Learning the caterpillar stitch

Ever since I saw an example of this in 500 Handmade books I've wanted to give it a go. And a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to learn this stitch with Hamilton based book-maker Ann Bell. The first day was spent on making a book using single needle coptic before we could even start on the embellishment stitches. Ann follows Keith Smith's text, only a bit more loosely. She says "inconsistency is OK, as long as it's consistently inconsistent". I'm fond of that philosophy, because when it comes to book binding - an anal retentive I am not.  My caterpillar has legs all over the place, and a body that looks anorexic in parts - a millipede on weed.

Stitching across the spine.

Still, I'm pretty pleased with the overall finished product. It can only get better with practice and a glass of wine.

The girls and their finished books (or some not quite finished).

50 cents for your soul.....

It's incredibly rewarding to take a week off work and dedicate time to doing art. This week, amongst other things I set myself a goal to at least start a new shrine - my fourth - and low and behold I completed it today. I started out with an old wooden box, a piece of chain from a chandelier, a few heavy bolts and a tibetan tin heart. Then things emerged and evolved, and all the little extra bits I found in my junk drawers led me to create this shrine to Marilyn Monroe. I've always thought Marilyn was cool, in the days between her demise (actually she died a month before my conception) and when her face became popular culture on hand-bags and T shirts. Some Like It Hot is one of my favourite movies, and I adore her with Jane Russell in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. There is of course something sad about her short life, a sweetheart icon persecuted by the press and old men (recognize those dinosaurs?).  Marilyn once said "Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul."  She wasn't as blonde as you might think. 

New Fabric Books

as inspired by Ailie Snow. I'm getting the hang of the technique now and I've discovered that if you take a bit of fabric and your sewing kit on holiday you can work on these while away from home, particularly if it's raining which it did 5 days out of 7 on my summer break this year.  Not that I'm complaining because I can't do anything about the weather, and it enforced rest on me. Plenty of good novels and cups of rosy-lee. Could be worse huh?

It's all about ME

and is that so wrong? I realise when reading other peoples blog's that they often showcase the work of others, but I just talk about me. So firstly I say who cares because there's no one out there reading this except maybe you Al (and I do read your blog but sadly I am bad at posting comments). Then secondly, I decided this blogspot would be a way for me to document for myself what I'm doing, like an on-line diary. I make journals, but I very rarely write in them.

So continuing in the theme of ME. I just had some work in a group exhibition with 3 other local artists and showed some of my photographs. Mostly still life macro in recycled antique frames. I sold 3 photos, and took one commission. And I had interest from Rick at Of Hand & Heart Gallery to take some works on consignment. All in all a very successful weekend.

Koru Pepe - limited edition print.

Next time, I'll write about someone else. Maybe.

Art of Seven

So this month I have two exhibitions on, which is stretching myself a bit thin, and am in a framing and book making frenzy and I really need to learn to say NO sometimes..... however all is going well at ART of SEVEN in Warkworth at the home of Marianda Twydell. I've made a couple of sales and had some lovely feedback.  The SEVEN include myself, Marianda, Biz Dempster, Mike de Haan, Judy Wood and her sister Helen Howard. It's been really nice to get back into exhibiting in terms of making me produce something out of my photos instead of keeping them to myself on the screen.

Pohutukawa Leaf and Recycled Frame.

I am also showing to the world, for the first time (oh no wait, for the second time), my assemblage shrines and getting mixed feedback, mostly people saying they find them interesting or even amazing, and a few implying that I am sick and twisted.... maybe they are right but do I care?? This is my latest, titled Epona for the Gallo-Roman goddess and protector of horses. 

Epona, mixed media assemblage shrine.

 Obviously she didn't do a good enough job of protecting these My Little Ponies from my mutations.  Too busy worrying about her belly button bling.