New Website Launched.

After some blood, sweat and tears (not really, but that sounds dramatic) I have finally designed my website and published it.  You can take a look at:  martabrysha.com

(I tried to copy an image of the first page of my website, but can't manage it somehow.  If someone knows how to save an image of what's on my google chrome screen and paste it to my blog, please let me know

You are invited to have a browse and let me know what you think. Pin It

New Paper Work

The last couple of days have been hot and sticky here in the Tassie Highlands.  Perfect weather to avoid going outdoors and complete a new work on paper.

This work is (loosely) based on the form of a type of unicellular life form (a diatom, which is a type of phytoplankton.  There are over 100,000 different living species so please don't ask me which one this is!).

The detail seen in microscopic images of the diatom are way to detailed to faithfully reproduce in embroidery on paper, so what you have here is my own interpretation, which is, of course the whole point of the artistic process.

You can see the subtle variegations in the thicker orange, blue and red threads.  By creating threads with several different, subtle shades of the one colour, the resulting image becomes much more visually exciting.

I like this one a lot.  I think I'm finally working out the technical and visual complexities of working a detailed image on a densely detailed background. 

Pin It

Little Treasures

I found these eggs in a knot hole in the exterior wall next to my front door.  They belong to the Striped Pardalote - gorgeous little birds that grace us with their company from about September through to April.

The photo above shows the material they have used for their nest - a combination of fibres from the insulation in our walls and Samoyed hair.  A commodity which we have in abundance (see previous post)

.....and here's a picture of the little guy (sourced from here).

Pin It

Gentenaar-Torley

I have been busy building my new website.  Progress is coming along nicely, but it takes time and work.

So, in the meantime here is something that I find really inspiring.

The work of Peter Gentenaar is so beautiful it leaves me speechless.  These gorgeous paper sculptures are created by allowing paper pulp to dry on a bamboo frame (this description makes it sound ridiculously simple, which I am sure it is not!).

Peter Gentenaar:  Waterkey 2

Peter Gentenaar: Open Flower, Yellow

This is my absolute favorite. it's called Hourglass Figure

Peter Gentenaar:  Chutes and Ladders

Peter Gentenaar:  Geisha

Recently 100 of his paper sculptures were hung in Abbey church of Saint-Riquier in France.

These photos came from here, where you can see more images of the installation.

Peter Gentenaar's wife, Pat Gentenaar-Torley also works with paper pulp.  She creates 2 dimensional artworks by intricately layering paper pulp over a vacuum table of Peter's design.  I particularly like her still life works.

Pat Gentenaar-Torley: From the East

Pat Gentenaar-Torley:  Porcelain with Tulips

Pin It

Nebula, again

I have finished my third nebula embroidery today and am well pleased with the final result.  I hope you like it.

This is the whole piece (disregard the brown fabric in the corners.  I photographed it while it was still stretched on the frame and couldn't quite avoid the edge fabric).

I love the reflective quality of the dupioni silk thread that I used in this piece.  I was so happy with this thread I ordered 1 kg from my supplier, however, the thread he has sent me is quite different from this one.  It is still gorgeous though and looks like it will be easier to stitch with.  It is also finer than this one, which will suit most of my work more.

Pin It

More work on paper

I do like this one.  What do you think?

Pin It

Keeping busy

Sorry for the lack of posts in the last couple of weeks.  I have been busy hand knitting a scarf for a special friend who is off to live in Boston in the USA.  They have bitterly cold winters there and so I thought a scarf made from the hair of my beautiful samoyeds, Seamus and Teadach, would be the perfect gift.  I collect the fleece when I am brushing them.  When I had 1 kg or so I had it hand spun.  The woman who spun the fleece did a beautiful job of spinning it very finely.  The scarf was knitted with 3.75mm needles.  I gave Les the scarf today and he was indeed pleased.

Here's the scarf and a skein of the puppie's lovely fleece.

Valerie did a lovely job of the spinning and made these gorgeous labels with a photo of the dogs.

The scarf in close up.

My boys chillin' out on the back patio.

Pin It