THE
PIECES
1 BARNARD, HELEN - QUEENSLAND
NINE WARRIORS & THEIR ALTER EGOS -
mulberry & tussah silk; pearl shell buttons;
hand-dyed; plain weave & goose eye borders
60cm x 125 cm
NFS
2 BERNASCONI, HELEN - VICTORIA
PARALLELS - linen/wool
90cm x 180cm
$450.00
3 BILLS, BEV - SOUTH AUSTRALIA
WHISPERING - handwoven scarf/shawl
34cm x 230cm
$120.00
4
BINOTH, JEANNINE - TASMANIAFLINDERS RANGE II - 100% wool;
loom shibori; collapse weave; overdye.
60cm x 185cm
$345.00
5 CALNAN, LIZ - NSW
INTERNET INFLUENCES -
hand-dyed silk; 32 shaft double weave
450cm x 2100cm
$2,500.00
6 CALNAN. LIZ - NSW
COMING OF SPRING - 70% wool & mohair/
polyester/viscose/nylon/metallic
70cm x 2400cm
$270.00
7 CARTWRIGHT, WENDY - NSW
DOTS & STRIPES - jacket; wool;
deflected double weave
Medium
$550.00
8 CAMPBELL, GAIL - WESTERN AUSTRALIA
SHIBORI WATERS SERIES - shibori before
and after weaving; wool; silk
30cm x 180cm
$750.00
9 CROZIER, NAN - NSW
SECRETS - The hidden colours of the Eucalypts -
wool; eucalpt dye; double weave
NFS
10 DAVIS, COLLEEN -
NSWJEWELS OF THE OCEAN - cotton warp;
wool; mercerised cotton
11 3/4" x 11 3/4"
NFS
11 EAGAR, ANNE - NSW
TRUTH WILL FREE US: MOTHER EARTH
WILL BIND US -
clay/timber/film/fish.line
65cm x 155cm
$800.00
12 FAULKNER, KAY - QUEENSLAND
MEETING PLACE II - cotton; loom shibori; rusting; discharge; fibre reactive dyes
65cm x 208cm
$400.00
13 FURNESS, SUZANNE - QUEENSLAND
SUNSET OVER THE BAY AT COOCHIE -
100% silk; hand-dyed
8" x 62"
$85.00
14 JACKSON, BEATRICE - QUEENSLAND
AUTUMN'S GLORY - cotton/linen; fibre reactive dyes; glass beads
26cm x 190cm
$130.00
15 KLOOSTERMAN, MARIJKE - QUEENSLAND
WALLHANGING - cotton; silk; beads; devore panels
70cm x 80cm
$500.00
16 KLOOSTERMAN, MARIJKE -
QUEENSLANDTRIANGULAR SHAWL - loom shibori; silk;
commercial dyes
120cm
$300.00
17 LLEWELLYN, JEANNE - WA
DOWN BY THE RIVER -
cotton; embroidery cotton
NFS
18 LUCAS, CHRIS - QUEENSLAND
JO AMONG THE BIRDS - cotton warp; wool
& cotton weft
$2,100.00
19 MCDOUGALL, PAM - NSW
SHADOWS - wrap; wool/silk; warp ikat
48cm x 174cm
$220.00
20 MADIGAN, KAREN - NSW
INTOXICATION SERIES - 5 - 100% silk;
24 shaft false satin
49cm x 188cm
$450.00
21 MASON, DOREEN S - VICTORIA
ECCLESIASTICAL STOLE - 100% silk; Beiderwand weave; pick-up; hand-dyed
Long
NFS
22 RICHARDS, KAREN -
VICTORIAFRILL EDGED CAPELET - cotton; chenille; wool;
lycra; supplementary warp
50cm x 160cm
$180.00
23 SMALL, MARGARET - NSW
DAWN - wrap; cotton; silk; synthetic; woven
pleats
70cm x 270cm
$150.00
24 STAMFORD, MARYANN - QUEENSLAND
SPUN SUGAR - scarf; tencel;/acrylic
30cm x 240cm
$100.00
25 STAMFORD, MARYANN - QUEENSLAND
WHO SAYS WEAVERS CAN'T QUILT -
j cottons; cotton fabric; quilting; wadding
105cm x 143cm
$375.00
26 STEHLE, URSULA -
QUEENSLANDGLOWING BAMBOO - bamboo; tussah silk; painted warp; turned twill
61cm x 162cm
$160.00
27 STEVENS, DENISE - NSW
OLD TILES - wool & cotton
42cm x 56cm
$1,600.00
28 WILDER, HELEN - NSW
SUN GLITTERING ON THE OCEAN -
100% silk; dyed
37cm x 185cm
$280.00
29 WILSON, RUDPA - NSW
BODY BOUNTIFULL - cotton warp; wool weft
26cm x 51cm
$300.00
Weavers
....... Showing Off
Ray Walsh House , Community Gallery, Tamworth
17
October to 24 November 2008
THE
ARTISTS
Helen
Barnard
When
Helen’s teacher declared Helen was a ‘dreadful embroiderer’,
she was sent to the school’s weaving house to find an alternative
textile based interest. Here Helen found a room full of unused looms
