Diane Harries
Artist books, prints, fibre arts.
Whanganui, New Zealand
Recent highlights
Experiencing Stitch, 2021
Series of artist books, mixed media embroidery, calligraphy
Artist Statement: How do I get my annual cultural “fix” if I can’t travel in this Covid world? I can surf the internet and explore foreign crafts, but how can I make it experiential? I started watching embroidery tutorials on YouTube, then, gathering needle and threads, I learned to do the stitches demonstrated. My strategy worked and I became transported by my discoveries and the joy of accomplishment.
Running Stitch; 2. Cross Stitch; 3. Chain Stitch; 4. Blanket Stitch
Exhibited in Sarjeant Review 2021 as triptych of running, cross and chain stitch books.
2021 Overwintering Project “Where the seabirds go…”
Artist Book: Linocut, collagraph, calligraphy, drawing, photography, collage, stitching, paper, card, cover is textured, embroidered silk.
Dimensions: Slightly smaller than A4.
Artist's Statement: The endangered Chatham petrel, Pterodroma axillaris, has a fascinating story, revealed in the pages of this project book. Its breeding environment is different to most other migratory seabirds; some of its threats are unexpected and the solutions ingenious.
These two books about the Chatham Petrel will be exhibited in Orewa in 2021, as part of a group show “Overwintering Project”. The printmaking book Day by Day was also exhibited in Percy Thompson Gallery, Stratford in 2021.
Day After Day, 2021
Artist book to be displayed opened so the tapered pages will create a spiral on each side of the pointed back cover.
Media/Materials used: Linocut, collagraph, paper, card.
Dimensions: When opened out fully - height 300 mm, width 420 mm. depth 210 mm.
Artist's Statement (max 100 words): The endangered Chatham petrel, Pterodroma axillaris, spends most of its life at sea, soaring over the ocean waves in every type of weather. A small vulnerable bird living the life of an albatross, and in need of our protection from the hazards of by-catch by fishermen, and competition for nesting sites on the Chatham Islands.
2021 Paper Thread:
A concertina style sampler book of techniques suitable for working with felted kozo paper made into thread - weaving, knitting, lacemaking, embroidery. Pages made of felted paper and tissue. (Thread-making learned from Sandra Brooks, FibreArts workshop 2021)
ABC Competition Entries 2020 “The Binding”
Entry 1: Rebinding a paperback –
“The Surgeon of Crowthorne”
Winner of Bronze Award for craft binding
Entry 2: Artist Book: Bindweed
Winner of Gold Award for craft binding
Artist Statement: When I was called for an artist book inspired by the popular novel “The Binding” by Bridget Collins, my inner-creative-self looked out through the botanical curtain that often surrounds me, and presented me with “Bindweed”.
This artist book pays homage to the twining nature of the bindweed plant. The covers wind through the pages; the binding threads wind up the spines. The cultural content winds through the diversity of human knowledge and pulls together both art and science. Historic and contemporary aspects of botany, science, art, literary prose and poetry, twine between themselves. Glimpses of information are visible between the myriad leaves.
2021 ABC Exhibition: Criss Cross (Secret Belgian) Bindings
Criss Cross binding entry 1: ABSeediary artist book
An A to Z of plant seed structures
Criss Cross binding entry 2: Lace in Print
Artist book of printmaking and cyanotypes of lace samples of many types.
Cover and binding contained by bobbin lacework with linen thread.