Botanical Art and Date Loaf

A weekend with Penny Leech

It began with a gathering of friends and strangers. Professional artists and beginners. Exquisite date loaf and not-quite-cooked-in-the-middle chocolate cake. As 11 participants settled in to begin a journey of discovery a hint of apprehension and awkwardness hovered. Where do we start? How do we start? How do we mix the colours? The answer... have a go, be bold, make mistakes, be proud of small achievements and in 30 years time you will still be learning.

There was a plethora of plants, nuts, and flowers to paint and the smell of bush treasures in the room was lovely. Form started to take shape on paper after some deep thought and botanical images were clearly evident. By the end of the first day and after some tips and demonstrations had been shared, the work produced by participants was really quite amazing.













Day 2 of the workshop arrived and by golly, participants were done with simple leaves. It was now time to have a crack at banksias and hakeas! Confidence had grown to say the least.


The results were a true achievement. I think it is pretty safe to say that painting Botanical Art is hard work. It requires patience, concentration, time, and a good Date Loaf. Congratulations to the participants who made this artistic workshop part of their learning journey.

The weekend of 6th and 7th of August saw Windsprays Art Hub on Maitland Street full of studious artists. Penny Leech, an original founder of the Botanical Artists Group of WA graced the group with her faultless botanical art. If nothing else it was mesmerizing watching her work away with ease to create perfect botanical images. Thank you to Penny for travelling to Hopetoun. There is still a lucky group who will be joining Penny on her next visit to Hopetoun September 3rd and 4th.

Thank you also to Beryl, our gracious Windspray host and baker of Date Loaf. And of course our hard working participants who achieved so much in a short amount of time. Looking forward to seeing some completed works in 30 years time.

Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council receives core funding from Country Arts WA, which receives funding from the State Government through the Department of Culture and the Arts and Lotterywest.

Patches from the People,  Please.

Mystery Community Project

An Extension of the Rags to Riches Project

There is a scent of Mystery in the air at the moment. A fresh scent. A seed has been planted, and a mystery vine is going to grow amongst communities surrounding the Ravensthorpe Shire. Lets water that vine, and see what Mystery reveals itself.

Once loved fabrics. A hanky with a happy memory? An old beach bag from the Endless Summer of '66? Did you measure once and cut twice to ruin a vintage piece? Consider contributing to Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Councils Mystery Community Project. We have an idea, a big idea. A large scale mystery textiles project will come to life, and we need Patches from the People, please. All are welcome to participate.

Textile patches may be any shape or size up to 1m x 1m. Your patchwork piece will be utilized and exhibited as part of a large scale mystery project. Fabrics may be decorated any way you choose including; traditional patch working, painting, embellishing, drawing, or just a pretty piece that you would like to see included.

Patches will be required by the 2nd of September. The Mystery Project unveiling and sew-a-thon for the construction of the project will be held at Hopetoun Community Centre 3rd and 4th of September. BYO sewing machine.

The project will be exhibited at the Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show from September 13th to 24th, and who knows where it will pop up next?

Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council receives core funding from Country Arts WA, which receives funding from the State Government through the Department of Culture and the Arts and Lotterywest.

 

Rags to Riches, a Rag Art Project.

Everyone has a story to tell.

Rags to Riches is a rag art project with heart. Everyone has a story to tell, a pillowslip, a baby blanket or a hat tucked away in the cupboard with special memories. The time has come to drag your memories out of storage and create an artistic piece. Originally a concept by Sue Leighton, Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council is going to give you a little nudge, in the form of a bundle of rags, to get the inspirational juices flowing.

 With a prize pool of over $1,700, now is a good time to start sewing, tearing, twisting, cutting, and embellishing. Don’t think that your merry road to creation needs to be paved from Rags only, you are free as a bird to add wood, metal, straw, plastic, anything your heart desires. For judging purposes there will be two categories; Rag Fashion and Rag Passion, and there are a limited number of mannequins up for grabs to display wearable art pieces.




