Could it be a match made in heaven? Lore Furniture is the sustainably focussed collection of homewares and interior treatments brought to you by interior designer, Catherine Byrne. Catherine’s attention to detail draws you into spaces filled with soft, subtle colours, accented with tactile textures.

Lore furniture pieces are made in New Zealand from 100% New Zealand timber and provided with a lifetime guarantee on frames. What?! In this day and age of fast fashion and disposable appliances? Breath of fresh air!

Curtains and blinds are NZ made with quality, recycled or natural fibre materials. Her team will also cover your existing furniture with your choice from her exquisite range of upholstery fabrics - sumptuous velvet, hardwearing yet stylishly textural blended fibre or 100% Italian Linen. A woman after my own heart (I re-covered my own couch 4 years ago and shared my experience in my blog! - still looks awesome, too!)

“Keeping in mind our commitment to sustainability and caring for the environment every aspect of our range has been carefully considered to create stunning pieces that put our planet and humanity first.”

Yes!

I have teamed up with Lore Furniture to bring you a collection of artworks, created using sustainable New Zealand Merino wool and presented in beautiful quality New Zealand made frames and designed to reflect Lore’s ethos. This week, I have had the best time browsing through the Lore range and creating “virtual rooms” for each of the artworks that are featured there.

I’d love to know what you think of my choices…

I started by choosing a paint colour for each room from Catherine’s collaboration with New Zealand made Aalto Paints. These paints are fascinating - colours are multi-pigmented, using up to 10 colorants to create a single colour, allowing for the full interplay of light and pigment within the colour. As the light changes throughout the day, so will your Aalto colour, apparently. The artist in me HAS to experience this!

For my virtual rooms, I have selected two of Aalto’s stronger colours, the deliciously caramel coloured “Uku” and sumptuous “Mentor” and then two much softer shades from the palette; 1/4 strength “Effect” and “Salt”.

As an aside, I also need to have a room in my house painted in “Cloak” - I’m adding that here as a note to my future self!

The Emerson Rug is a super textural wool and viscose blend and comes in 3 soft colours - this one, “Feather” is my favourite - the Mum in me would have to choose the very practical “Pigment”, however! Does anyone know - is that woven or knitted? (I once knitted a cowl in a stitch that looked quite similar). Either way it’s gorgeous.

I needed to give a special mention to the Italian Linen upholstery fabric in Lore’s Slow Concept range. What do you think of the buttery soft “Blush” colour to cover the virtual sofa that is going in the virtual room with with “Echoes 4”? This room will need to have a big vase of roses on a table at all times.

Ocean meets sky around “A Time and a Place” - I was particularly drawn to the Boracay wall treatments by Arte - dyed banana leaves and water hyacinth for your wall!

You can find out more about each of these artworks at Lore’s Art collection - while you’re there, why not take a little time to have a virtual browse and see what else you’d like to choose in RL? After my foray into Interior Design, I’m off to make some more art!

We have been in lockdown here in New Zealand for 9 days now and I have a confession to make….I haven’t been in my studio yet! I’m delaying gratification…getting more ahead than I’ve ever been with my admin and accounts…

But i’ve also been reflecting - on the changes that are happening, on the new “normal” that is coming. I’m reminded how the creative process often reflects life. The artist is creating something that looks amazing - it’s all falling into place and she can see what it will be….until, in a moment, she has gone too far and it’s ruined. There’s no way forward to where she was going with the work - she can change tack with what she has or go back and have another try. It will never look exactly the same as the first time, but she also can’t un-know the things that were learnt along the way. So it is with the world.

It is a deeply unsettling time for everyone - fear that our vulnerable loved ones may fall sick. Fear or grief for ones who already have. Uncertainty around work and financial futures. So much uncertainty.

So…I wanted to encourage you, inside your bubble, to rise above it:

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”

That’s from the bible (Message version, Philippians 4:8), but whatever your beliefs, I think that you would agree that these are wise words to live by. The punchline to this particular quote goes like this: “Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”

The Best and the Beautiful from my Bubble.

I was sitting in my bubble this morning, smiling as I admired the beautiful things that I have collected there, all made by the hands of talented creatives from around the world, and I thought that they might make you smile a little too. So here is a selection of beauty from my bubble:

I hope that you have enjoyed a glimpse into my bubble from yours - and I hope that you are feeling encouraged to see the best and the beautiful things. They are there, it is just necessary, sometimes, to bring them into focus. I’d love to see the beautiful things that make you smile - why don’t you email me a photo or tag me on an instagram post (@caroline.burton.fibre.artist on the Insta!) :-). Or tell me about them in comments below.

** For those of you not residing in New Zealand, the “Bubble” is how our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, is describing the family or household group that we reside in. My bubble contains me, my husband and our 3 teenagers. No one else is allowed into our home bubble during the lockdown and we avoid being within the 2m bubble of any other person if one of us leaves the house to go to the supermarket or for a walk.

Resources - Yours? Mine? Ours

EVERYTHING that we make starts with raw materials. Our lives are full of things that have started off as an idea - a creative thought - which became a reality through the application of a series of processes and the use of resources (and a lot of trial and error, blood, sweat and tears!).

I love that we are so driven to create, that it’s in our DNA. I imagine the moment when a new resource is first discovered - the moment when the presence of a particular element in the ground first becomes apparent. Then the moment when someone discovers a use for that element. The progression of idea, trial and error, success, followed by the progression to the next idea so that the cycle begins again with the possibilities becoming exponentially greater.

We look to the heavens, we plumb the depths is a representation of the great search for resources. The landscape with its hidden strata is referenced by undulating contours. Vertical rows of stitching hint at mankind’s determination to search the unseen in our quest for progress.

Held in the dark recesses and Moment of discovery both reference mineral deposits - resources hidden beneath the ground awaiting their moment of discovery. If the creative act begins with a chance discovery, it is perpetuated, perhaps, with a treasure hunt. The thrill of searching and finding both the raw materials and the creative solutions that our inquisitive minds demand.

The technology that we have today blows my mind . I believe that the world is full of fantastic ideas - divinely inspired, if you will. BUT, I also wonder whether great ideas tend to get derailed by our natural inclination towards selfish desires. We all want more, don’t we? If I’m completely honest, I know that it is my natural inclination to want to be more comfortable, for things to be more easy. But what if our primary motivation for having more became being able to give more? What if I want more, not so that I can be more comfortable myself, but so that I am in a position to be more generous? What if we would all choose to live that way?

I know, I’m an idealist! But maybe it’s not such a stretch. One of the things that I love about social media is that every day I see new social enterprises springing up - like Thankyou, who commit 100% of their profits to helping to end extreme poverty. Little Yellow Bird, who sustainably and ethically produce uniforms and branded apparel. Profits are put back into community development projects in the areas where their raw materials are sourced. Eat My Lunch give a wholesome lunch to a kiwi school kid who would otherwise go without, for every lunch that is ordered from their online kitchen. There are so many more! Now I’m not saying that we are all called to start up social enterprises, but we can certainly all support the ones that are out there. Maybe their T-shirt is a little more expensive, but that’s because some of the money that you pay for it is funding a new school for the child of the woman who made it. We are all trying to stretch our hard-earned cash, but how much more value with those few dollars have for that woman and her child?

