2017 has been a fascinating year in my growth as a sculptor. I went back to school this year, starting with Holmesglen TAFE to learn the fundamentals of wood work, using hand tools and having access to 'rip your arm off' wood machines, the kind we had at Arts School that we were so lucky to have use of largely due to their time saving benefits. 

Once I received my certificates 1 and 2 the only next option at TAFE was to undertake a carpentry apprenticeship. Well that wasn't going to suit so I researched the next steps, from Men's Sheds to woodwork associations, none quite suiting due to culture, timing or location.

Finally I found the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking, a place of patient learning with like minded people all keen to hone their skills.

This school enables me to continue my sculptural practice within a safe and creative environment. The piece below looks deceptively simple, but the angles, design and trickery that goes into a piece like this enabled me to learn so much about the wood itself as well as the machines and hand tools.

I'm really excited about where this can go with 2018 all about exploring LED lighting powered by solar cells , utilising both branches and wood.

A thoroughly enjoyable interview with Zorana Vukamanovic, editor from the international arts magazine, Creativeroom4talk.

Read interview HERE
Commences on page 350
https://issuu.com/creativeroom4talk/docs/creativeroom4talk_nov15

I've been given a great opportunity to install at Upper West Side, a retail space in the heart of Spencer and Bourke Sts Melbourne. The shops are part of 4 residential towers going up over next few years. Two towers up and 3000 people living there... who knew!

A great space 90% complete (no fall or ceiling) but what a chance to see how Project Reclaim pieces translate into a more commercial popup store setting.

There are 8 artists in total, each with our own space and they will all be working out of Upper West Side and Water Tank Way - creating new work, experimenting with new media, and engaging passers-by in fun and creative ways.

Love this learning exploring experience!

Come and have a look at 220 Spencer st - on until early August

Exhibition captured in this 2 min video
https://vimeo.com/102782534

Revelations features Australian and international artists including Ah Xian, Lisa Roet, Sam Jinks, Clement Meadmore, Inge King and Bill Fontana, and will unveil new acquisitions and highlight major works from the long standing collection.

The RMIT Art Collection provides a considerable overview of Australian art history and includes some of the most highly regarded and successful artists that both the country and the University have produced. Its purpose is to tell the history of the University through the creative output of its staff and alumni, and to reflect RMIT’s core values of innovation, creativity, sustainability and social engagement.

An exhibition by the Planetary Healing Artists Association of Australia inc. that aims to create a forum for artists including visual artists, performers, writers, healers, and other creatives in the community to share ideas for a sustainable future in a creative way.

The exhibition at the West Beach Bathers Pavillion is part of the St Kilda Festival and aims to raise awareness and educate the community about the environment through engaging people’s minds and hearts with the transformative power of art.

On until early March 2014.

The brief to participating artists for this Christmas exhibition, Bah Humbug, was 'brief'. Curators asked us to make a piece that responds (positively, neutrally, negatively or even ambivalently) to issues surrounding the occasion of ‘Christmas’.

In the middle of gift buying, I’m struck by how much the children across my family, but more so across the privileged 'west', receive.  It’s hard not to buy into the Christmas cheer and at the same time be fully aware that many children will not have anything near the ideal that we have come to expect each year.

So the untitled piece starts to make itself… a lit tree (from the Project Reclaim series) that I have been told is very ‘dark’, boxes wrapped with Oxfam and World Vision catalogues asking for necessities to assist communities to become self sufficient… and the request for viewers to open a boxed gift and discover what 1 billion children worldwide will receive this Christmas.

Engaging...yes – I see boxes are opened and viewers disappointed, Informative…maybe, even if the message was somewhat labored…Depressing …oh yes!

Reading up on the use of social media to help artists promote their work.
Marketing should not feel like a dirty word, so Ive decided to redefine it as sharing my story with my tribe.

Useful reference
Art and Money by Chris Guillebeau, 2009
http://unconventionalguides.com/art.htm

A great afternoon setting up a window display from Project Reclaim pieces.... Im exhausted!

Mixture of white lace remnant curtain materials hanging from ceiling, glass vases and fabric doves... very Christmassy.