At the Bench

My MoB workspace bench as it looked yesterday.

If you're in brisbane feel free to come by and visit the workspace which I share with other Brisbane jewellers. It is in a public space at the Museum of Brisbane (in MoB store)with easy viewing through a glass window. I see you - you see me - as it should be.

Collection grows & grows

Here are a few of my recent collecting efforts.

Lucite, celluloid, bakelite - it is all starting to make sense.

In Transit

I started off the year equally excited and depressed. I was excited at the thought of all the possibilities that lay before me, such as, experimenting with different plastics and building a website and becoming global. What depressed me was the thought of having to make so much stuff for not much bucks.

So I 'm on a bit of a journey to find some balance and satisfy my various needs to make, design, make money, build networks, learn a lot, share a lot, grow, develop and experiment, in order to have a sustainable satisfying long term career in the Arts.

Changes will be happening (now scared and excited).

Number One Fan

I'm addicted to Pru Morrison's ceramics. She makes these delicate, colourful, one off pieces that are deeply personal and political. I just can't get enough of them. I own several pieces and hope to collect many more.

Whenever I see her I think my overwhelming enthusiasm frightens her a bit. Really she should just get used to it because Superstardom is surely just around the corner.

Trend watching

Knowledge is power. Sure it's been said before, but I'm saying it again.

O.K I'm just going to say it - there is a certain resistance amongst craftspeople/makers to technology and business practices in general. Maybe everyone is too exhausted by the end of the day from loading that kiln or stringing those countless beads to teach themselves Photoshop or develop good accounting systems.

I love craft - handmade, one off originals, uneven surfaced, beautiful, imperfect handstitched things - but this is the 21st Century and if Craft isn't going to be gobbled up by Design it has to get real and at least know what else is out there before it takes it up, or not.

Stepping down from the soapbox now.

Home Sweet Home

I want to live here! It looks like candyland (Tokyo apartments) to me.

Colour on color

The above images are from a past exhibition of colour jewellery at Galerie Sophie Lachaert, located in Belgium.

I enjoyed the simple twist of seeing colourful jewellery being displayed on a brightly coloured surface - and it really works!

It's Prada darling!

The keyring I just had to have. 1. It's plastic - so very plastic 2. It's cute as 3. It'll keep me organised - as I'll always find my keys 4. It's Prada

Favourite Jeweller - Helen Britton

If I had to pick a favourite jeweller it would be Helen Britton. I love the contrast of materials and her apparent lack of fear in trying new techniques. Dipping everything in pink paint is just brilliant.

FORM (click link & type in Helen Britton) provides a nice pictorial insight into her working practice.

catalog/catalogue

I thought the online design of the MoMA catalogue was pretty darn good. The moving pages are nifty.

I'll file this one away for future reference.

Resin - why bother?

Since my mission is to know everything about ever plastic ever, I guess I'm going to have to take a look at exploring resin at some point. This is something that is exciting (I love what Kaz is doing) but a little ho hum as well. I've already heard the Dinosaur Designs comparisons simply because I use plastic. Not that that ever bothered me as they are rather good company to keep!

Everything I know I learnt from T.V (part 2)

I never really understood the collector's exhibitions. You know the regular craft/art show that allows us to glimpse into artist's collections and thus provide insight into their work. I just never found them that interesting or that enlightening.

I now may have to review this stance as I've started collecting myself. With a teeny budget and buckets of passion I've started to gather a small but growing array of old/vintage/retro plastic things. The focus is on jewellery, but not just. Already in a number of weeks I feel I understand so much more about the material I choose to work with - plastic.

I sort of thought collecting was going to be important but I wasn't sure why. Last week television came to my rescue when I watched a doco on collectors and the reason why they collect. The (mandatory) expert said something that stuck with me, and it was that what was important about collecting was the "collecting of knowledge". Yes, I think I agree. So I'm now hoping to become a whole lot more knowledgeable in the future.

Everything I know I learnt from T.V

Project Runway is my bible.

For those unfamiliar with the foxtel reality (?) show, it involved a group of up-and-coming fashion designers who compete against each other each week to best meet the various design challenges and stay in the show. Winner gets rewarded, loser goes home. It involves an awe inspiring talented group who are judged by leading fashion designers, stylists and decision-makers. It is filmed at the Parsons school of design in New York - so it has cred (I think).

It has so many lessons for us all - 1. Don't say you're not good enough - someone (important) might agree 2. By saying you're not good enough, you're not good enough. 3. Have a clear vision 4. Express that vision clearly 5. Compromise, but never compromise.

Can't wait for next week...