As the Fremantle Arts Centre is closed this week for maintenance I have a week to focus on my art. This is what I carved yesterday.

To say I’m getting into this theme is an understatement; I am finding more depth and symbology with each image. There is a quote From the Alice in Wonderland story which says “The chief difficulty Alice found was in managing her flamingo..” Here I equated the flamingo with all things in life which are difficult to manage, and a specific difficulty which I wont go into here. After carving the image I realised Alice is looking the flamingo in the eye – which you may have noticed is a human eye not a bird’s eye. I have found recently that looking at difficulties head on, with acceptance of the problem, is a beneficial approach. Rather than trying to escape them as I would have often done in the past. Interesting how this came through in the work, as it usually does.  I will post prints of these soon.
You may have noticed that Alice in in a tropical paradise not an English garden, this is the influence of the gardens in the Arma Resort Ubud, Bali where I ran a linocut art workshop in January.  In the images I am using the symbol of the garden with a place or a way of being that you wish to escape to or become part of.
I am now taking bookings for January 2016, find out more at http://ubudartworkshops.com/
All of these Alice and Wonderland inspired pieces will be available for purchase at the Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition at the Fire Station Print Studio in Melbourne in September, contact me for further information. Email:  shanajames@iinet.net.au