Finding acorns

Penny Black Project 2

I usually composes stories with words. But a little while ago a friend encouraged me to participate in the second Penny Black Project. I was heartened by her comment that you don't need to be an artist or graphic designer to take part. A relief for someone who hasn't taken art classes since... hmmm... 2005 (I think).

According to project founder, Joanna Coltman:

'The PENNY BLACK PROJECT consists of six projects six weeks apart and gets participants to create a series of miniature artworks. Participants can follow the brief as closely (or not) as they want. Illustration, collage, crochet, sculpture, textiles, photography - make the PENNY BLACK PROJECT what you want.'

I saw the Penny Black Project as a challenge - a way to explore new art mediums and strive for a connection beyond words.

With fiction writing there's an urgency to get a lot of words on the page and develop complex characters and story structures. With visual art, all the behind-the-scenes conceptualising is depicted in one visual expression. 

Here are the stamps I created for the Penny Black Project. I didn't start out with a theme, but as I went along (much like the free writing process) a theme emerged. That theme was...

'Home'

Project 1

 

The concept for my postage stamp is inspired by vintage children’s book imagery and traditional printing methods. Using the colour of the Penny Red stamp and the dimensions and denomination specified, I hand cut a lino print of a squirrel and acorn from a 1961 Lucie Attwell Annual. The acorn image is a theme I carry through my work, inspired by the oak trees in my Nan’s front yard, that grew from tiny acorns my Grandad bought back from his homeland; England. They’re a reminder that even the tiniest of things has the potential to grow.

 

Project 2

Watercolour

Project 3

This project got me thinking about the things I collect. Of all the little treasures I collect, my largest collection would have to be my books! So for this project I designed a stamp combining motifs from my favourite books. I then applied the design to cream felt using Scandinavian needlecraft techniques (from another favourite book!).

 

Project 4

An ink sketch, inspired by my favourite photo of my Mum and I, and including her country of birth.

 

Project 5

Scandinavian needlecraft

Project 6

For my final stamp I returned to a favourite motif - acorns - that made an appearance in my first stamp.  

Collage created using brown card, ink, textured paper cuttings and tracing paper.

***

My stamps centred around the theme of 'home', represented in symbolic and literal forms. Acorns are a motif from my childhood. Even though you grow and change, you always have a connection to your beginnings. So it seemed fitting to have my stamp collection come full circle.

***

You can check out all the Penny Black Project 2 entries here. Or perhaps sign up for PBP 3. 

Lino printing

This year I've been rediscovering my love of art. In particular, combining vintage images with lino printing. I wanted to explore lino printing for a zine I'm working on. This design was a combination of images from a 1961 Lucie Attwell Annual. Do you notice the familiar theme?

 

 

I haven't done lino printing since year 8 art class and I'd forgotten the lengthy process involved. Creating an image, transferring it to the silk lino, cutting the lino, test printing, recutting, printing again and practising until you manage to get the right amount of ink combined with the right amount of pressure to get a perfect lino print.

Thanks to a great post on Lemonlight blog titled - 'lino printing tutorial for absolute beginners (like me)' and the friendly staff at Eckersley's Brisbane City for pointing me in the direction of 'that shlick shlick sounding, tacky paint I remember from highschool' (and yes I really did describe it like that!). 

 

 

Perhaps lino printing is one of those dying art forms, easily replaced by digital design. 

But there's something I love about the rawness of it's imperfections; the uniqueness of each print and the physical involvement required to produce a lino print. 

This print is a long way from perfect but I can see it working.

 

 

I'm now working on a different lino cut for the Penny Black Project, but you'll have to wait until project 2.1 pickies are posted online to see that one.

Do you think lino printing is a dying art form? For those of you who like (or love!) lino printing, perhaps you have some tips to share on how to create the perfect print.

A little bit of Friday joy...

You may remember from a previous post the pictures I made from glass that washes into our garden whenever it rains. It always a reminder of the history of our home.

