2011, the dark horse

Well here we are.

New Years Eve and it feels like its time for that recap on the year that has been post.

It's been a rough one thats fo sure. I had such an amazing year mapped out for myself and then a tsunami came along and kicked me in the preverbal balls. It messed with everything and it took me a long and painful time to recoup from it. I wasn't in Japan at the time, I didn't feel the instant wrath of the angry wave,  none of my family was affected and for this I am thankful. None the less, I did feel its affects on another level.

I think I felt lost for the most of the second part of the year. There was so much anticipation, I was totally in the moment and believing my own hype. I could do anything and I was making everything happen for myself. I felt in control of my career and its development and I felt happy. I had planned so much around the outcome of that proposed Japan trip that I could not see the path without it. Consequently I have been adrift since.

I think I might focus on what I did achieve this year.....

I ran a work shop at the Jam.

I developed a new body of work.

I held a solo exhibition for SALA.

I was apart of a group show at One Small Room

I worked on and promoted a new production line.

I worked on an amazing project with the talented Ruth Allen.

I did laugh alot with my friends

I was a featured artist on Aspects promo.

I held a regular, once a week blowing session.

I employed a regular assistant.

I developed another body of work in which I see great potential

I participated in another group show with group of talented ladies

I was asked to participate in the amazing pop up house for The Design Files

And I was featured in Inside Out Magazine

Lost a job and gained a job

Enjoyed a brief obsession with sewing 

Worked on a commissioned piece

Worked on another commission for an amazing lady who gave me free reign

Got a cat face

And maybe the most exciting thing... We are planning our wedding for next year.....in January!

So yeah, I guess I did some stuff. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself? I'm a good guy at stuff?

Stay tuned for things I want to do.....

 Now lets all go out and get ourselves a cocktail.

xx

Online Sale!!!

HEY!!

Did you know you, for a short time you can purchase these bad boys on line?!!! Can you believe it? Me? the most untechnological person on the interwizzle, wonders never cease!

Thanks to the delightful Lucy, of The Design Files, you can pop over and purchase your very own bonsai on line . All you have to do is go here. Maybe a bonsai for your lovely nan for Christmas?.....

I would head over quick if you were thinking about it.....i hear they are being snapped up!! HOW exciting!!

Room for Growth

So here are some snaps of our install for "Room for Growth". Install is always a tricky one and can be quite stressful. I think we did pretty well together. Everyone helped each other and I think as a result the show looks fantastic. The work all sits together harmoniously I think it is a beautiful show. Maybe you should check it out? 

The opening was fun too, good turn out and I was quite chuffed most of my cute family was there. Sunday arvo is a great time for an opening. I forgot to take my camera to the opening....nuts. 

Sneak preview...

I should be getting ready for work but instead I wanted to show you these pictures!! HAhahahaha! Late!

Bowerbird

Welcome to Bowerbird

Look how happy everyone is at the end of the day!!

Glass monkey what not

Hey check it! Its me on the glass!!

Hey lookit its me again! And my amazing assistant Dani Rickaby. I am making a bonsai. These pics are taken by the super lovely Lucy Feagins of The Design Files. This week she is running a special on JamFactory. You should definately hop over and take a look.

Lucy rocked up for the last piece of the day and right at the crucial part; the jack heat. Usually Dani and I are all, blah, blah, blah and ha, ha, ha (and we have been told we are quite vocal in the hot shop..) but when Lucy got there I went into super glass blower concentration mode. I'm just glad we got the piece away, phew!

Oh and if you liked the last post, I can't wait to show you what I have cooking for you next.....!

Succulent Saturday.

Lookit!! Look at all these beauties I got myself today!! And this is me being restrained... I went with my moomah up to the amazing Hillside Herbs in McLaren Vale today to pick out candidates for my terrariums. These are going to the group show that I am in in a couple of weeks at Prospect Gallery. The show is called "Room For Growth" and it is really a bunch of garden loving gals putting their work out for the world to see. Artists include Christine Cholewa, Michelle Kelly, Rosie Hannam and little ole me.

So, I started out like this....

Here's my hand blown and coldworked terrarium I made...

Homemade funnel, add some pebbles for drainage....

Add some dirt, then the fun stuff!

And then they look like this! I am pretty chuffed with them. I am getting some dealies made (thanks daddyo) with some nice stainless steel rope so they can hang.

It was really fun arranging them and placing (cramming) them in with some super handy little clampy tongs shellsy gave me.

Then I put them out on the lawn, gave them a spritz and voila!

