tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67659324192480221372024-03-19T21:59:10.625+11:00Mizu Designsone printmaker's journeymizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.comBlogger365125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-23355904050324470512016-07-17T11:26:00.003+10:002016-07-17T11:28:26.175+10:00hello & goodbye & hello<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TuWhEDKXv0E/V4rd-vOEAoI/AAAAAAAACP0/-nVs7LIDyAgXr5NEax7uAZVo8feGfs5igCLcB/s1600/cropped-cropped-IMG_3784-1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TuWhEDKXv0E/V4rd-vOEAoI/AAAAAAAACP0/-nVs7LIDyAgXr5NEax7uAZVo8feGfs5igCLcB/s640/cropped-cropped-IMG_3784-1-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I'm no longer posting on this blog but you can read my new work over on <a href="http://www.artmattersnow.com/" target="_blank">Art Matters Now</a>. Join me there. <br />
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Thanks for the good times and beautiful support in ths spot. x<br />
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mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-65902893466166079272014-11-04T08:45:00.002+11:002014-11-04T08:46:27.240+11:00into the light of tinsel town<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QbBljCih9f4/VFfzsZ8lkDI/AAAAAAAACOw/5xSotFT8x2o/s1600/sculpturebythesea2014.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QbBljCih9f4/VFfzsZ8lkDI/AAAAAAAACOw/5xSotFT8x2o/s1600/sculpturebythesea2014.png" height="633" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork from Sculpture by the Sea, 2014 (Bondi to Tamarama, Sydney)</td></tr>
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Changes. They're mostly good, no? Let's hope so as I've made some rather large ones lately. For starters I've left my beloved Melbourne to live in sparkly, glitzy, shiny Sydney. After a decade of living in Melbourne (this time) I'm back to Sydney where I last lived 16 years ago. But so much has changed in this town since I last left. Whole areas that had very few people living in them are now massive residential areas with many, many medium-density apartment blocks (Alexandria, Zetland and parts of Waterloo). And there are more people generally and the city feels busier. But it still has many of the lovely things that I remember well from living here before. <br />
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So I'm exploring new and old places. I'm discovering that yoga classes now cost $30 (eep!) and that people are obsessed with living 'clean' here (read lots of time spent in wholefood cafes). I'm having fun finding my way around as I ride my bike up and down the steep hills that surround my new home. <br />
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I'll be looking for an open access print studio in the inner city/inner west areas soon. If anyone has a recommendation please let me know.<br />
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The funniest thing about the move so far has been the number of Sydney people who have asked (incredulously) 'why on <i>earth</i> did you move from Melbourne to Sydney?'. Like I've committed a crime against culture or something. Too funny. This two-city rivalry thing never stops, does it? <br />
<br />mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-57734296318609675692014-08-09T10:15:00.000+10:002014-08-09T15:12:26.290+10:00the thing is done<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x64w4AB7qd4/U-VmPqeQnMI/AAAAAAAACOM/JSwh8ll5pDw/s1600/IMG_2967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x64w4AB7qd4/U-VmPqeQnMI/AAAAAAAACOM/JSwh8ll5pDw/s1600/IMG_2967.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
It is done. The thesis has been examined and passed. And as weird as it sounds (to me at least), I am now a 'Dr'. <br />
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It's been a wonderful experience. I know not many people say that about doing a PhD. Most talk about the torture of it all, the marathon that it is. And of course there is plenty of hard work, a fair proportion of pain, and the journey is long for most, but oh how much I have learned!<br />
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My thesis is titled <i>Creative practice, value, and the teaching of art and design in higher education</i>. If you want to see <span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: #073763;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzwD-YA-gNKmVFBzek51dndKemc/edit?usp=sharing">a digital copy of the entire document click here</a></span>.</span><b><span style="color: black;"> </span></b><br />
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So many thank yous are needed and most have been covered in my thesis acknowledgment section. But I want to say another huge public thank you to the <a href="http://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a> who funded me to do the PhD through a scholarship. I am very honoured and utterly grateful.<br />
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And now for non-thesis writing weekends. And more printmaking!mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-87543421610643801782014-04-05T14:18:00.000+11:002014-04-06T07:11:52.569+10:00studio practice, performativity and the public gaze<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wNKaLYZiJUc/Uz91NDW6gPI/AAAAAAAACN4/WM-bN4-Wq7o/s1600/IMG_3759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wNKaLYZiJUc/Uz91NDW6gPI/AAAAAAAACN4/WM-bN4-Wq7o/s1600/IMG_3759.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a>Truth be told there has been <i>some</i> printmaking happening around here recently, but not a whole lot. I finally got to the studio last weekend to print some new drypoint etchings. But I'm not overly happy with the results (I messed up quite a few in my hurried attempt to do a lot in a short time) so will take a slightly different approach and print again from the same plates soon.<br />
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While the printmaking has been slow, there has been quite a bit of post-PhD-thesis-submission brain tinkering though. I've been thinking (and writing) a lot about the notion of creative practice and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performativity">performativity</a>, and how this becomes enhanced through the use of virtual tools such as blogs and Instagram to reveal studio practice. I am fascinated with the idea of the public gaze and what this might mean for how artists and designers think about their artist/designer identities.<br />
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More soon once I've finished the writing and (hopefully) get it published.<br />
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In the meantime, I'd be happy to hear any thoughts you have on this topic.mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-40146527752862822532013-12-21T08:37:00.001+11:002014-08-09T15:10:24.534+10:00things done<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HdFKMxn6uaQ/UrS2MDfRgwI/AAAAAAAACNU/ImMj2fnPMBI/s1600/beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HdFKMxn6uaQ/UrS2MDfRgwI/AAAAAAAACNU/ImMj2fnPMBI/s640/beach.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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It is done. I submitted my PhD thesis for examination 2 weeks ago. I can hardly believe it, but slowly as the days pass my body and mind are beginning to process this fact. I am starting to uncoil the tightly wound spring of tension that I have become over the last 12 months of thesis writing. But what an experience! And I loved almost every single second of it.<br />
