My New Silk Rayon Velvet Scarves@Purple Noon Art And Sculpture GalleryWearable ArtMarie-Therese Wisniowski

Preamble
On this blog spot there are posts that center on my “Wearable Art” (e.g. scarves, digital or analogue created fabric lengths etc.) For your convenience I have listed these posts below.
A Selection of My Scarves
Leaves Transformed: A New Collection of My Digitally Designed Fabrics
My New Silk Rayon Velvet Scarves@Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery
My Fabric Lengths@QSDS
My Fabric Collection:"Oh, Oh Marilyn and Mona!"@Spoonflower
2013 Australian Craft Awards – Finalist
My Scarves@2014 Scarf Festival: "Urban Artscape" Pashminas
My New Scarves and Fabric Lengths
New Range of Silk Neckties - Karma and Akash
AIVA: My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
New Colorways For My 'Cultural Graffiti' Fabrics
Byzantine Glow: A New Collection of My Digitally Designed Fabrics
Wall Flower: A New Collection of My Digitally Designed Fabrics
Ink Fern - A New Collection of My Digitally Designed Fabrics
Celebratory Fireworks
My New Silk ArtCloth Scarves
New ‘Unique State’ Silk ArtCloth Scarves
UBIRR - My New Hand Dyed & Printed Fabric Design
Renaissance Man - My New Hand Dyed & Printed Fabric Design
Banksia - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Ginkgo Love - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Garden Delights I & II - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Wallflower III - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Rainforest Beauty - Collection My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Spring & Autumn Flurry Collection - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
La Volute Collection - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
Urban Butterfly - My New Hand Printed Fabric Design
Acanthus Dream - My New Hand Printed Fabric Design
“Cascading Acanthus” - My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed Fabric Design
My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed 'Rainforest Beauty' Pashmina Wraps Collection
My ArtCloth Tea Towels: A New Collection of Digitally Designed Products
Through the Land it Roared . . . ArtCloth Shawl
My New Hand Dyed and Hand Printed ‘Urban Codes - Series 1’ Collection
Urban Moonlight - My Post Graffiti Doily
My New Hand Printed Fabric Design - "Morocco" ArtCloth
‘Vine Glow’
“Bush Banksia’s” Collection"
Releasing My New - ‘Unique State’ ArtCloth Scarves
‘LRSP’ A New Collection of Digitally Designed ArtCloth Textiles

If you like any of my artworks in the above links, please email me at - Marie-Therese - for pricing and for any other enquiries.

Introduction
The dual exhibition When Rainforests Ruled (Marie-Therese Wisniowski) and Floating (Helen Lancaster) opened on the 7^th July, 2012 at Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery (Freemans Reach, NSW, Australia). The dual exhibition was reviewed by Irene Manion whose article will appear in the August Edition of Textile Fibre Forum. The exhibition will close on the 31^st of August 2012 - giving ample time for those who are in reachable distance of the Gallery to view the exhibition.

This post is the last in a series of three. The first post covered my ArtCloth component of the exhibition - When Rainforests Ruled. The second post covered Helen Lancaster’s component of our dual journey - Floating. The final post in the series covers my wearable art – silk rayon velvet scarves. They were especially created for sale at Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery.

There are three basic ingredients (as opposed to definitions) that all artworks possess; (i) they need to be “engaged”; (ii) they are non-functional, and (iii) they are aesthetic. Wearable Art is “Art” when placed in an art context but when it is not placed in an art context, its functionality obscures the act of engagement. My scarves are wearable art.

My scarves have been created using a range of fabrics and various hand dyeing and hand printing techniques. They are a one-off creation, never to be repeated in color, tone or overall design. However, some of the design elements may re-appear in other scarves, but the overall colors and design is what ensures their uniqueness.

The scarves that were created for Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery included the silk rayon velvet scarves below and a series of hand dyed and hand printed pashmina scarves - the subject of a previous post - see: A Selection Of My Scarves.

What I do not do is sew, even though my mother (Milla Wisniowski) created fashion-wear for the Melbourne (Australian) fashion industry. I figured that one sewer/designer of clothes in the family was more than enough. I like to acknowledge and thank her for all the scarves that required stitching.

My scarves are available in various galleries, art and craft outlets throughout Australia. For example, in the Hunter Valley Vineyards (Australia) they are available from Butterflies Gallery.

My sincere thanks to Robyn, Carl and Caitlin who made exhibiting at Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery such a relaxing venture.

