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. 

Summer show

Term 4 is always a really busy time for me as a teacher, thus I have been slack and haven't written an update for ages!!

So... I was asked to fill the Meeniyan Art gallery www.meeniyanartgallery.com.au for the month of January, so I have put together a collection of work from my last show as well as a few new small Italian pieces and a couple from other shows.

The work will be on show from January 2 - 29. The show will be called Fragments of a Journey. 

Here's 4 new little 20 x 20 cm pieces who will join the show.

Cinque Terre

San Gimignano

Tuscan Tower

Venetian Canals

Artist Talk - What fun

Around 25 people came down to the gallery this afternoon to join me for a talk about my work, the processes and techniques I use and the method I used to gather the ideas for this exhibition.

I showed them some of the photos that were particularly influential in the creation of the art work, the kit of art materials I took with me on my trip and the print blocks, dyed fabric, brochures and map bags I collected for each place.

After the initial demonstration we wandered around the gallery to look more closely at the travel books and their relationship to the larger works of art.

A big thank you to Eugene at Quadrant gallery and to those who came, I enjoyed meeting up with old friends and new.

Busy Week

It has been a busy week in the studio this past week. I have been turning out the work fast- nothing like a deadline to speed me up.
In between finishing works of art I have had the work photographed, visited the framer (to part with my life savings in order to have amazing frames put around the work - it certainly makes a difference), picked up the hardcopy invites and now it is back to the studio to complete the final series - Tuscany, and I am done..... I think.

Here's a few details of works- don't want to give away all the images before the show!

Berber Doorways - detail

Outside the Riad - detail

Paris Carousel- detail

It's in the bag, journey in a suitcase

Artisan books, my most favourite bookshop, has an artist book exhibition each year and today I completed my entry - hopefully it will be accepted..ugh.  The show isn't until September, it is always wonderful.
I'm so excited as usually I am spending late night completing it at the last minute, but it has been a very cold, wet and blustery day here in melbourne so it was easy to stay inside and knuckle down.

I have made a little suitcase book before, it is made using a large matchbox!  I decided that I could make a little friend for the first suitcase.Then came the difficult decision, what on earth do I put in it?? This year there was no theme for the artist book show.
Finally decision made,  it would be a little journey from the Swiss Alps to Venice by train, all in pictures of course!
So here it is.

and here is one of the little stitched birds flying (on a spring) over the mountains, and the wood engraved trees!

this little boat is a pop out on tabs. 

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

The Wonderful Creative Things Fair

Only three days until The Wonderful Creative Things Fair at the Abbotsford Convent. Some really great Artists are participating this time again and there will be a great range of affordable things to  buy- especially with Christmas approaching. Pop down and say hi, I'll be there with cards, collages, prints. Things for boys!! ( cars and boat prints) 

Today I'm busy finishing off all the pieces I've started for this, of course there is always just one more idea  that I could pursue!!. Never enough time.

 

Such a lovely day I will have to be disciplined to stay in the studio and not be distracted by the garden.

Also getting ready for the book making class on Saturday, another lovely workshop day with enthusiastic makers.

"Girls Bust Out" completed artwork

Girls Bust Out is an event to be held at Canterbury Girls Secondary College on August 5 this year. An exhibition of works created by students and selected artists, who will have their mannequin bust auctioned to fundraise for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre. This is my completed bust, it has a combination of stitched, painted, and paper images, it is entitled 'Journeywoman" it speaks of the enrichment and colour that journeys bring to our lives. Tickets to the auction and official opening are limited and available at www.girlsbustout.com.au, it will be a fun night with music, food, wine, auction of the busts and a sale of limited edition works on paper.

All in a day's work

Today I started the big sew...the machine embroidery, the final stage in the process of creating this large piece.

Playing

I spent a week at Fibre Arts @ Ballarat in a workshop with Cas Holmes, from the UK, in the week before Easter. It was a good week and I thought I'd show you a few of the collages I made during the week.

A New Piece emerges

This is a commissioned piece of a family's journey around Australia, so after consultation, I paint up a design. This is then reviewed by the client, and I redraw sections that are not correct.



I then paint the silk using instant silk dyes. This provides the background colour.


Small pieces of fabric are then cut out for the details, these will then be machine embroidered onto the fabric.

Cross Roads

I thought I'd show you some older work just to give you an idea of some of the different ways I work.

"Cross With Care"


"Footpath Chatter"


"Local Traffic Only"

These pieces from some years ago are examples of my collage work where I combine elements of stitch, scrap papers, photos and maps.