This piece is currently being exhibited at the Quilt National Exhibition at the Dairy Barn Art Centre in Ohio, US. As I was not able to attend in person, I am looking forward to purchasing the book with all the other works in it when it is published. This quilt is for sale.
The piece has come about through a lot of thinking and experimentation with abstract landscapes. I have been wanting to get more ‘loose’ in my work and embarked an online course with a wonderful UK abstract landscape painter/ceramist Lewis Noble. Lewis takes his inspiration directly from being in the landscape and reacting in that space, making painterly sketches and gestural marks. He then uses this material back in his studio to make more resolved works.
Although my work is a lot more representative than of Lewis’s, I found the process really helped me to get the feeling of being out in the landscape.
Hand painted and printed cottons, tulle, appliqued and free-motioned stitched.
Please see the October 2022 blog for more process details.
This quilt was exhibited last year as part of the ‘One Step Further’ exhibition (Victorian Quilters) at the Kyabram town hall gallery. I am fortunate to have these gorgeous grasses (Enneapogon nigricans) growing around my property. The background of this piece was predominantly made up of fabric that was geli printed. I also used thermofax screens to add pattern and detail, such as the seed heads that look like ‘shuttle cocks’ in the top right hand corner. The large bottle washers were appliqued with tiny confetti pieces of cotton fabric.
Detail of ‘Bottlewashers 1’ 2022 Linden Lancaster
Note: I will be having a solo exhibition at the Kyabram town hall gallery in October this year (2023).
I have been blessed to have a piece chosen into Quilt National 2023. This is a prestigious and sought after exhibition, which many people enter year after year without any success. This year there were 674 entries from 20 countries. Many thanks to jurors Chiako Dosho, Dr, Carolyn L. Mazloomi, and Irene L. Roderick; and the Quilt National Director Keri Wolfe.
The Diary Barn Cultural Arts Centre has been hosting this exhibition since 1979. It is a refurbished 200 ft barn built in 1914 set in the rolling Appalachian foothills, Ohio.
This piece has come about through a lot of thinking and experimentation with abstract landscapes. I have been wanting to get more ‘loose’ in my work and embarked an online course with a wonderful UK abstract landscape painter/ceramist Lewis Noble. Lewis takes his inspiration directly from being in the landscape and reacting in that space, making painterly sketches and gestural marks. He then uses this material back in his studio to make more resolved works. He has a very informative YouTube channel if you would like to check it out.
Although my work is a lot more representative than of Lewis’s, I found the process really helped me to get the feeling of being out in the landscape.
Preliminary work
Inspirational source: Gold dust wattle in my driveway
From my sketchbook, acrylic paint sketches, collaged.
Wattle sketch 1, Linden Lancaster 2021
Wattle Time sketch 2, Linden Lancaster 2021
Designing the fabric.
I spent a couple of days splashing dyes in various thicknesses. I decided to use a blue for the sky that was leaning to the complimentary purple to offset all the yellow.
Fabric audition
A light fusible was ironed to the back of the fabrics and then roughly cut and pinned on the substrate. I decided the size would be about 48 x 32 inches (122 x 81 cm). The idea in my head was for a high horizon, wattles everywhere in the background and a large feature wattle on top. I put the darks toward the bottom. I added a bit of stripy commercial fabric for a bit of zhuzh.
Fabric placement for ‘Wattle Time’ Linden Lancaster 2022
This background was then quilted. The final part was to add the trunk and branches of the main tree and all the blossoms on top. I like to use paper cut-outs to audition the branches etc (it would have probably been better to use dark paper). Confetti collage was a good way to depict the energy and vibrancy of the wattle, with some black fine tulle to add more shadow. Lots more machine stitching was added. I just use a domestic machine.
Using paper cut out to audition placement of trunks and branches.
I am not able to show you the whole piece yet (sorry), but here are a few details.
Wattle Time detail, Linden Lancaster 2022Wattle Time detail, Linden Lancaster 2022
Wattle Time detail, Linden Lancaster 2022
This is a small piece in a similar style that I produced at the same time for Australia Wide 8. This exhibition showcases fibre artists from Australia and new Zealand is travelling around for the next few years. To check out the details info@ozquiltnetwork.org.au
Old Coach Road Flora 155 x 96 cm Linden Lancaster 2022
Walking the Old Coach Road alongside our property has become a source of great delight since the lockdown in 2020. My husband and I have discovered hundreds of different plants, including some rare ones. I have used the process of ‘wet cyanotype’ to record a few here.
Cyanotype has been around a long time as a monochromatic photographic device since the 1900s. The algae specimens of Anna Atkins (1852) is worth checking out. These days cyanotype can be done in various colours, but I love the blue.
Here I have experimented with the addition of water spray, turmeric, salt and bleach on various types of fabric, including linen, cotton and silk. The additional fabrics are mostly screen printed with thickened dyes, with a few commercials thrown in for good measure. The piece is predominantly hand stitched with free motion quilting pulling everything together.
You can view this quilt at the ‘DARE TO DIFFER’ exhibition which is on at the moment at the Gallery M, MARION centre in Adelaide, Australia, until September 22, 2022.