As the flip side to our creativity, consumption is an inescapable part of life. Therefore we have a responsibility to be considerate with every single act of consumption

Possessing the land

It is my belief that our innate creativity drives both our consumption of the resources that the land holds but also our desire to possess the land itself. As individuals, families, communities, we seek to establish a place for ourselves where we can plant, build, grow. It’s fair to say that this deep desire for resources and land on which to build has been the cause of the vast majority of global conflicts throughout the ages.

One such conflict is still struggling to find a resolution today, here in New Zealand. While preparing for this series, I decided to take an empirical approach to my research, asking a range of people some questions about their connections to the land and the responsibility they felt towards it. The responses of my beautiful friend, Hineata struck a chord with me. She has such passion for her people and the land. I wanted to honour her story with the artwork The other side of 1000 acres (Rawahi ki Manoeka)

In this piece, the land is represented as strata, depicted using horizontal bands. These strata are interspersed with bands of ordered dots, a motif that I have used in places through this series to indicate the efforts of mankind to impose his order on the land. The colour red is used to denote life-blood - both the almost arterial connection between the people and their place and, deep in the ground, a red wave motif is used to represent the blood that has been shed on and over the land.

Hineata explained to me that, following the confiscations of land by the Crown in 1865, her iwi was given 1000 acres to resettle. My family chose to leave the land that they came from to settle in New Zealand. It is hard for me to comprehend the pain and loss that is still felt by Hineata and her family, generations after their land was forcibly taken. I think that the reason that this still impacts on New Zealand today lies in the core values in Maori culture. Hineata told me “The care and responsibility of our particular place is crucial to the survival of our Maori. When we speak of our particular place it is more than what the physical eyes see. It is the people of the place, the language of the place, the Spiritual awakening of the place. Responsibility is in the heart of the people. For Maori it is me you us we”. As I understand this, deeply entrenched in Maori culture is a care for each other, which guides the way that the community and, by extension, the land are cared for.

A beautiful hope

Hineata put it this way; “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12 v 18

When you understand that to live at peace is more than just “live and let live” - it is to actively love those around you with your words and actions - you can see that Maori and social enterprises are onto something, aren’t they?

Artist Statement

I have long been fascinated with the vast landscape hidden in the ground beneath our feet.  I am drawn to the places where these hidden secrets are revealed to us at the surface, imagining the mechanisms and events that formed them.  Since the beginning of time, we have been motivated to find and utilise the resources and treasures hidden within.

This body of work is an exploration of our connection to place and how that connection influences the way that we inhabit the land.  It is my belief that the world was created and resourced for us to enjoy and we have been given charge as Caretakers.  I’m interested in how we fulfil that role.  There is a tension between mankind's innate creativity - which drives us to make ever increasing demands on resources - and our role as caretakers.

“Caretakers” seeks to explore this tension and pose the question; Where is the balance to be found?

Is there a line between what is sacred and what can be sold?

When that which has long been held as sacred becomes a resource with a financial value, can it still be considered sacred?

A spring has always been considered a place of great significance - a life source, a symbol of purity. The location at which water that has been filtered through rock, sometimes for hundreds of years, is at its purest and available for consumption.

In Sacred Resource, I tried to capture a sense of the purity of the water, welling up from the secret places within the earth. Spiritual connection is symbolised by the etherial blue form hovering above the opening.

Now that water is a commodity - we put it into a bottle and sell it - its value takes on a somewhat different significance.

As I followed this line of thinking, I began to think about the value that we place on locations of great natural beauty, or Fabled Places. These are the types of places that have historically held great significance for the people inhabiting the area, either spiritually or maybe in the legends and stories that they pass through generations.

In our information age, these places have become accessible to all, legends and spiritual weight all but trampled under so many pairs of feet.

Fabled Places seeks to capture the mystique of places that are hidden away - concealed by an outcrop or hillside, perhaps. Their mysterious quality enhanced by the stages of the journey required to reach them - a pilgrimage of sorts. Soft, transparent wisps of silk fibre have once again be used to suggest a spiritual presence.

Subterranean Flow references the ground beneath our feet, acknowledging the cultural and spiritual significance that the land has for many in our nation. Both the land itself and the water that flows through it.

While I absolutely believe that the sacred, the beautiful and the fabled places are gifts for us all to enjoy, having increased access to them has to come with an increased sense of responsibility. As a global community enjoying the benefits of greater access to - well, everywhere, we now have responsibility for….everywhere! What does that look like as we go about our day-to-day global lives?

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]]>Caretakers Part 1Exhibition WorkCaroline BurtonWed, 03 Oct 2018 23:33:43 +0000https://www.carolineburton.art/blog/2018/10/4/curated-to-push-boundaries56d77f8c20c647a0f86d27b7:56d7c579f85082043e3ce728:5bb52c56b208fc56a1260f71A few months ago I was excited to be approached by one of my favourite artisan fibre dyers, Kate Mahoney of Heavenly Wools to be a part of an exhibition that she was curating.  Kate is a fibre artist in her own right, and her curated exhibition "The Cutting Edge: Freeing Textiles" is "a glimpse into the varied and eclectic world of very different artists from all over New Zealand currently working in the textile arena  Drawn from diverse practices, the works show a breadth of interest and technique that questions the boundaries of the traditional view of textiles."

My first thought was that I had to send down some of my Geologically inspired series. The Christchurch region is still putting itself back together after a series of devastating earthquakes. Experiences and emotions, for many, are still very raw. I hoped that my artworks “Kaikoura” and “Sediments’ Story” would be a healing reminder that, although there are tremendous and unpredictable forces at work in the very ground beneath our feet, there is also great wonder and a fascinating story.

I was excited to be able to head down to Arts in Oxford, near Christchurch for the opening of The Cutting Edge. It was an honour to see my two pieces hanging in some very auspicious textile art company - I wasn’t authorised to share images of the exhibition myself, but you can check it out at The Arts in Oxford Facebook page.

Arts in Oxford is a beautiful gallery and I was blown away by the fact that it is entirely (and very professionally) run by a group of passionate volunteers. Speaking with a couple of volunteers who helped to install the exhibition, I learned that they were initially uncomfortable and non-plussed with the angle at which “Kaikoura” is hung. I’m so glad they felt the tension I’d intended in the angles. Just as Kaikoura itself was fractured, tilted, forcibly moved. 

I had a fantastic weekend in an absolutely beautiful part of New Zealand and also the privilege of visiting Kate at her awesome converted church in Oxford. A lot of the fibre that I use in my artworks is hand dyed by Kate and it was wonderful to see where she works. Did I take any photos? No. I was completely caught up in enjoying the moment first hand!!

If you're on my mailing list, you will already have heard about how excited I was earlier this month to have my piece, "Sediments' Story" selected as a finalist for the 2018 Estuary Arts and Ecology Award.  This week I finally had the opportunity to head over to Uxbridge Arts to check out the exhibition for myself.  Seeing a piece of my work hanging on the walls of a gallery in the company of other beautiful and thought provoking works never grows old.  

My vote for the people's choice award went to Michelle Farrell for "Restore Me said the Water".  Michelle's elegant ink on paper "endeavours to illustrate that the natural cycles of the Tamaki Estuary have been broken due to the cumulative effect of environmental contamination" - artist's own statement.  