and with the assistance of a helpful teacher and the company of a
fellow student, Helen’s future as a weaver was established.
Helen owns an older counterbalance 4 shaft Leclerc floor loom and is inspired by the interaction of colour in simple structures. Her interest in art and textiles of both ethnic and western origin are reflected in her work. Helen lives in Kilcoy Queensland and sells her work in Victoria.
Helen Bernasconi
A move to the country and ownership of a small sheep flock led Helen to the art of weaving. Already a spinner, Helen was impressed with the quality of the carpet wool of her sheep and began to weave a rug. That first rug may never have been finished, but it marked the beginning of Helen’s weaving career.
Helen now owns 4 floor looms of which 2 are dedicated to rug weaving. English rug weaver Peter Collingwood has proven to be a great influence in Helen’s weaving an interest which developed further when Helen was given a loom set up for the shaft switching he is famous for. The loom has presented Helen with lots of creative opportunities.
No longer able to spin enough to keep up with her own demand for yarns, Helen now purchases yarn which she often dyes to suit her needs. She still owns 30 sheep.
Bev Bills
Bev was initially attracted to weaving because she liked the idea of being able to weave for garments then, was sidetracked by the endless pattern opportunities that weaving gave her, and 30 years later is still playing and exploring.
Today Bev has many looms to play with, ranging from 2 shafts to 16 and finds herself mostly using those with fewer shafts as she explores the potential of texture, particularly twill variations on her 4 shaft loom. As a self proclaimed texture freak Bev goes everywhere with her camera snapping images for inspiration, later working out what blends of yarns and colours will best recreate the photographic image.
Bev has retained her interest in garment making and constructs one-off jackets using simple design lines that best show the texture she has achieved in her weaving. She also enjoys being occasionally sidetracked by tapestry weaving another technique and application to vary the realms of weaving.
Jeannine Binoth
A break from backpacking in 1977 saw Jeannine spending three months backstrap weaving in Guatemala. It was this that marked the beginning of her weaving career. On arriving in Australia she continued to develop her interest by taking a traineeship at the Sturt Workshops in Mittagong. She then had a family.
Many interruptions and twenty years later, around 2000, Jeannine resumed her earlier interest in weaving and with 2 x 8 shaft jack looms she now primarily produces scarves, shawls and upholstery fabric. Jeannine works in the local abalone factory to supplement her weaving income.
Fibres have always interested Jeannine, as has colour. Currently she is experimenting with painting her warps , refining shibori techniques and overdying. Jeannine readily admits that as her interests develop, this too could change.
Elizabeth Calnan
It was an enrolment in a TAFE course for hand spinning and hand weaving in 1979 that set Elizabeth on her weaving career path. After completing another course in machine knitting there wasn’t time in Elizabeth’s life for both weaving and knitting and weaving eventually took priority.
