Julie Paterson is one of Australia’s best known contemporary textile designers. She was Designer in Residence at the State Library of NSW in 2015 when she drew inspiration from the Library’s collection and created a new waratah textile.
Winter 2017 saw Julie once again transform the Macquarie Room into an art studio. Inspired by the Library’s archives and building on her 2016 residency work, Julie created 12 artworks in 12 days.
This is the story of Julie’s design journey: one of the hundreds of stories of inspiration, interpretation and creation represented in the Library’s collection.
Seventh Chapter Australian Inspiration: Chapter 6: Coming to Life Ninth Chapter Australian Inspiration: Chapter 8: Julie's Talk Story Contents Australian Inspiration: Introduction Australian Inspiration: Chapter 1: Design for Life Australian Inspiration: Chapter 2: Seeking Inspiration Australian Inspiration: Chapter 3: Residency Australian Inspiration: Chapter 4: Back to the bush: Deconstructing the flower Australian Inspiration: Chapter 5: Testing Ideas: Paper Stencils Australian Inspiration: Chapter 6: Coming to Life Australian Inspiration: Chapter 7: Continuing Collaboration Australian Inspiration: Chapter 8: Julie's Talk Australian Inspiration Australian Inspiration: Chapter 1: Design for Life Design for LifeJulie lives and works in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, where she finds inspiration for her life’s work.
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I work with a small team of people who love what they do, making textiles by hand, the old fashioned way. I collaborate with others for the joy of making something together that we couldn’t make alone. In Blackheath I run imperfect workshops for the creatively curious. I take commissions and I exhibit, and my favourite place to be is working in my studio.
I’ve written a book and a manifesto to live by. I live a simple life. It feels good."
Julie’s design journey begins with a tour of waratah-inspired items in the Library’s collection, selected by curator Sarah Morley in the lead up to the Australian Inspiration exhibition in 2015.
Artists in the 1920s such as Margaret Preston and Adrian Feint used the bold shape of the waratah, contributing to the recognition of native flowers and plants as part of Australia’s cultural identity. The waratah continues to offer infinite possibilities for design inspiration.
Australian Inspiration: Seeking Inspiration Full width (after Body) Background Inspiration from the Library's collections From early botanical drawings dating back to the foundation of the colony through to tea towels of the present day, the waratah has become a national form of decoration and the floral emblem and logo of New South Wales. The waratah’s beauty and striking c Collection Item An illuminated address to Joseph T Cummings 20th July 1922 By Edgar Whitbread (d. 1958)From the late 1870s to the 1930s, illuminated addresses were a popular way to commemorate special occasions and were given to recognize outstanding service. They featured beautiful calligraphy and ornate designs of native flora and fauna. Today’s decorative NSW birth certificates show how the illuminated address has evolved.
View this collection item Call Number: V* / ILL /AD /7 Published date: 20th July 1922 Collection Item Telopea speciosissima ‘Waratah’ 1879 By Helena Forde (1832–1910)This is the original preparatory drawing for the waratah card featured in the Australian Floral Cards series by Helena Forde (nee Scott) and Harriet Scott.
Acquired before 1912, possibly bequeathed by DS Mitchell. In an album of Botanical drawings of mainly Australian plants, c. 1852–1896 by Helena Forde.
This paper souvenir features 24 steel-engraved vignettes of Sydney, in the style of English-born Australian artist ST Gill. The sheet folds into quarters to form a small bouquet of waratahs.
View this collection item Call Number: PXA 1939 Published date: c. 1869 Collection Item sorgano Waratah card 1881 By Helena Forde (1832–1910) and Harriet Scott (1830–1907)Sisters Helena and Harriet Scott were Sydney’s leading natural history illustrators in the later part of the 19th century. In 1880, they were employed by Sydney booksellers Turner and Henderson to produce the Australian Floral Cards series of Christmas and New Year cards depicting local wildflowers. They appear to be the first locally published, Australian-designed Christmas cards and were registered as works of fine art. The greetings were overprinted later. This set is without greetings.
