Australia - Textiles, Travels, and Teaching

Welcome!

2011-10-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog (of sorts)..... Australia - Textiles, Travels, and Teaching.

The recent posts are from my trip in September and October. If you would like to read it in chronological order (so that it might make more sense), scroll down and start at September 10, 2011.

I hope it brings you both inspiration and pleasure.

Sydney!

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Janet De Boer (OAM, my dragonfly sister, and CEO of TAFTA) and I did Sydney. We did it all. We visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales, we saw the incredible "Tsunami," an aerial lace installation on the Sydney streets, and we went to the amazing Love Lace exhibit at the Powerhouse Museum. We went by ferry, taxi, train, bus, and private car. We drank beer in Manly, ate yum cha (dim sum) in Chinatown, and dined at both the Opera House and at Darling Harbor. We visited with friends. We had Thai massages. We walked and talked and laughed. It was a very special time, and a perfect ending to my trip.

just a tree.....

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The Cullen Winery

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We were treated as royal guests at the Cullen WInery. Vanya Cullen is the managing director and senior winemaker. She has won several major awards, including the Wine Magazine Winemaker of the Year in 2000. Our lunch at the winery was exceptional, as were the wines: Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon and Kevin John Chardonnay - the winning chardonnay of the 2010 World Wine Awards. It was a VERY good wine.

the town of Margaret River

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the Margaret River meets the Indian Ocean

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Margaret River (continued....)

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From our (Cullen) home, we ate our breakfast overlooking the Indian Ocean. Humpback whales were cavorting almost every time we looked. Could this ever become boring?

Shel Cullen was a delight, sharing her knowledge of flora and fauna. She brought us to a karri forest and to the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse, on the southwest tip of the continent, where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet.

Margaret River

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The Margaret River region, in southwest Australia, is known for its wines. And they are great wines! It is a beautiful region, lush and green (at least in the springtime), with calla lilies growing wild everywhere. We saw sheep and cattle, vineyards and wineries, kangaroos and black cockatoos, and even more vineyards and wineries.

Fremantle

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Fremantle is perhaps the loveliest of Perth's surrounding towns. It is where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean. We shopped at the Fremantle Market, strolled down 'Cappuccino Strip,' and enjoyed the local prawns (shrimp).

Kings Park and Botanic Garden

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The spring wildflowers in Kings Park were stunning. Just stunning. The kangaroo paws were in full bloom everywhere. (They are on the official coat of arms of the state of Western Australia.) The trees, the barks, and the grasses were all visual delights.

In and around Perth

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Perth is a beautiful city, with parks and walking trails along the Swan River. The heart of the downtown (in my opinion) is the Cultural Centre, home to both the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the Western Australia Museum.

Perth!!

2011-10-27T04:57:00.000-07:00

My 'holiday' began in Perth, in Western Australia. I met up with the Tasmanian twins, Di WIlliams and Liz Dombrovskis, my frequent Australian traveling companions. Their aunt (and Di's godmother) was Diana Cullen, the first woman winemaker in Australia, and found of Cullen Wines in Margaret River. Diana's children live in both Perth and Margaret River, and made us feel most welcome in their homes.

In Cottesloe, a Perth suburb, we stayed in a (Cullen) home overlooking the Indian Ocean. On the day I arrived, a man was taken by a great white shark in the ocean just below us. You can be absolutely certain that my 'bathers' were never unpacked.

Adelaide Hills and Basketry South Australia

2011-10-26T17:49:00.001-07:00

It was a really easy transfer. My next class was with Basketry South Australia, the guild of the Adelaide area. I moved into Laima Guscia's lovely and peaceful mud brick home in the Adelaide Hills.

Laima and I are at the top of Mount Lofty, overlooking the city of Adelaide.

Southern Textiles

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"Baskets and Surfaces"
It was a very fun class, with great students!

Adelaide, the city of pubs and churches

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Colleen and I spent hours in the South Australia Museum - and we only walked through a few rooms. The Aboriginal baskets and artifacts - the skills, the designs, and the use of materials were mind-boggling. I just stood in front of them - looking and smiling and shaking my head in amazement.

Adelaide and the home of Colleen Morrow

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Collen is an amazing woman. She has made over 70 trips to Indonesia and southeast Asia, purchasing textiles, baskets, jewelry, and art. She sometimes sells them, often saving her most favorite ones for herself. Her lovely home is like a museum - filled with incredible artifacts, baskets to drool over, clothes, beads, weavings, and over 1000 books with information about all that she collects. She encouraged me to just poke around, and that is certainly what I did.

The Final Installation

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The final installation happened at the airport, created by three tired but very happy women - Donna Toussaint, Inga Hunter and myself.

