Australia 2017: Post 4

Still recounting my recent month in Australia and happy that you are joining the adventure here. We started in Melbourne (Post 1), headed to Ballarat (Post 2), and then to Lismore (Post 3), all as part of my adventure with Fibre Arts Australia. I then headed to Sydney, the focus of this post and the last stop on my journey.

First up was a visit to my mate Sallianne McClelland, of Art is You fame.

We caught up, made plans and spent way too much time across from each other on our laptops trying to keep up with our inboxes.

I taught two Art is You pop-up workshops.

Day 1 was 52 Card Pickup. I always have fun teaching this.

My demo deck

Student work in progress

Day 2 was Mixed Media Mashup. Anything goes in this class and I was very impressed with the creativity and variety  of the work.

Happy campers

Speaking of Art is You - plans are being made for 2018 and 2019. Sign up here to be the first to hear. And join the Art is You Movement here.

After my "work" ended, I had a few days to relax in Sydney.

Saw some amazing exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Art

Gordon Bennett

Lena Yarinkura

Jenny Watson

Saw the Opera House from a distance...

...and close up

Got together with Linda Lucas and her husband Ron (and there is that Opera House again)

Visited the stalls at The Rocks

Ferried to North Sydney for a different view of the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney skyline

Took 1,000 photos at Luna Park

Visited Wendy's Secret Garden

Found my first book on the shelves of Kinokuniya Books

Saw the most magnificent and moving outdoor art installation 

In the end, I was ready to stay and ready to head home. Happily, I have plans to return again in July 2018. Will be teaching again in Ballarat (workshop full), Lismore (registration open), and Sydney (to be announced). May have a few surprises down under to announce as well. Stay tuned...

Australia 2017: Post 3

On my recent art expedition in Australia,  I started in Melbourne and went to Ballarat - both in Victoria. From there I headed to Lismore in New South Wales for another week long adventure as part of Fibre Arts Australia.

While we flew between events, I don't seem to be able to go to Australia without being packed into a van with many other artists as well.

Three months earlier a huge flood overtook Lismore and the surrounds. 20,000+ people had been evacuated and happily there were no deaths. There was a lot of destruction however and much of the main part of town was still effected. I was thrilled to be part of a group that was bringing people and commerce to the town.

The workshops were held at St. John's College in Woodlawn, just a few minutes outside Lismore. Evidence that we were in Australia was all around.

My workshop, a Library of Memories, was held in the science building.

We had a lot of fun in the lab with all the equipment and specimens.

We even stopped for a visit in the lab shower...

...which is well worth seeing empty too!

We painted, booked, collaged, embossed, drilled, glued, assembled, attached, and more.

Not sure I managed to get pics of every project but the photos below show just how talented this group was.

While I was there I had some time to create myself and seemed to be drawn to small works with a good deal of stitching and fabric bits. It was Fibre Arts Australia after all.

As a group, we all made a modified star book to auction off for a charity -- benefiting a homeless shelter in Lismore.

As wonderful as the art was, it is always the people who made these events special.

Sending a big thank you to Glenys Mann, the brains behind the event, for inviting me to be a part of the crew. 

A bigger thank you for inviting me back next year. My workshop in Ballarat is already full but there are a few spaces left in Woodlawn. Wanna join me mate?

Next up: Off to Sydney for more workshops.