Continuing my place among the clouds

This week has proven to me how good it it to spend regular chunks of time in the studio.  It has meant that I could ponder, progress, ponder anew, progress a tad and move along at a lovely pace.

I had previously worked out the pages, and the point of binding.  But then there was the reality of binding.

So I took along my sewing machine one day and tested how it would go, stitching through the beautiful Magnani cover and the light as a feather Japanese paper pages.

I scored 3cm down from the top on some scraps and stitched.

It held them well; but I began to worry that the top parts of the pages could tear, as if along perforation.

So I did some more rows of stitching.  Whilst this appealed to the structured me (I found it quite calm), it did seem bit heavy handed for clouds.  Somehow it just seemed too rigid and too earth bound kind of thing.

So I cut the scrap in half and stitched another one - this time with random waviness in the hope of simulating cloud-like sensations!

Kind of sort, of, almost.

Setting that side, I turned my mind to how to create interest on the cover.  I had thought about embossing some trace line imagery of clouds, but then I looked through my photographs and realised it would be beyond me to deliver something decent.  When I looked at imagery on line for illustrating clouds they were all fluffy and twee and I closed tho pages as quick as I could.

I thought about random stitching lines to outline clouds and that wasn't doing it for me either.  Sadly, at first, I thought I would have to just letterpress print the title. I have been trying to push myself beyond just words and this was a wee bit disappointing, but would at least not look dreadful!

So I began with some lovely light round wood type.

I reversed this photo on my phone so I could see how it would read.  The extra blocks are for working out spacing.

I measured it this way and that and then placed the type on the bed.

Locked it up and inked it.

And was very happy with the result on this test paper.

Of course with ink on the press and spar floaty paper about I just had to keep testing and playing.
Here I overlaid the brown paper with some floaty bits.

Here I overdid the floaty bits onto some of the grey paper.

And I knew we were getting somewhere...

Thursday Thoughts...

“Let tiny drops of stillness fall gently through my day” 

Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann

Ms Ungunmerr- Baumann is an Aboriginal elder, and a renowned artist, activist, writer and public speaker.

Oh how this quote spoke to me today.  It has been feeling a lot like we have gone from slow-time, the fallow time, the time of waiting, into the re-emergence at warp-speed.  Several major things rushed themselves forward from August to June and involved hours of preparations and long days of hard work.

So we find ourselves feeling bustled and a bit frayed.

And then, tiny drops of stillness...

Sometimes we can only manage tiny droplets but oh what a balm they are. Folk who gather their energy from quiet time, from solitude, from stillness, need these moments.  Perhaps they are needed more like a flow of stillness; but when things are tight, droplets will do.

I think I also responded to the idea of drip feeding stillness into your day; which seemed to acknowledge the reality of a lot of people's lives - the attention to and for others; the transiting; the scheduling; the busy-ness of it all.

I think she was suggesting that we don't all need to go off into the forest for hours and absorb the stillness; but rather, finding a steady stream of small moments of stillness in days of frenzy will renew us and sustain us.

Tiny droplets on an agave leaf.

The valuable role of gecko poo

Quite the intriguing title I know!  It all began with some work I had printed some time ago (2015).  I had left the work out to dry overnight and returning a day or so later discovered it had been the perfect target for a gecko poo.

Of course. The challenges of living in a rural setting.

Despite being disturbed by it, I clearly paid little or no attention to it as I only re-discovered it recently when I was sending some work to a friend.  I was trying to choose the best set of three prints for her and had to remove this set from my considerations for obvious reasons.

I set it aside and thought I must do something with it.

I have been pondering how to bind clouds for quite some time, and thought this might be a nice little project to begin with - there was nothing to lose. To clarify - the work is  titled A Place Among the Clouds.

The remnant stain from the offending item.

So I set to work, recording the exact placement of said poo and thinking about how to remove it - by trimming the bottom? by trimming down both sides?

Given there were three sheets of paper to the work; how would trimming the sides make it look?  It was a funny old thing to get myself so thoughtful and involved in the small task of removing the stain.

As I was testing out how to go about it I layered the three sheets onto each other and was mesmerised by the the words softening and hiding and layering. Sigh. I spent quite a while with these lovely moments.

 From random placements I then tried to see what happened if I did a more formal grid plus diagonal.

 Also very lovely.

