A counterpane on canvas incorporating print work with loom items from the Onkaparinga Woollen Mill.
TO FIND: 9 yarn cone circles and 15 Northrop Loom Dropper Drives
The opportunity to weave history into my art has broadened my admiration for local industry – artistic skill alone would not have produced the resulting ‘Encounterpane’ you see before you. A natural merging of research, local history and creativity generated a deep connection for me to textiles through my grandmother. As a result, this painting advanced brighter as threads of that research entwined with family nostalgia, Woollen Mill history, artistic encounters and education.
- Encounterpane displays diverse patterns and layers, inspired by the distinctive weave of the traditional Onkaparinga Woollen Mill blankets, made in Lobethal, South Australia.
- The yarn cone was, and still is, a simple and effective way to access bulk yarn quickly – perfect for machines and automation. The yarn cone patterns were created on Encouterpane by dipping the yarn cone into oil paint and printing onto the canvas.
- Northrop Loom Dropper Drives were used on the innovative Northrop Looms that revolutionized weaving in the early 20th Century through automation. The drives created perfect outlines, prints, stencils and shadows on the canvas.
- Counterpane is a 600 year old word for bedspread or quilt, with possible Latin origins. It was a word often used by my grandmother, who was a seamstress and a great believer in the benefits of wool. Counterpane became a generic word for me, meaning a multi layered item of comfort made with love.
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Many thanks go the h.art community group – local people and art advocates, keen to foster and facilitate arts activity in the central Adelaide Hills.