Moving on

Just a brief update, no pics, sadly. The weekend began on Friday with a delicious breakfast meeting at The Gun Shop Cafe with our burgeoning creative team, now including make-up artist and model - oh, and both are photographers too! It was a most enjoyable meeting of new folk, and got me quite inspired. As did a quick shopping blitz on the way back to the kombi, which jagged me a pair each of gold, and bronze leather-look frilled shorts - gawdjuss! These immediately inspired matching corsets, using the leather and feather ideas I've been working towards. The shopping excursion extended to the dreaded Spotlight, where I actually found what I was looking for - iridescent organza! Friday afternoon was spent making paper templates for the new corset ideas, and I went to bed Friday night happy with the progress made.
Saturday was largely spent running errands (apart from a brief dumpster diving episode with Matt to get some laser-cut steel off-cuts for garden sculpture!) and spray-painting the room downstairs, which is looking great! So much so that I got a bit jealous and thought, "Why am I painting this room for two teenage boys - looks like it would make a much better studio space!!" I comforted myself with the thought that this task made the building of the (much larger) studio one step closer, so was totally worthwhile.
Sunday saw a delightful return to fibreglassing - ohhh, that smell! I made half a bodice from material, shaped it over a mannequin, and coated it in resin. This will become the form from which I will make a set of moulds to use for moulding leather bodices. My other experiment in leather moulding also went exceptionally well. The sheep 'basil' Matt bought me from Packer Leather was, with some hesitation, cut into shapes and moulded over a plastic mannequin. Wow - I have found my new obsession! It was an absolute dream to work with - so soft and pliable, like pastry!! It did whatever I wanted it to - bliss!! It's just amazing. Ahhhh, another expensive hobby..... My leather tooling worked out really well too, so I am one happy little creative bunneh tonight. I have just plotted our next photo shoot with our new team - an interim number until I have created some of the new pieces - but I don't think the first ones will be too far off! I think evenings this week will be busy. Happy Monday for tomorrow, folks - they just don't seem that bad any more, with a head full of awesome ideas and Spring Fever to boot!!
Ciao!

Steampunked!

This evening we went to artisan for the opening of The Antipodean Steampunk Show. This piece in the shop window was the first to grab my attention, and then this skull:

I have to say, it's the best exhibition I have seen there in a long time - largely because it exhibited actual craftsmanship instead of merely design principles! It was a very rich looking exhibition, and I was impressed with the way it was housed in the space. One of the highlights for me was Andrew McDonald's fantastic mirror, and another was 'The Clockwork Universe".

Andrew McDonald's Mirror

The Clockwork Universe

One wall was covered in gilt framed photographs, and had the works from the photograph on display on shelves below - I like this kind of approach. - it's about both types of creation - the object and the reality which you create within the photograph of it.

Shortly before we left, a charming lady in excellent dress arrived and said to me "I've traveled for two hours on a train to get here, and your shoes alone have made it worthwhile". Awwww, music to a shoe freak's ear. Both my shoes and my shibori shrug attracted some attention, although for once I think I was one of the more under-dressed there!

 Well, it's the end of the 'working' week for me - tomorrow I do my household duties and prepare for the weekend. Last Friday, Matt took me to Packer Leather to get some skins for me to play with, as a birthday present. I've had some lightning moments this week just driving to work about how I can work with these - and I don't think I would have had them if I didn't have them lying around the place inspiring me! So thanks dahl - awesome pressie! Thanks for the inspiration!

Back in Oz

OK, so it's a little late, but it's taken some time to get reorganised back into the real world. So:
Matt and I spent the last Sunday in Wellington browsing the produce markets, where I knew I would be getting my breakfast of simple raw milk cheese and bread. I was not disappointed! I bought a baguette from the Simply Paris stall, and walked over to the purveyor of cheese with lust in my eyes. After a few samples, I handed over the remaining money I had and asked to be given some stinky cheese. The lovely man could see I was a cheese freak, and said, "if this is your breakfast, do you want two types?". "Yes please!!" said I, and chose a lovely ripe Brie and a heavenly stinky thing matured in a cave - and couldn't you taste it!! He was a generous man, and gave me more cheese than I had money,and I thanked him, saying "you have made a cheese freak very happy, thank you!". Impulse purchasing an eggy fillo cup on the way out, I consumed my market feast subtly (although leaving a pile of crumbs!) and Matt and I both enjoyed one of the least offensive coffees of NZ. (Sorry guys, you seem to like coffee a lot more bitter than I do!)
From here we decided to head up to the Botanic Gardens via the cable car, something I've never done before. Although fine, it was pretty windy, but a fine view, enhanced by the trio playing old fashioned jazz at the entrance, which added a lovely vibe. I would have liked to explore more, but Matt is allergic to hills, and we didn't have a great deal of time.

Farewell for 2012, Wellington.

The flight home was nearly 4 hours due to a headwind, and we had the most turbulence I have ever been through - yikes!! I was more than ready to touch down in Brizvegas!
I really did think we would be coming home on a total high this year, and still remain perplexed as to why we did not place. Devastated though I am, I am content to be in my current space of review and renewal. It also seems as this was meant to happen at this time in my life, where I am questioning many things. Also, nothing can dampen my pride at having BioLumina and Fimbria Figura so prevalent in the advertising for this year.

Post Preview with heart balloon at the Cuckoo Lounge

With BioLumina in the foyer on Preview night

It was wonderful to return home to a gawdjuss bunch of lilies, fresh milk (thanks Miss J!) and a boofed up Mishka, who has thrived on his new goat meat diet whilst we have been away and is visibly boofier - yay!!
The Tuesday after our return, it was off to the Robyn Bauer Gallery at Paddington for the ATASDA 'Beyond the Surface' Exhibition setup, followed by a lovely opening on the Friday night. Here's some pics of my work on display there.

Sharyn Hall in sales area

My Plum Nuno felt dress and wrap, and 'Undulation II' outside

Since returning, I have, as I usually do after WoW, taken stock of my life and where it's going. Now in my mid 30's, I suddenly realised that now was the time to move on from the world of administration which has supported my ventures for the last few years, and ensure I have the skills to position myself in an environment where exciting opportunities may come my way. So, back to college I go to finish my Diploma of Applied Fashion Design and Technology, starting midway next year. Yah-hoooooo!!