The last WoW related post for a while...

Greetings all. The main focus of my life, the WoW submission, is due but a day or two away. My photo shoot was last Sunday, but since then, on viewing the results, my trusted advisors have suggested a few alterations.

The rear lace up of one of the leather bodices.......

The shoot is usually the first time we get to see the piece all put together on a human, where comfort, fit, and design faults all become apparent - with three pieces, this is even more so the case. Yet calmness prevails, as yesterday I moulded two more leather pieces, today I dyed and painted them, and tomorrow I will do basic photos of the alterations for my submissions.

I have embraced this long weekend as a long overdue opportunity to relax, despite these final adjustments. I spent Friday checking out the Festival of Sails at Suttons Beach, Redcliffe, and Saturday enjoying some long overdue family catch ups.Today we set off for the Eagle Farm markets, which seem to have a lovely new food aisle,

 

 and where I discovered these amazing flowers. So vibrant, they must be fed on dyed water - they look so brilliant! I think they look kind of wrong, but love them just the same.

 At the front of the racecourse is this rather amazing tree, which has the most unusual sweeping boughs. They really twist and turn right across the width of the tree with the most dynamic movements.

 Another highlight was the petting zoo, full of baby sheep, goats, bantam chooks, ducks, and guinea pigs. It was slightly horrific seeing the baby ducklings and guineas being horribly mishandled by small children, but I felt they kind of got their own back by terrifying the kids in return. I could not stop from laughing at children screaming in fear at the goats and their tiny horns, or even the ducks! Bahahahahahaaa! My favourites were the real kids - so playful, locking their tiny horns together and falling all over each other.....

 

4 more sleeps now until Ballarat. Yesterday Miss J and I went through the stash, picking out lovely bits of fibre and fabric, as well as packing the entire box of colourful wool scraps to use up. We also decided to set ourselves a 'neutral' challenge, packing a bag full of undyed merino, alpaca, tussah silk, tencel, silk throwsters waste, and wool knops, as well as natural English Leceister and Corridale fleece. The sheepy smell of these unprocessed fibres was just amazing! Can't wait to play....

Best Wishes to all my fellow WoW entrants - hope to see you there for my 5th year of entering!

The Final Countdown... Again

With less than 2 weeks until the photo shoot for my World of WearableArt submission, all seems in reasonable order. Did I just jinx myself?!! Having extended myself to a three-piece entry this year, I think a lot of people expected me to be three times as painful this year, but I don't think that has been the case. I've learned a lot about manipulating leather, and can't wait to apply this knowledge to a few other projects - perhaps some wearable pieces for myself? I've also learned how to clog up airbrushes with binder medium, and subsequently, how to clean them. I've always wanted to do airbrushing, and can't wait to get to work on the much larger canvas of the kombi.

I don't think I previously posted these pics of last years entry Euphony Iridaceae on stage.. still waiting to see the dvd of the show!

 I also found this lovely pic on FaceBook of BioLumina hanging out in a winery - how appropriate!

BioLumina in the Brancott Estate Winery

Last weekend I visited gallery 54 at Paddington to view Sharyn Halls' exhibition Argentum, which was a riot of colour and texture (featured in this month's Textile Fibre Forum magazine).

Her quirky pieces reference biology, from DNA to sprouting seedss, and I was delighted to be able to purchase a full colour catalogue of her work - it's so nice to be able to take away a decent memento like this. Congratulations Sharyn, and I know you have been inspired through this process towards new directions.
The other countdown is to Fibres Ballarat, with fellow nutcase Miss Jenelle! Here we will in indulge in a weeks workshop with the creator of this variety of felty goodness, Marjolein Dallinga.

Not to mention 2 nights prior R&R in our favourite destination - Melbs!! Bliss!
I hope my fellow International Designers are facing the deadline with calm, and you New Zealand designers with your extra time - I don't want to hear a peep out of you!! :-)
Svenja