You’re Invited to Be Part of Rita Summer’s Cancer Free Celebration

Help me celebrate being declared cancer-free after 5 years! Last month, I got the final all-clear.

No more scans, no more specialist appointments.

So now I want to celebrate! I would love it if you could participate in this special slow stitch project.

The plan is to make a fabric scroll with all your contributions, quite a long one I hope!

The finished scroll will be displayed in the very first exhibition in our new art shed, which is in the planning stages right now.

Dare to Dream Slow Stitch Path

The back story: five years ago I was diagnosed with a rare aggressive uterine cancer. Long story short: big operation in Hobart followed by five weeks of radiation therapy.

My body did not cope well with the treatment.

To help me get through I did 2 things:

A. I made 16 small handstitched art quilts featuring red and other colours, which I called Dare to Dream. I usually could work at least a few minutes each day on these little artworks, sometimes more.

B. I wore something red when going into the clinic for treatment. This was usually a scarf, a necklace or my red shoes.

I didn’t know for quite a while why the colour red was so important.

Then it came to me: red was for courage. It has other meanings too of course, but this was what it meant to me.

About the Artist

Artist Rita Summers creates her work from the land itself – leaves and earth – the result of a direct relationship and collaboration with the Tasmanian landscape.

She finds and reinvents vintage and recycled materials with natural dyes or earth paints combined with contemporary stitching techniques, allowing the materials themselves to inspire her creations.

Through these media, Rita constantly explores ways to visually respond to and express her thoughts/reflections about life experiences, her faith and the local environment.

Her qualifications include a Diploma of Art Craft Design (Textiles) and a Bachelor of Education (including an Art major for which she earned a distinction) and has operated a gallery/studio under the name Gone Rustic in St Marys, Tasmania for over 20 years.

Her work has been juried into numerous exhibitions within Tasmania, interstate and overseas, and has attracted many awards.

She has also been published in various Australian and international paper and digital magazines.

Through her business Rita also hosts and curates art exhibitions from Tasmania and further afield, including Europe and the USA.

Rita was born in Canada but has lived, studied and worked in Tasmania since her teens.

Follow Rita as Gone Rustic on Instagram and Facebook, book into a workshop or event with Rita  and explore her inspiring work online at Gone Rustic and join her email newsletter for all the latest happenings (look towards the bottom of some of the website pages for the discrete signup box).