Last week my mother gave the family a wonderful Christmas present. She rented two adjoining houses on Cockatoo Island and mum, my four siblings and I, all our partners/wives/husbands and many of our children gathered to spend three days together. It was a huge, amazing success. We talked, cooked, ate, walked, some went boating and fishing, in a large group (19 of us for the big lunch) or in small mixes. Any old rivalries or disputes were forgotten and new bonds and memories were formed. What an incredible gift for a family!
I’ve mentioned Cockatoo Island before – it was one of the venues for the Sydney Biennale (source of some textile works discussed 27-Aug-2012), and a photo from there was the inspiration for my project 8 weaving in a rigid grid (see 27-Sept-2012).
The island was a penal settlement for a while, then a long period of ship-building and industry. When I got home I found virtually no photos of people (too busy with conversation 🙂 ), but many of lines and textures for future textile inspiration.
First just one of the family (photo credit to brother Andy), at lunch with the harbour and bridge in the background, then a mixture of the Federation houses where we stayed and other glimpses of the island.
Fibres of Being 