The almost final throes of WOW journey 2018

I can't believe it's over a  month since my last post - it seems like no time at all! There have been many long days of hand stitching and beading - probably the most I have ever done - in fact, I no longer have finger prints! I am very close to finishing - but only 3 of the four pieces I had planned. I'm quite fine with that, as there is a lot of work in the pieces I have made, from pattern making, to a great deal of handwork. I have made two which I hope to enter in the Avant  Garde Section of the 30th Anniversary World of WearableArt competition and show, and one for the Bizarre Bra Section - a political statement in art! Made of satin and venetian blind material, painted over, and over again, finished with mica paint and dimensional fabric paint, the final touch was this bead as an eye.....

The two Avant Garde pieces have unintentionally ended up sharing the same colour palette and therefore some fabrics, as well as some insect characteristics, although they are quite different in concept and construction.  People say when they see them that they can tell that they're mine, that they're always pretty, (not actually a good thing) and I know that they all come from the same well of inspiration - a fascination with the beauty of nature, and a penchant for intensive work! A lot of my material this year has come from either my stash, or Reverse Garbage - the biggest outlay I think has been on sequins!

Leather, rhinestones, metal earrings!

Leather with rhinestones, gel medium on organza

Sequinned shoooooooez!!

Gel medium and free motion embroidery on organza, with cellophane, and sequin material

The piece that won't be finished for this year is the one made of plastic drink bottles. Although I received a large donation of bottles from Karoline Cumming, many have resulted from the large number of mojito's drunk here throughout this hot, hot summer! I rinse, remove the label, use orange oil to remove the glue, cut off the top and bottom, and cut along the seam, then iron it flat - ish - it creates quite a bubbly texture. Then I make some cuts, shape it further with a heatgun, and spray paint a base colour. Others are cut into graduated scale shapes. They will be sewn onto a base made of yoga mat foam. It's too good to rush, so I guess we'll be living with this in the lounge-room for another year (studio is not high enough for mannequins with headpieces....) I don't know... maybe I can get it done...?!!

PET plastic scales on yoga foam bodice

The WOW photoshoot has been booked in for March - International entrants have lost a month due to the reinstatement of preselection (which I totally understand) - and if there is a tall, thin, model with attitude out there who wants to be a part of it - please let me know!