Past, present, future?

It's funny how our creative paths change over time. The personal evolution of techniques and style, shape, form. When I first began using the eco print techniques 6 years ago back on the farm in France, after buying India Flint's 'Eco Colour' book and devouring it... I wanted to achieve clean prints, crisp outlines and no surprise marks of grey or purple turning up on the fabrics. My style of creation was like this:

I tend to think of it as my 'romantic' phase. I was indeed reading the entire works of Jane Austen at the time... and hanging out in old farm houses in the French countryside has got to have had an effect.

Today however I am back in my homeland, the ancient old rock of Australia. And perhaps as a result of this relaxed atmosphere, where "she'll be right, mate" tends to be the prevailing attitude, my fixation on dyeing precise and neat has faded. (excuse the puns)

I've been tinkering these last two days, out on the deck with the gorgeous vista of late summer. Experimenting with offerings in the latest (tiny) book by the goddess of natural dyes, entitled "stuff, steep and store". 

Despite or perhaps due to living in a far busier place than before, I am working at a slower rate. There are so many things to get done everyday, it's hard to devote more time to my creations. I think of it as balancing sanity...

For the results of these wrappings I will have to be patient. Hmmmm.... tricky that. But so be it. A meditation in itself. Complete experimentation, no idea what they will give. It feels good to let go of the reigns and just experiment, with no ambition of result.

ps I have also been working out some courses in felt making that will be offered at Mosman Community College in term 2. More on that soon!