I'll take a photo of your teapot, for your teapot.

I love shooting things that I love. Such as this artwork 'Tea Brake' by Kim Schoenberger.

It seems I only shoot things I love... 

such as delicious food, photographed so well I want to eat it.

and old men, with their faces of wrinkles and hearts all melty. I just want to cuddle their quirky selves.

and then, of course, love ceremonies... where the beauty of the occasion inspires me with every shot.

and then, there is art!

Art that when I photograph it, I get so excited, I want it!

I had the privilege of taking photographs of Kim Schoenberger's assemblages. She makes them from discarded materials she finds in dumpsters and such places. The way they come together is some sort of magic. Unsuspecting pieces just fit into each other, Kim tells me. She seems to always find what she needs. And the pieces form, in many ways, themselves.

I set up my 'mobile studio' in her studio. Using a white table as a reflector. That's why they "pay me the big bucks". ah ha....

Keeping Afloat. You can see Kim uses clay with her metal pieces, to bring that earthy feel into form.

Domestic Duties - I saw this as a little robo-maid.

Be Love, Love Me.

I love this one too. Reminds me of an indigenous symbol - Wandjina. Or something of ancient, biblical symbolism. Those are clay-made bones, sticking out.

I met Kim through the ABC Open project Artist by Artist. You can watch this short film made on her, by children's book author Pat Flynn.

I did the cinematography and editing. Pat wrote the script and directed the piece.

Kim by Pat from ABC Open Sunshine Coast on Vimeo.

I HEART Kim and her work!

And what I find most excellent is the swapping of things for things - as opposed to money for things.

I chose the teapot as a little barter for a discount.

Now I need to find some fresh vegetables and some kind of shelter to photograph. That way I can really survive on this barter economy!

[current mood] home made muesli bars & kookaburras

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

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

Japanese Hearts

When I heard of the thousands of Japanese lives washed away in the recent earthquake-induced tsunami, I pictures the bodies being carried through the waves of water. I thought of those individual lives, each one a beating, real, full life of dreams and hopes and complexity, such as my own.

Often events overseas pale to our own daily lives, we're so caught up in our heads and can't empathise with the suffering of others.

I painted each heart. For each heart deserves its honour. Each warm, blooming, love-filled heart.
And then, like those hearts, I washed my art away.

Today's moody, misty and rainy morning started with the objective 'to do nothing'. I tried, but something always ends up being done. This was it.

[current mood] Fresh Juice & Aimee Mann

Fantasy Ireland and Swell Secret

I do love making up titles for these ABC Open pieces. My little wordsmith comes out .. and ooops, another pun! Maybe I'm paying for my street press days of constantly daggy headlines?

I'm not sure how I manage to write the articles for these pieces though. I suppose it's all the blogging that has helped the words just flow out. AND I never thought I'd be writing content for the ABC. Gee life is a pleasant surprise.

So check out these two favourites of mine!

Both produced by young people.

Fantasy Ireland by 16 year old photographer Bene Bess. Just gorgeous
and Swell Secret by journalism uni student, Matthew Howard.

At 10pm last night I was placing the finishing 'wave sound' touches into Matt's piece and I contemplated why I'm so driven to make these perfect. It's like the world will revolve around these pieces!
I guess that is what makes me the kind of girl for this job. I can't help myself. It just has to be as good as it can be. Is it the ego? The reflection it will have on me? The desire for SUCCESS for the project, for the participant and ultimately me? (me me me)...

Well, I think my degree of care is a good thing no matter what the motive, because at least the participant can know that they are working with someone who genuinely wants their work to shine.

Some don't neccessarily know that, or 'tap that' .... but eventually they may realise that listening and learning is the key. And I, in turn, let go and listen to them (when Im not being a total control freak - hehehe).

[current mood] Frozen banana smoothies & Little Red

ABC Open

This is a scene from work today. We were actually experimenting with sound recording and seeing if indeed a belt can sound like an old creaky boat. It does!

