Discovering :: The Arty Pharty Weaving Party

When we were out-and-about in Brunswick Heads on the weekend  I happened across these Woven Arts Collective signs and just had to have a sticky-beak. Following the signs down one of Brunswick’s quaint back lanes, I found myself at the Wheel of Life Studios (behind the studio of local ceramicist, Lucy Vanstone), where there was an incredible exhibition of woven art on display. 

The exhibition, and workshops, were put on by a group who call themselves the Arty Pharty Weaving Party (love it!) who describe themselves as: “A local basket weaving collective exploring the themes of art, culture, community and environment through weaving with the natural fibres of palms, grasses and vines.”

Oh, how I wish I had discovered this little oasis of natural crafty goodness just a bit earlier than Sunday afternoon (the last day of the exhibition) I would have booked myself in for their workshops which included tuition from  indigenous weavers from the Torres Strait Islands. Never mind, I have put my name down on their mailing list and hope to get myself to one of their future gatherings...

Doesn’t it look beautiful there – all of those natural tones and lush greenery around? My photos don’t do justice to the work on display – it really was impressive.

Do you know how to weave? I’m really drawn to learning to weave, far more than I am to properly learn to knit, for example. (To my mind, the two are closely related.) One of my most treasured possessions is a hand-woven basket I bought in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, when my eldest girl (now 15) was a tiny tot. I used it as a baby basket in the first few weeks when both Melody and Maddison were born and it holds so many special memories for me. 

Here's a photo of Maddi in it – I think she was two weeks old... sigh... 

Okay, enough sentimental gushing from me tonight. Thank you Arty Phartys for letting me photograph you all!

x

Megan

p.s I would love to give proper credit to the artists whose work I've photographed here, so if anyone from the woven collective wants to email those details to me I'll add it to the photo captions.