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So that means a little more time for printmaking - I have not been in the studio since April. It will be super lovely to get my hands dirty again. I feel quite rusty but also eager to get started. In the meantime though, a bit of rest is in order with some beach and mountain time in the company of family and friends. Bliss. See you in 2014!<br />
<br />mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-54685430661647577432013-12-19T09:15:00.001+11:002013-12-19T09:39:12.579+11:00Mapuru weavers coming to Melbourne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nSD3-eSYL0U/UrIakUJ38AI/AAAAAAAACM8/12X-S9CP0Bg/s1600/DSC05838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nSD3-eSYL0U/UrIakUJ38AI/AAAAAAAACM8/12X-S9CP0Bg/s640/DSC05838.JPG" width="640" /></a> <br />
Two and half years ago I travelled to Mapuru, a small indigenous community in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnhem_Land">Arnhem Land</a> in the Northern Territory, where I sat the women weavers and learned the basics of their beautiful, highly skilled craft. I blogged about it <a href="http://www.mizudesigns.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/travels-in-red.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.mizudesigns.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/weaving-land.html">here</a>. The image above is of a basket woven by Mapuru weaver, Margaret Bambalarra. After buying the basket from Margaret I carried it all the way back to Melbourne. It's now hanging on my wall at home. Each time I walk by it I drink in the colours of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_End">the top end</a> and think about that wonderful community of women weavers. <br />
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If you live in Mebourne (or even if you don't but are prepared to travel here) <a href="http://friendsofmapuru.wordpress.com/">Friends of Mapuru</a> are bringing some of the Mapuru weavers to Melbourne in late January 2014 to participate in a cultural exchange. Part of that time will be spent sharing their weaving skills. If you'd like to take part in the weaving workshop check out the information on the <a href="http://friendsofmapuru.wordpress.com/">Friends of Mapuru</a> website and sign up. It will be a blast! Believe me, you will learn so much more than weaving skills from these amazing women. <br />
<br />mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-49216129564938898652013-10-06T08:47:00.000+11:002013-10-06T09:38:04.515+11:00hearing feedback: crits and creative process<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBuRynzqt9U/UlCG4XGpBkI/AAAAAAAACLI/w52eaqZjur8/s1600/work-of-art-abdi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xBuRynzqt9U/UlCG4XGpBkI/AAAAAAAACLI/w52eaqZjur8/s640/work-of-art-abdi.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work of Art (Season 1) contestant Abdi (left) during a work in progress studio crit with Simon de Pury. </td></tr>
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How do you respond to feedback on your work?<br />
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It's a curly question that one, most probably generating even curlier responses depending on your view.<br />
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Let me give you some context. I've been engrossed in watching <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/48728643997/Work-Of-Art-The-Next-Great-Artist">Work of Art: the Next Great Artist </a>on SBS, a reality series from the US about artists and their creative work in a competition environment. You can read more about the series <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_of_Art:_The_Next_Great_Artist">here</a> on wikipedia. Spoiler alert: do not go to the official Bravo site to read about this series if you want to keep the mystery of who wins alive to the end. They have winner information plastered all over their front page at the moment (for season 2). <br />
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Have you been watching Work of Art too? If so, I'd be really keen to hear your take on it. There's so much that can be said about this show from many different angles - the competition, the participants, the judges, the studio environment, the nature of the briefs, the personalities (!!!), the made for TV formula, but...I'd like to dwell on the crits for a moment in this post if I may. Because boy, are they lively!<br />
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Crits (or critiques), as many people familiar with art or design school environments will know, are one of the most important places that an artist (or designer) receives feedback on their creative work, either the work in progress or the finished work. For a very thorough run down on crits and their role and place in art school education you might like to read <a href="http://retnull.com/index.php?/texts/the-crit/">this post by Kurt Ralske</a>. A fellow tweeter and colleague, Megan McPherson (<a href="https://twitter.com/MeganJMcPherson">@meganjmcpherson</a>) is doing her <a href="http://www.meganmcpherson.com.au/projects.html">PhD on the student experience of the crit in the art school studio</a>. She will no doubt have much to say on this topic as her study finishes so stay tuned!<br />
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If you haven't seen them, the crits on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_of_Art:_The_Next_Great_Artist">Work of Art</a> are brutal. They're honest and hard hitting and the whole time I watch that part of the show I sit on the edge of my seat and my heart beats faster. I swear. This may sound odd but I feel some of the pain for the participants. Why? Because feedback is <i>hard</i>. It's hard to hear especially when the feedback is critical or negative and you've been working like a demon to produce something you feel is worthwhile. It's hard to hear feedback in the most normal of crit environments but on tv in a reality show with cameras and viewers all over the world, well that is something else! Sure, it could be argued that the partipants knew that this would be the case, that their crits would be uber public and that's the 'game' they entered into when they agreed to be part of the show. Yes. But all the same, they're creating work in very short time frames while being filmed. And then on top of it all they endure very public feedback on their work via a gallery show and then the crits. To actually <i>hear</i> the feedback, own it, take it in and process it, and then act on it takes a great deal of openness for artists, and I would suggest especially in the kind of environment on Work of Art. <br />
