Saturday, August 28, 2010

Sandworms, you hate em right? Well I hate em myself!


Lookit! Sure is pretty right? In my attempts for world domination through glass (one bonsai at a time) I have the talented, young chap Josh Mann of www.joshmanndesign.com designing a logo for me. Kid did good huh? I am in love with it, feels like me. See how he even gives a nod to littlebirdbigchip?

Well, today stared off quite strange, bad ju ju. Couldn't sleep last night, managed to spill a whole mug of water in pitch black at some ungodly time, all over my side dresser. At first I was filled with rage but the ever intuned b-train saves the day and it ends in hysterics. Then time to get up for my big photo shoot with Inside Out and I am rudely awoken by a puffy left eye. God damn it! What the hell is this all about? The one day I have to look nice and the universe gives me a bung eye. Thanks universe. Thanks a bunch.

But not to fear as I am a crafty minx. I flipped my fringe over to the other side, oh yea. Cunning.

(Lets just hope it doesn't make me look like bizzaro me in the photos..) You know what I learnt today? The Jam is like a black pit. We may have well as been underground, forty thousand feet down with a 20 watt globe. No wait, worse, a fluro. Poor photographer had a rough run trying to find some decent light to get a good shot. After all my pre studio buffing and tiding we didnt even shoot it!! In saying that though, she did take some great shots and I can't wait to see them in the december issue (out november if you were wondering).

I got her to take a shot I was wanting to get done for a while now, one of my tools. Glass blowing tools are quite beautiful objects in themselves. We also shot in the cold shop, some sketchy ones and some finished products with colour samples.

And now I get to finish the day (with my bung eye) by eating delicious homemade prawn pasta and watching Beetlejuice on the telly (hence the tittle of this post).

Nice.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Hot Dog!, we have a weiner!!!

Ladies and Gentleman, introducing your champion......
Shhhhhhhhhhhiiiiirrrrrly!!
(insert wild cheers from rambunctious crowd)

Now we all remember Shirley, yes? And we all thought she was lovely, yes? (its her winning personality) but now we have confirmation of her loveliness!! Earlier this year I entered the Cibo seasonal exhibition, Arancino. For each of the seasons, Cibo is exhibiting Adelaidians work at all of their different Cibo locations. Images go up on line on http://www.ciboespresso.com.au/galleria/
and the public gets to vote for the work they like.
Well the votes are in kids and...
HOT DOG WE HAVE A WEINER!!

Yes it's true, Shirley won her round. A big, heart felt thank you to all my supporters, friends, family or just shirley lover, I thank you for all the support and love you always offer me in all my artistic endeavours.

So what do I win you ask? Well I'm pretty sure there is a cash prize and I'm hoping for some free coffee.. The big boss, Roberto rang me from Cibo and we are going to meet (for coffee, hahaha) and the exchange of prizes next week!! It's a little like meeting a blind date, "So I'm tall, have dark hair.." I really wanted to say I'll be the lady wearing the rose!!

This is the first round of prizes too. As there are other exhibitions, they will have winners too, then we go into an end game (I secretly hope it's like Mad Max and is held at Thunderdome, maybe in that battle cage.. two men enter, one man leave style....) then the winners artworks get displayed on Cibo's takeaway coffee cups. Huzzah!

Vote 1, Shirley for President.


Sunday, August 22, 2010

oh mr hart! what a mess!

My studio is a real tip. There is just stuff. Everywhere. I need a helper monkey, any takers? You need to be ruthless with me, don't give in to my bellowings of "I need that!" or "That might come in handy!" To be considered for the role of helper monkey you must have super organisation skills, be able to keep me on track, no procrastinating, make me look like a real artist seeing as...... Inside Out is coming to shoot me in my studio!! Eep!

Alright. So these are clearly the before pictures. I gots to get my booty in there and get cleanin'. (Lets hope you can notice the difference in the after shots, yes?)



Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Glass Garden

Here you go, for my interstate and international lovelies who couldn't make it, some pics of the glass garden.


