An interesting photoshoot came my way this week. The owners and designer of the "shack" are hoping to enter the house in the renovations/additions section of a design award and I had the opportunity to take some pics.
The old shack has been left untouched by the renovations and nestles under the protective structure of the new addition.
It meant an early start to catch the house lit up in the pre dawn light and then make the most of the early light on the building. A tricky time of day to do inside / outside shots so I had to work with lots of different exposures... and just when I needed it my remote decided not to work... dodgy battery... nothing ever runs quite to expectations.
I did get enough good shots to work with though.
What an exciting start to the day!
The package I have been waiting for arrived and I am delighted with the contents! Some printed silk for scarves and my first batch of printed cotton for an ART project.
But I had better start at the beginning for people to understand more about this Artistic Adventure.
The FIBRESPACE textile artists current theme is " Kaleidoscopic Mind-Boggle" ... well where do you start when interpreting this???
Generally when I work on FIBRESPACE pieces I try to build on a technique that I have used before, creating a little journey for myself. Previously I had experimented with taking photos with my phone and a teleidoscope (a kaleidoscope that show the world around us as pattern and design created with mirrors.) This was great fun and I used it to create some designs that I had printed on fabric for the "Beyond Time" exhibition.
I was reasonably pleased with the results but the edges of the images were a bit blurry so I wondered if there were other ways to achieve more uniform results.
I found an app for my iPad that created a similar result but how could I make these images part of my signature??? flowers, arid plants?? Ahhh the eureka moment... I thought about the endless supplies of pastel art pieces at my disposal if I used these there would be a common technique, design thread throughout all the images.
I began experimenting and found that a good quality image would be about 7x6in at 300dpi so I decided to go with the patchwork look and create designs 36x42in that can be uploaded on to the SPOONFLOWER site where I order the printed fabric.
And this is the result !!!!
I can now choose the piece I need for my FIBRESPACE project and offer the rest for sale in smaller bundles at Curdnatta Art Gallery, perfect for quilters.
They can also be purchased at SPOONFLOWER http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/georgiesharp
I have been experimenting some more with ways to achieve a larger image at good quality using some Topaz plugins for Photoshop and these can be found at ....... http://www.redbubble.com/people/georgiesharp/collections/349990-kaleidoscope-designs
Towards the end of 2014 Curdnatta Art Gallery hosted a felting workshop. Although I have experimented with needle felting I have not done any wet felting before.
It was a great introduction by the presenters Pam and Norma and certainly left me wanting to play some more.
During the summer break from the gallery and child minding I have been developing a work flow that might fit along side my other pursuits. I find that the physical and repetetive nature of felting and playing with coloured yarns provides a welcome change to sitting at a computer or sewing machine, as long as I concentrate on small or easily completed tasks. Summer also provides excellent drying conditions.
I have only just begun but I can see I will continue to develop this skill as it represents a return to creating some wearable art.
This Year I was commissioned by the Port Augusta City Council to photograph and design a range of venues and scenarios for the Council web page.
These are composite images that have been designed to provide the big picture but also include a focus on the people of our town. There is the added component of use on various implements such as phones, tablets and wide screens to consider.
I only do a couple of weddings each year because it is difficult to fit them into my busy schedule. The editing takes quite a while and requires a big commitment of time so that couples aren't left waiting for ever to receive their precious pics. This year I have had the privilege of working with Amanda and Conrad and Melissa and Neil on their wedding days.
Melissa was determined to have some fun on her day and although there were some lovely moments the chance to try some different, quirky scenarios gave me the opportunity to experiment with some new skills.
Thanks Melissa, hope you like them... ;-))
Spring is traditionally a time for coming out of hibernation but I must say I can't remember a more busy time at our place !
An Exhibition at Rawnsley Park for "A Brush With Art "; Sculpture pieces for FIBRESPACE and CURDNATTA installed at The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden; Life on the Edge exhibition at Curdnatta; pieces exhibited in FREE RANGE and BLOOMS; a photoshoot for RUOK. And in the middle of all this a visit from family.
In a parallel universe John was busy organising and rehearsing for the "Back to the Movies" musical evening by the Port Augusta Music Club.
Some benefits from exhibiting in the Flinders Ranges included opportunities to capture more of the beautiful scenery in that area.
The great news is I sold a half a dozen artworks and several books, bags and cushions and to top it off Curdnatta's sculpture was judged second in the ARID sculptural event.
