I know it's mid-late February but I was happy to finally finish my Covid diary's hand-stitched, January handkerchief earlier in the week.
I love the process of sitting and stitching but do find that it is very slow. Or I am very slow. Whichever it is, I certainly don't get to stitch each day; yet I thoroughly enjoy the stitching as I sit, accompanied by Series 5 & 6, so far, of the West Wing.
Here I am beginning the final diary entry for the month.
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!
As last year drew to a close I wondered if I could somehow be prepared, be organised. I knew in my heart that the switch would not flick at midnight on 31 December to some magical clear bright future. This time around we knew the year would be a year of change and wouldn't it be good to have some way of marking it?
A record of some sort, a gathering and noting of things from 1/1 to 31/12.
As fortune or connection would have it, I had been pondering some handkerchiefs that had belonged to my mum. Dad had passed them all to me a while ago and as we packed up the house I held them, thought about them and wondered what I could do with them.
And so it came to pass that I thought I might stitch on them, keeping a record of the Covid year (here was me thinking that would be the main thing to keep track of!).
As I sorted them I realised I had 10 of mum's and an eleventh from a cousin. So I am missing a 12th, but my sense is that I may accrue that one through the year somehow - I am happy to set forth with my 11.
So I washed them and ironed as I got ready to go. All lined up on the back of a couch.
And in the end I randomly selected one to begin with!
As is now a tradition of sorts on my blog, I spend time at the end of the year; or early in the new one , looking back over my favourite works of the year. Sometimes I labour long and hard to find completed works; sometimes I have an abundance to select from.
This year my expectations were low. I really did not have that feeling that I had completed much work. 2020 felt like the year of fiddling when one couldn't focus; of going across things not deeply into them. And yet.
I managed to discover 10 pieces that made me smile; that made me happy to think I had brought them into the world and that reflected the year that was.
As ever, they are in no order, except alphabetical.
1. A Place Among the Clouds
A beautiful book that emerged in response to some gecko poo on some paper. I love looking through this book and sharing it with people. There is ritual in the opening and turning of the pages...
2. Circles
These little cards were definitely a pandemic piece of work. They are simple, and the graphic details let you know what they say. They have been shared with many folk for whom they are a touchstone.
3. 54321
More pandemic inspired work - the theme around anxiety is strong! I loved these little cards, and whilst I haven't need to use the technique for awhile, it helped me a lot along the way. Let me know if you think I should print more and if you'd like some...
4. For James
In amongst it all we had a lovely commission for a lovely man. Etched aluminium calligraphy. A gentle marker for some good friends.
5. Kindness mini posters
To mark our new studio, our first project was a rainbow of kindness. Barry printed four mini posters and I printed three. His are kinder than mine I think!
6. Mabel's Scrub
One of the few exhibitions I took part in this year! It was called Eco Women and was held here in Maleny. My print about Mabel Thynne with an embossed forest was on display there. I love the texture of the forest in the background and the way the text fits within...
7. On joy
A beautiful book that emerged from a challenge to ourselves, and using the words of a friend. Playing with feather-like papers here was a delight.
8. On joy (mini)
When one beautiful book leads to another...this wee one was the result of testing registration of the printing for the book above; but it led me somewhere lovely as well.
9. Open
My first attempt at printing my own words in an edition of sorts. This is the cover sleeve for the poem. Printing into the counter must be becoming a thing!
10. Remembering
One of the greatest honours of work this year was to help make beautiful things to remember folk by. This one has beautiful words and is so elegant in its simplicity.
And yet again, it was not until I had written this post and popped all the photos in that I realised what an avalanche of white there is. I never think about it consciously, yet there it is - my stories are nearly always told in the softness of white; with white on white; with flimsy and light papers, with little or no adornment. It's just who I am I guess..
Thanks for coming along on the ride looking back over the year that was. It helped me remember that there were beautiful things and moments of magic and that there will be again. Go well.
Storm season has arrived here this week and we have been on the edges of some serious storms; but fortunately no damage - the odd power outage and flicker, a tad of hail but otherwise safe and sound.
The skies have been majestic and magnificent and we are thrilled that we can still watch storms move and behave from our new abode. Last night from the back deck.
And this one caught some lightning as I did the pano...
Out the front as the storm passed through.
However, earlier in the day the sun had shone and it was a great drying day as they say; so I washed a heap of muslins and sheers that I have become enthused about using again and hung them out dry.
A wee while back I wrote about the 'project' book I had made as part of a challenge to get ourselves out of comfort zones and production zones, called 'on joy'. I delighted in that book and one of the serendipitous moments came as I proofed the words, and found the by moving things slightly and not re-inking I got a lovely repeat and fade effect which I ended up using in the final book.
On the way through I had printed and proofed this on the tengucho 18gsm paper just to be sure, and after the book was completed I had three spare prints so to speak.
And so it was that I decided to make small reminder books with the words; without the imagery.
