Thursday Thoughts...

“My dear, 

In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. 

In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. 

In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. 

I realized, through it all, that… In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. 

And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” 

Truly Yours, Albert Camus

At different times I have found it hard to confirm that this quote is accurate, but I am working on the theory that it is close, and that the sentiment holds.

On Christmas Day, after a horrific terrorist attack in Australia eleven days ago, so many of us are searching, and seeking to understand, working hard to find a sense of hope for peace amongst us.

These words are a small salve for me - that sense that in amongst hate, it is possible for us as individuals to keep true with love.

To find calm amid a storm, to find peace amongst the warring, to have hope in amongst the dire...

It seems so very very hard, when we are overwhelmed and overcome by darkness, to recall that within us is a light. It flickers, flutters, and then catches again and shines brightly.

We are better together. We need to shine our light brightly, for ourselves and for others.

As Christmas arrives and we turn towards family, friends, community, rituals, and gentle remembering, I wish for peace.

Peace within, peace between us and peace between nations.

To all my blogging friends who share so much and support each other so much, thank you for another year of magic.

Wherever you may be, and however you may spend the time, may your Christmas be bright and beautiful, may you be safe, and may you find and celebrate moments of peace.

A miscellany of making

 The bits and pieces nature of the end of the year continues. Barry posted about a post he had made for a friend here and here (an action shot of me at work and all!). In the lead up to it he had asked me to write the lettering on it so that he could rout it.

I always print out a computer font at about the right size so I have something to guide my handwriting. Here it is with possible tools for transferring to the log.

Lead pencil on the timber, quite hard to photograph!

Gone over with a permanent marker so Barry could see the paths he needed to follow.

In some spare moments I have been putting together a couple of pairs of earrings - here's one set.

The other work fits more into preparation for making, than making per se.  In preparation for transitioning from the studio I have been trying to get my things in order. I am trying to make sure I only take with me things I will need and use; and not just grab everything because we run out of time and it's there. I am also trying to make sure that what we take is in good working order. 

So over to the tins of ink we use for letterpress printing.  Four of the tins really needed a good clean up. For whatever reason the sealing surface had not worked and the top of the tins had hardened and become unusable. There were several 'interesting' moments as I tried to remove the hardened ink and scrape the still usable ink off and back into the tin!

In terms of making I also sometimes like to think of decorating as making, and here we have a bowl full of twinkle lights and baubles which graces our table....

Hopefully I will get a good run at proper making in the next wee while...

Some Christmas sewing

 It remains a bits and pieces time of year and I have been fiddling with this and then that... achieving very small milestones, and feeling very chuffed when I do!

For some reason I decided I wanted to try and make a some chirpy-cheery table runners and coasters for our Christmas table. Barry and I went and looked at loads of fabric and landed on this lovey bold bright and beautiful gum blossom design by Jocelyn Proust.

I managed to cut and sew all the things I needed, and then I sat quietly fraying edges. Such a therapeutic thing to do - steady and meditative.

I had sewn two pieces together to give it a bit more heft, and this is where I have begun fraying one side of the fabric but not yet the other side.

A before and after so to speak.

And then there were coasters...

And runners...

And there were leftover threads. Plenty of threads.

Enough in fact to make a nest...

Thursday Thoughts...

“Painting is a means of self-enlightenment.” 

 John Olsen

John Olsen was a celebrated Australian painter with a unique style. I am no art critic, but would use words like vigorous, bold, bright, whimsical and squiggly to describe his work. He died a few years ago, aged 95.

I responded to this quote I think because it seems to say to me that art, painting, and creating are really important things for us to help understand ourselves.

The word enlightenment is a bit more than I can necessarily chew; but he positions painting as a tool that helps him on his quest for self understanding; for digging deep and trying to get to know the what and the why of himself.

In small and non-at-all-comparable ways, I find I learn a lot about myself from my making. The things I choose to make about; the palette I use and the ways I tell the stories of what the art is about. All of these things give me insights into myself that might not have become so clear without the art and the making.

I am not sure I have had any major revelations from exploring my creating and making; but I have most definitely learned a lot about myself.

The Bridge, John Olsen.

Flower cards

I learned that these simple flower cards, blank inside, were popular when they sold out at the recent studio sale.

As a small gift to myself on a difficult day, I went to the studio and sat with them, quietly painting and drawing nine new cards.

Watercolour pencils were sharpened! It is hard to think of a more satisfying moment than having a box of beautifully sharpened pencils.

And so it begins with scribbled shapes across the card. I tend to follow the same pattern for them as it makes it easier for folk to select.

And then I add water...

And then the outlines get drawn in loose way.

And then I package them up with a lovely envelope and they are done.

I texted a friend the images of the finished ones and she promptly bought seven cards! 

So I am back to the drawing board, but in the nicest way.

Elements of this and of that...

 It's the time the year where demands seem to stretch you and pull you this way and that; and there is not often a steady run at anything. Life as a maker creator becomes about grabbing small moments; following up small things; taking a chance on a spare half hour; and doing things in small stages and with small steps.

