A Big Weekend

 Well, we have made it through another Big Book Club weekend. A ever, it was a great day, with folk sharing their thoughts on books and listening to our special guest Kate Evans from Radio National's weekly fiction show The Bookshelf.

We discussed James by Percival Everett; and its predecessor/antecedent Huckleberry Finn; and then in broader terms what it means to re-write the Classics; the different ways it can be done; why it is done, and even what makes a book a Classic?

It was a great meander around the world of re-writings and re-imaginings and back again. We all learnt so much!

Here the two of us are having a chat and then me listening intently and wearing the pebble earrings made in Scotland recently on their first outing.

And the two of us after the show - relaxed and smiling.

Earlier in the week, in line with my attempt to promise myself to make some art each day (which nobody will be surprised learn failed at almost the first hurdle...) I decided I would use some odd moments to think about re-working a bunch of pebble forms that were lying around in packets.

Some of them were attached to earrings which I thought I could dismantle; others were just there, and I wondered could they all be re-imagined into something else perhaps?

Personally, I was a bit taken with this lovely arrangement  of forms.

And I played around and found some possible earrings, and some possible pendants in the mix.

I showed them to a friend, who thought they looked a bit dark, so in another moment that I found, I decided to buff and polish them and make most of them silver again... leaving just one oxidised one.

So there was some artiness this week. Also - Kate and I managed to spend some time in the workshop on Friday and she is the first person I have ever shown how to make pebble forms from silver wire and she made her own pendant (which you can see in the photo of the two of us together). What a talent she is!

It is now heads down and bums up this week as Barry and I prepare for our Studio Garage Sale!

We will be selling lots of things we no longer need or use, at very excellent prices! 

Next Saturday 26 July there will be cutting mats, bone folders, calligraphy pens, paper, some inks, rollers, book cloth and oh so much more for sale at the studio from 10am - 4pm.

We aren't in a position to provide detailed information or imagery about individual items, so it really is a case of come along and see.

Pebbly bits and Celebrating Books

 I have been working in a small notebook I made and designed in Scotland a few years ago. Its funny how it takes a while to realise how those wobbly pebble forms have been working away slowly in the back of my brain...

I  had a couple of commissions for large pebble pendants to do when I got back and this week has seen it all happen. 

I soldered six pebble forms, rolled them, oxidised a few and then got them onto cords. Now to catch up with their prospective new owners for a cuppa and a handover.

We are also busy with preparations for our annual book event - The Big Book Club. This year we are looking at re-writing the Classics - what it means to take a tale well known, and re-imagine it. 

We have focussed on James, by Percival Everett, and Huckleberry Finn. James tells the story from the perspective of Jim, a black slave in the original book. James was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize, and won the 2025 Pulitzer along with the 2024 Kirkus Prize for Fiction and the 2024 National Book Award in America and a wonderful book on its own; but better because of it's re-telling I think

We begin with small, facilitated group discussions about both books and then gather together as a larger group for the plenary session, where I will be interviewing Kate Evans from ABC Radio National's book program The Bookshelf.

Always a challenge interviewing a highly skilled and talented interviewer!

We will be discussing what re-tellings and re-imaginings do; how they work; when they don't work; and what it means to take somebody's story and tell it again, differently.

I am really looking forward to it but am still beavering away trying to make the interview flow...

I am sure it will be great event on Saturday 19 July 2pm - 4pm (doors open at 1.30pm for afternoon tea delights). Bookings here...

A good few days

In the week where I tested negative to Covid and could venture out into the world again, there were some small and lovely moments of art and books.

The first one was as we walked down the main street and stopped to look in the window of a shop, thinking about gifts for Scotland. Barry was about to say that jewellery looks like yours - when he realised it was! Very exciting to be on display in the front window on the main street.

Available at Maleny Additions, 3/25 Maple St Maleny.

It took us both a while to realise that Barry's work was directly underneath as well!

Further down the street we looked at the fully weathered log again.

I have never been asked to refresh it or renew it so I figure the owner must be happy, like I am, that the words simply weather...

I received these postcards in the mail - small advertising bits for the exhibition Scotland. I  am quite happy with them but of course the critical eye goes over them and wishes I had done this or that differently; but the bottom line is they show the artwork and the information is there. Tick!

