Wednesday, April 25, 2012

APRIL ART MAKING

I decided to paint on my recycled paper, I was inspired by two images from the the April issue of Marie Claire. My recycled paper was perfect for water colour, and I got a great result.
Ive already sold one! And the money is going straight to the Australian Childhood Foundation.

AM

Friday, April 20, 2012

MAKING MY OWN PAPER

This is a very basic paper making recipe.

First cut your magazine in to small pieces

            Fill blender half full with the cut paper
            Add approx 2 cups of hot/warm water











           Blend water and paper together, adding more water if
          consistency is to thick
           Remove from blender, if you want your paper a particular colour
          add a few drops of food colouring. My mixture was grey so I used
          blue food colouring but red or purple would have also mixed well
          with grey to give a nice soft, consistant colour
Roll mixture onto mesh netting. An old flyscreen and a cyder bottle did the trick. Make sure your net frame is off the group so the water can drain from the paper
       I left my paper in the sun all day and in the evening carefully
       lifted the paper from the screen and rolled out any excess
       moisture by rolling it in between two pieces of newspaper.
 
    I then had my own paper from recycling my Marie Claire. I left
    my new paper to dry from DAYS! It took so long to dry because  
    my paper was very thick.

   
   
    ....Now I can draw on it!

Monday, April 9, 2012

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT



The Australian Childhood Foundation are a not-for-profit organisation that helps protect children. By supporting children and families effected by abuse, violance and neglect, through counselling, research, education and support programs.

The ACF’s Heartfelt Therapeutic Art Program, uses art to help children express their feelings and encourages their imagination, as well as giving counselors an opportunity to identify the childs grief and get an insight onto how the child may see their own world.
The ACF is currently lobbying for change to the Working With Children Check - a mandatory legal check for employees and volunteers working within child related services. The aim of the Working With Children Check is to decrease negative influences, recognising the harm that comes from all kinds of abuse towards children, so children and young people may feel safe and valued.
The ACF’s current problem with the Working With Children Check, is that it’s ONLY valid within the state - unless you visit South Australia where a valid clearance from your own jurisdiction is accepted. Otherwise a visitor from any other state in Australia, as an employee or volunteer, can work with children without needing a check for previous convictions for serious offence against children. In Victoria, ‘any interstate visitors working with children who do not ordinarily reside in Victoria are not required to undergo employment screening.’ Click here for my info on statewide requirements
Marie Claire in conjunction with the ACF started a Stop Child Abuse campaign, helping build lobbying power for change. The ACF are calling on the federal government, to have all states and territories apply a national umbrella to the Working With Children Checks. Having a national consensus to stop child abuse within our communities and making it a nationwide goal.
By signing an online petition that pledges the adequate support and better protection for children NATIONWIDE.

AM

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

APRIL!

April, 'the fashion issue'... pages and pages of over priced products, and images of a fashion world, a lifestyle, so far removed from my own.
Images of Christie Turlington and Galliano, both identifiably big names in fashion. Similar to Tribe Called Quest and Biggie in hip hop, they're names that helped identify an industry and shape a subculture.
But those days are done! Christie (god bless her) now has a family, Galliano has been black listened after making a insensitive Jewish comment that Natalie Portman didn't take kindly to. Biggie is dead and Tribe Called Quest, are at the end of a rapidly fraying rope.


I knew what I wanted to do with this issue...Rip, rip, rip, I ripped out each page. And as I cut my April issue of Marie Claire into tiny little rectangles, I had an evil smile of satisfaction. How ironic is was, the time and money spent on creating this issue, the symbolic images of fashion, now just little pieces on my floor.

My pleasure in cutting, may have something to do with watching Catwalk one to many times as a teenager - Catwalk is a doco that follows fashion week in the early 90's. I'm thankful I no longer care about that world like I use to. 'That's what I think of that' I though while holding my scissors in triumph. Gallianos head cut, and lost in a sea of paper.

Photographer Troyt Coburn.
At First Sight Marie Claire

What am I going to do with all my little bits of paper you ask? I'm going to make my own paper! But I'll blog about my recycled paper later. Because first I wanted to let you know that I did keep some pages of Aprils Marie Claire.
A feature on The Australian Childhood Foundation's, Heartfelt Art Therapy Program, I'm looking forward to blogging about this program. As well as images from two gorgeous photoshoots. Sharp Contrast and At First Sight Along with my usual cut out collection of pretty and inspirational 'images'
AM