Pulp Redux- Kims book Update

Wahoo, it's pulp time again! I'm doing things out of order, having completed the first page and then the last page without doing the middle page...which I've started but not finished! The first section was dedicated to the Maori Warriors who fought at the battle of Gate Pa, the second sections belongs to the Brittish Soliders and the last section is a tribute to Archdeacon Brown and his wife Charlotte. On January 4 1838 the Archdeacon and his family returned to Tauranga after a period away establishing another missionary site. He built a library and chapel on land which is now known as "The Elms." His role was that of preacher, counsellor and community advisor. His library housed books that served the needs of not just his parish but the wider community.(Incidently, many of these books are still housed in the mission library which is now a small museum.)

Archdeacon Brown was able to speak both English and Maori and as a result he was able to work with both of the fighting parties. Imagine the torment this must have caused this peace loving man? To see his friends at war with each other?

On the night before the crushing defeat suffered by the Brittish 14 soldiers dined at his table, the next day all but 1 of those men were dead.

Below are 2 passages from the poem kept inside the pocket on this page 

Then, when the meal was ended, tale and joke

died into silence as the kind host spoke.

Lost are his wods today, we only know

that those who listened felt their hearts a-glow

With pentince; and, kneeling side by side

Grim Verteran and the lad in youthful pride,

they took the sacrament of endless life

then rose, strong-hearted for the morrow's strife.

Within this room, when but two nights had fled

was sound of mourning for the gallant dead;

Of all those happy guests who feasted here,

but one was left to tell the story, drear

Of ambush, vain and of its bitter cost

When heroes, Pakeha and Maori, met

in that grim strife that we would fain forget

Poem by Kathleen Hawkins

It's hard to know how illustrate a story like this. Its potentially one of suffering and strife. Luckily there's two sides to the story!  In the christian faith believers go to heaven, far away from warfare and pain, to a place of peace and love.

While it's true that the Archdeacon witnessed many hardships and lost countless friends he was also a source of comfort to the soldiers and warriors. His job was  to give hope and unconditional love in the midst of one of NZ's most significant landwars.

I chose to reflect the love held within his home and his heart. Evident in his actions and appreciated by many.

 

Still in this place today the quiet light

falls on a room scarce changed since that past night;

and in its quietude the questions rise

Was this the vision seen by dying eyes?

Did that glimpse of homely peacefullness

shine through the pain of wounds to heal and bless?

And did the kindess freely given

help some brave soul find his way to heaven?

The house(in the photo) was built after the library and parish. The soliders (in the poem) dined in the great dining room housed in that very building. These days it is open to the public, the room preserved as it was that day. Having been there I can tell you the room has a stillness about it. A quieting effect that causes you to sit, be still and be thankful. The portrait is of the Archdeacon Brown.

The 'trap door' style flap opnes to reveal the poem.

I've used 100% recycled and second hand fabric, lace and beads. You can see glimpse of the red scarf fabric I used on the Maori page. Kim loves copper so I used an old copper wire 'thing' found inside something electronic...my son finds me the best things! The copper wire (see above pic) is delicate and broke easily but I love the way it looks nestled between the coffee dyed cotton and bits of lace and mutton-cloth. 

This page sits on the back of the Maori page which will lift up to reveal the Brittish page and this one. The peacemaker between the two parties, in the middle like he was in life.

 Coming soon: Blog Giveaway!! I've created a fabric collage with a water theme to commemorate International Blog Action Day so watch this space to be in the draw!

Also coming soon...Altered matchboxes for Bad Penny's 12 days of Christmas Matchbox swap! It's been ages since I've altered matchboxes but it's been fun!

 *See you all soon*

....Circles and Dots....

I've been playing with circles again! I wanted to create some different patterened paper to use in my collage work and this is the first lot that I've come up with. I can see myself really enjoying these!

This top photo shows the order on which the dot idea grew. I took the small samples to bigger paper after this and found that I couldn't do it with the original pen (felt tip) I chose because it was too dry to smear when I brushed it with coffee. By the time I got even half a page of dots done it was too dry! Atleast it was an easy fix with a different pen!

I love the old weathered look achieved by the coffee and ink blending slightly.

I spent ages just looking at this pile just as it is here... tranfixed and totally absorbed in the thought process going on. There's nothing high tech or high skill about these yet I get the feeling that these are some how important in my artistic journey....and not just because I like the way the look!

Pulp Redux Chapter #3 Alicia's book

Here it is! My promised Pulp Redux Update! Last posting was my freshly completed "Charlotte" page. Charlotte is the secret daughter of Hester. You can read more here if you missed it. The AB follows a storyline and it's be a lot of fun creating the story and setting the scene.

The Imperfect Patch.