Lets hope their little roots take and I can keep them alive for the show....

I also have some pretty funny mini figurines to add to them.

And this is the mess I made. 

Zombies and gremlins

Something strange is definitely afoot in blogger land. I am probably the biggest techno weenie there is. I just don't get it. If you had of told me the internet was really controlled by one guy in a box and was based pretty much on the matrix, i would have believed you. So seeing as i am such a computer moron, any small difficulty that i dont understand i like to scream, shout, create a general hullaballoo. 

so, let me put it out there fellow bloggers; i seem to have troubles uploading photos. now it seems i have to use some picasa thing then go from there? i cant upload straight from my computer? help! can someone explain for me? 

Anyway, below are some zombie pics for you to enjoy! last weekend some friends and i zombied it up and went on the zombie walk, apparently there were 8,000 people!! but these are just us....! 

 

 Ballerina zombie, muddying it up in the back yard...

 Chef zombie, minor mishap in the kitchen...

 CSIRo zombie....

gremlins in the matrix

strange things are afoot at little bird big chip....
there appears to be some gremlins in the interwizzle...
won't let me upload any pretty pictures...

try again tomorrow?

Design Files Love

Wooooooho! This one is gonna be a dooozy! This my friends is the exciting news I have been waiting to tell you. In December The Design Files will be having an open house/pop up style showcasing ALL Australian makers designers and what not.

I am delighted to tell you that I am going to be apart of this monumental event! ME! Little ole' me!! Check out the beautiful pic (curtesy of the design files) See somethin a little familiar? Thats right my Yumemiru range!! I am workin like a little demon to have a super sweet stash to ship to the Design Files. Hop on over to their site to check all the details.

This is more exciting than the time I found f furry friend at the back of the cupboard i had forgotten about.....

Hot dogs and Proteas

A Simple Day

Reading other peoples blogs makes me want to give a little attention to my own.

Today, so far, has been one of my favourite kind of days...

Got up kinda early, hit the markets for the weekly shop. Experienced a major 'game changer' in the way I shop. Are you ready for it, here it goes; this people will change your life, are you ready,

I. Bought. A. Market. Trolley.

Yup. Amazing! No more sore arms, no more grappling with a million heavy bags, no more having to deny myself a bag of potatoes because my shoulders can't bear it. It's amazing!! I was so happy with my $18 market trolley I can't believe it. So happy that I rewarded myself with a little sushi stop for breakfast, followed by a custard polo for the coffee at home.... Usually by this point I would have been pissed off with the crowds, my arms screaming from the pain of weighed down shopping bags and having to struggle back to the car, that there would be no time for delicious snack stops as I was way too cranky. (By the way, in case you were interested I also scored an amazing park for $1...)

So in the leisure of my own home, I made a coffee and ate my delicious custard pollo and dicked around on the internet. Next me and the B train went to peruse a few suits for him and again I was pleasantly rewarded!! We managed to find a great hire place for the boys and a particularly handsome suit for him. Man, oh man, does he look the business in that suit. It strikes me that some men are not quite bright because the way I see it, ALL men look good in the right suit. In the right suit any man can look handsome. Why is it then that not all men own suits then? Go figure.

Chuffed with our suit shopping we treated ourselves to Haighs freckles, home for a beer and cheese platter and now that brings us to the present. Just you, me and the B train chillin at home. B train on the decks with a beer, me on the couch with a pot of delicious Assam tea, all to myself (I'm on my third cup). My only regret is eating that 24th freckle...

Can't see the forrest for the trees...

Just like Moloko, things to make and do...

Some things I been a makin....

Red Bonsai for a commission.

Pretty displays for work.

Cute baby blanket with fish on it. My favourite fish. Japanese secret stash fabric fish. Special fabric for a special mamma and her new bub.

Form Collective

Here are some snaps of the show 'Form Collective' that I apart of. One small Room is a fantastic little shop and great supporters of the local artist. They also sell furiture of the Danish variety that is to die for. I have my eye on the arm chairs they have at the moment....

burning books of fury doused in tears of despair

Stupid, god damn happiness book can kiss my curvy butt goooooood byyyye! Today I felt like tearing it in half (with my bear hands, like the hulk ("hulk smash")) then throw it out the window of preferably a speeding train, hopefully doused in petrol and in a blaze of glory.

Bah. I've never been so sad this week. The week that I start reading the happiness book I start feeling incredibly sad, Co-winkdy dink? I think not! I want my money back! (Probably hard now its in a million pieces of flaming wreckage)

I don't think anyone really wants to hear what I really think about this woman at the moment. It's not very happy....

