‘WINTER BIRD’
I designed this quilt with an achromatic pallete- deciding it needed something extra, I poured on some cobalt ink to get the blue variation. This quick an easy raw edge quilt can be done in a day. There are two quilting patterns used; pebbles and an echo variation. Size: A3
Shepparton sewing centre (Northern Victoria, Australia) are running this class for Sat, March 19, 2016. If you are interested, call them on (03) 58212000.

A few weeks ago I taught a weekend class at Ballarat with the ‘Ballaarat Quilters’ (Ballaarat is, apparently the original spelling).

A resourceful and active group, I would recommend to anyone living in or near Ballarat.

After a dose of mind boggling design theory, these enthusiastic and clever girls are well on their way to making an original art quilt.

I had a wonderful time enjoying their hospitality and 20th year celebrations.

Since 1997, this program has encouraged textile artists from across Australia to enter their work in an exhibition of original art quilts that respond to a given theme.

The theme chosen for 2015 AQIPP exhibition is an endorsement of the United Nations International Year of Light. Light and Light is the third exhibition to be held at the Whitehorse Artspace, located at Box Hill Town Hall (Melbourne).

The exhibition opens today (13/11/2015) and runs until December 23rd. For more details please contact 92626250, whitehorseartspace.com.au.

My entry ‘Under the Jacaranda’ is a large quilt, measuring180x120cm. The Jacaranda is a gorgeous tree that flowers from now until Christmas.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Like a sentinel stands the Jacaranda in the parkland,

Summer sun filtering through its feathery leaves.

The lives of the magpies seem carefree as they cavort

Amongst the gathering carpet of violet petals.

Whole cloth quilt, cotton, raw edge applique, silk organza, fabric paint and stencil, thread sketching and free motion quilting on domestic machine.

‘Under the Jacarandah’, 180 cms x 120 cms Linden Lancaster 2015.

Under the Jacarandah, detail. Linden Lancaster, 2015

Magpie 1

This exhibition is on at the moment at the Mildura Arts Centre, 119 Cureton Avenue, Vic and will run until Dec 13, 2015.

This piece is a result of my love of Magpies (not the footy team..Ugh). My husband and I have raised a few. They are amazingly intelligent and curious creatures. In this small piece, I have used printing, thread sketching and a sort of ‘Kantha’ stitch for the quilting. The background was screened with thickened Procion dyes with grass as a resist.

Magpie 1 detail

A couple of weeks ago I taught one of my newer classes ‘Ideas into quilts’ to a small but enthusiastic group at Coleambally. Each participant was able to develop a piece of original work from scratch. Participants received tuition on composition, colour and design. Some of the girls had never made a quilt before, never mind an ‘art quilt’. Different techniques were adopted to get their individual ideas into quilts. Well done girls.

Thankyou Georgia Hando for taking the photos.

Colour Theory

Pattern making

Piecing

Thread sketching

Note Di’s Elvis watch (she also had a tattoo.  I wont say where!)

Auditioning backgrounds

Landscape

Thread sketching over collaged fabric bird.

Ella’s horses

Composition

Value

What is “Differ to Differ”?

  A small group came together in South Australia more than 20 years ago with the aim of promoting and showcasing contemporary art quilts in this state. The first exhibition was held at the Megaw and Hogg and then it has been held at Prospect Gallery and recently at Gallery M, Marion. “Dare to Differ” exhibitions are held bi-annually. The interpretation of the quilts is left to the quilt maker.  Contemporary quilt makers are encouraged to extend their horizons, leaning more to the Visual Arts and “Dare to Differ”.

The exhibition is open to ALL quilt makers within Australia. We have hoped that by opening entries to interstate contemporary quilt makers we give South Australian quilt makers and the general public the opportunity to view a very high standard exhibition of contemporary art quilts.

This exhibtion runs from October 2 – 31st, 2015

Mallee 1 Linden Lancaster, 2015

One of my entries in this exhibition is ‘Mallee1’. When some dear friends drove me to Adelaide last year, I had plenty of opportunity to observe and draw (in the back seat of the car). What I saw was miles and miles of Mallee scrub and vast golden paddocks. This work comes from that experience.

Mallee 1, detail

Mallee 1 detail

Mallee 1, detail

This is a whole cloth quilt. Painted and stencilled. Hand and machine free embriodery. Freemotioned quilted (the hair on the left is not included!). Can you find the stencil used from a plastic peg basket?

Victorian Quilters Showcase is on now at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre (July 23 – 26)

I had some success with two entries (the second one will come later, when I find the file!)

Pictorial Quilt, Runner up : Bath Time. This quilt was inspired by the book ‘Pioneer Women of the Bush and Out back’ by Jennifer Isaacs. It has wonderful old photographs and a comprehensive text. This tiny photo was of children taking a bath in an old copper next to a well. It was taken circa 1900 and is used with permission from the National Library in Canberra. I adapted it quite a bit, deleting a lot of detail, enlarging it, and rearranging the main figure. A washing line has been thread sketched in the back ground. This is a whole cloth quilt.

This piece will be rushed off to the US, where it is part of a travelling exhibition with SAQA, called ‘Balancing Act’.

This will be my first quilt exhibited at the famous ‘Houston’, which I am very excited about.

Bath Time by Linden Lancaster 20015

Bath Time, detail by Linden Lancaster 2015

I have always been interested in the effects of war on people. The image I have used is one I have had in my head for a while and was a very good starting point for the emotion I wanted to evoke of grief and loss of war.

I used a monochromatic blue palette to keep the mood sombre. The quilt is whole cloth using dry ink media, thermofax printing, hand and machine quilted. It is very small 10″x10″.

I feel very connected to this theme as my great grandfather was in the first landing at Gallipoli. He was buried alive in a bomb blast with his sergeant (who didn’t survive) and was dug out. After a while back in Australia, he disappeared and nobody knew what happened to him. My grandfather was brought up by his uncle.

In 1990, my husband (a family history buff), found out that he died in WA, it seems he drowned himself. Post traumatic stress was not recognised and treated then in the way it is today.

The quilt and one hundred others is currently being displayed at the Australasian Quilt Convention at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. The display will then follow the craft shows around Australia and NZ.

The Letter, by Linden Lancaster, 2015

The Letter, by Linden Lancaster, 2015, detail

Last weekend I had a great time with a fantastic group at Coleambally, NSW, Australia. The girls worked on many techniques in using thick and thin fabric paints. This is a new class for 2015.

An enthusiastic Georgia, with her layered mono-printed fabric.

Sticky back foam printing over colour wash.

Monoprinting with gelatin plates

Stencils

Found object printing

Experiments with various printing items

Balsa wood etching

Hard at play!