Mixed media, layers and then booked

Friday evening as the group gathered to meet and share a glass of wine, ( a very favourite time of day for me ! ) we discussed what we would experiment with over the weekend. We had a show and tell and everyone decided that doing works of a set size, to be housed in a hand made book, would be an idea worth further exploration.

So Saturday morning the first order of the day was to let RIP . . . . . so that all our pages, or at least most of them, would be of a uniform size, to be assembled into our own hand made book.

Setting up in the shade, under the blue tarp on Saturday morning, (assembled competently by Mr Lee, of the perfectly barbecued eggs ) was the start of some fantastic exploration of mark making and layering. The process was addictive and the results were so varied.

I loved that each and everyone, from people who haven't done art, to those that practise on a regular basis, embraced the creative adventure with such enthusiasm.

Bitumen, shellac, tea, sand, gesso and acrylics were sploshed, sprayed, splattered and layed on the paper. Again and again . . . . . . and again !

Bummer ! By Saturday afternoon I had allowed an unknown BUG to invade my innards. It was adamant that I lie down and be very ill. ( No nothing to do with my food preparation !!)

Fortunately I had already asked a dear friend, to come and play with the press, so in the after noon Jennifer Hamilton, guided the group through the delightful process of Mono printing.

Out came the inks, rollers, Mylar and papers to press, squash and extract every ounce of impression that could be made from our found and collected objects.

Between my bouts of sleeping, I could hear the OHHHS! and AHHHHHHHHHHHS! all afternoon . . . if I had have had the least bit of strength I would have dragged myself downstairs to see what all the excitement was about. As it was I had to wait until Sunday morning to see the beautiful results.

Thank GOD for forward thinking. I had prepared the Saturday evening meal prior to feeling ill . . . . . . thankyou to Cameron who played a very good Mr MUM. . . . . with the help of some of the other guests, so that the evening meal was a success.

So, as I lay sick and sad, the delightful sounds of laughter coming from 11 individuals enjoying themselves, kept permeating through to my fog.

Not amused !

I didn't even get to eat my Tia Maria layered cheesecake ! Jennifer who had 3 servings said it was scrumptious. Thanks Jen !

Sunday morning I was past the worst of what ever had ailed me and surfaced to much sympathy ( thank you one and all ) so that we could try out various ways to embellish the work from the previous day.

With glazing, layering, collaging and further printing the pages were developing into a sound body of work, that was ready to be housed in the book that we constructed on Sunday afternoon.

We used the magnificent hand made Himalayan rice papers to cover the back and front of the covers. In went all these extremely creative pages. . .. . . what a sight.

A complete packaged treasure !

Sunday afternoon as we had our show and tell, I was conscious that this was our last workshop at the Rusty Roo for 2009.

Still feeling slightly precious, I thought that it was good that I would now have a break to relax a little and do some of my own work . . . . however, I was also thinking how much I relish the joy of sharing and the camaraderie that always developes over these weekends. . . . . Yes ! I will miss them.

So . . . . . thank you to everyone involved throughout 2009. It was a true Joy and a privilege to have your involvement, enthusiasm, laughter, excitement and creative juices at the Roo with us.

Best wishes, for a joyous Christmas and a truely happy and Creative NEW YEAR

Sharon & Cameron

Rusty Roo artist retreat

a place to let your soul breathe

www.rustyroo.com

Playing with process.

Recently while at the Rusty Roo, a group of artistic, generous women were having a play with some experimental processes. Always exciting.

However, what I found as interesting was, that around the other side of the world, a friend of mine from America, who was in South Africa, was being experimental with the same materials and processes . . . at the same time, with people in that far distant country.

. . . . we were both enthralled that we could be doing the same things but in such different places. Goes to show . . . we all share a lot in common, when art is involved !

Ha !!. The world is small. So, these are a few of the results.

Weekend of watercolor . . . and printing

It was a delight to share the Rusty Roo with a group of creative individuals with a HUGE capacity to share, enjoy and experiment.

It could have been a disastrous weekend. The weather was a true B.....

It was dusty one minute, cold, then hot and then without a moments pause it was cold again.

Yes ! Nature was at it's most tempestuous, which could have led to temperaments being frayed . . . .but, NO !! this delightful group just changed their clothing, according to the atmospheric unpredictability, dusted off their art works, made jokes and generally got on with the task at hand.

Wonderful !!

Watercolours have never been high on my list of creative art forms to be viewed regularly or tried too often . . . well ! I have to say that after this weekend workshop with, Mia Clark, Jennifer Hamilton and a group of experimental watercolor artists . . . I have now changed many of my previous assumptions.

