BUSY TIMES

It is spring and there are so many things to do that it is difficult to know where to start!

September is almost over and my plans for it went out the window when I discovered that our local art supply and framing shop will be closing next week. The difficulties of living in a rural area is that unless you support the businesses that are here, they become no longer viable to operate. This now means that to purchase any art supplies or have any framing done I will need to drive up the highway for one hour, or half and hour in the opposite direction. I feel that the closure of many small businesses in this area is showing a trend that it is more convenient to shop online?  

I suppose it is pushing me to get on with it, as time has been spent stretching an priming canvasses. The tapestry on the loom HAS to be finished this week as they have ordered the mount board that I need to stitch the tapestry to so that I can have it framed by someone else later on.

I learned my lesson last time I had worked framed without having good images taken before hand. This time I plan to have the small tapestries that I have woven recently stitched to the mount board and sent to a photographer before I have them framed. Some of the tapestries are woven in mercerized cotton and are extremely difficult to get a good photo of. 

After taking in the exhibitions that were on in Halls Gap as part of Grampians Brushes we were in time for the 'show and tell' at the hall of work that had been done in the workshops that were running during the week. It is always interesting to see the same subject worked in so many individual styles. Coen and I drove out the The Gap Vineyard  where I am to have a solo exhibition in February next year. There was an exhibition on at the time and I was shocked that the artist had about 25 different pieces of work. It is a small but lovely building set in the vineyard with wonderful views to the surrounding area. I chose the venue as is is quite small and I did feel confident that I would have enough work. So I have taken photos of the hanging space, made a floor plan and filling in the gaps and planning now where I will hang each piece. So I suppose I am getting organized? While doing all this I have been listening to 'A Song of Ice and Fire' on audio book. I am almost halfway through the third book 'A Storm of Swords' which is about where season 3 of 'A Game of Thrones' ended. The series has had phenomenal success and there are some interesting exhibitions of some of the costumes here and here. The detail and embroidery is exquisite. 

Yarn is on at the Australian Tapestry Workshop September 25 to October 5 as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. I would love to be able to get there but not certain if I can make it. There are interesting reviews here and here.