billy tea – wall art

Description

As a migrant to Tasmania from Canada, I didn’t know about billy tea until I went on a youth group camping trip when I was in grade 9. I wanted to capture this discovery in my work, and contrast the traditional (slower) process of making tea and the newer (more instant) method. In the bush, a gum leaf was usually added to the billy with the tealeaves; perhaps it happened accidentally the first time! Part of the ‘texture’ of Tasmanian history.

size – TBC

I am a Canadian-born eco artist living and working in the island state of Tasmania. I hold a Bachelor of Education (Art Major, distinction) and a diploma of Art Craft Design; I taught within the state education system, did management and community work, and then found my true calling after having a work-related breakdown in 2002. I opened my gallery/studio exactly 1 year later to the day and discovered eco printing and dyeing in 2008. I have always loved textiles and stitching and part of my mission is to raise awareness of them as a valid art form. My underlying philosophy is to create products and source materials as ethically as I can. I find and reinvent vintage and preloved clothing, fabrics and other materials with natural dyes, paints made from the earth and deconstruction techniques, allowing them to inspire my work. Materials for natural printing and colour are mostly foraged from our own property, where I can manage the trees and plants respectfully. My business is based in northeastern Tasmania, Australia; this is where I display and sell my work.

art is like breathing to me – life and thoughts impressed on paper, cloth, the air; fleeting sounds and images captured before they escape forever

(c) Rita Summers

Visit my website to see what is current in products and workshops. I do offer a few online workshops if you are not local to Tasmania.   Gone Rustic Studio