Sabrina Crosthwaite
Australia
In Victoria, Australia, as elsewhere, we were confined to our homes for months; 1 hour exercise a day; compulsory mask wearing; unable to travel for than 5 km from home; plus an evening curfew.
We are now privileged as we are much nearer normal than most places with an overall low death rate. The pain of the early hard lockdown was worth it.
My emotions through this journey were a roller coaster.
Once our restrictions were lifted, I was able to see my 87 year mother for the first time in months, and the following weekend we went to the country and saw my sister, also the first time in nearly 9 months.
The joy I felt at this reconnection was wonderful. Also seeing friends again, able to have visitors to your home. Such joy. This piece represents all this.
However it also has been difficult reconnecting. Uncertainty, caution, not having been in a place for months, I found it very tenuous. But once we had been through the biggest hurdle it was so nice to hug friends again
With family over Europe we were affected by the pandemic. However nothing like the many who lost loved ones. My thoughts are with those of you that have lost loved ones.
Artwork 1
All Together
For All Together, I chose the colours to represent the diversity of people. I used a lot of harmony but some contrast to represent this diversity. Each circle over laps others, to portray that we all have connections, and given the nature of wool, each colour slightly bleeds into the colour above, reinforcing connection. The stitching also connects all the circles. It shows movement, repetition and cohesion.
Materials and Techniques.
Commercial Pre felt, lightly felted, then hand stitched and felted further.
Artwork size in CM: Width…45 cm Length 60 cm
Artwork 2
We Together
The second piece, We Together, again the stitching holds all the variety of shapes together. But this time the stitching was all in one colour, representing we all were going through the same experience.
Materials and Techniques.
Commercial Pre felt, lightly felted, then hand-stitched and felted further.
Artwork size in CM: Width 27 cm Length 29 cm
Artwork 3
Shell
The third piece represents reconnection to nature. After so much time in your home, away from the country side, it was so wonderful to visit the beach again. So many other people were doing just the same thing as walking, observing, chatting, and me. The shell is a memento of this experience. Again stitched to reconnect the silk to wool. This is all very symbolic to me.
Materials and Techniques.
Free machine embroidered on tissue silk, hand coloured with acrylic paint, then felted into pre-felt.
Artwork size in CM: Width… 23cm Length 17cm