And we finished the week with Our Big Book Club. It was a great success, full of lively   enthusiastic discussions with folk who are passionate about books and reading. Such a joy to share time and space with like minds. Barry took this photo of me interviewing Kate Evans. Hand talking as ever...

And to a lovely night celebrating the fruits of our labour and enjoying each other's company with a marvellous sunset backdrop.

The countdown is on to Scotland, and I still have a bit to do, so it will be head down for the next wee while.

Celebrating Books Maleny - Big Book Club

 This is a week of many things. Given my quietude and time at home there hasn't been much action.

I have been busy preparing (I hope) for an interview with Kate Evans at our Big Book Club discussion on Saturday. This year around we have explored the notion "Is Irish writing have a moment?". We asked folk to read two books by Irish writers and we will discuss these in small groups. 

the queen of dirt island by Donal Ryan and the 2023 Booker Prize winner Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. Both are remarkable books and contain so much richness for thought and discussion.

After our small group discussions we gather together for a plenary session and this year we have invited back our favourite book person - Kate Evans, who co-hosts the ABC's weekly radio show The Bookshelf. Kate is a marvellous interviewer, but we really enjoyed turning things around last year and interviewing her - this time to mine her rich wealth of knowledge, understandings, and insights into Irish authors and writing.

The plan is that I do the interview, but of course we wait to make sure that I will be safe to do so.

I have read a heap of Irish writers in preparation for this event and highly recommend both of these books; and so many others...

In between times it has been about getting lot of joy from the garden - making small bunches of delight here and there to make me happy.

And watching the beautiful light...

Life is full and varied!

 The title says it all - even tho it was almost going to be simply "just a bit more of this and that".

Time is precious at the moment and there are commitments on many fronts. Not as much making is happening as I would like, but I do think I am managing to stay broadly on track for the Scottish exhibition.

Here is a sample of the second half of week...

Wednesday morning I gathered some fallen autumn leaves and made some small posies from the garden - lavender and violets - in preparation for setting the dinner table that night.

Wednesday afternoon we hung Tory's painting for Dad. My brothers and I purchased it for Dad as he had admired it several times at the Pebbles exhibition. One very chuffed fellow.

Come home and tried to sew up these two cubes, after having printed these blended images onto calico, and cut them into 6 squares.

Hosted dinner Wednesday night and then flew to Melbourne on Thursday - away for less than 24 hours; in Melbourne for about  18! Attended the Joan Kirner Social Justice Oration at the State Library of Victoria. An important and powerful speech by Tanya Plibersek.

The table settings were just my kind of thing!

Flew home Friday and the sun gave us this show later in the day as it set...

And then Saturday morning was misty!

Saturday morning I got the chance to test stitching some travel lines on the trial cube - checking one or two strands of thread; how to use the frixon pen (can I iron fabric which is over a cement cube to erase it???)

I liked the two strands of thread best. And yes, I can iron away the blue of the pen!

And then Saturday lunchtime to Sunday afternoon, we hosted the Live Streaming of the Sydney Writers' Festival here in Maleny! It was a great couple of days - so many interesting people, conversations and books.

Life is never dull, and now here I am late on Sunday afternoon, hoping to sit and stitch a bit more of my fourth scroll...

A bit of this and that

Autumn is arriving and after wet and misty times, the sun is back and the blue sky is big.

Dawn on Monday morning from our back deck.

It was a really a busy weekend here on the mountain as our Celebration of Books team hosted live streaming events from the Sydney Writers Festival.

We are really happy that our small town is one of only about 40 places in the entire country who get to stream sessions from this major literary festival.

We began with Leigh Sales on Any Ordinary Day.

Followed up with Ben Quilty and his book HOME - drawing by Syrian refugee children.

I texted in a question and they asked it!!

Sunday saw Annabel Crabb talking to Nikki Sava, Samantha Maiden, and Sharri Markson about politics and journalism - fascinating stuff!!!

You really felt as if you were there.

And when we got home one morning, the sun was shining through the rear brake light of our car and illuminated this leaf - amazing.

 A mixed weekend of technology, books and nature.