The gum Arabic on Mylar with water colour . . . printed onto wet paper; the glad wrap, detergent, metho . . . stretched and streaking across salt encrusted rag; the sponging, dripping, dragging, melding, melting and mixing was relentless.

I was in awe of the enthusiasm. The sharing of ideas and outcomes. The ability to try just about anything suggested . . . with real gusto.

Really great ! Thankyou for sharing your enthusiasm, skill & laughter.

Thankyou Sue, the bolle in the morning was soooo much FUN. What a hoot with the uneven surfaces, cockatoo's screeching and wallabies watching, set against a back drop of mountains shrouded by morning mist . . . . . . . or was it dust ?

We all agreed . . . . it is what everyone should do prior to a full breakfast of PERFECT eggs and bacon.

Tree change

New spring leaves on the leopard tree, a swarm of Double bar finches on the branches and a sea of mist.

This last weekend, while sipping a good red and watching a great red, I was asked, what I liked best about having a ' tree change '.

My first response was to the landscape itself; the vastness, the solitude, the peace, the colours. Then when the topic opened out for discussion, my concept of the question gradually expanded and I began to perceive further possibilities. . . . and Yes, they are so varied . . . . .

My favourite time of the day, is at it's start, upon sunrise. The landscape shrouded in mist, the birds feeding on the flowers, the wallabies grazing on the grass and the feeling of excitement, for the new day full of possibilities.

I then love the end of the day. The ritual of downing tools to celebrate being blessed to share another day, in such a beautiful place, with a group of good friends & family, who are so darn creative.

I love sharing a glass of wine and having a reminisce/post mortem about the days events and achievements. I love the sunset, the glow of candles, the sound of kookaburras laughing, frogs singing, insects buzzing, stars glowing brightly and the feeling of accomplishment when the day has progressed well

So yes ! the change has been tremendously rewarding and I'm pleased to be able to recognise that I relish / treasure the moments of friendship we share, far more than the items we can/could ever produce through hours of effort and labour. . . . . . though, to those who know me well, Yes, . . . ." I love to paint . . ." and I agree, it is FUN to be creative.

Ikebana's rule !

Thankyou to everyone from the weekend, who have emailed and forwarded pictures. I will post as many as possible, so you can share.

That slash of red . . . Ha ! So strong and unexpected.

The red leaves against the soap woods bands of cream & grey . . . Yeh !

Trees have leaves . . . . . .But ? look at those shadows !

The leaves look like a snaking line of caterpillars.

What else can I IKEBANA

What a treat. Ikebana in the Landscape,

with Lily Karmatz.

Lily is an artist whom I have respected and admired for years, her work is mainly ephemeral so does not constantly grace the walls of exhibition venues, but in it's short life it speaks volumes with its originality and ability to delight the viewer. http://www.artislily.com/

We gathered Friday night on the Rusty Roo veranda to watch the spectacular sunset over the Wivenhoe Dam. Sharing wine, food, stories, adventures, misfortunes, regrets and hopes, we started to glimpse the group gathered and comprehend the new experience to be shared.

Saturday morning in the bright light of day, everyone was encouraged to participate in the two hours meandering bush walk, through the Rusty Roo landscape. All were encouraged to SEE what nature has to offer. The materials FOUND were looked at for their mechanical possibilities in future installations, but Lily also stressed that of equal value was their part in helping ourselves to look at nature, and seeing ourselves as part of it.

Lily does not attempt to teach Zen philosophy, but tries to help us realize that the creative spirit is all around us in nature. If we give it time and observe what it has to offer it has a peace and tranquility that we can take into ourselves.

Zen explains that the act of creation comes from within. In art, the brushes, paints and canvas, and even vases, flowers themselves constitute the tools and materials with which the artist works. However, the creative spirit comes from the inner self and, through flashes of inspiration, the artist, creates existence from non-existence, and

finds satisfaction in the creative process.

Zen defies rationality, or any attempt to make sense of it, instead it occurs when you let go of your every day reality, letting it pass you by and feeling the gentle breeze that it creates as it passes.

We were encouraged to use the found objects in the environment, and enhance them with the colour of the flowers supplied. We were also encouraged to make space for our works so that they had room to breathe.

Zen masters were some of the strongest earliest advocates of recycling and reusing available materials. They have a great respect for nature. They recognize that we are reliant on nature for food, sustenance and natural resources, but also realize their responsibility as its care takers.

We were encouraged to appreciate each arrangement as a frozen moment in its life, a symbol of natural but fleeting perfection. The budding, the blooming and the wilting should all be appreciated.