My Silk Rayon Velvet Scarves

Selection of ArtCloth scarves for sale shown with the “When Rainforests Ruled” framed artworks on the Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery's corrugated iron wall.

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 1.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, over-dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 180 cm (length).

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 1 - Detail View.

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 2.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, discharged, overdyed, silk screened, hand painted and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 185 cm (length).

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 2 - Detail View.

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 3.
Technique: Hand dyed and hand printed by the artist. Shibori multi-dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet.
Size: 27 cm (width) x 178 cm (length).

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 3 - Detail View.

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 4.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, overdyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 188 cm (length).

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 4 - Detail View.

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 5.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 183 cm (length).

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 5 - Detail View.

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 6.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, discharged, overdyed, silk screened, hand painted and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 185 cm (length).

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 6 - Detail View.

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 7.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Shibori multi-dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 210 cm (length).

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 7 - Detail View.

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 8.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, discharged, silk screened, hand painted and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 180 cm (length).

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 8. Detail view showing silk screened foil on reverse side of scarf.

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 9.
Technique: Hand dyed and Hand printed by the artist. Dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 183 cm (length).

ArtCloth Velvet Scarf 9 - Detail View.

FloatingArt ExhibitionPurple Noon Art And Sculpture GalleryMarie-Therese Wisniowski

Preamble
For your convenience I have listed below posts on this blogspot that featured the artistic output of Helen Lancaster (my dear friend who passed away on the 11th February 2020).
Cane Toad Narrative (Exhibition - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions)
Transformation. An Exhibition of Contemporary Textiles Curator: Helen Lancaster
Floating: Art Exhibition @ Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery
Celebration
The Barrier Reef Corporate Wall [1]: Art Cloth Panels
Helen Lancaster's - The Great Barrier Reef

Introduction
The dual exhibition When Rainforests Ruled (Marie-Therese Wisniowski) and Floating (Helen Lancaster) opened on the 7th July 2012 at Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery (Freemans Reach, NSW, Australia). The dual exhibition was reviewed by Irene Manion, whose article appeared in the August Edition of Textile Fibre Forum. The exhibition closed on the 31st of August 2012.

The official party. From left to right: Robyn Williams (Owner and Director of Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery), Louise Markus (Federal Member for Macquarie), Marie-Therese (Artist), Kim Ford (Mayor, Hawkesbury City Council) who opened the Exhibition) and Helen Lancaster (Artist).

This post is the second in a series of three. The first post covered my ArtCloth component of this exhibition, mamely, When Rainforests Ruled. Today’s post will give coverage to Helen Lancaster’s component of our dual journey – “Floating”. The final post in this series will cover my wearable art – My Velvet Scarves@Purple Noon, that were especially created for sale at Purple Noon Art And Sculptural Gallery.

It was a delight to work with Robyn, Carl and Caitlin, who made exhibiting at Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery such a relaxing venture.

Helen Lancaster – A Brief Biography

Helen Lancaster, textile artist and curator of the Transformation exhibition at Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, Sydney, with her soft sculpture - 'The Wedding Cake.'

As a self-taught textile artist, Helen Lancaster had her first solo exhibition in 1980 at the Cameleon Gallery in Mosman, which was re-shown in 1982 at the Lewers Bequest and Regional Gallery, Penrith. It travelled to Vienna (Austria) to the Gallery am Graben in 1984. Her first solo exhibition in painting was in 1984 at the Hogarth Gallery.

Helen Lancaster is a conceptual environmentalist working as an artist in painting, sculpture and wearable art costumes. Most of her work relates to the Great Barrier Reef, where color explodes in a combination of three-dimensional forms, particularly when created in textiles. As well as in Australia, her work has been exhibited in Vienna, Cairo, Istanbul, India, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Manila, Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai - to name a few! Her artworks are held in private and public collections.

Interesting creatures of endangered species are chosen to capture viewers’ imagination. The tactile quality in Helen’s work evokes a response to the beauty and joy of life. Some of Helen’s exhibitions - 'A Walk Along the Beach' - took ten years to complete as it contained a huge crocheted Barrier Reef (76 pieces) with large machine and hand embroidered sections.

Much of her work is ongoing, such as, 'The Corporate Wall', where twenty-five panels at a time are added to it and the “Coral Forest”, which began with eleven columns now has a total of twenty-four. The three-dimensional forms require padding which leads to much hand stitching to adhere to the sculptural forms or costumes with exotic headdresses.

