Other Studio Work

Last Friday I was fortunate to attend a local Chillingham Community Centre, art class with a visiting guest Water Colour Painter Lorraine Rogers, http://www.sidewalk-gallery.com.au/ it was great to learn from her skill, and simple tricks of the trade.

Much easier, than from the 'How to' collection of newsagent lessons I inherited from a woman living in an Alice Springs Caravan park a few years ago,along with two sets of water colours and a bag to carry it all in, that doubles as an excellent travelling 'Beanie Making Bag'.

I have been using wax water soluble crayons for about 25 years and have often felt that a watercolour wash for the first few layers would make life easier. And it is ! Now I just need to practice my new skills.......Here are my first two attempts...


But first, a deadline........ Monday 19th,........ must have the 'Old Chai Tent Table Curtain' spruced up somehow,????......for the Rainbow Chai Tent's 4th visit, to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in the Gardens in front of Old Parliament House, Canberra, for Sovereignty Day 26th January 2009, and the Action for Climate Change at New Parliament House on 3rd February.

I have made a new table curtain for the regular market set up, but for longer set ups, with extra marques and preparation and servery counters, we always need more table curtains to screen off and hide the under bench area for storage etc.

This old one I originally painted back in the late 80's or early 90's, and is looking quite seedy, especially when wet. It's old and faded, and has some bad areas of mold spotting. But at 6 metres long it is still redeemable with some more paint and I did think for a while, I might sew a backing layer and do the revamp with some applicque-ing! Maybe that'll be the go the next time round.
When I was making the new one I did a tiny bit of over painting to try and keep it going and disguise the worst spots,( see the first 5 pictures )







Decided to just add some more fabric paint (Silver, gold and light silvery blue, with a pink red heart that darkened to more red than pink). That done I nearly finished there, late Sunday afternoon. Then at 4pm Geradus suggests it needs some words ! So we set about working out what words describe the Chai Tent, we came up with quite a few, and I had just enough time to paint thru 3 DVD's til late night, and till 1pm Monday to get 47 words painted in, before Liffy, my Very Active 78 year old mother, headed off to rendezvous with my brother, for the long 2 week trip south.

Geradus kindly cooks the dinner while I work !
I used my wax water soluble crayons to write the words and colour in , then used Fabric Medium to make it colourfast, Much easier, than trying to paint letters with fabric paint, and achieving clear straight edges
And the colours are super bright
Unity, Clarity, Hope, Service, Community, Freedom, All One, Harmony, Equality, Communication, Creation, Acceptance, Music, Friendship, Happiness, No War, Caring, Sharing,
Dance, Wisdom, Listen, Communal, Culture, Sing, One Mob, Tolerance, Inclusion, Education, Integrity, Peace, Love, Charity, No Nukes, Joy, Justice, Serenity, Loyalty, Family, Truth, Growth, Fun,Honesty, Awareness, Heal, Birth, Flow,
Such a change from a tired old curtain, it is earning it's status as a Chai Tent Heirloom!
There's still room for more, that I'm sure folks down there will come up with some, when they read all of these.
That will be for painting on in the next round of revamp, when I'll probably start on the applicqueing and strengthening with a backing cloth.

A Bit About Etsy.com

Found this and thought what a good thing for people who don't live in the US, to see. To learn a bit about Etsy.

Nimbin's Hippyfest'08'09

Old Years Day '08, a very hot humid day, became a beautiful balmy evening, without a hint of thunderstorms, of the preceding and following nights ! The main street of Nimbin was very quiet, the young had gone elsewhere for excitement, the older folk stayed out of town, except for a perfect quantity of happy smiling people, gathered in the Mingle Park behind The Nimbin Museum.



The Rainbow Chai Tent was set up by Michael, and created the colourful atmosphere to brighten up the area and cleanse the area of a brutal attack in the lane two nights earlier.


The evening began with a didge welcome by Robert Corowa and friend

followed by two young men from Tuntable Community, with a clever rap,


Next up were Al and Nerida the Patriarch and Matriarch of 'Earth Reggae',
currently without a band behind them, (Correction :"Tonight without a band behind/beside them", They actually have their three eldest kids as members of the band along with Ren Waterfall on Brass), as they have been and are, extremely busy with their seven kids, and all the extras, (friends of kids) , that like to call Al and Nerries place 'Home' too ! Nerida says they're thinking of offering workshops and music jams and events at their home, centrally located in the village of Nimbin , beside the community centres market stage.
See http://www.earthreggae.com for purchasing wonderful CD's of 'Earth Reggae's excellent Australian Reggae
They got up and did an acoustic version of 'Aboriginal Land' and other Earth Reggae songs,with their youngest kids, plus friends eager to join in. After their set finished, Nerida told me that the music playing during the space between sets was actually their older kids, now playing the accompaniment !

