Soooo, who decides to do a multi-outfit felt garment shoot
during a heatwave in the burnt out bush with five unknown models? Oh, why I do,
of course! Last Saturday we all trekked out to Collingwood Park - a car load of
models driven by step-son Liam, and another containing a very fretful artist and
faithful assistant Jenelle, chauffeured by the ever-supportive Matt. Who
proceeded to set up a change tent for the girls with some serious McGyvering
with a tarp, some rope, and some trees, and sat there guarding the camp for the
afternoon.
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| Model change-room luxury |
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| The man responsible |
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| Ciera wearing the dress I made for my sister's 40th, which she wore as bridesmaid to my wedding |
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| I didn't bring a mirror, but you can use my glasses!! |
The recently burnt ground, Matt later informed me, contained
many hollows where roots had burnt away. These hollows I proceeded to find with
alarming regularity as I ran hither and thither , fetching and carrying
garments, make-up, water and clipboards, in my thongs. I didn't notice at the
time, but I twisted my knee badly in one of them, and have been crippled since!
Chantal pulled up in her car screaming, "I hate you for
making me put clothes on today!!", out of the window, which was a great
start. By the end of the shoot I was the one having the meltdown and
she was all peaches and cream - what the?!! Midway through the shoot we found a
lovely rock grotto for the group shot which worked beautifully.
As we finished,
Jenelle spotted a pile of broken glass in the centre - too late to warn anyone
as they moved, but we were very lucky!
Jenelle seemed to torture me with my own list of the shoot on the clipboard, informing
me of each impending one as I desperately hoped each was the last, and that we
could go home, have a shower, and sit in the airconditioning. Much as I
complain, I could not have survived it without her, as she dressed and organised
each set of girls as I was directing them with Chantal - far too much for one
Bunneh on their own! Assistant Bunneh was pushed to the limit in awful heat and
dirt, and I'm sure Mr. Bun heard quite the story, including expletives, on her
return!!!
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| Me, asking ' would this pose work, and, are we there yet?'! |
I'm not going to show too many pictures here, as I want you
to enjoy them when they are published mid-year in Felt magazine. So thanks to
you all - Liam, Ciera, Aimee, Meika, Lizzy, Lowis, and the amazing Chantal,
Jenelle, and Matt.
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| Lowis and Aimee |
With that over and done with, I continue on with my wearable
art work - one nearly completed for WAM, three out of four in progress for
WOW. I have been working on them all,
solidly, over the months, and one has taken an interesting turn, with 1600
feathers now on their way in order to complete it - squeeeee! As of today, I
have completed the dress form, based on one of my designs at college from 2
years ago. I was so grateful for the ready-made, beautifully fitted pattern,
plus comprehensive construction notes.
Speaking of squeees,
I caught up with one Janet de Boer for her birthday recently, where we drank
bubbles at the Shingle Inn, and I was
the one who received a present - a copy of the book from the Susan Holmes
exhibition which Janet opened at Objectspace in Auckland late last year. I
still haven't had time to read it, but I look forward to it with relish!
