Solipsist: Colour Colour Colour

SOLIPSIST from Andrew Huang on Vimeo.

Image from Solipsist from Andrew Thomas Huang.

I was chatting to a colleague about how I often feel after teaching a class at COFA that I come away having learnt a huge array of new things just by talking to my students.

I don't know if they realise that I love seeing where their ideas come from, what inspires them, and how they travel from that point with their own perspectives. This is the creative journey that I love to see and be a part of.

This Vimeo Solipsist by Andrew Thomas Huang inspired one of my students in her textiles project and I can see why. Looking forward to checking out more of his work. Oh, and the Making of Solipsist is here!

Colour Colour Colour,
Pattern Pattern Pattern,
Movement Movement Movement,
Texture Texture Texture!

Enjoy on your Wednesday mornings as much as I did and thank you Alyce for bringing this little gem into my world.

Women with Clever Hands, Object Gallery, Sydney.

Image: Object Gallery Twitter Feed

Image: Julieanne Gitjpulu Malibirr, Looped string mat, 

Photo: Leise Knowles

Object Gallery Website

This morning I went along to the Women with Clever Hands demonstration and talk at Sydney's Object Gallery. This is an exhibition of fibre work celebrating the creativity and skill of the artists of Gapuwiyak. Animals, bags, necklaces, mats and baskets of beauty that are woven, looped, twined and coiled are displayed for us to see the stories of these women. The stories of their families, their community, their bodies and their history.

I mentioned in the last post that I've been thinking long and hard about story and narrative forming a concept for creative designing and making. Looking closer at the information about each piece in the exhibition you can see that each is named accordingly:

"String Bag Story"

"Close Coiling Story"

"Past Times Story"

"Working Together Story"

Every aspect of this work literally weaves stories into the pandanus, along with sacred feathers and seeds. Chatter and talk, demonstration participation and observation. This is what the gallery floor became when we were invited to participate in the making process. The value of story resonates through the room.

Louise Hamby and Lucy Malirrimurruwuy Wanapuyngu curated the exhibition with the help of their fellow sisters. Many of the pieces honour and remember those who have now passed away. 

Women with Clever Hands: Gapuwiyak Miyalkurruwurr Gong Djambatjmala

Object Gallery

417 Bourke St Surry Hills NSW

Tuesday - Friday 11am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm

31 March - 9 June 2012

Gaawaa Miyay: Lucy Simpson, Textile Designer

I've been talking to my design students this week about developing concepts for textile design. What is a concept? What is the purpose of a concept? Where does a concept come from?

Concept is a mysterious notion - I see it as the idea that holds the design process together. It's the starting, middle and end point. It keeps you on track and allows you to communicate your ideas creatively. It may be a few different ideas joined like a dot-to-dot puzzle. It could be a piece of inspiring music. Sometimes it is a story.

Lucy Simpson, creator of beautiful textiles that make up Gaawaa Miyay (River Daughter), is an expert at visual story telling. Each of her designs respond to memories of storytelling, people and places. She draws from her ties to the Yuwaalaraay country of Northern NSW and interprets her connection through visual narration.


Next week Lucy is holding an Open Studio Night at Addison Road Gallery, Marrickville. If you are in the area I'm sure she'd like to see you there.


In the mean time you can look to these sites:


Gaawaa Miyay
An Interview with Lucy by Craft Australia
Lucy's Collaboration with Julie Patterson at Cloth.

Image Credits: Lucy Simpson & I Ran the Wrong Way

For rainy days in Sydney...

Tuning into Folk Radio UK (Frukie) is the ideal background music. I like to stay local with most things, but when the climate becomes something resembling Britain if you can't beat 'em, join 'em I say!

Check what's playing now here. Lots of James Vincent McMorrow and other acoustic people.

Speaking of the weather, my thoughts are going out to all the flood effected towns. My grandparents are in Griffith where the town is suffering quite badly. They are safe in their home a little up the very low hill, but it makes me worry about all the senior citizens who might not have very good health. Keep safe!

Sublimation Printing

A trip into sublimation printing - also known as heat transfer printing.
Polysol dyes do the trick... find out more here.

Kinfolk: I like to read this

KINFOLK
IPAD APP
ONLINE JOURNAL

Dear Beattie...