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But I'm keen to hear what you think. <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/48728643997/Work-Of-Art-The-Next-Great-Artist-Ep7">Go watch the show</a>. Come back and leave comments. Or just tell me what you think from your own experience of crits. Is feedback hard for you? Do you have any special ways of dealing with it? mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-91394302672020920092013-09-28T07:17:00.001+10:002013-09-29T16:30:48.952+10:00on rabbit holes and creative process<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NI56Iq4-cg0/UkX0YkmMDKI/AAAAAAAACK4/Y5ARJXzJ3XI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-28+at+7.10.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NI56Iq4-cg0/UkX0YkmMDKI/AAAAAAAACK4/Y5ARJXzJ3XI/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-09-28+at+7.10.32+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside a Japanese woodblock print studio. Total immersion in the process. Photo by Kylie Budge (circa 2003)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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A fellow researcher, <a href="https://twitter.com/qui_oui">Melonie Fullick</a> (@qui_oui) and I have been chatting about rabbit holes and the PhD process on <a href="https://twitter.com/kyliebudge">Twitter </a>lately. This is because we both feel like we travel down somewhere deep in apsects of our research work, and it feels like a solo place where we can't think about other things. We just have to tunnel down like a rabbit and do our thing there for a while until we're ready to come back up. Melonie even <a href="http://www.universityaffairs.ca/speculative-diction/down-the-research-rabbit-hole/">wrote a blog post </a>about it yesterday. She describes the process and feeling well, I think.<br />
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As I read her post this morning over breakfast it got me thinking about the creative process and how it has similar rabbit hole qualities. You know that feeling, when things are going well with a project and you forget to eat and can't bear to stop. Hours and hours can pass by without you noticing. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29">Psychologists call this 'flow'</a>, the idea where immersion in creating is so deep that time seems to stop for the person involved. They also talk about it being a single-minded immersion. Which led me to the rabbit hole analogy. It's a similar idea.<br />
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I was thinking about this quality of single-mindedness the other night as I watched Jennifer Byrne <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/s3855365.htm">interview Elizabeth Gilbert </a>on the ABC. Elizabeth was talking about the process of writing and creating her new work of fiction, <a href="http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/the-signature-of-all-things/">The Signature of all Things</a>, a massive 512 page story set in the early 1800s. When she spoke about writing this book and bringing the story to life I was struck by the details, the collecting and sorting and researching and weaving of all the tiny minutiae that make up a fantastic story (and if Jennifer's reading of it is anything to go by, it will be great. The book will be released next week). Surely creating something like this requires at least one rabbit hole? Maybe more?<br />
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And yesterday I read Lucy Feagins <a href="http://thedesignfiles.net/2013/09/interview-cressida-campbell/">interview with the Sydney artist Cressida Campbell </a>on The Design Files. I've always admired Cressida's prints so was really excited to see this interview. In it she talks about her process. One thing that struck me is she said that while a small work can take her 2 weeks to make, a larger work can take up to 4 months. And Cressida admitted she usually only works on creating one print at a time. A great example of the rabbit hole! <a href="http://thedesignfiles.net/2013/09/interview-cressida-campbell/">Check out the article </a>with Sean Fennessy's beauitful photography showcasing Cressida's studio.<br />
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I wonder, do you experience the rabbit hole feeling when creating? Or something else entirely? <br />
<br />mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-29105278839267778422013-09-20T08:30:00.000+10:002013-09-20T08:30:00.585+10:00happiness is...<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/60429944" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe> <br />
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I've been really enjoying catching up on some of the <a href="http://vimeo.com/cmmelbourne/videos">Creative Mornings Melbourne </a>video series, so I thought I'd mention another recent one that provided me with quite a bit of food for thought. Designer/Illustrator and 'multi-disciplinary' maestro, <a href="http://beciorpin.com/">Beci Orpin</a>, spoke about happiness and creativity in this lovely video. <br />
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Beci speaks with lots of examples from her life about what keeps her happy, and links this all very closely to her ability to maintain a work life driven by design. She mentions the following happiness points important to her:<br />
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+ her sketchbooks<br />
+ making mistakes<br />
+ riding her bike<br />
+ breaking the rules<br />
+ having her cats around<br />
+ diversity<br />
+ finding inspiration<br />
+ community<br />
+ running your own race<br />
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Two things I found quite wonderful to hear her speak about were 1. making mistakes, and 2. running your own race. Beci shares a very honest tale of what she feels was probably a business 'mistake' earlier on in her designer career. I found it refreshing to hear how she viewed this and the learning she drew from it. It would be easy to write something like this off as a failure and dwell on it unproductively for ages. Instead, she used the experience to figure out what she is better at and used this to propel her forward into other design adventures.<br />
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The second point, about running your own race, was communicated simply, but holds a powerful message. Beci talks about not getting caught up in what your creative peers are doing and measuring your progress against this. Feeling envious, jaded or ripped off 'is a really big waste of energy', she says. Which is so true when you think about it. And turning your thinking around to see it like this totally changes your perspective from being a negative one to being positive. So run your own race is her main message here. <br />
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What brings you happiness in your creative world? Enjoy the video!mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-61796752234866715452013-09-13T08:30:00.000+10:002013-09-14T08:52:09.244+10:00documenting the lives of creatives <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h7UVg-5rhzU/UikPbb2IrAI/AAAAAAAACKo/STvy2bNJrCk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-06+at+9.09.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h7UVg-5rhzU/UikPbb2IrAI/AAAAAAAACKo/STvy2bNJrCk/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-09-06+at+9.09.54+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Studio of Aysen Bayram. Photos by Paul Barbera from Whey They Create. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Something else that jumped out of me from Lucy's talk on image making and the new image economy (<a href="http://www.mizudesigns.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/the-new-image-economy.html">see previous post</a>) is the beautiful documenting of creative work spaces that some are undertaking. One such person is <a href="http://www.paulbarbera.com/">Paul Barbera</a> who produces <a href="http://wheretheycreate.com/">Where They Create</a>, a gorgeous image folio of people in their creative work environments from all over the world. Swoon!<br />
