Sunday 28 December 2014

announcing New Orleans (and a bit of a personal reality check)



it's been a big year.

i've exhibited in New Orleans, Atlanta and Minneapolis (USA)
Evoramonte (Portugal)
Barossa Valley, Port Augusta, Adelaide, Murray Bridge and Tamworth (Australia)

i had work acquired by the Art Gallery of South Australia and was rejected by the Waterhouse Art Prize

self-published a number of books and taught at least nine workshops around the whirled.


which seemed like a reasonable achievement until i clicked a link to Amazon from a friend's sidebar and read the critiques for Eco Colour which is apparently a self-indulgent waffle with no useful information AND in which (according to the several reviewers) i apparently endorse the use of chemical adjuncts "without the specific caution that these are quite toxic".
i don't recall that at all. but clearly i am getting old and batty as well as being "somewhat prickly and seems to be the Self Appointed "Green Police" "
sigh. 

the good news for those people is that i have very recently been blessed with a dog and so will be limiting my travelling to much shorter sorties (after i get through 2016) to stay home and be with her so our paths are far less likely to cross.



at the same time i'll be making a serious effort to get my novel together. BE WARNED. it has stories, contains my favourite food recipes and has been completely self-indulgently written in my own voice so if you didn't like Eco Colour or Second Skin avoid it like the plague and don't say you weren't warned.
rather than attempting to complete the trilogy and writing a book about pattern-making i'm building all that into the story too.
(note to self  :  do not read critiques of novel if/when it is eventually published)

+ + +

if, on the other hand, you are not one of the above and willing to brave three days in my company in New Orleans in September 2015

i can tell you that i shall be offering a compact intensive version of 'being (t)here' in the marvellous Chateau Curioso, down near the lazy river, in the lower 9th ward

the class involves drawing and writing as well as the dyeing of cloth and paper and the making of a beautiful 'island book'. it is about being in place.

dates : September 4,5,6

the cost will be US$700 and i will be brewing a daily cauldron of soup (with accompaniments) for our lunch. some materials will be supplied but there will be a small list of things to bring. by and large we shall be working with treasures we find in the local area

if you are keen you may secure your place with a non-refundable deposit of $100*
drop me a line via my contact page if you'd like to sign up









* in the event there are insufficient takers for the class i shall refund your deposit in full

50 comments:

  1. You amaze me... how can you fit all of that in. Don't worry about the knockers.
    Hugs Kay

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. not worried...all good! and thanks for the hugs.

      Delete
  2. Is that a koolie puppy? It is gorgeous! I have a 16-yr-old koolie cross who looked a lot like that when she was young.

    My rule for maintaining sanity on the internet: Don't read the comments!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha. I know that now! And yes, she's a Koolie. Totally gorgeous and razor sharp intelligent

      Delete
  3. I really don't think people read things properly, they like to put their own interpretation on things and nothing will change their minds. Believe in yourself, I am sure you do!
    Love that pup, the spots, the ears and that blue eye. I too am very fond of Kool is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you'll probably meet her on the beach sometime when we go to visit with Janet!

      Delete
  4. haha, snap, my mother said something similar to me: 'all that blogging and 'sharing on internet', don't you think that's just too self-centered (she used the term egocentric), the contacts you have in the virtual world aren't 'real' you know, they don't 'mean' anything! (auch, it hurt) might as well give up publishing all together and while we're at it all methods of modern communication, huddle up together in a cave and have meaningful conversations with the person sitting next to you.

    I am the happy owner of both eco color and second skin, and apart from having learnt loads, I especially enjoy the fact that you share what it is you do, as only you can do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i'm inclined to think the internet has been quite useful in promoting friendships around the whirled. sure there's some unpleasant stuff
      but by and large i think that many of us have had our field of vision broadened by it. and it's amazing how you can type a question into google and unearth answers, even for things like re-wiring cars. like having a library in your lap [without a fierce librarian] where you can take a dog
      [although i still like books and turning pages]

      Delete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't agree with my mother, she said it as a critique about my blogging and everyone else's

      Delete
    2. I have been reading your comment on my blog, Saskia. Decided to delete my comment here and just leave it to: I agree with everyone who has a possitive comment on India's blog and work.

