Inspired.

I've been busy sewing and brainstorming lately. So many inspiring artists in blogesphere and unexpected sources of inspiration in my own environement. I'd thought I'd share a few things that have inspired me lately.

These fantastic, flat, smootth , crochet covered stones from the Resurrection Fern. blog. I just LOVE these.

In fact I love the whole blog even if I don't visit often. There's always a selection of fab photos to see and inspiring gems such as these.

Recycled, naturally dyed tea bags.  Of course that's inspiring! These were found on the SoewnEarth blog and I am sure you will enjoy these as much as I did.

I've been making nests! More on this to follow...

and I've made a treasuy of wonderful, nature dyed goodies on Etsy. 

You can check it out here if you are looking for a little eye candy!

Walk'n under trees in a cool summer breeze...

Walk'n under trees in a cool summer breeze is exactly what I needed today. It's the school hol's so we took a picnic and the bicycles and headed off to Yatton Park. I was a bit worried it would be really busy at this time of year with holiday makers and locals but out the back where we went it wasn't too bad.

It was beautiful in the dappled light and I decided to have a little play...

Sticks gathered and loosely woven against a huge 100 year old tree's trunk..

Many attempts later (wind, wobbly sticks, perfectionism....)

I started out wanting to make 'something'. A sundial or wind chime or some other recognisable 'thing' for a passerby to find. In the end I just played and enjoyed the seeking out of leaves and the many shapes, colours and textures to be found.

I'm sure it's no surprise to see that the one 'thing' I did represent was a nest! I found the curled mossy bark and didn't even try to resist...and it was made even better with the last minute find of feathers!

I had fun with this, despite my urge to control the design and make 'something.' I am quite pleased with the way it turned out because it felt good to make it even if I did get some strange looks from other people!Hopefully someone will pass by and smile because it made them feel good to see it and just maybe they will stop and play a while too...

Buried Treasure- Nest Love

Buried Treasure is the brain child of Seth Apter of The Altered Page. He's called for artist to dig deep and find a post that they wanted to repost. Lucky for me he also said that you could post more than one!

I've been head over heels for nests for a few years now. They're amazing artworks which defy all the rules. Some a big and messy, others dainty and so delicate you wonder how they work at all. A bird can build a nest without damaging the environment it does it in. That's more than I can say for most humans. The love affair with nests actually started with a concept that hit me one day. For me, nests have come to represent society and my first ICE collage series "Society is a Nest"  was born. My theory is that a well constructed nest will support the birds (people) and will be a place of love, hope, security and warmth. A badly contsructed nest will fail the birds. Baby birds will neglected and struggle to fly high enough to reach their full potential. The 'nest' is of course our home, our communities, schools, churches and governments. I came to this conclusion after watching a movie called "Out of the Blue" which is amount a mass murder that took place in NZ. The gunman was David Grey and although what he did was horrendous I also thought that society had let him down. People knew that David Grey was mentally unwell yet failed to helped. He was able to arm himself and spend a long time obsessed with weponary and warfare of all kinds. What if someone had helped? If that nest had been built stronger? I am not suggesting that the community he took out his rage on deserved what happened but I do think that this attack was preventable and not so "out of the blue."
So that's where it started and since then I've explored them in many ways, their structure, their beauty, shapes and visual appeal.  They truly are a creation of beauty and it's sheer joy for me when I find one or add another to my collection.

 I've photographed them...

Above photo is from a post called "I'm in nest loving heaven" posted October 17 2008.

The photo below is a different nest and was posted towards the end of 2009.  It's a dodgy photo because I was shooting blind, perched litteraly up a tree, holding my camera strap in my teeth and holding the body of my camera over the nest- completely unable to see the inside of the nest! I was so excited I was trembling! The skinny little branch was too...

Turned photos into collage images...

Above image was originally posted in a post titled "portrait of a nest" in Jan 2009.These nests featured quite a lot in my 2009 ICE series. One of the collages I used the photo in is below. It was titled " Breeding birds"

Layered collages like nests...

This nest type layering really appeals to me!

Added them to AB pages...

One of my earlier attempts at Altered Books. I remember being pretty chuffed with this when I did this almost exactly a year ago. I feel like I've come a long way since then:)

Made lino cuts of nests to create more imagery for collage...

Woven them...

These were created in 2007. Seeing them again now makes me want to go and create a new one! I think the reason I stopped was because they had no purpose, I made them and they sat around my house. Maybe I need to start making assembleges or to start attending markets.....

I've even tried making a dye from a nest and adding bits of nest to handmade paper.


 and using the contents of a nest to make a fabric collage of sorts...

It's been a journey of joy and discovery for me and I am sure there are yet more way to explore nests, the concept of "Society is a Nest" and of course more nests to find!

The last words belong to NZ poet Ruth Dallas who wrote this poem about...nests! Of course!

Winter hedge

How like shells they are, these deserted rain-bleached nests
half filled with small black leaves;
the green leaves that summer- long sang like waves
have left the now as shells on sand
are left for anyone to find.

