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. 

paper

I really wished I'd known that Cibi in Collingwood was having a launch last November of these beautiful Cibi Siwa washi paper bags. Nothing like discovering things too late, is there? I think these are so wonderful in their simplicity and really sum up the idea of wabi sabi perfectly. Given Cibi is only a short bike ride from my house and has some the most delicious Japanese food on offer in Melbourne I'm hoping they still have some of these in stock in their shop. Would it be too sacrosanct to consider printing on one?

BSG has a good works on paper show on at the moment. At the opening last night I was especially impressed with a giant (not kidding it was HUGE) lino cut by Victorian printmaker Sue Fraser. You can see it here (it's #40).

mandy renard

This drypoint print by Mandy Renard, another delightful Tasmanian printmaker (go Tassie go!), is so incredibly beautiful I can't wait to see it in person. Look at those gorgeous colours! I was too sick with my cold to go to the opening of Printing Figuratively last night but am hoping when I meet up with the lovely Carmel from Feed the Dog next week (yay she's in town from Sydney for a visit for the Melbourne Design Festival!) that we can incorporate it into a gallery crawl along Gertrude St in Fitzroy. Melbourne winter weather permitting, of course!

printsy interview: marissa buschow

Printsy is the name of a new flickr group for printmakers who have an etsy shop. That is, printmakers working with techniques such as intaglio, relief, screen printing, lithography and monotypes.  And printsy now has its own blog: Printsy: printmakers of etsy. Printsy members are in the process of interviewing each other about their various backgrounds and printmaking processes. The first interview is up on the new blog and is with Marissa Buschow,  also known as fustian on etsy. This is her lovely woodblock print titled 'fox sparrow'. I'm particularly excited to learn that Marissa also works in the moku hanga (Japanese style woodblock printing) tradition. The interview is a great read. 

And a little note here to say that some of my woodblock print and kimono fabric cards are now available at the gorgeous Bamakko in North Melbourne. Bamakko stock hand made products from a range of Melbourne designers and artisans. The shop is a delight to visit.

jezze's prints

A little while ago I discovered the work of Jezze, a South African screenprinter. I just adore this particluar print of hers: 'girl with mud in her head part 1'. There's something really earthy and lovely about it. You can read more about her work and inspiration on her blog. She also makes gorgeous blockprinted cotton tape like this:

georgia thorpe

It's always very exciting to find the work of printmakers who I've never known about. It's even more exciting when I find that they're living right here in Melbourne. I came across Georgia Thorpe's work when reading the latest edition of Imprint (Journal of the Print Council of Australia). The image here is one of her prints: Rising Purple. I just love the colours and the floating quality in the work. It's a woodcut monotype. You just have to click on this link to see more in her gallery. She tells me she will be exhibiting some of her work in Melbourne this September. Without a doubt I'll be going along to see her prints in person.

beauty in all its forms

While I sit here writing this I can hear my neighbour doing her voice exercises (she's an opera singer) and it sounds beautiful as it rises and lilts in the slight breeze blowing today. It travels out of the studio and across the fence to our garden and stops me from the wanting to play any music in our house. Her voice is enough.




I was thinking about the work of a wonderful Melbourne printmaker, Belinda Fox, today as I was reading the Print Council of Australia journal. She has a show coming up soon in Canberra. It's a pity we live nowhere near Canberra but I'm sure she'll have an exhibition sooner or later in Melbourne. I've included some interesting images here: two of her prints - 'Minor Damage' (above), 'Tread Lightly' (below) and one of her at work in her studio (far below). Here is a link to her website http://www.belindafox.com.au/index.html

I fully recommend a look at her website. I saw her work at a exhibition 18 months ago in Sydney and was blown away by it. She manages to combine Asian images and political messages, and yet retain beauty in her work.