2020
This has been a challenging year for everyone. No doubt it has changed my thinking and processes as we adapt to being close to home and thinking about us as a community rather than individual actions. This time has been a positive experience for me as an artist. I am concentrating on the process rather than the outcome. The observation of small things around me and with each stitch placed with purpose and thought. This form of stitch meditation has lead to new works with a floral theme. So many topics are too painful and difficult , social, political and environmental. I leave these to younger and mentally stronger artist to address in their work.
For my the act of making is enough. The works have been so successful that my confidence of the work has grown and I am now competing for space in various art exhibitions . I stitch daily. And the results are paying off as I develop new ideas and techniques.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2019
A year of travel and recognition. Completing and extraordinary artist textile residency in Iceland and then to come home as a finalist in the Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize was a highlight of my artist journey.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2018
I live in two worlds.
As a textile artist I live under the Dome of Happiness, a tiny world of creativity and expression, choosing embroidery for my social commentary to rally against the real world when I was once a business owner.
Small businesses are challenged daily by government red tape designed to hamper success, combined with this new tend of political correctness gone a step too far, unethical corporate behaviors, and political leaders who display misogynist conduct better suited to the 1700’s.
My latest works exemplifies the continuing daily code in our corporate world where unacceptable behaviors are deemed perfectly acceptable in the pursuit of financial greed. Our legal system ties us up in knots and yet allows repugnant conduct by our political and business leaders.
Through my weapon of choice, the needle and thread, I remind you not to be complacent or blindly accept bad behavior, unethical business practice and unintelligent PC practices because we are too busy or fear legal ramifications.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
These themes are tough and complex so my needle along with my mind often wanders across a piece of cloth exploring colour, and making more positive observations about daily life, from the new friends you meet in a dog park, to describing the wonderful poetry written by my twin brother, in thread.