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Another production of a similar ilk is that of <a href="http://www.freundevonfreunden.com/">fvf</a> who collect stories and images of creative folk in their work spaces from different parts of the globe in their series, <a href="http://www.freundevonfreunden.com/workplaces/">workplaces</a>. Ooo la la! Through their beautiful photography and text we can see the creative environments of people like artist, <a href="http://www.freundevonfreunden.com/workplaces/jeongmoon-choi/">Jeongmoon Choi in Berlin</a> or graphic designer, <a href="http://www.freundevonfreunden.com/workplaces/etienne-akroe-bardelli-2/#video">Etienne "Akroe" Bardelli in Paris</a>. This particular collection tends to produce quite a bit from Europe giving those of us far, far away some insight into the creative working environments generated in that part of the world. I love this series and have been following it for a while. I also like the fvf series, <a href="http://www.freundevonfreunden.com/interviews/">interviews</a>, which includes one of my favourites with 100 year old publisher and artist, <a href="http://www.freundevonfreunden.com/interviews/gisele-dailly-van-waterschoot-van-der-gracht/">Gisele d'Ailly van Waterschoot van der Gracht </a>(an impressive name, non?) in Amsterdam. <br />
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What amazing and important projects! This documenting of artists, designers and makers in their work spaces and homes, along with interviews about their creative lives is a goldmine of inspiration and insight. Mine that gold, absorb it and share it around, I say. mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-11074245770532499602013-09-06T07:51:00.000+10:002013-09-06T14:39:45.605+10:00the new image economy<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/48867663?api=1" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br />
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Recently I watched this fascinating and inspiring talk by the very talented <a href="http://www.woman.com.au/lucy-feagins-design-obsession/">Lucy Feagins</a> from <a href="http://thedesignfiles.net/">The Design Files </a>as part of the <a href="http://vimeo.com/cmmelbourne">Creative Mornings Melbourne series</a>.<br />
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What I loved is the way Lucy talks about something she calls '<i>the new image economy</i>'. She does in the context of the publishing industry having been thrown on its head of late and talks about what this means for image makers, and how they might make this topsy-turvy space work<i> for </i>them, rather than against them. As well as describing the way the image making industry works in publishing (both print and online) she argues how the new image economy enables image makers to 'be in the driver's seat' and wrest control, despite appearances to the contrary with the proliferation of images on the internet.<br />
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The main take-home message raises quite a few questions regarding traditional ideas about intellectual property, something image makers have had a hard time hanging onto over the last 5-10 years, particularly on the internet. Lucy speaks about this issue in relation to her super-popular blog, <a href="http://thedesignfiles.net/">The Design Files</a>. I was intrigued by the different phases she says she has traveled through to reach a space where she says she has become 'quite zen' about it all, understanding as she does that the image economy has a way of paying back, even when her images are pinned on say, <a href="https://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>, or re-blogged. It's an interesting notion, one with much value and enormous dollops of generosity. And one I think I like very much.<br />
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See what you think. Go watch the whole talk now.<br />
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Thanks to <a href="http://erinwilsonstudios.com/">Erin Wilson</a>'s blog for helping me find the video in the first place. mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-66258047874864450612013-08-04T09:12:00.000+10:002013-08-04T17:38:56.673+10:00flora in triptych 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Flora in Triptych 2 </i>is now finally <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/158618151/flora-in-triptych-2-original-etching?ref=shop_home_active">listed</a>.<br />
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I printed this small edition of etchings in April before I went to NY and love the deep richness of those dirty reds. It's a tiny edition of 5 only as with all the messing around involved in inking up and laying three 10x10cm plates exactly on the printing bed, not to mention getting a good print (which means me not bumping that paper before I run it through the press) I would need to be printing for an aeon to have any more. I have a few others from this run that are quite quirky (plates positioned differently) and may list those separately at some point. <br />
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What have you been printing?mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-82298834855567858652013-06-23T09:38:00.001+10:002013-06-23T09:39:31.346+10:00new york vignettes <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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New York was amazing. I was there for a mighty 4.5 weeks and got back about 2 weeks ago. How do I begin to capture it all? I can't. But a few images here will give you an idea and then the rest is on <a href="http://instagram.com/kyliebudge#">Instagram</a> (well, a fair few anyway). <br />
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I was in New York for 3 main reasons: to write a significant chunk of my PhD thesis, to see a lot of art, and to visit friends. This was my little apartment in the Lower East Side rented through <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/">airbnb</a>. It was perfect in every sense. I spent every morning in that room on the right working on my thesis. It was bathed in eastern light and had a fabulous view of the Williamsburg Bridge. A perfect place for writing.<br />
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Most mornings I went for either a run or a walk. Early on, the Williamsburg Bridge became a favourite to run over. Such amazing views! Later in my trip I ran in the East Village around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tompkins_Square_Park">Tompkins Square Park</a> and along the East River park. Runners' heaven that! I also cycled my heart out as my apartment came with a bike. Cycling in Manhattan is wild and crazy and totally recommended! NYC launched its new <a href="http://citibikenyc.com/">bike share program</a> while I was there. So now there are funky blue rental bikes everywhere. <br />
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For me NY is about so much, the architecture especially. <br />
