Archive for the ‘Creating’ Category

In these unprecedented times when an exhibition is hung and a catalogue has been created but for the health of all no one can visit it. Please check out my body of work in the Traffic Jam Galleries catalogue.  https://www.trafficjamgalleries.com/Niki-McDonald

Amending Traditions is a body of work that pays respect to the tradition of needlepoint tapestry, it honors its process and considers its subject matter. Art reflects society and in the 19th century, tapestry affirmed rigidity and modesty. The role of the amended tapestry is to break the customary stereotypes by sassing up the traditional subject matter. Stitching and mending recontextualises and allows for autonomy and sustained self-expression.

Traditional tapestries are stitched and darned with contemporary urban themes and incorporate humor to show contrast.  Niki McDonald employs sub-culture slang and lyrics from popular songs to prompt the viewer to complete the line and relive a moment in time. By inviting the audience to connect their own experience with that of the subject in the tapestry she hopes to ignite impact.

Birds represent freedom, they have a higher perspective and a big picture view. In the series, Amending Traditions, the bird gives us insight into how the subject is feeling and what their challenge is.

TJG

I hope you enjoy the exhibition catalogue as much as I enjoyed creating and stitching it x

Thank you 2019 for the many opportunities to express, exhibit and teach my passion, needlepoint tapestry.

8 gallery exhibitions, including galleries in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, London and Los Angeles.  4 online exhibitions, 3 stitches and craft shows, 12 workshops, 2 magazine features, 1 million stitches and many Sew as I GO moments. I’m stitching over summer and am preparing to thrive and blossom in 2020. All my love and gratitude for the creativity, support and opportunities throughout 2019

 

Anni Albers Quote. Being creative is not so much the desire to do something as the listening to that which wants to be done: the dictation of the materials. Creating is the most intense excitement one can come to know.

I was chatting with a friend about my needlepoint tapestry, Slowly Taking Dictation, she said that it worked with the Polish Poet’s, Secretary of the invisible. I’m drawn to the idea of slowly taking dictation in the role of the secretary of the invisible.

Niki_McDonald_ Slowly taking Dictation _ NP Tapestry _ 2019

Slowly Taking Dictation 110x90cm. Hand dyed 30ply wool, 3.75 tapestry canvas, 2019

Secretaries by Czeslaw Milosz

I am no more than a secretary of the invisible thing
That is dictated to me and a few others.
Secretaries, mutually unknown, we walk the earth
Without much comprehension.  Beginning a phrase in the middle
Or ending it with a comma.  And how it looks when completed
Is not up to us to inquire, we won’t read it anyway.

front cover

Stitches and Craft

I am honored to be a guest artist at the Sydney Stitches and craft Show, I’ve been stitching for months and am looking forward to hanging my new body of work. In addition to my tapestry pieces I am selling cards and printed tapestry canvases so you can reap the benefits of stitching yourself. I am also offering free workshops each day from 2pm for the first 10 to sign up. If you’re in Sydney, please come by and say, Hi.

 

Using wool, tapestry canvas and pegboard for urban sass. On exhibition at Be Brave Art Space at 5-7 Careel Head Road, Avalon. Opening 16th of March and running 3rd of April.Invite PNG

2017 was all about maximising the needlepoint tapestry medium. I played with spray painting my 5ct canvases (90x60cm) and using the luxurious KPC yarns for a double half cross stitch which revealed the background allowing depth and layering. I’m drawn to size and wanted bigger so I moved to 3ct canvas and stitched with 20ply wool (180x110cm). I was satisfied with the size, it had impact and maximised the medium.

Throughout the year I wanted to break the rules of tradition using the traditional medium. I’m saying that the colours and shapes from our streets empower our urban woman and give them sass and individuality.  The repetition of the tapestry stitches echoes the pixels in digital work and is in line with the photographic term DPI (dots per inch)

Some 2017 highlights were; The KPC yarn Pop up shop in Paddington, the exhibition with the ‘Seedstitchers’ at Gaffa Gallery where we employed textile mediums to express our theme, Wonderment. An exhibition to celebrate The Manly Warringah Arts Festival at, Gallery Diverasity and an exhibition at TAP gallery for Sydney Craft Week.

5 big exhibitions meant a year of painting, stitching, purchasing, evaluating, creating, framing, talking, connecting, organising and feeling. I also had the honor of 4 interviews, 3 workshops and a design published in MR Xstitchs’ Modern Xstitch magazine. It was a great year and I’m feeling maximised out,  now I’m in anticipation for 2018 with 2 new body of works in process and so many notes in my art diary……. I’m giving myself permission to use the tools of domesticity to start a conversation on permission.

 

The Seed Stitch Collective

The Seed Stitch Collective comprises seven Sydney based textile practitioners exploring concepts through making. They are Soraya Abidin, Sky Carter, Alana Clifton, Suzanne Davey, Gillian Lavery, Niki McDonald and Emma Peters. Read Our story on The Sydney Craft Week web site Sydney Craft Week Interview 

JPeg Craft week

See Our exhibition at The TAP Gallery 9th – 15th of October

I Love needle point tapestry because I can sew as I go…. some places that I sew….

Katoomba 11-6-16 -28 1

A half cross stitch on a spray painted 3.75 Ct tapestry canvas. 95x120cm