collections

I've been collecting stuff throughout my residency - beach detritus, socks....

With my residency rapidly drawing to a close, I decided it was time to wash the ever-growing pile of beach finds

 It's quite an assortment - rope, shells, a float, containers, a wonderful block of drift wood (which has since been commandeered by a chap who thought "that piece of rubbish would make a great chock for my trailer!"  I bowed to his greater need.........

This is the first thing I collected at the lagoon.  I had to squeeze behind the roadworks fence to retrieve it, but at 6am there was no danger of getting in the way of the workers who were yet to arrive.  A broken plastic wheel trim or similar, it just begs to be turned into the base of a container.

 

These treasures, drying on the line, were found at the Two Rocks Primary School fete - great piles of children's used socks at 20 cents per pair!  I invested $2.20 and left the rest for others to enjoy, but suggested that any not sold be delivered to Renae for use in her classroom.  (See an earlier post for the sock and peg treasures Renae's class produced last week).   

photo ramble at Yanchep Lagoon

We had the beach almost to ourselves early on Tuesday. I guess the locals were still warm inside on a cool windy morning, or were preparing for the annual Melbourne Cup celebrations.

As I admired the juxtaposition of pink and brown seaweed,

I found a disturbing and poignant juxtaposition.

Rose petals have no place on the shore.

The lagoon looks safe and protected to the unsuspecting, but those familiar with it know that its currents can be treacherous.

Sadly, last week a young man disappeared in a rip at the lagoon and lost his life. The sea has not given him up, but by Tuesday it had washed ashore the remnants of the floral memorial tributes caste into the water some days earlier.

An afternoon of discovery

Following on from my previous post, here are further images from my Jetty Series , some of which appeared in the "Connecting Threads" exhibition.

My work evolves from my life experiences. Walking the length of the Bussleton Jetty on a bleak grey afternoon, I was drawn by the unfolding stories in the jetty’s surface.


They spoke of life.

The jetty is aged and weathered, bearing the scars of hard times and makeshift repairs.

There is evidence of the occasional left hand turn

and even a little blood letting.

The jetty wears all these marks with dignity and grace. A lifetime of hard experience has enriched this wonderful old structure, ensuring that an afternoon spent in its company is a deeply rewarding experience.

Jetty Suite

In the "Connecting Threads" exhibition I followed a path to which I am increasingly drawn, of showing both textiles and photographic images. Usually the relationship is subtle, but in this instance they spoke more directly to each other.



"Jetty Suite 3", 40 cm (16 inches) square

The photographic images show old and weathered surfaces,

so it seemed appropriate to use old recycled blankets as the base for the related textiles.

"Jetty Suite 1", 40cm (16 inches) square


This detail shows the use of hand stitch to build up depth of colour.


"Jetty Suite 2", 40 cm (16 inches) square
Look for the photographic partner to this piece in my next post, when I talk about my source of inspiration.

Ashore

It seems my first missive did wash ashore somewhere. Thankyou Alison for your kind comment. Alison spoke of my 1998 quilt 'Tidemark, Cape Tribulation', which she saw in the book 'Quilting Masterclass' written by Katharine Guerrier. 'Tidemark' was inspired by a walk along the beach at Cape Tribulation in northern Queensland, where the rain-forest sweeps right down onto the sand. The tidemark is a crazy jumble of rainforest detritus such as twigs, seedpods and leaves which overwhelm the usual seaweed and shells.


Rain-forest litter is washed back up onto the beach by the tide.


This image taken at the high tide mark sparked the idea for my quilt 'Tidemark, Cape Tribulation'.


'Tidemark, Cape Tribulation'
72 x 92 cm (28 x 36 inches)
printed, pieced, appliqued, embroidered


detail