Various legends exist from China around tea and the humble teabag. Artists have created original pieces of art on teabags or using their surfaces to stitch.
I am currently using them to dye fabric.
I embarked on a journey of embroidering on spheres with flowers. The process involved felting, stitching and sewing. The daisy is a universal symbol of happiness, as well as a symbol of life, and that has been my beginning. As a visual artist and florist I love the intricate beauty of flowers and the profound connection they offer to the cycle of life.
There is more to create, a sanctuary where happiness can bloom.
My heartfelt journey to bridge the gap between generations, leaving an indelible mark on the pages of family history.
Through these unique handmade books, I have embarked on a quest - 12 books in total so far. These volumes tell a story of love, dedication, and an unyielding commitment to family.
In a world where distance and circumstance can keep families apart, these books serve as a living testament to the strength of family bonds. They are more than just collections of pages; they are portals to the past, gateways to the future.
I want my grandson to know that he is part of something special, something bigger than himself. These books are my way of ensuring that he knows his family, even if we haven’t been allowed to be part of his life.
In the pages of these books, the story of our family unfolds—a family determined to ensure that our history remains alive for Joseph.
Some pages are adorned with intricate paintings and drawings, capturing the essence of family adventures. Others display fading photographs, faces of ancestors, and places that hold the secrets of generations past. A treasured guest page from his late Grandfather whom he called Boompa.
There are writings that convey wisdom, values, and lessons learned. And throughout, there are thoughts and reflections, all dedicated to my grandson Joseph.
The digital world is a constant but Brooklyn Art Library has both. You can create a book and it will be digitised for others to see anywhere in the world. It also has a physical form where people can touch and read the books creatives have made.
It was a fun process to fill the 27 pages. I rebound the book and gave it a spine as it started yawning. I’m not against yawning books. I have made a few myself as they get fatter with collage additions.
“Wearing Out” is available to view online.
https://www.sketchbookproject.com/library/S2628949
Flip through the pages and leave a comment if you can or click favourite so I know you’ve seen it.
Bookmaking has its challenges. After spending time cutting pages, stitching a cover and binding that bundle, the first page often poses fear and anxiety.
What if I make a mistake?
I don’t really know what to write?
Shall I just leave the book blank?
This blank page is daunting.
Start at the second page. A quote is always a good way to start as someones else's words can give you inspiration.
Randomly paint a few pages.
Colour on a page can give you objects or patterns that you can make out. It's called pareidolia. Just like we see the ‘man in the moon.’ In some dyed paper I saw a blue splodge as an eye and so embroidered a few stitches.
Give things a go. There are no mistakes.
Every year Nelson showcases the Changing Threads National Contemporary Textile Art Awards. It is organised by Arts Council Nelson and held in the fabulous new Refinery on Hardy Street.
I entered my artwork 'Invisible Threads' and was thrilled to be a finalist and attend the opening.
The exhibition runs until 20 March 2021
"The scars tell the story and the stitches replace the words.
The emotional scars of surgery, the fear and the bad memories all remain invisible.
It’s about survival and strength, the mending and knitting together to build a relationship with art.”
The exhibition runs till 20 March 2021
Quirky art is something that appeals to me.
I focus on work I care about and these women have their own story. The connection between the past and the present gives them their own voice. Recycling, retelling, remaking and re-using old parts to give a new life to items from the past.
Maybe I've made my own fashion parade.
Progress has been achieved. The blank book as been dismantled and some colour and holes added. I’m planning on attaching a spine and binding the book.
This great initiative organised by St Vinnies in Wellington saw me busy over Christmas. I've enjoyed every stitch and bonded with Jessie pollock very early on.
My process is about making a beginning and things develop from there. Using raw threads shows the workings of the piece.
I have a stash of treasured stuff that is very old and fitted perfectly into the vintage theme. I’m grateful for the donations from friends when tidying their cupboards. The tatting came from my late Mother’s sewing box. It had a label DIC 2/6d and i used her embroidery thread. The blanket for the nurturing all the women did.
I contacted her Grandson and this is his recollection.
" Jessie Pollock was born in 1863 Jessie married twice. The first, against her mother’s wishes when she was about 22, in 1886. Henry was a scion of an English clerical family of some repute, but had been sent to the colonies to redeem himself, it would appear. His occupation was given as bottler on the marriage certificate, so presumably he was working in a brewery.. The marriage ceremony was given publicity in the local papers in Dunedin, as the bride wept throughout the ceremony, and having said “I do”, dashed out to the graveyard area accompanied by her puzzled spouse and they spent the the next few hours discussing matters. The upshot was that she went back to her mother! 5 years later in 1891, she divorced him, amid attendant publicity in the local Otago Witness paper, and later had, at age 33, a very successful marriage to Bob Garrett. Nothing of this earlier marriage was ever talked about in the family. Indeed, it was only when we were examining the marriage certificate between Bob and Jessie that we noticed that she was defined as “divorced” rather than the usual spinster! This set us off on a hunt to discover what had taken place. She is reputed to have met Bob whilst out riding a horse along the banks of the Taieri River, Mosgiel area. She ducked her head to go under a tree branch, insufficiently as it turned out ,and off came her bonnet. Bob was minding his own business, sitting by the river bank, and laughed at her embarrassment. Jessie turned her steed around and proceeded to to give Bob her opinion of people who laugh at others’ misfortune. So! Bob picked up her hat and thus she went and married him! Jessie did have strong opinions, regarding Temperance, and Suffrage, and worked to improve the lot of women in general. She and her mother both signed the petition. She wrote to the ODT, under the pen name of Lola, on numerous occasions.”
Thanks to Malcom Garrett her Grandson for the information.
view the link for more information.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/womens-suffrage/petition
Jessie and her mother Janet appear on sheet 86
Warmer days bring more interest in the garden as the dormant plants burst with lush growth. My garden is full of weirdly crazy art too.
Several years ago a group of us got together to create a Tree Cosy for the Napier Main Street as part of a promotion. Working with creative people is always fun especially when it involves something rather large.
We had several ‘working bees’ and encouraging hours of crochet and chat.
Our Magnificent Aquatic Goddess (MAG) was complete.
Here is her story in pictures
