Preamble
For your convenience I have listed below the annual reviews that span the life of this blogspot.
It's Been An Exciting Year (2010/2011)
Another Cheer - Another Year (2011/2012)
Where Did The Year Go? (2012/2013)
The Year of the Horse (2013/2014)
Cold and Windy - But on the Dawn of Renewal (2014/2015)
A Time To Reflect - A Time To Select (2015/2016)
A Time to Remember (2016/2017)
To Be or Not to Be (2017/2018)
The Night Too Quickly Passes (2018/2019)
The Year of Living Dangerously (2019/2020)
Attempt The Impossible Since Failure Will Still Be Your Success (2020/2021)
A Year of Climate Extremes (2021/2022)
I Love A Sunburnt Country (2022/2023)
Australian Rules (2023/2024)
Introduction
I started this blog seven years ago on the 26th August 2010. It is tilted towards my favorite art passions: prints on cloth, prints on paper and wearable art. In that time the blog spot has attracted over 650,000 visitors.
The blog spot also provides an art therapy for me. I was determined from the very beginning that its purpose was to inform, aspire and inspire others to get on with their own artwork. At the outset my commitment was simple: I would blog approximately 50 posts a year, including an annual review about the most popular post in the given year within each category.
Before I list the categories and the most popular post within each category let me digress and ask - who are some of the most important people who were born on the 26th of August? According to the horoscope August 26th birthday people are influenced by the planets Mercury and Saturn. They have a unique set of personality traits that differentiates them from the rest of the Virgos. Individuals with this birthday are practical and balanced with a level-headed mind. They are absolutely calm and composed with a graceful demeanor and a peaceful disposition. They are attention seekers who have high standards on everything. Individuals born on this date put justice and being fair on a high pedestal in life. Thus, they are fair in their dealings and resort to just ways. However, August 26th individuals are prone to low moods and so might have mild tantrums. Needless to say I was not born on this day, but if it is your birthday today - have a good one!
Here is my top five list compiled from reference[1].
Mother Teresa - Founder of Missionaries of Charity.
Dora Gabe - Poet.
Peggy Guggenheim - Art Collector and Patron of the Arts.
Rafino Tamayo - Mexican Painter.
Federick R. Koch - Art Collector.
A Time To Remember
The number of categories on this blog spot keeps growing. They are as follows: (i) ArtCloth; (ii) Art Essay; (iii) Art Exhibitions/Installations/Talks; (iv) Artist's Profile; (v) Art Resource; (vi) Art Review; (vii) Book Review; (viii) Fabric Lengths; (ix) Glossaries; (x) Guest Artist; (xi) Guest Editor; (xii) My Students Outputs (Workshops and Master Classes); (xiii) Opinion Pieces; (xiv) Resource Reviews; (xv) Prints On Paper; (xvi) Technical Articles; (xvii) Wearable Art.
Swamped by all these categories you probably have not noticed that "Fabric Lengths" is a new category, which in previous years was characterized in the "Wearable Art" category. Although "Fabric Lengths" can be used to make "Wearable Art" they can also be made into cushion covers, chair covers, curtains etc.and so they need to be in a category of their own.
Not all of these categories are present in any given year (e.g. Artist's Profile, Guest Editor, Technical Articles etc do not appear this year). Also judging a post by the one criterion - most amount of visitors - is not necessarily the smartest approach, since the length of stay might mitigate the former statistic. How often have you heard yourself say - oops I really didn't mean to google this hunk of a man when I searched for "loincloth"! Nevertheless, this one statistic makes matters so much easier for me and so it will be used as the final arbitrator!
ArtCloth
There were four posts in this category since the last annual review that were not part of an Exhibition blog (some nevertheless were exhibited). Of these the most popular was - Fleeting - and it was the most popular by only 101 visitors.
Fleeting - Detailed View.
Marie-Therese’s digitally designed and printed fabric length, silkscreened and hand stitched employing gold foil, lutrador and cotton thread on silky faille.
