic?
[steam riseth from the keyboard]
shall have to be disciplined and save it

such abundance!
Willow [also known as Mrs Poo]
and pictured below
is not at all impressed
but
very satisfied at having booted Sam out of his bowl


cold Very cold


you may wonder
what a cat is doing in a bowl
it's cold
the bowl keeps the draft out


when you're sitting in front of the fire

when not full of cat
it is also useful for
dyeing scraps of velvet

Monday 10 May 2010

so enough with the black already




yep, those of you who have visited these pages before
may like to reach for the sunglasses
i have decided to abandon the funereal black
and whitewash the walls a bit

the images above are of eucalyptus ecoprint
on delicious silk velvet
the objects have felt-induced wrinkles

Thursday 6 May 2010

the scarlet manuka


dark times call for desperate measures
tonight we had to invent a new margharita
it comprises
a cup full of fresh raspberries
sourced from the Barossa Farmers' Market
ice
juice of a couple of Tahitian Limes
Cointreau
Tequila
more ice
a little Manuka honey
and
a handful of frozen strawberries
plus
a chili like the one in the picture above
all
pulverized in a blender
and then
served in glasses
dampened with lime
and dipped in salt
not just any salt
but Pacific Ocean salt from New Zealand

we christened it
in honour of an other dog

care to share your favourite take on a Margharita?

Wednesday 5 May 2010

revise your life



whenever i'm stuck somewhwere with potentially idle hands
who taught me how to twine string
this piece is obviously luridly dyed with some synthetic colorant
and
when dampened the cloth smelt like petrol
but
at least it kept me occupied
whilst waiting in the raindropped dark
thinking about life
and what's important
compared to what isn't
string holds it all together

Monday 3 May 2010

thanks



thanks to all of you who have sent kind thoughts
and supportive messages
they are much appreciated
and
i'm also very grateful
that Kip the Wonder Dog
is determined to hang in there
and
is still being my comfort and companion