TURA - DYE PAINTING and BIRTHDAY

10 January 2009

TURA

DYE PAINTING and BIRTHDAY

The house is so quiet as our youngest son’s family left for Canberra.

Last night I baked my eldest granddaughter’s birthday cake – she wanted a cake in the shape of a cup cake. So I had to come up with how to do it. Pudding basin’s come in handy at times. In the morning we went over to Merimbula so say happy birthday to her. She is eleven – a lovely sensitive and very responsible young girl.

Also for the next two years our family members now span seven decades ie there is al least one family member covering each decade from 0 to 67 years. I wander how often that happens?

Went for a lovely walk along the beach at low tide. Several dolphins were playing in the water not far from the shore. Lots of sea urchins on the rocks. The green algae type of growth is reappearing on the rocks. The exposed rocks glistened in the sunlight as the waves broke around them and over them.

I had my first opportunity in a very long while to do some dye painting. I finally got to paint, using Procion dyes, a little piece I had started to make in Jindabyne in which I wanted to capture the texture, contours/lines and colours of Hamersly Gorge. The piece utilised techniques I had learnt from Ruth Issett and Fiona Wright. I had stitched my felted piece using white silk, rayon, banana, bamboo and other natural fibres.

I then felted it and stitched it even more.

I then slowly painted it to add the colour element to it.

I will wash it after I get back to Jindabyne as I need to find something onto which I can pin it so that it keeps its shape during the drying process. So far I am pleased with the result but I need to see how it finally finishes up after washing the dye out. So I am planning on how to do the other 11 pieces for this series. I need to have them done for our Experimentalist group’s meeting at the end of February.

In the evening we went out for dinner with our eldest son’s family and his mother-in-law from England to celebrate the birthday. I just love the Mexican restaurant here, Sante Fe. It caters for everyone. The kids didn’t even check the menu as they knew exactly what they wanted. After a lovely meal and great company we returned home. I decided to cut the background strips for my 3 year old grand daughter’s butterfly quilt. I am really enjoying getting back into my quilting.