Dear Beattie,

After some years of wearing one of your dresses, reading your blog and following you on Instagrm I had the lovely pleasure of meeting you and Gladys yesterday at your shop.

It was so nice to chat to you about your journey as a designer. It takes an ocean-full of fearlessness to produce work from the heart and then hang them out for people to consider & critique.

I liked your stories of trips to the South Coast, learning how to spend time creating and entertaining yourself without the distractions of the television. What a great way to begin learning about resourcefulness and inventiveness.

Your approach to local design and the importance of daily rituals within your community speak miles about where you draw your inspiration and support from. So important as a solo designer!

I've thought a little bit about our chat yesterday and wanted to let you know it made a radiant impact. Thank you for being so happy to talk.

Have a lovely week!
xEmma

Places to find Beattie:
Website
Blog
SHOP | 182 SYDNEY ROAD, FAIRLIGHT, 2094 NSW AUSTRALIA
P | 02 9948 9557
E | HELLO@BEATTIELANSER.COM

All Images: Beattie Lanser

Photo A Day February

Thank you Chantelle (FatMumSlim) for the Feb Photo A Day Challenge!
Here are some of my pictures from the month... a nice way to remember it.

It's not to late to join the March Photo A Day - you'll have lots of fun.

If you'd like to see more of my Instagram-ing search for @feelingfuzzier on your Instagram app. I also post them to my Flickr account :)

When work feels like a holiday...

This week is my gap between ending my time at Sheridan as a textile designer and starting my Masters of Design by Research at UNSW. I've been teaching at COFA for a number of years and made the big decision to return to research and start my own studio practice. Completing a Masters seemed like a good a way as any to kick it all off, intertwined with taking on a few more classes & lectures in the Design School.

I've been looking for a shift in how I spend my time for a little while. Working in a commercial studio gave me the chance to hone my design skills, learn about the textile industry and develop a disciplined approach to creative work. Seven years later I find myself wanting my work to blend into my real life a little more. I'm not sure if this is achievable but I'm going to give it a shot!

This morning I went to my first workshop at Main Campus equipped with my "Lost on Campus" mobile app to make sure I could find my way (COFA is a quaint villiage compared to the metropolis that is Kensington). The workshop delved into developing good mental and physical habits of writing, thinking positively about writing rather than fearing the blank page, the discipline of writing every day and the benefits of writing collaboratively. The facilitator was Dr Helen Sword - an energised and engaging Associate Professor from the University of Auckland. What luck to start my academic life with such vitality!

Dr Sword has developed a tool that tests the fitness level of your writing. It's quite fun to see how a paragraph of your own work could transform from "flabby" to "neat & trim" just with a few tweaks. For instance, when testing this post it mentions very nicely that my use of verbs could be "toned up". Probably true! You can find the Writers Diet here.

The room was filled with seasoned academics. I was the fresh faced student ready with her nifty new stationery* and mind open to it all. I am now the student I used to roll my eyes at during my Undergraduate days. I'm hoping to keep a hold of this level of excitement for a little while longer without annoying my peers too much.

I have managed to fit in some very nice activities alongside the workshop. A swim at Wylie's Baths on Monday and a trip to see "My Week with Marilyn" have provided relaxation and inspiration. When considering the topic of a work/life blend the workshop was just as invigorating as swimming laps in the sun or admiring Michelle William's interpretation of Marilyn. So far so good.


* I've made it a point to be equipped with the very best stationery possible for the new year at University. My mum used to fill our pencil cases with new goodies (Posca Pens when we were very good) and I think that memory has stayed with me. My chosen notebook comes from Notemaker who distribute the Behance product range. Their philosophy is based on an "Action Method" that aims to boost productivity. Already I've been able to highlight some of the points I'd like to follow up from today's workshop. Brilliant.

Image: Action Method Paper

Can I play too?

I'm a late comer to Instagram, and I've only just noticed that my very clever and talented friend Sarah has started to post themed photos up with a hash tag reading #febphotoaday. It seems that I'm also a late comer to this idea of following a recipe for a new photo each day. But I'm here now - I always catch up eventually!

Here is my Day Two effort, the theme being "Words". You can see all my instagrams by searching for feelingfuzzier.

This is Sarah's much more sophisticated composition (her instagram name is missmint74 and is worth following)...

For those that would like to know more, the set list is below, and you can go here for details.