Size: 60 cm wide x 306 cm high.
Art Essay
There were six post in this category with the two most popular being Découpage and Appliqué with the former being the most popular by 36 visitors.
Child’s vintage wooden shoe and shoe tree découpage with fine strips of floral border.
Courtesy of Diane Dowe.
Art Exhibitions/Installations/Talks
There were six posts that were focussed on exhibitions and in this category two posts focussed on the one exhibition - Make Lace Not War. The most popular post in this category was Sea Scrolls - Celebrating 50 Years of Print (Prints on Cloth and Prints on Paper).
Artist: Therese Gabriel Wilkins.
Title: Playtime at the Beach (Full View).
Technique and Media: Hand printed on cotton.
Art Resource
Of the eleven "Art Resource" posts, the post highlighting Twill Weave was by far the most popular. This post was one in a series of four posts that highlighted the three basic weaves: Plain Weave, Twill Weave and Satin Weave.
A twill weave blanket which was created using 8 harnesses and 10 treadles.
Art Review
There were three posts in this category and the most popular being Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part II). The first part of this series was published on 11th October 2014 - Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part I) - and the third post in this series was published on 27th May 2017 - Sarasa Arabesque Patterns (Part III). While it would be expected that Part III in the series would not have seen so many visitors as Part II, what is surprising is that Part II is the most popular even though Part I was on the blogspot for almost two years longer - go figure!
Arabesque Pattern Number 210.
Book Review
There was only one book review and that was Jane Dunnewold's book - Creative Strength Training: Prompts, Exercises and Personal Stories for Encouraging Artistic Genius. I have been a friend of Jane's for sometime now and look forward to her next book. Her books are a "must" for those who want to create their own ArtCloth, Art Quilts or Wearable Art as her books guide you conceptually as well as contain quite an array of techniques to get you there.
Fabric Lengths
This is a new category dominated this year by my digital printed fabric lengths. There were four posts in this year's review and the most popular featured my non-digital work - New Colorways For My 'Cultural Graffiti' Fabrics. Clearly digital colorways are all the rage, but the effects one can get using analogue modes still has significant visual impact!
Artist: Marie-Therese Wisniowski.
Title: 'Cultural Graffiti' in rich red/warm gold hues (draped on model view).
Technique: Dyed, over dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled on rayon employing dyes, pigment, metallic paint and foil.
Size: 185 cm (wide) x 121 cm (high).
Guest Artist
There was only one person in this category and that was Shirley McKernan. The post was titled - Reality, Influence and Invention - and the post highlighted just glimpses of her spectacular work. It is well worth revisiting this post and gaining an insight into the art of breaking down complex ideas into creative artworks.
Artist: Shirley McKernan.
Title: Stairs to the Moon (Full view).
Medium: Silk habotai.
Technique: Hand stitched lines to create a resist for the Indigo dye.
Size: 108 cm high x 37 cm wide.
Glossaries
There was only one Glossary in this period and it was Glossary of Art, Artists, Art Motifs and Art Movements. At the time of this post being published that one Glossary has brought over 6,000 visitors to the blogspot. These glossaries are difficult to construct and so I hope that people will make good use of them.
Abuna-e (Risqué Pictures - Japanese): Ukiyo-e, which illustrate gently erotic scenes.
My Students Outputs
Presenting my students outputs on this blogspot is always pleasurable. Judi Nikoleski did my workshop - In Pursuit of: Low Relief Screen Printing (LRSP). It was a pleasure to teach my LRSP techniques to Judi. As you can see by the image below she quickly found her artistic voice using my LRSP techniques.
Artist - Judi Nikoleski - multi color low relief screen print employing textured media.
Opinion Pieces
There was only one opinion piece in this period and it was The Dilemma of Digital Art. As artists we really want to define in our mine's eye the subject and composition of our work before we get into the act of creating it. Of course, we can and often do adjust as we progress in the formation of the artwork, but in the digital world we can produce millions of images and then just grab one that we have serendipitously produced and then backtrack and make-up a story of why it was produced. In other words we have created an effect looking for a cause. This essay explores this reality and the effect it might have on the future of Art.
