Transformation...

I have a sore shoulder at the moment...I wish I could say it's from over exertion at turning the wheel on the press, but I can't. I don't know what I have done, but it's serious enough for me to have to visit an osteopath tomorrow.

I did manage to do some studio work and experiment with a piece of scrap aluminum that I had.
Warren brings home "stuff" from work sites that he thinks I may be interested in or could use in my artwork.
Last year, he bought home a pile of aluminium plates in varying sizes...all similar thickness. I have been using some as monoprinting plates, I have given some away and I have used a technique called "spit bite" where acid was dropped onto the plate and left for a few minutes, then washed off with water.


The print above is using the spit bite technique...it was purely experimental and has absolutely no "deep lurking" meanings to it.
Is that a tea cup stain in the top left corner???



This image is a different plate that was left in Ferric Chloride for exactly 10 minutes...
The very top photo shows a detail of this plate.
To get some of the marks, I (with El's help) aqua tinted the surface and then I used some black markers in various thicknesses to draw directly onto the plate.
There was some ink left over on the plate, from monoprinting (which tells you I didn't clean the plate much) as well as scratches and marks from me tossing the plate around.
I really liked what happened here...this plate was truly
"transformed".


This is a small detail of the first print I have taken...
It's a work in progress and I am in the process of drypointing a second plate the same size as this one.
I will do a two plate print in the near future and post the full results for you to have a look at then.

"Mystory" is one year old today.
I started this blog a year ago...thinking it would be a fun thing to do and a way to maybe connect to other like minded people. I wasn't really sure what would happen.
I never dreamt I would connect with such amazing people from Australia and around the globe.
I can't believe it's been a year already...and I am looking forward to the next year of posting!

8 Things...

8 photos from my camera

Last week I was tagged by Jan from …in my spare time
Jan has a great blog...go have a look...

Here goes...

8 Things I'm Looking Forward Too...

1 Starting my uni subject.
2 Working with my new "expensive" brayer!
3 The Neil Wallace paper sale.
4 Hopefully the next few days of sunshine.
5 Having dinner with family on the weekend.
6 My next hairdressing appointment!
7 Getting my new glasses, because I lost my old ones and broke my spares...both of them!
8 Reading my new book on the art of Margaret Woodward.

8 Things I Did Yesterday...

1 Made great poached eggs...
2 Went to the John Brack exhibition at the NGV.
3 Became a member of the NGV and then...
4 ...shopped in the NGV Bookshop with my 10% discount!
5 Had lunch at a great little cafe in Degraves St.
6 Took loads of photo's in the city of graffiti and the fog!
7 Helped Jesse with Psychology homework.
8 Had to make a pomegranate/balsamic glaze, like the one I tasted at lunch (got pretty close)

8 Things I Wish I Could Do...

1 Sing.
2 Dance.
3 Travel more.
4 Say "NO" more.
5 Hug my Mum.
6 Keep my workspace organised.
7 Use Photo shop.
8 Time travel.

8 TV Shows I Watch...

1 The Cook & The Chef
2 Sunday Arts
3 Antiques Roadshow
4 Rockwiz
5 Master Chef
6 The Gruen Transfer
7 Artscape
8 Around The World In 80 Gardens

Artists Books & The Search For More Space!

I spend Mondays with my printmaking group...while we work, we talk...or should I say "I talk", no, we all talk, but I think I talk the most!!!

Anyway, I bought in some artist books I had made with prints that didn't quite make the grade. As a print maker, I seem to accumulate loads of prints, that have the potential to be turned into other things...and lately it's been making handmade books!
My group, showed so much interest that we decided I was going to do a demonstration...so demonstrate I did. (although it was like preaching to the converted)...not that everyone had made an artist book before!
I created this little book, quickly and without much thought...I feel if I spend too much time thinking about a project I end up trying to control it and the piece ends up looking controlled.
I wanted something spontaneous.


Here is a detail of the "Demo Book".
It's basically a collage of pieces of prints, that I have glued together into one long piece.



I then fold the book "concertina style" and glue front and back covers to it.
In this case the covers were made out of old collagraph plates.


The above image is the work produced by the group!!!


S P A C E



The above image shows a small section of El's studio space...yes I said "small section".
This is where I am most Mondays.
Notice the S P A C E...it's an amazing place to work in.

For quite some time now, I have been on the search at home for more studio space!
I feel quite boxed in my room and have this burning need (notice how I used the word "need") to spread out more.

So the decision has been made that I can take over the back veranda room!!!
It's the most cost effective way I can go.
This outside "room" will need more light, so we are looking at skylights.
Gas is already connected, so a heater will be put in.(it gets freezing up here in the hills) and the open sections will need to be closed in with windows, somehow.
We are thinking about a row of veranda doors and windows.