The choices are endless. You can make anything.
A rag rug, a tablecloth, a kite, some cushions, or a quilt. You could refurbish an old chair with a cushioned seat, make a

handbag from an old pair of jeans, or even a scarecrow, as long as you include a rag from your bundle. There are some very talented community members amongst us, so who knows what the end results will bring?

Thank you to those who have come on to support the project, WFIs Darrell Panizza, and Kyle Forsyth and his team at Landmark Ravensthorpe. We are hoping for a few entries from the blokes too, so get out your staple gun, grab a bundle of rags from the Hopetoun Community Resource Centre or Landmark in Ravensthorpe, and get cracking on your project. The project entries will be exhibited throughout the Ravensthorpe Wildflower show which will run from 13^th to the 24th of September 2016.

For more information, contact RRAC Coordinator Kirsty Duffy on 0438 945 405, or rraccoordinator@westnet.com.au .

 

Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council receives core funding from Country Arts WA, which receives funding from the State Government through the Department of Culture and the Arts and Lotterywest.

In the name of Good Governance.

Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council was one of many community groups that attended the Good Practice Governance workshop on the 14^th of June 2016. With a new Associations Incorporation Act coming into effect 1^st July 2106, organizations have 3 years to amend their constitution to comply (or adopt the model rules).  The one-day training workshop was funded by the Department of Regional Development and hosted by Hopetoun Community Resource Centre. The content of the workshop was developed by Linkwest for the Department of Local Government and Communities.

Some of the topics included were; what is governance, who is responsible for governance, roles and responsibilities of management committees, how to create and maintain a strong committee, legal and financial responsibilities, strategic planning, risks, and policies and procedures. It was identified that there are some very informed and knowledgeable members amongst our community groups, many of whom are willing to pass on their experience. The training was well presented by Viti Simmonds who gave a great overview of governance requirements. Further information was supported by an in depth Good Practice Governance handbook which all participants received. People who join Management Committees give a considerable amount of time and energy, and it was wonderful to be able to attend such a supportive workshop.

Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council receives core funding from Country Arts WA, which receives funding from the State Government through the Department of Culture and the Arts and Lotterywest.

Nuno Felting Workshop

With Felt Artist Lynley Campbell

Following up from the successful “Fun with Felting” workshop held last year as part of the Wearable Art project, the Ravensthorpe District Art Group (RDAG) organised another fantastic felting workshop, this time to learn the technique of Nuno Felting. 

Partnering with the Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council (RRAC) as part of their annual artistic programme, the RDAG invited Felt Artist Lynley Campbell from Albany back to Ravensthorpe on the 28th and 29th of May 2016.
Our venue this time, the Ravensthorpe Town Hall. Somewhat chilly, however all participants were warned to wear thermals and beanies! Brenda saved the day with a heater and we all warmed to the tasks at hand.

So what is Nuno Felting? It’s a fabric felting technique where wool or fibre is felted through an open weave type of fabric. Almost any open weave fabric will work for nuno felting.  In this workshop we used silk chiffon which yields a drapey, lightweight fabric.

Of the eleven “students’, some had participated in the last workshop, some had past experience and some were totally new to the concept.  Lynley had inspiring samples of her own work to show what results could be achieved.

Over the two days everyone made a wrap and scarf or two wraps.  The designs and resulting art pieces are truly breathtaking.

So, a quick rundown of the process.  We had some beautiful colours of silk chiffon fabric to choose and then some toning or contrasting wool tops and silk threads.  The tops could be feathered or shaped or rolled and laid onto the silk and the silk threads laid onto the wool.  This was then felted by applying tepid soapy water and massaging the fibres. 

The piece was then rolled, and rolled, and rolled, and rolled, you get the picture. Then unrolled and hey presto what jewels unfolded. Clearly those present also shared a love for our region, with local plant species and landscape colours featuring in the felting.  Seeing all the pieces displayed in the hall at the end of the workshop gave all a great sense of achievement. 

