Georgia Gabrielle

Bowerbird Fun Times

2011-11-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

My apartment in Russian Hill, San Francisco

2011-10-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

I woke up in tree house this morning

2011-10-21T11:22:00.003-07:00

Sometimes you have a moment in your life where you have a little reality check and realise that "wow my life is so completely and utterly amazing and wonderful". Today was not an average day though. This morning I woke up in a magical tree house in the San Francisco hills. OH YEAHHHHHH! I looked out of the window at the rising sun and there were squirrels tending to their home in the boughs of the tree within which I was sleeping. Today I will sit here and do some jewellery designing as I ponder the playful squirrels. I think I could stay here forever, it is so peaceful and beautiful.

Check out the video on this link. Seeing is believing!

Tree House in San Francisco

Post Pictures, yes I will.

2011-10-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

When I get home from San Francisco I am going to gather all of my jewellery photos and post the pants off of them. I have so many images that I have never bother to show!

San Francisco Sky Line

2011-10-18T16:44:00.002-07:00

SF Museum of Modern Art- SFMOMA

2011-10-18T11:55:00.003-07:00

This is the lobby of the modern art museum.

This is an exhibition of the industrial designer who was a leading mastermind in the idea of minimalism in industrial design. He pushed the idea that form and function should be equal and that the design of a product should not over sell the actual skill of product. He designed products for Braun and later influenced the designers of Muji and Apple (both of whom are some of my faves).

This is a thought board for brain-full spectators can sit down and relax and and reflect on their experience in the art gallery with a pencil and a piece of paper. The gallery then displays the noteworthy ones. Tres-cool.

YEAH a Duchamp. Possibly even THE most Duchampian of the Duchamp's.

A Magritte.

Warhol, self portrait.

My first time seeing a Frida Kahlo. Wowsers.

A Matisse...lovely Matisse.

Maholy-Nagy, one of my FAVOURITES of all time.

San Francisco Beasts

2011-10-17T18:30:00.004-07:00

On our stroll through the San Francisco Botanical Gardens we were lured off the main path and over to a corner of the botanical gardens to a very strange creature indeed. Like Alice in Wonderland we started following the tiniest most unusual of beasts to get a closer look, because we didnt quite believe what we thought we were seeing. Then there it was; the tiniest of tiny Chihuahua's wearing a crimson fur jacket and a sparkly gemstone collar. We had a big fat chuckle!! Crazy San Francisco!!

Behind the Chihuahua was a divine Dahlia Garden and a white dome with rainbow lead light lace. Lovely afternoon.

San Francisco Japanese Tea Gardens

2011-10-17T10:45:00.001-07:00

On our way to the Japanese Tea Garden a lady wearing a crushed multicolored velvet 18th century outfit (and wearing roller skates with a feather in her hair) zipped past us and said hello. Ha ha ha.. she looked so bizarre and had a giant smile on her face and was about 60. We laughed! Then we continued walking and found a belly dancer doing a performance in the park on in front of a crowd of people. It was such a San Francisco Sunday afternoon.

We hunted squirrels~! But them lil guys are FAST!

Bowerbird Markets, Adelaide, October 2011.

2011-10-14T17:42:00.002-07:00

Hi friends

Yip yip yahoo! Plenty-o preparation for the markets at the moment. Its been a while since I have had much to show but that is because I have been quietly beavering away in my workshop making new goodies from porcelain, ceramic and silver. Hopefully I will have some really cool treasures for everyone to snap up. If I was you I would certainly be there on the Friday with a big bundle of cash to snap up all of the best bits of the market stalls.

Look here for a sneek peek; http://www.bowerbirdbazaar.blogspot.com/

See you there amigos!

Shugo Tokomaru

2011-10-12T21:47:00.001-07:00

Japanese Beatles hit the OzAsia Festival. Cute as pie.

Goodies for Bowerbird

2011-10-12T21:15:00.001-07:00

I heart San Francisco

2011-10-12T21:04:00.002-07:00

Howdy folks,

I am in sunny downtown San Francisco on a little sabbatical, pre Christmas silly season. Hopefully this little trip will recharge my batteries enough to get through the next few months. I have some big servings on my plate. Bowerbird Market and then my solo show in November. Then the prospect of working a long and busy Christmas at Urban Cow bringing handmade beautiful art to the people of Adelaide and gift wrapping treasures to go under their Christmas trees. Urban Cow is always epically busy at this time of year as everyone loves to spoil their family and loved ones.

It is relaxing and picturesque here in San Francisco, kind of like an American version of Sydney Harbour on a glorious summers day. The topography has roly-poly hills that make you want run really fast down them and then tumble down into the big blue bay and have a swim in the salty waters. The air is fresh and clean smelling like fresh laundry. I am staying in an art deco apartment which includes gorgeous art deco furniture, oldie-worldy brass fittings and delightful bay windows that overlook the Bay and Alcatraz (drool). There is also a fragrant tree that smells like tropical fruit outside of the window. So far the sky has been soul-soaringly blue and big seagulls (bigger than chickens) can be seen along the wharfs at the end of the street. I strolled along the wharf to see the big fat snoozing sea lions on pontoons sunning themselves and their burps and farts and growl entertained us for a long time. I am completely in love with the retro Americana style fonts on all of the shops here. There are nostalgic cafes and bars that havent changed much since the 1950's due to the rents caps here (property owners cant push their rents up).

There is a Disney feel to this place and I think Disneyland was trying to create a place EXACTLY like here! It is fabulously stimulating to my artistic mind.

Today we went to City Light's Bookstore and had a flick through some art books and books about various cultures folklore. Chinatown was fun as we strolled the boulevards at sunset. It didn't look anything like China! Every shop was brimming with chintz and sparkle.

So in a couple of days I need to hop back to it. I get creatively itchy from relaxing too much and I crave using my brain and working (I know! What a ning nong!) These days I cant just holiday any more! Must be creative constipation ... ha ha.... I guess thats why my residency in China was such a fantastic experience as I had a great holiday but made work at the same time.... HEAVEN.