Won't be long til we see the 'Earth Reggae Family Band' , playing alongside the 'Perch Creek Family Jug Band' another local family with seven kids, plus partners of the older ones. The tribe starts to grow bigger!

See http://www.earthreggae.com for purchasing wonderful CD's of 'Earth Reggae's excellent Australian Reggae, with songs about caring, and conserving our precious planet and sovereignty for Indigenous Australians !

Next up were the inspiring duo Marcella and Chris, from 'Monkey and The Fish',

with their exceptional songs, that I just love to dance out the stories of, in mime. They nearly had some 'guest singers', until 'stagefright' over took one, instead they played some percussion, and changed places with two others mid way thru the song 'For the Children'
The evening carried on with a new band ' New', who got all the others up for a good dance

All, ably mixed by Bo Kaan, in the Kombi sound van, he worked all thru the heat of the humid day getting everything set up and ready for the evening
The New Year was heralded in by a small drumming circle, a few fireworks in the main street and a guided meditation, and we all drank lots of chai both hot and iced, and iced Turkish mint drink, and ate luscious cakes, made by Michael, the gluten free Chocolate Hazelnut Meal, and the Orange Almond Meal, and the vegan Orange Poppyseed and the Decadent Chocolate with Everything !

A wonderfully Good night was had by all with donations gathered, to pay the musicians and Sound man and contribute to the Chai set up. Even the local Police Woman came down to congratulate organisers, on such a Peaceful, and Good Event !!

Off toThe Channon Market today, it is a beautiful looking morning, albeit a hot looking day, it is perfect at the moment. Here's some pix of my new studio, transforming from a many carpeted floor space, with very white walls cabin, to a space where I can feel inspired to create.......wonders.

Glad I painted this shelving into a pale blue instead of the lime green it was when I got it from the Tip Shop a while ago, for my sister to use while she was in the cabin temporarily. She didn't like the colour either, but never got around to painting it. Now the colour is provided by my materials for my sewing. Don't you just love the new 'concrete carpet' !!!
Back late tonight, have de-activated most of my hats from my shop for the day, but they'll be back.

My Largest 'Canvas' Ever

Well after starting off emptying the space, of furniture and rugs, I had a huge 'canvas', to paint !
The Floor. !!
When the 'Shed House' was converted/updated to 'The Cabin', the concrete floor was painted a light blue/grey colour.
It hasn't worked well, for the stains and scratches, make it look grubby, even when clean.

So, as I prepare to move in to have a live in Studio of Fixed abode, and taking out the carpets and rugs of old and recycled nature to clean the floor, I decided, that a fresh paint job, was called for.

And being summer, I'd only need some rugs for a while, till winter cold, will call for more carpets to be found and acquired by then.
A quick look in the shed end, (1 quarter of space is now behind a wall), and I found 6 pots of paint, that should do the job, Yaay!!
Brunswick Green with White, Blue with White and Gold, don't know if I'll use the Orange as yet , or the silvery blue spray can, but we'll see later on....

The next thing was to make some 'Brushes',
luckily I didn't, remember, to throw out in the recent Hard Rubbish collection, these bits of foam, I had cut up for hat rims, back in early 2007, down in Tassie, and the old plastic, Under Bed Container, that used to hold our Hand Painted T-Shirts, before they started breaking up. This, is to be my paint mixing pallette, The pieces of bamboo, we used to use for display coat-hangers, for our Sunset Silhouette Shirts.
The weather was extremely Hot and Humid, luckily I had some fans to stand in front of periodically
After working all around the edges, using a piece of cardboard to shield the skirting boards, I them began to cover the floor wih the first colour of a jade green, using one of the foam and bamboo brushes.
As I worked, the foam, began to deteriate, making an even more random shape to my sploches, which is what I wanted. I nearly spent time at the beginning, making the foam covered ends more varigated, I'm glad I didn't bother, as it wasn't needed at all.

I would spread the density of paint around,as I refreshed the brush with more paint, working until brush became paler and paler, I think I will also paint my crocs in this manner too, when I finish off tomorrow...... I left lots of narrow pathways, so I could walk easily around for the second coat....... The humidity was rising as the weather outside was building to a Thunder Storm........
I nearly used this long 'brush first off, but I'm glad I used it second, as itprovides a wonderful contrast. It is the old squeegee mop which we are about to throw out, having bought a new one on Monday !!
This is what it looked like before I started
And this is how it finished up at the end of the day, with more to come tomorrow, when I start with the Gold, top layer.
I'm thinking I'll also paint the Fridge, and maybe the cupboard doors at some time in the future too, in a different style. I've also got two bookshelves that need painting and a Secretaire, that I bought at a Garage Sale a while ago.
I wonder how it will look tomorrow when I finish with the Gold and maybe the Silver/Blue ???

