« October 2007 | Main | December 2007 »
Currently approx. 2.5m long, 1.5m in diameter at top. There will be more fire-coral at the bottom when finished. The photos don't show how the vortex increases in diameter at the top. This is apparent when suspended.
That's a lot-a plastic bags!
New pieces from the Softwear Collection.
This Coral Snake Necklace was made for my friend, Cath, for her 40th birthday. It's very satisfying to make presents for people. I hope they like them too. The photo was taken in her stunning garden. It's full of orchids and bromeliads. The plant the necklace is hanging on is a Hoya spp.. The flowers are dark maroon, waxy and hairy.
I made this necklace for myself. Inspired by the anemone fish and coral
............ and some new pieces of Softwear have been added to the Gooseflesh Boutique
This year Sydney had lots of rain during winter and spring, after a very long drought. As a result Sydney garden are flowering beautifully. The Jacarandas, Flame trees and Bougainvilleas are absolutely magnificent. In my garden the bulbs are always fun to watch as they emerge. Spring takes me by surprise every year......... everything is dormant and looking slightly shabby; then within a few weeks the garden is growing profusely, looking fresh and lush.
The Hippeastrum.
A flowering succulent with irridescent red/pink flowers. My sister-in-law, Ali, gave me a cutting a few years ago.
Sprekelia bulbs
A drawing of my paintbrush bulbs. I found these on the side of the road. They are quite rare.
Some time ago I did two drawings/studies of two sculptures. One was peaceful, Endimion endormi by Antonio Canova(1752-1822). The other disturbing; a doll by Hans Bellmer(1932-1975). I wanted to see if and how my drawing changed depending on how I felt about the subject. I used my whole body whilst drawing, that's why they are so big. The paper was first covered entirely with charcoal then I used an eraser to "carve out" the light. The white of the drawing is the white of the paper. A technique I often use; drawing in reverse.
A study of Antonio Canova's (1757-1822) Endimion endormi.
Charcoal on paper, 71 x 95cm.
A study of a doll by Hans Bellmer(1902-1975).
Charcoal on paper, 89 x 62cm.
The Bellmer drawing has coarser strokes. The Canova is softer and the light more refined. One drawing is hanging in my bedroom, the other is rolled up and stored in a cupboard. No prizes for guessing which one is hanging on the wall. Both of the drawings were done with the subject turned 90 degrees. The Canova sculpture is a horizontally sleeping figure. The Bellmer doll is leaning against a wall vertically.
This piece is from my favourite magazine, World of Interiors. It was part of the International Surrealist Exhibition in 1936 in London. Hans Bellmer exhibited in this exhibition too. The poor little seahorse looks so vulnerable in that position. It looks better when vertical and swimming around.
Eileen Agar, Untitled, 1935.
Marine scientist here in Sydney are researching ways of boosting seahorse numbers in the harbour. Seahorses, bred in captivity, were released into Manly Cove a couple of days ago. This animal is weird and wonderful because the female seahorse deposits her eggs into the male seahorse's pouch and after gestation he gives birth to about a hundred baby seahorses. How cool is that!
The world is wondrous and filled with the weird and wonderful.
I love when the boundaries between the real and the fantastic are blurred. When unexpected juxtapositions take me by surprise.
When walking along the high-tide mark on the beach, I find plastic detritus swept out of the stormwater drain or washed up from the ocean. It's everywhere. Why so many toothbrushes and cigarette lighters?
These little bits will be incorporated into The Rubbish Vortex. Not sure how yet.
The ball of plastic yarn took me about 6 hours to make. It's the size of a small soccer ball....... that's a lot of plasic bags. I love the feeling of having lots of yarn to crochet. I plonk myself down and wriggle the fingers around entering into a peaceful crochet bliss. All the time saying...... "when I finish this bit I'll take another sip of tea". Hours later, the tea is cold but the Rubbish Vortex has grown.
It's now 2.5m long and it's beginning to get heavy too! I carry it over my shoulder, take it into the garden and look at it for a while, drinking a newly made cup of tea.
Visit the The IFF Flickr photos of the crochet coral reef in Chicago.