God gave us a charge in Genesis to take care of His Creation; "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it." Genesis 2v15

I am embarrassed to admit that my awareness of the importance of being proactive with regard to this charge is relatively recent.  If I'm honest, the enormity of the damage that we have done throughout creation always seemed overwhelming.  I couldn't see how I could really make a difference. I suppose that one of the best things to come from social media is that we can feel much more connected to corporate action and the difference that we can make collectively.  

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples" Mother Theresa.

Social media has enabled us to be so much more aware of the ripples that we are each making - how the ripples of many join to make waves that can have real positive impact.  How cool is that!  

The Estuary Art and Ecology Prize is "The only contemporary art prize in Aotearoa New Zealand with ecology at its core."

The opportunity to use my creative expression to draw attention to the importance of taking care of our land and, in this specific case, the Tamaki Estuary was exciting to me.  Since I started to create art, I have felt a heightened awareness of the world around me.  As if, by fully embracing my creativity, I am somehow more in tune with what my creator made for me to enjoy. 

It was fascinating to research the Estuary in preparation.  The work was inspired by a series of drill core sample analyses from the bed of the Tamaki Estuary.  I have long been a bit of a geology nerd and am drawn to the secrets hidden in the ground beneath our feet, so the story that these core samples told fascinated me.   

An excerpt from my Artist's Statement:
"The layers of sediment extending deep below the Tamaki Estuary tell of the lush landscape that was once there.  Deep down are compacted sediments, rich in organic matter from dense forest.  Volcanic activity is marked by more brightly coloured layers of ash.
Man arrived and little changed for a while.  Until European settlers, excited by the fertile land, started to clear large swathes for farming.  This time is told in the Sediments' Story by the deposit of much thicker layers of soils, washed from land once protected by dense vegetation.  The waters feeding into the estuary are the mode of transport for all of this sediment.  Their significance to the local people is represented by a wave design, based on traditional Maori designs."

If you are in the Auckland area,  the exhibition of finalists of the Estuary Arts and Ecology Prize will be on display at Uxbridge Arts until 19 August.  It is well worth a visit.  "Each of the artists have focused on different aspects of the Estuary and have approached artmaking in a variety of ways, contributing distinct perspectives and experiences." - Anna van den Berg

Many people are a little shy of purchasing fibre art because they have no idea how to look after it, but it’s really no more tricky than any painting.  There are a few basic principals around positioning and caring for artwork that apply no matter what the medium.

Positioning

Firstly, it is advisable to hang ANY artwork away from direct sunlight.  That being said, it is often impossible to completely eliminate residual UV light.  All artworks by Caroline Burton are given an extra layer of protection from UV light.  Original felted artworks are framed and protected either by UV protective glass, or by a UV protective surface treatment.  This surface treatment penetrates the fibres, so that repeat treatment will not be necessary, however it does not alter the look or feel of the artwork.

The certificate of authenticity on the reverse of the individual artwork will detail the type of protection provided.   

If you are serious about collecting and protecting art, you may want to go a step further and consider applying a UV protective film to your windows.  This would have the additional benefit of giving an extra layer of protection for your soft furnishings.  

Hands Off!

Felt is an inherently tactile medium - the surface textures intrigue and fascinate.  That’s one of the things that drew you to your new artwork in the first place, after all.  BUT even the cleanest of hands will leave a residue of natural oils and, over time, this will build up with constant handling.  While the UV protective surface treatment that your fibre art has received does also help to protect it from stains, if you want to avoid the expense of specialist cleaning, it’s best to avoid handling.  In my studio, I like to have a felted item, such as a bowl , that I can direct inquisitive art enthusiasts to if they want to explore the textural qualities in more detail.  

It is also a good idea to hang your artwork in an area where it is not easily accessible to touch.  Maybe with a piece of furniture below it.

Cleaning

As with any artwork, over time, dust may build up on the surface, particularly if it has sculptural elements.  This is easily removed in one of 3 ways:

• Gently running over the surface with a lint roller

• Using a feather duster

• Using your vacuum cleaner. For this method, hold a piece of loosely woven fabric (such as gauze) over the surface of the artwork and, using the lowest setting on your vacuum cleaner and with one of the hand tools attached, carefully work your way over the surface of your artwork.

If (heaven forbid) your artwork becomes marked or stained, it is recommended that you contact a textiles cleaning specialist.  Let them know that the artwork has been treated with Microseal, which should make their job considerably more straight forward.  

Moths?

It's happened to most of us at some stage - we pull our favourite wool sweater out of the wardrobe as the weather starts to cool off, only to find that it's been made a meal of.  The good news, with regard to artwork is that it is made to hang on the wall, where it will be in the light for a fair amount of the time.  Once the issue of UV light is addressed (see previous points), the light is a good thing because moths do NOT like it and will therefore not be a problem.  

So, armed with a little information, I hope that you can now sit back, relax and enjoy your fibre art.  

Do you ever find that there are people or places that you are inexplicably drawn to but you can’t really put your finger on why?  I think I’ve felt that way about The Creators for a little while now.  To be honest - I’m a mum in her 40’s - I’m probably not exactly their target audience.  But there has been something about the way that they do what they do; collective workspace, creative spaces, creators markets, lots of events centred around creativity, that has really resonated with me.

The other day, I noticed a post about their Friday coffee hour - a 7:30am coffee and porridge meet up with guest speaker to fuel you up for your Friday.  This week they had Stephen James Hart coming along. Born in New Zealand, Stephen is a Visual Worship Leader at Bethel Church over in California.  Cool, I thought….and messaged all my younger, hipper friends to let them know it was happening.  No thought to actually going myself. As the day progressed, I could feel a little nudge, so I had another look at the post.  Sometimes I’m a bit slow on the uptake, but this time I got it loud and clear - it was me that was supposed to go.  

Photo: The Creators

God gave me two kisses on the cheek before I even sat down to listen to Stephen talk.  The first was a beautiful young girl called Ella - a fine art student with such passion and excitement about her work and where it might take her.  The feeling that my own work could take me to places that I can’t imagine yet began to rise up inside me again (it does that from time to time, particularly when I encounter people like Ella!).  Then, as we were talking (having not even introduced ourselves), she suddenly said “Wait - are you Caroline Burton?”.  Turns out that she and her sister visited my exhibition “Created” back in February.  She’s even on my email list (Hi Ella!!)

The second “kiss” was in the form of Stephen’s Mum, who was there with the rest of his family.  She straight out came up to me and said “You look like Caroline Burton”! It turns out that she follows me on Instagram and recognised me from there.  And she is an incredibly talented oil painter - you really should check out her work at jacquihart.com.  

Now, don’t get me wrong - the “kisses” were not about recognition (although, it was kind of cool at the time!).  They were about the encouragement that other artists, who are very gifted, see something that they love in my work.  We can be our own worst critics, can’t we? And so these encouragements were a wonderful antidote to my overly harsh inner voice.  And my creator knows that because He knows me intimately. 