This post reflects just that.

I handed over the wee book I stitched during the week; and was fortunate enough to view and handle the original. What a delight and special thing that was.

You can see how it would not have survived a new generation of regular interaction, so what a wonderful heirloom kind of thing to do, to re-imagine it as a new book, with lots of love.

I also started to play around with thoughts of my 2026 card. 

I pondered wood type; in a couple of ways, but am yet to land on exactly the design and layout I am after. And also yet to decide what colour I want to print with. But I have begun...

And the studio clean up and tidy up continues with decisions being made every which way (decision-making is exhausting may I say...). 

We have a bunch of collectable type things in the studio so we are in touch with our local vintage guy and are putting together a bundle of items for him to consider. I went through my calligraphy nibs and decided he could have a lot of them, but that I  would save the ones I use the most.

Which sent me looking through all the little packets of nibs I have and sorting and re-packing them. 

Starting afresh with full sets; buying new nib holder so they are clean and shiny (not stained and rusty...). 

And don't they look fine!

A full set of William Mitchells, 

and the spares below...

 

A full set of Brause nibs, with the spares above.

It's funny how good a clean and tidy up can make you feel!

Finding moments at the moment is gold; achieving small things feels medal-worthy.

Thursday Thoughts...

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.”

Garrison Keillor

This one seemed apt given the time of year... a time of giving and receiving - and one can only hope that amongst any gifts received are books!

Re-reading is one of the most wonderful things about books. They really can be the gift that keeps giving. Sometimes I re-read books when I am feeling low or sad or weary or ill; I have a stash of books that I return to in these times. I know what the plot is, I know what happens and I find great solace in knowing they will be gentle companions as I deal with what I deal with.

On the other hand re-reading can also bring new thoughts and awarenesses into stark relief. The book you remembered reading is suddenly cast afresh and anew as you bring to it your own older eyes or wiser mind.

I wrote this note in a book this morning:  "I am reading this differently this time". And I was taking notes of all sorts of different things that apply to my art life now; which didn't interest me or I didn't understand how they might interact with my art world back then. Now it feels like there are fresh insights; yet they were always there waiting to be discovered and understood.

There are some books I keep with me because I enjoy them and they feel liked friends; there are some I know I have not really been ready for and maybe I will be at some point; and there are others that I know offer me things and probably will offer me new things when I return to them.

Books are treasures.

There are a couple of book-looking gifts in this little lot... smile.

Festive lights

 Oh my goodness - this December is quite the December. Lots on in life, moving the studio and of course the rush to the end of the year and associated festivities.

Not much time for making that is sure.  

Here is a bunch of twinkles we have around the place - they make me smile which is good to do this time year.

Some twinkles around our sage bush at the front door.

Some twinkles around the base of our magnolia.

Some twinkles across the way at the outdoor table shelter. And in the Christmas Bush.

Gifts wrapped for everybody in the village to be shared at lunch later this week.

A bit of movement across our neighbour's lights - abstract art!

Some twinkles in a neighbour's tree fern!

I love the Jackson Pollock nature of these lights at another neighbour's place.

A bowl of bubbles and twinkles on our table over the weekend.

Some snowflake twinkles on my dad's rosemary bush - it is ginormous!

Whenever I feel a bit wrung out, weary, overwhelmed or plain tired, if I wander outside in the evening, I always end up smiling at the twinkles our neighbours are sharing.

A stitching commission

 Last weekend some friends stopped by the studio in a bit of a dilemma. They were heading off to see a precious new grandson and had had a children's book, which was part of their own children's early years, reproduced, hoping to be able to continue the story with their new grandchild.

Their only problem was it had come back; but hadn't been bound and they were leaving soon.

We spoke a bit about what might be possible and agreed to go with a single sheet binding, even tho the stitching would intrude onto some of the pages. It is a good solid stitch, and lets the pages lie flat.

Fortunately the book had been re-produced on a card with a shiny finish, which proved to be very tolerant.

I knew it would take a while - stitching can be slow - but I had no idea it would absorb 8 1/2 hours of my time! Oh my goodness, this book caused me grief with each and every stitch. There was also the pressure of knowing the deadlines as well and approaching!

But we got a great outcome and it will hopefully be treasured for years to come.

The unbound version with holes marked for piercing.

Some of the pages where I knew the stitching would intersect with the illustrations.

I was scared witless I would lose the sequence of the pages so I popped little stickers on each one numbering them. Usually if it is my book, I know which pages go where. If this slipped or fell off the table I could have ended up in mess.

I made a massive miscalculation regarding the length of three I needed. I used one measurement instead of the right one and ended up with metres of thread. In hindsight I reflected I was grateful I had overcalculated rather than undercalculated - there is nothing worse than running out of thread; but the length made for SO MANY tangles.

And so we began...

So many moments of tangled threads. So many deep breaths taken. So many knots unravelled.

But eventually we're done. Such a relief.

And the red thread stitches look fine on the pages. The pages are really easy to turn and the book feels sturdy. I hope the young one enjoys it!