ARACHNID ARTISTRY – a different type of website!

Gorgeous webs (some with accompanying spiders) now grace the trees near the entrance of the Gardens at Mt- Coot-tha.

Several months ago I invited my friends (and their friends) to make spiders’ webs in whatever techniques they preferred. I was really thrilled with the amazing response … I didn’t expect nearly so many.

I received webs in multiple shapes, materials and colours, and some from people I’d never met.
How good is that!!!

♫   The trees are alive with the sights of webbing!   ♫

I know I have already mentioned this collaborative installation previously (in my blog-post of 24 July), but now it’s reached its final culmination…

• the spiders have spun
• the trees are twined
• the webs have warped (yes, this is meant as a weaving term, not that other kind of warped!)

There are several distinct sections ….

1. MULTI-COLOURED MAYHEM

(in the areas marked with the two purple spots)

Some of the makers helped me hang the webs.
I hadn’t specified sizes, or pre-allocated particular trees, so I anticipated that we might have problems (or even arguments!) finding suitable places for each to be hung … but it all went well without a hitch, except for some deliberate hitching (of the tethering variety).
Thanks Floss, Jill, Nat and Bettina for ‘hanging around’.

These webs are hanging in the trees in the forest island (just down the hill from the Auditorium)

Of course mine had to have some lettering hanging from it!
Then I decided I needed to make a more brightly-coloured one.

Annette Waraker (from QSWFA - Qld Spinners Weavers & Fibre Artists) really excelled herself and made six webs! They are all really gorgeous – knitted, crocheted and twined in different types of yarns and many colours. She also made some cute spiders as well!

Jill Brose (from QSWFA) and Joanne Jayne (from ATASDA) created these beautifully delicate webs.

These lacy webs were machine-knitted by Myra Keay and Margy Newman (from QSWFA).

Tess Murray (from QSWFA) and Dorothy Hurford (the mum of Merody from ATASDA) made filmy webs.

Floss Wainwright (from  QSWFA) created a fine red web complete with large spiders ... and
The Gumdale Group (Mary Kamols, Sharyn Merkley, Jill Glenny, Shane Bailey, Val Zammit and Conchita Hurst) each made a web to complete an eye-catching installation on tree branches.

Lorraine McAlister and Ailsa McEvoy (from Scattered Arts) used their crocheting skills to great effect in their webs.

This wondrous purple web, machine knitted with a hand-knitted centre, was made by Joan Apthorp (from QSWFA). It is hanging on the outside wall of the bus-stop. 

2. WHITE WONDERLAND

(in the areas marked with the yellow and green spots)

It was a great privilege to be able to include webs made by Jude Skeers. Jude is an internationally-recognised ‘knitter extraordinaire’ and ‘web-master’ who has installed webs in many locations throughout Australia.
For this project he collaborated with Peter Wojciechowski, respected bamboo artist, to create some amazing sculptural installations.

Jude and Peter went to great lengths (and heights) to install the webs!

These large knitted webs make a really eye-catching display just as you enter the Gardens off Mt Coot-tha Road (the area marked with the yellow spot)

The stunning installations further up the road (in the area marked with the green spot) are receiving widespread praise.



This triangular frame with its funnel-shaped webs sits shrine-like over the rocks.

 
Vertical funnels hang suspended from the trees.

The radiating ribs of the horizontal funnels are so very elegant.

Beautiful webs are suspended from bamboo ‘fishing poles’.

The piece de resistance is a striking hexagonal pyramid with webs on three sides and a funnel suspended in the centre. These webs are knitted in sequinned yarn and they are a truly awesome sight as they glisten in the early morning sunlight.

3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

(in the area marked with the orange spot)

This web project was launched in early August when members of the public were invited to ‘get in the spin’ and weave some magic for themselves.

We set up a table under the red umbrella outside the Auditorium.
I made myself a web headpiece, and I wore the lovely spider brooch Tess Murray gave me.

Lots of people wrote messages on strips of fabric.
Some of the themes for these ‘woven’ messages included …

• The Web of Friendship (how we all need companionship from other  people)
• The World Wide Web (how we are all now so easily connected to each other)
• Web sites, web design, web links
• The Web of Life (environmental interdependencies)
• The Family Web (the connections between relatives)
• Weaving (the intricacies of linking thread together)
• Spiders (and their amazing silk)
• Webs of Intrigue (curiosity and secrets)
• Networking (how we relate to our colleagues)
• Netting (trapping and protection)

Then the messages were threaded through blue netting to create a community web.