So I need to get back into planning my Bowerbird Stall soon. I have all of the porcelain goodies prepared but I still need to orchestrate the finishing touches on the tickets and tags. Above is a picture of my owl totem animal that I made on my China residency. It has been such a popular seller. I am down to my last few owl friends, which I am sure will be snapped up at Bowerbird in no time. All the totems need owners to love them.

Have a great week blog friends. Bye for now!

Excited tummy butterflies

2011-10-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

I am packing my well-travelled hot pink plastic suitcase for San Francisco. Ticket- check. Visa- check. USD- check. Flight date and times- check. Aussie gifts for my man- check. Lonely Planet- check. Someone to water the plants in my apartment- check. Half a suitcase full of jewellery designs & Bowerbird plans & November solo show plans & projects to finish whilst I am away- check. Excited tummy butterflies- check.

I am UBER excited to hit the city that is famous for its street art scene, alternative culture, festival scene, its vegetarian/ vegan restaurants (in fact the food movement in general) & who waves rainbow flags! For those who know me, you know that I am a bit potty & love rainbows!

I have heard that San francisco is so cool that skinny leg jeans, the nerd/ woodchopper/ farmer look, heavy glasses frames, retro t-shirts and quiffs are way too mainstream for their taste! Apparently locals hate mainstream brands like Gap & American Apparel, too even thought that's the birthplace of these brands. According to local San Franciscan's if you fit in to any scene then you are considered a big fat dag & completely out of fashion! Individuality is considered the only fashion key. I cant wait to hit the streets that offer a bounty of independent designers & makers. Once I unload the pressies Ill have room for souvenirs.

This is a picture of one of the floaty ceramic dishes that I made recently. I use these dishes to put my jewellery in next to my bed before sleeping, to put used tea bags on when friends come to visit for a a cuppa and to pop little handmade soaps on in the bathroom. Over the next couple of weeks I am going to try & upload pics of my work. I just havent had time! It is crazy town around here getting ready for all of the events coming up.

So on that note, Happy Sunday friends! Back to packing I go. It's an early (evil) flight in the morning then I have to travel all the way across the world!

Bai bai!

Oh my friend Marianne just texted to say that my art is on television on ABC 24 again RIGHT NOW! Hula hula! Good times!

Stretch before crafting

2011-10-08T17:37:00.002-07:00

Thanks Susie Chapman for this gem! xx

Organisaton with a capital O.

2011-09-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks I have been concentrating on getting organised! It could be the spring cleaning thing kicking in as the weather in Adelaide has become very spring-ish, or it could be the list of exciting events coming up that have switched me into mega-organisation mode. In the span of one week I went from being a lady of leisure to being super busy! I got my plans to San Francisco confirmed for early October, then confirmation that I got in to Bowerbird Bazaar in late October, then I have a solo exhibition for my ceramic artworks at Urban Cow in November and a solo jewellery show for January. Plus Christmas madness somewhere in the middle of that too. Oh dear.....

As my dear ole grandmama says "no rest for the wicked.." So I must have been very bad in a past life!

I recently bought a book on getting organised from Kikki K to help me with my spring cleaning itch. Here is a picture of my newly super organised book shelf to improve paper flow in my design studio! Many many, many design journals along the bottom, drawing tools in the middle and filing on the top.

My toy basket on the top shelf has a collection of softies from around the world that I have collected on my travels. These little guys keep me company whilst in the thick of paperwork. They are also a quick fix for when my girlfriends with babies come to visit. Down comes the basket and across the floor (and in mouths) goes the toys.

This is my newly overhauled desk and cyber station known as my "think station". I have my inspiration board on the left for my new jewellery collection coming out in a month or so, and a pin up board of reminders on the right including my goals and inspirational quotes. The book says that I must keep my desk super clean.

This is my new business card designed by the charming Jannah Poole. I designed it with her with colourful sparkling gemstones in mind. I cant wait to make jewellery with gemstones in it.

This here post-it note stack brings me infinite joy because of the colours and the swirling. Desk tools are very important for happy working. Good desk feng shui I believe.

This is my porcelain cup that was hand made by an artist in Jingdezhen in China. It has now become my pen cup.

This week I am baby sitting my grandmother's dogs whilst she is on holidays visiting my cousin Chloe in Sydney. This little rug rat is called "Lovie".

This rug rat is called "Bubbie". They are about the same size as cats and they have teeth that go everywhere which makes them very funny to look at. They are great company whilst I am working, and our walks in the parklands are great breaks to clear our heads and get some fresh air.

This is my collection of rainbow glass hearts that I bought at Urban Cow Studio. They sit on my studio window ledge and the sunlight comes through them. The colours invigorate me every time that I look at them. My friend Shelley reminds me to keep plenty of hearts in my space as it invites more love :)

OK so back to more organising...

Lucky last 4 Totem Animals- Snake, Tiger, Tortoise and Whale.

2011-07-22T03:17:00.002-07:00

In the ancient land of China, in the magical porcelain village of Jingdezhen, these totem animals emerged from the clay as if by themselves. These modern-day totem animals came to life during my artist residency in 2010. Each creature is hand-dipped in celadon glaze - the unique colour of Chinese empires, and made from exquisite white porcelain which allows light and energy to travel through it to the core of the totem

From the exotic Far East to the Wild West, incorporating animal totems into our lives has been a sacred practice for many people. Take one home and allow it to offer you its wisdom and guide your life in profound ways. By holding the totem animal in your hand and focusing your energy into its centre, you will charge the object’s power. Simply put it back on your window sill and let it do its work for you.

Look through the blog to see all 16 Totem Animals. $65 each, limited edition.

Snake Totem

The Spectacular Transformer

The mystical snake is enchanting indeed. Despite its delicate frame and jewel-like appearance, it is one of the most formidable creatures of the animal kingdom - if provoked! However it prefers to sleep on a rock in the sun looking awe-inspiring rather than bite its attackers. Enthusiastic for change and improvement, snakes seasonally shed their old skins to emerge as dazzling new creatures.

The snake totem’s energy will help you transit from the old, to the new and improved. Snake energy is what we draw upon to stimulate positive change, create something wonderful or reinvent yourself. Are you ready to transform your family, relationships, work or home? Brace yourself for the snake totem’s metamorphic power.

