VI-RAL VI-RAL VI-RAL

Our aim was simple:

To make a music video clip

and to go VIRAL.

(please help us!)

But we got more than we bargained for, and have become the greatest of friends (having overcome creative-control freak clash). Ange thinks we are both 'silver backed gorillas' - I think what she is trying to say is that we are both desiring to be top of the animal kingdom of creativity but luckily she was able to step down and take my orders (not without minor insult and injury!) hehehe. We LOVE each other.

So here it is! The crafty stop motion video clip I made with/for Ange Takats, Sunshine Coast musician/singer/songwriter.

The Girl & The Glass by Ange Takats

And once you've seen that, you can watch the 'behind the scenes' comedy-drama that is...

The Making Of The Girl & The Glass

Spread it!

[current mood] Croissants & Beach Walks

Tea Degustation Party

For a long time I've been picturing a tea degustation. I wanted to create morsels to go with different teas.

First you had to choose your cup.

Here was the menu:

Vegan Goodie balls went with Chai

Blueberry Friands went with Seduction Tea

Everyone had to wear a hat...

My felt number

Prize for the most effort went to Tami!

Sean wore the hat he never thought he would have the occasion for...

I was glad to see Cindy with a mad-hatter!

Even Oscar donned a 'hat'.

[current mood] Ange Takats Music & Bulmers Cider

Weaving: Another Art Experience

I'm adding art and craft skills to my reportoire. I'm not sure why, I just go crazy for it!

I believe the more things I learn to do then the more ideas I can have for my art. Imagine what could happen if you combine weaving, origami, knitting, silver smithing and paint? There's gotta be something original in that mix.

I met Rene Bahloo at a Pecha Kucha event and she inspired me with her linking of weaving and life!

So I went along to the next workshop she was running - Weaving an Animal:

We sat on the carpet on a drizzly Saturday and learnt a coil weave. Renee said to let it tell us what animal it wanted to be. No pre-conceived ideas. Acting with faith not intention I believe.

Everyone started with just a strip of Pandanus Leaf and two grasses. And then what happened next?

Misty's desire to create a bird was denied her and instead she discovered she was making a turtle.

Tanya's hands revealed a horse. She just so happens to have a farm-load of them at home, but it wasn't her intention!

Myah found a bird, taking flight.

Little Daniel was dead set on producing a guinea pig. I was so impressed!!

Wendy's son is holding her snappin croc. It started as some blob then native lizard then this!

And here is what I found. I wanted to do a turtle or a kookaburra, but kept seeing a pig snout (to my dismay) but soon it showed me it was to be a goldfish. The pisces in me has been acknowledged!

[current mood] Raw Salmon & Is That The Ocean I Can Hear From My Bed?

Invitation with Song

The first version of song-communication arose with Solua Middleton sending me youtube video clips that expressed how she was feeling during conference calls with our bosses.

It became a bit of a continued conversation through song. Solua is a legend.

Most recently she emailed me a song to expressing how irreplaceable I am. She used the iphone ap 'Songify'.

I decided to one-up the use of song as communication by creating a Songify party invitation.

Tea party invitation by Natalija Brunovs

It's atrociously good!

[current mood] Leftover Juicer Bits Muffins & Quietening the Mind to Hear the Birds

Notes to Self

First press PLAY

Tomorrow (feat. Pom Pom) by Natalija Brunovs

It was one of those nights where you go to a party, someone tells you they play keyboard, you tell him you want to play keyboard, so you go to his room and start making some sweet music. In the real sense. Playing with loops on a M-Audio Oxygen 49. Now you will buy a keyboard and practice for sweet jamming!

This can be your soundtrack for this post.

 I made a magnetic chalkboard. I've kept it on my wall with this to-do list from a few weeks ago.

Even though I did this AGES ago it felt good to keep it up on the wall.

Wondering what the heck 'make a bone' is all about? Here you go:

It was a thank you from Oscar to Aaron who looked after him. Oscar kinda wanted it for himself.

I was talking to someone about TO DO lists and she envied my very short list on my chalkboard. I said it really works to just pick 3-4 things for the board and when you've done that you can choose another 3-4. Long lists often get completely overlooked by me!

But I thought an even better TO DO list would be one which is sort of inevitably going to be done.

I managed most of this today. But never did make that nap... too full of beans! (coffee beans)

So what about a TO DO list of things already done? Yes! Now that is what I call FEEL GOOD. We don't spend enough time soaking in the glory of things done before we move on to the next task.

Yes, I did all these today, look at those ticks! good on ME.

Here is some proof.... I squeezed out this painting:

It was inspired by the light coming through the Magnolia leaves.

And so what is on my chalkboard now?

A quote from ME to ME. A reminder of what TO DO.