Mother nature has been kind lately and here is my latest glass bird creation...

 

 

A closer look reveals the imprint on the glass...

 

 

I would love to know the history of this piece of glass, imprinted with the words - Herbal Auchenflower. 

What things do you create with objects you find?

Writing a zine

I've wanted to write a zine for a while; to marry creative words with visuals and conceptual ideas. I've even jotted down a few ideas in recent weeks. Then, this morning after yoga class I used the stillness to create.

Words, images, a concept and ideas flowed, and it got me thinking about how we generate creative ideas. How one moment we can create as effortlessly as breathing and other times it feels like a child trying to walk for the first time - full of wobbles and uncertainty. 

So I compiled a list of all the places I gained inspiration to write my first zine. Here's what I discovered...

• a Little Golden Book
• a word - 'south'
• childhood memories
• adult experiences
• other creatives and zine creators
• an iPad app - Heart in a Bottle
• collected things - a jar of shells
• childhood photographs

• music
• the smell of silk lino conjuring memories of high school art
• reconnecting with an old friend
• my children
• a different approach to writing - the raw connection between pen and paper
• writing slowly, thinking slowly
• recent life lessons
• vintage shopping.

I'll keep you posted on how my zine making progresses. Feel free to give me a nudge along the way as zine making is new to me.

Where do your creative ideas come from?

Finding stories: the history of our home

Beneath the foundations of our workers cottage are the remains of a bottle dump. I know this because our neighbour told me. Our land was home to a bottle dump until the early 1900's when the cottages were built to house the railway workers.

Whenever it rains pieces of old glass, copper and other household bits wash into our garden. Today, instead of discarding them I decided to collect them while I weeded the herb garden that runs along the side of our house. Here's what I found from other eras...

The gold foil has the imprint Pauls Icecream and my research suggests its life began some time between 1948 when Pauls introduced foil caps and 1952 when pasteurised milk was introduced (and silver foil used). There is also glass, buttons and pieces of bottle green ceramic.

I felt like an archeologist as a scrubbed the glass and other pieces in a bucket of water, trying to reveal their previous life. As I did, I imagined where they existed in that time. Who's life they were part of? Who's pale blue button lay in the soil? What their life was like. 

Not only was I finding objects; I was finding stories too. Here's what I made with the history of our home...

What stories exist in the history of your home?

Zines

Lately I've been reading zines... and reading about zines... and thinking of ideas for creating a zine. Once you start exploring the fascinating world of zine culture it's difficult not to feel that creative rumble in your belly. That's what I love about zines. 

To get me started I purchased some zines from Take Care Zine Distro and Bird in the Hand Zine Shop - two online zine stores. I received in the post a diverse range; from basic black and white to full colour and elaborate finishings. While the later had enormous visual and tactile appeal, it all came down to the writing for me.

'Strange: Seven times with you' - an A6, black and white typed and stapled zine contained by far the most touching story. And Tamara Lazaroff's 'House' was again a simple zine with quality writing. There were a couple of arty zines I loved too.  

'I Wish I Could Fly' by Kassie was created using a risograph so it has visual appeal. But it's her concept of 'growing up' that makes it complete.

Lastly, 'preserving, containing, consuming' explores preserving as a metaphor for the PHD the author is writing. It reminds me of a post I read a while back by Katherine Battersby of The Well Read Rabbit blog where she used cooking to bake her ideas for a story into existence. I love a good analogy! To go off topic for just a moment - I recently attended Poh Ling Yeow's cookbook launch and one of her comments that stuck with me was  - she encourages people to savour the cooking process. 

You can add embellishments, but like anything you publish, you have to have something to say. Something that moves people, broadens their mind or unlocks their creativity. I now have ideas for creating a zine with hand-made and printed lino cuts. Themes are also starting to emerge and I've been writing short stories and prose - gathering the pieces to create a zine. Slowly, un-rushed...savouring the process.

I'd love to know your favourite zine? And what do you think makes a great zine?

For I Will Fly To You

Here's a little bit of Friday joy...