Helen’s community work has included the Leycock Street Theatre Front Curtain at Gosford, New South Wales (with over 400 people participated, which was organized by Maggie Thatcher); the Macedonian Women’s Tapestry Project; and the Ethnic Community’s Council Banner (33 women of different nationalities took part in this project).

After retiring from a career in teaching and lecturing as an art teacher in secondary and tertiary institutions in New South Wales, Helen has been a guest curator of several textile exhibitions for Fairfield City Museum and Gallery in Sydney. She has written and has had articles published in magazines such as: Textile Fibre Forum, Textilkunst and Craft Arts International (Vol.65), and Object. She has also judged and opened exhibitions and lectured to societies and guilds.

Some of her work has featured in books such as: the Fine Art of Machine Embroidery, (Author: Kristen Dibbs, 1991); Machine Embroidery Inspirations from Australian Artists (Author, Kristen Dibbs, 1998); A Sense of Place - Contemporary Needlework (Author: Jerry Rogers, 1992); Wearable Art Design for the Body (Author: Craig Potton, 1996); The World of Wearable Art (Author: Craig Potton, 2006); and Portfolio Collection Art Textile Books, Vol 8, Profile Helen Lancaster (Australia) (Author: Carolynne Skinner, 2002).

Helen Lancaster’s Statement on 'Floating'
The paintings in this exhibition - 'Floating' - flowed from my imagination. Dots have often been used in textile pieces such as 'The Red Spotted Hermit Crab' hat and 'Box Fish' costume. There has been a fascination for brilliant color and variety in the size of the dots. In these paintings, pale gold, rich gold and sometimes silver was used to create a decorative effect with passages of dots floating, some enhanced with linear accents in black or white.

Previously, all of my paintings were based on research or careful observation of birds, fish, rocks, trees, and other natural forms. 'The Blue Striped Scarf' series floated over landmarks like the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Kurri Kurri Creek, desert areas, etc. Here, each 'Floating' painting is like an individual journey over a black sea, where shapes hover, swirl, float, descend into layers or dissolve (like one see’s in an oil slick.)

They have a dramatic quality because of the strong tonal base that draws the viewer into participating into their own journey.

The Artworks
A total of sixteen framed paintings executed in acrylic paint on Arches watercolor paper are on display for Helen’s component of the exhibition – 'Floating.' Each painting measures fifteen by twenty and a half inches unframed.

'Floating' framed artworks on gallery stonewall and easels (Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery).

'Floating' framed artworks on the gallery corrugated wall (Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery).

'Floating' framed artworks on gallery back wall (Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery).

All of the images below have been photographed by her husband, Eardley Lancaster, who is a well-known artistic photographer in his own right.

Title: Floating.

Title: A Far Away Journey.

Title: Vortex.

Title: Lullaby.

Title: Conflict.

Title: Meditation.

Title: Mysticism.

Title: Within.

Title: Submerged.

Title: Other Worlds.

Title: Happiness.

Title: To The Point.

Title: Under Cover.

Title: Fragmentation.

Title: Coral Fringe.

Title: Close Encounter.

When Rainforests RuledArtCloth ExhibitionPurple Noon Art and Sculpture GalleryMarie-Therese Wisniowski

Preamble
My artwork has appeared in a number of exhibitions which has been featured on this blog spot. For your convenience I have listed these posts below.
ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions (Marie-Therese Wisniowski - Curator's Talk)
Sequestration of CO₂ (Engaging New Visions) M-T. Wisniowski
Codes – Lost Voices (ArtCloth Installation) M-T. Wisniowski
Unleashed: The Rise of Australian Street Art (Art Exhibition) Various Artists
Merge and Flow (SDA Members Exhibition) M-T. Wisniowski
The Journey (Megalo Studio) M-T. Wisniowski
Another Brick (Post Graffiti ArtCloth Installation) M-T. Wisniowski
ArtCloth Swap & Exhibition
My Fifteen Year Contribution to the '9 x 5' Exhibition
When Rainforests Ruled (Purple Noon Art & Sculpture Gallery) M-T. Wisniowski
When Rainforests Glowed (Eden Gardens Gallery) M-T. Wisniowski
My Southern Land (Galerie 't Haentje te Paart, Netherlands) M-T. Wisniowski
The Last Exhibition @ Galerie ’t Haentje the Paart
Mark Making on Urban Walls @ Palm House (Post Graffiti Art Work)
Fleeting - My ArtCloth Work Exhibited @ Art Systems Wickham Art Gallery
Timelines: An Environmental Journey
My Contribution to Lake Macquarie's Water Exhibition
The Effects of Global Warming - ArtCloth Exhibition@Rathmines Heritage Centre’s Boiler Room
ATASDA's ‘A Touch of Gold’ 50th Anniversary Exhibition - Part I
ATASDA’s ‘A Touch of Gold’ 50th Anniversary Exhibition - Part II
ATASDA's 'A Touch of Gold’ 50th Anniversary Exhibition - Part III

