Collage Mania is about to start!

Virginia Spiegel dropped me a line to remind me that Collage Mania is Monday and Tuesday, in other words May 5 and 6.

I think it is going to be 2 days of total crazyness for Virginia as all you have to do is choose an artwork, e-mail Virginia and make a donation and that is that. So over the weekend I took time out and toddled off to check out the site. It was fatal as I spent hours browsing the gallery. Literally half a day was spent looking at one piece or the other so for eye candy don’t miss this site! The images here are just a bit of a taster. (Please see the image credits at the bottom of the post)

There are hundreds of collaged pieces to browse and delight the eye. So if you enjoy collage of either paper or fabric you will have hours of satisfaction browsing these images.

Do pop over and take a look and remember that all proceeds are donated to the American Cancer Society through Fiberart For A Cause.

While I was on Virginia’s site I checked out her blog. Apart from details about Collage Mania a few posts back I stumbled upon a very thoughtful post on “What Makes A Series Work” which is worth thinking about. The other project I delighted in is Virginia Spiegel’s personal challenge the Garbage Day Project. Do check it out as it had me wanting to reach for a camera and join in

Image Credits

Image 1 Collage by Karen Bettencourt
Title: e onziéme étourneau (the eleventh starling)
10″h x 8″w Old papers, acrylic paint, image transfer on canvas.

Image 2 Collage by Jennifer Black
Many Gatherings
7.25″h x 5″w Vintage sheet music, photo, envelope, and other papers; tissue papers; spine of an old book; paint, thread and old buttons.

Image 3 Collage by Susan Lenz
Remains of a Quilt
10″h x 8″w Leftover snippets from a silk painted quilt, paper, thread, acrylic gel.

 

Two Fundraisers

I received an email from Claudine Intner who during the month of October, is hosting Art Now for Autism, an online fundraiser for autism. The exhibition includes the work of 26 artists who work in the mediums of fiber, photography, mixed media, and painting. Money raised will go to Autism Speaks and they have raised over $2,000 so far.

Another fundraiser is from the pen of Virginia Spiegel. Art, Nature, Creativity, Life is a serialised book which is available for a donation to the American Cancer Society.

Virginia kindly dropped me a review copy to browse and I must admit that I received it last week but it took me a while to read through what she had actually sent me and it is the type of material that you have to mull over a bit before dashing off a review.

The “book” is actually a series of well thought out, “best of” newsletters that contain brief pieces on creativity, the creative process, inspiration in the form of poetry, imagery, articles, tips and work in progress thoughts.

The everyday becomes inspiring under Virginia’s hand. Art, Nature, Creativity, Life is well written and presented, the photography is exquisite, and the essays are woven together in a manner that leads the reader down an enjoyable path. The compilation is a well rounded and balanced reading experience as there is not too much or too little of anything. The essays are not too sappy or sentimental, neither is it like a sporting coach giving you a pep talk. Virginia hit the right note for me.

These essays are the sort of thing you need to settle down with a cuppa when you want to take a break from studio work and need a dash of inspiration. The compilation is a re-energiser and the money raised goes to good cause. Do consider making a donation.

I have just had an email from Virginia Spiegel to say she has put a sample chapter online. So don’t waste time hanging around here go and check it out.

 

Fashion and Textile Museum

Situated in London, the Fashion and Textile Museum is dedicated to contemporary fashion and textiles. Currently it is hosting an exhibition of the work of museum founder Zandra Rhodes under the title of A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles.

 

William Morris at the Powerhouse

Beche-la-mer of Two Cents has written a brief review of the William Morris exhibition at the Powerhouse. I thought those Sydney siders who read this would be particularly interested, but I am also going to have to find time for a trip to Sydney and take it in as I am a great Morris fan. I am not sure when but I am definitely going to have to make time to see it.

 

Fashion, Jewellery and Accessories at the Victorian and Albert Museum

The Victorian and Albert Museum in London have been collecting Fashion, Jewellery and Accessories since the collection was started. The collection now has items dating back to 17th century up to examples of contemporary fashion. Currently they are highlighting knitting, hosting a particularly interesting article on the Regional Knitting in the British Isles & Ireland and of course there are knitted items from their collection

 

Bronze age clothing

A few weeks ago Jerry was in Copenhagen and he paid a trip to the National Museum and has recently loaded photographs of bronze age clothing that were preserved in Danish bogs. I think some of the historical costumers will be interested to see these images.

 

Body Art

Body Art produced by the Australian Museum is a companion site to an exhibit about “the many different ways, both temporary and permanent, in which people modify, change, decorate and adorn their bodies.” The site provides images and information about painting, piercing, scarring, tattooing, and shaping.

 

V&A image collection online.

For anyone who had visited the UK the Victorian and Albert Museum is a must for their textile collection is amazing. The V&A image collection houses over 20,000 images of objects, including ceramics, fashion, glass, and textiles. I typed in ’sampler’ and I was done for as 106 results came up. Many of my favourite samplers are in this collection as I am fortunate enough to have lived in London for a year. I went to the V&A every week sat and drew these pieces in the process fell in love with them. So for me it was seeing old friends.

This map sampler [Museum no 497-1905] caught my eye as I have been thinking about maps and stitching lately.

One of the things I have been thinking about and looking at how space is often used on samplers there is no gaps no rest for the eye so they build up this texture of patterning. Now this was partly to do with economy but it produced a particular aesthetic. Have a look at this Moroccan sampler [Museum no T.35-1933] to see what I mean. At art school I was taught to give plenty of room to elements in a design, white space was god but I really love this crowded look. I am thinking about how space is conceptualised online, since an email whips around the globe in a moment there is none and my net life is certainly crowded with people.

This crowding of elements seems to fit on some intuitive level perhaps I can use it to act as a metaphor for the net. It would be good as it also references the past.

As I said I am just thinking outloud at the moment.

The V&A site is great visual sustenance and has set me up for the day!

 

Open day at the School of Art

Yesterday was quite busy as every year the Australian National University hold an open Day. It allows prospective students to visit and speak to staff. However the School of Art takes on quite a festive atmosphere as we throw open all the studios for people to see. We hold demonstrations of things like glass blowing, paper making and free activities are on. For instance yesterday I saw a lot of parents trundling around with the creative attempts of their children as this year children were making their own pots in the Ceramic workshop. There are demonstrations and activities in every workshop and the public are usually very interested in how objects are made. The school has workshops for Ceramic, Glass, Gold and Silversmithing, Painting, Photomedia, Printmedia and Drawing, Sculpture, Textiles and Wood. We also have an Art theory department and an Artist book studio, Papermaking studio, and Computer Arts Studio where I work.

Installations of work by both students and staff are throughout the school. This year Valerie Kirk head of the Textiles Workshop (as I also teach the textile students) asked me to ‘do something’ with the cabinets in Library so I created an installation of standard plastic shirt buttons. Simply put, I drew a button out of buttons at the base of the cabinet. People seemed to enjoy it as I have had quite a few comments. The button necklaces in the images are Valerie’s work. All up it was a fun and successful day and Jerry’s version of the day is over on his blog mindsigh.

 

Fiber Collection online:

The DSA Fine Arts Selected Fiber Collection is a small online gallery which includes tapestry, weaving, art quilts and other textile art pieces.

I particularly liked “How to Get a Husband Stamp” an art quilt by Teresa Barkley.