To lift them from the tangled boughs
of theses deep sleeping hawthorn trees
would be like taking shells away
from all that gives them colour-
sea, sun and sand.

How sad they seem
and faded when you take them home.
Marvellously as they are made
with moulded earth and moss inlaid
with woven bark and straws and
warm with thistle-down
half their charm- even when the trees are bare
is in them being where they are.

The Museum of Forgotten Things. Part 2

This part of my spread was originally going to be a diary for Hester. A secret book made from luscious velvet and filled with her darkest confessions. I ended up making a pocket at the back of Charlotte's 'blue page' for Hester's diary pages, the satin heart and a key.

The diary page says...

I've been saddened by the loss of my sweet Charlotte for more years than I can remember. She deserved a better life, so much more than I can offer her and that's why I sent her to live with my sister. We swore to keep the truth from Charlotte.  I felt it my duty to protect her from the dreadful truth that her own Mother had given her away. If you're reading this now I am gone sweet Charlotte please know it was because you deserved better than I could ever have given you in. A life of virtual solitude is not one for a child. It was a lesson hard learnt. A lesson carved from pain,  you see 3 years before I bore Charlotte to Han's I had a son. I didn't know it at the time of that dreadful fire but I was already with child. A son was born,

 who I name Thomas. He was the sunshine on my gloomy days but it was not to last...he was returned to heaven at just 3 years of age. I could scarcely breathe the day I had to let go of a second child, but sweet Charlotte it was for the best. You've grown up to be a fine girl, with honour and grace.....

Now that you know who the little boy was in this previous post I will show what I did do with the book.

                                                         First page of the book is the imperfect patch.

                           

The second page is a grid of buttons. I wanted the 'diary' to become a sewing book with buttons and bits of fabric. I wanted it to feel like it does when you inherit your Grandmothers or Mother's button jars and remnant of project. There's something very precious about inheriting your 'family buttons.'  They're from an era when everything was saved and reused. A time when we lived on the land and depended on very little of the outside world. A purist of course, will note that these items are not from the late 1800's early 1900's as Hester was but it's the best I could do!

                                                                                    So there it is! My part in Alicia's book completed! I apologise for the looong post, originally this was going to be 2 parts but my son was re-admitted to hospital again today with the same problems as before. I'm home at night because DH is on night shifts this week so thought I had better make the most of this time and post while I could! I will endeavor to visit on the nights I'm home if I'm not too exhausted. Needless to say I am really saddened and frustrated by this turn in events and I hope that his stay will not be a long one. Please keep you prayers and good thoughts coming our way!

PS: This time I've taken my sewing with me! I am working on a piece for Kim's book while at the hospital. I found my way back into my zone the other day, just as I promised myself I would and I'm planning on taking a bit of it with me!

Best wishes and warm fuzzies to you all!

ICE 2010 #3 Harmony

International Collage Exchange 2010
Series: Chain Reaction
Title: Harmony
Embossed leaf on handmade paper, coffee dyed paper, leaf lino print on serviette, thread, pencil, recycled papers.

It was layout number 2 that won me over! It was very nearly number 1 but I realised that I nearly always put the darker/bolder image on the left so I decided to do it the opposite way just for a change. I titled this 'Harmony' because while I was creating this piece the words "Harmony sustains life' kept replaying in my head. Given it's relevance to the meaning behind my work I knew the collage had just been named. I've been waiting to use that leaf for some time now, no project seemed right but I can see it belongs here, as it was meant to be.

A paper swap?? Yes it's true! This international paper swap is being hosted by "Woven Letters" so please drop by her blog and sign up if this sounds like you....which it does of course!

ICE 2010 #2 Connecting

Chain reaction series collage#2.
Title: Connecting
Serviette, nest lino print on painted paper,recycled paper flour bag, recycled envelope, thread, text in pencil.

This second collage was stubborn! I had an idea brewing over the last few weeks and when I finally got the chance to sit down and create it, it wouldn't come. I sat and fiddled with the bits of paper for ages before I gave up. In the end I decided to create a background with the bits in front of me with no preconceived ideas of what might come out...and as you can see 'connecting' was what resulted. Sometimes when I create a piece I just know I am on the right track but with this one I had to travel blind for a while, it wasn't until it was finished that I knew I liked it! The text says "We are all pieces of a puzzle, each of us connecting with another to become part of a completed picture of our past and an evolving image of the future." The thread work came after the text. The collage was a bit like the text in the end, each piece connecting with another and inspiring an idea, a thought, a new seed or direction just like we do with each other. I guess you could say this collage grew itself and I was just following the directions!

I also photographed the first collage again, I must have been tired that day because when I looked at it with fresh eyes I saw that light was too harsh. The original was much warmer and softer than that image I posted. The wrongs been righted:)

Below are some photos from the Greerton Village Primary School Exhibition. You can see more on my other blog if seeing children's art leaves you feeling as warm 'n' fuzzy as it does me!

True Bliss is...