Photo: Rachel Soh

It was really useful to hear his thoughts on how it is often beneficial to place some structure around creativity in order to meet goals or even just to realise outcomes. Because creativity is a process, it can be quite hard to know when you’ve finished with something. Stephen pointed out that when you are working collaboratively, without some structure and order, it can be particularly hard to reach completion of a project. It's useful to have defined some parameters before you start. This was a great insight for me because I can see that a little structure and planning would really benefit my work and my ability to focus. Truth be told, I can be a little easily distracted, even when I'm just working on my own stuff!

Stephen also talked about the value of recognising the opportunity for creativity in every situation. He gave an example of some 11th hour changes to a collaborative project that he had thought was completed. I think this sort of situation would irritate the most patient of us, but Stephen challenged us to instead see the opportunity for further creative expression. This is probably a great attitude to have in all areas of life, isn’t it?  It’s a fact that sometimes, goal posts move and it is easy to become a little grumpy. I love the idea that with a slight shift of perspective, this becomes an opportunity rather than an irritation.   

To be honest, the interview was over all too quickly - Stephen is funny, engaging and very insightful.  I loved hearing about his journey and his awesome outlook on creativity and life in general. The way that he treats what many would consider setbacks (we all have them!) as opportunities for personal growth. And the way that his work and creative process are completely intertwined with his relationship with God.  It’s the way we were designed to be.

Having visited The Creators, I can now put my finger on what it is that drew me to them. It is their passion for celebrating creativity and encouraging creative expression - so totally in line with my own. Plus they seem like a genuinely nice bunch of people that you can’t help but want to hang out with.

Links you’re going to love: The Creators, Jacqui Hart, 

Bethel Music Creative Arts Blog, The Worship Project

Credits:

Photos: The Creators, Rachel Soh

Reorganising meetings so that he could take the kids to school for me: Mr Caroline Burton Fibre Artist (you're the best xxx)

Something a bit different

WELCOME! I am excited to be bringing you my very first Podcast! I thought I would mix it up a bit and bring you some occasional interviews with inspirational people who are flexing their creative muscles. You've probably gathered by now that I am passionate about encouraging others to explore their inherent creativity. I so often find that people really don't recognise that they are using creative processes in their day to day life. I love to highlight the creativity that someone brings to problem solving, that they haven't previously noticed.

Episode 1: Sarah Durham, Marketing Executive and Missionary

Sarah Durham is an incredible woman who is on a journey so amazing and inspiring that I wanted to share it with you.

I actually recorded this interview a little while ago now, but I felt that I needed to wait to post it. Sarah and her family have had a long and complicated wait for visas to be granted. I wanted this post to be a little celebration of the start of their new journey.

Next week Sarah and her family leave for the next part of their adventure in LIV Village in South Africa. LIV Village is a unique project where orphaned children are fostered and raised in a loving home. The Village is set up to self sustaining and also to provide jobs and resources for the surrounding community.

As this is my first interview, please bear with me - it will be worth your while I am so grateful to Sarah for agreeing to be my first guest.

Scroll down for a full transcript ….

To find out more about the work that LIV Village does, head to www.livvillage.com. To keep up with Sarah's adventure, you can follow her blog "An Unexpected Journey". If you're interested in checking out Youth With A Mission, the info is all there at www.ywam.org

Transcript

Episode 1: Sarah Durham, Marketing Executive and Missionary

C- “Hi there, welcome to the created creative files. I’m Caroline Burton, and today I am talking to Sarah Durham about her story of a move, that on the face of it may seem equal parts crazy and inspirational.”

So Sarah, three years ago you packed up your marketing career and you, your husband Sanjet and your three boys moved to Chico, to the YWAM base there. That’s a pretty bold move, can you tell us a little about what led you to that point, and then I’d love to talk to you a little bit about your background in marketing.”

S- “Sure, so it was actually about thirteen years ago now that just out of the blue I just felt a really strong sense that God was saying that we should do a YWAM (which stands for Youth With A Mission) discipleship training school. And so I shared that with my husband who is a lot more adventurous than me and he immediately said ‘yes, we should do that!’. So we had that at the back of our minds and it actually took us ten years to get there, because we were just sensing when the right time was for our family, and so we worked towards that. Ironically at the time that we actually went, I was in a senior position in marketing. I was head of marketing for Tower Insurance and I left that job there. My husband also had a small construction company that was going well and it was obviously at a time when the construction and building industry was ‘in boom’, and we just packed up. Initially we thought that we would just be going for five months and that it would be a great experience and we would learn a lot and grow closer to God. I really had the idea of ‘short-term’ in my mind, but God has a way of changing you and working in your heart.”

C- “So at that stage you kind of thought you might come back and pick up your marketing career where you left off?”

S- “Yes, to be honest before we left our lifestyle was a little bit crazy because (and I think any working mum would know) that to be able to juggle a senior role as well as children is pretty full on. In many ways before we left I felt like I was on some kind of treadmill that I just couldn’t get off; there was always so much to do. And there wasn’t much quality of enjoying life, but instead just always being under pressure to get things done. So I had a sense, even before we went, that this lifestyle wasn’t sustainable. I feel like if we hadn’t had that strong sense of what we were meant to do, there would have been some health or relationship crisis that would have stopped me in my tracks anyway.”

C- “Right, that’s good self-awareness there! So you worked for Tower Insurance Company here in New Zealand. I guess that marketing is quite a creative job, so could you tell us a little bit about what you were doing there?"

S-“Sure, so I spent twenty years in marketing up until that point and had worked for other organisations like American Express, Yellow Pages and Vodaphone. My role at Tower was head of marketing. So that was basically overall responsibility for the entire marketing plan, including all the different mediums we used like television and direct digital which was becoming much bigger and stronger. I mean, there is definitely a creative element to marketing and I do really enjoy that aspect. It’s interesting because I used to say ‘I’m not really a very creative person, but then I realised that I love brainstorming creative ideas. For example, sometimes we would do, almost internal marketing if you’d like, so we might be trying to change a particular behaviour within. For example, our customer service team would do some really creative internal campaigns - themed campaigns that we could execute. We'd use different elements, like a video or newspaper package with lollies. So we could do more creative things when we were marketing internally. And one of the aspects of that role was dealing with our senior management team, the CEO and occasionally the board, so it was challenging but also really enjoyable.”

C-“Right, and so you were talking about how you had previously felt that you weren’t a creative person, but you’ve obviously identified that brainstorming creative ideas was something that really drove you, and probably still does I expect. And so how did you cultivate that in yourself? I’ve talked a little bit in my blog about how we can cultivate creative ideas, by the people we bounce ideas off and such. Can you identify some ways that you yourself do this?"

S-“I definitely think working in a group helps a lot. If, for example, you’re brainstorming ideas for a campaign you have a list of what you want to achieve. I think that with creativity and the setting that I worked in it helps to have understanding of what your goal is, so that you can say ‘ok, this is our goal, but let’s brainstorm and be really creative about different ways of achieving that’. You can then feed of each other’s ideas. And I know for me it’s really important to not box yourself in and define what creativity is. I think that because I thought I wasn’t good at art or drawing or the classic things like creating or sewing, but in some of the more typical creative settings I would say ‘I’m not a very creative person’ and I think that’s wrong to begin with. I think we are all creative, just in different ways, and so I think my creativity would come through ideas and themes. Creative ways to achieve a goal or to get a message across. There is a lot of structure and planning in marketing but there is definitely an element of creativity. And you also have to be able to critique other people’s creative ideas because you work with creative people like art designer and copyrighters and you need to be able to critique what they’re presenting you.”