Tiger Totem

The Magnificent Hunter

The majestic tiger is a solitary hunter that embodies good health, fortitude and spirit. The tiger stalks its prey with great patience and skill rather than giving chase. It hunts in total silence as if it is invisible until it is ready to pounce, then it unleashes great power and energy.

The tiger totem’s energy is helpful if you are prone to distraction and lack of focus. The tiger can help you zero in on your goal and teaches us to act in a timely manner. Tiger energy teaches us to be in the moment and to search for inner harmony to be in the flow of the universe. Inner peace, concentration and will power are the keys to tiger totem wisdom.

Tortoise Totem

The Ancient Guru

The extraordinary tortoise is one of the longest living animals on earth, living for up to 150 years in its domed shell. Tortoises evolved before mammals, birds and most reptiles, hence this creature carries with it ancient evolutionary wisdom. These vegetarians are leisurely and methodical.

The tortoise totem’s energy teaches us an invaluable recipe for a long life. Tortoise energy reminds us to pull our heads in our shells in turbulent situations and to keep our thoughts simple and pure when our mind becomes chaotic. Tortoise tells you to eat your vegetables, sleep when your eyelids are heavy and exercise daily, to enjoy vitality and longevity.

Whale Totem

The Colossal Communicator

The enormous whale is the king of the sea. Due to its gargantuan size, its enemies are few. Whales migrate vast distances annually, all the while singing their own unique magical songs. Whales communicate with lyrical sounds and vibrations, which are both beautiful and mysterious.

The whale totem’s energy teaches us that there is ancient wisdom in expressing yourself non-verbally, as not everything you want to say can be said with words. The whale reminds us to communicate in alternative ways to talking, such as looking, touching, movement, song, dance and creative projects. The whale totem will help you whole-heartedly communicate with all the emotion and soul you have, in many different ways.

Welcome to the Owl, Panda, Pig and Rabbit Totems

2011-07-22T03:06:00.001-07:00

Owl Totem

The Sacred Postman

The owl is the silent and swift hunter of the night. It is a solitary animal that has keen eyesight and exceptional hearing. It is the link between the dark unseen world and the world of light. Owls see in the dark. They are the deliverer of secrets and omens and reveal to us the things that we hadn’t seen.

The owl totem’s energy reminds us to look into the darkness and get in touch with our psychic abilities. Owl energy tells us to trust our intuition and inner knowing and to see the truth beyond appearances. If you need help from the spirit world, call on the power of the owl to deliver the messages to you that you need.

Panda Totem

The Playful Harmoniser

The calm panda embodies Eastern philosophy with it’s black and white coat, like the yin and yang. The panda is a mild mannered creature and moves at a leisurely pace on the ground looking for bamboo shoots. It loves to playfully roll around for fun, and it climbs trees to sleep and contemplate the landscape.

The panda totem’s energy reminds us that both positive and negative energy exist in the world together and in harmony. There are lessons to be learnt from good and bad scenarios and both can be valuable life lessons. Panda energy is about respecting the cycles of life but avoiding getting attached to the ups. If drama prevails in your life, call upon the power of the panda to help you feel calm.

Pig Totem

The Profit Manifester

The lovable pig is an intelligent and resourceful animal that has a huge appetite for “more”. It is always on the lookout for food, sticking its nose into the ground and digging around for roots, tubers and truffles. Despite its reputation the pig is very organized, clean and is master of its domain.

The pig totem’s energy helps us seek out all of the hidden “truffles” in life, to give us an advantage in our ventures. Pig energy teaches us to utilize all of the mental, physical and emotional resources we have to benefit our life. A high energy and enterprising life is said to be the key to bring us wealth, success and power.

Rabbit Totem

The Energized Magician

The crafty rabbit is an artful creature that lives its life with an abundance of natural energy and the skill to make things happen fast - as if by magic! Rabbits are lightning-quick thinkers and they rely on their intuition to do all tasks extremely accurately and often in such creative ways.

The rabbit totem’s energy helps us tap in to our internal spring of raw energy. When you have a lot on your plate and time is slipping away, the rabbit will help invigorate your life and get tasks completed. The rabbit reminds us that with focus and many small steps we can move mountains.

Enter the next 4 Totem Animals- Elephant, Fox, Koala and Monkey

2011-07-22T02:52:00.001-07:00

Read on to see all 16 animals that I made in China. $65 each. Limited edition.

Elephant Totem

The Royal Problem-Solver

The brilliant elephant is massive, regal and strong. It has few enemies as other animals are no match for its crushing strength or attitude. But the elephant is no brute. Its brain is large and well-developed and it has a keen intellect. It is a master at removing whatever obstacles and barriers are in its way.

The elephant totem’s energy is for when we have a mental journey ahead of us that seems insurmountable. Elephant energy will help unblock us physically and emotionally to help us use our inner fortitude to push through any situation. Elephants will also aid us when we require confidence in our lives or patience to keep at a problem. Be it at school, job or project - call on the mighty power of the elephant.

Fox Totem

The Master Trickster

The clever fox is a keen observer, cunning planner and stealthy executioner. The ingenious fox often plays dead for long periods, lying in wait for tasty morsels to wander into its trap. Foxes have mastered the craft of invisibility - through gentleness, swiftness and camouflage. It knows how to play life’s games.

The fox totem’s energy tells us that there are times when it is wiser to hide our abilities and ambitions rather than let others know our plans. Foxes also remind us when and where to keep our mouth shut. Let the power of the fox teach you when to stand out and when to be invisible to maximize your life’s potential.

Koala Totem

The Balanced Mystic

The huggable koala lives a meditative life way up high where it views the world. It eats a simple diet of eucalyptus leaves and spends a lot of time snoozing and daydreaming. The koala is not only adorable; it is nimble, sturdy and balanced in the tree tops.

The koala totem’s energy helps us calm down and be at peace. Its energy brings us the power to stay in the treetops and avoid whatever chaos goes on below. Koala energy lifts us out of everyday concerns and reminds us to live by our higher beliefs, immersing ourselves in spirit as we go about our lives. When you need to forget about petty things, call on the power of the koala to help you rise above.