The space itself is 6.7M x 5.4M, and the flooring is hard wood floorboards. So it's ideal.
We use this room in the warmer weather as a sitting/eating space...but for much of the year it sits idle.



The above image is the space I'm talking about.
I could really spread out in here!!!

If I think back to some of the "spaces" I have called my studio over the years!
The funniest would have to of been a space in our gable roof!!! At one stage I had no power up there and used an extension cord from down below.
I used my kitchen for years and still do as a studio space.
If I think about it, I have pretty much used every room in our house!!!
Doesn't really matter what size it is or where it is...what matters is how you use your space.

The only other news I have, is that I have taken on a Uni unit, art related (of course).
It's something I have wanted to do for years and I have now taken the plunge.
It's just one unit, for the moment. The emphasis here is " to enjoy".
My first 'topic' revolves around "Transformation". Perfect really :)

Through My Lens...

1, click...


2, click...


3, click...


4, click...


5, click...


6, click...


7, click...


8, click...


In order:

1, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW
2, Window Reflection, Liverpool, NSW
3, Morning Mist & Burnt Tree's, Kinglake, Victoria
4, Autumn Colour, Kalorama, Victoria.
5, Purple Carpet & Shadow Play, Sydney Opera House, NSW
6, White Tiles, Sydney Opera House, NSW
7, MCA, Sydney NSW
8, El's Driveway, Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria

Unravelling "mystory" this week...

After an eventful and exciting week, last week, this weeks been just as eventful...but in a different sort of way.

Monday was our 1st Monday of the month art group get together...hence the above "spool", but more of that later.

Janette visited on Wednesday.
We had a great day, that started with some printmaking.
I had read about a technique using water soluble crayons. You use them to draw onto a sheet of acetate.
Working with damp paper, we used the press and a baren to pick up the print.


Not ground breaking stuff, but the technique certainly has potential...I think!

In my last post, I mentioned meeting a Hills artist Grietje.
She is a painter and does life drawing.
I may pick up a few life drawing classes with her. It's been 5 years since I did any of it.

I have been looking at Aussie artist Margaret Woodward. Worth "Googling" her name.

I'm flying up to Sydney next week for a couple of days, to see Warren :) who is working interstate allot these days :(
I'm planning a visit to the Art Gallery Of NSW while I'm there.


I picked up these seed pods at the op shop today!
They were wired onto one of those woven dried grass broomsticks.
The counter assistant commented on "all the work" it took someone to make.
I didn't have the heart to tell her what I had in mind.
To snip them all off with wire cutters...and voila, great "still life" potential.


Planted some herbs this week. All the old faithfuls, mint, coriander, Italian parsley, tarragon, thyme and oregano.


The Japanese Maple is putting on a show...and I love my front row seat!

And lastly...our art group challenge word for the month is " S P O O L "


Here is a first scribble...


And a scratchy little print...

Have no idea where this is going...


and like Tia, I'm not that concerned...

Tomorrow, Jesse my son who plays football, has a match up at Kinglake, one of the devastated areas in the bush fires.
I'm feeling apprehensive about going into the area and seeing it for the first time since that devastating day! But we are there to support, not only our team but Kinglake too. I will be cheering for both sides!!!

Marrka Wangka "Strong Talk"

A friend of mine Raewyn, is an Arts Development Officer with the organisation called Desart, based in Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory of Australia.
She is in Melbourne at the moment with a group of 10 Aboriginal artworkers, one other Desart staff member, and a film maker, who is recording the Marrka Wangka tour, as a short documentary.

The 10 artworkers have been selected to participate for training in digital storytelling and public speaking.
The Marrka Wangka or "strong talk" project is focused on building the artworkers confidence in public speaking.

There is a stage presentation about Aboriginal art centres tonight at Burrinja.
Glad it's there, it's a wonderful cultural and community arts centre, where I used to work.

Raewyn was kind enough to invite me and another Hills artist Grietje, to be a part of this exciting tour.
We started with a welcome dinner last Thursday night.
These artists come from some very remote areas of Australia, including :
Ali Curung, Tjukurla, Balgo, Tennant Creek, and Papunya.

Saturday night, was a relaxation night! The artists have been non stop working and touring.
I bought along some Henna, hoping it would create a little interest...and it did. I henna'd until midnight!

Isobel Namitjinpa Major, who is the granddaughter of well known artist Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri and daughter of emerging artist Punata Stockman, henna'd my hand.
I was just bursting with privilege and pride of my stunning Indigenous henna body art.

Isobel henna'ing my hand...it was the first time she had experienced henna!!! and I was thrilled that she wanted to henna me.
She was a born natural to it...she looked as though she had done it for years


Isobel's and my hand, decorated...


Me with Isobel, Susan and Maisie...girls showing off their new henna and warm smiles.


Susan presented me with a thank you gift!!! A carved wooden goanna with burnt in markings on the body.
I was honoured and I had such a great night...it was allot of fun!