New Arrivals

Welcome to our new family members!

Since last week our small family has been expanded with the birth and arrival of 5 (and counting!) silk moths and two beautiful budgies, named Tom & Millie!

It's so nice to wake up again with the happy ( and hungry!) chirping of budgies...and to find another hatched silk moth in our box....

A fascinating circle of life to watch the fat Mulberry leaves - chomping grubs (silk worms) weaving their cocoons, only to reappear as white moths who cannot fly. Mating seems to be the only thing on their 'minds' (!!!) After laying all their eggs they die...probably of exhaustion! What a life!

Well, I'll soon be wearing silk robes only!...as my first name suggests anyway!

Felted Friends

I have just completed these big - hearted, felted dollies for the upcoming Christmas Exhibition @ Reverse Garbage, West End, Brisbane (opening later this month).

They are about 30 cm high and completely made by hand : hand-felted, - dyed and - stitched from all natural and recycled materials.

The kids around here love them...and don't want them to leave without plenty of warm woolly cuddles!

I am thinking.....Christmas presents.....!!!

Orders welcome!

Sleeping Beauty

After all the painting I have done, with & without kids, I felt like getting my hands onto some good old crafts again. It has always been a great part in my life, wherever I have lived, ...the weaving, knitting, sewing, crocheting, felting....and spinning!

For me, it's keeping alive the traditional crafts I grew up with, and, at the same time, 'handicrafts' (what a funny word!) create a great balance in this crazy, fast, 'technologized' (I made that one up, of course!) world , where you can have everything at your doorstep (NOW!)with a click of a button. The slow speed and repetitiveness of all the above mentioned craft techniques require fine motor skills, lots of PATIENCE and a focussed mind, similar to a meditation session! Because, as we all know, clearer and calmer minds, are able to make better decisions in life.

I didn't plan to 'philosophize' so much!

I just wanted to mention that thanks to my beautiful friend, Mieke den Otter, I have rediscovered the (basic) art of spinning again. Mieke is an expert, and a patient teacher! So, on the photos you can see my first couple of meters of homespun wool! I am patiently practicing daily now, as spinning teaches me to let go...and to accept the faulty bits!

No, actually, secretely I am trying to prick my finger on the spool in order to fall into 100 years of blissful sleep.....only to be woken up by my PRINCE!

Beautification notice!

Here we go!....

I am officially the face of Queensland Rail's 'station beautification' program!!!

Ballerinas & Aliens

More children's art!

I can't get enough of it, it's quirky and inspiring with lots of imagination!

These timber circles were designed and painted (with my expert help!) by primary school students at a local school here in South Brisbane. They will be installed on a train station close to the school, as part of a 'station beautification'- community arts project.

So, watch out for French Super Dog, big - eyed kids, giraffes, green aliens, underwater traffic lights and the ballerina - monkey!

Young Picassos

I recently held a children's painting workshop at the Caloundra Regional Art Gallery, where I asked the kids to first draw and then paint their portraits in an abstract, 'Picasso style' way.

As you can see from the photos, the results were incredible: They ranged from scary, silly, expressive, colourful, pretty...and not so pretty ( in a creative way!). These portraits told me so much about the 'inner' personalities ( don't we call them 'demons'?) of each child...and I only spent 2 hours with them!

Maybe we should all have a go at painting our portraits from the inside out ( yes, facing our inner demons!!!)...or make a dolly at least!

For workshop enquiries please contact me via my contact page on my website.

Dolls with Hearts & Soul

They have arrived!!!!
I created and sent off 2 dollies for an installation @ the Fractures Galleries, Federation Square, Melbourne.
A few months ago I came across an EOI looking for artists to contribute a hand made doll for an exhibition in Melbourne, as part of the Fringe Festival. It was right down my lane, as I already exhibited small felted dollies in my last group show in Melbourne, Brunswick Street Galleries.
'Totem - Dolls with Soul' is an exhibition curated by the lovely Sayraphim Lothian (the most beautiful name!), and is held @ Federation Square between the 25th September and the 12th
October. Totem is an honest and heartfelt expression of self identity, in doll form. These dolls are more than just simple children's toys, they are powerful symbols of who we think we are.
Well, I think of myself as a loving mum (soft & fluffy, a bit rough around the edges, but all natural!) with a big heart and partly covered in Silk(e), and of my daughter as the smaller version, the mini-me!
So, our voodoo - doubles are being hung up underneath the fractured glass roof of Fed Square as I am writing this. No wonder I have been feeling slightly elevated today.......

www.omnificassembly.com

http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/

http://www.silkesavran.com/

bla bla bla.......

A very concerned member of my family pointed out to me that the use of my blog title 'bla bla bla....' would actually undermine my (highly!) intellectual standard!!!

It's too low key, low tech, low brow, be - low me, I have been told.

I could start some comparative linguistic research into this matter, but I am sure it will all end up in 'bla bla bla...' anyway.

There is a track by Italian DJ Gigi D'Agostino, called Bla Bla Bla, on youtube where he describes this song as '... a piece I wrote thinking of all the people who talk & talk without saying anything.'

That's closer to my linguistic explanation of my blog title!

www.youtube.com

No Persuasion needed!

We made it!

I feel very privileged to be part of the exhibition Gentle Persuasion at the Percolator Gallery, Paddington, Brisbane, which has just opened last Saturday!

Sue - Ching Lascelles, a young & upcoming Brisbane artist, did a fantastic job curating this show for us eight women artists. The themes are femininity and domesticity.....with subversive twists, rather than pretty pinks and laces!

The show is still on until the 23rd of August.

http://www.percolatorgallery.com.au/

http://www.silkesavran.com/

Under- Waterworld!

Well, talk about daydreamin'....

A little boy I was teaching recently made me very happy with this drawing of a set of underwater traffic lights! What an imagination!

He was obviously in that 'space' where reality (busy Brisbane traffic!) and dreams merge....during (my) class!

I am glad that I am not the only day dreamer around here.

Obituary

Sadly, after suffering briefly from a mysterious disease, our 2-year-old budgie 'Mickey' passed away suddenly last Sunday morning. (He just dropped dead off my desk, while I was working on my computer!) He left behind his grieving carers, and his best mate 'Mad Max', who hardly uttered a 'peep' since. The funeral service took place in the afternoon (see photo of grave site!) accompanied by a heartfelt speech, prayers and the unveiling of a memorial sculpture (see photo!).

Mickey, we miss you and your aerial artistry! You brought lots of laughter and fun into our home!....And you seemed to outsmart us daily!

Hope you have a great time in 'Budgie Heaven'!

Think Pink Party

Today was the big day for Alyssa from Lyssy May, Morningside. She managed to transform her beautiful, cosy little shop into a cafe, auction house, gallery/showroom & a place to network and chat with a (few!) glasses of (pink) bubblies. Yes, it was a snug fit...but a huge success, especially as a fundraising event for the Wesley Hospital Kim Walters Choices Program! Thank you, Alyssa for this great opportunity for me to meet other artists/designers and to catch up with friends!

These are some pics of my little accessories @ Lyssy May! Further details are on my website www.silkesavran.com

Art & Nature!

Here is an example of art and nature co - habiting peacefully while beautifying a normally cold and grey, concreted Viriginia Train Station, Brisbane.

It's still a work in progress for the artists and Mother Nature!

playing with butterflies at the shed

The 50 butterflies from Milpera High School flew all the way to 'The Shed', a small QLD Rail metal warehouse at a secret location where all the great artists meet to touch up the children's work to get it ready for the public eye!

Our brief was to 'play with the butterflies!', so here are some of the results.....