Lily demonstrated the basic elements of the ancient art of Ikebana that has influenced her creativity for years. The heaven, earth and man were sought and explored. Then we took ‘ a leg walk’ to view the installations that she had constructed, prior to everyone’s arrival. We were then guided to find a quiet spot to make ourselves peaceful, to conceive fresh ideas as they come to the surface.

Saturday evening with the magnificent sunset, we once again shared thoughts, food and wine while watching the light, reflections, patterns, designs and layers created from our arrangements and the Suns last rays. We had a delightful meal and a vibrant bon fire, which some of our local friends gate crashed !!. The sound of singing, guitar playing and laughter were relished, well into the night. This definitely was not Ikebana, but a delightful arrangement of another kind !



By involving ourselves in the activity of arranging and changing the image and tone of the arrangement/installation/construction, we were encouraged to do it with respect, care and love, to foster an atmosphere of serenity and peace. The more we observed, the more would be discovered and the meaning emerges.

TAKING TIME


Some people found this an easier concept to achieve than others, for it is no easy task for those with ‘little time’, to use some of this precious commodity to do NOTHING, but most managed to use some to allow nature to find them.

Sunday arrived all too quickly. ‘Go forth, discover, BE & create’, was the herald of the day.
Outside, it was hot, really hot, but we walked, talked, looked at art, ate, drank, laughed, looked again . . . . . . and something happened.


What people are capable of inventing over two days always stymies my preconceived notion of ‘what is possible’



Sunday afternoon, 10 intrepid travelers set forth on our last journey for this workshop, spanning the hills, cooled by itinerant breezes, we glimpsed each others ideas.

The results were an exciting and memorable collection of floating, waving and woven forms in diverse materials. Found materials, including the obscure such as abandoned fencing wire, discarded railway sleepers, rusting railway pegs, ceramic power conductors, as well as a considerable number of natural fibers, such as Grass tree sticks, bark fibers, prickly jungle vines, lichen embossed rocks and a multitude of colorful leaves were sourced and used.

Each installation contained more surprises as you observed the minute variations in color and texture.

Although many thoughts come to me by working a painting or print, my art is ultimately rooted in sharing. I re-engage my ideas by constructing a social space. I see the shared meals, shared demonstrations and the people that fill the “Rusty Roo,” as large collages.

The outside rambling walks, which include selecting destinations and routes to investigate and explore, are also like collages. Venturing to a new previously unexplored pocket, reminds me of my childlike sense of wonder, in the new discovery, the re-discovered, the recycled, which becomes the reinvented.

Once again, I thank everyone involved for their input/output and ability to share generously. What a treat.


I look forward to recieving some more images to post over the next few weeks.( My battery died before Sundays walk . . .so no last pics !)

Next workshops http://www.rustyroo.com/

Watercolour with Mia Clark September 25 - 27 FULL
Mixed media with Jennifer Hamilton & Sharon Lee
16 - 18 October
Botanical observational drawing FULL

Creativity . . . finding inspiration

Hi Sharon and Cameron.

". . . . Thank you so much for a wonderful week at your magical property. Sharon thank you for the delicious food and great generousity of spirit, with your art information and equipment. I was telling a friend about the wonderful time I had and also mentioned putting on weight from all the magnificient desserts. He thought I had been to a health retreat (he goes to a retreat place each year). I told him it was healthy food for the heart and soul, with dessert as the reward.

The 3 brown canvas's with red thread added are now on display in the Annerley library and I am still telling friends that I cant believe I have "done" brown.

Hope you like these photos. With much thanks Denise . . . . "

P.S. Felicity continued to work prolifically adding to her pieces, making things from leaves and doing flower arranging around my house until she left on Monday. It was delightful to watch.

A blessing is, to share . . the Time to be creative.

A week of creativity. Bliss !! But, where does that time go ?

The hustle and flurry of arrivals, settling in, finding a space, looking, learning and BEING . . . . all processes that are accompanied by laughter and interesting, colourfull and informative stories . . . . of previous experiences and adventures.

Learning to LIKE brown, being comfortable in the BUSH, using a craft UNUSED, or unexplored for some time . . were all areas re-visited and in many cases re-invented.

The playfulness of Ikebana and the sharing of the breaking of bread . . . all contributed towards the feeling of community.

Sitting here in the Rusty Roo after the completion of another workshop . . . reflecting on the TIME SHARED , I am always amazed that I have been blessed, to be in a position, to have this connection with such a diverse group of creative individuals. . . . who became warm and comfortable companions in such a short time.

Thankyou. I wish for you all, a continuation of what you have found as your precious SMALL JOYs, while here at the Roo.

