Creating and wearing ‘wearables’ has been part of my practice from the beginning – masks, insect brooches, bangles, punch needle & felt badges, wearable bacteria.
Punch Needle wearables series
The rhythmic process of punch needle work and stitching are my meditation with colour, thread and textiles.
Images: Hollow punch needle and work on hoop; Golden comet, 2024, needle punching and stitching, Found embroidery floss, threads, ink on linen, beads.
Tessellated landscapes
Tessellated landscapes, 2024
Needle punching and stitching
Found embroidery floss, threads, ink on linen, ribbon
Bacteria i-vii
Bacteria i-vii, 2023
Punch needle and stitching
Found embroidery floss, threads, ink on silk
Tabbil Forest timber bangles
10 x Tabbil Forest bangles were delivered to MRAG – Maitland Regional Art Gallery – recently.
From a fallen rainforest tree limb at Tabbil Forest to carved and painted bangles.
The timber is from Geijera salicifolia, commonly known as scrub wilga which grows in our dry rainforest.
Making of … from a fallen rainforest tree limb at Tabbil Forest to carved and painted bangles. These ones are off to MRAG – Maitland Regional Art Gallery.
The timber is from Geijera salicifolia, commonly known as scrub wilga or glasswood which grows in our dry rainforest. It has waxy, glossy, softish, bright green leaves. New leaves at the end of the branch are rolled which I initially confused with ficus species. And as it is from the Rutaceae family the leaves have large oil dots so has a citrusy type of smell when crushed.
The timber is very dense with beautiful fine lined grain from prominent growth rings. Physically hard to carve as the timber is so dense.
Selection of wearables:
Wearable works depicted:
A snapshot of the some of the wearables: badges/brooches stitched forms made from textiles and found materials. This series of one-off works revolves around insect forms from the rainforest ecosystem.
• 3D stumpwork stitched beetle brooch – Giant stinging tree leaf beetle creates lace from the large heart shaped leaves of the giant stinging tree. The giant stinging tree is an important keystone species in our rainforest ecosystem. The chrysomelid beetle Hoplostines laporteae is specific to this tree species.
• Stitched badge ‘biodiversity or die’ – Chequered Cuckoo Bee (Thyreus caeruleopunctatus). Like the bird species this bee lays its eggs in another bee species nest to look after such as the unsuspecting blue-banded bee. This beautiful vibrant bee features in the jewellery piece ‘biodiversity or die’ created for the ‘Vale: Vivi’ punk celebration of Vivienne Westwood event in Brisbane by the Stitchery Collective earlier this year.
• Masks – click here to see my history of maskmaking http://tabbilforest.com.au/maskmaker/