The Design Focus Programme

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My job was coordinator for the Design Focus Programme, an experimental program that offered five classes focusing on design, content, and ideas. Specific techniques were also included in each class: batik, basketry, feltmaking, stitching, and quilting. Lissa Hunter, basketmaker extraordinaire from the US, was one of the tutors.

My position as coordinator included coordinating my own position - what should I actually be doing? It was a great challenge.

Geelong Grammar School

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The Forum was held at Geelong Grammar School. (We would call it a high school.) It has a beautiful and historic campus on Corio Bay, south of Melbourne. HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, is one of the schools' alumni.

The installations by Wendy Golden and Donna Toussaint made it a joy to walk around campus.

What a week it was!!! - the TAFTA Forum at Geelong

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The Australian Forum for Textile Arts - with Janet De Boer as the Chief Executive Officer, general manager, and party director - puts on a great Forum! It is six days of classes with the 'tutor' (teacher) of your choice, 20 tutors in all.

The week was filled with laughter, learning, talking, sharing, costumes, conversations, and great fun. The last night at Forum is always a dance party, done in true TAFTA style. This year's theme was Animalia.

writing from home.....

2011-10-26T16:10:00.001-07:00

During my travels, I was often only able to access the internet on public computers, and so kept this writing on my laptop as I went along – posting them all now that I’m home…..

Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne

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the breakfast tree

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Yummmm........... freshly picked grapefruit for breakfast!

The Basketmakers Cottage in Wattle Park

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Kyneton and Hanging Rock

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A typical building in the town of Kyneton, Victoria

Wendy climbing to the top of Hanging Rock.

Melbourne!

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My "home away from home" in Melbourne (pronounced Mel-bin) - the home of Wendy and Peter Golden in Surrey Hills.

ANU School of Art

2011-09-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

The Australian National University (in Canberra) has a great art school, with a wonderful textile program headed by Valerie Kirk. The students at my workshop were fun and creative women, ranging in age from eleven to much older. Great baskets were made and imaginations were stirred. There will be more baskets to come.

Springtime in Canberra!

2011-09-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Canberra (pronounced Can-bra) is the capital city of Australia. Much like DC, it's a planned city - great museums, a botanic garden of native plants, and miles of good walking. I walked and walked and walked.

It's springtime here. The banksia and spring flowers are in full bloom. The barks of the gum trees, also know as eucalypts, are stunning. The local birds, including lorikeets and black swans, are always a very wonderful surprise.

I still need to remember to look both ways, at least twice, when I cross the streets.

Australia 2011!

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Australia here I come!

Australia!!!! 2009

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Another trip to The Land Down Under - the home of serious textile-makers, kangaroos and koalas, and very warm and welcoming people.

My first stop was Melbourne - back to 'my' room at Wendy and Peter Golden's home. We visited my favorite spots: Wendy's studio at the Abbotsford Convent and the Aboriginal Gallery at Federation Square. During her spare minutes, Wendy finished creating Maude the Meek, a life-sized nun, who would be present at and bless the Geelong Forum.

My two days of teaching plaited basketry for the Basketmakers of Victoria were fun for me, and allowed Wendy and Maude a little extra working time together.

On to Geelong (by Aussie train) - where I helped to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Geelong Fibre Forum. Janet De Boer and TAFTA (The Australian Forum for Textile Arts) keep these conferences fresh and alive and exciting. Once again I was on staff, and performed my duties as The Virgin Mother, welcoming all the newcomers (Virgins) to the conference.

We all agreed that we were the best office staff ever. Besides running a very organized conference, we served as bartenders, and set examples for the Frida Kahlo look-alike contest.

I had one free afternoon, and sat in a yurt and learned throat singing. (What an amazing opportunity!) The yurt was created as an Australian Community Art project, coordinated by Martien van Zuilen. It was a very special time in a very special place.

And of course there was my Dragonfly Sister, Janet De Boer. We had many smiles and much laughter.

Once again, Di Williams was my great traveling companion, with Kangaroo Island and Adelaide as our destinations. Kangaroo Island was stunning - flowers, gum trees, hiking trails, beautiful beaches, incredible rock formations, and many, many koalas.

The field of yellow in the first photograph are canola flowers.

Adelaide is a charming city. The arts abound, and we appreciated them all, including a visit to Tandanya, the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute with a beautiful gallery. We were very fortunate that our visit coincided with the Port Adelaide Festival, where we spent some time with Aboriginal basket weavers. We also visited with two very talented and creative Australian basketmaker friends - Judy Grey-Gardener and Nancy Duggan. We reaped the benefits of one of Ken Duggan's many pastimes - feeding the birds. They were colorful and noisy, and ate a lot!!!

