Camels are the new donkeys (foxes, owls...whatever..)

 You heard it here first! Camels are the new donkeys.... Well I made that up. But why not? Why can't I be the arbiter of international style trends? I'll put it out there and see what happens....and if you start seeing camels everywhere.......... then remember you heard it here first!

I've been playing with camels for the Materialized exhibition at Gleaners inc - part of the cultural program at the Melbourne Fashion Festival.

For this exhibition, Liz Jones, curator, and hostess with the mostess (and all round creative maker of all things in recycled linoleum) gives each participant a swatch from the same fabric.  Here it is!

You can use it (or in my case, lose it!D'oh!)in any manner - for inspiration, colour, pattern, incorporated into your piece or not.


Word was going out that it was a bit Morroccan or Arabic in design and I started thinking about how we as westerners interpret other cultures through our very "white" western lens...about our sense of what is exotic?

So I wanted to use very common craft techniques and materials - crochet and tapestry - to make "exotic" emblems....and I thought about the camel....and then added that other "exotic" cliche...

...the pineapple! 

Then I kept going....

Because camels and pineapples go together like...well....camels and pineapples.

Materialized exhibition is at Gleaners Inc,2 Ballarat St. Brunswick. Opens 7th of March and runs through to the 23rd. 

A piece of cloth

"a piece of cloth"exhibition, curated by Liz Jones of Gleaners inc and Betty Jo fame, is part of L'oreal fashion week. Each artist is given a swatch of the same fabric to respond to in any way.

I've been playing around with my piece of cloth for weeks and weeks. And it's time I admitted it - it hasn't been an automatic bond. For some time there, I thought I may have to do something with the paper bag the piece of cloth came in! You see, I seemed to have an aversion to my piece of cloth.

The top left image is the original piece of cloth, resplendent in Seventies hues of orange, yellow, brown, green and a hint of dark red....I played around with colour - and decided I like the lines best of all.... I worked on some designs based on the lines....

But then, last week, something happened. I suddenly embraced the colour scheme! I suddenly discovered a fondness for my piece of cloth and found myself making something far more interesting....and colourful......I hope....stay toooned.....Oh the creative process is a strange and mysterious thing. Or as my wise friend, aphorist Kelly Hartland would say,

"Creativity flourishes on the brink of destruction"


Exhibition opens on 8th of March. Better get a wriggle on!