C-“Sure, and I guess there must be a fine line between staying within a design brief but actually being able to let that creativity flow in different directions in order to get the optimum result, so that’s quite a challenge in itself isn’t it?”

S-“Yes definitely. It actually brings to mind a time when I was working a Vodaphone and there was a creative idea presented for a television commercial and it was very humorous and I think we all got very caught up in the humour of it and we really liked the concept of what we were doing and so we went ahead and produced it and the very first time I saw it on TV I realised that it wasn’t going to work. So you also have to make sure there is a degree of objectivity, so that you don’t get so in love with an idea itself that you haven’t stepped back to see is this going to achieve what our goal is? So I think in that commercial setting there is a balance between the two.”

C- So Sarah I am particularly excited to talk to you about the next step that you guys are taking, because to some what you did three years ago might seem crazy or out-there, but you’re taking it next level now and you’re now looking forward to now heading off to South Africa. Would you like to tell us a little bit about what you’re going to be doing over there?”

S-“Sure. So, I’ll just go back a little bit first. The YWAM DTS was five months and part of it was an eight week outreach and we spent that time in South Africa. We were really, I suppose, captivated by that nation. I think that God puts certain people groups and nations on your heart, and there’s just something in you that makes you feel like you want to make an impact in that nation. We are also recognising that there is also so much we can do wherever we are and whatever country we are in, there is always a lot of need. And so we really felt that when we were in South Africa and we spent about four weeks of that time in a place called LIV Village. LIV Village was born about five years ago and I guess it is kind of like an orphanage but the children that come there are fostered and so that is their home for life. They don’t come there with a view to finding them a permanent home - that is their permanent home. So they are fostered with a mother, there is a school there so that they can educate them. And the founder of that village, Tich Smith, really wanted to take one of South Africa’s biggest issues which is its orphans and vulnerable children and turn it into a solution by raising up future leaders. It is incredibly inspirational when you go there to see the difference, not only in the children’s lives and their foster mothers, but also the neighbouring area where they give a lot of food and have a medical centre and a church which they invite the local community into. It is an inspirational place, and to be honest it’s a privilege to be heading back there. So we did first spend eighteen months back in Chico serving there, and we came back home to New Zealand in December to prepare for going to South Africa. We are applying for visas and once we have our visas we hope to go for around about three years, but we’ll see what transpires.”

C-“So what will your role be when you go back over there?”

S-“I suppose that’s one of the cool things, and I’ve shared this a couple of times before, if you thought that God was setting you up for being a missionary, which I have to say I never saw myself becoming. In fact, when I was in my early twenties I think I might have distinctly said to God please don’t send me to Africa as a missionary so I see the irony in what we’re doing now. But you would think if we were going to be doing missionary work that we’d be, you know, teachers or nurses or even a builder which my husband is, they seem like more practical skills, but it’s really awesome how God is using my marketing background and skills. So I will actually be in the marketing team at LIV Village, they have a constant need to grow awareness of what they’re doing and they’re already looking to expand. They’re already looking at purchasing land in Johannesburg and Cape Town to build more villages to have more children. Their vision is to impact thousands of children across South Africa. So I will be part of that team and we will be doing event management, fundraising and just raising awareness of the wonderful work that they’re doing there.”

C-“Well that’s exciting. So obviously it’s a completely different type of business that you’re going to be marketing, do you see new challenges and new skills that you’re going to have to work on? Or do you think that all the stuff you’ve worked on is pretty transferable?”

S-“Definitely, that’s definitely going to be a challenge. My background has been in the corporate world working for services, like Vodaphone and American Express as I was saying before, and not-for-profit is quite different and fundraising is quite a specific skillset in itself. I did have some exposure to that when I was working for YWAM in Chico, but it’ll be different again. Of course it’s a completely different country, so you’re dealing with a different target audience. I mean, they’ve already done a lot of great work, so it’s learning from what they’ve done and just seeing where I can add value. Often a lot of marketing is just getting things done as well, like some of it is creativity but some of it is just execution, like ‘this needs to be done, let’s get this done, let’s do a great job’. I’m definitely big about excellence in communication - how do they currently communicate to people that are interested in the work that they’re doing and to donors, the business sector. They have relationship with government there, so I’m hoping to understand that and just see where I can add value.”

C-“I’m fascinated by the scope of the scheme, reading on the LIV Village website, it’s not just an orphanage and a village, the scope seems to extend to the provision of jobs in a range of industries. I was reading about agriculture, clothing manufacture, label printing, flower growing, it’s quite extensive. Is that jobs for the surrounding villages or is that something that they actually are bringing kids, as they’re growing up in this environment, into? Looking ahead to where they can find vocational training? What is the purpose and background to that?”

S-“It is those things but it is also for raising funds. One of the goals of the village is to self-sustaining. They have had the generosity of the government (which) has funded some of what they’re doing and they get a lot of (support) from people in South Africa and they have some big churches in the U.K. as well that support them. But they want to support a lot of the work that they are doing as well. So a big drive behind the eight different businesses they have was to raise some of their own funds - but it does create jobs. They employ a number of people from the local community. The local community where the village is, is actually very poor, with a very high unemployment rate of sixty percent, so they’re making a difference in that community already by job creation. Also, you’re right that, as they’re raising up the children in the village, the oldest ones will actually be about seventeen years old now. It does create some options where they could actually go in and work in some of the businesses or to work with each child individually to find their talents are or where God is leading each one of them.”

C-“That’s a real feeling of hope for those kids, they’ve got something that they can look forward to and there’s a future for them that they can actually see right in front of them which is awesome. Thank you so much Sarah for telling us about your exciting journey, it’s really, really inspiring and I know that people listening, like me, are probably feeling pretty challenged and inspired by what you’ve done and not only what you’ve given up but also what you’re gaining. What do you want to share, just in closing, about the biggest thing you’ve gained from this experience?”

S-“Thank you, I suppose I’ve been challenged with thinking that we’ve only got one life. We want to look back and really feel like we have lived with great purpose and that we have made a difference. Whether that is just in our own families or in our local communities, or its further afield. For us that caused us (to go) further afield. And (don't) underestimate the difference you can make (or get) too caught up with the trappings; the "standard", the "normal" and what society is telling about how to live our lives. But be open-minded and to say "maybe there’s a greater adventure out there for me that I’m being called to". So I think we should be brave and be open, and certainly if you have a faith, to really hear and listen to what you think God’s purpose is for your life because, I know for us it is a huge privilege what we get to do and we’re so excited and we love the difference that we get to make.”

C-“Awesome, thanks so much Sarah that’s super inspiring, and I really appreciate your time today.”

Credits

Transcription services courtesy of Bethany Burton

Podcast editing, plus intro and outro music by Barnabas Burton

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]]>Exhibition WorkCaroline BurtonWed, 06 Sep 2017 02:24:18 +0000https://www.carolineburton.art/blog/2017/9/6/textile-art-winner-is-inspired-by-geology56d77f8c20c647a0f86d27b7:56d7c579f85082043e3ce728:59af4791e45a7cada3796c5cI was honoured this week to have my most recent work, "Strata" selected as a prize winner at the Franklin Arts Festival here in Pukekohe, Auckland.  Entering an event like this, I am always very aware of the extremely diverse range of work that "Textile Art" covers and the incredibly skilled practitioners who create it.  