For you convenience I have also listed below posts on this blogspot that featured Museums and Galleries.
When Rainforests Ruled
Some Textiles@The Powerhouse Museum
Textile Museum in Tilburg (The Netherlands)
Eden Gardens
Maschen (Mesh) Museum@Tailfingen
Museum Lace Factory@Horst(The Netherlands)
Expressing Australia – Art in Parliament House
TextielLab & TextielMuseum – 2013
The Last Exhibition @ Galerie ’t Haentje te Paart
Paste Modernism 4 @ aMBUSH Gallery & The Living Mal
El Anatsui – Five Decades@Carriageworks
The Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Nordiska Museet (The Nordic Museum)
Tarndwarncoort (Tarndie)
Egyptian Museum Cairo - Part I
Egyptian Museum Cairo - Part II
Masterpieces of the Israel Museum

Introduction
The dual exhibition “When Rainforests Ruled” (Marie-Therese Wisniowski) and Floating (Helen Lancaster) opened on the 7^th July 2012 at Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery (Freemans Reach, NSW, Australia). The dual exhibition was reviewed by Irene Manion whose article will appear in the August Edition of Textile Fibre Forum. The exhibition will close on the 31^st of August 2012 - giving ample time for those who are in reachable distance of the Gallery to view the exhibition.

This blog is the first in a series of three. It will give coverage to the place, the exhibition opening and the rationale and technique behind my artwork that was exhibited. The second blog will cover Helen Lancaster’s component of our dual journey - Floating. The third blog in this series will cover my wearable art – My Velvet Scarves@Purple Noon – that were especially created for sale at Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery.

It was a delight to work with Robyn Williams, Carl Stringfellow and Caitlin Hietanen, who made exhibiting at Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery such a relaxing venture.

Purple Noon
The gallery name - “Purple Noon” - was inspired by Arthur Streeton’s (1867-1943) painting titled - “The Purple Noon’s Transparent Might” – an oil on canvas that he created in 1896 when he visited the Hawesbury region - a region that is on the outskirts of Western Sydney. Streeton took the title from lines in Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem – Stanzas Written in Dejection, Near Naples:

The sun is warm, the sky is clear,
The waves are dancing fast and bright,
Blue isles and snowy mountains wear
The purple noon's transparent might,
The breath of the moist earth is light,
Around its unexpanded buds;
Like many a voice of one delight,
The winds, the birds, the ocean floods,
The City's voice itself, is soft like Solitude's.

Streeton created the artwork on a very hot January day as he stood on a cliff overlooking the Hawksbury river, not bothering with an easel, but instead using a dead sapling to support the canvas as he worked. Later he reflected that:
“…the atmosphere 10 degrees higher than my own temperature crept round my face like a flame; and it seemed like working in a fiery trance. I paused and found that in two hours two thirds of my canvas was covered with paint, I had stamped my big impression upon it, I had made my picture.”

Arthur Streeton’s, Purple Noon’s Transparent Might (1896).
Courtesy of the National Gallery Of Victoria.
Note: The location of Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery is at 606 Terrace Road, Freemans Reach (NSW, Australia) which is near where Streeton created his painting.

The Place – Purple Noon Art And Sculpture Gallery
The gallery opened its doors to the public in November 2006. Since its inception, it has gained a reputation of being one of the finest commercial galleries in regional NSW and Western Sydney, with regular exhibitions and a permanent collection of both local art and sculpture and “…with a strong focus on high quality artwork from leading artists, emerging artists, and Indigenous artists from around Australia”.

Inviting street entrance to Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery.

The gallery initiated and so hosts the Hawkesbury Art Prize. The art prize is for a painting, photograph or collage that is inspired by contemporary Australian identity. The purpose of the prize is to promote art in the Hawkesbury region and to increase the awareness of art and cultural activity, to the mutual benefit of community, artists and students alike.

