Monday, August 5, 2013

ART, SEWING, GARDENS - WHAT'S NEW?

Kaapay and Kuyan, Rosella Namok, b. 1979.

When I was in Emerald last week, I was delighted to spy this painting, which belongs to their City Art Collection.  I knew at once it was by the exciting Rosella Namok.  Lucky Emerald City acquired it when Rosella won their Acquisitive Art Award a few years ago.


Indigenous artist Rosella who now works in Cairns, was a founding member of the Lockhart River Art Gang, formed in 1995 at Lockhart River, an isolated community on the Eastern Coast of the Cape York Peninsula.  It is composed mainly of young artists working in a contemporary way, in contrast to the art of Australia's central desert where the older members of the community led the development of art centres.

Kaapay and Kuyan are moieties, a term used in the social organisation of Aboriginal Tribal life.  Rosella seeks stories from her older relatives, and her works reflect the experience of fishing and women's lore and culture.
She paints with her fingers, in brilliant thick acrylics on canvas, as in the sand drawing she was taught by her grandmother.
This painting appears to me to be a contemporary reference to the famous Rainforest Shields painted by indigenous artists of North Queensland:


Maybe...

Rosella Namok has won many awards throughout Australia and is represented in the National Gallery of Australia.



I also found Emerald Fabric Boutique, and came home with this:


and this:


and this:


and I really must get myself into the sewing room again!

Spring is just around the corner, and we had lovely sunny days over the weekend.  Mr C was out in the garden spreading mulch...


I bought a new pink rose ..


and added some blooms to the sun-deck..





The lavender is blooming..


jasmine is bursting forth..


and a little pink petunia managed to self-sow in a crack .. well done, Petunia...


Oh, and there are fairies at the bottom of our garden...

Have a great week!

XXXX

20 comments:

  1. Beautiful art, beautiful fabric and beautiful flowers. x

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    1. Thank you Suzy, that's what excites my brain!

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  2. Such interesting work, that the aborigines do Betty.
    I love what you bought.
    You will now have a lot of sewing to do.. but knowing you... you will have them made up in no time.. they look pretty pieces of fabric..
    val x

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    1. Dear Val, I am doing a few posts about aboriginal art from different parts of Australia because I find their contemporary art of particular interest. Planning the spring sewing marathon as we speak! xx

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  3. Dear Patricia - the painting of Kaapay and Kuyan by Rosella Namok has captivated me. It reminds me of the dramatic deep reds, oranges, and ochres that you see around Ayers Rock, the colours just bounce out at you.

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    1. Glad you like the painting, Rosemary. The colours are like the central Australia region, absolutely. Parts of the painting look like cloisonne work, especially on the gold 'ribs'. It is listed as 'mixed media' so I don't know how she does that, but it certainly makes it dramatic!

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  4. Such interesting art, as well as the story that goes with it.
    Lovely flowers all. I see your garden has fully recovered after the torrential rains you had earlier this year. Happy sewing with all your pretty new fabric.

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    1. Best time of the year for the garden - gentle sunshine, low winds, and cool mornings. Perfect. I love to enjoy the flowers while I can, because the heat of summer will soon take over, and few flowers can survive that.

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  5. OMG Goodness Patricia your new rose is absolutely divine.

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    1. I just love the colour, Shell, and it is now full-blown!

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  6. I have really been enjoying the art you have posted by the native people in your area. Something we don't see here.

    Anxious to see what you make up with those interesting fabrics.

    Darla

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    1. Glad you like the art, Darla - I enjoy the native American art and craft, too.
      I am going through my new season patterns, allocating them to my fabrics. Let the sewing begin!

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  7. I always find it amazing to see our summer flowers blooming in your winter, Patricia. :-) if it's nearly spring with you, autumn must be just around the corner for us.....

    I love being introduced to indigenous art by your posts. Those are striking images, as is some of the fabric you've just acquired. Happy sewing. :-)

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    1. We have to enjoy the pretty flowers while we can, Perpetua. Once the daily temperature is constantly above 30 deg. I give up!
      Glad you like the indigenous art. I am trying to work my way round the country, and feature the art of different areas.

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  8. Thanks for sharing Rosella's beautiful art....beautiful. Love the treasures that made their way home with you too. Your garden is looking lovely and I for one am really looking forward to Spring.

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    1. Glad you like Rosella's work - it is stunning in real life! Westerley winds here today - brrrr - so Spring is just around the corner :)

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  9. I love the painting, it is so subtle. And how amazing to be able to get such unusual fabrics.

    I always love to see photos of flowers.....can't get enough of em......yours are so pretty....

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    1. The indigenous art in acrylics is so popular, I think because of its ambiguous possibilities, neither one thing or another, but always in a delicious blend of colour. Flowers = nature's art form!

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  10. Have to admit I was surprised re the jasmine - only takes one or two days of above-average heat and out it pops!
    Wish that painting was available in fabric...

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  11. Hello! It is really so beautiful art work presented on this blog post. All he works show the creativity of an artist.

    Contemporary painter

    With regards
    Jose Manuel

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