Thanks to Ravensthorpe  District Art Group for organising this event, RRAC for assisting with costs, and Sue Leighton for the photography. Some of the finished art pieces will be on display during Wildflower Show exhibitions from 13th - 24th September.  If others are keen to explore felting please make contact with either the RDAG or RRAC.

Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council receives core funding from Country Arts WA; who receives core funding through the State Government through the Department of Culture and the Arts in association with Lotterywest.

A Trashy Evening

If ever a Wheelie Bin looked appealing, it was on Friday 27th May at the Hopetoun Community Centre Hall. If you've ever thought that a Wheelie Bin could be entertaining (legally), then your not alone. If you bought a ticket to the Trash Test Dummies expecting a good laugh, then by Jingo you got what you paid for!

Before the show had even begun, the rascally Trashy Trio had snuck out to pester our good standing citizens in the foyer! Their highly animated antics continued into the seated audience, climbing over and weaving though children and adults alike. No one was safe from their cheeky behaviour, not even our local Police Sargent!

Simon Wright, Isaac Salter, and Jamie Bretman aka The Trash Test Dummies, were very entertaining. Through a mixture of circus, acrobatics, and character play, the Trash Test Dummies led the audience with intrigue into a world of slapstick comedy. Their very interactive show was clearly popular with the children who needed little encouragement to join in with ball throwing, and verbal support.

After much acrobatic activity and wiggling of the derriere, the dextrose Dummies performed a gentlemanly hat routine, at a much preferred pace for some audience members.

Not to let comedy get in the way too much, they showed off their skills in so many different ways it was hard to keep up. From slow motion fluid body movements, to trio juggling whilst drumming (of course, whilst drumming). It was obvious that the skills that attributed the Trash Test Dummies were gained from years of dedication and training. We laughed, we sat in awe, and we cringed. An absolute spectacle for all ages.

The mood was high as the Trash Test Dummies mingled with the audience after the show. Delicious take away dinners were whisked off home (Thank you Hopetoun Primary P&C) with happy kids in tow. Who can't wait to see what the Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council has in store next...?

Photography by Dene Bingham.

Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council receives core funding from Country Arts WA; who receives core funding through the State Government through the Department of Culture and the Arts in association with Lotterywest.

Trash Test Dummies Circus Workshop

Following the main event on Friday evening, a handful of keen youngsters joined forces with the Trash Test Dummies on Saturday 28th May to circulate circus skills. Two things to note;
Number 1. The participants quickly realised that being a circus-acrobat-in-training was hard work.
Number 2. The participants quickly realised that being a circus-acrobat-in-training was hard work! Seriously.

Shaaaaark!!

Hard work, and more hard work, the warm up consisted of Scrubbing the Deck, Running from Port to Starboard, Standing at Attention, Crawling like a Crab, and Swimming away from Sharks!!
Once the warm ups were completed, the 60 minute workshop saw participants circulating in groups working on a series of skills including balance, juggling, body form, listening, concentration, imagination, and determination. All in the name of fun, of course.
Through a series of games and activities, the room was a hive of activity.
The workshop was based around hoop skills, and balancing with soft juggle balls and discs. The participants were able to take their time and the Trash Test Dummies were great with one-on-one help and tips. Apart from look of intense concentration on some faces, I do believe the kids had a great time! I believe the Trash Test Dummies had a great time too.

The main event of the workshop was the Human Pyramid. Using humour, the Trash Test Dummies demonstrated where and where not to place limbs, and one body at a time was able to achieve an awesome result with out physical or mental injury. The Mums and Dads were proud, the kids were happy and a bit worn out. Thank You Trash Test Dummies for giving country kids this fantastic opportunity. It will not be forgotten.

Photography by Kirsty Duffy.

Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council receives core funding from Country Arts WA; who receives core funding through the State Government through the Department of Culture and the Arts in association with Lotterywest.