"Strata" was inspired by my past life as an engineer.  My geology lectures at university awoke in me a fascination with the complexity, vastness and mystery in the ground under our feet.  Layers of sediment deposited, one on top of another.  The lower layers gradually squeezed and compressed by the weight of the upper ones. Further down still, the pressure and heat of the earth's inner parts cause changes to the physical or chemical form of the rock - metamorphosis.

A love for Geological Artworks

A favourite artwork in my own collection is a gestural ink on yuppo by Monika Kralicek which speaks to me of Geological forms.

Here's to mystery...

One of the aspects of creation that I fall in love with a little more every day is that there is so much mystery.  There is always more to know and to find out. Clearly the great scientific minds of our time have a head start on me in that regard.  However, even they will never know it all.  That domain is God's alone.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors of the award that I received for "Strata"; Picturebook Interiors and Barfoot & Thompson Pukekohe.  Thank you to all of the local businesses who support the Franklin Arts Festival.  You are a huge part of what makes our region a vibrant and diverse place.

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]]>Textile art winner is inspired by GeologyCreated CreativeCreativityCaroline BurtonSun, 09 Apr 2017 05:25:55 +0000https://www.carolineburton.art/blog/2017/4/7/2017/4/7/three-options-for-sharing-creative-ideas-and-why-they-help56d77f8c20c647a0f86d27b7:56d7c579f85082043e3ce728:58e6e7c7f5e231bb58021da0

In a recent post I talked about how you could do a quick self analysis of how open you are to creative processes. This lead me to think about how we share creative ideas and why.  Being an artist requires that I am creatively open and yet I was still challenged by the fact that I do occasionally stagnate a little and get kind of stuck in a rut.  As I self analysed (using my 3 checks) I noticed that there are patterns to times when I might not be super enthusiastic about other peoples’ ideas - even the ones that are awesome.  I might not have the energy for getting excited about trying new things. And I might be a little more prone to being control-freak Mum at those times as well.  At these times, I find it particularly helpful to draw on outside resources.  I also find sharing my creative ideas or process is beneficial when I am working on a new idea.  Even the simple act of putting in to words what is in my mind can unlock something new.  The process can have the added benefit that, as I seek advice or feedback from someone else, I am provided with a different viewpoint from a fresh pair of eyes.  

Who's closest?

My recent exhibition, “Created” was inspired by a verse in Genesis 1 which talks about God making both man and woman in His image.  I spent a lot of time, as I prepared the work, thinking about how man and woman are designed to compliment each other.  Sure it’s not as distinct as all men have one specific set of personality traits and all women have another - we are all our own unique blend of our Maker’s characteristics, but with a little more of certain characteristics that make us inherently male or female.  

Man and woman are made to work well together, to pick up the slack for each other.  For instance, in our family, I am good at comforting our kids when they have had a terrible day at school because I tend to have a strong nurturing instinct.  It's one of my personality traits.  You know the scenario; they’ve fallen out with a best friend, the teacher told them off for not concentrating (SO unreasonable) and they forgot their homework (NEVER their fault).  Cue a hug from mum, some sympathy, something to eat (because they always come home ravenous).  Boom, things are getting back in to perspective already.  BUT, kids being kids, every so often they throw you a curve ball.  They’ve made a not so great decision and got themselves into the sort of situation that can send a mother’s heart right up into her throat and sort of make her choke a bit.  This is the point when I seem to lose my rationality and I have learnt that the first thing I need to do is call my husband.  Firstly so that he can calm me down.  Secondly, because I know that he is an exceptionally good problem solver and he's super rational.  Plus he’s great at communicating with the kids in such a way that they understand where they went wrong.  They can begin to figure out a way through it without feeling backed into a corner.

That’s why I love to bounce problems off my husband - he looks at things from a completely different angle to me and always has a different idea and perspective to offer.  Now I know that not everyone has a husband/wife/partner, but there are other options....

What friends are for

We are designed for community and that’s why friends can also be great for creative process.  I have several friends who are amazing for this. They don't always get what I'm trying to achieve - sometimes it can be hard to explain your art to someone who does not specifically have a strong interest in art.  But that isn't necessarily vital. Again, just the simple process of putting the thought process in to words can be enough to trigger something in my mind.  Plus, in trying to understand what I'm getting at (because friends love to help each other, right?), they might inadvertently suggest a great idea.  If you're at work, it might be a colleague or group of colleagues.  I think it is important, though, to be really wise about who we choose to bounce ideas off.  It’s always going to work best if the other person tends to be creatively open too because people that habitually tend towards a more negative response might leave you feeling discouraged unnecessarily.  Encouraging words can be an awesome stimulation for creativity!

I was made for this

And I think that these interdependent relationship models show us the way that our Creator wants us to do life with Him.  Not that we need to pick up the slack for Him as we might for each other, but He’s sure ready to step in for us.  I know that I am at my creative best when I am spending time taking care of my relationship with God and then it’s the most natural thing in the world to ask Him how I should approach a problem or what His awesome idea would be in a situation.  Sometimes the answer I get isn’t what I’d expected and is sort of opposite to what I was thinking of doing.  Actually, that happens a lot.  When I choose to let go of my way and choose to take on board His suggestion (in all honesty, I don’t always…), I am practising being creatively open; I’m relinquishing control...and I start to get excited at the new direction that things are suddenly taking.  

Further Reading: Sharing Creative expression

Are you one of those people who can turn their hand to pretty much anything?  You can take a piece of fabric and, with the help of a few pins, a pair of scissors and maybe a sewing machine, you can produce a garment that actually looks like something you would wear and not something that you have to pass off as "cutting edge" or "avant garde" the one time you're brave enough to wear it.  I have certain skills in this area myself ;-)

Or maybe you are one of those people that maintains that they don't have a creative bone in their body.  The thought of going to a craft workshop or "upcycling" either horrifies or mildly amuses you.  

Ever since Caroline Burton Fibre Art began, I have been using the tag line "Created Creative".  It's kind of catchy, it aliterates nicely.  But it is also the essence of why I do what I do.  

At the core is my belief that I am created by God, in his image.  

And since He is the absolute authority on all things creative (just take a look around), it stands to reason that I have that part of His personality stamped all over me too.  And so do you.  

Use it or lose it!

While we all might inherently have it, creativity is a part of our psyche that we need to exercise. You could do a little self analysis right now to check how open you are to creative processes....

• How keen are you to try new things? Don't get me wrong - if you're the sort of person who thrives on routine, that's absolutely fine. But it is also important to recognise that it would be easy to miss out on so many of the opportunities that life can hold if we don't make the effort to provide space for new experiences and people in our routine. Creativity is defined as the use of imagination or original ideas to create something - making sure that you are habitually open to new ideas and experiences helps to train your mind to be more receptive to the creative process. If this is an area that you want to work on, how about taking the plunge and trying a new hobby? It might also be a great intro for meeting some new people, another awesome ingredient for creativity.

