ART takes on many forms and the artwork Flotsam and Jetsam shows how collaboration in art can create something very special.

In 2020, for many members of the Port Stephens Community Arts Centre considered vulnerable to COVID-19, art became a way to focus on something positive.

During the COVID-19 lockdown from March to July this year the Fusion Group took up a challenge to create ‘inchies’ using a fabric embellishment Texture Challenge.

Their brief was to take a five-centimetre piece of fabric and to use varied hand sewing techniques to transform it into something unique, the work is titled Flotsam and Jetsam.

Meryl Miller told News Of The Area, “The group used running stitches, French knots and cross stitches, they then added shredded laces and fabric scraps, rolled and couched down creating a look of some odds and ends you might find washed up on the beach, they also added beads and other treasures stored in their kits.”

The original specification for the Flotsam and Jetsam challenge was to decorate one side of the fabric and the team would then decide how to create a raffle prize for the Port Stephens Community Arts Centre.

Once the team were able to meet with restricted numbers and saw each other’s creations true synergy took place.
They decided to decorate their inchies on both sides.

“Kim Withers then came up with the idea on how to combine their efforts into the magical wall hanging,” she said.

Flotsam and Jetsam wall hanging raffle tickets are available at the Port Stephens Community Arts Centre until March.

The Centre is open across the holiday period with the current Exhibition “Open Your Eyes Under Water – Wow”.

The Gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00am – 4pm and Sunday 10 – 1pm. The Garden Café is open on Saturdays until 2pm.

The gallery closes at 1pm on December 24 and reopens on December 27 and closes again at 1pm on New Years Eve and reopens on 2 January.

 

By Marian SAMPSON