Examples of works, Part II

Examples of works, Part II

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Winter churns on...

It's official, I'm in winter hibernation mode.  What is there to do, when the wind is howling, and the rain is sideways, but make a cup of tea, take a good book and go back to bed, where it's warm and cosy. With internet access, almost all my needs were met.

I surfaced for a quick but unimpressive opshop round on Wednesday, but by Thursday I was running out of milk for my tea.

So on Friday, I staggered out to the shops. As well as milk, I stocked up on paper for art prints, ink, and discovered some picture frames on sale.  I have some new fish, including some on charts of King George Sound and Princess Royal Harbour, as well as Kalbarri and the West Coast of Western Australia.

Damage from the storm was limited, and largely fixable with gaffer tape.  By the end of the week I was able to do some work outside, including on the old butter churn (which would look very nice with plants in it). It's ready to go to a new home.

I'm slowly reducing the piles of stuff on the back veranda.  You can see the chairs now.  

I've started on a new group of steampunk sculptures, so the kitchen table is hidden again.  I've been gathering the parts for a while and I'm using some of the bits I brought home from the last roadtrip.  There will be several balloons, some boats, a ship, and there's a land vehicle which is looking like it has potential. I don't often do cars/trains/trucks but this one is incorporating some old brass motorcycle fuel pump bits.

I think I need an angle grinder.  Or perhaps a nice man with an angle grinder and an interest in art, that might be a good thing.

Corsets, Shards and Seam

I haven't had much to say for a while.  After my trip, I thought I'd spend some quality time sulking at having to be at home.  My sulk continues but I'm slowly getting back into the routine, with only mild residual resentment that I can't see the Eiffel Tower or the Shard from my bedroom window.

I can see the beautiful Princess Royal Harbour, which is pretty amazing.  So I mustn't grumble.  Much.

Last weekend I went to White Rabbit Vintage and Handmade, at the local Torbay Hall.  It was a long weekend here - which meant the Albany Classic car race, right in the main street. We escaped the relentless 'zoom zoom' and public address system, for the green serenity of the cutest little hall, amongst the trees.  Lots of people obviously had the same idea.  Its a great venue, the kids can scamper about (outside), people ate their lunch under the trees. I met some really nice people, caught up with some old friends, and had a great day out.

It did remind me that I haven't really been working on any fish for - oh - six months.  So I  managed to focus a little bit and so here's some work I prepared earlier.  Just a little bit earlier. Last week. Yesterday.

I've also been playing with my photographs from Paris and London, but I'm not ready to share those just yet.













I did find a couple of interesting things on the interweb this week.  Actually I found quite a lot of interesting things, but that's another story.  While I was stalking Spitalfields Market in London,  I saw a popup shop by two designers making really clever garments and bags, and I noticed that they have opened a shop, Seam.  Here's a link  where they describe their work, including corsets made from upside down pinstripe suit jackets, skirts draped from tuxedo trousers, and dresses cut from jacket lapels, cuffs, and colour-contrast prints.  There are also high quality and locally made leather and sheepskin goods, specialising in bags, jackets and coats. Highly original and highly desirable.

I also found a blog, via a Facebook page, called Charity Shop Chic - where opshop clothes are upcycled into fashion garments.  In this case (unlike many others) it's real tailoring and design, the blogger is a seamstress of considerable talent. She gives clear step by step instructions, with pictures.  Highly recommended.

Gallery Sale for Fathers' Day!!!

1st ever Fathers’ Day SALE of drawings and prints!

I always have trouble with photographing glass, so sorry about the reflections.

These are all framed, but I also have several as yet unframed original drawings on both charts and maps, as well as various other prints - if you are interested let me know. If you’re local in Albany, Western Australia you can come see them, or I can email photos. 

Drawing, archival ink on vintage maritime chart, (total size 52x52cm) Black frame, white mat. $75

All shipping/post is at your expense. (I’m not sure of postage costs, as sizes and weights vary, will provide exact amount before you need to commit and I only charge what the post costs.)  I’m making this album publicly visible so you can share it with your friends. They are advertised elsewhere, and first to indicate interest will get the item. Happy to reserve/layby/whatever, just contact me here.

Drawing, archival ink on vintage maritime chart, solid wooden frame (prob jarrah)( total size 60cmx50cm)  $165

SOLD

   

Archival print of original drawing,  single fish (total size 37x30 cm) $40

Drawing, archival ink on vintage maritime chart, “Off Naturaliste Channel” (total size 47x37cm) $65
SOLD

Drawing, archival ink on vintage maritime chart, “Shell Harbour”( total size 36x45cm) $75

Archival print of original drawing,  “see caution #6” (total size 44x38 cm) $50

Drawing, archival ink on vintage maritime chart, “Tasman Sea” (total size 42x33cm) $75

Drawing, archival ink on vintage maritime chart, “Florida” recycled frame (total size 50x40cm)  $75

Drawing, archival  ink on watercolour paint, watercolour paper, (total size 25x20cm) $30

Archival print of original drawing, “Duo” (total size 35x52cm) $45

 Here are some samples of some of the actual drawings, to give you a better idea of the detail.

Sun. Rain. Wind. Thunder. Cherry blossoms. Winter. Spring. Little blonde puppies. Grumpy jealous older boydogs.

And that was only this weekend.

Believe me, I know how she feels.

courtesy http://www.retronaut.co

Although the garage sales doldrums are upon us, the pre-summer wardrobe season has given us bounty most plentiful.  And as we receive, so shall we give back (to the opshops), that we may be able, once again, to walk into the bedroom without danger of death from clothes avalanche.

