John's 70th

I can't believe that at our get together in Healesville we were planning this event. This year has certainly flown by.
A lot has been going in the mean time and you can read about events at  georgiesphotoart   and   curdnatta.blogspot

This winter has been particularly cold and we were wondering what the weather would be like in the lead up to the celebrations for John's 70th birthday particularly as we planned to hold the event in the back yard.

Well the day was perfect! The sun shone, the musicians played, the food was amazing and the family enjoyed getting together. 

It was lovely to see Tamsin, John, Polly and Elliot again and also great that John's brothers and cousins could catch up for the first time in ages. Gail and Carolyn used to play in the back yard as children before we bought the house from the Jones family.

Visit to Healsville.

How remiss of me... I have been neglecting some of the family highlights lately.... such a busy year planning the Curdnatta Celebrations.

Before things got too hectic we managed to spend some time with Tamsin, John, Polly and Elliot . This time we rented a holiday home in Healesville and had time to catch up on all the latest news  and spend time getting to know the children a little more.

The weather was great, the scenery lovely and the food fantastic... a really good holiday.

50 Years for Curdnatta

This year Curdnatta Art Gallery celebrates 50 years.
It has been my privilege to have been involved with the gallery for 41 years. 

In 1965 a group of Port Augusta artists came together to form the Curdnatta Art Group. Originally members met in a shed on Stirling Road and then for a while at TAFE until the Old Railway Station on Commercial Rd Port Augusta became available.

Being able to use the Old Railway Station as an artists' workplace incurred the expenses of running and maintaining the building. Members sold their work to provide a not-for -profit income to meet these expenses and the Curdnatta Gallery as we know it was born.

The Curdnatta Art Group values the unique contribution each member has made to the group . We attracted unique, creative individuals who have a strong sense of community and an ongoing commitment to the Arts.

The group is made up of people who like to “play” with ideas and processes and converse with like-minded artists who enjoy creative exploration in many artistic mediums.

Curdnatta's longevity is probably due to the fact we are a group of people who understand and support each other through the creative process.

We value public opinion of our work and listen closely to feedback from visitors to the gallery and also keep a keen eye on trends and innovation in the ARTS world.

One of the highlights of the year for the Curdnatta Art Group is the Annual May Exhibition which showcases work created by members in the previous 12 months. This year's May Exhibition is the first of a series of exhibitions workshops and events.

This year I included some of my felting for the first time as well as the pastel landscapes that have become quite popular and a range of printed products derived from original art pieces.

Playing with Felting

Towards the end of 2014 Curdnatta Art Gallery hosted a felting workshop. Although I have experimented with needle felting I have not done any wet felting before.
It was a great introduction by the presenters Pam and Norma and certainly left me wanting to play some more.

During the summer break from the gallery and child minding I have been developing a work flow that might fit along side my other pursuits.  I find that the physical and repetetive nature of felting  and playing with coloured yarns provides a welcome change to sitting at a computer or sewing machine, as long as I concentrate on small or easily completed tasks.  Summer also provides excellent drying conditions. 

I have only just begun but I can see I will continue to develop this skill as it represents a return to creating some  wearable art.

http://h.imafanof.mobi/photoartgallery