We have been fortunate lately to work with some inspired nature artists, in particular Cynamon Aeria and Elaine Clocherty. these women have brought with them a way of interacting with nature that goes beyond our normal working, growing and tending the land. Elaine and Cynamon see nature itself as a pallet of colours, shapes and textures, weaving and layering them into works of art. Taking the time out to work with them has been a joy.
Women’s weaving circle at International Women’s Day
Wild Weaving with Cynamon
Cynamon is a fibre artist working with plant material foraged from her environment, collecting material with Cynamon brought new meaning to weeds, heading straight for the weedy eastern states acacias, she collected bundles of branches to weave into her creations. Next she was in the orchard cutting back a suckering plum and soon we were seeing plants in a new light, appreciating them for their supple shoots, imagining them wound into shapes and twining around each other.
Over the past weeks Cynamon has welcomed and encouraged anyone to sit with her and create woven pieces of art and function and generously shared her skills and time. Women have created baskets and 3D art, but what I have always loved about weaving is the opportunity it gives women to sit and talk, sharing stories and idas. Cynamon is currently running free community workshops at the Margaret River Community Centre creating 3D woven forms for harmony day, she can be contacted at [email protected]
Elaine’s work is site specific ephemeral sculpture.
Mandala created with Elaine at International Women’s Day
Working with Elaine changes the way we look at everything. Every rock, stick, leaf, weed, bark and blossom are art artworks in waiting, it is just a matter of seeing, and the more you see the more there is. Elaine joined us for International Women’s Day and started the day by collecting buckets of fallen blossoms, armloads of scattered bark, leaves twigs and other on site material. Working with anyone that wished to join her Elaine patiently created a beautiful ground mandala, radiating colour and texture.
Elaine is currently doing an artist in residency at Zani Place and we joined her there for a workshop earlier in the week where she invited us to work with her on a sculpture in progress before showing us slides and encouraging us to create our own works in the little Zani forest. We spent the afternoon immersed in nature discovering colours, shapes and textures and creating our own amateur pieces. There will be a launch of Elaine’s work on sat 21st at 5 pm at the Melting Pot Glass Studio Zani Place Margaret River
Creating at Elaine’s workshop last week
For me, working with these women is a process of slowing down, creating space in my life for colour and form, for the artistic process, for the brain to be allowed to be, see, feel and create instead of do do do. It is a way of seeing, where everything I walk past in my normal busy day becomes alive with the possibility of creation. Nature is inviting us to play with her not just work with her and play is good healthy stuff.