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And the art, of course! <br />
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<a href="http://friezenewyork.com/">NY Frieze</a> was on. So much fun to catch a ferry down the East River to Randall's Island. And so much art!<br />
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Chelsea never disappoints on the art front. More gorgeous work! All art work seen here is attributed properly on my Instagram photos. <a href="http://instagram.com/kyliebudge#">Go there</a> if you want to know more about these works. <br />
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The world of bridges. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbo,_Brooklyn">DUMBO</a> is one of the best places to hang out in Brooklyn.<br />
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The first heat wave of summer hit while I was there. We spent nights walking the streets waiting for the cool change to come. Not a bad thing to do given what there is to see in Manhattan.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.thehighline.org/">High Line</a> captured my heart. Last time I was in NY in 2008 it wasn't yet open so it was so much fun to walk from 34th St all the way down to the 12th on this beautiful elevated public park. The landscaping is superb and the architecture is non-stop amazing the whole way.<br />
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I haven't mentioned the cocktails and the endless food and hanging out with friends. And ice cream on hot nights at the amazing<a href="http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/il-laboratorio-del-gelato/"> Il Laboratorio </a>on Ludlow in the Lower East Side. But you get the idea...mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-83870888038068732172013-04-06T13:34:00.000+11:002013-04-06T13:34:17.534+11:00triptychs and the like<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flora in Triptych - drypoint etching</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Succulent blossom in dirty blue - drypoint etching</td></tr>
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I've been printing! These are recent drypoint etchings I picked up from the studio this morning. They've been there drying under the boards for about 2 weeks. The first one, the triptych, took a lot of painstaking registration work to get those 3 panels inked up and sitting just right. But something in me really enjoyed the challenge. So much so that I have another flora based triptych in the planning stages and if all goes well I'll be printing later this week. Stay tuned!mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-53976790127462862752013-03-31T09:59:00.002+11:002013-04-01T08:19:17.759+11:00sculptural forms <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aviary # 1 by Sheridan Jones</td></tr>
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A friend is in town from Brisbane and so we drove all over the Mt Macedon, Trentham, Daylesford, Kyneton area yesterday giving her a small taste of country Victoria. Last stop was <a href="http://www.stockroomkyneton.com/">The Stockroom</a> in Kyneton, my favourite contemporary art/design space to visit in that area. They support local artists and designers and showcase their work in a huge old ex butter factory. I was transfixed by works on paper by Sheridan Jones in a group show called <a href="http://www.stockroomkyneton.com/exhibitions/">Chicks with Knives</a>. Sheridan makes sculptural forms of animals using her etchings and stained paper. The pic above is one I took of her work while in the gallery yesterday. From a few metres back I initially mistook her work for taxidermy. Intrigued I stepped close and became silent in awe of her paper based work. Such extraordinary detail.<br />
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Digging around this morning I found <a href="http://goldenartnet.com/2011/10/27/interview-sheridan-jones/">this recent interview</a> with Sheridan on <a href="http://goldenartnet.com/2011/10/27/interview-sheridan-jones/">Golden Artnet</a> about her work and a show she did at the Castlemaine Contemporary Art Space. It's a great read. Check out her owl in the beautiful old glass jar.<br />
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If you go to The Stockroom make sure to also visit <a href="http://www.lauristonpress.com.au/">Lauriston Press Gallery</a> on the same street (Piper St). Owner and printmaker Sarah Gabriel stocks some beautiful work there including those of Daylesford based artist and bird print maestro, <a href="http://www.bridgetfarmerprintmaker.com/">Bridget Farmer</a>.<br />
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Foodies will love that there is a new place in town: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/ST-BEANS-Provedore/450885611644985?fref=ts">St Beans Provedore</a> right next to Annie Smithers' Bistro. <br />
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mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-89768943850242105302013-02-09T20:39:00.002+11:002013-04-01T08:20:01.214+11:00studio practices<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello. It's been a while. Summer is here and the days have been warm and delicious. The beach has been calling. <br />
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But there has been a little studio activity. Hurrah!<br />
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At the moment I'm playing with colour and trying to work up some sketches that I can use for a new series of etchings. Today felt fairly productive. <br />
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I've been observing a few things about my practice which some people find unusual. But really, I think anyone who uses social media (like blogs, instagram, twitter, flickr, tumblr) and has a creative practice won't be too surprised by my observations. What I've noticed is I've been increasingly using and finding support in a <i>virtual</i> side to my practice. That is, like many artists and designers I know (but not all, as I've learned when I try to explain this to some) I might work alone at home on studio work but while I'm working I document my practice and share what's happening (messy process, end results, inspirations - all find their way in). Sometimes I ask questions about colour or composition or tools or any number of things. This happens mostly on <a href="http://instagram.com/kyliebudge">instagram</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/mizudesigns">twitter</a>, but in the past also a lot on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59201941@N00/">flickr</a>. And also here too, on this blog. Using hash tags like #printmaking #studio #illustration etc are great because you can find all kinds of people popping by to look and sometimes comment.<br />
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It sometimes gets tricky when I'm printing. Inky hands and the camera/phone don't make happy companions. <br />
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It's all very virtual and yet also very <i>social</i>.<br />
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Any yet it's different from when I'm printing or working alongside other printmakers in the same physical studio. I still document my work and share it digitally while I'm there. Yet what I experience with the virtual practices I've just described is different from the way I spend time, move around, practice, and observe others at work in a shared physical studio space.<br />
