The Plastic Residency

So, I’m sure when I said I was doing my own ‘residency’ based on plastics that people either had no idea what I was talking about, or didn’t believe that I would stick to it. Well, I pretty much did – it was a good way of prioritising some tasks over others. And like the real thing, there came a few times when it was necessary to move away from the studio and research, and even purchase. With several projects featuring plastics in a myriad of ways, there was a lot to work with, so I’ll summarise each aspect. 

Plastic bottles – I’m keen to create a large-scale sculpture using these, and having already spent some time working with etching and shaping with a soldering iron, I moved on to shaping entire milk bottles. I had a lot in storage, pre-cut with necks, handles, and bases removed, but now I realise I can use the whole thing. 

This is actually just a plastic bottle lid

Milk bottle with soldering iron holes, heat gun distortion, and pull-outs with awl

Same with the black laundry liquid bottles. Blasting with the heatgun until I can see a colour/translucency change in the plastic, I then grab it, stretch it, twist it, and hold for the few seconds for it to set in that shape. I don’t know what’s happening, but I seem to be indulging in sensible behaviour, and donning protective gloves for the manouevers! I can also fine tune these movements by using tools like an awl to stretch small sections out in dynamic movement. Another exciting discovery was how blue the black plastic becomes when stretched out thinly, and with light behind it.

Black plastic laundry bottle

Colouring plastic – for quite some time now I’ve been wanting to colour plastic but also keep the magic of translucency, and during work for my exhibition DistoMorph I found that alcohol inks did a lovely job of that, presenting an almost stained glass window effect. Only problem is, alcohol ink comes in tiny bottles, and looking at large scale works. Since then, I’ve been researching how to make my own. After all, I live with an engineer who has run a chemical business for over twenty-five years, and who makes me gin. I think he’s qualified. It’s been quite complicated , with many culdersacs explored, but I’m ready now to try it out. This task extends beyond the residency.

Alcohol ink on etched plastic

Still colouring plastic – briefly explored during the exhibition work period of experimentation was fluid acrylic paints, also touched on during my mini-residency in Maryborough at Gataker’s Artspace last year. In order to get the concept of it, I tried it out on a few wee canvasses I had picked up from op-shops, and ended up understanding more about the way it works – it’s a lot easier on a flat surface than trying to do it one twisted plastic – but it can be done! 

Fluid acrylic on canvas

Fluid acrylic on plastic

Fluid acrylic on textured plastic

3D printing pen – this is the big one. I bought one about five years ago when I was doing my first exhibition Algalrhythms, but only worked with PETG filament – the best I could find at the time. Recently I saw some work on Instagram of an artist/fashion designer working in beautiful translucent, flexible filament, which I then found out was now readily available! Well sign me up and send me eight 1kg rolls thanks! 

1kg rolls of TPU filament

Turns out that two of the three 3D printing pens I had (?!) were capable of using this filament, and I easily found my way back around them. Being flexible, they are easy to peel off anything you draw them onto, and the transparency make for some delightful, jewel-like colour mixing. It’s also sturdy – even the finest of lines can be drawn and remain. You can ‘set’ objects like gemstones and silk cocoons or bits of fabric in it. 

'Settiing' rhinestones

'Setting' dyed silk cocoons

Experimenting with joining components

We were op-shopping recently and Matt found these amazing bowls, so organic and biological – perfect for what I had in mind. Using the 3D pen is a little like using a very fine glue-gun, and something I quickly learned is that you will never get a polished finish with this technique. The speed of delivery, the movement and the turns, it all makes for an element of randomness, which is certainly no stranger to my work. Not only did I embrace it, but at times I encouraged it, lifting the pen up higher to almost drip the filament down, and create even more texture and depth. 

Double and triple bowls as moulds

Graduating colours

Using the lid of an olive oil can as a mould

By the far the most wonderful thing about this time has been the lack of outcome required. Although there were future projects in mind, this time was really spent just getting to know the materials and see what I could do with them – pure experimentation. 

During the time I also had a weekend of immersing myself in some very free drawing, and a day or so of engaging with stainless steel mesh flame-painting and sculpting. This has been a long time coming, from my workshop with Alysn Midge-low Marsden in 2023, and when looking up my workshop notes I found a sentence describing how she doesn’t try to replicate images, but she holds those images of nature in mind as she creates. This really struck home with me following my recent experience with the exhibition of trying to free up my inner vision in such a way. Messing about with metal again has led to a whole new work, and a whole reinvigoration of my interest in this material.

So, June was a very productive month, including the announcement that I am a confirmed finalist in The World of WearableArt 2025. Definitely no resting on those laurels though, as I have much more to achieve. I have to admit that I have spent today working on a Bizarre Bra entry for WOW 2026!

DistoMorph in Dogwood Crossing, Miles

Early last Wednesday morning I loaded up the ute with all my artworks and awaited the arrival of Emily – life-long friend who was tasked with being my everything for the duration; chauffer, installation assistant, and general handler for the latest incarnation of my exhibition DistoMorph at Dogwood Crossing, Miles. 

Dogwood Crossing, Miles

Not only did she excel at all tasks, but we had a wonderful time together. It felt like a special trip in many ways. As the third incarnation of this show, there was a certain level of chill, in that we had ironed out a lot of the issues. (Except for Kaleidolichen. That was still a challenge – however its want to buckle inspired me to embrace and encourage that tendency, so I sewed some tension stitches across the back of the pieces for some curvature.)