Monkey Totem

The Dynamic Savant

The athletic monkey is the master of vitality and movement as it seems to defy gravity with grace, rhythm and ease, effortlessly swinging from tree to tree. Monkeys have big brains, an abundance of energy, and an unparalleled intellect in the animal kingdom.

Monkey energy can be called upon when we need to understand a situation or move through a damaging environment rapidly. When a confusing or complex situation arises, call on the power of the monkey to swing you out of confusion into a fresh new outlook.

Introducing the first 4 beautiful porcelain Totem Animals from my artist residency

2011-07-22T02:17:00.003-07:00

Read on to see all 16 animals that I made in China. $65 each. Limited edition.

Bear Totem

The Independent Dreamer

The meditative bear is revered by shamans, mystics and visionaries. Bears are fiercely independent, having been blessed with intuitive survival skills in the face of adversity. They have the ability to find sustenance and comfort in barren landscapes. The bear hibernates for long periods of time in extreme seasons and in his deep sleep he is said to connect with the spirit world.

The bear totem’s energy reminds us that by tuning into our true nature through introspection, solitude and dreaming, we too have the natural ability to find the right answers in the face of adversity. When you are feeling overwhelmed and bogged down by life around you, take some time out to dream during the day or night. Call on the power of the bear to help you.

Bull Totem

The Joy Protector

The handsome bull loves nothing more than to be content amongst his herd and chew grass all day long. But if he feels threatened, watch out! The bull has an unwavering ability to stand it’s ground in the face of danger. He will protect himself and his herd with everything he has.

The bull totem’s energy reminds us that our family, neighbours and community are important, and that love and contentment with them are worth fighting for. All work and no play is an unbalanced life. When you feel like you need to sharpen your horns and stand your ground in your life to protect your social time, call on the power of the bull.

Cat Totem

The Happiness Hunter

The enchanting cat is a highly independent creature that knows how to take care of itself and do the things that makes it purr. They love to be at our feet or on our laps, but only when they are ready for our attention, and not a moment before. Cats may be fluffy and cute on the outside, but they will lash out at anything that tries to force it to do something that is not to its pleasure.

The cat totem’s energy reminds us that the aim of life is to enjoy ourselves and have fun! Cats prompt us to be protective of our own time, energy and resources. When life is pulling us in many directions, the cat demands that nobody can tell us what to do. When you feel external forces encroaching into your life, give them all an assertive swipe with the power of the cat and do what makes you happy guilt free!

Dog Totem

The Emotional Healer

The adorable dog always offers us its unconditional love and companionship. It has infinite devotion and is by our side always. The dog has unquestioning loyalty and loves its master no matter what. If you are feeling under the weather, it will stay by your side and protect you from danger until you are well.

The dog totem’s energy is there for us when we have psychological wounds from the past that need healing so we can move forward. Dog’s remind us that the best remedy to our own problems is to put others first. Dog energy prompts us to love others unconditionally and to be there for them. If you are aching emotionally and want some loyal friends to comfort you, call on the power of the dog.

Yeow Li Ancient Waterfall

2010-10-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Ni hao everyone!

Good morning and happy Sunday to you! Here I am in China and It has has now been 7 weeks since I left Australia.

It has been a lovely week here in Jingdezhen, but busy, busy, busy. All of our art brains have been busy in the studio, hands on the porcelain, aprons on, spectacles on and lamps on until late. Everything ON. All systems GO.

There has been lots of extra curricular activities on too- new artists arriving from Sweden and Switzerland, as well as other artists returning back to the USA, UK and Australia. It has been a week of hellos and goodbyes and lots of late nights in celebration of new friendships. Plenty of pee-jiow has been drunk (beer) and gambai's (cheers) all around. Happy sad times.

I have had the realisation (and am baffled) that I have made it across the world to village far far away from everything, and my brain is STILL as full of junk and as busy as ever! It seems that I take this silly manic pace with me, wherever I go. All of this time I thought it was the world that is very busy, but it seems it is ME. I have to learn how to drop this frenetic habit! PRONTO. It is no good for the soul. Wish me luck on slowing my energy down.

So we had some day trips this week around the province, which were the leaving wishes of some of our comrades. We did a day trek in and around Yao Li Waterfall. I have attached some pics of the Chinese wilderness for you to enjoy. It was very caterpillary wilderness walk. I found 3 types of caterpillar that I have never seen before. Massive green ones that were about 15cm long and look like snakes and made my skin crawl and my voice make involuntary noises of disgust. Some smaller green caterpillars with flouro yellow butterfly markings and antennas like butterflies (half caterpillar and half butterfly) which were freaky, and lastly some furry white washing machine lint type of caterpillar. Big and marshmallowy. If I was a bird, Id eat the last guy. All of these complicated masquerades are mechanisms aimed at confusing the bird life hovering above. There were lots of spectacularly large butterflies swooping us too but I was too amazed to snap at the appropriate time.

NEWS THIS WEEK:

It is Golden Week here in China, kinda like Chinese Week, the same way we have Australia Day. It is a national holiday for 7 days and every Chinese person is on "tour"... equipped with cameras, balloons tied on arms and street vendor food in hand... which sounds nice except the streets are crowded and the traffic is insane. 10 times as many people staring at me in the street would simply be unbearable. I think Ill hide away in my studio and work like a little beaver for the week. Stay away from the outside complicated world.

I have been asked by my friend Diana to go into a new studio with a "Great Porcelain Master" in 2 weeks time. The studio is in a fragrant Chinese bonsai garden and the courtyard is surrounded by wooden buildings that open out into the garden. It is a dream come true and I am not quite sure it is really happening... so through this friend I have met the so called "Great Master" (SO HE IS REAL!), and my impressions are that he has a beautiful face and a gentle soul. He is about 70 and does not speak English (which should be interesting). He is only ever referred to as Great Master so I do not know his name yet. I know he is a porcelain painter and is revered across China. So lucky me I have been asked if I would like to have a table in the studio with him. It is such a HUGE HONOUR and I cant believe my luck!! I wonder if this is the Buddhist monk my clairvoyant told me about? He isnt Buddhist, and not a monk, but has the same type of energy about him. I wonder if he has seen my ceramics?? ha ha ha.. he is going to be shocked and horrified at how terrible they are once he does. Oh well I have to be brave and jump into the deep end. This opportunity has come my way for a reason... I havent accepted the offer yet, so hopefully the offer is still on by the time I do.

