Terry Butler

Splinter Contemporary Artists member for approximately ten years.

 

 

From memory what was the first thing you made with your hands?

Being brought up as an only child, I was given, from a very early age, things to draw, paint and glue with. This was to keep me occupied. I used anything I could get my hands on; bits of scrap paper and materials, anything that could be made into something new, I tried.

 

As an artist/craftsperson, my first love was for drawing, design and painting. During my teens I learned to sew. Having studied dress making and drafting in secondary school I designed and made clothes. As I grew older all sorts of crafts came and went but I still had a love of painting and hand craft. Working for a newspaper I was responsible for layout and design in advertising for publications. I produced brochures on a consulting basis for local businesses.

 

On my retirement I decided to take up painting seriously. After tuition with various prominent local artists I had my first exhibition in oils at Mitchelton Winery in 2005. I exhibited there again in 2008 and 2009. I have been a member of Splinter Contemporary Artist for approximately ten years, exhibiting with the group in almost every show during this time. I have also exhibited in the Friends of SAM (Shepparton Art Museum) exhibition every year for the last ten years as well as many local Rotary Art exhibitions.

 

What are you making with your hands right now? Why is the art of handmade so important?

What I am working on at the moment is a crochet baby cot cover for my friend. Her granddaughter is having a girl in August. I have made three rugs so far this year; one for my daughter-in-law, one for a friend and one for my step daughter, all about 160cm square. I find if I am not doing something with my hands of a night when it’s time to relax then I get bored very easily. Wool in the winter is good to work with. The gift of handmade is priceless.

 

All photographs courtesy of Terry Butler.
Terry can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists.
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Sue Reid

Textile artist
 

From memory what was the first thing you made with your hands?

The first thing I can remember making was a dress for my doll Mary, black velvet. I was very ill at the time and I remember the black velvet with hairs and dust on it. When I was well I could not bear to look at it because of the memory of being so ill. This did not stop my love of sewing and I made many more pieces for my dolls and myself in the years to follow.

What are you making with your hands right now?

At the moment I am making two distinctly different applique pieces using fabric, photo imagery, paint and embroidery thread. I have begun a whimsical piece with flowers and birds which a child may love, and I am planning a more structured, mathematical piece based on op art. I love working with fabric. I love pattern, colour (especially orange) and anything mathematical, that’s me.

Why is the art of handmade so important?

Every piece of handmade has so much of the artist in it. Words used to describe the making of a piece include, love, joy, perseverance, immersion of oneself, making mistakes, learning, soul, skill, passion, planning, spontaneity, all of these experienced by the artist at some time. 

Photographs courtesy of Meg Doller and Lynne Hume.
Sue can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists.

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Chris Hartley

Chris trained as a Primary arts teacher many years ago. Now, with more time available, she can engage in making her own work.
Chris is a new Splinter Contemporary Artists member.

 

 
From memory, what was the first thing you made with your hands?

The first thing I can remember making with my hands was using clay dug up on our farm. My sisters and I enjoyed squeezing the clay into shapes, decorating our work with stones, grass and sticks and allowing them to dry and crumble on the edge of the concrete water race. I won’t mention the yacht beautifully carved into the wardrobe door!

What are you making with your hands right now?

I am cutting out a stencil of a road map of Shepparton. I plan to use the stencil as part of a collage. It is very time consuming – three days so far! – But, I am enjoying getting to know the city layout, place names and housing areas. I am also cutting up a painted canvas of the river bank that I completed in January. I plan to integrate this into my work.

Why is the art of handmade so important?

Many aspects of our daily lives are controlled or manipulated by others. By creating tactile works of our own we are given the freedom to explore materials and ideas to interpret our personal world. The work that emerges endeavours to be worthy of the viewer’s time. Sharing our creativity with others allows us to grow as individuals.

All photographs courtesy of Chris Hartley.
Chris can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists.

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Margaret Lawry

Textile artist

 

From memory what was the first thing you made with your hands?