For I Will Fly To You is a short, multi-layered and interactive piece by writer Isabella Mead and animator Felicity Yee. 

Commissioned by Experimenta, the online artwork combines text, animated visuals and sound. The viewer is taken on a journey in which they come face-to-face with a peacock, a hummingbird and an owl.

Enjoy!

Exploring, discovering and finding new acorns

Lately I've been soaking up inspiration. My most recent find - the Premier of Queensland's National New Media Art Award 2010; a showcase of seven artist and collaborative works short-listed for the biennial award. My favourite - the collaborative work of Isobel Knowles and Van Sowerwine titled You Were In My Dream. It's an interactive work enabling the viewer to choose the narrative of the central character (a child) who wakes in a dreamlike state and explores a forest. As a writer it appeals because of the multiple narratives but also the unique concept of interactive animation and live video feed providing a multiple experience as primary and secondary viewer.

A complete contrast to this playful work is recent read - Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam by Peter Goldsworthy who is known for taking moral questions to the edge. It's difficult to write about the book without giving away the story. Even now as I draw a contrast between these works I'm already making a moral judgement. Yet when I think about it, perhaps the ending isn't sad. Therein lies Goldsworthy's talent as a writer - the ability to convince the reader that a 'what if' scenario is possible through his layered dialogue and carefully crafted characters. If you've read the story I'd love to know what you think. 

So while I haven't been writing (or editing) much lately, I have been soaking up inspiration. For me, that's a large part of the writing process - exploring, discovering and finding new acorns. 

Writing and motherhood

I've been doing everything possible to avoid writing lately. I'm not alone though. It seems writers everywhere are doing it. Katherine Battersby of The Well Read Rabbit blog is 'baking her ideas into existence', Kathleen Noud is 'smothered by the real world' and when I opened this month's issue of WQ, Editor Jodi De Vantier confessed: 'It's the middle of winter and I've lost my creativity.'

We all have different reasons for loosing our writing groove. Truth be told my lack of writing is less to do with avoidance and more to do with motherhood. You see my two little acorns have moved the goal posts - again. As little people do they are growing and changing and with that comes my need to adapt to a new routine. 'Routine' perhaps isn't the best word to describe the life of a writing mother. It suggests something fixed; concrete; set in place. But for those of you who are parents know - parenthood is anything but!

My 4am starts have disappeared, I have one less day to write and by night I just want to fold my exhausted body into sleep. And then there are other things. Guilt. That time spent writing should only occupy the time when my children sleep, otherwise how can I be a 'good' mother. Of course this is reliant on sleeping children - something I'm not always blessed with.

I've been a mother for three and a half years, over four if you count pregnancy when I was trying to write with a mushy brain (and yes it does exist). For most of this time I've lived in denial that being a mother would not affect my writing life; that the two could co-exist perfectly. But the reality is that often something has to give.

And lately, as change whirls strongly around us I surrender to motherhood.

It comes in waves I tell myself to encourage the surrender. My time will come if I do the hard yards now. And if I look back on their small lives there are times when I write frantically and there are times when I release the reigns. That's the thing about writing and motherhood. You can't put it in a little allocated box forever. Sooner or later a little acorn will find it and move it and you'll begin the search again for a pocket of writing time to call your own.

I'm taking comfort in the book The Divided Heart: Art and Motherhood by Rachel Power as she dissects the 'artist-mother' myth through a series of interviews. I've been avoiding it since it was published in 2008. Now that I no longer deny the conflict that exists for me as a writer and mother I can hear the universal language Power's words speak.

'No amount of money, no amount of structural change, can entirely resolve the fundamental dilemma for the artist-mother: the seemingly incompatibility of her two greatest passions. The effect is a divided heart; a split self; the fear that to succeed at one means to fail at the other.'

Power has also written a great post - Reconciling the creative and maternal selves in her blog The Rachel Papers that provides strategies collected from her readers. Perhaps I'll find my writing time hiding in one of these places...