30 Apr 2024
I’m featuring new works in ARTWALK FREO 24. A number of them are percolating ideas and experimental works. I’m really looking forward to seeing and hearing people’s reactions to them. I will be showing some of my processes and speaking about the work and the stories behind them at the event.
4+5 May 24
7 Artists homes / studios walking route
Open 10am - 4pm daily
Tickets available: events.humanitix.com/awf24
$20 (weekend pass) / $50 (season pass)
www.artwalkfreo.com I @artwalkfreo
Basketry: My spatial art work
I took up sculptural basketry a year ago and it’s opened a new door. It ties into my spatial design background and I like to work with my hands in this three-dimensional space.
Rocks have become a feature in many of my landscape paintings, as in ‘Memory of Elephant Rocks’. I imagined a third element to speak to the paintings and I am working on a series of coiled and looped ‘Inselbergs’ to accompany the paintings.
Scott Huffadine – a geologist is educating me on rocks. An inselberg is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain.
I’m also beavering away at a series of abstract sculptural portraits – using basketry techniques and natural materials. My idea is to portray loved ones and special moments in our times together.
To date I’ve experimented with two characterisations. One is my wound-up father of the bride and matron of honour ‘Do I look like a babysitter?’
Another story is where my friend/designer/artist shows up in her op shop, off the wall, wildly coloured outfit [this is when op shop dressing wasn’t a thing] to her chi-chi Vancouver Interior design office. An associate dressed meticulously in restrained fashion looked her up and down asking ‘did you dress in the dark?’ to which she replied ‘its better than being bored to tears’.
To date I’ve experimented with a baskets in paper twine and a sculptural piece using poinciana tree seed pods. Poincianas are also known as the flamboyant tree – a perfect characterisation of my friend’s character and practice.
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Introducing my Guest Artists at ARTWALK FREO 24
Penelope Forlano:
Anodized aluminium jewellery inspired by the cosmos and geometry @forlano_design. Photo by David Broadway
Renee Parnell: The diverse creative and natural inspired printmaking of @wrenscape
Melanie Sharpnell: Decorative and functional ceramics exploring the theme of Australian flora @eucalypthomewares Photo by Nancy Wilkinson
Ned Huffadine: Fabric hair buttons by young artist and entrepreneur @a_little_hare_button
Photo by Pene Shearing
In this edition, I am happy to share a bit more about the amazing work of:
A Little Hare Button / @a_little_hare_button
It is said that a person should have friends in every decade to keep life stimulating ie under 10 years, under 20 years, under 30 years, etc. I’ve known Ned since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. He’s a 10-year-old ideas man with a mother that backs him to the hilt with his fabric hair accessories enterprise: A Little Hare Button.
Ned says: "My first experience of selling my hair buttons was in my front yard when there was a festival at the bottom of my street. I sold most of my buttons. One of my first customers was a famous AFL player, he liked my hair buttons and said I was doing a good job. I am pretty happy with that compliment".
Ned’s a poster child for Barefoot Kids: a spinoff of Scott Pape’s The Barefoot Investor. His work is represented in The Artisan Store in Fremantle.