The first thing I can remember was simple stitching with needle and thread.

 

What are you making with your hands right now?

The piece I am working on at present is for a textile exhibition. A beautiful piece of fabric has been given to me by a friend. Some of the pieces being stitched onto the material are heirlooms, stitched by older members of my family and passed down to me.

 

Why is the art of handmade so important?

I have always made and enjoyed making things by hand and this has given me great pleasure. To make things by hand from simple crafts that are not commercial is a good feeling. I particularly enjoyed; paper making from plants, basket making, again from plants, dried, stripped into lengths and then woven, felt making, making ceramics, and embroidery of any sort whether by hand or machine. My art is traditional or contemporary, sometimes blending both.

Photographs courtesy of Meg Doller and Lynne Hume.
Margaret can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists.

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Kaye Poulton

 Ceramic Artist 

 

 

From memory what was the first thing you made with your hands?

The very first things I made with my hands would have been of either mud or pastry, both malleable materials. At age 6, I was taken to a craft activity in Bendigo where I was presented with clay for the first time. I was then given a bucket of clay, from the clay pits outside of Bendigo which absorbed me for hours in the back shed at home. I can recall displaying my unfired clay pieces on the shelves. I loved the tactility and the endless possibilities whilst making. I still feel that.

What are you making with your hands right now?

Right now, I am ready to glaze and fire a large group of “horizon” raku forms while the winter is here. They were thrown and bisque fired two weeks ago. I am also working on some small pieces to coincide with the John Percival Angels exhibition at SAM for the shop in August. They will be glazed in a copper glaze and heavily reduced in the kiln to achieve a copper red glaze. I also have ideas for figurative work, in drawings and intend to start on these in the near future.

Why is the art of the handmade so important?

In museums, I gaze at ancient pottery and reflect that they retain the marks of the maker and express ideas from a different time and place. I feel that it is important to retain the skills of the artist and artisan and pass them on to the next generation. Using these skills and techniques, the practitioner can create new works that speak of the past, present and future in visual language imparted through the hands and the mind of the artist. I hope that many generations to come will choose to be makers and creators of art and craft. Our world would be impoverished without them.

Photographs courtesy of Kaye Poulton.
Kaye can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists.

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Art of handmade blog launch celebrated . . .

A wonderful article appeared in the Shepparton News today celebrating the launch of our blog.

 

 

Shepparton News (Weekend News) Saturday 2nd August 2014 page 12

 

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Kim Carter

Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Education
Textile and mixed media artist
Very recently became a member of Splinter Contemporary Artists

From memory, what was the first thing you made with your hands?

At the age of four or five I remember creating an assemblage of items inside my little yellow school case and proudly presenting it to my parents declaring I had made an invention and that I was going to be an inventor. My grand plan was foiled when Dad asked what did my invention do ... I had no idea. He said that perhaps I was going to be an artist then. Not long after, a teacher taught me to weave on drinking straws using scraps of wool (see image); I loved the feel of the wool in my fingers and the quiet, rhythmic nature of the task. I was totally hooked.

What are you making with your hands right now?

I am working on pieces for my second exhibition which mostly deals with damaged or discarded objects, including a quilt made from 500 teabags and coffee filters donated to me from people all over town. I am hand stitching the quilt with teabag strings, inspired by the Japanese technique Boro (meaning ‘rags’). Despite the calluses that are forming on my fingers and the time consuming nature of the work, I am finding it incredibly satisfying.

Why is the art of handmade so important?

I feel as though I am giving a piece of myself when I craft something with my hands. I also feel that we maintain a connection to the past when we learn those skills that have been around for generations.

Kim's current exhibition, Fragility, is on show at Gallery 294, Corowa, NSW (http://www.gallery294.org.au/). The exhibition can be seen daily from 10-4 until Sunday 3rd August.

 

All photographs courtesy of Kim Carter
Kim can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists

 Kim is on Facebook and Tumblr

 

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