In the past few years I have been sorting and cleaning out my mother in law’s old farm house. She was a ‘saver’ and never threw anything out. She lived in this house for most of her life.
There was a lot of ephemera and old clothes. After studying the works of artists who work with preloved and ‘found’ fabric and papers, like Mandy Patullo, Mrs Bertimus, Ann Kelly and Cas Holmes, I have been making samples using Mum’s old stuff. In a previous blog ‘Vintage Concertina book’, you can see some of the fabrics I have collected.
Responding to the Australian Quilt Show’s prompt ‘Recycled and Restyled’, I have put together a quilt entirely from tables cloths and aprons.
This is a rather quirky design and a departure from my usual style. I adapted some childrens’ drawings I collected many years ago in my music teaching days (from a listening and responding exercise on ‘fast and slow’).
It was very enjoyable working with these soft and worn fabrics and combining them with a contemporary spin.
This piece is travelling around to the Craft and Quilt Fairs associated with Expertise Events.
‘Snails on the Table’ Linden Lancaster 2022 ‘Snails on the Table’ detail Linden Lancaster 2022
This piece is a finalist in the 2022 Australasian Quilting Convention challenge.
The theme was ‘Going Green’.
Blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) are naturally occurring organisms that live in waterways. Under certain conditions they go crazy and reproduce expeditiously forming ‘toxic blooms’ that impact the environment. These conditions include excessive nutrients (often the result of fertilizer run off) and hot, dry seasons. Decomposing algae brings a depletion of oxygen in the water, leading to fish kills, and makes the water hazardous to drink or come in contact with. Throughout Australia, the potential for blooms is increasing…..a ‘going green’ not to be admired.
Cotton fabrics, silk organza, tulle, polyester and metallic threads.
Hand-painted and printed with thickened dyes, raw-edge applique, foiling, painting, free-motion stitching.
This quilt was recently a part of the at the ‘Australian Quilts in Public Places’ exhibition at the Whitehorse Gallery in Melbourne. The theme was ‘Where in the World?’
This is quite an experimental piece and based on a google map of the tiny town closest to where I live.
‘“Blink and you miss it”, I tell people travelling to my place.
A tiny Australian rural town like many others, but scratch the surface and you’ll find unique people, flora and fauna.
Parts of the map where enlarged and painted directly to a silk screen. I then printed sections using the breakdown method with dye paste. I was looking for organic lines and marks depicting trees, dams, roads paddocks, etc.
Houses were appliqued and other details stitched in by machine and hand. Overlays of printed silk organza with birds and leaves were added toward the end. It was difficult to balance all the elements in this piece, but I’m fairly happy with the result.
The birds shown are the iconic Superb parrots that live in our district.
‘Picola’ by Linden Lancaster 2021‘Picola’ Detail Linden Lancaster 2021‘Picola’ detail by Linden Lancaster
This quilt forms part of my new series of works depicting observations from walks around my property, consisting mostly of birds and wildflowers.
The humble little bird, the ‘silver eye’ is in many gardens and backyards. They don’t seem to be able to compete for artists attention like the blue fairy wrens…..
The main process in this piece is mono-printing, using a round geli plate. Feathers were done directly, whilst I used a stencil for the bird shapes. Because this process is quite unpredictable (and more difficult on fabric), only one in four or five work out. I probably did over 100 prints to get the ones shown here!
It is worth it, however, for the delicate and interesting marks that can be produced.
It is a further challenge to add stitching that will complement these marks. After a lot of thought I decided to use have a combination of hand and machine stitching (see details).
This piece was recently exhibited in the ‘One Step Further’ 2021 exhibition at Kyabram Art Gallery.
Showcasing a collection of bold, intricate and colourful art quilts by artists from Australia, New Zealand and worldwide.
At the Yarra Ranges Regional Museum – entry is free, no bookings required.
on exhibition until Sunday 27th of February, 2022.
This is my piece with the title of ‘Nathalia’s Wildflowers’. 84 x 164 cm
Since joining our local Wildflower group, I have developed a passion for indigenous flora. Here I have included some favourites including corresponding notations from my field journal.
Kangaroo grass, Pink bindweed, Blue devil, Tufted bluebell, Box mistletoe, Yam daisy, Silver wattle, Grey parrot pea, Australasian buttercup, Chocolate lily, Grey sunray, Drumsticks (commonly known as ‘Billy buttons).
Techniques: Dye, mono-print with acrylic paints, screen print, raw edge /collage applique, thread sketching. The journal entries have been digitally printed on silk organza.
We are often prepared to travel a great distance to experience the beauty of our natural world. Last year, in the midst of the ‘Coronavirus lockdown’, my husband and I took a bushwalk in an area of the Barmah River Redgum forest down the end of our road. Our quest was to see what wildflowers may be present. Imagine our excitement to discover a ‘Gilgai’- formed from a depression in the soil which then collects and retains water from rainfall or flood. Such a surprise to see the diversity of shape and form of the plants in such a small area. They could not all be fitted into my representation!
Linden Lancaster 