OZ and Bali - 2006

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It was another special time in Melbourne, staying with Wendy and Peter Golden. We started each day eating grapefruits picked right off the tree. We visited Wendy's studio at the Abbotsford Convent, where we were serenaded by a flock of bell birds. And I taught a class of wonderful students for the Basketmakers of Victoria. It was great to catch up with my Melbourne friends.

Then it was off to Brisbane, sharing the home of Janet De Boer and her wonderful husband Peter. Exploring the city and the Queensland countryside, some of it with Jude Skeers, was a special treat.

I always expect that teaching at a TAFTA Fibre Forum will be a great experience - great fun and great learning. BrizVegas certainly lived up to its expectation. It was a very good week!

As always, at a Forum, costumes are encouraged and just add to the enjoyment.

Once again, Di WIlliams joined me as my traveling companion. We flew up to Cairns and started our 1800 kilometer journey. We visited every botanic garden from Daintree to Brisbane, and went snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. The fish were beautiful. The coral was truly amazing and special. We visited Cape Tribulation, Magnetic Island, and innumerable beautiful beaches. It was a special time with a special friend.

And then I went to Bali. I joined Janet and Peter and a very special group of textile artists. We stayed in Ubud, high in the hills, near Monkey Forest. Bali may be the home of the most gentle souls on earth. We saw parades and festivals and daily offerings. We had fresh pineapple crepes for breakfast. We saw ducks at work in the rice paddies, cleaning the insects after the rice was harvested. We visited craftspeople all over the island, and we learned about 'Threads of Life,' a fair trade partnership that promotes traditional textiles.

Bali is a very special place, filled with very special people.

Return to OZ - 2004

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We were blessed - Doris Messick and I were invited back to OZ! Doris as a tutor at the Geelong Forum. I was to be The Virgin Mother.

Our first stop was Melbourne, staying with Wendy and Peter Golden - wonderful hosts and tour guides. We enjoyed a few days of food, laughter, and the sights and sounds of the city. Then on to Geelong.

The Geelong Forum is a large and exciting textile conference. Each year there are new people, VIrgins, who have never attended a TAFTA

conference before. It can certainly be bewildering. My job, as The Virgin Mother, was to take care of all these Virgins, to make them feel welcome and special. It was just plain fun. Each

Virgin received a set of Mardi Gras beads on the first day at registration, and then a charm every day thereafter. My gift from them, at the end, was a stunning necklace, with a small gift from each of them.

Costumes at Geelong, as always, play a major role, no matter what your job. This is a costume befitting the Virgin Mother working as a bartender, with a scarf crocheted of old audio tapes.

Doris' wish was to see Tasmania, and so off we went. What a welcome - we were feted everywhere we went. Both Anna Lizotte and Beth Verschoyle created wonderful gatherings for us as we traveled around Tasmania with mates Di and Liz.

For American travelers, feeding a wallaby with her joey looking on was pretty exciting!!!

OZ travels - 2003

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It was a long and special journey - two months on the roads of OZ!

Tasmania was the first stop. Di (Williams) shared her home, her island, and her family. We visited Strahan and the Creative Paper Mill in Burnie, and went to the Basket Gathering at Poatina. It felt so very welcoming. I knew most of the basket makers, even on this other side of the world (literally).

Sydney was next. I stayed at the beautiful home of Helen and Bruce Hill, overlooking one of Sydney's many harbors. I presented a workshop and slide lecture at Primrose Paperworks. The most special part of this trip was meeting up with my youngest daughter RIna, who was attending Macquarie University in Sydney. We shared the sites of the city (including the Aquarium), and attended a concert at the Sydney Opera House.

On to the Fibre Forum at Mittagong, a conference run by TAFTA and Janet De Boer. I taught for a week to a great group of students. The TAFTA conferences are so very special - serious hands-on learning, incredible inspiration for both the tutors and the students, with fun and laughter all added in, as evidenced by "The Dance of the Too-toos."

Melbourne is one of my favorite Australian cities, and I was happy to return. I met up with both Doris Messick, my "mate" from the US, and Di from Tasmania. We toured Melbourne, visited Federation Square, and found the heart-warming MILK exhibit (Moments, Intimacy, Laughter, Kinship) along the Yarra River. Our tour, of course, included a visit to the Basketmakers Cottage at Wattle Park.

On to the Basket Gathering at Bacchus Marsh, where we were joined by several other Americans, and many Australians. Each one of these biennial gatherings is held in a different state, providing an opportunity to reconnect with basket friends, to laugh, share, and create. They are very special times.

Di's twin sister, Liz Dombrovskis, joined us for our next adventure - a two week zig-zag driving trip from Bacchus Marsh through the Red Centre to Alice Springs. It was another journey of a lifetime - ochre quarries, Coober Pedy, Uluru, Priscilla Creek. Each day brought something new and beautiful and exciting. The colors and visual images touched my soul.

