a week in the mountains

the season turned while at gareward,

which may be misspelled, apologies,

but is the earlier name

for the grampian mountains surrounding hall's gap.

where i taught a six day master class.

big wind, rain, fog, cool,

refreshing cool.

we made paper from

abaca, hemp, red hot poker, papyrus, new zealand flax

once i set them up

and admonished them repeatedly about mould care,

i could walk away

because these artists had magic hands.

i don't think i have even one photo of the mill

where socialist paper was pulled for three days

(thanks to frank brannon via aimee lee for the concept)

before private paper pieces were constructed

some students continued working as teams

making sample sets of inclusions and other ideas.

inside the mural room we did dry work

structures, 

spinning kami-ito, 

weaving shifu, 

unfortunately i took few photographs

(students, feel free to send me some of yours, i would love to post them)

andrew brought in his book 

begun three years ago in his first class with me.

robyn made a special sketch book for the class

i walked the room one day after clean up

just to record the students,

foolish because they were mostly gone.

this is the working cartoon for the mural

we made beautiful marks on paper

kathy's work was stunning

colleen made marks with special brushes

she brought along

xanthorea and ocher ink stick

robyn prepped samples for us all

immediately behind my cabin was a rich ecotone

the stump guards the gully

my window was directly to the right of the stump

and one morning i heard rustling

and watched as a wallaby inched along the precipitous path

just below that stump,

seeing first the nose and then head and finally amazed that those

longlegs could maneuver on the slope.

quietly s/he moved, unaware of my eyes

above and behind the shielding screen

evidence: kangaroo

the work of brian, colleen's husband,

who was in another 6 day master class with desiree fitzgibbon

karen's shifu book sculpture begins to take shape

karen also made the tiniest blizzard book i've seen.

and that's all the photos (more or less)

i took, it was a busy busy time.

many repeat students-

such an honor as a teacher.

and because i am don't have to rush home like a crazy woman

back to school

we had one last get together day at my host anne newton's home

and adele outeridge, with her lovely daughter stopped in!

here is adele and me with anne newton above.

what a great day!

i leave early tomorrow morning for 

brisbane, 

vancouver, 

ottawa, 

and home.

letter from Australia,

dear friends,

i am flat out and mostly unconnected

but loving my classes and students here.

the first week i settled in 

at Anne Newton’s eagle’s eyrie

and set to making pulp with 

anne and Barb Adams in preparation for

the papermaking masterclass at grampians texture.

then i traveled to Geelong to stay with Wendy Warren, 

teaching shifu at Mary-Jane Walker’s School of Lost Arts,

a lovely historic house in Geelong.

off to Cape Otway to see

and hear the song of the great southern sea

and respite in the bush.

there, i saw wallaby, panda, and so many birds…

as well as resting and thinking and making some lovely prints.

a one day TAFE class, similar to American extension or adult ed classes,

only organized with a certificate program

where 15 of us ages 15 to older than me

made shifu all day long.

back on the train to Melbourne

helped by three at risk teens who were lovely, charming, and full of stories

who told me about their journeys through 

the labyrinth of teen years.

and now i am at the Grampians Texture 

teaching a 6 day master class.

more news to come, but we are in day three today.

whirlwind and no internet when i have time to write,

but here are some photos:

i will try to add captions later, promise!