When Hester was pregnant with Charlotte she created a patchwork quilt, loving crafted from scraps of fabric and an old cotton dress. One of the patches was imperfect and Hester decided that her unborn child would only have the very best and the patch was put aside. As fate would have it this impefect patch was to play a very important roll as it was to become one of the few momento's Hester would have of her daughter. Hester lived a life of self imposed seclusion, she rarely saw anyone which was why she was able to keep her daughter a secret. When Charlotte was one year old she realised that a life of seclusion was no way for a child to live and she made the heart breaking descion to send her beloved daughter to live with her sister. They made a pact that Charlotte would never know that Hettie was her mother, instead she grew up thinking her Aunt was her Mother and totally unaware that Aunt Hettie was actually her mother. After Hester's passing the old ladies secrets were revealed and this was just one of many...

Charlotte's Pocket.

Keeping safe in this pocket is the imperfect patch, a key to Hesters secrets box and some of Charlotte's diary pages. The pocket is attached to the blue page with Charlotte's photo on the other side and is made from coffee dyed fabric, op shop fabric's and op shop lace. I didn't embroider the rose, I cut it from an old cotten napkin also gotten from the op shop! The top embellishment is a heart I sewed from fabric scraps.

The next page in Alicia's book is Hester's Diary...

I colour photocopied a Thrush nest watercolour from a delightful old book called "A country diary of an Edwardian Lady" and the book is a month by month account of Edith Holden's life in 1906. Fabulous book! I sewed over the nest with coffee dyed thread (the nest is a loooong piece of thread stitched on top of the painted nest.) It took me forever but I think it was worth it!

The cover of Hester's diary. The pages are yet to be written though! The cover is made from velvet (from the opshop ofcourse and bargain of the year!) apricot lace and green stuff that I can't remember the name of! The beads that embellish the lace frame are from an old necklace gottem from...the op shop! This page is made from 99% recycled materials. You probably  guessed that by now!  The ribbon roses I made today, they don't show very well here. I havn't made ribbon roses in years but they were kinda fun to do!The only bummer for me here is the strap which will attach the book to the book. I wish I had spent more time on it and finished it a little better. Never mind! Live and learn (and keep on sewing!)

Coming soon...Take it and Run Update and a new collage series called "Four Weeks in Autumn."

Take it and Run

I stumbled across Richard  Watkins one day while I was commenting on another bloggers post. His blog name "Pen Paper Pause" looked interesting so I dropped by...and stayed! Richard does "Thought Sketches" candid sketches accompanied by only a few words- observations of the world around him, reflections on events or people and short poems. The blog has a kind of "post secret" quality in that you feel like you are glimpsing inside his mind and sharing in his thoughts. His sketches are simple, honest and real. I  recommend you click on over to his blog or his flicker page and check it out. Richard also has lots of good ideas... a physical blog space in a book store was one that caught my attention. Instead of logging on to see a new post you simply walked in and saw the latest entry on a wall. Good idea!

Anyway...I was really enthusatic when I commented and one sketch in particular really clicked with me, a simple piece called Autumn.  When Richard emailed and asked if I'd like to take part in "Take it and Run" I could hardly believe my luck! I felt even luckier when I realised  the piece 'Autumn' was available for me to play with too! This is what he said...The idea is simple. People like you take one of my pen paper pause sketches, and run with it. Using your own individual style, create an entirely different visual execution that still uses the words of the original. The totally new from the old.

Below is my contribution to his project. Thanks Richard!

Lino print leaf coloured with water colour paints and lead pencil.

I adore the bright colours of the leaf but I think the decayed leaf which is just lead pencil and the ink from the print is kinda special too!

Below my finished collage which I have titled "Autumn Too."

Leaf prints, ripped circle, coffee dyed paper, old bridge pad paper, thread, recycled paper. The top piece with all the numbers was found inside a book I got at the second hand shop. I love finding ephemera from the previous owner!

The text is from Richard's thought sketch and it says...

There is a certain nonchalance

to how Autumn leaves fall

as if they are fully aware

of their beauty

as if they are fully at ease

with their death.

                                                                               

Thanks to everyone who popped by yesterday and shared the warmth with me. I love hearing how you've enjoyed  my imperfect leaves...and I love visiting your blogs too!

Coming soon: A pulpy post! My fingers havn't just been sewing paper collages ya know!

The ICE exhibition will be online April 1st (our April 1st) collages sell fast so if you want to grab a great piece of art from any of the 120+ artists participating you better mark your calenders now!

Leaf Lino Print

I hope you all like leaves and Autumn as much as I do! I've been playing around with a new lino cut which is a realitivly simple leaf design and I've introduced a 'new' colour to my prints- burgundy! It's a wonderful delicious colour which goes perfectly with coffee and Autumn. I've also been playing around with a few different methods for colouring my prints and taking them. A print straight onto paper still wet with coffee dye for example.  Here's a pic (below)  from my visual diary, the handmade book I made several months ago now. I hadn't used it for a while so it was quite nice flicking through and seeing the old entries. Click on the photo if you want to be able to read the notes below the images.