I am so happy! Lots of precious bird's nest and nesty things have come into my life this week. I wonder if it is possible to actually be much more content? The first great bird thing to happen this week was the little, sweet nest my wonderful son found for me. I am not sure what sort of bird it is from but it is so delicate and small! I have seen one of these nests before that a teacher had found at the school. I really wanted it! but I was pleased that it would go into a class of young children so that they could learn about nests and hopefully grow to love birds as much as I do. That was about a month ago and everyday when I go past the spot it was found I think of that wonderful nest...so to have my own one?? Wowee! I was playing around with a photographic collage/still life idea and below is one of my attempts. I think this photo or one similar will end up as a collage image for real one of these days. Above: A wonderful nest, magnolia seed shells, Native Kowhai seed pods, small pinecones, moss on a stick. I actually have all these items on a bench near the kitchen so I can admire them:)
The second great bird thing to happen this week was the arrival of a parcel from a friend in Christchurch. She said she would send me some feathers...by some I thought she meant 10 or so...BUT what arrived was around 200!! No kidding! All sorts of duck and chicken feathers in wonderful colours. I photographed them of course and will post them later with the collage I did using a few of them. I was pretty happy by then, 2 great bird things in one week...but then guess what? Today while I was out taking photos of Tui's (and there were wax-eyes yesterday) and feeling really blissful. I found another nest! The Tui's put on the best show singing and chortling and flirting with each other (honestly, those boys sure know how to fluff a girl Tui's feathers....I was almost embarrassed!) and I was feeling super lucky to be allowed to watch. I wandered around for a bit and didn't notice the nest at first, the Tui's had my full attention but then something caught my eye....a thrush nest! And not just any ol nest but a nest with eggs!

My photography isn't wonderful ..but to be fair, not only were my hands shaking with excitement I was also perched (bad pun!) up the tree on skinny branches with my hair tangling in the twigs! I got such a buzz to see the nest. I'm sure that I can tweak them a bit when I get them printed and it will be all ok. I was going to see if I could take the nest home (usually I only collect fallen nests but this one seemed old at first) when I suddenly spotted 3 precious gems inside. Wow! At first I felt really bad.What if the mother bird didn't come back because of me? What if my fascination was going to come at a big cost to those not-yet-hatched birds? As I walked away half excited at my discovery and half filled with worry I said a quick prayer that this nest be blessed. I thought about it all morning but was so relieved to go back this avo and see the mother Thrush sitting in her nest. Wheeew! It was back to the excitement then!

What ever your bliss is, I hope that my happy vibes rub off onto you and your week is also filled with wonderful and inspiring things!

Postcards and Placemats

The first two postcards were made for a mail art swap. The lady I made the top one for said her favorite colour was Orange. I don't have a lot of orange in my stash but luckily the power company put out the (orange) pamphlet and I was able to use it for my background...wheew!
The postcard below was made for someone who likes blue, purple and teal....and I didn't really need much of an excuse to use that nest image! Or the teasel:) This one's printed onto tracing paper, which I quite like the look of. The blue weave is the inside of an envelope and I thought the weave completed the nest to well not to use!

The 3rd postcard is my 5th postcard for the postcard book I mentioned a while back. I've got a bit of a 'thing' for pears at the moment...but there will be more about that later all going well!

This is not any ordinary placemat! This is a currently-being-altered placemat! I scored 6 this size for $1.00 at the second hand shop (op shop, thrift shop, charity shop...same thing) and I nearly left them in the shop. I actually went back to them 3 times before deciding that I did actually 'need' them and it wasn't just because I might use them! I've taken over more than my fair share of space in the garage as it is! I thought I would use them as bases for collage..but as I type they are drying in a nice painted shade of "pohutakawa". Tomorrow I hope to paint pears on them. I havn't painted in a very long time. I put so much pressure on myself for every painting to be great that I ended up being totally uninspired and dried up. (Much like the brushes!) I hope to put an end to that tomorrow...and I think even I can cope with pears! I just need to take a deep breath and do it. Tomorrow.

Collage for Art Auction.

Title: Noble. 1 of 1 created specifically for the art auction.

I've made this for an art auction to raise funds to support scholarships for school leavers from low income families who wish to continue their education after leaving school. I was approached by an organiser who had seen my collages for the International Collage Exchange and liked them enough to ask if I would be willing to donate a piece. So here it is! I chose the title 'Noble' because I liked the meaning and it's appropriateness for the auctions cause. Other artists donating work include the likes of Dale Copeland so it's nice to know 'Noble' will be in very good company!

My usual collection of papers! Handmade, hand-painted, ink leaf prints, coffee dyed paper, nest photo, op-shop thread, dictionary definition, magazine scrap and the last piece of ledger paper from Debrina! I love the thread especially the piece that has come a bit loose and the fibres have twisted. I actually thought I would use my new print but hello! There's that nest again!

I love the loose layered look. I've dabbed the backs with glue in places to help secure it and allow me to use minimal stitching. It's not entirely decorative. The first 3 layers are mainly held together with the stitching. I hope the people bidding at the art auction love it just as much!

My daughters op date is nearly here again so I hope to spend some more time immersed in papery treasures before we leave for the hospital. I may even take a stash with me:)

Dropping by some blogs today so I will *see* you all soon!