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And I'm trying to work out what is different and why I might experience it that way. <br />
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I haven't joined all the dots together yet.<br />
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What about you? Any thoughts you'd like to share on the matter? What kind of digital/virtual studio practices do you use? mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-44055718343837277522012-12-04T14:35:00.000+11:002013-04-01T08:20:37.103+11:00artists in conversation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm in love with a book I'm reading and think you might like it too. In many ways it encapsulates my dream job: interviewing artists and designers about their practice over many decades. </div>
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<a href="http://www.readings.com.au/product/9781921778735/janet-hawley-artists-in-conversation">'Artists in Conversation'</a> by Australian journalist Janet Hawley has just been published and is well worth a read.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vXUqkmkL-BM/UL1pYRQ73WI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/zcrO5dQff6Q/s1600/4372950-3x4-340x453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vXUqkmkL-BM/UL1pYRQ73WI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/zcrO5dQff6Q/s400/4372950-3x4-340x453.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Hawley interviews many interesting (mostly Australian) artists and presents the book as a series of essays about each one. As <a href="http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/shop/item/9781921778735/">this review</a> points out<i> "Spanning continents and decades, Artists in Conversation brings to life
the creative talents of more than 30 artists including Brett Whiteley,
Ben Quilty, Margaret Olley, Bill Henson, John Brack, Sidney Nolan,
Arthur Boyd, Adam Cullen, John Wolseley, John Olsen and Albert Tucker,
among others." </i></div>
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I've read about 7 chapters so far and was moved to tears by one in particular where Hawley reprints letters between the then dying <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Rees">Lloyd Rees</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Whiteley">Brett Whiteley</a>. So poignant.</div>
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What's quite special about this collection of artist portraits is the way in which Hawley has developed quite intimate friendships with each of them over long periods of time. Often holidaying with the artists and their families, and always being invited for studio visits and meals and long, interesting, thoroughly-worth-reading conversations. She has the inside scoop on what plagues them, what stirs and motivates them and what fame has meant for their lives and their creative work. </div>
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You can listen to an interview with Janet about her book <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksandartsdaily/janet-hawley27s-artists-in-conversation/4372926">here</a> recorded 15 November on ABC Radio National Books and Arts Daily. </div>
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Fascinating, I tell you!</div>
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Dream job indeed. So I'm putting it out there. I'm available to do this kind of project for printmakers if anyone has funding. Just saying.....</div>
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mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-40075524888166780802012-11-03T07:56:00.002+11:002013-04-01T08:18:44.240+11:00studio thoughts<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 plate etching</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">succulent blossom in sepia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">APW studio</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my work area - blood bath!</td></tr>
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I've made my first use of the <a href="http://www.australianprintworkshop.com/default.asp">Australian Print Workshop's </a>(APW) beautiful print studio. What a fun day! For me it was mostly about process and practice, and getting a better feel for the intaglio experience. As a relief printer and screen printer, intaglio is opening up a whole new, delicious world for me in printmaking. At the moment I'm just producing drypoint etchings. I have not worked up the courage to go near the acid bath and do anything that tricky.<br />
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Working in a communal print studio like APW's is a pretty wonderful experience. There was a collective buzz about the place as people went about their printing business, but also plenty of conversation and friendly advice for me when I asked questions. Mid morning an art tour group came through and watched us work. While that was a bit nerve-wracking it was also really good to talk to people who wanted to know more about printmaking.<br />
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One woman in the tour group asked me if working in a communal print studio had any benefits to working alone. Without a doubt I said yes. For example, yesterday I worked next to a monoprinter. I haven't done mono prints since high school, so for me to work next to my studio buddy all day was a wonderful way to revisit that process. And boy could she produce fantastic Goya-esque monoprints! There were other etching artists working there too so I was able to bug them with questions throughout the day about materials and process. And I got to see their prints together with mine on the drying boards. It was a lot of fun to see what concepts people are working with and how they resolve into prints.<br />
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One special treat I had was to work with an ancient etching press [pic 3 above] all day. What a beauty that old lady is! She's hard work to pull a print through but in many ways working like that is also very satisfying.<br />
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As you can see by the prints I made above I'm still working with botanical images, specifically succulent flowers. I'm a bit obsessed with the process and evolution of life at the moment and botanicals is the way I want to communicate the ideas I have about this. So there will be more to come!mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-18599954523732871022012-10-27T09:08:00.000+11:002013-04-01T08:29:08.526+11:00blood red
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There's been some printing going on around here! This time I've made up a rich blood red ink and printed my banksia pod design with it. I quite like the way it came up against the warmth of the linen.<br />
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I use 2 types of Russian linen - a warmer colour called 'flax' and a slightly cooler one called 'oatmeal'. <br />
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pic 1: flax<br />
pic 2: oatmeal <br />
pic 3: oatmeal<br />
pic 4: flax<br />