I may also be moving house from the residency into another friends house in the next 2 weeks for the rest of my time in China. The cold weather is coming here and by the time I leave in December it will be icy.

I have been eating lots of vegan food- green vegies, dumplings, tofu, eggs, friend lotus root, rice, fresh noodles, chestnuts, beans and chilli, fresh fruit, red bean deserts... yum yum! Feeling pretty fresh and fly at the moment. Not wearing makeup and my natural hair colour is coming through. I am gonna stick with it! All this healthy naturalness feels RIGHT.

I am following the path of wabi sabi metta ceramics for my own style.

Have been going for traditional Chinese foot massages at least once a week. Heaven...

Have been taking lots of photos to scratch my artistic itch.

Thats it for today. I hope you are all looking after each other and having a peaceful and happy day. Life is precious.

Do NOT shout at the mountain.

Beautiful waterfalls. it is very auspicious to be able to hear the noise of a waterfall, so people try and live close by to them.

Chris pondering the world.

Morning rain dripping from a yellow bead bush.

Electric green water plants and little fishies living together in harmony.

The bamboo forest.

Mega spiders everywhere.

The snake imitating caterpillars. This one was about 15cm long. SCARY!!

The washing machine lint caterpillar. It was about 12cm long and very big and fluffy.

Artists unite for exploring the bamboo forest together.

A farm house in an ancient village.

Beautiful door.

People collect auspicious rocks to put at their door- like a rock garden. My type of people.

Handcarved stamp shop

2010-10-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is the famous Baixu, known far and wide for her charisma and charm. Baixu's job is to look after all of the artists at the Pottery Workshop and make sure their stay runs smoothly. Her English is extremely good and she sure is one cheeky little monkey, as you can see here.

So off we went in taxis into the city to buy get some hand carved rubber stamps made. Most of the girls wanted to get makers marks, but their were lots of other designs there too.

This is the street the stamp maker was on. Its a busy little artery; with pedestrians on their way to work in their socks and sandals and suits on, busy with hungry people on the hunt for their breakfast of steaming bauzu's (buns with fillings), and busy with machines beeping and whirring and crashing- cranes, trucks, tractors, motorbikes, and cars. China is inventing itself by the moment so it is deafeningly loud 23 hrs a day.

This is how business is done in the stamp shop. You sit on a stool that is about 10cm off of the ground with the shop keeper (bizarre) and the lady writes out your receipt after nodding repeatedly that she understood your charades about the details of your stamp.

Red ink made from an ancient chinese recipe and used on all government documentation. Baixu said it is special because you can rub it out easily... ha ha ha.. no wonder it is special government ink. Convenient!

A hand carved rubber stamp- GEE WIZZ. You would need your magnifying glass goggles on to do this job.

The stamp Doctor, in his lab, coat craving our stamps whilst we waited.

The tools of the trade- no bells or whistles here... rubber and a stanley knife.

Books of designs for people to choose from. These deers were particularly lovely.

Our crew checking out the handy work of the stamp man. He just finished making one of the girls a tree.

Now back to the studio to get on with our projects.

Qing Hua/ Blue & White Painting Class

2010-10-08T09:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had classes in Qing Hua painting with a master 'blue and white' painter here in Jingdezhen. The teacher, Master Chungun, effortlessly painted us a lotus, and the steps unfold in the images below. With some research with my friend Mr Wikipedia, I found out that Jingdezhen is the home of blue and white painting originating in the 14th century. Er der?!?! How did I not know this? I mean I knew it was an important centre for porcelain here but I didnt know that all French and Dutch blue and white painting originated from here!! This makes me feel humbled- like I am insignificant speck in the huge expanse of time. I cant believe that people were creating these masterpieces so long ago. What a huge honour to be taught something that is centuries old in its technique.

"Blue and white wares" (Chinese: 青花; pinyin: qīng-huā; literally "Blue flowers") designate white pottery and porcelain decorated under the glaze with a blue pigment, generally cobalt oxide.

14th century development

In the early 14th century mass-production of fine, translucent, blue and white porcelain started at Jingdezhen, called the porcelain capital of China. This development was due to the combination of Islamic trade and Chinese techniques. The new ware was made possible by the export of cobalt from Persia (called Huihui qing, 回回青, "Islamic blue"), combined with the transluscent white quality of Chinese porcelain. Cobalt blue was considered as a precious commodity, with a value about twice that of gold. Motifs were also largely inspired from Islamic decorations.

Chinese blue and white porcelain was once-fired: after the porcelain body was dried, decorated with refined cobalt-blue pigment mixed with water and applied using a brush, coated with a clear glaze and fired at high temperature. From the 16th century, local sources of colbalt blue started to be developed, although Persian cobalt remained the most expensive. Production of blue and white wares has continued at Jingdezhen to this day.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWEEEEE!!!

Isnt it amazing? The darker shades of blue are made by building up the applications of colour.. like water colour painting in a way.

Scenes of Chinese are the ONLY type of design you can get here. Contemporary art or the modern world has not made it to Jingdezhen yet. Here history and tradition still rule aesthetics.

This is Chungun using the fine tipped brush to map out the lotus design.

My fellow artists looking completely challenged by the prospect of having to do our own. I did a bird on a branch which I am quite happy with but forgot to take a photo.

Chungun added in fat inky lines for the stems then some red for the veins of the lotus. Even though the cobalt underglaze looks grey here, once it is fired it will be a brilliant blue- MING BLUE!

Here Chungun is filling in the big blocks of area by squeezing the "chicken head brush".

The finished product... now off to the kiln to see what it looks like once it is fired.

Another busy day at the Pottery Workshop.

Lustre Laneway

2010-10-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

So being a jeweller living in a ceramics residency in China there are still lots of things that I am learning about in regards to making ceramic projects. Last week we had overglaze and lustre classes which was an amazing technique to learn however my head almost popped with all of the potential projects that could unfold from just this application.