In 1993 Elizabeth took the step of weaving for exhibitions and shows and began to weave professionally. She now most enjoys weaving with her 32 shaft computer interfaced Louet loom, and admits to owning several other computer interfaced looms that are also well used.
The challenge of designing with new ideas and creating something from nothing brings Elizabeth back to her loom again and again. She weaves predominantly with wool and silk and always dyes her own yarns to ensure all her work is unique.
Gail Campbell
When Gail took her Visual Arts Degree with its emphasis on textiles she took it primarily to enhance her weaving skills. Like many weavers, Gail began her weaving life as a spinner who was then grabbed by the fascinating art of weaving.
Despite working in a full-time job, Gail finds time to weave most days as it’s an important and relaxing part of her life. When Gail began her weaving life it was thought that her husband’s work would see them moving regularly, so Gail invested in 2 x 8 shaft table looms thinking they would be easier than floor looms to pack. As it happens the moving didn’t happen, but Gail is content with her table looms.
A life long fascination with water has led it to be Gail’s main weaving inspiration which she is currently combining with Shibori and network/shadow weaving.
Wendy Cartwright
When her children were young and she was looking for a creative outlet, a friend introduced Wendy to weaving. Weaving fit well with Wendy’s established interest in sewing which in turn led Wendy to take a course at Strathfield School of Textiles. On completing her course Wendy went on to teach for 10 years.
Over the years Wendy has taken numerous workshops and travelled a number of times to the States to attend Convergence, where in 1994 she gave a workshop on the art of making raffia hats.
Thirty years later Wendy is still creating with her loom and describes taking up weaving as one of the best things she has ever done. Wendy now has ‘just the one’ loom, an 8 shaft Glimakra and weaves mainly clothing, wraps and scarves. Wendy is an active member of the NSW Handweavers and Spinners Guild and has her work represented at Society of Arts and Crafts gallery – “Craft NSW” at the Rocks in Sydney where she works two days a month. Wendy also co-authored the recently published book “Weave”.
Nan Crozier
For someone who claims she didn’t have a clue what was going on in her first weaving classes, Nan has come a long way in the intervening 30+ years. Nan’s interest in weaving was initially sparked by her involvement with spinning and knitting. Having joined the local spinning group she was taken by the weaving being done by her fellow members and as a result took the subject at Strathfield School of Textiles.
In 1985 Nan joined the Arts and Crafts Society of NSW, after which she began to take her weaving more seriously. For Nan it’s the total control of yarn, colour and structure that keep her returning to her loom.
Nan works with a Finnish Varpapuu 8 shaft countermarch loom and usually chooses simple weave structures to give more emphasis to the colour and texture. Like many weavers, Nan is always planning the next project while working on the current one.
Colleen Davis
As soon as Colleen saw tapestry weaving she knew it was something she had to do. Already a loom weaver she began to seek a teacher of tapestry and attended workshops given by Scottish weaver Valerie Kirk.
From there she moved on to take the Diploma of Art (Tapestry) at Warrnambool by correspondence and graduated in 1994 after 6 years study. She still owns floor and table shaft looms but admits they’re no longer used very often.
Planning is a major part of Colleen’s work and it can sometimes take 2-3 years before the first thread is placed. Colleen enjoys the process of tapestry weaving that keeps her mind busy throughout as she continually makes decisions about the placement of colour and shape. She also finds it relaxing, and once in front of her loom is totally engrossed.
Anne Eagar
Raised on a sheep station, Anne has long held an interest in fibre and studied for 3 years at the Strathfield School of Textiles TAFE. Here she was introduced to the knitting machine, a contraption she heartily disliked, and which she quickly abandoned in favour of spinning and weaving.
Anne now has 2 x 4shaft looms both with shaft switching on all shafts. She’s also developed her dyeing skills to produce 20 shades of 2 close colours, such as blue and green, for each of her pieces. Texture, colour and concept are now the three main themes of Anne’s work with concept being the prime one.
