Goodbye, WoW entries of 2014!!

Goodbye Isolda and Fènghuáng! It’s done! Boxed up and on its way – I have my life and my studio back! Never have I made so many changes to a piece after the photo-shoot – don’t worry WoW folk, it’s all for the good! But, I realise that this is why they have the secondary judging in the flesh, with no guarantees of acceptance – in case crazies like me couldn't stop working on them, or some tragic accidents happen…! I had a giggle as I removed a pin still in it when in the box, and did some last minute hot-glue work….!

This year we re-used the box from 2012, and on the weekend we gave it a spontaneous makeover – it looks so much better now! 

I am pleased when I am able to decorate Matts’ functional contribution to look magnificent! He painted the main boards black, and I made stencils relating to my entries to decorate. Seeing as one of my entries is for the Asian themed Weta section, I think the box reflects this well.

People always ask how long it takes to make my entries – I can safely say that this year I worked on my two entries over 5 months – and this was the first year I had actual Summer holidays to do it in!! By the end of this week, I was thoroughly over it all – nothing unusual there! It’s standard to sit there hating the pieces as you pack them. Luckily I know from experience that in another 5 months time, when I see them on stage, it will be another story!

The Hospital Bay

With this chapter over for now, it’s back to other projects. Unfortunately the focus of the last few months drew my attention away from other deadlines, and I missed out on being a part of the BVAC Pop-up shop at Mt Cootha Gardens coming up next weekend May 3^rd and 4^th. However, I will be hanging out there on the Sunday, and supplying the mannequins for the display there and later at Gallery 159 for the exhibition of works from Timeless Textiles from Newcastle – opening Mother’s Day. This meant the girls needed a wash and a respray, but of course, I made this the opportunity to resurface them properly – why make it quick and easy?. So I spent a few hours washing and sanding, with a few more of bogging, sanding and respraying ahead of me. I didn’t do them to the level I wanted when I used them for my exhibition a few years ago because I was, rightly, concentrating on the work itself! It will be nice to have them up to standard, and I will now make sure I store them better to preserve this hard work.

Before this event though, I will be at the opening of Studebaker of Australia’s new retail shop on Saturday 3^rd of May from 9am-1pm.  Studebaker of Australia will be the first retail outlet for Studebaker since they closed in 1966. 48 years later, two Studebaker nuts (one of them my very own Matt!) open a shop where you can source Studebaker car parts, accessories and merchandise. There will be great live music by the Mainliners and catering from the East Coast Muscle Car Club, and lots and lots of fabulous classic cars!

This weekend I went to see the Qld Ballets’ performance of Coppelia, and had a magical evening.  I truly had a fabulous night, from drinking lovely wines in the Russel St Bar, to my knowledgeable and equally enthusiastic neighbour, to the sheer pleasure and fun of a ballet classic performed so well. I can’t remember ever being so engaged in a performance – perhaps it was that I found it so refreshing after the drudgery of my own work!

So now I can focus on my TAFE work, unless another interesting project distracts me along the way...