In the Studio with designer Christine Lethlean
With her home and studio surrounded by stunning scenery, it’s no wonder Christine Lethlean has found her creative sanctuary in rural Victoria. We call on her in Clunes to discover more about The Margie & Bert Design Studio. By Erica Spinks
After recently relocating from Western Australia, Christine Lethlean says she is fortunate to have found her place in country Victoria. “Our new home has been renovated to include a dedicated studio that overlooks the historic village of Clunes. With large windows to the east, the vista to Mount Beckworth, the skyscape, the seasonal changes and the village in the foreground, the views are at times breathtaking and stirring,” says Christine. “I have often dreamt of having such a space and still pinch myself that my vision has been realised, and in the most unlikely of places have I found myself so creatively abundant.”
Christine named her studio The Margie & Bert Design Studio in honour of her parents, Margaret and Albert Lethlean, pioneer wheat and sheep farmers in Western Australia. “In hindsight, they taught me much and to this day influence my philosophy on life,” she says. “There were no modern conveniences such as electricity, running water or telephone in my childhood, however I grew up with a strong sense of making do and creating with the simple and rudimentary resources we had.”
Her parents demonstrated how to be creatively resourceful. “Often what inspires me most is making something out of nothing, mending and making do, repurposing treasured finds and seeing the beauty in sometimes unloved and overlooked things,” says Christine.
This inspiration is evident in Christine’s textile pieces, most of which combine pre-loved fabrics and fibres with new materials. She enjoys using simple stitching techniques and appliqué (both needleturn and raw-edge free-motion machine stitching) to incorporate a palette of colour, prints and texture in her work. Simple continuous line tacking and chain stitch often feature in her pieces as they lend themselves to the naïve look Christine likes so much. “I do not mind errors at all,” she explains. “In fact, the more flaws, the more interesting the piece becomes and I have five golden rules I abide by: nothing is right or wrong; mix warm and cool colours; mix dark and light colours; respect the marks you make with stitch; and no unpicking!”
Other influences from her past are also evident in her textile pieces. “Mum’s simple flower garden and a freshly picked bunch of wildflowers on our kitchen table inspired me immensely and, to this day, floral arrangements are my most loved subject for inspiration,” she says.
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Christine Lethlean’s studio space is arranged around a long bench that comfortably accommodates up to 10 keen workers. “There have been times, though, when more have been squished in elbow-to-elbow because ‘they wanted to be there’,” Christine laughs. “It was my original intention to create an inspiring space, so the room is light and bright and has artwork on the walls and shelves on either side.” A dedicated wall of cupboards stores materials for creating art with mixed media and other resources. When the doors are closed this adds to the uncluttered feel of the studio.
The Margie & Bert Design Studio is a working one that is open to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays and by special arrangement. Both informal and structured classes and workshops are held there and Christine values the support, motivation and encouragement of the participants. “When we come together, our life stories, daily reflections and humour are a sacred and shared experience. To be able to guide and facilitate the creative journey of these women, to learn from their challenges, to be patient with their resistance, to experiment with them using new techniques and mediums and to witness the beautiful work that emerges — words cannot express. To be a part of this both humbles and inspires my work immensely.”
The Clunes Textile Working Group evolved from studio sessions. In November 2016, the group held ‘A Textile Palette, the Exhibition’, a collection of 68 pieces of textile art created in the studio. The exhibition ran for a month, in conjunction with the inaugural Clunes Village Quilt Hanging, which displayed 42 quilts over three weekends. Both events attracted many visitors to the village and several pieces were sold and commissions requested from various artists. “Feedback regarding the calibre of work overall and the variety of artistic techniques was very positive,” Christine says. “By popular demand, the newly formed Clunes Textile Art Group has been asked to convene a similar event this year. I will be involved both as an event organiser and artist.”
The long table in the Margie & Bert Design Studio is not just for students; it is also where Christine Lethlean tries out her new ideas and textile combinations. “If you were to visit the studio when a new project is emerging, the studio table appears busy and strewn with bits and pieces, however it helps me to spread out and not worry about making a mess,” she says. “It is important to have the studio as a dedicated space in which I can both physically and mentally feel comfortable to begin work. The beauty of textile art is that each piece is an organic process. A discarded piece can be reused or built on by adding a stitch here and there, so it can often seem like I have started many things but finished very few! In the scheme of things this is not true as I do finish many pieces.”
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This year Christine is working on a new body of work for an exhibition titled Our Place. “This will include work by a variety of artisans and, as the theme suggests, will be based on the artist’s interpretation of place and time,” she explains. “Participating artists will be requested to use only repurposed resources to create their body of work and, for me, this will include the design of a quilt made from wool and several framed art pieces. I am currently working on my family history and would like to work up a piece that tells a story about our family and where we have come from to be here.”
Christine Lethlean is also involved in organising another event, the annual Quiltessentially Clunes stitching retreat. “I am the regional coordinator, working closely with two well-known Melbourne quilters, Judy Newman and Rae Telfer. Quiltessentially Clunes is a two- to four-day stitching retreat that welcomes quilters and textile workers to come together, be inspired, learn new skills, forge new friendships and network in Clunes.” The event has taken place twice before and the group is currently seeking expressions of interest for the next retreat to be held in March, 2018.
Christine Lethlean is also busy teaching elsewhere in Victoria. This year, she welcomed the opportunity to offer two classes — Floral Still Life and Vintage Keepsake — at the Australasian Quilt Convention in Melbourne. She also exhibited quilts and textile pieces at the convention.
Stepping into the sanctity of her studio is satisfying for Christine Lethlean. “When the creative ideas come it is a pleasure to work in an unburdened space, uninterrupted at any time of day or night,” she says. “Equally, I appreciate being able to leave an unfinished project undisturbed and return to it when time permits and the urge to continue flows once more.”
She also enjoys the flexibility of being able to utilise the external deck area for mixed media wet work with paints and other messy materials. Alternatively, the studio deck offers Christine the opportunity to simply sit, enjoy the view and ponder which possibilities she will pursue next. We can’t imagine a more pleasant place for creative rumination.
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To contact Christine Lethlean or find information about her teaching schedule, visit margieandbert.com. For expressions of interest for the Quiltessentially Clunes stitching retreat email quiltessentiallyclunes@gmail.com