Anne believes that as an artist and weaver she should be a voice for change and involved in activism of some sort. With this in mind Anne weaves social and political comment in her work. With shaft shifting and her range of colours broadening her design options Anne ensures her social comments have impact.
Kay Faulkner
Textiles have always been an integral part of Kay’s life and she’d been weaving full-time for the past 25 years. On finishing work as a Home Economics teacher Kay was looking for something to do when she discovered weaving which she says spoke to her in a way other textiles never had.
Kay works with an 8 shaft floor loom and a 24 shaft computer interfaced Noble. She’s currently awaiting the delivery of a draw loom which will expand the potential for pattern and image creation.
As a professional weaver who supports herself financially through her art, Kay enjoys the challenge weaving presents, whether it’s a length of fabric, a wall hanging, scarf or special commission.
Suzy Furness
A weaver since 1976, Suzy has been weaving with computer interfaced looms since 1982 due to her computer engineering husband’s insistence that he could build her one. She currently has 8, 10 and 16 shaft computer interfaced floor looms and is hoping her husband will soon build her a 16 shaft table loom for sampling.
Suzy has had a life-long interest in textiles and texture which she claims drove her Mum mad when it came to choosing fabrics for dressmaking.
Describing herself as a ‘functional weaver’, Suzy was originally taught by Marcella Hempel who was herself second generation Bauhaus trained and passed on to Suzy a love for the intrinsic quality of material.
Having always been a ‘maker’ whether it‘s sewing knitting or weaving, Suzy would be happy if she were stranded on a desert island provided she had at least a 2 shaft loom.
Beatrice Jackson
At the age of 10 Beatrice was introduced to weaving at her New Zealand school and remembers informing her mother that she would one day own the Ashford loom advertised in her mother’s New Zealand Home Journal.
It took another 40 years and a side track into spinning before Beatrice finally bought a loom and began to weave. She now owns an 8 shaft Meccia and spends every day in her loom-room, planning, dying or weaving. During a visit to Scotland Beatrice found the grave of her ancestor, George Jackson on who’s tombstone was engraved “Weaver of Inverurie”. Clearly weaving is in Beatrice’s blood.
Describing herself as ‘not a technical weaver’, Beatrice’s current prime interest is in ‘Arashi’, a pole wrapping style of Shibori which she employs to express her love of the colours found in nature.
Marijke Kloosterman
As a teacher in art, craft and needlework Marijke took up spinning. Taking up weaving was a ‘natural progression’ in the development of her textile interests. This progression took place when her husband was posted to Canberra with the Air Force and she decided to take a weaving course.
Marijke now has a 10 shaft Glimakra floor loom, an 8 shaft table loom and a small sampling loom she takes to workshops. Keen to try anything that presents a challenge, Marijke enjoys learning new techniques and attends every Textile Forum she can to maintain her interest, enthusiasm and stock of new ideas.
However, Marijke laughingly admits that the biggest challenge she currently has is to use up all the yarn in her many overflowing cupboards. To do this she employs them to create the fine, textural fabrics that inspire her.
Jean Llewellyn
About 5 years ago Jean was given a floor loom with which she began to teach herself to weave. Since then she’s rescued another floor loom from someone’s shed and a floor to ceiling tapestry loom from another’s wood pile. Indeed space is becoming rather a premium at Jean’s home as it’s gradually taken over by these foundling looms.
Having owned a book on weaving for many years, Jean knew it was something she would eventually do. It now fits well with her other loves of spinning and knitting and Jean regularly incorporates hand spun yarns into her weaving.
Jean is currently into her 4th year of Warrnambool’s Diploma of Art (Tapestry) and is putting the tapestry loom to good use weaving assignments and other images. Colour and the challenge of working out how best to turn an idea into fabric are what make Jean sit down weave.
Chris Lucas
Chris was already an established weaver working primarily on creating cloth for clothing when a friend decided to study tapestry weaving at Warrnambool. Chris thought she’d join her for ‘something interesting’ to do, little realising what an impact on her weaving the course would have.