A water color rough of this was constructed before the artwork was produced. An example of a "cause" producing an "effect" rather than an "effect" searching for a "cause".
Marie-Therese Wisniowski, Flames Unfurling (2010).
Technique: MultiSpersed Dye Sublimation (MSDS) technique on delustered satin.
Size: 44 x 30 cm.
Prints on Paper
There were a number of posts focussing on "Prints on Paper" with the most popular being - Northern Editions - which showcased Aboriginal artists works on paper. Some of the work is contemporary, whereas others were using more traditional Aboriginal motifs.
Artist: Dion Beasley.
Title: Dog Police.
Community: Tennant Creek.
Medium: Etching.
Image Size and Paper Size: 29.5 x 20 cm and 46.5 x 38 cm.
Edition Date and Size: October 2010; 50.
Resource Review
There was only one post centering on "Resource Review" and that was The Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles. The founding member is Nell Pyle, who assembled a large collection of clothing that spans over a century. What is surprising is that it is a non-government sponsored Museum which hopefully will find a permanent residence for fashion parades, talks on the collection and fashion in general with curated exhibitions, and displays of its permanent collection. Australia does not have a Museum dedicated to clothing and textiles. I wrote an opinion piece on this blog spot - Is Textile Art in Australia Mature Enough for a Dedicated Museum? It is clear Nell and her gang have answered that question in the affirmative.
Comments: The bonnet was a sensible and serviceable work garment of cotton, in a paisley design. The ties made sure it stayed on the head in windy weather or when caught in a branch. The front of the bonnet provided protection from the sun and wind when worn forward. The length of the 'skirt' gave protection to the neck.
Wearable Art
There were a number of posts in the "Wearable Art" category and the most popular being Felted accessories. Felt never seems to leave our artistic horizons. It is such an old technique and so appears very rustic to our senses. It is a fabric that appears to connect us with our own evolutionary process. As we become more inventive with the fabric it translates to us the journey of the human species.
Karoliina Arvilommi – Karelia Hat (2007).
Materials and Techniques: Finnish Landrace wool batting, yarn; wet felted.
Size: 35 x 35 x 20 cm.
Photograph courtesy of Liselotte Habets[1].
I hope you have enjoyed the review of the last twelve month's blogging activity. Remember every mark you make on cloth or paper might be the beginning of your next "da Vinci" moment!
Reference:
[1] https://www.thefamouspeople.com/august-26th.php
For your convenience I have listed below the annual reviews that span the life of this blogspot.
It's Been An Exciting Year (2010/2011)
Another Cheer - Another Year (2011/2012)
Where Did The Year Go? (2012/2013)
The Year of the Horse (2013/2014)
Cold and Windy - But on the Dawn of Renewal (2014/2015)
A Time To Reflect - A Time To Select (2015/2016)
A Time to Remember (2016/2017)
To Be or Not to Be (2017/2018)
The Night Too Quickly Passes (2018/2019)
The Year of Living Dangerously (2019/2020)
Attempt The Impossible Since Failure Will Still Be Your Success (2020/2021)
A Year of Climate Extremes (2021/2022)
I Love A Sunburnt Country (2022/2023)
Australian Rules (2023/2024)
Introduction
I started this blog seven years ago on the 26th August 2010. It is tilted towards my favorite art passions: prints on cloth, prints on paper and wearable art. In that time the blog spot has attracted over 650,000 visitors.
The blog spot also provides an art therapy for me. I was determined from the very beginning that its purpose was to inform, aspire and inspire others to get on with their own artwork. At the outset my commitment was simple: I would blog approximately 50 posts a year, including an annual review about the most popular post in the given year within each category.
