backyard at dusk

Saturday 28 August 2010
Beautiful scent of the blossoming plum tree

rough edges

charlotte's visit

Around Easter time 2010, Brunswick West

Bon Voyage

Hanami

Spring fever, new beginnings, and the cherry blossoms
a beautiful reminder of death, not as the enemy,
but as a guide to elegant living

From 'Hanami' / Ed Wright 2006

play is timeless

These are some of the pre-Columbian artefacts which once belonged to Diego Rivera, and are now housed in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City – one of the most amazing places I've ever visited.

Among exhibits which span the Central and South Americas, and thousands of years, there were some huge, impressive pieces of stone art there, such as ancient Aztec sacrificial altars and parts of Mayan temples. But awesome as they were, I just couldn't get over these small ceramic vessels and figures! They are so playful and so streamlined. It's as if time disappears, and the artist is right there, talking and joking with the viewer, with gestures that we still share.

Next to the collection there was also a picture of Diego himself – somehow, not too different from the spirit of some of his statues … ; )

shapes to sing to

night ties

trees throw the ropes again
to draw in the night

Dusk Fruit, White Flight

Dusk Fruit
steel, enamel, 18ct gold, silver 925
60 x 35 mm





White Flight
steel, enamel, 18ct gold, silver 925
90 x 400 mm


These were my two contributions to our RMIT auction in 2010.
Enamel on steel, yay!

RMIT Gold & Silversmithing Jewellery Auction 2010

Lately, the life of our class has been virtually nothing but organising, organising and organising. It is because this year, it's our turn as 3rd years, to organise the traditional jewellery auction which will fundraise for our end-of-year exhibition and catalogue. Amazing how quickly the time has gone from first year to here, almost leaving … it's great, with all we've learned and the jewellery moments along the way, but a little scary at the same time. And now, only a few days to go to the first big event of our (quickly vanishing) year.

Here are the important details of what, where and when. You can also see images of work for sale at our blogsite, link below. The site is still continuously updated, so mark it in your browser and keep checking back.

RMIT Gold and Silversmithing Annual Jewellery Auction 2010

Hope to see you there!

RMIT Gold and Silversmithing Annual Jewellery Auction 2010:
Snap up the work of contemporary jewellers and silversmiths!

The RMIT Gold and Silversmithing auction is just around the corner – only four days to go! An annual landmark within the jewellery community, collectors and the public, this event is a great opportunity to spot emerging jewellers and silversmiths, and to purchase original handmade pieces by established and up-and-coming artists.

The work will be auctioned by the legendary jewellery expert Mr Ronnie Bauer of Klepner’s Fine Antique Jewellers, assisted by our own Alysha Batliwalla. A fundraising tradition, all proceeds go towards the end-of-year graduate exhibition and catalogue which highlight the exceptional talent this course nurtures and develops.

Come along, have a wonderful night and show your support by bidding on some outstanding jewellery pieces!

Wednesday 11 August
Previewing of work from 6.00 pm
Auction begins 7.00 pm

The auction venue is just opposite RMIT Storey Hall, upstairs:

The Order of Melbourne
Level 2 /401 Swanston Street

Food & drinks available at the venue
Credit card and EFTPOS facilities

If you're a maker and would like to support us by donating original jewellery, it's not too late! Please see our Invitation to Participate for details.

Welcome!
The Graduating Gold and Silversmithing Class of 2010

Imagine them all ... crying

Would be great to know if all hell breaks loose every time
the dad walks out of the room or stops cootchy-cootchy!

I found this clip after participating in a survey on computer generated
laughter vs. human laughter. It was surprisingly difficult to decide on
some of the seven clips played, which one was which. The site also presents
short videos on the science of laughter - did you know, for example, that
rats giggle when they're tickled, and seem to enjoy the activity?

You can participate online here, it's a short and simple test, run by Acoustic Engineering
at Salford University, UK, supported by the New Scientist magazine.

Maybe we're all born with a spoon of some kind in our mouth?

It must be in the blog air, the reminiscing about our paths to jewellery and looking at the very early work (something that's still very recent for me, a latecomer to the field). I had just been thinking about my first silversmithing pieces and how I got here when I was further inspired by the recent posts by Melissa Cameron and Karen, Melissa (previously a designer) talking about the events that lead her to seriously pursue jewellery as a career, and Karen (the amazing host of Melbourne Jeweller blog) showing her first year, first semester RMIT silversmithing pieces.

So here's something from my first months at RMIT in 2008 when we were introduced to silversmithing by the lovely Beatrice Schlabowsky. The making of a copper spoon from scratch was especially a tough one for me, and I remember being very proud at the end, of having been able to forge something that resembled a cutlery piece even vaguely. I'm always amazed and impressed when I now see other spoons from the first year projects – they're so beautifully designed, all really original, and perfectly finished! (This is not to say we weren't taught well, but more a realisation that while some possess natural abilities for shaping metal, others like me have to learn them from the very, very, very beginning! : )

Our briefs that semester were to design and make a "Filter" and "Spoons". Here's some:



Seven Characteristics in Spoons (2008)
Stainless steel teaspoons, steel wire, adhesive (yes! supaglue!), magnet, shrink wrap
These seven spoons are a playful take on modifying an industrial object, always identical in the hundreds and thousands that are produced, to speak about individual tendencies.

I thought about the states of being 'Discontent', 'Enlightened', 'Charismatic', 'Self-Obsessed', 'Fragile', 'Pessimistic' and 'Optimistic'. See if you can spot which is which.

Looking at this image has also given me an idea for something that a friend in the virtual sphere, Eddy, asked me to do a while ago …



Japanese Laundry (2008)
Roller-embbossed copper, brass, black pebbles, thread, glass
This was my filter. I can't remember exactly anymore what the rationale for being a filter was, but somehow I arrived at a mobile-like solution that plays with the sense of gravity and proportion. It has stony weights hovering just above the ground, attached to the wing of a mute and blind house (no entry, no exit, only form). The oxidised tones and patterns of copper and brass reminded me of silk, and the black pebbles of garderns; water of East – the reasons for the name. I wanted to present the piece standing on a pond, for the reflection – so I placed it on a tray with cardboard and water for the assessment. Oops … spillage and tearing that I can now laugh about … Here's a detail from a picture I took later on:



Then, there was a spoon that I created on the morning of assessment, in the usual panic.
But I like it! Maybe it's dedicated to Yoko Ono?




Breathe (2008)
Qantas plastic spoon, nylon netting,
grapevine twig, mother of pearl, copper

And then a few cast spoons:


Atmo-sphere (2008)
A gasket and a plastic Qantas spoon cast in fine silver



Childhood (2008)
Thread lace and wax – this image is taken before casting in fine silver



And finally, a nameless copper spoon that I will keep forever : )

a tiny postcard from another planet

I think it's a map.

Some interesting things happened today

Enamel on steel, enamel on aluminium, aluminium on steel – resting and fused ...

our winter window

I love how this vine made its way to the front room last spring;
over summer, it grew tall, through the little cracks in the old wood.

It now covers the little spectators, always at the window,
observing life on the street passing by. An ancient Latvian woman
knitted the yellow duck a long time ago.

A winter blanket : )

still there

all these weeks on