3 Generations - Grandmother, Mother & Daughter

Three generations of creative style - Grandmother, Mother & Daughter.

Fabric Flower 'Bloom' Hairpins

Above is a photo of some fabric flowers I've created to be worn as hairpins. These ones were especially made for my friends hens night this weekend. I created a special hairpiece for the bride also. Hopefully I'll be able to get some nice photos of them being worn.

Each bloom is carefully hand sewn from creamy satin, organza and lace, centred with beads and genuine fresh water pearls.

I'm happy to make these hairpins to order, if anyone is interested.

Framed Fabric Flower Arrangements

I was asked to make a couple more fabric flower arrangements for the gallery Christmas shop. I tried to make a blue 'Christmassie' inspired piece (left) to tie in with some of the other pieces for sale. I also made a small grey piece. I'm a fan of the white and cream myself.

If they tickle your fancy, I am happy to make these framed fabric flower arrangements on request, and can do to specification, colour, etc. Prices would generally range between $20-$50 depending on size and difficulty.

If you're interested, you can contact me here.

Lace & Pearls - Fabric Flower Arrangement

The above is a new piece I have created - An arrangement of fabric flowers I hand sewed, using a combination of new, recycled and vintage fabrics including satins, silks and lace, centered with pearls.

It will be exhibiting (and for sale) at the Gawler Community Gallery as part of the Members Exhibition, which is being held in conjunction with the Christmas Shop, opening on November the 10th.

Exhibition Announcement

I'd like to announce an upcoming exhibition I'm really excited about, featuring Joanne Hughes (My Nanna), Lee Eiffe (My Mum) and myself, to be held next year in March at The Gawler Community Gallery. 3 generations together, to exhibit new collections of work, based on the theme of Aquarius.

Official exhibition announcement still to come.


I have been 'umming and erring' as to whether I should post the above picture - I want to show everyone what I've been working on, but I don't want to give too much away yet. Obviously, the photo won out, and above you can see some fabric flowers I've been working on, made from new, recycled and vintage - Beautiful silks, creamy satins, lace and pearls. You'll just have to wait and see what they're for...

Inside Their Home - Joanne & Ken Hughes

My Nanna and I organised a 'crafty' day spent at her house the other day, where she helped me with some of my art & craft projects. When it comes to working with fabric or thread - she is the woman to see.

While I was there, I took some photos so I could share with everyone my Nanna and Poppa's home.

I have always had a love and passion for home decor. Even as I child, I was already purchasing home decor magazines, cutting out my favourite interior designs (You can imagine over the years I've amassed quite a collection).

More recently, I've loved the idea of looking at the homes and studios of artists and creative types - I find it so fascinating to see the artists work space and their surrounding influences. I love seeing an individuals personality shine through their home; their loves and their collections and their travels.

Seems I am not alone in wanting to take a sneak peak into the homes of artists; I recently came across website and book, Where They Create by Paul Barbera - An interior based photographer, who sources out artists around the globe and photographs their creative environments. Frankie Magazine has also released a book called SPACES - 'It's all about lovely interiors from all over the world, where creative people live, work and play.'

My grandparents home is an accumulation of my Nanna's textile creations, collected art, patchwork throws & cushions, and worldly and cultural treasures from their travels.

Every time I visit their home, I find myself discovering new art and creations - Although my Nanna tells me that she has given a lot of her work away since I was last there, even sending some off to Vanuatu.

My Nanna & Poppa are two of the most influential people in my life (along with my Mum and Dad), although probably unknowingly and unintentional. My Poppa, Ken Hughes is a Chiropractor and practices Natruopathy and Homeopathy among many other studied and learned healing practices. He is also an extremely talented and accomplished self taught musician and plays the accordion and harmonica among many instruments. Both my Poppa and my Nanna were a part of the rather successful folk music group, Galimaufrey for 25 years. My Nanna, Joanne, is an amazing textile artist, deeply involved in the local art world and community. She has been a part of and even chaired numerous community groups and for years she has been on community radio. They are members of the Bahai faith, are well traveled and have spent a lot of their time volunteering and working for charity.

I in turn share a lot of their passions: A love of art, textiles, music and alternative health and natural healing. I aspire to live a life as creatively and charitable as theirs.

My Love Affair With Fabric - Continued

 

 

On the way to the gallery Saturday afternoon we got a little lost, so we were a bit late (Me, late? Who'd ever have thought?!) and missed some of the opening speech. I also had a prior engagement later that afternoon, so unfortunately, I couldn't stay long either. I really wish I had more time to spend taking photos and maybe at least taken down the names of the other artists exhibiting.

The opening pulled quite a decent crowd, especially for Mt Barker. When we finally got there, we could barely fit in the room! The General Store Community Art Centre, is an old, small cottage turned gallery, with 4 rooms to display work and a kitchen/dining area. I most often prefer the small community galleries, over larger, private galleries, which can often feel somewhat stark. Plus, I'm a sucker for the little, quaint 'house turned shop/cafe/gallery' as I love all the little rooms, the history and the character.