And I can't wait now to paint the shelves and secretaire, which I have been meaning to paint for months and months !!!!!

I've re -found my Creative Energy

This is the farm I am looking after for 10 days. The first 2 days were filled with rain, nearly constantly. A really good excuse to watch a few DVD's while I get some work done.
I had made these two crocheted, over sized hats and fulled them down in the washing machine. The first one, made before I'd deciphered the 'weird' pattern was still too large to ever be a hat, so earmarked it for a bag. But they have sat unfinished for ages!
Now, here in a 'new space', and on my own, I have a 'freedom' I haven't known for what seems, like years !


This is one of my temporary work stations


Also I was not able to be online for those two days, until I worked out the ways of using the house computer so look what I have been doing instead.....
























This is one side of my freeform needle felting, which I have no idea as yet, what it is going to end up as/ If by a miracle, I get it finished into something, or close to, I will give it to a talented local musician, who turns 21 tomorrow. Something stylish for her to wear or carry as she travels the world's music venues. Lokk out for Camilla Hadgkins, the eldest of 7 kids who along with Dad Bob make up The Perch Creek Family Jug Band.
Camilla won a scholarship, years ago and went down to Sytdney to study at The Conservatorium. High School, She used to busk with her Harp, made by father Bob, at all the local markets and had her first CD out at 15, or so ! They're having a big party over the weekend with bands playing and lots of freeform music !


















And this is The Pinacle, which towers up behind the house. It's a peninsula of land, that sweeps down from the Border Ranges, the western rim of the Caldera. The track down across and up to the tip is very narrow in places, and they have even semi-closed the track now, I think. Haven't been out on it for years. My partner and I used to camp further back along the rim at Black Butt Lookout. our most favorite breakfast balcony in the Life of a Nomad! The sun came out today ! but there are thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow. Went out mushrooming again this afternoon Mmmmm, mushroom omlette for tea!

'Welcome to Country', Party at Hanging Rock Hall

Finally I have time to write this up.

November 22nd we headed of to the wonderful community made, stone and wood hall, to help brother Michael set up the Chai Tent, for a community party put on to invite some 'new friends to be' from the Mulli Mulli Community, somewhere west of here, in the Kyogle Shire.
Put on with the help of a grant, which enabled the Mulli Mulli people to bring a school bus of kids and teenagers,and a few cars wirh some of the elders, the one and a half hour journey, and paid for food and drinks for them, ably cooked on the BBQ and in the kitchen by the men and women of the Bush Fire Brigade and Hall Committee.

It was a wild and windy day


and the flags and tent were buffeted. and flapped with gusto. but held up ! And the promised Thunderstorm was never seen ...?
I was a wonderful day of two communities coming together and sharing music and dance and cups of Sovereign Tea and Chai !

Local singer song writer Loren, played around sunset, singing about community. I couldn't resist his awesome words, and danced the stories out, for all to see. ( an impromptu performance, as I was, for a long while, the only one dancing, and my style is movement and mime based.)
It made up for two recently missed, cafe concerts he has played, ( I was just saving up for the right venue, Somewhere with lots of space to dance in, on grass!)
My crook hip paid heavily that night as I tried to sleep, rolling round trying to get comfy !

After dark the fire lantern 'Phoenix was placed in it's stand, on the centrally laid fire, (Beautifully built by the 'Fireys',who had their truck on hand for any firey emergencies).
With a north wind, blowing hot all day, it was not, the ideal day to light a fire, but with sunset, the winds dropped back, to a balmy evening, so Fire Ceremony lighting was approved ! Yaay !




Lewis Walker, of the Bundjulung, spoke and played the traditional Welcome to Country, then played, to the Phoenix as the flames took hold, and an awesome sight it was, as the Spirit of the Phoenix was released, to be reborn in us all, in the Spirit of New Friendships !


But the final parting was very moving, as Lewis farewells the Spirit of the Phoenix !



Can you 'see' the 'spirit' leaving the fire .......

There was music and dance in the hall til midnight, with the wondeful 8 person line up 'CBD Dub Collective', and music and dance, out round the fire, til the wee small hours, of a quieter nature. May there be more such gaterings and coming together of community !

( and may there be 'better communication about what time thiings start, an order and a program, known in advance. The Elders and young Mulli Mullians left too early, as they'd arrived at the advertised time, of noon as we had beleived too, that the official 'Welcome to Country was to be held then.)