Maker In Residence

 I've been blogging and vlogging for about a month now and my cousin Libby has followed along. Hi Libby! Libby is my dad's cousin (so my first cousin once removed - I had to google that). When she saw I'd been crocheting, she told me about my Great Gran (her grandmother) doing the fine lace too. And she offered to share some of the precious things Great Gran left behind. The package arrived a few days ago and I was so excited. Inside, carefully wrapped, along with a bundle of photographs, were these items; Libby made me the cute mug mat herself. She has inherited the creative gene too. Here it is with my first tea of the day. Cheers Libby! Inside the pencil case I was delighted to find 4 antique crochet hooks. Three of the hooks have caps to protect their tiny ends. And tow of them have etched designs. Even the shaped end of the hooks is exquisite. I was also thrilled to discover that the hooks have a bit of a point to the top curve of the hook. I was just saying to Mike, m...

 As I'm planning my newest dolls, I am considering what happens when a Spirit Doll is created. This is the doll I'm working on at the moment.  She has a hand sculpted and painted face. Spirit Dolls in Wiccan faith, and many other mystical based faiths, are used as a channel for or barrier against spiritual forces. They are often placed on an altar, but if small enough can be carried frequently or tucked under a pillow. A doll made for healing would channel well being, health, physical strength etc. And a doll made as protection might shield against hate, fear or greed, for instance. There are dolls made specifically for malice (think of voo-doo), but I don't go anywhere near those. When a doll is made for healing or protection the creator of the doll not only aims to envision the doll's purpose as they work, they would choose materials which amplify the sentiment. For example, my doll 'inspiration' I chose amethyst, partly because it is my birth stone and I ador...

 I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I want to explore in my first art work. I'm developing my concept for the art exhibition ReTiwined, ReImagined Fibers, Experimental Textiles, which will take place at The Hawkesbury Remakery in September this year (COVID allowing). I am really driven by the question asked by Graphic Novelist Alan Brooks in his TED talk titled 'When the world is burning, is art a waste of time?' Of course he concludes that art can affect people in ways the artist may never know. So I wanted to explore a topic that is both close to my heart and hotly contested today. Female. What is female? What personal indicators define being female? What are the traditional concepts of female and how are they being pushed at? Is it a biological gender, or a societal concept? Personally I love being female. I am what is considered a traditional female I guess. I have long hair, enjoy dressing up, have a womanly figure with ample bosom, and I pursue tradition...

 Welcome! I thought it would be beneficial for myself, for the Remakery and for makers who follow and for anyone else who is interested to document my experience in the Maker In Residence program. It's due to begin tomorrow at the Windsor Remakery. NSW Covid Lockdown had other ideas. But that doesn't mean I can't still get busy with my making. As a matter of fact, as soon as I applied, I started work on some projects to kick start my involvement in the Maker In Residence Program. The first picture is a WIP of some CDs I stripped to repurpose as suncatchers. They will be swinging in the middle of some of my circular crochet sculptures later. And here is a LARGE work I have in progress. I repurposed a quilters hoop I wasn't using to crochet around and the first layer is yarn from a repurposed jumper. This is going to take a long time I think. Did I bit off more than I could chew? I hope not. This one is nearly finished. It will be suitable for the garden, being crocheted ...