In Australian Floral Cards by Helena Forde and Harriet Scott, printed by Turner & Henderson, c. 1881
View this collection item Call Number: 581.991/F Published date: 1881 Collection Item sorgano See for yourself … the Blue Mountains of New South Wales c. 1949 By Henry Rousel (1865–1929)Henry Rousel, a Sydney-based sign-writer working as H Rousel, Signwriter Company, expanded into screen-printing and paintings for hotels to promote breweries. This Rousel design was used in a tourist campaign by the local council. The Blue Mountains have long been a tourist destination for Sydneysiders with the waratah being one of many attractions.
View this collection item Call Number: POSTERS 902 Published date: c. 1949 Collection Item Waratah Rhymes for Young Australia 1891 By Photo etchings by Mrs EM Boyd, Mr R Andre and LA Meredith [1891?]Louisa A Meredith was a British-born writer and illustrator who moved to Australia with her husband in 1839. On her arrival in Australia she continued to write and sketch, observing colonial life and bush flora and fauna. Her wildflower drawings won medals in exhibitions in Australia and overseas, notably in the Melbourne
This light-hearted verse, celebrating the waratah, was written and illustrated by Louisa A Meredith.
View this collection item Call Number: Q821.8/M559.1/1 Published date: 1891 Collection Item Embothrium speciosissimum 1793 By James Sowerby (1757–1822)James Sowerby was a natural historian, artist and engraver, who collaborated with James Smith (1759–1828), one of the first botanists to work on the plant specimens sent back to England from the new colony. Together, in 1793, they produced the first scientific publication of Australian flora, A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland. Sowerby’s plates were renowned for their simplicity and botanical accuracy.
View this collection item Call Number: Q79/59 Published date: 1793 On display: On Tour Copyright Information:Out of copyright.
Collection Item The Australian Flora in Applied Art 1915 By Richard T Baker (1854–1941)This volume documents the use of the waratah motif in Australian architecture and decorative arts. Baker discusses the various types of waratahs and shows their application in local architecture, bookbindings, ceramics, enamel tiles, electrical fittings, glassware, ironwork, lace, silverware, wallpapers, dados, friezes, windows and woodcarvings. The book features the designs of Lucien Henry.
View this collection item Call Number: 704.9434/1A Published date: 1915 Collection Item sorgano sorgano sorgano sorgano Waratah binding tool & volume with binding tool imprint 1920 By Frank HeynerThese bookbinding tools are used by the Library’s bookbinders to create decorative patterns on leather-bound books. This volume was bound in 1920 in half-red morocco, cloth sides, with gold vein marble endpapers. The spine is decorated with waratah, wattle and leaves, hand-tooled by Frank Heyner, foreman-in-charge of the Mitchell Bindery.
View this collection item Call Number: A 1461 Published date: 1920 Collection Item The War-Atah: Australian Legend 1891 By Lucien Henry (1850–1896)French artist Lucien Henry came to Sydney in 1879, at a time when the colony was developing pride in its identity. He pioneered the use of Australian flora and fauna in decorative art and was particularly enraptured with the waratah, which he championed in many of his designs. In his book, The Australian Flora in Applied Art: Part I the Waratah, Richard T Baker praised Henry, writing ‘Australia certainly had an artist possessing real genius’. On his return to France in 1891 Lucien Henry wrote and illustrated The War-Atah: Australian Legend.