While Chris still occasionally weaves on her 4 shaft Sheridan countermarche loom, she will be more often found weaving tapestry on either one of her Archie Brennan copper pipe looms or on her Victorian Tapestry Workshop sample loom.
It’s the problem solving aspect of tapestry weaving that engages Chris the most. She finds the practise of completing a small area of an image before moving on to the next, both satisfying and meditative. While Chris knows that tapestry weaving will always be her first choice, her attention has been temporarily diverted by the beautiful hand woven rag rugs she saw on a recent trip to Sweden.
Pam McDougall
A weaver of over 40 years, Pam has always had a tactile interest in textiles. When her husband went overseas for a few months to work, an advert in the local paper caught Pam’s eye and she consequently joined the newly formed Canberra Spinners and Weavers group. At the time there were only 2 weavers in the ACT, one of whom was Solvig Baas Becking who became Pam’s teacher.
Pam now owns a rigid heddle “for simple things”, an 8 shaft table loom for sampling and a 24 shaft AVL with computer interface. As a cashmere goat farmer, Pam also enjoys the opportunity to work with this beautiful and luxurious fibre which she regularly weaves with.
Currently Pam is experimenting with weaving tubing into which she inserts feltable fibre and then over-felts, dyes and over-dyes to create interesting double cloth.
Karen Madigan
For many years Karen enjoyed an interest in sewing, craft and art. After watching a programme on weaving she realised it offered a way of uniting art and craft since it employed the skill base of a craftsperson with the heart of an artist.
Karen has a ‘few’ looms and works primarily on her 8 shaft New Zealand Thorpe countermarch and 24 shaft Noble digital dobby loom. More recently she has acquired a small Saori 2 shaft Japanese loom which she describes as elegant loom offering extensive freeform weaving options.
Her great interest in the human connection to weaving has seen Karen build her own inkle loom. Indeed it is the connection of people through yarn, weaving, time and cultures that mostly inspires Karen’s work, from the western inspired complexity achieved through computerised looms to the timeless simplicity of weaves created with a back strap.
Sylvia Mason
There have been many ‘pauses in between’ in Sylvia’s weaving career as she’s worked as a textile teacher while raising a family of four. Sylvia first sat at a loom at the age of 15 when the subject was taught at school. This was followed much later by the weaving of baby blankets while expecting her first child. <
Finally it was the love of tailoring and the opportunity to create her own fabric that saw Sylvia take up weaving on a more permanent basis. For many years she created tailored jackets both for herself and for sale. Today Sylvia weaves mostly on her 4 shaft counterbalance loom with a preference for loom shaped garments created using mainly woollen yarn. When searching for a particular colour she also dyes her own yarn.
Sylvia is hoping one of her nine grandchildren will be interested enough in the art to eventually want her loom and yarn collection. Her granddaughter Kate’s current study of tapestry weaving at Monash University is encouraging.
Karen Richards
hen Karen began her study of textiles at RMIT she wasn’t remotely interested in weaving. She had instead decided she was going to pursue a career in the textile industry. As often happens in life, plans changed. Karen was sucked into hand weaving during her first year at RMIT, married, became pregnant, moved to the country and gave up the idea of a career in industry.
Instead Karen happily pursued her new interest in hand weaving which she now teaches part time at Warrnambool TAFE. She owns a Druva 4 shaft loom which she believes was made in Melbourne in the 20’s/30’s. She also owns a Swedish 8 shaft floor loom and an antique 4 shaft loom she uses for sampling.
Karen’s enjoys texture over pattern and takes pleasure in creating fabrics with great textural interest which she sells through local galleries.
Margaret Small
A short course at Birchgrove Community College on the subject of spinning and weaving in the 1970’s soon had Margaret hooked on weaving. A while later she joined the local Guild where she began borrowing books and watching demonstrations to build up her skills. She readily admits to being very shy at the time and jokes that the other members probably wondered who the quiet woman at the back of the room was!
Quiet or not, Margaret continued to hone her weaving skills by joining the Cross Country Weavers Exchange to which she contributed for about 20 years. She is now a regular contributor to the sample exchanges of the 8Plus group.
