Friday, September 13, 2013

'John and George'... are complete


after 21 days of cutting and pinning (over 4 months) John and George, 2013 - after Captain John Hunter, 1789 is finished...


the hand of the King is complete and the whole 
bird is pinned to it's backing mount - ready for
final mounting and framing



a detail of the King's hand and offering -
cherries (constructed from Hungarian silk embroidery);
  tiny cross-stitched berries and Australian bottlebrush;
antique lace from France forms both the hand and
the lace cuff and the vintage green velvet has been
'quilted' using brass lace pins


the finished work


The gloved hand of the King (or is it Captain John Hunter?)
holding a strange bunch of fruit and flora.  I've used bottle green
velvet - from a dress given to me by a friend - fur from my late
mother-in-law's evening jacket, vintage lace from France and 
glass buttons, to recreate the hand offering the parrot a gift
in John Hunter's painting of 1789


the bird has been taken down from the wall and
lays waiting to be backed and mounted for framing and
the original image lies silently nearby - watching...


the bird is backed with black silk organza 
using Vlisofix - and iron-on adhesive


and now the bird is back on the wall - just waiting
the hand of the King (still to be backed)....


almost there....

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Spring


On this sad day (for some of us) I turn to nature for inspiration

beautiful ornamental plumb blossoms in my street


 Eucalypt - colours of the earth


 the moon rising above my beloved Yarra Billabong
on a morning walk


Silver Princess gum blossom in Fitzroy


 more blossoms bursting with life....