Em and her eternal battle with Kaleidolichen

The start of the installation process is always a mixture of excitement and uncertainty, especially when you have a team of people ready to help, talking and asking questions. But it doesn’t take long for things to start coming together – a black wall, a large piece – once the obvious placements occur it all starts coming together. There were some really exciting changes for this one though, with HyperPsybient getting off a plinth and making it onto the wall for the first time, and Expirata having an even more dynamic hang than its last. I’ll be writing more about this particular evolution in my Situation Svenja article in Textile Fibre Forum. 

 HyperPsybient

 Expirata

Sensus Syndrome

Sensus Syndrome looked the best I have seen it, and Polymorphene inverted the concave corner position it had in Gympie to span one convexly (yes, I've checked, that IS a word).

Polymorphene

We actually got a lot done on the Wednesday that we arrived, and after enjoying an early morning walk around town on Thursday morning I left Emily in charge as Claudia took me to the local high school to teach the first of my workshops. Now I think you all know that children are not my favourite humans, but this was really quite alright, with some stellar responses from some of the students. 

Em and I were thrilled to finish up the install that afternoon, and celebrated with a drink and some nibbles in the beautiful streetscapes of Miles, and some truck watching for this tragic lover of Kenworths and Western Stars, before another early night. 

Em re-hanging Aftermath in front of her favourite work, Stratasymbiosis

Me working on hanging Stratasymbiosis

I took advantage of the morning to not only take photos of the works (still learning to drive the new camera) but to get Em to take some portrait shots of me – oooh – add photographer to that list! Of course, she did a stellar job, and we have a wonderful range of shots to choose from. 

Portrait shots in front of Randallarion

After a beautiful lunch at our digs at Windsor Hotel, we visited the local Vinnies, where we found the pricing system to be basically $3 or $1, and came away with a bundle of purchases. I managed a good nap before it was time to get ready for the opening which was well attended – even the local constabulary were there! 

Part of why this edition of DistoMorph felt so special was the fact that I felt calm, happy in what I was presenting, and proud. I appreciated my work in new ways, and felt as though I had accomplished what I had set out to achieve. I didn’t prepare a speech – I spoke comfortably and knowledgeably about my work and its evolution since I was there with my previous exhibition in December 2023. I felt very at ease talking to people in the exhibition, and their enthusiasm, understanding and interest was very gratifying, as was recognition by some visitors of the development since my last exhibition. It’s as though I reached a new level of validation and confidence, with a definite sense of satisfaction with my progress. 

I enjoyed hearing one viewer's response that they appreciated all the titles - I took a lot of time creating these quasi-drug/syndrome/biological names.

Marimonium in front of Randallarion

I had a nice number of attendees for my Saturday morning workshop, and I hope I was able to inspire them with plenty of images of my own and others work and give them some good tips on beginning and navigating the design process for wearable art projects. 

With a long drive ahead of us we hit the road, stopping only to refuel, and to of course, open a beer (not a screw top!). By chance we pulled up right next to this fabulous sign and impressive grass verge.

Since my return to the studio, I have begun my own Residency - see the blog I posted earlier this week. To keep myself on track, I'm reporting my work on Instagram each day, so follow along there to watch my progress.

 

Plastic Fantastic Residency 2025!

Since returning from installing DistoMorph in Dogwood Crossing, Miles, I have settled into my freshly tidied studio to begin my self-awarded, self-hosted and self-funded residency on working with plastic!

 For the month of June I will be focusing on creating with plastic bottles, expanding on my previous work with soldering irons, heat guns, butane torches, fluid acrylic paint, alchohol ink, and exploring 3d pen printing. 

Soldering iron etching

Heat gun, butane torch, and alcohol inks

I first bought a 3d printing pen around five years ago, and created some elements of my exhibition Algalrhythms with it. The PETG plastic filament I was using was very brittle though, and unsuitable for many applications, and I didn’t pursue it. Flexible filament was available then, but was limited to the 3Doodler brand. For those that are unfamiliar with the technology, it's kind of like drawing with a glue gun.(Ive also tried working with a glue gun - also pretty excited about including that.)

Glue gun on organze, with silver paint highlight

Barnacles made from 3D printing pen drawn over a ball

Karina Bond, Instagram

However, I recently saw the work of Karina Bond and had another look into it, and lo! there have been developments, and flexible TPU filament is now available. So I bought myself seven 1kg rolls of brightly coloured transparent filament, and this morning had my first trial. It’s one of those things that takes you a while to slip into the groove of, so I just need to keep practicing. In many ways it is like free-motion embroidery, as you have to consider making a joining structure as you work so it hangs together. You can work it over a shaped base, which I tried today over a metal ladle, and over one of my distorted plastic bottle pieces. They easily peel off.

Inspiration board for plastic waves

The office corkboard of inspiration images and samples has undergone a revamp, and I’ve even done a wee one down in the wet studio with a piece of Styrofoam that fortuitously blew in over the weekend! I’m keen to pursue an idea that I proposed for Swell Sculpture Festival which wasn’t accepted, but I think has a lot of potential, and was probably not best presented at the time.

 I’d also like to create a special piece for DistoMorph’s time in Maryborough next year, as my brief residency there at Gatakers Artspace last year helped drive this project.

A sample worked at Gatakers Artspace

I've also been keenly watching Swapna Namboodiri, who does some really imaginitavie work with recycled plastic - I believe she is a finalist in the Australian Wearable Art Festival in August, so I'll be looking forward to seeing her entry there.

The sandwich toaster which I bought for the studio has returned after a brief sojourn to the kitchen - it is now doing what it is supposed to, and melting plastic milk bottle lids.

So I'd better get back in there and get creating!