Comments from the students:

Grace:         How long would it take to make the painting All For One?

ALL FOR ONE was painted by 30 years ten (10) students at Bayside Secondary College in Williamstown, Victoria. I visited them with the canvases already designed and drawn and they carefully painted the shapes the colours set out to be used but chose where to place the particular colours. I had worked with these students and their teacher before so I knew they would do an excellent job.

Hi again Flossie,

We had 14  Grade 1/2’s come through, and for many it was their first visit to the gallery.  They were very interested in the artworks, in particular Haustafeln and Table Eight.  One little boy said of Haustafeln “it looks like raindrops”.  “Jolly Roger” was suggested as a name for your small pet (Guinea Pig?) in Table Eight.  When we were talking about Housewarming, one little girl used the description “snuggly” which I thought was gorgeous.

cheers, Sally

Thanks for these, Sally. School groups are great! Pass them the blog sheets (are they available for visitors?) and tell them I will reply to their question directly as well as on the blog if they wish to give me their email address which won’t be used for any other purpose. If they take notes, give them my blog address…as below.

General comments from the public:

The figures in Table Eight would look lovely pinned up around the space.

“Flossie, I agree that the routine of the eating ritual around a table is becoming a rare event in homes. Is there a reason your scarf people are folded at the table on their seat? Should we be unfolding them to view their full extent? ”

We’ve got our first school group coming this morning so will let you know how they enjoy it.  Will look forward to meeting you in May,

cheers, Sally

Exhibitions Officer
Wangaratta exhibitions Gallery

Hi Sally, I just thought…There are pictures of most of the SCARF PEOPLE in the book ‘Art and Soul’ which is the official catalogue. You can point these out to visitors or open one up for interested folks.

Part of the reason the scarves are folded up is to add to ‘the mystery’ of the person, as found in real life. We all have hidden parts to ourselves. The folding also echoes Wendy’s holding of Peter Pan’s shadow when it got caught in her room, set away for posterity.

Related website: www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au

Hi Flossie,

Here are some entries for your blog from the first week …

“Once again Flossie you touch us deeply. Nerida
cheers, Sally

Sally Huguenin
Exhibitions Officer
Wangaratta exhibitions Gallery

Thanks, Sally,

This comment is from Nerida…there can only be one Nerida who knows my work! How is it that she was in Wangaratta? How wonderful! Nerida’s husband is a minister like mine. I have admired her for years and she has taken a supportive role considering my art. Nerida knows the work I am involved in and the Church too. I am thrilled to have her as a fan!
Related website: www.wangaratta.vic.gov.au

On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 9:28 AM, wrote:

One question came from the Vic State Gov Minister for the Arts the
honourable Peter Batchelor when he visited on Friday. He wanted to know the
significance of the names on the chairs…
Cheers
Di

Dianne Mangan
Director
Wangaratta  Exhibitions Gallery

Thanks, Di. Good question! The chairs are named to represent my six children, my husband and myself who all are in the freefall called ‘ family’. This random launching is the same for everyone whether in their birth family or extended family…only the names change but the challenges stay the same…hoping we all land on our feet! This applies to parents, children and those who support others.

Many thanks,

Flossie

Comments by the fabricators of the HANDMADE APRONs:

My apron allowed me to use a saved, maybe even sacred artifact from my children’s’ history. It is a superman cape from some favorite worn-out pajamas. It seemed a very suitable symbol for Caroline.

I had such difficulties with my cross stitch letter that I almost gave up but I’m glad I didn’t.

Related website: http://www.livingmuseum.org.au/chisholms homes/community/letteredaprons.html

Comments by the fabricator of a HANDMADE APRON:

The plaid letter I used I cut from the very first school dress I made for my daughters – worn by all four and now outgrown. Caroline also saw to the education of girls in her time. The glossy blue background is cut from the most expensive material I ever bought but had never successfully made anything from until now.

Related website: http://www.livingmuseum.org.au/chisholms homes/community/letteredaprons.html

Today Tom watched the movie How to Make an American Quilt. I remember seeing this movie as a younger wife and mother in 1995…very much about how culture and belief is passed along through the making of artifaction (my word for the traditionally based fabrication of dance/music/artifacts within any culture). I was jarred by the lost dreams, infidelity, unfairness of life for these women and sided easily with, Winona Ryder’s character, the heroine who would follow her heart and mind – despite cost.

That was before a very difficult pregnancy, almost loosing the baby and myself in the process. Then, I had still more great loss to experience while following my heart…

A poem from the movie is

“Young lovers seek perfection.
Old lovers learn the art of sewing shreds together
and of seeing beauty in a multiplicity of patches.”

I am now at the later stage.

Related website: the movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113347/

Comments by the fabricators of the HANDMADE APRONS:

I picked red, white and blue. Perhaps it is because I lived in America for a time.

I thought I would show the only four remaining artifacts from Caroline’s humble home life but I settled for just one. It is her marble bust from the pope.

The real Carolyn Chisholm artifact located somewhere in Sydney.

Related website: http://www.livingmuseum.org.au/chisholms homes/community/letteredaprons.html

Comments by the fabricator of a HANDMADE APRON:

I enjoy authentic craft so completed my apron using a Victorian crazy-quilt technique. Notice the spider and web, a required motif in this type of quilting. I worked the apron while visiting my father in Intensive Care. My letter was picked for my baby granddaughter. I included words that exist within our somewhat fragile life together.

Related website: http://www.livingmuseum.org.au/chisholms homes/community/letteredaprons.html

Comments by the fabricators of the HANDMADE APRONS:

The vibrant magenta ribbon once wrapped a present from a distant friend. Long ago our children were in Playgroup together.

My mother raised geese. She knew them each by name. Touching the sensual downy grey trim so like the curved neck of a gander drew me back to a time that is part of my history and lost homeland. Caroline must have had many such remembrances too.

Related website: http://www.livingmuseum.org.au/chisholms homes/community/letteredaprons.html

Comments by the fabricators of the HANDMADE APRONS:

I used the colours of the feminist movement – green, blue and white.

Caroline Chisholm always spoke of ‘Providence’ present in her life and in the situations she faced. Likewise, it was her Christian beliefs that led her to ‘provide’ homes for many.

Related website: http://www.livingmuseum.org.au/chisholms%20homes/community/letteredaprons.html