… that’s the starter gun … and 2016 is off and running!

So much for a cruisy start to the year with nothing but markets to think about. It’s been frantic. So what’s been going on?

new fabrics

cats, kombis, beetles, fish and partridge pigeons.. I  haven’t been mucking about! I’ve got loads more queuing to get out – ideas I had last year but didn’t have time to execute and new things that keep popping up in my brain.

new studio

Well, not so much new as recycled.

We bought a 1975 demountable – built in South Australia to bring up to Darwin shortly after Cyclone Tracy. It’s old and a bit manky looking but it’s totally solid – and over-engineered in the post-cyclone fashion. It’s even got a metal floor! Here it is, coming in to land…

It’s been mounted on steel bearers. The sparky came and wired it up (in his ute with the number plate SPARKY – good score!). I’ve been gardening and O has been ripping out the walls in the two main rooms and will be gyprocking it all this week before the new air conditioners go in.

As well as being a new studio, it will also be running as a gallery. We’re hoping to have it up and ready to open doors in May.

Watch this space.

new opportunities

Aside from networking galore and getting lots of custom orders and orders for upholstery fabrics, there is talk of an exhibition brewing later in the year, with one or more of my Artist in the Park cronies from 2015. I’ve also been asked to contribute to an exhibition of handmade books at this years SALA in South Australia. Lots of ideas to put into action…

My work has also popped up in Adelaide – in pop up shop ‘All Night Lights’ at 300 Rundle Street. Great timing with the Fringe afoot… I only wish I could be there too! There is also a possibility bippidii boppidii might be showing up in Alice Springs soon too… stay tuned!

new skills

I’ve recently done a workshop in needle felting and have almost finished my first tropical fish.

I’ve also had to give myself a crash-course in repainting doll’s faces for a workshop I’ve been asked to run at the Casuarina library. I’m showing people how to use old fashion dolls to make dolls that look more like little girls. Poster below.

new puppy!

And I have to say, he’s been taking up lots of time too!