• How accepting are you of ideas that don't match yours? It can be really easy to get tunnel vision, particularly when someone comes along with a different way of doing something that we've been doing the same way, without thinking about it, for years. On some level, it feels that we are being challenged. Consciously accepting that there can be lots of different ways of doing the same thing is an important part of creative process. You may be able to see immediately that some of the other ways are ludicrous. But make sure you see them for what they are; other ways to achieve the same objective (even if they are more time consuming, costly, outlandish, etc). Maybe you could even try these other options out for yourself, just for fun!

• Are you OK with relaxing your hold on the reins? Or do you have a tendency to micro-manage situations so that you don't feel that things are out of control? This has been a big one for me as a parent. I generally seem to have lots of things going on (mums are great at multi-tasking, right?) and as a result, when my kids want to spread their creative wings, my thoughts immediately go to how I can maintain control of the situation so that I don't end up with another massive mess to clean up and how can I keep the momentum of all the other things I'm juggling while I am helping them. It has been important that I loosen my grip on the control in order for them to be able to explore their creative ideas and develop their own creative expressions as they've grown. Yes, it means that I may occasionally have to help them to clean up the odd mess so huge that I wonder whether it might just be easier to cut our losses and find a new place to live. It's the same in work situations - people can only be their best creative selves (which is always going to be more beneficial to the company as a whole, so long as it's appropriately channelled) when their working environment encourages initiative, collaboration and the free flow of ideas.

But why should I bother - does it really matter if i'm not all that creative?

If you've slipped into a touch of complacency when it comes to this area of your life, firstly, don't beat yourself up - even the people who seem to you to be the most dynamic have seasons in their life where they just feel like they want to lock in cruise control for a while.  But you are actually selling yourself short when you don't bother.  There is so much more to be gained and enjoyed in a life where you push yourself to try new things, be the one to put your hand up and say "Actually, I have a good idea..." and then RUN with it.  I know this because I am really fortunate that my husband (all round amazing man) has always encouraged me to go for it - take the risk.  When I have an idea, his response is always along the lines of "Well, there's nothing stopping you....".   

It is when we push boundaries and step out of our comfort zones to forge new ground that we find out what we are really capable of.  And this is where we find personal fulfilment.  Why?  Because that's the way we were designed!  Created Creative!!  

You are uniquely you.

You may have the sort of creativity that means that your hands can make things which look the way your brain wants them to.  But you may not.  Your particular type of creativity might be expressed through the awesome strategies that you come up with for dealing with conflict.  Or in the way that you can use programming to build a solution for your business.  My point is that your creative expression can look vastly different to the next person's.  

So the next time you're tempted to claim that you are devoid of creativity think about the last problem you solved or the last idea that made you throw yourself a high five and think Yeah!  I thought of that!!  

See?  Look at that, you amazing, creative creation x

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]]>3 WAYS to check whether you are open to creative processesCreated CreativeExhibition WorkCreativityCaroline BurtonMon, 27 Mar 2017 01:33:00 +0000https://www.carolineburton.art/blog/sharing-creative-expression56d77f8c20c647a0f86d27b7:56d7c579f85082043e3ce728:58d859e7725e25ffc9b7b9cd

There is something energising about creating in community, isn't there?  It's fair to say that I am often guilty of hermiting myself away for  days at a time in my studio, getting almost resentful if I have to interrupt my work to pick the kids up from school or grab a coffee with a friend (friends, don't be offended - I still ALWAYS end up enjoying our coffee and it is often good for me to be forced leave my studio so that I can reassess and re-focus!).  

BUT, when I get the opportunity to share my art, I jump at it.  It is a companionable thing to be making or creating side-by-side with others.  To chat, bounce ideas around - sharing our knowledge and enthusiasm with others is hugely satisfying.  

As a part of my recent exhibition, Created, I was able to conduct two live artist demos and a workshop. That week was one of the most fulfilling that I can remember in a long time.  Although it is ancient in origin, felting is a relatively unknown process today.  I love the element of surprise as people watch me take fluff and manipulate it into a three-dimensional form.  I actually had people stand and watch for a full hour as I made a bowl from start to finish!  Felting isn't exactly high octane stuff, but such was the fascination with the vast contrast between the beginning and the end products.  

Whatever your creative expression is, how could you go about sharing it with others?  Have you ever looked at someone else's and thought "I'd love to try that"?  The people around you are an amazing resource, and it's also good to remember that we are designed to thrive in community. We are wired to share ideas and skills.  All it takes is to be willing to share your passion and to ask for others to share theirs.  

"Creativity is contagious.  Pass it on."  Albert Einstein

Myself, I've always been fascinated with the creative ways that some people resolve conflict (isn't every parent) - I love hanging out with people who, often without even realising it, are really gifted in that area.  I try to glean their ideas and strategies.  And if there was some way that I could absorb the amazing aptitude that some people have for making books balance, I probably wouldn't avoid admin days so diligently ;-)  Creativity looks different for everyone - I'd love you to share your favourite creative expression in the comments below.  I bet we would get a huge variety....

Just for kicks, here's my time lapse video of a felted bowl being made.  Enjoy!

I am a DIY nut from way back; I was brought up with the attitude that, sure, you can pay an expert to do a job....or you could have a go at learning to do it yourself.  That way you gain the skills and, ostensibly, save some money. Not that the saving money bit always works out by the time you've bought the tools and materials, had a couple of do-overs! 

Over the last year I have been planning work for my exhibition, which is now three short weeks away.  I really wanted to explore some different ways of mounting my fibre art - a more clean-cut look than my previous work. I also love the look of my fibre art framed, but these pieces needed to be round for a start - cellular forms encompassed.  I also didn't want to have the barrier of glass in front of them.  They were to be tactile, asking to be touched (with clean hands, of course ;-).  

A year may seem like a long time to be preparing for one exhibition, but the reality is that a fair amount of that time is spent chewing over ideas and trying things out.  My artistic practise relies on communication with God and there is a parallel to be drawn between the way I work and my DIY background.  I know that I am more productive, focussed and have a higher success rate (in terms of how happy I am with the work I produce) when I am consulting with Him throughout the process.  Sometimes I forget this and try to DIY things - leave the Creative expert out of the picture.  Not on purpose, just because I'm busy, usually.  I'm trying to squeeze in a bit of work time between school sports day and kids swimming training. That sort of thing.  And that's when I end up with a HUGE piece of felt that I never want to have to look at again or I forget to order the wool that I need for a project with a deadline.  It's not that God isn't still with me because I forgot Him for a bit, it's just that, because I forgot Him for a bit, I'm not tuned in to all the little prompts and suggestions that He pops in to my head with His still, small voice.  

I decided that this was no time for DIY.  I needed to find some local expertise.

Keith

A large part of my exhibition is made up of a series of 25cm (10") round fibre art pieces.  These are to be mounted on custom wood disks, with the edges bound with a stainless steel band. The design was based on a traditional embroidery hoop.  

Keith is a fabrication engineer with his own company, Mobile Services.  

I called Keith and described what I was after in detail.  By the time I popped in to visit him a couple of days later with a drawing, a custom wood disk and a piece of fibre art to show him, he had already made up a sample!  We discussed a couple of possible modifications but it was really already what I wanted and didn't need changing at all, so I ordered 50 of them!