Margaret keeps her 8 shaft Lotus floor loom warped all the time and has more recently been inspired by Kay Faulkner to continue working on the cloth after removing it from the loom. So, the more complex weave patterns have been replaced by simpler weaves that are then further manipulated in some way.
Maryann Stamford
A weaver of 28 years, Maryann was originally drawn to the order that underpins the craft. Maryann was raising 5 daughters at the time, and some would question where she found the time to take up weaving. Maryann replies "immersing myself in weaving provided me with a counter balance to the stress and upheaval of a very busy household. My studio was only a few steps across the courtyard so I was always available."
From her studio, Maryann wove yardage for designers and retail outlets; her fibre of preference being linen. She also worked for 2 years in the Sydney studio of Bruck Fabrics, designing woven fabrics for the Wangaratta Mills.
Maryann now owns 8 looms, some of which are antique. She also has a Mecchia 16 shaft loom with a computer dobby system designed by her daughter, an electronics engineer.
Maryann is now having fun weaving fabrics to incorporate into quilts or art pieces. None of her daughters weave.
Ursula Stehle
Working as an occupational therapist with the mentally disabled in a weaving studio soon had Ursula hooked on weaving, particularly since she had to learn the craft to teach it. For three years she later attended a weaving college in Switzerland to gain a formal qualification.
After migrating to Australia Ursula established a business importing some of the yarns she had enjoyed using while in Europe. Even so sometimes Ursula admits that she likes to hand dye her own colours because the right one isn't available. But she prefers to put her main effort into weaving, not dyeing.
As the owner of a 2 x 8 shaft Mecchia looms, one with computer interface, Ursula enjoys working with colour and pattern using fine threads and finds the versatility of weaving and the fabrics it can produce her prime inspiration.
Denise Stevens
When Denise signed up for the textile course in Sydney over 25 years ago she had absolutely no intention of finishing it as she was only interested in the spinning part. It was here that she was introduced to tapestry and shaft loom weaving.
A scientist by profession Denise is fascinated with the mathematical aspects of weaving and enjoys mostly the planning and designing and readily admits that once the warp is on the loom her interest rapidly wanes. She owns an 8 shaft table loom and an 8 shaft Meccia with a mechanical dobby.
More recently Denise studied for her Diploma of Art (Tapestry) at Warrnambool where she quickly discovered how much she enjoyed the freedom of interpretation offered by tapestry. She enjoys the contrast to the more structured loom weaving and finds it most contemplative.
Helen Wilder
As a weaver of 30 years, Helen was introduced to the art through a local course where she learned to weave wall hangings using two sticks. This simple accomplishment created so much enthusiasm in Helen that she immediately enrolled at the local college to learn how to weave using a loom.
With the arrival of her young family, weaving was relegated to something Helen did only occasionally, until about 6 years ago when she joined the NSW Arts and Crafts Society of which she is now President. There the company of like minds re-kindled Helen’s original enthusiasm.
Helen now weaves on her 8 shaft countermarch Glimakra floor loom and uses her table loom for samples, workshop and teaching her grandchildren how to weave. A fascination with the weaving ‘what-if’ question coupled with an obsession with colour has retained Helen’s interest. She works primarily with wool and silk and has found herself working with finer and finer yarns as time progresses.
Rupda Wilson
Portability was the prime reason Rupda took up the art of tapestry weaving. She was initially interested in shaft loom weaving, but the need to have something she could take overseas in a suitcase precluded her pursuing that interest. After all, it’s not easy to fit even the smallest table loom into a suitcase. But a tapestry loom fitted very well.
With her interest in tapestry piqued, Rupda chose to study the Diploma of Art ( Tapestry) at Warrnambool by correspondence and now weaves small, semi-abstract and pictorial images.
Her travels in India presented her with the opportunity to collect a variety of silk yarns which she uses in her tapestries together with a high twist wool and cotton. Now that she no longer travels as extensively, Rupda has two tapestry looms to choose from but still hasn’t ventured into shaft loom weaving.