2012 Pauline Tonkin

Pauline Tonkin

"Clusters" bib necklace is inspired by the work of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928 - 2000). His organic work and use of bold color was both legendary and controversial. He was fascinated by spirals. He called straight lines "the devil's tools". Even his architecture had irregular features such as wavy walls, uneven floors and meandering windows. Buildings were often topped by onion domes or even a forest on the roof.

My piece, which combines felting, stitch and freeform crochet, takes several elements of his paintings, spirals, grids and colour to create a small homage to his art.

2010 Pauline Tonkin

Pauline Tonkin

Perth, Western AUS

Indian Ocean on a Sunny Day Shawl

After growing up in Sydney and going surfing most weekends in the summer, my family spent over twelve years in the Australian Outback while my engineer husband worked in mining towns in Queensland, NSW and Western Australia. It was before the days of the internet and cheap phone calls interstate and I often felt very cut off from my family, the arts and the sea.

In 1992 we settled in Perth, five minutes drive from the ocean. There is a road between our home and the city that follows the coast and it is just the most wonderful view of the Indian Ocean and it is “my place”.  I use it instead of the Freeway at every opportunity. Alas, due to a knee replacement, I can no longer swim in the ocean but I just cannot get enough of its changing beauty, bright turquoise in the sun, grey and turbulent on stormy days and of course red and orange at sunset.