Being in Melbourne, thinking of Paris, but happy with my lot...

 My little piece of Paris in Abbotsford (Cnr Johnston & Clarke Sts)

I step over or around this abandoned Cafe terrazzo on my way to work each week

at the Uni of Melbourne Early Learning Centre, just near the divine Abbotsford Convent

and am transported back to Paris where I spent 3 wonderful weeks last April...

 Crinolenne Lady with Cherry Blossoms and Waratahs, Beijing dragon's head c 1910, Peacock and French silk pansies c early 1900s, French Pomegranite in blue and white and Willow Pattern in brown and green.

 Fresh cuttings on my journal - I'm struggling with the branch for

my latest bird and these delicate yellows and whites are to be incorported in the last

of her tail feathers (it's after Ellis Rowan's 'Raggi's Bird of Paradise').

a beautiful watercolour by the wonderfully wimsical Maira Kalman

http://www.mairakalman.com/

It's always good to remember "I have enough"!



New acquisitions - Autumn treasure hunting in East Kew

 My most recent acquisition - a divine tea-cloth with mauve and pale brown floral sprays (circa 1930's?) I visited my local Mental Illness Fellowship opp-shop in East Kew on Wednesday and one of the lovely women there, who now knows me and what I do with embroidery, went upstairs to retrieve a box of recently priced needlework - this was one of them - and is soon to be deconstructed in the name of Art

the whole cloth on my studio rug

Studio - haberdasher's delight or madness?

 Recent acquisition - very old Chinese cushion cover given to me by a friend from Beijing

 recent excisions awaiting reconstruction with Audubon's Flamingo in the background

Sometimes I wonder if I'm turning into a made haberdasher!

 Thousands of fragments in time - reconstructed and awaiting reconstruction

recently dyed lace and Paris cafe curtain lace

It's Christmas Eve

 Found objects from nature meet found objects from the home

 I rediscovered these objects yesterday - they inspired 

my installation, "The Haberdasher's Garden" in 2004

Points of inspiration on my studio mantle piece - my favourite is the blue & white embroidery 

which I bought in the Marche St Paul, Paris 2010

Spring Cleaning

I spent all day saturday spring cleaning the studio - throwing out old paints and papers, sorting textiles and vacuuming. Such a great feeling to get rid of everything superfluous to my current practise. 

My work tables with "Weep" 2009 and "White Lotus" 2008 in the backgrounds

First weeks of Spring

Remembering Paris - Decorative Arts Museum

This exquisite display held hundreds of pieces of jewelry suspended
on black rods within black boxes, like creatures from the depths,
just floating there... I have been looking through my Paris photos again
and these objects I find truly inspirational. Must find time to print the Paris album!

Remnants of past life on a wall at the Abbotsford Convent
A very wintery photo taken on what is meant to be a Spring day!
This image also reminds me of France....

Skyline at the convent. Spring has not yet sprung.

While this is not a great photo (taken with my phone), I
love the painterly quality of the light on these, 'my' magestic
river red-gums - Yarra Billabong in East Kew

More magestic river red-gums - this is where
I come to walk my dog and meditate and
it's only 7km from the city.

More ephemeral pavement art - the rains have washed away
the cherry blossom and Chamelias

Museum shadows, gum blossoms and pavement art

Princess gum blossoms with vintage doylie

                                         Shadows at the State Library

                                          Pavement art