I hate it when you lose a new item of black clothing in a poorly lit room with a gazillion other pieces of black clothing.

After last week's coatfest, I was being a little cautious this week, but was excited about the new season's burgundy/red pants I found - right till the Girl-child claimed them as her own.  She grabbed a heap of clothes from Friday's op-shop round.

I've clawed back a little floorspace in the lounge by re-stacking and sorting my framed drawings and prints, and making new piles of the vintage frames waiting to be used.  I've decided to have a Fathers' Day sale to make some room for new works.  I shall post here when I have details.

In the meantime, here are a couple of things I've been playing with today.

Spring bulbs, vintage fishing and antique cameras

The first of the spring bulbs have optimistically burst forth in the garden.  Just love the scent of jonquils.  Hopefully there will be lots in the next few weeks, having planted a humungous bag of bulbs bought at a garage sale for $1.

The weekend's garage sales, op shops, and tip shops were on the whole disappointing.  I guess the winter-cold-wet-dreariness of the time of year is impacting.  

I've been collecting vintage fishing gear for an upcoming exhibition and some very cool vintage lures arrived in the mail this week.  Getting back from the grand tour to a stack of parcels was just like Xmas, and almost made up for getting back from the grand tour.  I long ago gave up dragging stuff with me and post home - way cheaper than paying excess for baggage and way lighter for the bags.  The vintage cameras did manage to set off every airport xray security system between Tassie and Perth though.

I'm due back at the pit of despair this week, and I've got heaps of ideas for projects I want to finish before the (shortened) working week commences.  I've had a lovely day of paint and tools and mess, but now my little friend is having some serious snuggles.

a tale of two brownies

T'was the week before...etc etc, you know how it goes.

I really like this little helper, I think he's rather sweet.

With only 4 working days between me and some serious rec leave, cheeriness levels are on the up.  Ho, Ho, Ho, in fact.


  I'm planning a re-organisation of the home front in the hols, and have started on the back and front verandas.  I found an extremely ugly but practical rack which I've drafted into service for fishing rod storage.  Each millimetre of space is hard won.  I keep thinking I'll have a garage sale but I haven't really identified all that much to get rid of. Yet.

 



 I have decided to part with this vintage Kodak Brownie Starlet camera, there are only so many cameras and so much shelf space.

Strangely, the term 'Brownie' seems to be almost unreasonably popular, and this week  another Brownie which came into my life via a cake stall outside Bankwest.  I bought a plate of brownies on the way to work from the nice ladies at the stall, thinking that given the season I would share them with my workmates.  Bad luck, people.

I shared one with someone - in celebration of one of those tiny smidgens of happiness which occasionally drop into the pit of despair (and can so easily roll unnoticed behind the couch, where they hide with the minuscule remnants of our self-actualisation) - but everyone else was out of luck. Call me Grinch.  Best Brownies ever.  Congratulations, ladies with headscarves.  You are the queens of Brownie.



There are only a very few framed fish drawings remaining, I am pleased and slightly relieved that others liked them as much as I do.  These are the only ones left apart from some of the smaller ones. I can see the floor in the loungeroom.


 
 

       















            
                            
                  









 




















Quote of the week:
'The day they discover that yoga mats are carcinogenic will be the happiest day in my life.'
Tim Minchin


Status of the week from Facebook:
'Mum goes to personal training at 8am this morning and comes home drunk in a taxi.'
(anonymous, for their own protection - and no, not one of my kids!)  Gotta love the Xmas season....

I AM vintage mid-century modern!

As those treasures from the 1950's and 60's become so, so desirable, I must point out that I am myself of that era and hence 'mid-century modern'. I kinda like it.
I have been experimenting with collage, mixed media fish - just for a change.

I was reasonably happy with this as a first attempt, although the work is too big to scan and therefore photographed a bit unevenly.

I have finished and framed some more ink on shipping charts fish, which will probably debut soon.

I'm also working on some jewellery and other frippery, as well as a special project for a friend's wedding.
I'm also contemplating t-shirts - I have to do some investigating first - and probably also some serious saving!

I have been reading widely and well - OK, widely. I discovered John D MacDonald via a reference in someone else's biography. He was one of the best of the 60's crime/thriller authors. His protagonist, Travis McGee is Jack Reacher without the overdeveloped ordinance, with a smattering of Robicheaux. Because they are not all currently in print, I have spent some time scouring all possible sources.

I finally found 10 novels for $20 including post on Ebay, and am awaiting the thunk of delivery on the front verandah. While I read those I will be searching for the remainder of the series. He was certainly ahead of his time.

Also in the pile, The Gorton Experiment (The fall of John Grey Gorton) by Alan Reid; The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton, by Kathryn Hughes; and today's find, Boy with a Camera, the Story of Jacques-Henri Lartigue by John Cech.

The slightly chilly dampness which has been falling from the sky - for those in Perth, we call it 'rain' - has been refreshing and leaving lovely droplets on the biiig spider web on the clothesline. The spider himself must be very patient, as the odd easterly breeze sometimes wrecks the web and he (she?) has to start again.

Meanwhile, some of the moths and other insects are making away while the sun doesn't shine.

These gorgeous pillowslips are a present from a friend with an eye for the absolutely adorable. They are from Remedy in Fremantle and I carefully kept the detail of the maker, which I will post as soon as I remember where I carefully put it.