      Delete
  6. agreeing with all of the above. can you take Kubbi with you for Australian workshops? would be very sad to leave her behind, but I expect family didn't give her without back-up love being in place.
    and a novel with recipes! brilliant. I'll be a taker (have almost everything else you have written, and enjoy your voice).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. excellent, i shall sell at least one copy then!

      and you're right Jane, Kubbi has aunties and uncles lining up to take care of her when i have to be away

      Delete
  7. I read comments like that about your book, totally disagree cant wait for the novel, love when they come with extra stuff.
    Any thoughts on coming back to Gloucestershire, England some time?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i will be teaching in Hertfordshire in June 2016, i think...might be able to hop into another county, you never know :-)
      but trips are going to be shorter now that i have Kubbi waiting for me at home

      Delete
  8. Thing about other people's opinions is you can't pay the utility bills with them. Or the dog food. So best leave them at the bottom of the cat litter tray along with last weeks' National Enquirer. And then go play with The Kool Dog who I'm sure has much better sensibilities than Amazon reviewers. (I love the Kool Dog, btw....!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. good advice. and yes, Kubbi the Koolie is a very Kool dog indeed. only been with me seven days and i cannot imagine life without her

      Delete
  9. I agree with everyone above too-and don't worry about the critics-who cares really-I love your book eco color and go back to it and re read it all the time before a new project. Love your new dog-hope he can go with you on your trips, I look forward to your new book new
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i shall be taking her on roadtrips to classes as much as possible - going to be a fine excuse to see more of this lovely red island!

      Delete
  10. ah, word of the novel again...and the pup is growing and so beautiful. i for one, am really psyched about the novel. as for those narsty words, well, they can go piffle. a book and a dog and good work. excellent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. it's so good to have a dog again. best company in the whirled. she's only been here 7 days and she has the entire family twined about her left paw. and in that time she has doubled in size...so i think i must be doing something right!

      Delete
  11. I am loving the eye of the dog ...
    And thinking that NOLA may be too far off my beaten path, but should you ever find your way to Austin or San Antonio Texas, I know a little "wanna B&B" where you can stay for free ... just give me advance warning so I can clear all the cloth off the guest bed ;)
    P.S. Did I mention we have scads of windfall lichens?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. funny...i've been reading about Austin a bit lately. and looking at the work of a fantastic local architect [Andersson]. windfall lichens sound interesting...and are the only kind i would use. are they the kind you would ferment or the sort you'd boil? names? Karen Diadick Casselman is the lichen queen. worth looking up.

      Delete
    2. I have Casselman's revised Lichen Dyes, but based on a post by local dyer Deb McClintock (who has published in Turkey Red with Glenna Dean), I believe the most abundant windfalls to be Parmotrema austrosinense. So far I have gotten a rusty orange with boiling water on cotton and linen ... my fermentation with ammonia is pending.

      Delete
  12. You are such an inspiration to so many of us--what you create, how you live, the beautiful connectedness and poetry that seem to permeate all you do. There will always be unhappy people looking for a podium from which to vent their unhappiness. Try not to let them get to you. (I know that's easier said than done.) You have enriched the lives of so many of us far more than you may know. Thank you so much for being who you are and doing what you do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you for the kind words. it was a slip on my part and i am going to avoid reading reviews in future!
      on the other hand, a reality check from time to time isn't a bad thing. i put my undies on one leg at a time just like everybody else :-)

      Delete
  13. I published a book of short stories this past summer-Even Spiders Tell Stories When They Weave. I am a storyteller, not a famous writer. It has been amazing what kind of comments I get. The favorite is "It sounds like you are sitting there and telling me your story". Most of my stories I write come from dreams. I have learned not to worry about what people think about it. I did what I was challenged to do and I still write. Just keep on what you are doing. You are a fantastic artist and a wonderful person. Oh-and a wonderful dog owner.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. actually she made it pretty clear from the start that she owns me. is asleep with head resting on my leg as i type.
      and you've put your finger on the pulse [of life] ...it's all about story. everybody has a story...

