Stash, collection, hoard, cumulation, stockpile, assemblage. I have them all. Who collects offcuts that they may use one day?
Today is my day. I have two boxes collected over the years. They have been very useful but it's time to lessen the hoard of all the treasures that have been part of an artwork.
I’m making a junk journal.
The white paper has shading and the stockpile of precious collage will diminish.
Let the book begin.
What Triggers a new artwork? My Nana lived in Christchurch.
As a young child we holidayed with Nana and Papa. Nana couldn’t drive and the bus stop over the road was very convenient. She along with her sister would board the ‘goody red bus.’ With their super dress sense and handbags over their arm this was a weekly adventure culminating with afternoon tea at Beaths.
When the Christchurch earthquake struck 22nd February 2011 my mind went back to my early memories and wondering how my Nana would cope with the liquifaction, her beloved cathedral broken and the area she lived in red zoned.
I painted a picture.
An artwork from an idea to fruition is sometimes fraught with decisions. I made the pages for this book and then stitching it together needing resolving. It sat unloved for some time before I came up with the idea of stitching old curtain hooks on to the spine. I found a brass ashtray and a poker and with my husbands help the book was attached and easy to flip through and turn the page.
For a year I lived in Invercargill. Bluff oysters live close by and are prized for their delicacy. They are in season March till about August and taste delicious. They can be cooked in different ways but are best eaten raw. There are food festivals and shucking competitions where the oyster is the centre of attention.
This mini book was made using the shell as the cover with the pages dyed and painted.