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The thing I LOVE about printing on 100% linen is the way these towels wear over time to a gorgeous softness with use in the kitchen. And linen is such a beautiful natural product. Remember <a href="http://mizudesigns.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/linen.html">this video</a> I posted last year about how it's made? <br />
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Oh, and they're<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/mizudesigns?ref=em"> in the shop</a>. Of course. Xmas pressies perhaps???mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-61117834961373392192012-10-13T08:50:00.001+11:002013-04-01T11:05:24.615+11:00etching class with Bridget Farmer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ISgLWA1zsQ/UVjNYs4X0MI/AAAAAAAACBc/F3UYN4RxC9M/s1600/bridgetstudiowork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ISgLWA1zsQ/UVjNYs4X0MI/AAAAAAAACBc/F3UYN4RxC9M/s640/bridgetstudiowork.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some of the work I made at Bridget's studio</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruiting Habit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely Daylesford sky</td></tr>
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After spending 2 days in <a href="http://bridgetfarmer.blogspot.com.au/">Bridget Farmer's</a> gorgeous print studio near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylesford,_Victoria">Daylesford</a> I feel very inspired and energised.<br />
Bridget taught me the ins and outs of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drypoint">drypoint etching </a>and I seriously think I've found a new printmaking addiction. Bridget's work alone is inspiring enough. Take a look at <a href="http://bridgetfarmer.blogspot.com.au/p/2011-gallery.html">this gallery</a> of some of her gorgeous bird etchings. Oooh la la! Aren't they just divine?<br />
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Bridget's originally from Northern Ireland but has lived in Australia for a few years now. Her current home is the gorgeous bushland near Daylesford which is where you'll also find her peaceful printmaking studio. And I can vouch that Bridget knows her birds! Her studio has several enormous windows looking onto the bush and while we chatted over lunch and cups of tea she regularly pointed out various little feathered beauties as they perched in tree branches nearby. I was impressed. My own bird naming knowledge doesn't extend much beyond knowing what galahs, lorikeets, cockatoos and the occasional magpie look like. <br />
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And the printmaking! What fun! Working in the etching medium allowed me to unleash my passion for linear forms, something that is quite hard to portray through relief printing, like woodblock or lino. So based on my botanical sketches I printed up a storm of various botanical inspired etchings and got to experiment with colour and shading under Bridget's support and guidance. I can't speak highly enough of the soft and gentle approach Bridget has towards teaching what she knows about etching. It was a really magical couple of days for me.<br />
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The good news is <a href="http://bridgetfarmer.blogspot.com.au/p/printmaking-classes.html">Bridget's running classes</a>. So you too can learn about various kinds of etching processes in the peace and quiet of Bridget's lovely bushland studio. mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-21645730354665747812012-10-06T08:22:00.000+10:002012-10-06T08:38:15.001+10:00embodiment + sense-making<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyliebudge/8045200456/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="indigo dyed shibori textiles by kylie budge, on Flickr"><img alt="indigo dyed shibori textiles" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8045200456_0c24675b5b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyliebudge/8055100666/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="ghost print on paper by kylie budge, on Flickr"><img alt="ghost print on paper" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8457/8055100666_faa8a1e6d4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyliebudge/8057784859/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="snow gum in ice blue on 100% linen by kylie budge, on Flickr"><img alt="snow gum in ice blue on 100% linen" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/8057784859_62579c6535.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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I'm still working out the specifics of <a href="http://instagram.com/">Instagram </a>but have been playing there a bit this week for the first time @kyliebudge. Boy, there is just a world of non-stop beauty and inspiration in that app, no? I know I could easily lose a lifetime looking down into my phone screen perusing all that people post there. Wondrous!<br />
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Speaking of visuals and the role of them in <b>sense-making</b> for artists, there is a <a href="http://patthomson.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/visual-narratives-as-sense-making/">pretty cool new post </a>on Pat Thomson's blog by <a href="http://www.meganmcpherson.com.au/index.html">Megan McPherson</a> (@meganjmcpherson and @thomsonpat on twitter) that you might want to check out. In it Megan talks about the role of visuals and journals in sense-making for artists and it made me think of the way blogs and visual repositories like Flickr and Instagram do that for many of us. <a href="http://patthomson.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/visual-narratives-as-sense-making/">Go read</a> and see what you think.<br />
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One of the topics the post touches on is <b>embodiment</b>. I've been thinking a LOT about this in terms of the big story I'm working on (a PhD about creative practice and the teaching of art and design in universities). Funnily enough this topic crossed my mind yesterday morning when I was home sick with a cold. I should have been writing, or at the very least analysing interview data but I was in that thick fog that colds bring on (still am really) where it's hard to make the brain work. So instead I did some printing. This decision was so automatic for me that it was only later I realised it has something to do with embodiment. While I still have to use my brain to think while printing it's different from how it's used when I'm writing. And I think it has something to do with how printmaking has become embodied for me through years of practice. By this I mean I can more or less just do it without thinking about it too much or over-analysing. And it feels good to do when the brain is tired. Even relaxing.<br />
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If you want to read more about embodiment in the context of art practice go read <a href="http://www.mmm.edu/cgi-bin/MySQLdb?MYSQL_VIEW=/faculty/view_one.txt&webid=688">Erin O'Connor's</a> work. If you're up for a big read here's a <a href="http://books.google.com.au/books/about/Hotshop_An_Ethnography_of_Embodied_Knowl.html?id=iTSfF5Zhni0C&redir_esc=y">link to her thesis</a>. Erin's PhD was an in situ ethnography about how it felt to become a glassblower - from novice right through to expert over about 3-4 years. She writes a lot about embodiment of practice and also language and culture in the context of glassblowing. Really fascinating stuff (ok, I might be nerding out here but I really do think that).<br />
