How would you describe your work?
I have a passion (obsession?!)
with vintage ephemera papers that I love to incorporate into my works.
Who or what inspires you?
I have always created – for over
20 odd years I was an exhibiting artist with my mixed media and print making
works. When we moved to Brisbane three years ago I just never got around to
unpacking my art implements! Instead I sought out local markets and decided to
incorporate my love of book binding and my vintage ephemera collection and
focus on a niche that I hadn’t seen at any market or store anywhere.
Do you reduce, reuse, recycle as
part of your creative process? If yes,
how is your art/craft eco-friendly?
I love to reuse and recycle all
that I find along the way. A lot of my ephemera papers are things most people
throw out like old invoices, movie tickets, stamps etc. Every little piece is ‘valuable’
to my collection and most have some story that I can weave into a new beginning.
What I am unable to use I save and hand them on to others to use in their
unique works.
Describe your studio/workspace?
My studio is ever changing. I am
constantly evolving and creating and most times my mind is working faster than
my hands! I have a small studio with lots of light that overlooks the local
park. Nearly all of its walls are graffitied on! I use my walls to document my
ideas, favourite inspirational quotes & other designers work hang in these
surroundings. Then there are shelves upon shelves of musty old books &
pages from books that have seen the passing of time!
What is your favourite thing to
make?
My favourite thing to make would
be my journals & my palimpsest wood blocks. I find binding my journals very
therapeutic. As I work on each one, I create little stories in my head of who
the journal will find to be its keeper.
When I find a gorgeous original
photograph of someone long ago and incorporate it into its new home on the wood
block, I build a story up of that person and hopefully when one looks at it,
they too can see the connection of intimacy between the image and that of the
ephemera papers I have used.
How did your business/shop name
come about?
I have always been inspired by my
Scottish grandmother, who loved to weave a tale about her travels as a young
girl from Scotland to Australia. I always believed as a child that she had a
secret attic filled with wonderful treasures from her trip over the seas and
that I would find hidden in her tea chests, a collection of old photographs,
books and love letters from a past long ago. When she passed away I discovered
she didn’t have an attic! And the only letters she had were the ones that I had
written to her as a young girl. At that moment I decided that one day I would
gift myself her ‘attic’. Hence, this is where my name came from, The Attic.
Where do you see your creative
journey taking you in the next 12 months?
I can see already that I am
definitely heading full circle back into my art. In the back of my mind I can
see these little palimpsest wood blocks manifesting into major art works and I
am excited at the prospect.
What is your favourite handmade
item that you have bought?
My favourite handmade item would
have to be ‘ Jess’, my hoop art by designer Tracy Chaplin who’s label is GretelGirl. I love Tracy’s work so much!
A VERY close 2nd is
the Sybella label by our own Belinda Chisholm. I have a lovely ever-growing
collection of her divine bags!
You can find my work at
The State Library Gift Shop
No comments:
Post a Comment