[current mood] Connecting Chit Chat in Unsuspecting Places & Seductive Semolina Pudding

Nanna Knuckle Dusters

You know how you get funny ideas... have a laugh at them and then let them stay as a concept because the momentum isn't there to follow through?

Well I'm thrilled to say - I created a little idea/joke yesterday! It was due to needing to devise a gift for a very lovely someone - the perfect opportunity to just do it.

I was talking to Lenni, an artist, surfer and sprouter who used to live in my room. She said she wanted some fingerless gloves but I misunderstood her and thought she said 'finger gloves' - I was picturing a glove of just fingers and wondering how that could be... so we had a laugh about it.

Then I was invited to her 30th and thought I would make those finger gloves I imagined for her! So I set about knitting with various wool colours and tiny needles, the night before.

They looked so cute! I wasn't able to knit for all eight fingers before bedtime so I settled with 4 fingers and 1 thumb glove/cosy/warmer. I also wasn't sure how she would choose to wear them - All at once? Maybe even with a fingerless glove, to complete the look?

or just like rings, one at a time?

When she opened up her present last night and excitedly put four on her fingers and the thumb one on her nose, someone said 'hey they are like knuckle dusters!' and Lenni got around all night with her new spunky finger warmers.

I've since decided to call them Nanna Knuckle Dusters and if they took far less time, I'd sell them!

[current mood] Soup of all variaties & Making up Tunes with New Friends.

House Leftovers

You know when you have to move and clean out the entire house, leaving it in better condition that you found it? Ugh...

I've done it at least 12 times in my adult life. I think that averages once a year. Hmmm, maybe what 'they' say about me is true.... never settled, always changing. The statistics agree.

What I always find amusing is which final items lie around the house. The little things that didn't make it into a box. The leftovers.

And an asthma-inducing-load of dust...

[current mood] Getting My Own Ditties Stuck In My Head & New Housemate's Cooking

Artist by Artist by Artist

I'm producing a project for ABC Open in the Sunshine Coast called Artist by Artist.

It's the brainchild of myself and Solua Middleton in the Gold Coast. We're teaming artists together to make a documentary on each other. We're training them and collaborating with them to take them through the process and into a 3-5 minute finished film.

Besides being a radical experience for us and the artists.... (the challenges of collaboration, learning to the max, sticking with timelines and thinking outside of the box....) I have loved going into the homes of each of these artists. Besides prepping the scripts and storyboards, overseeing the interviews and shooting the footage, I've managed to make some time to shoot my favourite details of their places (with my iphone).

The more I spend time with these artists the more I acknowledge myself as an artist too.
It's artist by artist by artist!

I'm presenting you two of the artists today and more soon!

Here is Peter Carnavas. Children's book author.

Pete found a banana tree in the backyard and shared his lady fingers. This was SO welcome, with the price of bananas at the moment.

The first thing I saw was his hand drawn welcome sign.

Next to his desk was this illustration that looks like his family to me. All of them, the great love, he carries.

For the film he created this sign for his room. Hand drawn props rock!
Christine Elcoate is directing the film on Pete. Her idea is to have him illustrate the scenes that come to life.

Pete presents as a quiet man but he comes into his fullest self when presenting his illustrations and stories to children. They actively listen and he feels heard.

This is Kim Schoenberger. A discarded object sculptor and ceramic artist.

This is Kim's self portrait. (the one on the left)

Kim rummages through skip bins to find the objects for her stunningly awesome work.

I saw this on her desk. She told me I could have it. LOVE!!

Kim's house is full of objects that make me yearn to create. Macrame hangings in the loo inspire me!

This is Christine's gloved hand playing with one of Kim's works. She helped us record sound at the shoot. Kim's film is being directed by Pat Flynn, a children's book writer.

Kim's houses of discarded objects show us how beauty can be found in what we consider 'junk'. Her pieces speak to me, in ways I can't articulate. Their creation has been a healing process for Kim who feels she has been discarded too, in life. Kim describes the synchronisity of how her art comes together as magical, because you can't control what you find or how it turns into something before your eyes.

[current mood] Red Wine for Warmth & Ceramic Wind Chimes

Blogs: A venn diagram

When it comes to blogs, this is how I feel.

Which category do you fall into?

I'm almost entirely YELLOW. I really don't have time to read blogs which I feel is a touch ironic as I'm so possessed to write one!

[current mood] A Whole Lindt Bunny & CD Burning

Moving Home

Everytime I tell my mother I'm moving she says "Oh what a good opportunity to get rid of all your junk!" to which I reply "I don't HAVE any junk mum! Stop bugging me."

Now the first box is packed. With all the really important things.

See mum!

[current mood] Breakfast for Every Meal & Passion Pit (Packing Music!)