It looks very bright and cheerful. Check it our near the large letterbox, just across the road from the Auditorium.

Providing they survive intact, this message netting, as well as all the webs, will be left on display until after my exhibition in November (6 - 14). I hope you’ll be able to come to the gardens and check them out.

Play a game and see how many webs you can find … and how many spiders!

Please enjoy!

A PLEA FOR WORLD-WIDE PARTICIPATION!

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).

If you’ve got any questions or suggestions, or you’d like me to send you a pdf file about either of these projects, please contact me.

Tricia’s upcoming activities

Here’s an update on what I’m doing in the next few months ….

MY CLASSES

Now is a really excellent time to enrol in one (or more) of my classes!

These will be held at the Sherwood Neighbourhood Centre, 38 Thallon Street, Sherwood (it's quite close to the train station).
The classes run from 2pm until 6pm on Saturday afternoons.

MAKING ARTIST BOOKS
In these classes you will be shown many different techniques for making your own books. These are great for storing your photos and memorabilia or for recording your thoughts. You will be able to see (and handle) hundreds of Tricia’s books showing lots of different variations, and make samples of those that appeal to you. These classes are suitable for complete beginners as well as those who want to learn new techniques.
The cost is $45 per class (which includes all materials, including comprehensive instructions)
You can come to both days, or just one.
11 August: single-sheet books, concertina books, flag books, tunnel books, origami books.
18 August: books with folded covers, pamphlet stitching, exposed bindings & Japanese stab-bindings.

INTRODUCTION TO CALLIGRAPHY
Learn to write basic Italic and Roman letterforms. These versatile and elegant lettering styles are perfect for writing poems, certificates and invitations, and for adding a special touch to your journals and artist books.
You will experiment with a wide variety of calligraphy tools, and learn spacing techniques, interesting variations and flourishing, and the characteristics of many other different scripts.
This class is suitable for complete beginners as well as those wishing to refine their calligraphy skills.
The cost is $130 (which includes calligraphy felt pen, supplies and instructions)
Dates: 15 & 22 September & 13 October

Please contact me to reserve your place.
Postal Address: 78 Graceville Avenue, Graceville, Queensland 4075
Phone: 07 3379 1406
Email: smout@uqconnect.net

I am a registered teacher (BA, BSc, Grad Dip Art Ed), and I have been teaching Calligraphy and Paper Crafts in TAFE colleges, community venues, primary schools and high schools for over twenty-five years. My work has been exhibited, published and sold in Queensland, interstate and overseas.

Now, after that bit of blatant self-promotion, here's an update on my 'no cost' activities at the Gardens ....

ARACHNID ARTISTRY – a different type of website!

♫   The trees are alive with the sights of webbing!   ♫

My friends have been helping me construct webs which we will be hanging in the trees at the Gardens. These webs have been created in multiple shapes, materials and colours, and they will be suspended in the trees in the 'forest island' near the entrance to the Gardens.

 

These two gorgeous creations were made by my friend Annette Waraker, and she's since made several others. Joanne Jayne has made a lovely silver one, and more are 'in the pipeline' (or I should probably say 'in the spinnerets'!)

It is a real privilege to have webs created by special guest artist is Jude Skeers, internationally-recognised ‘knitter extraordinaire’ and ‘web-master’. His stunning sequinned webs will be a real highlight in the trees!

Jude will also collaborate with Peter Wojciechowski, bamboo artist, to create amazing sculptural installations.

Please come and see them, and join in the fun at the Gardens on Saturday & Sunday 4 and 5 August.

From 10am until 3pm there will be tables set up on the Auditorium lawn, and we’ll be writing messages and threading them through netting in the trees to create a community web.

Tell your family and friends – it’s a free activity for all ages.

But wait, there's more ....

JAPAN WEEK CELEBRATIONS

There are lots of activities planned for the Japanese Cultural Day on Sunday, 19 August.

I’ll be helping people make origami paper cranes, and there will also be ikebana (flower arranging) demonstrations, a tea ceremony, mochitsuki (rice cake making) and Japanese music.
This all happens in the Japanese Garden from 11am until 3pm.

