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LOOKING AT A FEW TEXTILES - slow stitching winter

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 A day of sorting through cloths in progress and working out the hanging situation of others.  Lovely winter nights to be stitching, inside where its warm and starting early as it gets dark earlier (for the time being).  and some turn out to be 'samplers' unless (or until?) i can imagine them into something else.  all images here are detail of larger pieces. picked this one up last night ... on the home stretch to finishing it !  looking at how it might hang - will post more on this one as soon as it is ready to go .... soooon

INSPIRING EXHIBITION - Australian artists & Afghan women’s experiences since the Taliban takeover in 2021

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The Bridge Gallery in Burnie is a temporary space for the Art Gallery while construction of the Arts Centre is underway.  We travelled to Burnie to pick up the  Oistre book  which was a finalist in the Burnie Print Prize 2025 , and encountered a splendid, awe-inspiring exhibition. There are 21, i think, artist books where each artist responds to each Afghan womans experience of living in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in 2021. i have posted a few images i took on our visit (below).  The images are not 'professional' but give me a sense of the presentation and ideas that i enjoyed immensely. I love how each book presents as 'the same' however upon opening, each book has artwork entirely unique to the story of each Afghan woman.  The creativity and diversity of artwork and story kept me in the gallery, going from book to book, for nearly an hour.  Just marvellous.  Techniques included typesetting, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking...

the FERN book in progress

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Playing with the fern book idea and mono prints.  I have created many mono prints, using the geli plate and ferns from the creek - looking to create a book from the   prints.    Here are a few succesful prints. When considering the 'fern book' proper (title yet to be determined) problems to solve include: Format - the proposed final book is much bigger than the prototype and a different format (landscape while the prototype is nearly square). Printing - the pages completed so far for the fern book proper are multiple printed mono prints which make the pages really busy so additional pages of blank papers need to be inserted which can be collaged, drawn upon, sliced prints etc.  Title - need to think on one  Lettering and words - brainstorming 'fern' and 'conversations by the creek' where the ferns grow - seeking words and letters that may be used in the book - stamping or handwritten, stencils etc Covers - this will come as i continue down this path. this i...

creativity in cooking - Mum's Hungarian recipes (and other favourites)

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  I had  the idea  to post my mum's recipes here on the blog - a record that is not lost of recipes i  wrote down in my 20s when i learned to cook each dish. A record to pass on to friends and family.  My sister and i took turns, under mum's guidance, to learn and cook each weekend. Dad always said 'not enough salt'.      You can  find them ALL here  - a list of individual dishes linked to the full recipe for each.  A single place to find them all .  The list will be regularly updated - keep an eye out and do let me know if you try any and what you think. and always, when cooking, there is a bag of goodies for #snowcone.

looking back over summer just gone

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so many projects on the go (always) - a few here, some still in progress, others merely an idle thought.  my work is research and process based so there is much experimentation and intuitive 'doing'.  images here of asemic writings, paintings in progress, books completed and in progress, slow stitching and chemigrams. find our youtube channel with various playlists including art and artist books  let me know what you think.

Mum's Tarot Cards

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I have a set of mum's tarot cards which i dont use but i like the creativity of the imagery and what they may mean. It's not a full set and they are newer than the ones i remember from my childhood which i think came from my Granny in Hungary. I wish i had those ! This set mum gave to me many many years ago - i think she thought I might play with the gift of reading but my left brain always took over. In recent times during de-stashing whirlwinds I found them and this week decided to do something with them. I created a A book of tarot cards that turned out nicely. I have the images below of a few steps in the making. and this link will take you to our you tube channel showing this book in its final form with the box. Do let me know what you think. Materials : tarot cards  a long sheet of heavy weight paper/card - i used 26 inches long and the height is exactly the same as the height of a tarot card bookbinders glue, bone folder book board  fancy papers to cover boards ma...

FOUNDart series created 18 years ago

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 Well that took me back - updating my sites I came across the one i created 18 years ago.  The site is called FOUNDart series. The idea and thoughts as it evolved into different travel experiences. and it goes like this.  the first post titled 'the idea - 2007 Foundart Switzerland'  and says : i am travelling to Switzerland in August to spend a month with my daughter and her partner who live there and my initial idea of 'doing' art clicked finally this weekend ... i had been thinking for a while i would like to make a 'found art' series where i take small bits of art that look like finished pieces - small as in business card size - and have my website details on the back that tells the story of the 'found art' series and then to leave one at places along the way on my trip to switzerland and other places - so create and take 30 pieces and 'lose' one a day telling the story on the website. Perhaps even contact from the founder telling me of thei...

In Simplifying it Becomes So Complex

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In an effort to try and simplify ALL the things i do and enjoy i have taken my website and broken it up into areas - i thought this might make it easier for my readers so each area retains its own thread.  I am an artist living in #countrytasmania that also writes poetry, makes videos and maintains a variety of interests and it was making a single website 'all over the place' i hope this new system of mine works. it goes like this : blackfishartstasmania  - a front page info about the artist and many links to the artworks and lifestyle blog and you tube channel artist working daily - its all about the works, how, when, why -  studio work about my art Just began putting down all my poetry at  Emerald13 listing the works that are completed and available for sale -  blackfisharts art gallery artist newly moved to #countrytasmania - all the discoveries and enjoyment of place -  Regent Park Our youtube channel . DO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK Perhaps now the titl...

A few cloths on the go - and "What If" ...

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a couple of 'what if' trials & experimentation in slow stitching - with a little help from my friend. I am enjoying what is coming from this sesssion. There is a video on our youtube channel speaking about these cloths - you can view it here.