Below: The linocut itself, I often think these are little works of art in themselves and I think I will make a few 'lino carvings' at some point so that the lino itself is the work of art and the prints a by-product. I love the texture and the way the ink holds in some places but not in others.That fabulous background is the coffee and acrylic paint nude I used for my books cover. I am so inspired by these warm shades!

I

Last but not least...it occured to me that the leaf print didn't have to be square just because the lino block was! I love these ripped and sissor cut leaves! The background it sits on just happens to be a sneak peak of the design idea I have for my next lino cut...I'm playing with the idea of seeds and ripples.

These prints, as you may have noticed, arn't perfect. I made the first few prints in black and didn't like the fat 'colouring book' lines that I had so I trimmed them down...and accidently cut off a line I didn't want too! Too late once it's gone! I was quite annoyed with myself but didn't want to throw away the block for the sake of a line and I think I will be able to save myself a little bit with some strategic colouring and water dripping.

I'm planning a new collage for the "Take it and Run" project I mentioned a few posts back.These prints are for it and I am quite excited about the design I can currently see taking shape in my head!  

More next posting!

Nature Experiments and a little bit of photography.

Unopened Fennel flower.

I am in such a FANTASTIC space right now that I hope these pixels turn into little bubbles of enthusiasim and POP all over you!

Spider's nest in the the weeds.

I resolved to participate more on the NING art groups that I belong to and this month's challenge could have been written just for me- to create mixed media paintings from natural and organic substances. Flower dyes, tree bark pigments, vegetable dyes...you get the idea.Everything about this is perfect...except for the painting bit, which as I have mentioned previously is not really 'good' with me right now but I've decided to feel the fear and do it anyway!  I have to get over this painting slump and what more exciting and inspiring way could I find that with the real colours of nature?

I was thinking about the next part I want to do for Lisa J's Pulp Redux book this morning when thoughts of the Ning swap entered my mind and suddenly I had a huge brain wave. Here's a sneak peak of where I am heading....

This nest was gifted to me by Mother Nature just in time for Christmas. It was the most wonderful nest and there's a bit of story to go with it which I will share later. Sadly, when I said 'was' the most wonderful nest I mean this nest has since 'passed on' and is no longer intact. It was dismantled by a cat and left in tatters on the front step. Stink one!

I kept it's pieces because I didn't have the heart to just throw it in the compost and now I am so glad I didn't! Here's what I did...

I took it apart and soaked it in hot water, sieved it and let it settle. It's now a nest coloured dye!Wahoo!

I didn't even see that brain wave coming!

I've been playing around with the dye and I will be sharing a bit more about that on another post too.

All that remains of the nest's remains....washed, chopped and dried nest pieces ready for inclusion in some paper making. I can't wait!

 I was actually sad to pull this nest apart even though it was well thrashed by the cat (not my cat I hope!!) who could no doubt smell the remains of the eggs I found inside. It was still a thing of beauty but it was disentegrating quickly outside and I am quite pleased it has this new life. It was quite an intimate thing pulling apart a nest with my hands, letting the nest dye run over my fingers and feeling the soft textures of it as I readied the bits for paper making. No wonder I am inspired!

We are camping for a few days tomorrow, I have some little bags ready for the nature gifts I hope to find while were there. I will *see* you all when I get back!

Pulp Redux Update # 2 Lisa J's book.

It's that time of year again where being busy seems to take on a whole new definition! End of year everythings, christmas celebrations, school finishing and 7 weeks of school holidays just beginning!
One thing I like about working with fabric and in particular hand sewing the fabric is that it's easily picked up and put down again. Even 5 minutes in the car while waiting for kids can be used effectively, or should I say can be used to provide a few minutes of 'me' time before the inevitable busy afternoon!
Here's what I have been up too...

The second piece of my addition to Lisa Jurist's book is now complete. The lace tie is undone to completely remove this fabric 'scroll' and reveal what's inside...

The scroll opened up reveals a pocket which holds another piece to remove and open...

...and the 3rd element of the scroll is revealed! I love the way the fabric maintains some of the shape it's been given from the process of rolling it up and tying it, it is ofcourse suitably nest like! I could hardly believe my luck when I found these embossed egg shape beads while out Christmas shopping, I wasn't even looking for beads but they were certainly a nice suprise. In my labyrinth book I started playing around with the idea of moving pieces in my book. Being able to physically interact with the pages and to touch, feel the textures and hold them in your bare hands really appeals to me. I've added net curtain material to the selection of fabric's I am using as well as pieces of a 2nd dismantled doily, it's a little bit squashed after being rolled up but when you gently unfold it, it reveals a little crocheted flower. How sweet is that?

So, now you've seen what I have been up too and now it's my turn to go and visit you all, I am looking forward to catching up with blogs over the next few days so *see* you soon!