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I'm really interested to know - do you feel like you embody some aspects of your art or design practice? In what ways have you noticed this?mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-78374886142330702622012-09-24T17:33:00.000+10:002013-04-01T11:15:38.788+11:00shibori + indigo = love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q7T1ytZMxtA/UVjQtpy0_uI/AAAAAAAACB4/GqHGWmoWNrg/s1600/shiborifloor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q7T1ytZMxtA/UVjQtpy0_uI/AAAAAAAACB4/GqHGWmoWNrg/s640/shiborifloor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shibori class floor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s0Cut2L0YMM/UVjQvLI9tzI/AAAAAAAACCA/Hrrwaa3Fh8U/s1600/workdryingoxidising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s0Cut2L0YMM/UVjQvLI9tzI/AAAAAAAACCA/Hrrwaa3Fh8U/s640/workdryingoxidising.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">work drying & oxidising</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xb9EVNJXu1I/UVjQyNYYUlI/AAAAAAAACCI/hi5DkNpAXTo/s1600/testpiece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xb9EVNJXu1I/UVjQyNYYUlI/AAAAAAAACCI/hi5DkNpAXTo/s640/testpiece.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of my test pieces</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">another test piece of mine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---IhY2ofchc/UVjQ2H7QtfI/AAAAAAAACCY/2FiPx_Fq6A4/s1600/studentestpiece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/---IhY2ofchc/UVjQ2H7QtfI/AAAAAAAACCY/2FiPx_Fq6A4/s640/studentestpiece.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">other students' text pieces</td></tr>
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There's nothing quite like trying something new to give you a buzz. <a href="http://www.joannafowles.com/">Jo Fowles</a> taught a shibori indigo dye workshop over the weekend at the
wonderful <a href="http://www.harvestworkroom.com.au/home.html">Harvest Workroom</a>. I went along on Sunday and helped out. Which
meant I got to see Jo in action and participate in some of the fun. In
short, I got my hands dirty - blue dirty - as anyone who has worked with indigo will tell you they get even with gloves on! Originally from London Jo is now based in Sydney and creates the most dreamy geometric inspired textiles based on a combination of techniques. She says she is "process driven" and this shows in her passion to get people working and trying things out. You must, must, must check out some of Jo's work <a href="http://www.joannafowles.com/">here</a>. <br />
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In the workshop we used a whole range of wonderful tools and paraphernalia to twist, tie, clamp and stuff into our textile pieces before dyeing. We then dunked these into indigo dye vats and waited to see what would result. There was quite a bit of excitement happening as each person untied, unwrapped or unclamped their work. There were lots of surprises and part of the learning was about letting going of expectations about what we thought would result to play and experiment and let the process show us what was possible. The indigo cloth spectacular at the back of the Harvest Workroom by mid afternoon was really something to be seen.<br />
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I'm told via a <a href="http://harvest.bigcartel.com/product/3-day-experimental-printing-dyeing-with-jo-fowles">reliable source</a> that Jo will be back at Harvest Workroom in January for more textiles fun. You can find all the information about that <a href="http://harvest.bigcartel.com/product/3-day-experimental-printing-dyeing-with-jo-fowles">here</a>. I think yesterday may have ignited a little fire for me. If only I could get my hands into an indigo vat on a regular basis!mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-91890436724917279392012-09-16T16:46:00.000+10:002013-04-01T11:22:02.520+11:00the honey makers<br />
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So this one had a hard birth. The design came quick enough but then I wasn't happy with it as just a single colour print. The bees were meant to be just the one (not the 5 here) and it (the bee) was going to be in black too originally. And that all changed as I started printing which meant the bees got added one by one in that bright punchy yellow. I do mostly like a monochrome palette but occasionally I can let myself add a splash of colour to lighten the energy in a print.<br />
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So '<b>the honey makers</b>' is<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/mizudesigns?ref=si_shop"> here </a>in gorgeous 100% linen + ready for use.<br />
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Some thoughts on process this week....I've been spending time with quite a few creative folk of late due to the 'big story' I'm writing (a PhD - some background on my other world <a href="http://www.mizudesigns.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/two-worlds-fusing.html">here</a>) and it's been a glorious thing. I've had a number of similar conversations about process birthing ideas for future projects/work. That is, you start working on something and while you're in there with your creative juices flowing it generates ideas for all kinds of other work. It's like you have to be immersed in the creative process to help this other generative process happen. Well in printing over this weekend I felt that happen. My head has been gurgling with all kinds of ideas for future designs and illustrations. Mostly I think it's a result of trialing designs, manipulating them, problem solving on the hop and then eventually resolving the design issues. Something happens in my creative head space when all of that other stuff is working away. Does that happen to you?mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-76131319096862012902012-09-08T18:35:00.000+10:002013-04-01T11:24:55.191+11:00ice blue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes you've got to go with the idea of 'less is more'. Even though the <a href="http://www.mizudesigns.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/creating-snow-gum.html">over-printing on the snow gum print</a> was working out I decided that I wanted to have a single print of this design on linen as well. So I mixed up a nice ice blue this morning as an experiment. Then a printmaker on twitter, @meganjmcpherson, suggested that the coolness of the blue against the warmth of the linen worked because it does in nature. This was the image she used to make her case:<br />
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which kind of makes sense to me. So <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/mizudesigns">it's listed here</a> in case it takes your fancy. mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6765932419248022137.post-89967364539351439002012-09-02T19:24:00.001+10:002013-04-01T11:33:49.637+11:00spring!<br />
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Spring blossoms and country air. It doesn't get much better that this. Pics are from the Castlemaine, Chewton, Kyneton area in Victoria.mizu designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16148756800806960402noreply@blogger.com0