Above are some of my favourite pieces from the other artists exhibiting. I have to mention, I felt that a lot of the work was severely under priced. I've seen crappy, mass produced prints at cheap shops that are more expensive! Even someone who is not art inclined cannot argue with the amount of time, effort and talent that goes into a piece, not to mention the fact that it's a one off!

If you or anyone else out there is looking to purchase some art, I highly recommend visiting your local community art gallery. There are some absolute bargains! Not only would you be supporting 'up and coming' artists and your local community talent, but you would be likely to pick up a piece at a very decent price - And you never know, the artist may make it big, and your art collection could one day be worth a small fortune!

I did have a bit of laugh at the opening - While taking photos, I was approached and asked if I was from the media! I would almost be inclined to think that it was a bad pick up line, except I was asked 5 times! Apparently, if you have an SLR, and are at a gallery, then you must be taking photos for the local paper! I might have to keep this information in mind, it may very well come in handy one day... (She said, as she stroked her cat and proceeded to laugh manically) Mind you, I did rather stick out, and looked some what out of place with the other visitors, being that I was the only person under the age of 50. (Not that I have anything against the 'young-challenged' of course!)

The last 2 photos are of some of the beautiful trees out the back of the gallery, that were the most wonderful shades of yellow! My photos do not do them justice! The Adelaide Hills are so beautiful this time of year. I've been meaning to go for a drive through the hills for a while now and spend a day taking photos of the autumn leaves - So watch this space!

My Love Affair With Fabric - Joanne Hughes

 

 

Art work by Joanne Hughes

Saturday I headed up to Mt Barker to the opening of a new exhibition, in which my Nanna, Joanne Hughes was the featuring artist. Held at the General Store Community Art Centre, her collection titled 'A Love Affair with Fabric' is a taster of her creative work with textiles from the past few years.

The collection shows off a broad range of her many talents, with varied techniques, fabric manipulation, embroidery - From wall hangings, to her more adventurous abstract designs.

Joanne Hughes (left)

As far back as I can remember, my Nanna has always been super talented when it comes to sewing and fabric. Growing up, she would make me clothes, hand make all my dolls clothes. She always made my costumes for occasions such as Book Week, dancing performances, school plays and concerts. I remember she even made the costumes for the Rotary Show that used to be held at the Shedley Theatre every year.

Older now, and not so in need of costumes, her talents will still never go unappreciated by me, as I'm lucky enough to have a Nanna who is always happy to fix, mend and take in my clothes!

For 5 years, beginning in 2001, she studied textile art and other art subjects at Para West Adult Campus. She has attended numerous classes and workshops, and has been involved with a range of artists groups. Combining her sewing skills, her broad knowledge of textiles, and her creative flair, she has gone on to exhibit pieces in many exhibitions and even win awards for her textile art! She is part of the committee that pushed for and founded The Gawler Community Gallery and is still the residing Publicity Officer. She was even President of the Gawler Quilting Circle and co-ordinated eleven local art and textile groups to present the Biennial Textile Art Weekend in both 2007 and 2009!

This is just a quick overview of her artistic background. I haven't even mentioned her other volunteer work with numerous charities, her work with the Baha'i Faith, traveling and performing with the folk band Gallimaufry, 30 years at a community radio station - She even wrote and published a book! Anyone who knows Joanne Hughes, would be aware of not only her talent, but her motivation, hard work and dedication, in which she has put into so many art, textile, community and charity groups. She is an amazing woman and I am very proud and honored to be her grand-daughter.

The exhibition will be running for the rest of the month of June, so please, if you get the chance, or just happen to be passing through Mt Barker for some reason, I highly recommend stopping by the General Store Community Art Space, off Albert St, to view some of my very talented Nanna's work.

My Nanna's Up-Coming Exhibition

My extremely talented Nanna is having an exhibition during June at the Mt Barker Gallery, which you should all come and see if you get the chance!

'Joanne Hughes studied Textile Art, together with other Art subjects at Para West Adult Campus for five years, from 2001. 

For four years, Joanne was President of the Gawler Quilting Circle and co-ordinated eleven local art and textile groups to present the Bi-ennial Textile Arts Weekend in 2007 and 2009...

Currently, she is involved with the Gawler Textile Artists who meet monthly to share ideas and techniques, and takes part in many “challenge” projects with given themes.

 She has also exhibited at the Gawler Community Gallery, the Kapunda Community Gallery, Itch and Stitch, Gladstone, and has work on the walls in the wards of the Gawler Health Service.

Joanne has attended many workshops and classes in various fields of Textile Art, including the Melrose Fibre School weekends for the past two years, completing classes in “Fabric Manipulation” and “Embroidered Seascapes”.

When entering the  Bi-ennial Gawler Art Award, Joanne  had success with “Touch of the Nile” which  was winner of the Textile Category at the Gawler Art Award in 2006, and “Bush Camp at Dawn”which won the Textile Category at Gawler Art Award in 2008.

This piece was sold at an auction for a charity event in April this year.

 Recently, Joanne has ventured into using  more adventurous colours, ‘found objects’ and design to create some abstract and stylized forms of fabric art.'