I have also planned other free activities in the Japanese Garden during the following week, from 10am until 3pm on Friday 24 August, Saturday 25 August and Sunday 26 August.

As well as making more origami paper cranes, we will be writing wishes on stars as part of the Tanabata Festival. Please come and join me.

  

I'll be announcing details of my next collaborative projects soon ... and I'm hoping people from all over the world will participate in these!

Winter Solstice Celebrations

Members of the public joined me in celebrating the Winter Solstice at the Gardens.

Throughout human history, the shortest day of the year has had vital significance for people from many different cultures. This has been acknowledged in various ceremonies and traditions.

At the Gardens, we staged our own little winter festival …

WREATHS

Following the shortest day (and longest night), we can then look forward to the blossoming of new growth in the Spring.
Wreaths are a symbol of continuity and the cycle of life, so, by making wreaths, we were celebrating the progression of the seasons.

Felicity Clarke had helped me cut flower and leaf shapes from aluminium cans, felt and Lutrador.

On 16, 17, 18, 23 and 24 June, visitors to the Gardens joined me making wreaths.

On the first weekend Jill Brose and Joanne Jayne helped me set up the tables and we started twining bamboo, ivy and creeping vines into circles.
Fortunately we had a lovely fine day, and a prominent position near the Visitors Information Kiosk.

 

Lots of people, both young and old, really enjoyed creating masterpieces.

 

 

After this weekend, our wreath-making Centre-of-Operations was transferred to the Richard Randall Art Studio (in conjunction with my exhibition … which was described in detail in my last post!)
This turned out to be very fortuitous because the weather all week was dreadful - very cold and raining most of the time - so being out in the open would have been disastrous!

We hung the completed wreaths in the Shaving Brush tree (near the Visitors Information Kiosk) where they remained for a few weeks, and were greatly admired by all.

CANDLE COVERS

I also planned another activity for visitors to the Gardens.
On the actual night of the Winter Solstice (21 June) we made decorative covers for candles.
Candles, signifying the shedding of light in the darkness (and the start of longer day-lengths) are an important symbol in many cultures.

We set up tables under the Shaving Brush Tree (Pseudobombax ellipticum) and we had fun punching shapes out of paper strips to decorate tea-light candles. They created a magical atmosphere as the sun set.

 
This activity was a prelude to some amazing singing by the Deep Sea Divas. This was part of “Fete de la Musique”, and apparently there were other performances throughout Brisbane (and indeed all over the world) on this night of the Winter Solstice.

Frances Blines, the hard-working team-leader of the Volunteer Guides at the Gardens (and also one of the talented Divas) had made some yummy roasted potatoes and mulled wine.
It was a shame that we didn’t have too many visitors on the night to help us eat it – but that left all the more for us!

TREE BLANKET

Because the Shaving Brush Tree is deciduous, I wrapped it in a blanket to keep it warm during winter!

Old-style closely-fitting jumpers called "Hug-me-tights" are now making a fashion comeback.
This one is hand-knitted in brown rope, with the words HUG ME TIGHT crocheted in orange cotton. Words of wisdom for Tree Hugger conservationists are hand-lettered on calico and threaded through the knitted mesh.

It was so nice to see some visitors to the gardens spontaneously walking up to the tree to give it a hug!

 

  I originally made this tree-blanket for the Warwick Jumpers & Jazz Festival several years ago, and it’s great for it to have another public outing!

… and if you haven’t yet made an annual pilgrimage to see hundreds of trees clothed for winter in Palmerin, Grafton and Fitzroy Streets in Warwick then you are missing a treat.
The Warwick Jumpers & Jazz Festival is on this year until 29 July…. and while you’re there, check out the amazing “Taking Leaf of My Senses” exhibition at Warwick Art Gallery (10am – 4pm daily) by talented, internationally-acclaimed artist Sue Dennis.

Look out for my next 'public performance' at the Gardens ... webs will be hanging in the trees in early August ... more details soon!

Exhibition Excitement

Despite a week of very cold and wet weather, lots of stalwart friends visited my mid-year exhibition, celebrating the progress of my residency to date, and showcasing some of my previous work.

I really enjoyed talking to all my visitors ... telling everyone about what I've done so far, and what I still hope to achieve.

The venue was the heritage-listed Richard Randall Art Studio, located close to the entrance to the Gardens at Mt Coot-tha (near the Cafe). It's a lovely building, but it's like an icebox in wet weather in winter!