The prize is non-acquisitive, with a monetary value of $10,000 for the winner and with three additional “Highly Commended” awards of $1,000 each. Maggie Scott, a well-known art patron who lives in the region, generously donated the first prize of $10,000.

The charm of the gallery lies not just in the staff, but also in the building. The gallery was purposely built to yield a rustic ambience that oozes warmth, friendliness and a relaxed atmosphere - three of the most important ingredients that enable visitors to immerse themselves into the artworks that are exhibited and more importantly, to do so at their own leisurely pace - away from the hustle and bustle of Sydney.

Entrance façade of the Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery.

Entrance doors to Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery.
Note the beautiful sandstone wall that George built.

The sparrow-picked solid sandstone walls, old timbers, leadlight windows and corrugated iron complement one another to create a gallery that is aesthetically pleasing and furthermore, does not need to compete with the exhibited artworks, but rather the building aims to perfectly frame them.

“When Rainforests Ruled” framed artworks on gallery stone wall.

The Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery does not usually exhibit ArtCloth, Fiber Art or Textile Art etc. and so this was their inaugural exhibition using ArtCloth as the medium. They do sell Wearable Art such as scarves etc.

“When Rainforests Ruled” framed artworks on gallery corrugated iron wall (including selection of ArtCloth scarves for sale).

However, as this was a dual exhibition, and because my ArtCloth pieces and my wall hangings could be framed, the Gallery took a risk with my ArtCloth works. Thanks guys!

“When Rainforests Ruled” framed Artworks and ArtCloth wall hangings on gallery back wall.

The People At The Exhibition Opening
The exhibition opening was well attended. There was wine to consume, food to enjoy, people to converse with, and live music to listen to. Conversations filled the gallery as art lovers re-acquainted themselves with each other or met each other for the first time. And of course, there was art and lots of it to appraise, to enjoy and imbue.

Marie-Therese with the hard working, supportive and professional team at Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery. From left to right: Marie-Therese, Robyn Williams, Carl Stringfellow and Caitlan Hietanen.

The official party. From left to right: Robyn Williams (Owner and Director of Purple Noon Art and Sculpture Gallery), Louise Markus (Federal Member for Macquarie), Marie-Therese (Artist), Kim Ford (Mayor, Hawkesbury City Council who opened the Exhibition) and Helen Lancaster (Artist).

Rhiannon Lawson entertained the opening night crowd with her delightful songs and ukulele playing.

Friends and colleagues at the exhibition opening included (from left to right) Susan Hutchinson, Marie-Therese, Gail McDonald, Maz Beeston, Jim Beeston and Judi Crawford.

Also at the opening were Irene Manion, Ellen King, Jennifer Hawkins, Karen Macpherson, Sue Bellantonio and Kath Wilkinson - to name a few.

My Opening Address
“I’d like to thank the Mayor for opening the exhibition and Robyn for her warm introduction. It is always a pleasure to work with Robyn, Carl, Caitlan and staff who understand the nuances that underlie artworks and art practices. I should add that my exhibited wall hangings would look wonderful in frames and we all know who could easily do the framing!

Helen and I have journeyed similar byways and highways in the past, but in this dual exhibition our signatures are happily complementary but different. This juxtaposition is what makes it so exciting to co-exhibit with Helen – a doyen in her art fields.

I’d like to talk a little about my background and the works presented in the exhibition. I worked as a professional graphic designer for 30 years and for the last 15 years as a full time studio artist, researcher, author, curator, speaker and tutor. Together with my husband, we established Art Quill & Co. I am also a casual lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Australia. I curated the inaugural international exhibition - ArtCloth: Engaging New Visions - that was held at Fairfield City Museum and Gallery in 2009 and that toured nationally for a further two years. Helen was an invited artist in that exhibition.

I specialise in the area of ArtCloth as well as fine-art limited edition prints. My current artworks explore contemporary urban and natural environmental landscapes. In some of my artworks I juxtapose the two.

I have been fortunate that my ArtCloth, artist printmakers’ books and fine-art limited edition prints on paper have been exhibited nationally and internationally and are held in major public and private collections in Australia, Canada, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Sweden, Thailand and the USA.

