Lovely news and lovely moments

 I received some lovely news through the week. The Mackay Regional Council (hosts of the Libris Awards, Australia's premier artists' book awards) contacted me to advise that they had purchased Red Card for their Collection.

Their collection is a very impressive one, as they acquire the winner of the prize and then go on to select books from amongst the finalists which they think will add value to their collection.

Back in 2022, they had purchased another of my books (a wee trio in fact) called Turning Point and it feels rather special that Red Card will joining them.

It's also just an interesting aside that both books are about similar issues; and both employ red, black and white. Rather different to my sisal soft, quiet palette.

So that was lovely. And just before that news we had three delightful days of blissful sunshine and there were some lovely moments to be captured within them.

And for the not so sunny moments, there are still beautiful sunflowers bringing some sunshine inside...

Because it felt like that regular programming had resumed this morning... sigh.

Off to a new home, and visiting

 I showed these three small Grief is a Stone book-ets at the Narrative Exhibition here in Maleny in May. Whilst we were in Scotland I got the lovely new that the State Library of Queensland had purchased a set. 

And then, another set! A bit like their purchase of my book about domestic abuses W?W?W?W? earlier in the year the Library has bought another set for use in their Education Kit. I love the thought that visitors and student will get to examine these and think bout grief in different ways.

So I packaged up two sets last week, and popped them in the post.

So those books have a new home; and a couple of my other books are visiting new places!

Its a busy time with my work in a few different localities across the country...

My book Red Card is a Finalist in the Libris Awards in Mackay, and the show looks marvellous from afar. Here are some photos from the installation that the Gallery has shared with me.

The catalogues of works is here and I have heard tell you might be able to do a 3D walk through of the exhibition sometime soon.

I have also sent two books across the country to Perth, to be shown in the exhibition Between The Sheets. Simply Being and Red Card have made their way over the Nullarbor Plain, and are looking good alongside some other great looking artists' books.

Remembering to update

 So often I am reminded that its never just about making the art...

Having received the good news from the State Library of Queensland last week about their purchase of I Hit a Wall, I spent time updating my CV for them and completing the paperwork that accompanies the book; as well as doing the packing and posting and invoicing...

I woke yesterday remembering that I probably should update the CV on my website...and the document that indicates which institutions my work resides in.

I added this book to both and went to the website to attach the two new documents, uploaded them and felt most chuffed with myself. But of course it doesn't end there.

I remembered I hadn't include the two works which were acquired by the Strathnaver Museum following my exhibition there in September, Hame. So I re-did the documents and re-loaded them.

Which reminded me I normally add these sorts of things to my portfolio page. 

And from that page I have links to some process stories, and so off I went looking for representative blog posts about each of the works and thinking about titles and images that might describe them well.

I also added in Travelling Home which I love, but which is in our personal collection rather than a public one. As the top of the page says, sometimes it's just about pieces I love.

And then of course I realised I should probably update the news page of the website and include these stories; and remove the other pieces of 'old' news that were there.

It never ends!

Luckily it was a rainy day and I was pretty tired, and I didn't feel like doing much else, so updating all the website stuff felt like a real accomplishment. Phew!

And just to finish with some end of year twinkles - a table setting at lunch in theVillage on Friday...

Some fabulous news

 I was thrilled last week to learn that one of my books "I Hit a Wall..." has been acquired by the State Library of Queensland. They have such a prestigious artists' book collection, I am always so honoured when they choose to purchase one of mine; it feels very very special.

This is a bit of a departure for me; although long term blog readers will recall its inception and some of its journeying way back in 2021 - some moments are here and here and  here and here.

Here is what I have written about it:

I hit a wall 
2024

After the year that was 2020 I regretted not creating any work that spoke of, or to, the pandemic.
In 2021 I thought I would pay attention and just note down key events.
My Dad had gifted me a number of my mother’s handkerchiefs and I thought to embroider a journal of sorts onto them.
I began by writing down events in my own handwriting, transferring them onto a hankie, and then hand embroidering my handwriting.
I had no idea what 2021 would hold and that in fact, it would be busier than 2020 had been.

Each month I would capture events, and start stitching.
It took all my creative time to try and keep up with policy shifts; quarantine; border closures; contact tracing; gatherings; social distancing; access to vaccines; short sharp lockdowns…
It was exhausting.
I persisted.  
But then.

There was too much. I was too tired of it all.  I felt numb and overwhelmed. I felt weary.
I transferred the month of August onto the hankie but couldn’t start stitching. So much happened in that month that I had to do the criss-cross writing so often seen in old correspondence where the written lines went in two directions. I felt it would never end.
And I submitted to a sense of overwhelmedness and simply stopped.  

I hit a wall.

Leaving this artists’ book partially completed represents us all at the tail end of that year. I had thought I might pick it up and complete it, but I haven’t been able to.  Like everybody I probably just want to park those times, not re-visit them in detail.

Reading the handkerchief pages of this book, I am amazed to recall the daily drama we dealt with.

But I hit a wall and have now simply tacked the pages together and it is complete just as it is…

31cm(h) x 31cm(w) x 1cm(d) closed; 31cm(h) x 62cm(w) x 1cm(d) open.