It is probably the closest I will get to a jewelleryish application.

The very next day I waltzed in to town to buy myself some lustres so that I can practice! This is the corner of "Lustre Laneway". The street is filthy dirty and there is no pavement or road... just piles of rubbish that you have to climb over. Rosters and dogs scratch throught he debris. I dont understand how such a pretty art medium that makes such wonderful things can come from this laneway that is akin to hell on earth.

These are the palettes of lustres that I could choose from. Of course I bought almost ALL of them. Lets see how well I go getting back into Australia with tiny little bags of coloured powders.

Bottles of gold and platinum lustre. Highly volatile. Completely toxic. Ridiculously expensive. Undeniably sexy. I WANT.

A higgilty pigglty collection of who knows what in the lustre shop.

Tour of the Greenware suburb

2010-10-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is the greenware shop (in the greenware suburb) that I go to when I need to pick up some porcelain. This is its front door. I thought it was a derelict factory when the translator took us there, and wh en I stepped inside I STILL thought it was a derelict factory, but oh no, its one of the best greenware shops in Jingdezhen.

On the inside you can find rows and rows of handmade porcelain ware, stacked on shelfs.

It was 38 degrees the day I took this photo and the light shard coming through the roof was so hot and crisp, highlighting the teapots so dramatically. Makes them look like suspicious killer teapots.

I like the fact that the brand of this clock is "Money". Time is money... he he... how true!

This is Penny one of our interpreters.

This is the laneway that the greenware shop is on.

A shop that sells larger greenware.

I love taking pictures of doors. This is the door to the clay supplier.

The clay shop. You can see how much less time they spend on merchandising (unlike Urban Cow).

The corner deli where people go to pick up drinks and cigarettes on their work breaks.

Where people live in this town. Mega apartment blocks. China IS the land of SUPERLATIVES.

The main road where we stand to catch taxis from to get back to the Pottery Workshop.

At the Chinese brush making shop, Jingdezhen.

2010-10-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

At the brush shop you can buy from pre made brushes or you can give them your brush specifications and they will whip it up for you. In this dark back room there are strings of all sorts of little fluffy tail type things that will eventually be the brush tips. At a guess it could be rabbit, cat, dog, horse or maybe ferret hair.

The shop is a dingy little hole in the wall in a side street with rickety stars up to a spooky attic where the spirits of ancient brush makers live (I am sure) so my photos are quite dark.

These are the bamboo rods that the brush maker uses for the handles of their brushes. Who knows what clever hands will be holding these stems in the future or what masterpieces they will be working on. So much potential!!

The wonderful finished products in their different size categories. These are underglaze brushes as they are for broad strokes of colour and they hold a lot of colour in the fibres.

This is Maggie my friend and interpreter. She is like a pocket sized pixie weighing only 43kgs!!

Here are some more elaborate brushes with red hair and nobly handles! The brushes on the right are in some sort of horn... they look beautiful if I objectify them as an object of art, but they are not very appealing to the animal lover in me.

One of the brush makers gluing the tips into a handle. You can see his workshop is very basic, dark and he is probably as high as a kite from the glue. They use rabbit skin glue.

Another brush makers hands moved so quickly as she glued the tips into the handles that I couldn't get a good picture of her.

Some bigger fluffier brush head waiting to be made into brushes.

Glorious Glaze Shopping in China

2010-10-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Glaze shops here in China are magical places where rainbows, spectrums and candy have distilled and separated themselves. They have melted into pots, tubs, and plastic water bottles for you to take home and splatter all over your ceramic greenware.

This is my dear friend Shelley from Adelaide who is on this artists residency at the Pottery Workshop with me. Here she is checking out the ming blue colour variations in the underglaze stains. You pick the colour from the fired sample and then they go out the back and bring you your own little tub to take away.

It is a hive of activity here at "Paint Town".

A section of the shop with glazed samples on the shelf for customers to choose from. I was surprised to see a piece by famous Japanese artist Yoshimoto Nara. Does he produce sculptures here in Jingdezhen and one mysteriously found its way into this shop and on to its shelf?

Stains R'US. Yummy. Actually I bet they dont taste as good as they look. I enjoyed some of the colour therapy/healing benefits of the colours as I stood here and gazed.

Did you say you want white glaze? We have white in about 100 variations. This is some of the crackle options, which I am quite hot for.

Ming blue, of which Jingdezhen is famous for. Jingdezhen is where the ancient porcelain Ming vases have come from.... 2000 years of porcelain making.

From the kiln this week

2010-10-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I had some fast refresher lessons in ceramics. My new friend Simon Suckling (Brisbane, Australia) who is also a resident here at the Pottery Workshop has been such a great help in answering all of my silly questions.

THANK YOU SIMON!!

Here are my glaze samples... I really like the colours, however the glaze is very runny. The kiln man told me off (in Chinese sign language) when I picked up my goodies because my pieces had stuck to his kiln bricks. My friend Kosta likes these the most. He thinks they are very wabi-sabi (HELLO THAT IS A BIG COMPLIMENT).

Here are some mark making and underglaze stain samples.

Here are some underglaze stain samples... I quite like the results as they appeal to my rainbow obsession, but the application is a bit wishy washy in some areas. Ill keep trying. I will be overglazing with some gold lustre when I can face breathing in those toxic fumes for an hour. China's pollution is bad enough for now.

Well thats it from the kiln this week. Watch this space for more...

Art Supply Shopping in China

2010-10-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

I had a flood of ideas today- HOO RAH! The lights came on. Quite symbolically I turned around and there was a big light bulb on the table behind me. I love symbols.

I had plenty of little vibrant, fluffy, flighty, ideas fly in to visit me at the Pottery Workshop Studio today. These creatures flew in and around the bird cage of my mind so fast that I could hardly talk at all! It was a flurry of activity amongst my neurones. My brain took over my body, and my mouth stopped working... ha ha.. (I wasn't great company today for the other artists). I had to use every ounce of my energy to keep my attention focused on each little idea, before it spread its wings or beat its fan tail and flew away from the view of my minds eye.