I'm working with a guy called Matt to create a mini-film on a surfer who grew up in Cotton Tree. SO naturally we needed some sound effects to go with it.

It's funny how you can collect sounds. I've dingled my wind chimes for fairy magic noise, shaked my egg-shakers for snake rattles and climbed up hills to record birds and leaves shimmering. Each of these productions is rich in layers of image AND sound.

If you haven't checked it out already, go visit the new ABC Open website. The first project is an incredible collection of black and white audio slideshows. They are vignettes of people, moving portraits if you will. The theme is change and each is under 3 minutes. So go take a journey to discover some curious, inspiring and heart warming characters.

Each piece has been a collaboration between an ABC media producer and a member of the community.

This one is a result of me working with Grant Meyer from Maleny.

16 year old called Anneli was born with a range of complications and her mum was told she wouldn't live. But you should look at her now! She taught herself to read by watching Pokemon, she writes about characters from the books she reads and she dreams of being an animated voice!

It's great to have such insight into someone with a disability. I don't get the opportunity often enough.

[current mood] Silence in my house & Fried Mushrooms

Her Cloud Has A Silver Lining

The second ABC Open project that I've co-produced with a local community member is now up for ya'll to see.
I'm not just making beautiful "mini-films", I'm making friends on the way. Nat Surman is the director of this piece and we make a pretty good team it turns out. And not just cause of the name... although it did inspire a 'Nat Party' which had 4 Nats and Nats only...

What I love about doing these pieces is that I'm by the beach, hanging on balconies, eating macaroons, editing in the back of a kombi, got equipment dangling off me, Oscar by my side... it's work made fun. And fun builds friendship.

What participant really wants to come into the studio, wear proper shoes and sit at a table? Nah, we gotta make this stuff in the context of real life! This way it's easy and REAL.

I've had people pick me cherry tomatoes and give me paw paws...

Some buy me biscuits and I buy them coffee while we script-plan...

and others cook me up Caribbean feasts (because we needed 'cooking sounds')
Photos © Colin Beard

All in the name of a holistic experience!

[current mood] Sparkadia & Proper Salt

ABC Open goes LIVE

Big long sigh...

I finally get to share what I do!
ABC Open has launched the first project and the first set of audio-slideshows from regional Australia.
The project is called 'One on One: Change'. 

Each producer works with enthusiastic locals to enable THEM to make stories.

This piece comes from my region, the Sunshine Coast. It was made with a travelling 'grey nomad', Jenny Richards and it tells the heart-expanding story of Bill, who is travelling with dementia. You can read all about the process on the ABC local Sunshine Coast website. I took the photographs and the rest was a co-production. I'm still moved by the response from Bill and his wife. It seems that the making of stories is not just a gift for others, but a gift to the person whose story it is. Especially if it captures what they want to tell the world.

Do let me know what you think and stay tuned for regular updates as more slideshows come forth from my community!

[current mood] Big Fry Ups with Old Folks & Drumming Circles

Backstage at Splendour In The Grass 2010

I was brought in at the last minute to hang at the Splendour Festival last weekend.
I joined the triple J team to film backstage interviews and take photos of punters!

Here are some of those video pieces.

Washington sitting on the grass

Cloud Control on a buggy

Scissor Sister's wardrobe

And a couple of artist's with a black balloon totem pole 'endurance piece'.

JJJ did craft with bands. This is Miike Snow's pipe cleaner art.

It's always a thrill to stroll around with a backstage pass and get access to the sweet spots at a festival, however I really appreciated that the best fun is to be had in the sea of punters with a friend by your side, interpretative dancing and singing badly. Backstage was a mix of media madness, blonde PR chickies, folks getting tattoos and celebs stroking each others egos. I enjoyed it most when I was in my element taking photographs and operating the camera.

[current mood] Dancing in a Teepee & Roasted Parsnip