Fire Season- Sue Dennis

These are the scenes, after a bushfire in the top end of Australia, that inspired my new work in the Ithaka series. I named it Fire Season.

Fire Season

44cm W x 102cm L [17” x 40”]

During the driest time of the year in Northern Australia fire is used as a tool to clear undergrowth, allowing seeds to germinate and refresh the landscape. As this has been a practice of indigenous people for hundreds of years, many Australian plant species rely on this annual fire event to begin propagation.

On my journey I came across a blackened, burnt area already in recovery and was reminded of the Ithaka journey, the hardships to be overcome and the time necessary for renewal.

Materials: cotton, synthetics, textile ink, batting, various threads

Techniques: hand printed and painted, fabric manipulation, machine applique, machine quilted