Doris and I bid sad good-byes to Di and Liz, and flew off to Darwin, for a few days of teaching. We joined up with Janet De Boer and two bus loads of textile artists and friends for our next journey, heading west to Broome. We saw the lush part of Australia - Katherine Gorge, thermal springs, Emma Gorge, flights over the Bungle Bungles, and riverboat tours.

The stunning scenery was made even better because of the people with whom we shared it. There was laughter, many flat tires, singing, joyous dancing, knitting Broome beanies, and pencil spinning. On our last night, each of us performed. Doris and I appeared, in a command performance, as Carol Channing and Isabella Rossellini.

Our last stop was an Artist Camp in Broome. It was a time to relax, to enjoy Cable Beach, to make things, to laugh and to dance. Once again, it was the people who made it such a very special time.

Australia!!!! 2001

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First stop - Tasmania!!

Di Williams made it happen. I taught for the Basketmakers of Tasmania, in Golden Valley and in Hobart. We toured the island, saw kangaroos and wombats, hiked at Cradle Mountain, and looked down on Wineglass Bay. Di became a friend for life.

Next stop - Melbourne -

Melbourne is a beautiful city on the Yarra River, a mixture of architectural delights, both modern and traditional. Wendy Golden, an incredible tour guide, Pam Borchart, and Jane Henry escorted us (three American tutors: myself, BJ Crawford, and Joan Michaels Paque), around the city. We had a boat tour down the river, visited the Victorian Tapestry Workshop (see photo below), and even created "The Fork Police" as the Australians taught us Americans the proper way to hold utensils.

Next stop - the Fibre Forum at Geelong -

Each year, Janet De Boer and TAFTA (The Australia Forum for Textile Arts) take over the Geelong Grammar School and turn it into an incredible Forum, a place for people to come to learn new skills, to meet new people, and to have a very great time.

The 5-day classes are taught by tutors from around Australia and the world, covering a myriad of topics. I was teaching basketry. My students were wonderfully enthusiastic and worked hard. They learned a lot; I learned a lot as well. One thing I learned is that costumes are very important for the TAFTA Forum parties!

On to Sydney -

I took the train, a day's journey from Melbourne to Sydney. I saw the countryside, the occasional kangaroo, and quietly watched the world go by. Back in Sydney, I re-visited my favorite spots - The Rocks, Darling Harbor, and the Opera House. I spent many happy hours at the Powerhouse Museum, enjoying both the building and the exhibitions.

For several days, I taught basketry at the Loomcraft conference in Sydney. Another great class of students. And exceptional tutors, including Margaret Mecchia, Jeanette Appleton, and Ruth Lee. They made my time in Sydney even more special.

.... the last part of my journey......

Di (from Tasmania) joined me in Sydney. We "hired" a car and drove south along the coast as far as Akolele. It was a meandering journey. We stopped in towns, visited wineries, and fed the birds.

At the Pebbly Beach National Park, we came upon a herd of kangaroos. They were obviously used to us tourists, and were happy to pose for photos. I was delighted!

My first trip to OZ - 1999

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My very first trip to Australia / OZ / The Land Down Under - 1999.

I traveled with three dear friends: Eileen LaPorte, Sandy Whalen, and Jean Cadmus May. Our month-long trip included eight days in Sydney, a trip up the coast to attend the Basketmakers' Gathering in Lennox Head, and a driving tour of NewZealand.

Sydney was just as special as expected. We were on the move; we traveled by ferry, bus, catamaran, monorail, and taxi to see the sights of this very beautiful city. We went to many museums and art centers, and learned about Australian and aboriginal history.

As we traveled, we did taste tests of 20 different Australian beers. Careful records were kept. Although there was really no clear winner, my personal favorite was Monteith Black.

Our favorite part of the trip was the Basketmakers' Gathering. It happens every two years, in different states of Australia. The basketmakers gather, teach and learn from each other, and share stories and wonderful times. This Gathering was right on the coast. We were made to feel so very welcome. We learned a lot about Australia and Australians, things you just don't learn from a guide book.

One of the very special things that happened was meeting Janet De Boer, director of TAFTA - The Australian Forum for Textile Arts. Here she is, with the four other Americans at the Gathering. (She was born in Loveland, Colorado.) Janet has had a major impact on my life, as well as the lives of many other textile artists in Australia.

Our last stop was New Zealand. We traveled from Auckland in the North Island, to Christchurch in the South Island. It was not nearly enough time.

We did arrive in time to see the front page of the paper -- New Zealand lost to their arch rivals Australia.

Our last stop in Christchurch included visiting the very beautiful Arts Centre. The arts, including textiles, are alive and well.