Thursday, September 30, 2010

Tulip Festival!

I'm so excited. I'm going to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival on Sunday. I've never been even though Tulips are my favourite flower - every year something has come up on the day I had planned to go. So this year I'm determined! I will get there. There's something so magical about walking amongst rows of beautiful flowers. I think I must have quite a few English past lives because apart from loving tea and castles I love the idea of being in a field of spring bulbs (maybe some willow trees and a bubbling brook?)

Ah my shoulders relax even just looking at this picture.


Yep. That's right. A Dutch windmill. Cute!

:)Kim

Thursday, September 23, 2010

My Sculpture

I started a sculpture class at the beginning of the year and here it is in September and my very first sculpture is finally finished. Phew! I thought I would share with you some of the steps of how I made it.

The teacher in the first class handed me a lump of clay and said here sculpt something (No really she did - that was the 'lesson'). I decided to do a fig tree stump. I don't know why really - it just popped into my head. This is after 3 hours of 'playing'.

The next class I decided to add a tree nymph coming out of the tree as if the tree has been cut down and she's still stuck there.

After 3 classes of sculpting the clay the next step is to cover the clay in silicon.

Then you build a clay wall down the middle to support the plaster in the next step.

This is her covered in plaster that will form the mold for the next step.

Once the plaster is set you break open the mold and pull the clay out. My clay had lots of wire in it to keep it up so the clay was rusting and no good. It was sad throwing her in the bin.

Next you fill up the space where the clay was with plaster. This is a view from the bottom.

Uh oh. This is her now in her plaster form but she broke as she came out of the mold. It took quite a bit surgery to get her back together again. Then I gave her a good sanding, a coat of glue, a hell of a lot of paint (I think there's 6 coats) and then a crackle medium to crack the paint. Following that was hours of twirling and glueing copper wire to her head. Then..

Voila! She's done and ready to be dropped off for the exhibition.

A close up of the crackle effect.

This is her on her pedestal at the opening night to the exhibition at the sculpture gallery. This photo was actually really hard to get as the place was absolutely packed. So packed I even saw two people bump her as they walked past so I'm glad she survived the night!
She's titled "Did you lose your home too?" and is basically asking the viewer to question what else we lose when we cut down our forests. What about the spirit of the tree? Are they forced to rot alongside the remains of the tree? A little morbid perhaps but I hope it leads people to ask questions and ponder.

Hope you enjoyed this little showing!

:)Kim

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Have you heard about The Market Project?

This is a new market that starts this Sunday at 1000 pound Bend - an awesome new venue in a converted city warehouse. I was there last night for a play and its got a great feel to it. It's run by the St Jeromes people and has a funky cafe in the front. I even love the music played in the toilet from a little stereo hidden in fake shrubbery. Funny.
I'll be there in two Sundays time on the 26th September - check out The Milk Market website for details.

:) Kim

Monday, September 13, 2010

I am loving this zine

I picked this little one up on the weekend and I really enjoyed it. Its like the universe has delivered a zine perfectly tailored to me. It's about craft and people who craft. Need I say more. It looks great, has beautiful photographs reminiscent of Frankie and really interesting interviews with crafty people. I'm pretty sure it's made in New Zealand because most of the people mentioned are from NZ which is great for exploring what our neighbours are up to. Here's their blog if you want to get your hands on a copy. Or pop in to one of my favourite stores Onabee, here in Melbourne, for a copy.

:) Kim

Sunday, September 5, 2010

I'm dreaming of a... new office

I'm having fantasies at the moment of having an office space that is full of light, quirky items and is beautifully organised. Maybe because I'm currently surrounded by a lot of... stuff. I've tried to declutter really I have. It just doesn't seem to make any difference. I guess my problem is that my office and studio/workspace is also my bedroom. I'm lucky enough that my bedroom is quite large and I'm able to set up a trestle table where I sew etc. Although at the moment one third of the table is covered in paint and glue and wire and my half finished sculpture that I need to get ready for an exhibition in a few weeks (yikes!). The second third is spread out with calico where I'm working on a prototype for a new bag and the other third is where I'm now sitting with my computer. I really should have my computer at my 'desk' but that's covered in paperwork and more art supplies. The rest of the room consists of clothes and books and fabric, lots of fabric. So you can see why I'm sitting here singing I'm dreaming of a...new office... There is light at the end of the tunnel though. I'll be moving house in the next few months where I'll no longer be in a share house and I'll have a whole room (well I'll get half of it) for an office area. Yay! In the meantime here's a little escapism I've been doing. All of these photo are from Design*Sponge in a post called Sneak Peek Best Of: Offices. If you haven't been over to check out Design*Sponge then have a look at this amazing blog, you'll wonder where it's been all your life :)
With my tendencies for clutter this kind of office is probably more realistic for me. I love the flowers and the wooden shutters.
Look at all that light. Ah sigh... I love the idea of having floating shelves above the desk.
I want purple doors! How cool is that bay window seat with all the cushions. I don't think I'd get much work done.
I also have a fantasy of living in a beach cottage and with this beautiful wooden desk and light blue colours I could imagine I do.

:) Kim
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