And meanwhile...

My El Dia de los Muertos: Mourning Wreath neckpiece was selected as a finalist for the National Contemporary Jewellery Award. Amazing!

Unfortunately the exhibition opening, at the Griffith Regional Art Gallery, was the same night as the Girls Around the World opening so I couldn't make it to that one, but you can see some pictures here, courtesy of Metalab.

Congratulations to Simon Cottrell, who won the award for 2010.

girls around the world exhibition opening

Girls Around the World
Gaffa Gallery
281 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD
9. 9. 2010 - 20. 9. 2010

Gallery open Monday to Friday 10am-6pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm



We packed our bags, ready for opening night.
It went from organised chaos on set up day, to a tenmoregirls spectacular!

Tenmoregirls celebrate. Great job, ladies!

above: The Bricks of Waikiki and below: Bougainvillea, made from stainless steel, polypropylene and halogen fittings.

Photographed by Ian Koker (thanks for the great pictures, you're a star!)

Exhibition Artist Statement:

In desperate need of a holiday, we packed our bags and escaped to the sunny shores of Hawai’i.

On the big island of Hawai’i, I loved the landscapes. There are vast expanses of lava rock, barren but for the vibrant, tenacious Bougainvillea and an ever-smoking volcanic crater surrounded by lush forests. In stark contrast, but no less breathtaking, was Waikiki, on the island of Oahu. The streets are lined with the retro architecture from the tourism boom of the sixties and seventies, and constantly crawling with sightseers.

The holiday ended far too quickly, but then, holidays usually do.

Missed the opening? Don't miss our Artist Talks, Saturday 18th September, starting at 2pm. Bring your friends, ask questions, meet the makers! (no heckling, please...)

Thanks to A mi, for the opening night photos.

the fifties fair

Today, we made the journey out to Wahroonga, to the beautiful Rose Seidler House (Harry was such a good son), for the Historic Houses Trust's Fifties Fair. It was a lovely sunny day, everyone was dressed in their fifties best.

I went ready to shop, but found little to buy. There were, as always, lots of clothes and collectables, but we came away with no more than some ridiculously cheap tiki & hula girl mugs and a silk scarf.

But while I'm on the topic of buying great collectables, I just got this beautiful ceramic pot. It came from Etsy, it's Kenwood, it's oven proof and I love it. I still haven't had a lobster, but I guess collecting them is the next best thing...

please fasten your seat belts...

...and place your tray tables in their upright position.

more floral troubles

It seems 2010 is my year of cutting out flowers, except this time from polypropylene, instead of aluminium. I'm working on pieces for Girls Around the World, the tenmoregirls exhibition opening on the 9th September, at Gaffa Gallery in the Sydney CBD (more information about that very soon).

I'm not making jewellery this time, but with any luck, wall mounted, steel pieces. It's quite a step out of my comfort zone, so much bigger than what I usually make. A big thank you, once again, to the amazing Madeleine, for the donation of the pink polypropylene.


It's been a while since I posted last, and yet I've so little to say. I'll simply leave you with this as a treat. Great building, I do so love a decorative wall, and even the cross is stylish. It's a church I found in St Mary's on my way to pick up work from the laser cutter. Enjoy.

reasons to be cheerful - a morning spent baking

My good friend Snaily celebrated a birthday recently, and what better way to make merry than with some sweet treats!

I came across the recipe for biscuits, by Sarah Hobbs, it can be found here. The snail cutter came from Ikea, in the Drömmar pastry cutter set. When I first bought them, I can't describe how excited I was at the prospect of making moose-shaped biscuits...

emerging sydney jewellers showcase, jamfactory atrium space

After months of thinking about it, I finally got my act together, and finished my neckpiece for the Emerging Sydney jewellers showcase at the JamFactory, in Adelaide.

There ended up being about 170 anodised aluminium flowers in the three strand neckpiece, dotted with silver skulls. 3 offrenda dishes complete the Dia de los Muertos series. Thanks to Madeleine for the donation of the aluminium, and to Christina for her help saw piercing flowers.

It was great to be able to get down to Adelaide for the opening, the JamFactory is an amazing place. I'll try to post some pictures of fun times in Adelaide soon.


Opening at the JamFactory, 21st May,
Gallery One - Liz Williamson,
Gallery Two - Brendan Scott French,
Atrium - Emerging Sydney jewellers showcase

The pieces on display, l-r: El Dia de los Muertos Offrenda dishes, Mourning Wreath

nesting place

I recently finished a project for an exhibition called Nesting Place. Oneredline and SMC3 asked 20 local artists to decorate a set of 3 Matryoshka Dolls, for an exhibition at Petty Cash Cafe. The showing artists come from a range of backgrounds, from graffiti and tattoo artists to those who make jewellery and fine arts.

Nesting Place is on for a few more weeks and Petty Cash has delicious food and fantastic coffee. Get along and check it out!

Petty Cash Cafe

68 Victoria Road, Marrickville, 2204

(opposite Enmore Park)

Opening Night at Petty Cash Cafe

My offering:

Tiki Adventures from the Rapa Nui Room,

Timber nesting dolls, Acrylic paint, Estapol, South Sea Mother of Pearl

anxiety #201 - umbrella upset

Recently, I bought an umbrella, but I usually like to take my chances in the rain.

I have an enduring memory of walking down Kent St, in the Sydney CBD, on a blustery day. It was raining lightly, and I had borrowed a bright orange, transparent umbrella. All of a sudden, a gust of wind caught me off guard and the umbrella was inside-out. We struggled against the wind, this umbrella and I, to and fro, and every time I managed to set it right, it was blown inside out again. Eventually, one of the umbrella's arms snapped and I abandoned it in a rage.