View this collection item Call Number: Q823.8/H522.2/1 Published date: 1891 Meet Sarah MorleyAustralian Inspiration: Sarah Morley Right (50% width) Background Seventh Chapter Australian Inspiration: Chapter 6: Coming to Life Ninth Chapter Australian Inspiration: Chapter 8: Julie's Talk Story Contents Australian Inspiration: Introduction Australian Inspiration: Chapter 1: Design for Life Australian Inspiration: Chapter 2: Seeking Inspiration Australian Inspiration: Chapter 3: Residency Australian Inspiration: Chapter 4: Back to the bush: Deconstructing the flower Australian Inspiration: Chapter 5: Testing Ideas: Paper Stencils Australian Inspiration: Chapter 6: Coming to Life Australian Inspiration: Chapter 7: Continuing Collaboration Australian Inspiration: Chapter 8: Julie's Talk Australian Inspiration Australian Inspiration: Chapter 3: Residency Residency"I'm a curator at the Library working in our Research and Discovery Branch. I work closely with our Manuscript and Rare Book collections drawing on my experience in collection acquisition and arrangement & description. In 2015 I curated the Australian Inspiration exhibition, a companion to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Inspiration by Design. I was also the liaison curator for our Planting Dreams exhibition curated by Richard Aitken in 2016.
When I'm not working on exhibitions I acquire items for the collection and provide support and content for programs, events and the Library's social media channels.
I am passionate about libraries, the history of the book, and interpretations of Australia from the earliest records to the present day."
a week long residency
where julie works toward her new design
and shares her process with the public...
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Julie tests her ideas using her tried and true paper-cut stenciling method.
Testing Ideas Full width (after Body) More waratah inspired design tests"The paper cut stencils just give the opportunity to explore it in real time… to literally get your hands dirty… Will it, or will it not work?"
Julie has several waratah-inspired designs in development. In these sketches and test prints you can see how she keeps returning to the flower and finding new approaches to its interpretation. A single design can take as long as two years for Julie to develop. It’s an important part of her process to find out if a design can stand the test of time as she intends for them to remain on sale in her collection up to ten years.
Paterson_PaperCutStencils_WaratahBud Paterson_seedpod_wood_stencil Paterson_WoodStencil_PodDoublePrint Paterson_SeedPod_StencilSketch Paterson_alt_design_seedpod_papercut_stencil Paterson_alt_waratah_desgin_03 Paterson_Alt_waratah_design_working_sketch_01 Paterson_alt_waratah_design_01 Paterson_alt_waratah_desgin_dev_sketch_02 Paterson_alt_waratah_design_02 Full width (after Body) Seventh Chapter Australian Inspiration: Chapter 6: Coming to Life Ninth Chapter Australian Inspiration: Chapter 8: Julie's Talk Story Contents Australian Inspiration: Introduction Australian Inspiration: Chapter 1: Design for Life Australian Inspiration: Chapter 2: Seeking Inspiration Australian Inspiration: Chapter 3: Residency Australian Inspiration: Chapter 4: Back to the bush: Deconstructing the flower Australian Inspiration: Chapter 5: Testing Ideas: Paper Stencils Australian Inspiration: Chapter 6: Coming to Life Australian Inspiration: Chapter 7: Continuing Collaboration Australian Inspiration: Chapter 8: Julie's Talk Australian Inspiration Australian Inspiration: Chapter 6: Coming to Life Coming to LifeThe new design comes to life with the first run of Julie’s ‘Waratah Paisley’.
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“Colour and composition is my thing, it’s what I do. I say this often. Being a textile designer means really understanding colour and its main intricacies. I’m prepared to spend a long time working on the colouration of a new design because the tweaking and adjustments rarely work straight away. Samples and strike-offs go back and forth to the printer for weeks. There are countless options that all have the potential to work. The fine tuning, the subtle shifts in tone, tint, shade and hue, will turn a good design into a very good design that will stand the test of time.
When I choose a new colour it stays with me for a long, long time. It has to be right. Both the designs and the colours have to last for at least ten years in the collection. They are timeless, bold, contemporary classics.”
Julie Paterson (2015) ClothBound: Iconic fabric designs. Stories of a Handmade Process Murdoch Books
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View more of Julie's work on Instagram at @clothjulie
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Find out about Julie's LookDrawPrint workshops on her website.
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Julie talks about her life in design, detailing the evolution of her business Cloth and how she applies her Creative Manifesto in her daily life.
"I wanted people to be involved in the process. I wanted people to get as much enjoyment as I do out of making things."
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