In the end the decision was to trim the bottom of the sheet.  I had assumed I would trim them all; but when I saw how the trimmed sheet sat upon the sheet underneath I realised I wanted to trim them to different lengths.

And then bind them at the top.  And the diffenret lengths along the bottom would be how you could ease your finger in to the delicate paper and lift it up.  And it occurred to me the this was the perfect position to bind, as the movement thought the three 'verses' was much more about clouds lifting and rising, and this action reflected the words.

Of course I needed a cover, and so I tested out some grey Magnani Pescia paper - velvety yet firm. And I think it is looking rather fine.

The next steps will involve scoring the front cover to make sure it will fold and bend at the right spot and then binding them together. But before that I also want to work out how to have some imagery on the cover. So a nice progression thus far and a few more steps to go.

I have been rather comforted by how deeply I got into artistic making again after having been making so much product for the Gallery Shop. A rather joyful re-discovery.  All because of some gecko poo which made me think of something as less than precious and gave me permission to play and explore and wonder...

And as I was packing away, I came across this very old collagraph print (2006) and rather than toss it into the bin, I have kept it out.  For some reason, it said something to me.  I am not sure exactly what yet  but it is sitting alongside the work in companionable silence, and will let me know, all in good time.

A good weekend was had

Sunday and I am more than a wee bit weary.

We held our first Open Studio in the new space yesterday and I think it is safe to say it was a success.

We had people through right from the get-go until the end. We had capped our numbers in the studio at 15 (including me, Barry and Dad) and we never reached it nor breached it (13 was the maximum head count I found).

Nevertheless it was full on all day with people enjoying the print demonstrations; getting excited and enthralled by the old type and presses; and also enjoying some of our products and making purchases.

In fact it was so busy, neither of us took a single photograph!

Instead I have some of the before shots. Laugh. It all looks so serene...

Part of a bouquet of  flowers from our friend Claire  to celebrate our opening.

The pebbles welcomed folk; and quite a few people selected their favourite words and took them home.

Like a cabinet of curiosities, some of Barry's small sculptural works and earrings.

The workshop tables were covered with artists' books, journals, smelted objects and framed work as well.

The book press was covered in peace.

We were absolutely thrilled to sell The Rainbow of Kindness to a wonderful friend Mary.  It is the first piece jointly printed by Barry and I in our new space so it is extra special knowing it has a lovely new home.

There were more flowers - orchids from my cousin and my Dad.

And by Sunday afternoon, things were back to normal and I had been printing some children's birthday cards. I am hoping either a child gets to circle the number of their friend or sibling's age; or some loving adult circles one and gives it to them!

With huge thanks to everybody who came along and supported us; who were enthused by letterpress and who want to come back and print; to those who did the coffee run and sent food in our direction; who counted heads and made sure everybody sanitised their hands; and to those generous folk who purchased things - we truly appreciate it all.

We are properly open now and beginning to be on the map!

Thursday Thoughts...

“Art is a completed pass. You don’t just throw it out into the world – someone has to catch it”. 

James Turrell

This one popped out at me this week, in part because we are holding our first Open Studio this weekend, with equal parts excitement and fear.

I think one could go all existential with this - along the lines of if a tree falls in the forest...

Kind of, but not quite  The funny line one could follow here I think, is that you could explore the idea that an artwork is not an artwork unless somebody else sees it views, it touches, hears it or experiences it.

Which is not where I wanted to go with it, but as I began pondering that idea popped up. Another time maybe.

But back to where I thought I was going, is that I like the idea from these words, that the fullest and most rewarding element of an art work is when an exchange occurs between the work and another.  I find it so rewarding when something I have conceived of and made finds its right place in the world with another person who just gets it.

To have someone other than myself appreciate it, understand it, revel in it even is quite the buzz!

James Turrell's work "Within, Without" at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, 2011

rain shower and sunshine

We have been busy around the block of late - its a good time to get things done when it isn't raining and things aren't growing too madly.

Barry was replacing some timbers and I was assisting when we had a small rain shower. It was brief, and in its aftermath were some wonderful light and little moments...

Just before the shower, drifts of rain across the valley making beautiful layers. And four yellow-tailed black cockatoos...

I find them so special. Anytime I hear their call I stop and look, and honour their passing through my world.

The camellias are still flowering and the raindrops softened them even more.

