sculptural forms

Aviary # 1 by Sheridan Jones

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 The Stockroom 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 Chicks with Knives. 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.

Digging around this morning I found this recent interview with Sheridan on Golden Artnet 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.

If you go to The Stockroom make sure to also visit Lauriston Press Gallery 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, Bridget Farmer.

Foodies will love that there is a new place in town: St Beans Provedore right next to Annie Smithers' Bistro. 

spring!

Spring blossoms and country air. It doesn't get much better that this. Pics are from the Castlemaine, Chewton, Kyneton area in Victoria.

lines + shapes

The Yarra Valley can be incredibly beautiful at this time of year. I was a bit absorbed with lines and shapes while I was there on the weekend. Oddly enough (given the location) not the wine. I don't know what that's about but am hoping my taste buds are just having some brief time out. Most of the time I do love a good glass of red. There were lots and lots of spring baby lambs out frolicking with their mothers. Too cute for words.

of white & blue

It feels quite fitting with my current egg obsession in illustration (pics below) that I should now be the owner of this beautiful egg vase by Melbourne based ceramicist, Anne Ronjat. Really, how lovely is this? It's gorgeously thin and delicate - an example of very good crafts-person-ship. Ask any potter, it's not easy to make pottery this thin. Bought from a place not to be missed if you're in Kyneton, Victoria: the Stockroom.





Mr Kitly has a beautiful raffle of Japanese products going on to raise money for disaster relief in Japan.

lines & shapes

Some lines and shapes from the past few days.

1. the Convent Gallery roof, Daylesford, Victoria.
2. lichen, Daylesford, Victoria.
3. networks, woodblock print

slow progress

I did hint it would take weeks of carving. The pic above is a print off one of the 5 blocks that I need to carve more from before it goes into the 5 colour print I'm making for the commission. I just wanted to print this little B&W number off it before I reduce it further. And that's my hanko (Japanese name stamp) purse you see on the left. I love that little thing!

We've had to cancel a trip to the Prom (aka Wilson's Prom) due to all the crazy fire activity still plaguing Victoria. And we were going to be hanging out with some lovely folk from the UK and be near the ocean and everything! We cancelled because we're being super careful and didn't want to risk being smoked in or the possibility of being stuck there due to fires all along the highway. They're predicting more craziness tomorrow with a forecast of 38 degrees and wind.

of floods and fire

I've just returned from flooded Queensland to the bush fires of Victoria. Australia truly is a country of extremes due mostly to its sheer size. While wildlife die (and a boy is suspected of having been taken by a crocodile in a flooded area in north Queensland) and homes are flooded in the areas around Ingham near Cairns, Victoria (in the south) is dry and hot (it got to 46.4C degrees in Melbourne on Saturday or 115 F) and suffering from massive bush fires that have killed 131 people at last count. It's a disaster zone and the fires are still burning very close to Melbourne (in the north). Everyone knows somebody who has been affected. A woman I know from work lost her house to fire on Saturday.

If you live in Victoria (or Australia) give blood to the Red Cross if you can. Katie's blog mentions other things you can also do.

PS.
10th Feb - 173 people are now dead and 24 fires are still burning in Victoria.
12th Feb - 181 + many more that have not been counted in Marysville yet.