But if you are in town, there's still time! Show runs until the 5th of September.


Was a great opening night, stacks of people. Family, friends and free booze lovers.




What's that you spy? Some little red dots? Little red dots = sales! Sweet, sweet sales! Momma needs a brand new pair of everything!





Tuesday, August 10, 2010

buck up tiger


Its official.
I had exhibition come down.
But its ok im nearly through it now. It takes alot of energy to be an artist I think and really commit to it. Takes up a lot of head space, but mostly I feel like it's energy. You gotta be on it in so many ways and there is no one else thats gonna do it for you. You gots to hustle the work, you gots to design the work, you gots to make the work, you gots to pay the rent yo. So I guess its not a surprise that sometimes (and I think its when you stop or slow down that this happens) the dread sets in....
oh the negativity that the dred brings with it! oh, i have so much debt! oh, my body hurts! oh, i have no clams! oh, why am i doing this, why didnt i choose some officey job that pays a decent wage?
why? I'll tell ya why.
Because I freakin' L.O.V.E it.
thats why.

It's the truth. (why else would anyone work in a billion degree heat?) and sometimes the wheels fall off and sometimes you lose your way, but you know what its just like handsel and gretel. just leave yourself a little trail (i prefer to use musk sticks) and you will always find your way back. sketches, photos, friends, these all help. because even though you are the one who's gotta get it all done there is always someone there who can help, or at least make you a cup of tea. so buck up tiger, life, she aint so bad.
well thats what im tryin to tell myself anyway........
i feel a new list coming on....

Sunday, August 8, 2010

ode to the business duck




Konichiwa friends! meet "the business duck". Well thats what me and the b-train called him. He's the guy you see at train stations telling you how much you should pay. What are we going to do? Don't worry the business duck will tell us what to do! Public transport, by the way, is awesome in Japan. What you do is just but the cheapest ticket possible, even if you don't know where you are going, then when you get off, look for the business duck, stick your ticket is and he 'adjusts' the fare, telling you how much more you need to pay. I love him. (I don't really know what he's about but I'm sure it's something like that.)

At the moment I am battling some sort of flu. Great. But apart from that I am doing well on my quest to 'think, breathe (when possible through clogged snout) and eat japanese' in the hopes of creating a successful grant/residency application. I have dug up my Murakami books to read and am drinking tea from my favourite mug with pictures of sushi on it (does that even count or was it too lame to mention?) and I am hoping to drag my snotty self down the street to grab some miso for lunch. Miso heals all. It's true. Alright, here we go, round what feels like 86, of re-writing application. wish me luck. (i need it)

Saturday, August 7, 2010

konichiwa




I dream of Japan.
Three years ago me and the b-train went ditched the Winter for a balmy, sometimes humid Japanese summer.

It was amazing.

And consequently I think of Japan everyday. Especially when its cold and rainy because I just think in Japan its beautiful and warm. If I think about it real hard I can almost feel it. I even remember the smells. slightly obsessed, no? I think of riding bikes through the streets, visiting temples, eating delicious, delicious snacks, browsing through amazing fabrics catching crazy trains through the crowded underground...

So now I am trying my darndest to get back there. For someone with very little income but big dreams and different skills, applying for a Japanese residency in 2011. I would like to spend 2-3 months living, breathing, eating Japan. I want to explore the honoured tradition of Ikebana in the hopes of designing an Ikebana specific range of vessels which will then be used for Australian flora.

Sounds neat right?

Well to get me in the mood, that samurai state of mind, I figured I would start posting some of my favourite japan photos, because lets face it, they pretty much havent seen the light of day and I think they should get out there.. By now you can probably sense my procrastination a mile away.. but lets hope this helps. Writing applications for residencies and grants takes up so much of my head space. I want to be as accurate as possible, I want to give it my all, but this time i am having a really hard time starting.
Maybe it's because this time I want it so much?

So lets do it.
Lets get it on.
Japan style.


flip yea.