I need your help to promote my two “International Projects” to all your friends and contacts.
During my year of residency I am working collaboratively with as many people as possible, so please spread the word for me as widely as you can.
All entries in both projects will be displayed in my end-of-year exhibition in the Richard Randall Studio at Mt Coot-tha (6 -14 November) and also featured in this blog.
1. A-I-R MAIL ENVELOPE Project
(A-I-R stands for Artist-in-Residence!)
Before the end of September, I'd like you to decorate and post an envelope.
A MESSAGE FOR NON-AUSTRALIAN PARTICIPANTS – please don’t include real plant material on (or in) your envelope because Australian Customs will confiscate and destroy it, and I’d hate to miss out on receiving it!
These are some of the envelopes I‘ve received so far …. just to show you some possibilities …. please do your own thing in whatever way you like!
Here are the “rules”!
- Include this address legibly on the front
A-I-R MAIL Project
Brisbane Botanic Gardens
Mt Coot-tha Road
Toowong QLD 4066
Australia
- Put your return address legibly on the back (and please include an email address if you have one)
- The envelope can be any size, but no larger than A4 (21 x 30cm). Choose a size that best suits your country’s postal requirements.
- Decorate both the front and back of the envelope in whatever way you like, but it must be able to be sent through the postal system. Please relate your decoration to my theme … it’s “The Language of Nature” so you can just include a ‘naturey’ word somewhere, otherwise feel free to take the theme to any lengths your imagination dictates!
- Don’t include anything inside (except maybe a piece of card to stop the envelope getting bent in the post). I will be leaving the envelopes sealed, and binding them with rings on the left-hand side.
- Post in time to arrive by 30 September 2012
Here are some ideas …
- Start with a pre-existing envelope or make your own (from an outdated calendar page, paper you have decorated yourself, etc)
- Find some appropriate postage stamps to use as inspiration for your decoration
- Use your own choice of colours
- Use any technique that is ‘mailable’ (paint, draw, doodle, collage, etc)
I want to include people of all ages ….
This could be a literacy/art/recycling project for Schools as a whole-class project or just contributions from individual students.
Please contact me for specific ‘teacher-friendly’ information!
It’s wonderful to see the community getting involved already.
The Karana Downs Girl Guides have joined the project by decorating envelopes as part of their Nature badges.
You can read more about this on their blog post on 17 July. Click here.
Now for my other project .......
2. FOCUS ON NATURE Project
Before the end of September, I'd like you to email me a 'close-up plant' photograph.
These photographs will incorporated into a book (or books), which will include hand-lettered poetic phrases.
These images are just examples to give you an idea of the sort of photos I’m hoping to get.
These are plants from all over the world that I photographed in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens.
Here are the “rules”!
- Take a digital photograph
* a close-up detailed view
* something plant-related (leaf, seeds, seed pod, flower, bud, bark, stem, root, fungus, leaf litter, etc) … restrict this to plants (no insects, birds, animals, etc)
* from your garden or local environment
* you can send more than one photo
- Email the photo to me before 30 September 2012
* Keep the image quality high, but make the file size is less than 1 megabyte (so I don’t overstretch my computer download limit).
* Tell me which part of the plant it is (flower, leaf, etc) and include the name of the plant (if known)
* In the email include your name and address (or at least your town/city and country)
* If you send multiple photos, please send each in a separate email
I want people from all over the world to help me celebrate my year as Artist-in-Residence at Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha (in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia).