And the clouds pass on, caught in the birdbath - cloud puddle reflections.

And the sun breaks through again

And then as I turn around, it creates great light on the agaves along the edge of the drive - patterns emerge.

We head in after the work and the bunch of bananas we collected have patterns as well

The end of the day's work...

Funny how a short time in the garden can create a full and beautiful journey of moments and mere minutes...

Little by little

Life continues to move along - people certainly seem pretty keen to return some sense of normal and the weather has been pretty spectacular so a lot of people are out and about.

We had our soft opening of the studio - over the weekend, mostly family and friends knew about it so we had a few folk pop in which was nice.  Its' a great place to share and people seem to enjoy it.

Next weekend is our big hurrah.

The notion of 'opening' has been a difficult thing at this time.  A traditional opening event is not possible because we just can't have 50 or 60 people get together.  So we thought when numbers gathering were very low, we would open our doors and folk could trickle in.  And then the rules changed and you could have 20 people sooner than planned, so we are a little out of kilter with our planning; but hey that is the 2020 way I think.

 We are still pondering whether or not have a series of rolling openings... but in he interim here is some colour from the garden!

I have been using letterpress printed paper to make gift boxes, and popping pieces of lead type inside them.

And rolling up the wrapping paper.

And loving this ampersand.

And still going for walks, coming across 0s and Xs

Hugs and kisses.

At exercises through week one woman spied this upright leaf. It looked just like bird with a worm in its beak!

Thursday Thoughts...

"If you spend enough time reading or writing, you find a voice, but you also find certain tastes. You find certain writers who when they write, it makes your own brain voice like a tuning fork, and you just resonate with them. And when that happens, reading those writers … becomes a source of unbelievable joy. It’s like eating candy for the soul. And I sometimes have a hard time understanding how people who don’t have that in their lives make it through the day". 

David Foster Wallace

This one was chosen because in some small way it exudes the  joy and delight I get from reading.

Like eating candy for the soul.

For me, I really do find my happy place, my safe place, my calm place between the covers of a book. I have recently had moments when despite my to do list, all I really wanted was to scratch out some time to sit and finish my book .  I was so hooked up with the story and the characters that I really wanted to find out what happened. It felt like a dazzling reward awaiting me.

I read before I go to to sleep; I carry books with me when I catch a train or travel; they are nearly always the first consideration when packing - how many books can I take and will they fit?

And whilst I love that my life is filled with books and reading, I do get that it's not for everybody!

Shopkeeping, marketing and promotion

As we edge closer to our soft opening this Saturday (6 June), and to our Open Studio day (next Saturday 13 June), the reality of having a Gallery-Shop is becoming clearer, and is quite exciting.

As I am trying hard not to get so far ahead of myself that I stress myself out, I am pretty much taking a day at a time and finding that works quite well.

Today, hooray, we go the reverse cycle air conditioner installed and the heating worked wonderfully well. Deliciously so in fact, so it is grand to be able to have people visit and know they will be warm as toast.

We approached our local Visitor Information Centre today with our DL cards and they were happy to to have us!  They will promote us to visitors and also do a  special promotion around the Open Studio as well, so that feels great.

We have been fortunate to get our banner designed and printed. The plan is it will be out whenever we are in - so people can glance down the driveway and know whether we are there or not. Barry is currently down the coast buying sandbags to keep it in place when the wind blows!

Our DL cards were designed by a local printmaking friend Kim Herrings and look great.  We are planning to share them far and wide.

We have managed to do a very detailed inventory which kind of amazes us.  We have even managed to enter most of it into our sales device (square) with quantities etc so we know how many we have left - most exciting even more amazing .

And we have pretty well priced everything too and I have been making up small price cards.

And popping them on display.

We ordered a stamp and have been merrily stamping brown paper bags for wrapping and packing.

Signs have been printed for the doors about the impact of the virus on how many folk we can accommodate at one time and things like that.

Our B-I-G sign for the building on the main street is still happening - just waiting to confirm the size and we should be good to go. Some things take more time it seems.

We have just ordered the parking signs for our parking bays and they should arrive soon.  We are doing things little by little, but there are lots of little!

I have done some small single sheet price lists for the current wall works

And so it goes...there is a lot to being a shopkeeper, promoter and marketer of one's work.  And in our spare moments we are making plenty of product.

But still, its great fun and we are excited to begin...