It is days like today that remind me that I really am an artist- irrepressibly, and I just have to lump it.

I decided to strike while the iron is hot and so I marched straight out the door, through the dusty/ noisy Chinese streets and down to the art supply store downtown (near KFC). I shopped for materials to begin to catalogue these ideas- broad optimistic pieces of white a-grade paper, fancy pens with magic tips, tracing paper, alphabet templates, Chinese ink brushes, porcelain carving tools and some tools that I have no idea what they do but I am sure Ill work it out one day.

My brush collection is growing bigger by the day, but for 2 RMB why not!

I bought a new 3 tiered pastel pink tool box, to fit it all in. I love the dichotomy of a "pastel pink tool box"... ha ha...

My giant piece of paper and my new templates.

Many things I could just pick up off the isles but some things I had to do charades to act out what I was asking for. My best effort was acting out "tracing paper" to the Chinese shop assistant. It was one of my most interesting contemporary dance pieces yet! We got there in the end and the shop assistant now knows what the English words tracing paper means.

I also did trips to the the underglaze decal shop and bought some beauties. I have made some porcelain bowls with some Christmas chains cut out of decal. Ill glaze them today and get them fired at the public kiln in the next few days.

I did a trip to the glaze shop and bought some underglaze stains as well. Yummy spectrum of colours.

I also went and bought some Fencai ingredients (Chinese ceramic enamelling)- overglaze stain, frankincense oil and camphor oil. My studio is starting to look like a laboratory that makes rainbows.

Now to get busy...!!

The Pottery Workshop

2010-10-03T01:51:00.003-07:00

Hellllloooo! Here I am in China living the artistic dream. Life is not always this peachy, but this is why we have dreams and chip away at making them happen. If you dont dream it, it aint gonna happen.

I always knew I would end up making art in China, ever since I read the children's book "The Story about Ping" when I was little girl. Here I am.

I am in an artists residency in a land far, far away. It is exotic, mysterious and the food is delicious here. I have been away from Australia for 7 weeks now. The first 4 weeks was spent travelling far and wide through China attuning my artistic eye to new experiences, eating lots of incredible banquets and breathing in all that is oriental and beautiful. In my travels I went to Beijing, Zhongwei, Xian, Tenneger Desert, Chengdu, Kunming, Lijiang, Zhongdian, Dali, Shaxi and Shangri-la. Basically I went from the far north of China, down through deserts, mountains, rivers, cities... all the way down to the boarder of Vietnam. An extraordinary trip I assure you, and you will see influence my work for years to come.

For the last 3 weeks I have been here in Jingdezhen at the Pottery Workshop having a crash course in porcelain. The Pottery Workshop is an hour and a half south of Shanghai by plane.

Alas I haven't done any blog entries since getting to China as the Great Fire Wall was too far and wide for this little black duck to fly over, however I have now climbed it and am back. I am not sure where to start- so much has happened, my mind is so full of memories and my hard drive so full of photos! I have 2 more months here so I have plenty of time to fill all the details in about what I have been thinking about.

Being a jeweller (in a ceramics residency) I was shocked at the complexity of the things I needed to learn just to make one little thing!

Here are some photos of the studio here:

My colour test project

My flower project

My workspace

My porcelain greenware

Thumbing through Chinese Mythology

2010-07-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

So departure date is looming... 2-and-a-bit weeks! Excitement is making me 'ping' out of bed in the mornings. A strange phenominum indeed!

Beyond the stress of leaving Australia for 4 months & agonising over what I will need to buy & pack, I also have lots of paperwork to get through, some clients orders to make, lots of shifts at work, tax, voting, house cleaning, some dinners & a concert in Melbourne to get to. I have at least 200 un-replied to emails that have snowballed into a psychologically traumatising mind bomb. This is why my poor blog has taken a back seat too. No time! No time! Too much to do! Er!

In the few quiet moments I have, I have aspired to read as much as I can about China & in particular I have found myself thumbing through a dusty Chinese mythology from my bookshelf. Turns out that I actually own this book & have done for about 20 years... what a strange kid I was.

My favourite story so far is the Chinese creation story that explains that a giant magical turtle had it's 4 legs chopped off by the god of creation (who was tired of holding up the heaven from the earth) & it is they that hold up the 4 corners of the earth. I imagine that it was a bit bigger than this turtle.. however basically doing the same job. Just imagine the match box is the earth.

Bugs, beetles, moths & butterflies

2010-05-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

I love insects because they are like gemstones on legs. Many of my designs try to capture the beauty, intricacy and delicateness of natures little warriors. I found these little critters totally alluring, I mean how often do you get to have such a long hard look at something so beautiful? Never! They are always just a flash in front of your eyes. The texture and radiance of them is extraordinary. Viva la bugdom!!

I won the China Residency!!! :-)

2010-05-08T01:39:00.000-07:00

HOORAY! I won the grant to go to China in September! I am sooooo excited! I am gonna make art! art! art! in China! China! China!!!! For 3 months! I am riding a massive high because I really wanted to go... really really... really..
First of all I love travelling, secondly I am a Buddhist and thirdly I am bursting at the seams to make things.

This 8-week artist residency is located in one of the most fascinating and ancient creative centres in China. The Pottery Workshop is an artist’s residential retreat offering artists from diverse cultures and skills the opportunity to interact, learn and create. It is situated on the site of an old National Porcelain Company Sculpture Factory in Jingdezhen China and is surrounded by hundreds of small and independent craftsmen and artists with every kind of ceramic skill; clay producers, throwers, sculptors, mould makers, blue and white decorators, overglaze decorators, glaze and colour shops, kiln firing workshops, brush makers, black smiths, box makers and shippers. What a dream come true...

This residency will stimulate and develop my existing skill base, whilst introducing me to a plethora of ancient Chinese decorative skills through a variety of workshops and lectures. Other participants and I will meet international and local artists/ craftspeople on a daily basis and do workshops with them. This 8 week residency will inspire growth in current practices as artists thrive in a vibrant atmosphere, surrounded by working artists and right in the heart of this fascinating city.