Cotton handkerchiefs and embroidery thread, Pilot Frixion pen

Some images of the 'completed' book follow:

As I pondered these hankies I realised that the story they told in their unfinished way, was a story about our lives during that time with the pandemic and lockdowns and fatigue and in fact, adding to the telling.

I am so happy that the book will have a home where it can be read and viewed, as it tells a social history of a unique time.

Updating 3

 The third and final of my updating posts.  

This one catches something I missed along the way as I moved my website from one platform to another.  It didn't require much reflecting or introspection; but in the end it did require a lot of research.

On my previous website, somewhere on the About page, I had listed which of my books were in which collection across the world.  

For some reason this information appeared absolutely nowhere else on my computer or on any of my inter web places.  Sadly, when we moved, I hadn't paid attention and this information was lost.

I still had the collections listed, on my new website, but I had little (if any) recall of which of my books were in which collection. Not great and a real trap for young players when migrating information and updating websites.

Fortunately for me, a lot of my books at the State Library of Queensland are searchable. If I type my name into the catalogue search, they have done the grand job of listing them all properly - lucky me.  

More good fortune shone upon me as many of the books that have made their way to the U.S. were sold through 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland, Oregon and the marvellous owner at the time Laura Russell was a  meticulous record keeper and always advised me which books had sold and to whom.

I also knew that Beyond Books and Burning had gone to the National Library of Iraq, and even now as I type I am thinking one of my Subversive Stitch books is in some collection in the UK and I am not sure which one; so clearly the job is not yet done!

So one day I set about painstakingly tracking each book down, recording where it was, what year it was made etc. Except for my (very!) recent  remembering about the UK and A Subversive Stitch, I felt confident that I had got them all.

Having done such a big job I thought I would organise them several ways. First up, if people want to visit an Institution - they can see which books it holds. I only screen shotted the first page of each of the records.

If somebody professed interest in seeing a particular book; I would be able to point them in the right direction, or give them options, by having the books organised this way.

And then finally, more for my own purposes, I listed the books by year of production so I could find them more easily in photographic records, or on the blog.

And so now, I truly have an excellent record of whereabouts in the world my books are!

Having said that, I am yet to put the information on the website, but that's not far away.

A nice discovery was serendipitously made along the way. At first I put my name into the search engine on the State Library of Queensland's website (rather than the catalogue search) and got a ping.

I expected more pings!  However when I looked closely I realised that the mention was in their Annual Report.

Intrigued, I went looking into the Annual Report and found this lovely wee mention:

So there I was, being rewarded, with discovering a mention, for my bad behaviour of not cataloguing my books. I feel very very fortunate that I was able to track them all down.

This series of Updating posts has formed part of my art life and art work that is not about the making or creating of art.  The work involved in all three (imagery, words and collections) form part of what I think of as Art Extenders - (teaching, writing and promoting). Things that take my art and skills out into the world, beyond the walls of the studio.  

These posts all fit into the promoting part of the extender section.

 I am now thinking a post about the Extenders might be worth doing sometime too...

Some good news!

Following on from my annual review and our annual planning around life and art, I recently approached the State Library of Queensland about a couple of books.

I asked if they would be interested in 

A Place Among the Clouds;

On Joy; and

 

 

I grow still...

On a visit to GOMA with friends a week or two ago I was able to drop the books off to the Library for appraisal (the buildings are next door neighbours). By the time I got home I had an email with the happy news that they would like like to purchase all three and add them to their collection!

I was thrilled.

The paperwork is underway - making sure I provide enough detail for anybody who may ever 'borrow' them or wish to examine them; and also for the Librarians who need to know how best to store and protect them in perpetuity. 

It is such an honour to be included in this collection - it is a truly fine collection and one of (I actually think the) best artists' book collections in Australia. Happy dance!

Some good news

Whilst we were away I received confirmation that the State Library had purchased two more of my artists' books for their collection.

Their collection is a prestigious one and I always feel honoured when they purchase my books - and in particular, it feels extra special when the books they purchase are special to me.

The two books were: Peace Emerging and I would have loved a sunburnt country.

These books were part of the Compassion exhibition at Nambour's Old Ambulance Station Gallery during June and July.

As ever, with official collections, selections are made at the time and then decisions are made about budgets and capacity to purchase, as well as alignment with the collection's goals etc.

So about 6 weeks after the show closed confirmation arrived.

On return I completed the paperwork for the books - for the record so to speak - as well as copyright licenses for the use of them and have sent them off, so it's all official now.

I would have loved a sunburnt country...

And one of my Peace Emerging...

In addition, Barry's Precious Library of Peace was purchased as well, so the two of us will be in the collection together which is rather wonderful!

I like that this means that anybody interested in peace or refugees or women book artists or whatever little quirk of interest might lead them to my books, can now arrange to visit and view them; hold them and handle them, at the State Library of Queensland.

And thanks very much to Ken and Ardleigh the convenors of the exhibition for all the hard work they did to promote and facilitate the purchase.

I still have to update my personal paperwork, CV and website, but all in good time...