Sublimely satisfying

ANOTHER DAY . . . . A considerable amount of the joy of creating, commences with the finding of Snake skins, leaves, bark, bugs, butterflies and beautiful foliage. Gathering ideas and being in the landscape, all contribute to yet another day full of marvellous 'small joys'.



We sat beside the dam soaking up the cool breeze and solitude. To have time to lie on our backs watching the sun, dazzling blue through the leaves . . . the water being a canvas to the reflections of mountains and sky . . . . all left us feeling like we had spent a luxuriously, languishing, relaxing and almost forgotton childhood LONG day.



"....This is the most delightful experience. Creativity and indulgence are just the tip of the iceberg here at the six day art retreat. I wanted to know how to express by love of nature and to have a breakthrough from my technical legal mindset into the world of the abstract.
The results are beyond my wildest imaginings. . . ." Felicity


Learning to let the process determine the art piece rather than force myself on the blank space has been a revelation. It is sublimely satisfying.

Lichen in the morning, has me exploring

Rusty Roo workshop Sept 2009. Long week of creativity.


A week of creativity. Where to start ? A good walk, glass of wine, sharing of stories, laughter, and an evening meal shared with the wallabies and a bright moon . .. then more stories . . . Yes, I'd say it was a good start!!
An explorative evening walk exposed lichen awash with the glow of an evening sunset. Natures pallette of ruffled colours inspired us to try representing these designs and patterns.So it was out with the 'grounds' and on with the backgrounds . . .

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Friday night we had a lovely evening with friends . Cool breezes, crystal clear skies, with lots of good food and laughter . . . The skies were so clear in fact, that Cameron and Warren, being members of the local fire brigade, hopped into the car to vamoose down the road to see if the red glow in the sky, was a raging bush fire. NO, it was the glow from the city . . . along with Stefan's beams meandering across . . . it made us remember we are actually only a short distance from the fast lane.

When we first started establishing the Rusty Roo,(http://www.rustyroo.com/) we though of it as a place, where city people would visit to escape the hustle and chaos of their hectic life style.(bear in mind that that included US !! )
However, as we insinuated ourselves into the life of the area, more and more we began to realize that it is a place that even the locals like to drop in. . . . . and stay.
Without appearing too crazy, I have to say, that I feel it is the spirit of the land. You feel the peaceful vibes permeate through you, creating a complete aura of oneness with the place.. . . . do I hear giggling ?
Any ideas !!! Conjecture ? WHAT THE !!

So okay, no more along those lines . . . but, I do have to add that at long last, after almost 10 years, the wild life are loosing their wariness/fear of us. This lean toward being friendly is resulting in numerous sightings of various birds and animals throughout each day. For some time I have been document a timetable of their visits, which is starting to show a pattern. Each species appears to have a schedule . . . . I am now wondering who is in charge of their time table? . . . and is it the same when were are not in residence ?


Early morning the Black cockatoos arrived. They looked fantastic against the blue sky.
By Saturday mid morning there was a heat wave spreading up from the land. It was as if a moisture suck had started, which was resulting in the air feeling like a heavy layer of molasses.

Strangely this haze was accompanied by a hot dry breeze. This combination was confusing. Even the wildlife seemed perturbed by the atmosphere and the usual time schedule of visits was abandoned, as they made their way willy nilly up to the house, to enjoy the relief bought about by the water mist, created when we put the sprinkler on the grass.
By mid afternoon the air was whiter than a, Beijing pollution induced fog.

Saturday night the air was clear again, as the heat lifted. Though it was still balmy and we couldn't believe that only a couple of days prior we had been comforted by a roaring fire.
Cam and I took our evening drinks and the bean bags out to the grass area at the side of the Rusty Roo. We sat/layed in the dark watching the stars listening to the night visitors closing in around us. At one stage the snuffling snorting sounds were so loud and close, I turned on the torch to see what was not more than a meter from us . . . Cameron thought it was hysterical that I wanted to sit out in the dark . . . but, then wanted to know exactly what was out there with us. We were in the midst of friendlies; 1 huge possum, an owl and 6 wallabies, all enjoying a feed of the moist grass and seed . Magical !
We have four workshops happening between here and the middle of October. The long week of Indulgence with various facilitators, Water colours with Mia Clarke, Ikebana with Lily Karmatz and Mixed Media. The long weekend & water colour are full, with only 2 places in Ikebana and 3 in mixed media remaining.If you are interested email me for information.
Then, we close in November, with a break until March 2010

New homes for rent

New homes for the birds. We are thrilled to have a lot of new life around the place. So . . . . new homes needed.