Before I list the categories and the most popular post within each category let me digress and ask - who are some of the most important people who were born on the 26th of August? According to the horoscope August 26th birthday people are influenced by the planets Mercury and Saturn. They have a unique set of personality traits that differentiates them from the rest of the Virgos. Individuals with this birthday are practical and balanced with a level-headed mind. They are absolutely calm and composed with a graceful demeanor and a peaceful disposition. They are attention seekers who have high standards on everything. Individuals born on this date put justice and being fair on a high pedestal in life. Thus, they are fair in their dealings and resort to just ways. However, August 26th individuals are prone to low moods and so might have mild tantrums. Needless to say I was not born on this day, but if it is your birthday today - have a good one!
Here is my top five list compiled from reference[1].
A Time To Remember
The number of categories on this blog spot keeps growing. They are as follows: (i) ArtCloth; (ii) Art Essay; (iii) Art Exhibitions/Installations/Talks; (iv) Artist's Profile; (v) Art Resource; (vi) Art Review; (vii) Book Review; (viii) Fabric Lengths; (ix) Glossaries; (x) Guest Artist; (xi) Guest Editor; (xii) My Students Outputs (Workshops and Master Classes); (xiii) Opinion Pieces; (xiv) Resource Reviews; (xv) Prints On Paper; (xvi) Technical Articles; (xvii) Wearable Art.
Swamped by all these categories you probably have not noticed that "Fabric Lengths" is a new category, which in previous years was characterized in the "Wearable Art" category. Although "Fabric Lengths" can be used to make "Wearable Art" they can also be made into cushion covers, chair covers, curtains etc.and so they need to be in a category of their own.
Not all of these categories are present in any given year (e.g. Artist's Profile, Guest Editor, Technical Articles etc do not appear this year). Also judging a post by the one criterion - most amount of visitors - is not necessarily the smartest approach, since the length of stay might mitigate the former statistic. How often have you heard yourself say - oops I really didn't mean to google this hunk of a man when I searched for "loincloth"! Nevertheless, this one statistic makes matters so much easier for me and so it will be used as the final arbitrator!
ArtCloth
There were four posts in this category since the last annual review that were not part of an Exhibition blog (some nevertheless were exhibited). Of these the most popular was - Fleeting - and it was the most popular by only 101 visitors.
Marie-Therese’s digitally designed and printed fabric length, silkscreened and hand stitched employing gold foil, lutrador and cotton thread on silky faille.
Size: 60 cm wide x 306 cm high.
Art Essay
There were six post in this category with the two most popular being Découpage and Appliqué with the former being the most popular by 36 visitors.
Courtesy of Diane Dowe.
Art Exhibitions/Installations/Talks
There were six posts that were focussed on exhibitions and in this category two posts focussed on the one exhibition - Make Lace Not War. The most popular post in this category was Sea Scrolls - Celebrating 50 Years of Print (Prints on Cloth and Prints on Paper).
Title: Playtime at the Beach (Full View).
Technique and Media: Hand printed on cotton.
Art Resource
Of the eleven "Art Resource" posts, the post highlighting Twill Weave was by far the most popular. This post was one in a series of four posts that highlighted the three basic weaves: Plain Weave, Twill Weave and Satin Weave.
Art Review
There were three posts in this category and the most popular being Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part II). The first part of this series was published on 11th October 2014 - Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part I) - and the third post in this series was published on 27th May 2017 - Sarasa Arabesque Patterns (Part III). While it would be expected that Part III in the series would not have seen so many visitors as Part II, what is surprising is that Part II is the most popular even though Part I was on the blogspot for almost two years longer - go figure!
Book Review
There was only one book review and that was Jane Dunnewold's book - Creative Strength Training: Prompts, Exercises and Personal Stories for Encouraging Artistic Genius. I have been a friend of Jane's for sometime now and look forward to her next book. Her books are a "must" for those who want to create their own ArtCloth, Art Quilts or Wearable Art as her books guide you conceptually as well as contain quite an array of techniques to get you there.