You know what made me happy today?

Here we go;

- organising a tripple rubbish collection for the shop, garbage and cardboard everywhere I look! (last week I actually hid the garbage in the cardboard so the boss lady would be none the wiser! hahahahaha! now that made me happy, how to hide your garbage from the big boss 101)

- looking at pictures of cats and dreaming of the day i get to have a furry friend of my own, british shorthair please

- playing tetris in the back room with the stock

- pretending that i didnt get lumped with a terrible haircut

and thats about it.

Slim pickings alright

Snap Happy

So I told you there would be more snaps. I had so much fun installing with Mel. Maybe too much fun? I want to do it again! Bigger!

So on an unrelated topic, I have started reading this book. It's called "the Happiness Project". It's pretty much about this woman who decides she wants to be happier. She's not unhappy, she's not depressed she just realises that life passes pretty quickly and she wants to get as most out of it as possible. She does'nt want to get weighed down by the crap stuff. Sounds a little new agey doesn't it? Its not really its not. I just kind of like what she's getting at. It's kind of like we are so busy and want to cram as much in as possible but at the same time want to eliminate all the stuff that our thoughts seem to accumulate.

She writes herself these funny little commandments and is taking a year to get herself happier. I kind of like it. It is a little preachy in some bits but I like what it's about on the whole. So this morning, in my attempt at my own happiness project, I got up at 5:30am (yes the am) and went to boot camp with a friend of mine. More exercise, more energy, more happy. Thats the plan anyways. I am trying to eliminate the things I don't like, change the things I can change, don't sweat the small stuff, be nicer in general.... now I sound like a sap.

I just figure that with taking on a full time job, on top of my glass practice, there is not a lot of room to be unhappy. I don't want to be. I enjoy being busy but I also want to be better at it. In the book she also talks about doing things just for yourself. Like not always wanting someone to tell you that you are doing a good job, or trying to make others happy then demanding the praise for it. I guess this is how I kind of feel about the exhibition. It was a rainy night and not a lot of people showed. The friends that did I was super grateful. Rather than get upset about it, think about how much time and effort I put into it, support the arts and blah, blah, blah why isn't it enough just for me to be happy that I did it for me? I had an absolute ball doing the install why is that not enough?

So I'm trying to figure out what it is that makes me happy and try and make some changes to get the most out of this busy life.

Ikebana; What Lies Beneath

Just a few snippets of what went on last night... massive, huge, real, real, big thanks to Mel and her lovely ladies Rachael and Narelle at Chill Flowers for giving me this fantastic opportunity to do something amazing. I had such a great time with these ladies creating a beautiful window display. Mel put on a lovely opening night and I can't thank her enough for her generosity. If you are down that way (31 North East Road, Collinswood) why don't you drop in and say hi! Let the girls work their magic and whip you up a pretty bunch for your gentleman lover?... or maybe just for you because they are AMAZING!!

More snaps to follow, as I am, uh, how do you say, a photo junkie. Oh and is anyone else up this morning watching rage? HOw good is Freddie Mercury? Man, that is one outstanding moustache. Miss you Freddie x

Chips

Today is the day!! Set up day!

Today I am going to install for the Ikebana show at Chill Flowers, super excited and can't wait to see what the girls come up with in my designs. Gonna be a whole lotta snaps, I promise.

Last night had the opening of a group show that I am in at One Small Room. Apart from a rainy, dreary night there was a pretty good turn out. On the up side there was possibly the biggest bowl of chips I have ever seen in my entire life! I'm talking HUGE! Like maybe a meter in span (well maybe not a meter...but man, that was a lot of chips! Like 7 or eight packs, no wait that makes it sound small, aaagh, stop talking about the chips!!)

On the downside, there was this terrible band of teenagers playing some grunge like feedback like noise, pretty much racket. Not my perfect choice of ambience for an art gig, actually made me hightail it to the Wheaty, but hey at least I got to see that giant bowl of chips.

I really gotta get out of bed.... what with that whole install and everything....

Doubley Exhibition opening!!

And if its cacti that you are craving.....

Come on down to One Small Room

Queen Street, Croydon

Where I am apart of a lovely group show that opens this Thursday

August 4th

with a street party!

There will be other art to see,

delicious bakery treats from my all time favourite bakery,

good beer to drink,

and of course glass cacti and succulents to purchase!!!

Hope to see you there.

It's going to be super fun and I would hate for you to miss it....