Sophie Mallebranche

Two of my favourite things weaviong and metal. I stumbled on this weaver and love her work. it is very simple but at the same time amazingly beautiful.
Sophie Mallebranche 

Got to love a red sofa

Oh Melly don't you just love this! I wish I could have it. But seems its from the UK and I am sure out of my price range I will just admirer it on line. I always figure,  no price  = can't afford it!
Talisman

Just have to share

 Photographer Jessica Bialek

The Design Files is a fantastic design site and blog and this weeks guest blogger is the Australian Ballet. How could I not share this image? You just have to follow the blog this week it is an exceptional insight into the workshops of the Australian Ballet.
The Design Files
Australian Ballet Guest Blog 
The Australian Ballet

Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future

 Valentino | Evening gown | Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2003, Model 130 | Strapless evening gown with low-set draped pale crimson chiffon sleeves, a train with appliqué pleated crimson taffeta rosettes and red strass crystals in their centres, and pink and grey taffeta rosettes in its lining; fabric: Buche-Guillaud; embroidery: Marabitti | Collection: Valentino Archives | Photograph: Jean Tholance

This weekend was spent in Brisbane so we could see the Valentino show at GOMA Brisbane. It was a fantastic show but the crowds were unbelievable. I could have spent the whole weekend in there if it wasn't for the crowds. So now to pour over the catalogue and wish I was sewing again. We stumble on 2 great fabric shops in Brisbane which were little gems and I didn't get any details as they were both shut when I saw them. So I guess I have to go back to Brissie to find them. I remember one was in an arcade best google it, found it, and it  is called  Beth-Wyn Couture Fabrics in the Brisbane arcadebut the other eludes me.

Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future
Belly :)

From Design Concept to Weave Structure

This was a bit of fun from some of the work I did during my holidays. The starting point was an idea from a book called Caffeine for the Creative Mind - to take photos of as many round objects as possible. That was it really. At the time I had just bought a beautiful Moelskin grid book (*sigh* i do love stationery...) and was discussing design exercises with an architecture student friend of mine. So this is the progression - quite a few leaps in between but that's how play works for me..

 The initial round image.

Design play on graph paper.

Weave draft.

This was definitely a fun little exercise - I can think of about 5 other different variations of this draft - was very good for brain exercise!

--mel

Architectural Ornament

These are a few photos from my ramble around Sydney. I became quite obsessed with photographing these little details - they're everywhere if you look. I do have problems with the style - most of these buildings are built around 1850ish so what is this style? Neo-Greek? Very flourishy.

A few things like this are really making me look at a lot of historical ornamental design. I think it was sparked by reading some of Lacroix's historical influences..

--mel

Great Storage

I have to say this is a great piece of art and storage all in one. May be this could be a solution for the studio but not to sure how you would keep bugs away. Being out in the country has it's drawbacks. I wish my studio looked like this as well, but how can you be a fluff bunny and have a studio looked this glamorous? Belly
Image came fromover at  Table Tonic

Developments in craft and design

Developments in craft and design

Rugs and Spring and Things

This post is a little overdue, but I'm trying to catch up on a few things over the holidays.

Most importantly, I have started my rug! I'm enjoying it so much - I'm using colours from our Lacroix exhibition ideas, so I aiming it for that - it may or may not suit the exhibition but either way I'm having fun!

 Sprintime at Sturt is always beautiful! This is an exercise I set for a student in my class - a garden colour wheel.

 This is a simply enormous peony that somebody picked - so beautiful - about 30cm in diametre.

 A wonderfully inspirational Vogue issue - perfect!

 These are just some adds from the same issue - inspired me to do some scarf designs from the textures. I'm thinking next year's scarves might include some bunny fur!

--mel

Colour sampling

A Weekend at Bundanon

Well here I am, finally writing another blog entry! I took my time!

On the weekend I visited Arthur and Yvonne Boyd's property 'Riversdale' and 'Bundanon' on the Shoalhaven River about 20mins from Nowra, NSW. I organized a group visit with the Friends of Sturt for an overnight stay and play. The 'Riversdale' property is one of the most inspirational places I have visited for a long time - I have been looking forward to it for ages!
So here's a quick tour of how I spent my time...

I started with some spinning looking out over the amazing view, because I hadn't spun for years and I was really missing it. The photo is of some of the other FOS gals.

But what I really loved was going for walks. I followed the creek for a while...
And found some natural weaving!
And settled down under a palm leaf.Where I started noticing the micro-world... as I usually do! - Beautiful, lucsious different types of moss.

And I do love the beautiful details of lichen. This is a great illustration of L-systems which I have been investigating lately.
And beautiful buttons of fungi - I find the different browns in this stunning!
And cute little orange buttons...
And this little stunner in reds - never seen it before.
And I did actually do a little bit of sketching - just some quick linework of the shadows falling on the page.
Had a very rejuvinating time!
--Mel

Beauty and Burlesque

Devorah Sperber

 

After The Mona Lisa 8, 2010, 1482 larger spools of thread, stainless-steel ball chain and hanging apparatus, clear acrylic sphere, metal stand Dimensions: 68" x 47" (thread only) x 72" d (viewing sphere) After The Mona Lisa 8 is constructed from 1482 larger spools of thread so the image resolution is very low. Yet when seen through a viewing sphere, the thread spools condense into a recognizable image, conveying how little information the brain needs to make sense of visual imagery it has already been exposed to. At first glance, the thread spool installation appears to be a random arrangement of spools of thread. A clear acrylic sphere placed in front of the work, shrinks and condenses the thread spool "pixels" into a recognizable image while also rotating the imagery 180 degrees like the human eye. This shift in perception functions as a dramatic mechanism to present the idea that there is no one truth or reality, emphasizing subjective reality vs. an absolute truth.  "After Mondrian (Fashion 26)," 2009 - Detail Medium: 1,632 spools of thread, stainless steel ball chain and hanging apparatus, and nine hemispherical mirrors mounted on the opposing wall Commissioned by Wyndham Worldwide "After Mondrian (Fashion 26)" is now on view in the lobby of the Fashion 26 Hotel on West 26th Street in New York City

 After Chuck Close..., 2002-03
chenille stems, foam board, aluminum panel
dimensions variable

Ok Julie Ryder, who is always a fantastic source of knowledge reminded me of this artist. I remembered her as soon as Julie told me about her and it has taken a bit of detective work to find her. Her large works are amazing and as the kids say OMG pixelated! So I think my weaving pieces now need to be much bigger than I thought to get any kind of image going. I think i will start with paint chips samples from the hardware store. I have to say it is all a bit of a coincidence as i am reading David Hockney's Secret knowledge in this book he discusses the camera obscura and optical lenses, then Julie tells me about Devorah amazing.
---Bella

Devorah Sperber 
Devorah on Gizmodo 

Thoughts for today

I have been reading Chuck Close Life by Christopher Finch. I have always been fascinated with his gridded colour portraits, I so have been playing with photoshop as to how I can bring this gridded work into my weaving practice. Thinking exhibition work! So a little play in photoshop and Lauren is now pixelated. So now to continue the reworking in photoshop and see where this will take me.
---Bella