WHEN: 9th Sept- Dec 2010

I wanted to participate in the residency to the Pottery Workshop because the time is right for intensive artistic growth for me. Using my leadership qualities and amalgamating them with my zest for action and spirit of adventure, I believe I will experience inner and outer transformation in my arts practice by going to China. This cultural and artistic immersion will facilitate a journey into my inner world where I will create new ideas, gain insight into unknown fields of knowledge and perpetuate dramatic self experience. The creative wisdom gained here would be the beginning of some promising projects and mark the start of my transition into becoming a full time artist.

The Workshop offers me an amazing opportunity in so many ways. It would allow me to exist in the art head-space that I enjoy so much. Going to China would infinitely inspire me as I would meet fellow artists, experience Chinese culture, learn new skills and acquire knowledge in a supportive and well resourced environment. I also look forward to meeting the masters and teachers in Jingdezhen, and being given the opportunity to share my own skills and experience in jewellery, ceramics and drawing with my Chinese hosts.

I also intend to do side trips to Beijing, Xian and Shanghai to experience the other Chinese artistic highlights such as the National Arts & Craft Museum, The Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Warriors.

The knowledge and skill acquired in this residency, is something I could not obtain in Australia. The amalgamation of practical contact, observation of masters at work, facilities and inspiration from fellow students will be invaluable nourishment. This learning experience will be vital for my art practice and will allow me to inform and enrich the local and national arts scene back in Australia.

As an Australian citizen I appreciate the incredible influence Asian culture has on our country. Our continent is placed centrally in the Asia-Pacific region which affects our social climate, political and trade concerns, as well as our food and cultural practices. I believe that the more alliances and relationships that Australia can forge with surrounding countries the more understanding and acceptance we can have between us. There is much potential value for all parties involved in liaising with our Asian neighbours and I wish to be a part of this alliance.

Now time to go and celebrate! POP!!!

Contracting before expanding

2010-05-05T03:47:00.001-07:00

Sometimes our lives contract before they expand. I can feel mine doing it at the moment. I am aware that I am in the middle of shifting from one stage to another in my artistic life. I have spent the last couple of years growing, studying, learning and absorbing. I feel full to the eye balls with inspiration, and grumpy that there is never enough time spent in the studio! Hopefully if I get to go to China then I will have 2 months solidly in a fully equipped workshop.

I was starting to feel a little discouraged at my lack of output the last few months, as there has definitely been a lack of progress. Now I realise the progress has been internal. Sometimes this is simply the way life works. The contraction and expansion of the inner and outer world. Like a catapillar that confines itself to a tiny cocoon before it grows wings and flies, I am experiencing the darkness of the potent cocoon.

I need surrender to the experience, so that I can move through the tightness and into the opening on the other side quickly. So many ideas, just need to make the time to create. My old foe- the delicate life/ work balancing act.

Checklist of creative jobs

2010-04-22T18:56:00.001-07:00

Busy busy times!
1. I just finished applying for a residency to China today- TICK! I have been working on it like crazy for the last 2 weeks. If I get it, Ill be off living in a little village in China for 2 months making ceramics. I did ceramics as a minor so it wouldn't be too much a of a shock to the creative system. Going to China would be a complete cultural immersion in a fully equipped workshop under the guidance of a Japanese porcelain master *shudder with excitement*. I have dreamed about doing a residency like this for so long that it is almost real in my head. I really want to go!! Wish me luck! I find out in 8 days if I get it.
2. Back log of client designs completed, now to email sketches and quotes to those very special people (you know who you are)- TICK!
3. Finalise jewellery designs for 'Frauleins Orchard' (opens in June). The ideas are still percolating around in the whirlwind of a creative storm in my head- HALF A TICK!
4. WILD THINGS exhibition. Facebook orchestration of the cleverest animally creatives in Adelaide- TICK X 1000! I had an awesome response from people wanting to illustrate or sculpt their totem animals... never had so many emails in one week in my life!
I have chosen the goldfish as my totem animal. I love them because they are transparent, graceful and dreamy. They lay lots of eggs of potential baby fish too (symbolising creativity). They live in water (symbolising emotion) amongst sea creatures and water plants. I love the little glimmers of iridescence in their scales. They remind me of my favourite gemstone, the MOONSTONE.

WILD THINGS LINK

5. Going to some special friends parties and Shayla's fashion parade in Circular Quay in Sydney next week- Can I fit it in? :( :( :( - UNTICKED but still a possibility.
Happy day to all!

Frauleins Orchard

2010-04-22T18:14:00.000-07:00

Featuring //

Clockwise from top left: Georgia Gabrielle Jewellery, Naomi MurrellJewellery/Illustration, Elisa Mazzone Illustration, Katrina WeberJewellery/Textiles, Anna Creasy Illustration, Ruby Chew Mixed Media, Peta Alannah Chigwidden Painting, Joelie Croser Illustration.

Opening night //
Wednesday June 2nd, 6pm
Urban Cow Gallery, 11 Frome Street, Adelaide
Exhibition runs until June 28th

The Show //
A concept born from nuturing talented young female creatives in Adelaide, Urban Cow Studio presents a harvest of works from these eight nature-loving artists and designers. Working in the heirloom varieties of painting, illustration and jewellery, this collective continues to nurture one another’s ideas, cultivating a creativity that promises to blossom into a rare display of colour and beauty. The artistic fruits of the Fräuleins are ripe for the picking!

Oriental Pendants

2010-04-17T21:31:00.001-07:00

To pearl or not to pearl.

2010-04-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

It's a lovely Sunday Autumn afternoon in Adelaide and it's my day off. The weather is mild and some rosella parrots are twittering in my tree outside.

Today I must sort through this parcel of pearls that has arrived from the Great Barrier Reef. I need to decide which of these stunning natural pearls I want to use for an upcoming exhibition in June. I have some grey Tahitian pearls, some Indonesian golden keshi pearls and some champagne pearls from Broome. The more I look at them, the more I realise they are an exhibition in themselves. Pearls evoke memories of sailing trips, the sea and playing on the beach not orchards!

I shall stare at them for a little longer, then I think I may have to go back to the drawing board conceptually. I must decide today on what jewels to accompany my illustrations of birds in the show.