Publisher Textiles Sale - Today & Tomorrow

Nabbedd myself some great cushions and printed fabric meterage at the Publisher Textiles Sale today. If you're in the area and pop by you are in for a treat!

Walter G Pop Up Shop at Barometer Gallery, Paddington

I had an invigorating conversation with Lauren and Genevieve from Walter G today. I scooted past their Pop Up Shop to see their beautiful products in person.

They were so generous in telling their stories of working with artisans in India where they live for 3 months of the year working to produce raw and beautifully patterned fabrics. Not only are they skilled textile and product designers with an amazing sense of aesthetic, but have deep knowledge of traditional block printing and dying and collaborative skills.

They are at Barometer Gallery until 1st July 2012 selling and chatting about their wares.

Barometer: 13 Gurner St Paddington.

Images 1 & 2: Emma Peters
Images 3, 4 & 5: Walter G

Wondering Around Wandering by Mike Perry

Wondering Around Wandering Video Preview from Mike Perry Studio on Vimeo.

Work So far... Monograph featuring a conversation with Ed Fella, and introductions by Jim Datz and James Victory

This book was an automatic boost of goodness. Thanks Mike Perry. What made it even greater was that I could borrow it from the COFA library. I love new books at the library. Hurrah for student life!

Dumbo Feather Kickstarter Project

My Dumbo Feather Collection.

I've subscribed myself and lots of friends over the years to this lovely magazine. It has provided much encouragement and insight into the big choice of following your "heart lines".

I've had a few pauses between subscriptions and I've always found myself missing the Dumbo Feather immersion. This can be identified by copious cups of tea, lounge sitting and a sprinkle of heart-warming Dumbo Feather happiness. I think some of my favourite interviews they have published have been with India Flint, eco-dyer and magic-maker, and Sabrina Ward-Harrison, artist and teacher. Beautiful encounters with creative and inspiring people.

This month Dumbo Feather is on Kickstarter in the hopes that they can start developing an iPad app. I hope they reach their goal as everything they do is full of integrity and beauty.

Frank Chimero: The [Thrilling] Shape of Design

Earlier this month I went along to see Frank Chimero talk at the MCA as part of the Vivid Festival. Much of his thoughts on what makes good design resonated strongly with my own. His ability to package his thoughts into appealing narratives must certainly stem from his years working as a graphic designer and design strategist. 

I was particularly interested in Chimero's thoughts on writing, whether his design practice influenced his process, and how he found the process of writing. I got the chance to grab the microphone during question time to see if he ever found the flow that happens during the design process within the writing process.

It was quite comforting to know that he battled with wrangling the words into a finished book. 

Since the talk I've been flipping through the e-book version of "The Shape of Design" and furiously thinking about his approach.

Design Theory needs to be relevant, exciting, accessible, compelling, stirring, thought-provoking! So much of the musty-dusty journal articles out there are just so... mind-numbing. As a Design Lecturer it's quite difficult to motivate students to understand the mechanisms and methodologies of design without sending them to sleep. I'm going to be passing this book onto them as required reading. Something tells me that it's going to get some fresh young minds excited about their potential careers.

Emerging Work: Collecting, Pods, Growth, Felt, Wind

Pods, Growth, Felt, Wind, a set on Flickr.

A collection of the little pieces that have been sprouting. The felt pieces are my way of thinking through some of the reading and research I have been soaking up for my Masters of Design. Ideas rubbing together.

Paper Flowers...

Just over two years ago I made a YouTube tutorial on how to fold paper flowers. My friend Yumi and I had taught this fun project to a bunch of kids and everyone made such lovely blooms.

I pop over to YouTube after receiving questions and comments and it is so nice to hear how people have been using their new flowers... Weddings, Scout Meetings, Mother's Day Gifts, Festivals... I'd love to see where your flowers end up too! If you have made paper flowers and have some photos I'd love to post them up on the Feeling Fuzzy? Blog!

Oh, and thank you to my Two Million visitors!! Two Million?? Wow!!

Wild & Windy Weekend Picnic at Strickland House, Vaucluse

Nathan and I celebrated our fourth year of being married with a picnic at Strickland House, Vaucluse. The sun managed to sneak out for a little while, but I quite liked the blusteriness of the day. There was very little company and we felt like we had the whole of the foreshore to ourselves.

We had a custom made hamper from The Sydney Picnic Company and it was more than delicious... olives, cheese, lovely salad and brownies ta boot! Lovely touches of craftiness swathed the basket and inside were hidden brown boxes tied with string, polka dote napkins, cutlery tied with flowers... the perfect combination of aesthetic yumminess, which I think reflected quite well our two loves... food and design.

This is my job now. Really.

A day at last to start making again. My fingers have been itching. It has been a few years since I have thought to make pieces of felt... just like riding a bike. Came back to me right away!

(Chocolate & Chai helped the process immensely, as they generally do.)

Gabrielle Mordy: Curious Maiden

"I am a passionate advocate for exploring intuitive paths and discovering what comes." - Gabrielle Mordy

"How did a story that was recorded centuries ago by two German brothers inspire Australian artist Gabrielle Mordy to immerse paper within pots of boiling eucalyptus leaves? The Handless Maiden is a relatively obscure fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm which tells the story of a young girl who, when betrayed and maimed by her family, takes off into the forest to find her own pathway in the world. This traditional German fairy tale has been a central inspiration behind theCurious Maidens exhibition, which features artwork created entirely from plant dyed watercolour paper." Taken from Mordy's Artist Statement.


Exhibition Details:
Barometer Gallery
Opening: Thursday 26th April 2012, 6-8pm 
Friday 27th April - Sunday 29th April 2012 11am - 5pm
13 Gurner Street Paddington, NSW, Australia
9358 4968