      Delete
  14. Australian Koolie.....Louisiana Catahoula.....the thread
    is Strong

    ReplyDelete
  15. You have to remember that these people are shallow. They are so jealous of you and your spirit and self. Jealous people always say bad things. Forget them. Right...don't read the reviews. I am coming to NOLA! ps. love the dog. I have an Aussie mix and he is the best dog ever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. it's good to have a dogfriend. i was never without one from the age of 17 to 52 so it's a joy to have this lovely girl now.
      looking forward to the gathering of kind souls in New Orleans!

      Delete
  16. Eco Color was a positively life changing book for me!!!
    I guess that is the best compliment I could ever give an author and artist. Thank you India for sharing your experiences and art. Love what you do and the unique voice you have in this confusing world!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. well thank you. i'll just keep being me. it's easier and less trouble than trying to be someone else and happy that the writing has been useful to you :-)

      Delete
  17. Add me to the list of those who love Eco-Color and Second Skin and darling little puppy dogs. Looking forward to your next book.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I loved Eco Colour! What I have learned as a book artist workshop instructor is that so many people don't want to learn the creative process, they just want a no-fail kit to take them straight to the end product. I have actually had students tell me this. They want to make exactly what I made, not learn the tools for self-expression. These people do not want to learn how to make art or risk anything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ha. yes. it's like playing one of those numbered keyboards. you can play the music "step by step", sure...but it's only when you feel it in your bones that it's going to move your soul

      Delete
  19. from time to time i happily drop in. always lots of good things to see and read!
    New Orleans is a favorite place of mine. Love the country scene and the sheep, sheep(s) are a favorite of mine too!
    I have Eco-Color and love so much.
    The pup, oh the pup, is mar-vel-ous....truly a gorgeous baby, with all four paws on the ground!!!! 💕
    Best wishes for the new year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you. i've been truly blessed with Kubbi, an absolute delight

      Delete
  20. i love your booksx keep on writing your wonderful booksx lynda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you. i'd keep on writing anyway [one of those things that i'd go nuts if i didn't do!] but it's nice to read words of support

      Delete
  21. I love your books and look forward to the novel. What a beautiful pup...I love the quizical eyebrow look!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. she's an absolute darling. such good company too

      Delete
  22. will Kubbi be coming along to the Bower Bird Blues workshop in less than two weeks? that one blue eye is wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sorry Mo, I had already bought an airticket before Kubbi was placed in my lap and i'm reluctant to put her in the hold of an aircraft.
      but she'll certainly be gracing any roadtrip classes with her presence...and helping me install the Solace flags at Andamooka next year :-)

      Delete
  23. I am in awe that you manage to produce new work AND keep a regular blog interesting, alongside all the workshops & exhibitions! May all the positive & affirming comments balance out the negatives! Wonderful that you have a new companion & I hope puppy 'helps' with the novel writing....cant wait for it be out & about for us to read!

    ReplyDelete
  24. India, your life's work is a delight and a blessing. The dismay you feel about those who don't value your intention (which is, it seems to me, to celebrate/sanctify/protect the natural world as it relates to dyeing/printing/appreciating fiber) is the flip side of your strength -- to be passionate about your work and to feel things in an exquisite way. It's lovely that you reach out, via posts, to a circle of fiber artists who cherish you and your work, so you can be reminded that your work matters and it is really good!

    ReplyDelete
  25. "eco-color" is brillant.
    Kubbi is gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete