Lise Frouland's Sturt Summer School Class

Summer School 2011 has come and gone in a flurry - and fun was had!

The kids' class I ran was fun but exhausting! The kids did really well - knitting, weaving, braiding, felting - they made more than I ever thought they would. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any photos as they ran off with their goodies very quickly.

So the next photos are from Lise's class 'Woven Light', using some fantastic materials.

 Jenny's weaving in progress. I think she's using cotton, reflective thread, copper thread, glow in the dark and a couple of others. The photo is taken in daylight with a camera flash on so the reflective yarn shows up.

Jenny's finished piece around a painting canvas.

 Jenny's finished piece with the camera flash on.

 Sue's weaving with reflective thread, cotton and strips of muslin.

 Detail.

 Another of Sue's pieces, using video tape and other materials.

 Diane's weaving, using Theo Morman inlay technique with reflective thread, nylon momofilament, LED lights and other materials.

Diane's work with lights off and flash on. 

 Scarves that many students made.

And the same with the flash on.

Doormats that some of the students made using an interlocking technique, with light cord threaded through and turned on.

--mel

A Mark on the Floor 2010

Another Sturt Summer School has come and gone. I think we all had lots of fun - I did :) I taught rug weaving again this year, with a focus on design. The course was called A Mark on the Floor. About half of the people in the class had not woven before so it was really great to see everyone take home a completed floor rug.

A good working group - L to R - Nansi, Kylie, Jo and Suzie.

Babette's rug in process.

Helen being handy with some Soumak.

Helen's rug in process, showing her design source from a Rothko painting.

Jenny's rug in process - showing some good Soumak lines.

Jo's loom in the morning sunshine.

Jo with her finished rug.

Kate tying off her ends.

Kate's rug in process showing some eccentric weft.

Kylie's finished rug and some impromptu basketry.

A detail of Kylie's rug and her Gnome's Backpack.

Nansi's rug in process. Her inspiration was from a Van Gough painting and she added some tops to give lots of texture to her clouds.

Suzie's rug in process, showing some very good twilling.

Suzie and Babette tying off Suzie's rug. Suzie wanted some extra design so she threw some black acrylic paint over the rug.

All in all, I think it was a great workshop and everyone did amazing work - congratulations to everyone!
--mel

Threads of Influence

Last weekend we both attended the opening of the Threads of Influence exhibition at Sturt Craft Centre in Mittagong. The exhibition was to celebrate 50, years of teaching in the Weaving Workshop, primarily the teaching by Elisabeth Nagel. Elisabeth came to teach at Sturt in 1959 and has only stopped this year due to an accident. The exhibition included the recent works of 5 other weavers who have worked in the Weaving workshop with her.

Melanie Olde (me!) - resident 2004-9

Monique van Nieuland - resident 2009

Julie Munro-Allison - Graduate Resident 2008

Kay Faulkner - Resident 2009

Janine Binoth - Apprentice 1982, resident 2008

Elisabeth Nagel 2009

Elisabeth Nagel 2008

Liz Williamson (Resident 1991) also exhibited recent work.

--mel