Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Truly Under Construction

Life is full of variety, and variety is the spice of life it seems, so my life is very spicy right now!

I am working on cut letter awards, more lettering for a shop; some lettering work for a new building; a letterpress calendar page, two other letterpress commissions and of course, organising and making work for the show at Pine Rivers that I mentioned here.

In amongst it all, we are heading off for a cultural art-exchange to Japan.  As part of the exchange we will be doing some workshops so we are busy as a team designing the process - we will have folk making concertina books with pouches, and then making things to go in the pouches - stamping metal, painting cards, printmaking and brush-making. Should be fun, but it's all a bit mad.

Whilst we are there, we are fortunate to be having our own exhibition in a very elegant gallery in Sano.  The theme is very much around Australian nature and we have Barry's metal work, Christine's textiles, Noela's jewellery, Merv's painting and my books.

I am taking my Under Construction books - they seem to fit the Japanese aesthetic and are very nature focussed. They also have calligraphy in them, which is a nice tie-in to Japan - I have taught western calligraphy each time we have visited.

Hence the first of the Under Construction references.

Under Construction I

photograph by Penny Riddoch
 Under Construction V

Photograph by Penny Riddoch
Some details and some of the calligraphy close up.




And then there's the other sort of Under Construction...

This is the room I am making some work for in Melbourne. It is clearly still a construction site but I am getting my ideas together and hope to progress things again when I visit next week.

The curves are beautiful (yet challenging) and it feels good to be so far above the noise below. I hope it will be quiet sanctuary of sorts.


 And if it's under construction, then we have to wear hard hats and hi-vis!


10 comments:

  1. I love that second to last shot of you!
    And all the interesting things you'll be doing.

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    1. Thanks Dinah - it's a fun one! And yes, life is so very interesting...go well.

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  2. Sounds like an interesting time a head.

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    1. Thanks Penny - it is indeed. I can never say I'm bored! Go well.

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  3. Lovely! Sounds like you've got a full schedule and are enjoying every second of it. Good for you!

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    1. Life is full and good so can't say better than that J!

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  4. My, you are so busy, with lots of fabulous projects, and your book is simply gorgeous...

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    1. Thanks Cat - it is like I took the first half of the year steadily and looked after myself and now it is all back saying come play with me, come do this, and it is nice to be welcomed back to my work. Go well.

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