Some of the collections that my artworks are held include the National Gallery of Australia, The National Library of Australia, Monash University, University of Queensland, Murdoch University Art Collection, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, University of West England in Bristol, The London Print Studios and the Special Collections, of the University of Colorado-Boulder, USA etc.

In the late 1990s I started to work with disperse dyes on polyester and synthetic fabrics employing transfer techniques. Disperse dyes are a commercial dye type which are light fast, color fast and wash fast and have been specifically created for synthetic fibers. I was captivated by the richness, depth of color and over layering possibilities that could be achieved using them. My experiments have led to a new signature technique that I have developed and termed - MultiSperse Dye Sublimation (MSDS). I have been teaching the MSDS technique at international and national conferences and workshops, textile forums, to textile groups and in university courses.

Let me give you an insight as to how I have created my artworks that I am exhibiting here today. I create color paper plates using my disperse dyes – one plate per dye hue. You can think of my color paper plates as the equivalent to an artist palette. My canvas equivalent or rather my art medium is satin – a tightly woven fabric that yields images of great detail. My paintbrush – now wait for this – is a very hot iron; that’s right, one that you all have in your home. By ironing the color dye paper plates but positioning flora between the plate and the satin, I can control the vaporized dye to form an image onto my canvas. Every one of my artworks is unique, not only because of the composition that I am imposing on my work, but because the layering and repositioning can never be duplicated. The completed artworks are rich in color, light, shade, contrast, movement and depth. The multiple layers also imbue a painterly aesthetic and textural three-dimensional quality to the finished piece.

Exhibition Synopsis
The artworks in this exhibition, “When Rainforests Ruled”, weave through a narrative of our natural national history, its memories and reflect on the land’s resonance with Australia’s indigenous peoples. Through research and field trips, this narrative and resonance has impacted on me and reflects my passion, commitment and care to the native flora and fauna of Australia, an intrinsic part of the world’s natural heritage.

In noting the fragility of our rain forests in the modern world, I have intentionally created the artworks on delicate synthetic cloth substrates highlighting this most important but threatened biological resource. Rainforests cover barely 0.3 per cent of this continent, yet more than half of our plants and animals use the forests for sustainability. If we are to honor that trust for future generations, we must protect all that remains, repair the damage we have wrought and restore what we can of what has already been lost. Within this mindset, I has created artworks with deep shadows, revealing rich layers and imagery but alluding to what you do not see – the spiritual, the magical, the ethereal, the threatened - underlying the content.

In closing, let me just say this – remember the next time you are ironing your satin skirt or shirt you are playing with my paintbrush and my art medium.

I hope you enjoy Helen’s and my artworks. Thank you for your attention."

My Artworks
A total of eighteen framed artworks and three ArtCloth wall hangings were on display for my component of the exhibition – “When Rainforests Ruled”. In order to extend the verticality of some of the pieces, Robyn suggested my ArtCloth scarves should also be on display – a suggestion that I was delighted to implement. Below are all of my artworks in the exhibition. The technique employed for all the artworks was my signature MultiSperse Dye Sublimation (MSDS) technique on satin.

Title: Nura Nura.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Fire Storm.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Memories.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Autumn Filigree.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Shadow Play.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Jandabup Wetlands.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Another Time.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Cradle Mountain Splendour.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Reflections.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Warrawee I.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Warrawee II.
Framed Size: 45 cm (width) x 55 cm (height).

Title: Dryopteris Erythrosora I.
Framed Size: 33 cm (width) x 38 cm (height).

Title: Dryopteris Erythrosora II.
Framed Size: 33 cm (width) x 38 cm (height).

Title: Myaree I.
Framed Size: 55 cm (width) x 45 cm (height).

Title: Myaree II.
Framed Size: 55 cm (width) x 45 cm (height).

Title: Daintree.
Framed Size: 55 cm (width) x 45 cm (height).

Title: Sherbrooke.
Framed Size: 55 cm (width) x 45 cm (height).

Title: Dancing Lightscapes.
Framed Size: 55 cm (width) x 45 cm (height).

Title: Flames Unfurling (wall hanging - full view).
Size: 60 cm (width) x 120 cm (height).

Title: Flames Unfurling (wall hanging - detail view).

Title: Life Returning (wall hanging - full view).
Size: 60 cm (width) x 120 cm (height).

Title: Life Returning (wall hanging - detailed view).

Title: Re-Growth (wall hanging - full view).
Size: 60 cm (width) x 120 cm (height).

Title: Re-Growth (wall hanging - detailed view).