Creative Perspectives exhibition 

I have recently completed a small mini series of collages about New York. We travelled there a few years ago and I have been planning to make some work about it ever since. My work is in a group show at Quadrant gallery. 

Unfortunately the opening clashes with a wedding I am going to so I won't make it, but I dropped into the gallery today and it looks good, plenty of good work to look at. 

check out my Facebook page Sally Darlison-Artist  or Instagram @saladele for more photos 

Here's the work hanging in the gallery. 

Onwards with the exhibition collection.

 So I have the date booked for the next major showing of my work.
It will be in May, argh,  the date seemed so far away when I booked it a couple of months ago, but it seems to be looming now.
I have been working steadily, just slowly. Finding it difficult to pare the work back. So much I want to include but want the work to be cohesive as a body.
I have jumped around with various materials and mediums, experimenting.

dyed, collaged and stitched detail of a glimpse of Croatia

                                          The plains in Spain... And yes I even had a go at painting, so quick in comparison to the piece above.

Workshop Fun in Ballarat

Ballarat Embroiderers Guild hold an Autumn Leaves Seminar each year and this year I was invited to teach a class called Fabric Collage and Design.

The 6 students enjoyed dyeing silk, creating several print blocks and different surfaces on their paper and fabric before putting it all together to create a collaged piece.

All in 2 days!

I will give you a peek at the kind of work they did.

First some photos of the luscious silk dyed using Instant Dyes from Beautiful Silks, these silks are THE BEST dyes. I love them and have been using them for some years now. They are literally Instant! You either put the silk into the dye bath and take it out or you brush it on and then it is done! Quick rinse - barely any dye washes out and dry. Very colour fast.

The class started with looking at cooking utensils as I gave a general theme of Preparing a Feast - from the ordinary to the extraordinary. The students used the items to draw from to create print blocks, then did rubbings on various things like the egg lifter, sieve, lace doilies. layer upon layer using paper and fabric they went on to produce these works seen below.  

Lois                                                                                                     

Dianne S

Maria

Suzanne

Dianne 

Jan

Workshop preparation

In 10 days time I am heading up the highway to Ballarat to spend 2 days teaching at the Ballarat Embroiderers Guild conference- Autumn Leaves. 

I am looking forward to it and I have been getting put the materials to take and working out how I will present the class. 

 So far my plan is to focus the class with a theme of 

 " Preparing a Feast : when the ordinary becomes extraordinary." 

I am excited as this will give the participants plenty of scope but hopefully give those who find it difficult to know where to begin, a starting point. 

We will be doing heaps of fun stuff, like printing, dyeing and collaging. 

Printing Fun

Final day of workshop fun in Roxby Downs. Image making exercises followed by print block cutting then a frenzy of printing began.
Participants produced heaps of fantastic prints on fabric and paper. The closer it came to the end of the day the faster some worked!

Well ,what a fabulous time I have had here, great hospitality provided by Rachel and her family, good laughs, great chats, amazing landscape, great community. 

Farewell Roxby- hopefully be back one day soonish!

Amazing work by kids

Heaps of art was created today with fabulous printing done by all participating children.

Teaching in the Desert

Today I flew up to Roxby Downs in South Australia. It is a copper ( and uranium ) mining town not far from Lake Eyre,  surrounded by red desert. Having driven up this way a couple of time previously it was fabulous to fly in this time, to see the lines of the dunes and dry water courses from the air.

I am up here to run a series of workshops for both adults and children.  We will be dyeing cotton and silk as well as creating print blocks to over print the fabric.  So all is set up ready to go in the morning.

Fokker 50 to Olympic Dam

Baggage Collection

Beginner Printmakers

 Recently I ran a 2 day workshop at the Embroiderer's Guild in Melbourne.  The students created a number if different types of print.
Firstly they made  several simple relief prints using compressed foam and polystyrene, then a transfer print creating  print of textural surfaces.
The next day the students made 2 different relief prints using Lino and Soft cut print blocks.
Here are some photos of the different prints made, some were over printed a couple of times to create a layered effect.

Lino print

                                                                   lino print

                                                      lino print over a transfer print

                                                        lino print over a transfer print

                                                         compressed foam block

                                                soft cut print block

                                                           polystyrene print

Printmaking workshop

Wow this year has been so busy, I have barely had time to make anything let alone write this blog. Coming up very quickly is my printmaking class at the Embroiderer's Guild in Malvern. It is a 2 day workshop to be held on February 25 & 26  and students will learn 4 different types of printmaking.

There may be a few spaces in the class, to book in contact the Guild.

Today in my Studio

Studio Day today, and I am working a few things at once -  printed things for the next Wonderful Creative Things Fair- to be held on November 27 at Abbotsford Convent again, also working on my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project. My theme is Tree houses so I have been creating tree prints and images.

Cards for "The Wonderful Creative Things Fair"

Here is the beginnings of a drypoint print of a boat, still a fair bit of work to be done on this yet. Something for some of my small collages. 

Printmaking Class

A small but enthusiastic class of 2 enjoyed a lovely day creating prints, eating delicious food and enjoying each other's company yesterday.

The students made several types of block prints, using soft cut printed onto various coloured papers, then a larger editioned print using vinyl lino onto lovely cotton rag paper.