Keith enjoys the variety of his work - no two days are the same.  I don't know if he would consider himself a craftsman but I look at him and I see the incredible skill, the decades of experience with metal fabrication. The trial and error, the lessons learnt, built upon and applied in creative ways to different projects. Isn't that the practise of a craftsman?  

Corin

I was asking around for a cabinet maker who would have the gear to cut the 50 custom wood disks that I needed and a friend recommended Corin.  It wasn't until I went to pick them up that I began to realise that Corin is not just a cabinet maker - a quick check on his website confirmed my suspicions - and made me a little embarrassed to have asked him to do such a basic job!  Corin has a company called Aerowood and he specialises in aircraft woodwork.  I'm not talking about the interior detailing (although I expect he does all that too), but actual light aircraft! Real precision stuff, using the finest quality materials (spruce, I understand).  

I'm not even sure why, but I was nervous approaching Corin and Keith for their help - I mean, it was a relatively small and straight forward job, not exactly the big bucks for them.  But they were both genuinely interested in what I was doing and more than happy to make the time to help me out.   I love that my artwork is going to be presented in bespoke mounts, made by local crafts people that I can put a name and a face to.  

If you're local, I hope that you have a chance to check out "Created" next month - even better if you can make it to the opening preview and join me for a drink and nibbles ;-)  If you do make it, I know that you will be looking at the exhibition and seeing the efforts of three craftspeople from Franklin, brought together to create unique artworks.  

It's so easy to say "I'm going to produce a body of art, one piece at a time for 100 consecutive days".  So far, the grand total of 7 days in, my observations are as follows:

• It is a good practise to go into the studio for a period of time each day with nothing more on the agenda than to produce a small experimental piece of work. It is sometimes in the routine practise that we find sudden inspiration for something new and exciting.

• It is a practise that allows for extensive exploration of a particular detail - it can be tempting sometimes to skip over the discipline of producing samples and perfecting techniques before embarking on a larger piece (yep, confession time!)

• I am not going to be 100% super excited about every piece that I produce in this process, but I am going to have to be a big girl and share it anyway - it is, after all, part of something bigger.

• I really, really love felting :-)

• Silk is an awesome fibre for adding texture and a depth of lustrous colour that is very pleasing

• I am an extremely messy worker

OK, so I knew those last three points already.

It may be hard to discern at this stage, but there is an underlying theme that I am working within throughout this process.  Genesis 1 v 27; "So God created mankind in his image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them".   Number 7 is called "Reflection"

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since the 2016 NZ Creative Fibre Festival closed and it has been a super busy time.  The week after there was the flurry of media attention - being a first time entrant, a local and a multiple award winner created the perfect storm for a brief minute.  I know, I may have mentioned it once or twice.  I was so blown-away blessed, though - I'm still excited about it!

Then there was Mr BurtoNZ' birthday.  He deserved to be especially spoiled after flying solo with the kids for the weekend while I was having all my fibre fun.  To be honest, he's going to be a tough act to follow in the school holiday entertainment stakes.  He pulled out all the stops - trips out every day, fast food - basically all the things that kids think the holidays are supposed to be completely jam-pack-filled with.  I don't even want to think about all the complaints I'm going to get next holidays when it's back to "it is not my job to entertain you 24/7" and "you can have some time on your device after you tidy your room...", not to mention "it's outside time or room time" (see, they do get choices!).  I'm glad that they had a great few days hanging out together, though.  

I also received confirmation from ArtsPost gallery that my proposal for an exhibition (my second solo show!) had been accepted.  I confess that sent me in to a bit of a spin.  It's one thing to talk about your amazing ideas for a body of work, but when it actually comes to making it happen, I tend to get a slightly frozen-in-the-headlights panic.  I know that, once I can actually shake myself into action - then it will flow.  And Mr BurtoNZ will have to literally drag me from my studio to spend time with me.  Did I just blow my super-confident artist persona with one paragraph?  I have to believe that all artists become riddled with self doubt at some time or another, if only for a moment.  

In the mean time, while I chew over where to attack the exhibition work next, I have been joyfully churning out beautiful bowls!  They really are a most pleasant distraction and I am loving the way they look all massed on my encyclopaedia cabinet.  Yes - we actually have a set of encyclopaedias.  From the 1950s!  Every now and again, just for the fun of it, I suggest that one of the kids look up the info they need for a school assignment - "old school".  

I've had a few people ask me what a felt bowl can be used for....my response?  Can't it just be a thing that is beautiful to look at and intriguing to touch?  If it must have a use, the ones with a wider opening make a great yarn bowl to stop your ball of yarn rolling all over as you pull the yarn away.  Or a cosy place to store small things.  Or a decorative bowl to stand a small plant in.  Comment below with your ideas!  I will keep posting them on Instagram as we come up with them :-)

Hot tip:  I love an opportunity to recycle, reuse or repurpose and I have finally found a great use for the myriad plastic carrier bags that I inherited with one of the cupboards in my kitchen.  Firmly stuffing them into the finished bowl helps to shape and stretch the felt out so that it dries to a pleasingly hard (yet pliable!) form.  And it's much quicker than working away at it with my hands!

I suppose that, in answer to my initial question, life is a journey - creativity is part of the landscape along the way, as are our relationships, jobs, etc.  So no, I hope that I never consider that I have arrived.  I will just keep looking toward the next challenge with eager anticipation because I am created creative by the Greatest Creator!

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]]>Life after becoming an award winning artist....have I arrived?!Caroline BurtonMon, 09 May 2016 09:08:00 +0000https://www.carolineburton.art/blog/2016/5/9/ageologicalworkofart56d77f8c20c647a0f86d27b7:56d7c579f85082043e3ce728:57303cfe2eeb81cdd060f8e3

It was Mother's Day here in New Zealand on Sunday. Now, I know that many people will argue that it's just a day that greetings card companies and retailers have cleverly cashed in on. Maybe, by celebrating mothers and fathers on days that were designated somewhere back in the mists of time, we are falling willing victims to this cynical ploy. But frankly, I don't really mind that. It seems to me that creating an excuse to celebrate another person is always a good thing. Granted we should make sure that we don't take the people in our lives for granted the rest of the year! I had been mentioning for several days beforehand that Sunday would be a lovely day for a photo shoot. The plan was to head over to one of our favourite local spots on the East Coast. The "East Coast Sandstone" skirt and "Briny" top that won the Creative Fibre Contemporary Fashion Award last week was a bit of a last minute entry and so I hadn't had a chance to photograph it beforehand.

So, when I returned home on Saturday afternoon to find that my model had spent the last hour painting an extremely elaborate design down her right thigh, I was speechless. Her first suggestion was "Thin Lizzy" - she'd seen the ads. I was unconvinced. But then I really looked at it. So detailed, it was beautiful. THEN I remembered that, like me, my children were created creative and I was looking at the expression of her gift. I loved that I could do a shoot that featured a beautiful blend of our separate creative works.

Set against the backdrop of textural rock, with the setting sun glittering on the water, the rippling hemline of the "Briny" top laps against the "East Coast Sandstone" skirt which is inspired by the layered sandstone cliffs that are found around Auckland's east coast. And the undulating hemline of the skirt reveals just a glimpse of the model's own artwork.