Tuesday 30 November 2010

and so we shall go down to the sea

























today we sewed as though possessed
in order to make it to Cable Beach at noon
for low tide
those who were brave
wore their garments into the sea
as part of the pre-mordant process
picture 13 women
laughing their way into the wavelets
some let their cloth float free
while they frolicked in the water
then we each gathered a stone
a weight to sink the cloth in the dyepot
as much as
a memento to take home later
went back to the Lud Valley for lunch
and to gather around the cauldrons
a good bunch of skinsisters
i plan a return in 2012
loving the land of the long white cloud









Saturday 27 November 2010

i am here



























here
where i am for now
there is a house with a grass roof
and a circle of meadow
in a field of mown grass

this morning we stood around it
in our bare feet
[not a snake in sight]
closed our eyes
and listened for the distant sea
for birds in the trees
and closer
for the buzzing of the bees
and then
to the sound of our own breath
in
and
out

then we sat and stitched
and stitched some more
much later
we bundled the work
and filled the cauldrons
still steaming now [it's dark out there]

Friday 26 November 2010

pouf!!

somebody has been vapourised here
but i don't know who
i only found her shoes

Thursday 25 November 2010

a note to the Prime Minister

Dear Prime Minister Gillard

Even though I think a carbon tax is silly because frankly, carbon isn't the only pollutant, simply an easy name to spell, I'd happily pay a carbon tax
but
ONLY
if that money is used to fund new forms of employment for forestry workers
for example
exchanging the chainsaw for a shovel and a packet of seeds
and
STOPPING THE LOGGING OF OLD-GROWTH FORESTS
but
if your government is going to continue to mine and sell coal
while taxing the masses
then count me
OUT
cordially

Indiana Flint

Wednesday 24 November 2010

ask and you shall receive

i asked my friend Marion at Beautiful Silks
whether it might be possible to have my favourite stitching thread
silk+cotton #5
not only thinner
but supplied on cones so i could feed it into the overlocker. 
sewing with 100%silk is lovely, but the seams have not much give
- and with the prospect of two sets of dances costumes looming in 2011
"give" is a most attractive quality -
a lovely parcel arrived last week


























and it even does this

meanwhile
in other news
i am boiling bundles in preparation for an "opening"
for the Fairliving Festival
at Federation Square, Melbourne



























that dark blot at front left is the ever-helpful Martha
if you look closely you can make out some
household wisdom
and here are some more paeonies
a reward for reading to the end of the page


 related links

Beautiful Silks





Saturday 20 November 2010

a celebration of eucalypts

























before telling you what i think of this splendid book [oops, slipped out already]
i should declare that my review may have a trifle of bias
as there are two images of my work included in it
as well as a well-summarised [by the authors]
outline of eucalyptus dye processes

so that little kitten is out of the bag.

and now to the book.
the authors discuss the biology and classification of the genus
as well as the social history, use in art and culture and of course the potential for landscaping and planting.
a number of arboreta are listed along with a selection of significant trees and their locations...although Nindethana at Lake Albert sadly eludes mention [it comprises of some 500 river red gums Eucalyptus camuldulensis grown and planted by the late John Giles from seed collected at rivers all over Australia].

there is an exquisite drawing of a series of 'dendroglyphs' - a term describing carved trees - sourced from a book by R.Etheridge [1918] which has particularly piqued my curiosity

the lyrical text is generously illustrated with an abundance of photographs
and while i haven't yet had time to read the whole book word for word
i've already learned [by skimming] many things i didn't yet know
[such as the existence of a Museum of Eucalyptus in Brazil]
i have no hesitation in recommending this as a highly desirable addition to the libraries
of those who, like me, have a fascination for the iconic eucalypt.

A CELEBRATION OF EUCALYPTS
John Wrigley and Murray Fagg
Allen & Unwin 2010

Monday 15 November 2010

i'm really really glad i'm not an actor

as a writer there's always that lurking discomfort at the thought of stumbling across your precious book on the remainder table or worse still
slung out to the op-shop

on saturday i was grateful that my aspirations as a thespian
had been dampened by three successive castings as
you guessed it
THE WITCH
the price paid for being brown, skinny and long-haired in the white Australia of the 60s
but hey
at least i never made Hollywood
and
i'm not likely to find an image of myself
abandoned in a thrift store

on the bright side, there were no pins inserted

Sunday 14 November 2010

some time later

one of the side benefits of living at a teaching space is having playtime after hours. and Crockett Cottage Studio at Mansfield is a particularly pleasant place to play at