It's cold... it is colder in my house than outside and my fingers are not engaged to my brain.  Castaways 2016 has moved from the regular May spot to October.  The applications are due next Friday ... enter... procrastination.  Is it just me or is everything so much easier to do last minute..???   I have my idea swimming around but to get it out onto paper is another matter.  I have my ideas for Wearable Art 2017 and have those on paper but Castaways is eluding me.

So, I think I will build a mini Castaway piece and send that in.... make it from paper mache and warm up the glue to try and get some feelings back into my fingers!  

I am working in 3 schools this year to provide an 'artist' experience for the Castaways school entries.  It is great to see the female students embrace the challenges of power tools.  There are quite a few that have never even held a drill but they value the experience... and they 'ROCK' at it!!!  Taking my pop rivet gun in next week... think they will have a lot of fun with it.

I will leave you with a photo... Three items chosen by a school from the recycle centre to be turned into a sculpture... any guesses what it might be???!!!  I cannot tell you right now but suffice to say when you know what it is, that is all you can see!!!

​Have a great week!

Wow, this Wearable Art journey has been a long yet very exciting road.... Saturday night saw my dress and 3 other amazing creations, walking around AGWA.. Art gallery of WA.  This was for the Audi Art Ball sponsored by Vogue Australia.. Consequently there has been a lot of press coverage and I have spied my dress in a few places!!  Including this fab shot in The West on Monday...  Friday night + a bottle of wine + sketch book = 4 wearable art outfit ideas for 2017!! 

So, the agenda for this week?  I have started working in 3 schools preparing and helping the students to create sculptures out of recycled materials.  The imagination in these classes knows no bounds.. The items chosen this year to work with are:  A camp bed, netball stand, birdcage stand, chimney flue and a sand filter... the mind boggles...!!!  I will upload some 'action' shots soon.  Applications for Castaways closes in two weeks, I really need to 'pull my finger out' and apply... I have the idea growing in my head, getting it onto paper is a different story.  Add to that my amazing ability to procrastinate and 'eeek'!!

Starting Wednesday is the Perth Craft and Quilting Expo at the Perth Convention centre.  My dress and 8 others will be on display there, my 'slot' is Friday morning so if you are up that way, come and say hello.

That is my week.  Hope yours will be just as fun!!  

WOW... what a week it was.  Stretch festival has come to Mandurah, a crazy, creative and fun time.  The Big Draw is just one feature of the festival.  I spent all of Saturday and Sunday enticing children into the main square to come and paint 'magic carpets' straight onto the pavers.. although permanent, Mandurah Council will be re paving soon... They look good though don't you think??!

Following on from that, Saturday night, Common Threads Wearable Art Showcase... and yes, wow, little old me received a prize... I won my category 'Colour Palette'.  Picture a rabbit in headlights, that was me... On stage, brightly lit - blinding in fact, in front of 800 people.  I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a cheque - makes it all worthwhile... Roll on next year!!

So now, my dress will be on display at the Perth Quilt and Craft Expo 2016 and a after that at the fabulous Casm Gallery in Mandurah.  I now need to get my application in for Castaways 2016.  For the next 8 weeks I will be artist in residence in 3 local high schools helping them to create their own pieces for Castaways.. exciting times  :)

I have entered the realm of Wearable Art.... and it is cool!  Since using melted plastic lids in a sculpture 2 years ago I have perfected a technique to create these fabulous 'discs' that are not only strong but thin... thin enough to be bright and colourful when lit from behind.  This one is a combo of a peanut butter lid and milk bottle lid

​This then went hand in hand with the Mandurah Wearable Art component of The Stretch Festival as the theme for 2016 is Illuminate.... oh yes!!!


​Using a couple of lampshade frames, one being particularly huge I set about melting lids, drilling lids and fixing, one by one onto the frames.  I originally planned for the large frame to go upside down on the head as it fit perfectly however the weight of the lids became a problem...  Plan B, turn the right way up and use as a skirt then use the remaining frame as a hat.  The hat worked really well, a few issues in lining it (I am not a seamstress) and onto the body.  An old corset, fishing wire and lots more discs.  

I would guess that I used well over 500 lids in the outfit that has been named 'A dress to Im'Press'... It has a mass of battery powered lights inside and looks mighty fine when lit in a dark room.  I also melted some tiny mirrors into a few of the lids to add to the sparkle.  This all reaches a climax on Saturday (7th May) in a huge stage show of all 40 outfits.  Afterwards my outfit gets displayed at the Perth Quilt and Craft Expo then onto an exhibition at Casm in Mandurah... All very exciting... :)

#CTWA #plasticlids #stretchfestival #wearableart
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