There is "Hope" in my Garden

Back View

I recently learned on Facebook that my 19 year old cousin, Magen Diaz, is currently fighting stage 3 breast cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.   Magen's good friend, Ron Walker Jr, wrote on her wall: "She is one of 7% of the population that is diagnosed with this at an early age. Because she is so very young, the doctors said that this cancer is very aggressive and if it had occured in an older woman the cancer would have reacted differently and might be much easier to control."

Front View

My Aunt Eloisa wrote to me and asked if I would make a Heart necklace for a fund raiser on September 11th.  I immediately thought of the wonderful pink ribbon canes that Toni Ransfield, of New Zealand, makes and thought I could add them in the heart. Whilst looking through her etsy shop on http://www.etsy.com/shop/toninz, I couldn't help but purchase all the flowers and butterfly canes that are in this heart.  And what a surprise it was when I opened the package and found that Toni gifted me with this bumble bee canes.  I nearly forgot to meantion that she took the time to look through her stash of other canes for the Pink Ribbon cane (also a gift) when I didn't see it on her website.

The heart background is from the Striped Translucent Skinner Blend cane that I made today.  It's a cane that I will be teaching at Studio Amara on Saturday September 26• 10am till 4pm • Anglican Church Hall, Berrima • Cost $ 140.

More information about Toni Ransfield in the Spring 2009 Issue of the Coffs Coast Newletter.  See link at the right side bar.

Student's work: Virginia Yelavic

These are images of Virginia, my student from South West Rocks, reducing a complex cane from 7cm wide to 1cm wide, to be used on a dark brown and white striped sheet with other cane slices.

Below is a pair of sugar spoons that she covered with one of the polymer clay sheets that she created today.

Close up of the cane apliqued sheet with dark brown and white stripes and Virgina reducing and pinching that complex cane some more.

"All Hands In"

These are the hands of my high school students, of Aboriginal ancestry, whom I taught to make polymer clay braceletes with a "Bush Tucker" theme.

What a fantastic picture capturing some of the beautiful skin colours of  Australia's Indigenous nations.

In this class of Year 7 students, I taught them colour mixing, making canes, creating there own polyclay beads,  balanced jewellery designs, and constructing the bracelet using basic jewellery wire tools.

Can you make out which component reresents the "Honey Ant", "Emu morsel with Mountain Pepper" and the "Witchetty Grub"?

All that Jazz

The Bellingen Jazz and Blues Festival is on this weekend (August 20-21-22) which began in 1990, provides three days of live music designed to present a cross section of jazz and blues styles performed by the best musicians available.The aim is to provide a program containing “something for everyone”.

Here's a peak into "What's News" at the Infusions of Food & Fine Art Cafe in Bellingen. These an samples of the polymer clay sculptural art jewellery now in the Showcase. Purchasing it as a gift... too easy, just ask for the gift packaging and the friendly staff will box it up ready for presenting.

The Infusions of Food & Fine Art is located at Shop 3/105 Hyde Street, Belligen, NSW.  Telephone 02 6655 0393.  Open for Breakfast and Lunch from 8am - 2pm daily.  Come check it out and peruse the other art currently on exhibition.

Polymer Clay art on canvas

"Bush Tucker"

I call this "Bush Tucker". The focal critters are Witchetty Grubs, which are a principal food source the Aboriginal women gather in Central Australia. The black line through the centre represents a trail of termite ants. Whilst the spirals with black and white are the termite mounds... saw them on my trip to the outback a few years ago. The dots are vegetation and other bush tucker.

This is one of the art projects that I'm teaching at a local High School to Aboriginal Students through a Literacy and Numercy program.

Mini Display Easel with Canvas that I purchased from the Bellingen News Agent. Canvas measures 6cm x 8cm.

Bush Tucker Bracelet & Earrings

Bush Tucker Bracelet:

Top right... Emu & Mountain Pepper

Bottom centre...Witchetty Grub

Top Left... Honey Ant

Earrings: Bush Melon