The stitching continues

All progressing well here - I've been busy getting on with the quilting of Friday Morning Coffee and enjoying the chance to spend more time with the piece ans I man handle it through the sewing machine (why are my quilts so large?). I'm trying out a much smaller grid pattern on this quilt that the previous version - its looking good so far but of course will take more time...

I passed through the gardens a couple of days ago and the tree is looking resplendent in its doilies - so I tried for some different types of shots which in time I may even try putting them onto fabric to experiment with.

Just so you don't think that the only places that I can ever find mosaics are in Australia, here's a particularly fine example made by the children of Thorndon School, here in Wellington. They obviously have some really creative and talented teachers there, with a real bent for art making, as some of the works that spring up around the school really are impressive.

And then I found more in Melbourne

Of course these little treasures were in Brunswick Street - we only had 36 hours in Melbourne but I still found time to race around a few of my favourite spots. I'd been to Brunswick Street before but some how I had missed these. I couldn't find the name of the artist on them - but this angel like figure really reminded me of the work of Mirka Mora, a Melbourne artist who's autobiography I finally found at the Art Gallery bookshop, after futile searches in very bookshop I had come across while on the trip.

Since the trip I seem to be spotting lots more mosaics - so there are bound to be more to come.

However the highlight of the trip was undoubtedly the Art Deco exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was breath taking.....
and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. There was paintings, textiles, clothes, china, jewels, cars, even the front of a building transported all the way from London. Just extraordinary.

It started in Adelaide

the attraction to mosaic - these are just some of the ones I found there. This was by far my favourite - I've already shown you a detail of her face - here is the entire Angel Lounge of Goodwood Road, Unley... It seemed too beautiful to sit on to me. If I'd been able to get it into my bag and home on the plane undetected (what a dreamer!) I would have been sorely tempted.... Even the ends of the bench were something special.... i just loved it. It was made by Vaughan Green and Devi O'Donnell in 2000. It was such a treat to find at the time - I was kind of lost, or at least off course for the direction I was aiming for. Finding this made my small detour all worth while!
Then there was the beach front at Glenelg where we stayed. There was lots of mosaic there too - some with an aviation theme given the proximity to the airport and famous residents. Of course it was the curves that really called this one to my attention. I've been trying to find the name of the artist via Google - without success so far. Will post if I find it. Anyone out there know?
And then this lovely little iris piece - right low at street level in Hindley St - again I haven't found the artist yet.
There was lots of great street art in Adelaide - I even found the most wonderful brochure with maps highlighting where lots was to be found - that was how I came across the Andy Goldsworthy piece. If you are thinking of visiting Adelaide its definitely worth hunting the brochure out - I picked mine up at the Central Markets.

Stay tuned for more mosaic - from Brunswick St found during my super quick flit through one of my favourite cities.... I'll just need a touch more illness in the house - it really encourages blogging activity!