Of course, to deal with a willful umbrella is one thing, but it's another matter when surrounded by people making their morning commute. They avoid you like they avoid the guy talking to himself on the train. They have to skirt around you, lest they lose an eye. They pity you.

I bought my new umbrella out of desperation, in an unexpected downpour. I can only bring myself use it occasionally, when the wind seems calm. I still get that nauseating rush of nervous energy, when I feel the wind tugging at the umbrella. I usually prefer to leave it hanging safely in the hallway, and take my chances alone, against the elements.

shopping for oldwares

Two 4 Retro is a lovely oldwares store on Botany Rd, Redfern. It is great for furniture and we've gotten some beautiful ceramics there, including an amazing Polish coffee set and some Martin Boyd pieces.

I coveted this fantastic room divider/lamp there for so long, I had to have it...

Lame picture, but hard to photograph. It's down the length of the corridor, until we find ourselves in more expansive surrounds...

Drop in and say hi to Frank:

2/4 Botany Road, Redfern

Wednesday to Sunday, 11am - 5pm

(Saturday opening - 10am)

waiting for the bus in hurstville...

At least I think it was in Hurstville. I was on my way to Mortdale to pick up some work I had anodised, and I saw this gem out of the corner of my eye. Taking public transport seems so stylish...

floral troubles

This story starts at two separate times.
One beginning was when I was in my third and final year of study. I had an idea for a series about the Mexican Days of the Dead, and I made rings, brooches and a neckpiece from small aluminium flowers with silver skulls at their centres. I was never really happy with the resolution (the rings were popular, but it wasn’t a big year for brooches), and always wanted to revisit the concept.

The story’s other beginning was when I had one of those rare moments of extremely good fortune, and met Lisa Furno. Lisa and I worked together for a year, and not only is she very creative, and a lovely person, but she has connections. Lisa put me in touch with the JamFactory in Adelaide, and I’m going to be in an exhibition of emerging Sydney Jewellers, in the gallery’s Atrium space. It runs from May 22nd to June 20th.

I assume you’ve guessed the ending of the story. I've buckled down, desperately trying to saw pierce many aluminium flowers to create something for the exhibition. Keep your fingers crossed, and come back soon. I'll post a finished product soon.

reasons to be cheerful - a bittersweet bombshell

Sometimes, after a long day at work, a girl just needs a drink. I never say no to a Tom Collins, but was inspired by its refreshing flavours to invent the following, and my resident mixologist is always happy to oblige.

bette marie

1.5 oz vodka

0.5 oz cherry brandy

0.5 oz sugar syrup

1.5 oz lemon juice

soda water

Build on ice, in a lovely glass, stir and top with the soda water.

Adjust the measures to suit whether you prefer it bitter or sweet.

PS. Maybe you'd like to try a Bombay Bette, switching gin instead of vodka...

pieces available at the Gaffa retail store

woodshed
925 silver, tiger eye, cord
necklace, 2010



remains
925 silver, stainless steel
brooch, 2010



lamb
925 silver, quartz, cord
necklace, 2010


woodshed & lamb
925 silver, stainless steel
brooch, 2010


I decided to return to the farmhouse when making work available at the Gaffa retail store. The Midwest Farmhouse series was inspired by photographs from the Great Depression and the music of Tom Waits. I was struck by the bleakness shown in the images and the sinister darkness of the characters and situations Waits creates.
The pieces are made from cast sterling silver, snapshots of things commonly seen around farmhouses. The pieces are small and innocent when seen individually, but suggest a grim narrative when seen together, a macabre twist in the tale.

new work - coming soon

Thanks to the lovely Zoe Brand at the new Gaffa retail store, I had a grand motivation to get back to my bench. I'll post some photos of what I made soon, but in the meantime, you should really go to Fidelity, opening Thursday 11th, February, 6-8pm.

Gaffa Gallery

281 Clarence St.

Sydney CBD

N.S.W. 2000

RIP J.D. Salinger

With love and squalor.

January 1, 1919 - January 27, 2010

anxiety #618 - loose threads

In my day to day work, I constantly encounter new challenges. I have recently been sewing new lemel catchers for jewellery workbenches. There are about 50 to make, and I think I became the in-house seamstress because I remember how to thread a sewing machine, from my year seven home economics class. Although I do have a sewing machine at home, it doesn't work and I keep it mostly for sentimental reasons.

My lemel catchers are slowly coming together, but I realised what's slowing me down: loose threads. Whenever I get to the end of a seam, I have an obsessive compulsive need to tie a double knot. It's as though there's a danger that without a knotted end, the entire thing would unravel, zigzagging back and forth like a knitted sweater in a cartoon.

I'm sure that people who sew on production lines aren't always stopping to tie knots, but I guess their skills, equipment and confidence are far greater than mine. Slowly, slowly, I keep sewing and tying my knots.

Coming soon: Why don't they make see through bobbin cases, so I can prepare myself for when it's about to run out?

This post dedicated to Mrs Rogers, my year 7 home ec teacher.

I can still make great library bags.

reasons to be cheerful - the bricks of waikiki

Waikiki is full of great buildings, decorated with great bricks.

This is an apartment pool surrounded by feature bricks, palm trees and hibiscus bushes.

'

The apartment building above, facing onto the Ala Wai canal, is delightful, but nothing beats the Waikiki Skyliner.

amazing architecture - hawai'i

Above is a little apartment building on Kanekapolei St, Waikiki, three floors high, joined by a zigzagging exterior staircase.

And this is Uncle Billy's motel, on Alii Dr in Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island. Fantastic mid-century modern building, but Bobby, our bus driver, warned that if you stay there, you sleep with your mouth shut. Apparently they have a roach problem...