My dear friends Wendy Sonnenberg and Jill Brose did an amazing job setting everything up so tastefully for me. I couldn't have done it without their design expertise and physical support.

The "Flowers of Friendship" hangings (described in my previous post) were the main feature of the exhibition. It was wonderful that so many people who had participated in this project braved the awful weather to come along to see them.
All the flower squares were sewn together, but unfortunately I didn't have time to finish the hangings completely ... but this proved to have an unforeseen bonus, because I received some more squares during the exhibition, which can now be added in ... and some people said they would still like to make one. So, even though I originally asked for them to be sent to me by the end of April, you can still participate .... but I really do need them ASAP!
I faithfully promise to have the finished hangings on display at my final exhibition (6-14 November).

My nephew, percussionist Matthew Horsley, composed and recorded a soundtrack for me entitled "Other Voices" and the croaking of pobblebonk frogs and other natural sounds created wonderful atmosphere for my exhibition.
This was accompanied by a slide-show of images featuring some of the activities I have organised for the public during the year, and also showing the progress of my collaborative projects (some completed, some 'on-the-go' and some still in the planning stages).

Along one wall some of my previous work (mostly with a nature theme) was displayed.
Anyone who knows me well won't be surprised to know that ALL these pieces incorporated words in some way or another!
I was gratified that many of my visitors took time to read the explanatory notes which described each piece.

This table also included some collaborative works completed during my residency ...

• Japanese Garden Reveries (with my sister Alison Horsley) - a hand-bound book of haiku poetry accompanied by photographs
• Naturally Collaborative (with QSWFA Book & Paper Group) - each person decorated pages for everyone else, with a nature theme and using their own choice of techniques
• Tangled Nature (with QSWFA Book & Paper Group) - black pen and graphite pencil doodles inspired by leaves and flowers.
• Bookswap (various book artists) - people made books with a "Plants" theme.

In another area I set up some of my merchandise to sell.
These small books, fridge magnets and bookmarks proved to be ideal gifts for tourists to take home!

See the leafy tree in the photo above?
This represents some of the people who have visited me during my residency year so far, and chosen to write their name on a paper leaf.
Hopefully by November the tree will have grown into a huge forest giant!

On one wall and a table I displayed some of the collaborative works in progress that will be finished for November.

These included (left to right) ...

• Integrate/Disintegrate (with the 'Broadstrokes' artists) - bundles of assorted fibres are hanging in a tree at the gardens, and also in trees and buried in our home gardens.
• Arachnid Artistry (with Jude Skeers, Peter Wojciechowski, Annette Waraker and other fibre artists) - webs will be constructed in trees in the gardens on 4 and 5 August (accompanied by activities for the public to join).
• Forest Collage (with Lyn Baxter and Sue Ford) - a mixed media collage hanging incorporating felting, painting, handmade paper, materials and techniques. These include wet felting, embroidery, painting, machine embellishing, crochet, knitting and many other techniques and materials.
• Pods (with Jill Brose) - basketry techniques and handmade papers will be used to create seedpods, insect cases and other natural receptacles.
• The Water Dragon story (with my sister Alison Horsley) - a short children’s story about a water dragon living in the Gardens ... 2012 is the Chinese Year of the Dragon, and also the Year of Water.
• Naturally inSPIREd (with QSWFA Pulp Action Group) - cones constructed from plant-fibre paper, embellished with a variety of plant materials and found objects.

At the front door I displayed a sample of my Swishy Swathes - garlands of flowers and leaves which are hanging in the shelter sheds at the Bus Stop, the Tropical Dome and the Fragrant Garden … and there are more to come!
These incorporate many different techniques and a wide variety of materials.
Gay McEwan, Joanne Jayne, Tess Murray and Felicity Clarke made some of the leaves and flowers in these swathes.

Some of my hangings festoooned the other side of the doorway.

We camouflaged the kitchen area with a screen ... which gave me yet another chance to display more of my previous work!

Throughout the exhibition there was a chance for children (and adults) to stencil images of leaves and flowers on paper ... and there is always the possibility for this to become a future feature artwork!

 
So, there you have it  ... a virtual tour of my exhibition ... thanks for reading this far!

I hope you'll come and see the final results of my residency in November.... and read my next blog post for details of how to join my other collaborative projects.