Week 37: 22 - January 1788

the end of the journey

the beginning of 'who knew what...'

Week 36: 15 - 21 January 1788

Week 35: 8 - 14 January 1788

Week 34: 1 - 7 Jan 1788

white on white

highlights only

look around the back

I love these back views of my stitched drawings

probably like this first one the best

week 31

week 32

week 33

Week 33: 25 - 31 December 1787

stitches

trailing ends

Week 32: 18 - 24 Dec 1787

I do like a bit of stitch and fabric

anything to depart

from the tedium

of drawing rope

again

Week 31: 11 - 17 Dec 1787

A very lazy sketch

so added some black organza

Week 30: 4 - 10 Dec 1787

I am certainly

very bored

very tired

of drawing rope

Week 29: 27 Nov - 3 Dec 1787

Trying to make a quick sketch

off on a tangent

My rope drawing is coming along slowly

I will continue posting those ...

In the meantime

a quote from Regien Cox on textileartist.org

when asked to recommend textile books

textile artists

'should write their own book,

read their own sketchbook,

become their own author'

tacking lines

life lines

extending to infinity

intertwining

Week 28: 20 - 26 November 1787

Week 27: 13-19 Nov 1787

remember this is a sketch book

trying inktense pencils

with a water brush

Week 26: 7 - 12 Nov 1787

Shading the whole drawing is too intense for me

so trying some portholes

Week 25: 29 Oct - 6 Nov 1787

Week 24: 22 - 27 October 1787

Week 23: 15 - 21 October 1787

Drawing Prize at ANU

I am currently a Visual Art student at ANU,

and my supervisor has encouraged me to enter the annual drawing prize.

If you have a favourite drawing (or two), let me know.

Week 22: 8 - 14 Oct 1787

Artline pen

Week 21: 1 - 7 Oct 1787

My rope is large, heavy, ponderous

It is a superstructure like the ships

also like the journey itself

The women,

forming themselves into knots

of friendship

and survival

tied the essence of the journey together

they were fragile

and you had to look hard to see them

but they were there

binding threads

rope in the flesh

This pic shows very clearly the change in rope making style

at the bottom, each fabric strip was being twisted and twined independently

top of the pile, the fabric strips are twisted in groups of 3 or 4

then the 4 more complex strands are twisted together.

My current technique makes a more standard rope.

Week 20: 24 - 30 Sept 1787

I have had an epiphany

My rope is spectactularly masculine.

I had always intended it to show the voyage of the women of the first fleet.

But there is nothing feminine about this rope.

But that doesn't matter, it is actually better this way,

and it allows me to make better sense of everything.

The women wouldn't have come to Australia

if they weren't brought by the men.

The women were virtually invisible, their purpose would begin

once the fleet arrived in Australia

Week 19: Fleet time 17 - 23 Sept 1787

I put the texture/patterning on first

then added the shading

This rope pose is quite a tight knot - I found it hard to get the definition of front and back. My daughter commented that while I am getting good at shading the individual elements, the overall balance of grey scale is very similar. This brings up the thought of my reason for doing these drawings - 1 each week for 37 weeks - the time it took the first fleet to sail to Australia - or the gestation of a premature baby. The 'work' of being a woman and mother has no rules, there is no initial tuition. Our parents teach us the being a girl (hopefully they teach us how to be a confident girl). But being a woman and a mother is learnt on the job. Women form themselves into clusters or knots of friendship and shared experiences. we learn from those around us. My daughter is within one of my knots, so I will endeavour to apply her suggestions.
My actual rope twisting/twining has gone quite slowly over recent weeks as I struggled with my sore wrist, elbow, shoulder. I figured I may have died on the first fleet, as I wasn't able to continue and complete my task. Anyway, I have developed a slightly different technique, so am back to it. The rope is lengthening as the days at sea ebb and flow.
I am currently reading Tim Ingold 'Life of Lines' isbn 9780415576864, so very inspirational as I make and draw rope. And with receipt of a beautiful handbound book 'Writing + Drawing' Ed Ruth Hadlow and Marienelle Basson isbn 9780992524623, I intend to write as I draw and make. Maybe to share here? or not? I'll see.

Week 18: Fleet time 10 - 16 Sept 1787

Week 17: Fleet time 3 - 9 Sept 1787

Back at sea - Rio to Cape Town

Week 16: Fleet time 27 Aug - 2 Sept 1787

STILL in Rio

I have some research to do.
The other day I was on a Ferry out on the harbour on my way to Sydney Bienniale at Cockatoo Island. I saw that another ferry was the Borrowdale - the name of one of the first fleet ships. Further examination showed that Sydney Ferries has a whole class of Ferries called the 'First Fleet Class'. In all there are 9, built between 1984 and 1986.
No mention is made of there ever having been 2 more ferries. What happened to the other 2, and which are left out?
The 2 that aren't represented are the Lady Penrhyn and the Prince of Wales. Both of these were female transportation ships. Were they deemed not worthy? Because they carried women?
Shame on you Sydney Ferries.

Week 15: Fleet Time 20 - 26 Aug 1787

Still in Rio de Janeiro

Week 14: Fleet 13 - 19 Aug 1787

Everything was different in Rio

Week 13: Fleet 6 -12 Aug 1787

Arrival in Rio de Janeiro

Week 12: Fleet July 30 - August 4 1787

I have used inktense pencils and water here

just trying something new

Week 11: Fleet July 23 - 29 1787

Elizabeth Burleigh

Ann Daly

Margaret Darnell

Sarah Davies

Ann Davis

Frances Davis

Mary Davis

Rebecca Davison

Margaret Dawson

Mary Dickenson

Mary Dixon

Elizabeth Dudgeon

Jane Dundas

Ann Dutton

Mary Dykes

40 - 55

Week 10: Fleet July 16 - 22 1787

life was unravelling

Water was allocated sparingly - 3 pints for 24 hours - seamen, marines and convicts alike - 

half in the morning and half in the afternoon (Rob Mundle - First Fleet)

Ann Carey
Mary Carroll
Elizabeth Clark
Mary Cleaver
Elizabeth Cole
Elizabeth Cole
Elizabeth Colley
Ann Colpitts
Charlotte Cook
Ann Coombes
Mary Cooper
Jane Creeke

28 - 39

Week 9: Fleet July 9 - 15 1787

On the 14th July, the fleet crossed the equator. Rob Mundle (in his book The First Fleet pg105) described the preceeding days and weeks in the doldrums as follows ...

'It was a challenging time for the crew ... no wind, no progress ... At least they (the crew) were in fresh air, unlike the convicts in their dark confines below deck. With next to no ventilation 'tween decks, there was no respite from the oppressive heat for the transportees. It was the closest thing to hell imaginable, and not surprisingly many couldn't cope, either fainting or convulsing in fits.'

Excursion to Ballarat Sampling 2

More layering and stitching from Ballarat

The first 3 pictures show application of some very fine scrim

stitched with wiry black pony tail 'thread'

Loved the use of pony tail

pondering how to use it

Mending with horse hair would have been accessible on the fleet

as they had livestock, including horses

Excursion to Ballarat Sampling 1

I did a class with Sue Ferrari

at Fibre Arts Australia Forum

at Ballarat

I worked stitch into paper, looking at shadows and layers

(I acknowledge paper and stitch techniques of Karen Ruane)