Fabric Lengths
This is a new category dominated this year by my digital printed fabric lengths. There were four posts in this year's review and the most popular featured my non-digital work - New Colorways For My 'Cultural Graffiti' Fabrics. Clearly digital colorways are all the rage, but the effects one can get using analogue modes still has significant visual impact!
Title: 'Cultural Graffiti' in rich red/warm gold hues (draped on model view).
Technique: Dyed, over dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled on rayon employing dyes, pigment, metallic paint and foil.
Size: 185 cm (wide) x 121 cm (high).
Guest Artist
There was only one person in this category and that was Shirley McKernan. The post was titled - Reality, Influence and Invention - and the post highlighted just glimpses of her spectacular work. It is well worth revisiting this post and gaining an insight into the art of breaking down complex ideas into creative artworks.
Title: Stairs to the Moon (Full view).
Medium: Silk habotai.
Technique: Hand stitched lines to create a resist for the Indigo dye.
Size: 108 cm high x 37 cm wide.
Glossaries
There was only one Glossary in this period and it was Glossary of Art, Artists, Art Motifs and Art Movements. At the time of this post being published that one Glossary has brought over 6,000 visitors to the blogspot. These glossaries are difficult to construct and so I hope that people will make good use of them.
My Students Outputs
Presenting my students outputs on this blogspot is always pleasurable. Judi Nikoleski did my workshop - In Pursuit of: Low Relief Screen Printing (LRSP). It was a pleasure to teach my LRSP techniques to Judi. As you can see by the image below she quickly found her artistic voice using my LRSP techniques.
Opinion Pieces
There was only one opinion piece in this period and it was The Dilemma of Digital Art. As artists we really want to define in our mine's eye the subject and composition of our work before we get into the act of creating it. Of course, we can and often do adjust as we progress in the formation of the artwork, but in the digital world we can produce millions of images and then just grab one that we have serendipitously produced and then backtrack and make-up a story of why it was produced. In other words we have created an effect looking for a cause. This essay explores this reality and the effect it might have on the future of Art.
Marie-Therese Wisniowski, Flames Unfurling (2010).
Technique: MultiSpersed Dye Sublimation (MSDS) technique on delustered satin.
Size: 44 x 30 cm.
Prints on Paper
There were a number of posts focussing on "Prints on Paper" with the most popular being - Northern Editions - which showcased Aboriginal artists works on paper. Some of the work is contemporary, whereas others were using more traditional Aboriginal motifs.
Title: Dog Police.
Community: Tennant Creek.
Medium: Etching.
Image Size and Paper Size: 29.5 x 20 cm and 46.5 x 38 cm.
Edition Date and Size: October 2010; 50.
Resource Review
There was only one post centering on "Resource Review" and that was The Australian Museum of Clothing and Textiles. The founding member is Nell Pyle, who assembled a large collection of clothing that spans over a century. What is surprising is that it is a non-government sponsored Museum which hopefully will find a permanent residence for fashion parades, talks on the collection and fashion in general with curated exhibitions, and displays of its permanent collection. Australia does not have a Museum dedicated to clothing and textiles. I wrote an opinion piece on this blog spot - Is Textile Art in Australia Mature Enough for a Dedicated Museum? It is clear Nell and her gang have answered that question in the affirmative.
Wearable Art
There were a number of posts in the "Wearable Art" category and the most popular being Felted accessories. Felt never seems to leave our artistic horizons. It is such an old technique and so appears very rustic to our senses. It is a fabric that appears to connect us with our own evolutionary process. As we become more inventive with the fabric it translates to us the journey of the human species.
Materials and Techniques: Finnish Landrace wool batting, yarn; wet felted.
Size: 35 x 35 x 20 cm.
Photograph courtesy of Liselotte Habets[1].
I hope you have enjoyed the review of the last twelve month's blogging activity. Remember every mark you make on cloth or paper might be the beginning of your next "da Vinci" moment!
Reference:
[1] https://www.thefamouspeople.com/august-26th.php
