Madeit.com.au otherwise known as my weekend...

Well I was busy last week but the weekend was crazier.  Since I received the guillotine (yes, my beloved guillotine) everything is just going nuts.  I had decided a while ago to set up a store on madeit.com.au so I could give people from far away the opportunity to look at my books if they were interested. 

I had a certain image in mind for the banner but my photography skills weren't up for it.  Enter my gorgeous friend and her brilliant husband, his camera, their kids, my kids and a very busy Saturday morning. The results were just beautiful as this photo shows and this wasn't even the one I used (although this was my favourite but I went with public opinion in the end).  His photography company is called 2RT Photography and if you are keen to check out more of his work please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryohn/. 

Then on Sunday I got on with the business of setting up my page on madeit.com.au.  As I had done this blog very recently I knew that no matter how simple it seemed it would take a lot more time than I thought...and I was right!  Still, my very patient family put up with me and I even managed to get one item listed.  I am off list a few more items but if you want to check it out in the meantime the link is below.

www.madeit.com.au/ThePilbaraPixies

I'm glad it's Friday...

Yesterday was such a busy day that I feel like my feet still haven't touched the ground.  Once I decided to sell my books there was always a plan of attack but there were so many things to organise, rearrange, order, change etc in the actual making of the books that I had put off the selling end...some may even say I was stalling.  But after the guillotine arrived and I got my books made - well, it was time to face the music. 

So yesterday I had a meeting with a friend about my idea of taking my books into schools as she is a woman with a huge amount of schooling background, then I sent off some emails asking about stocking my books in a couple of local spots.  I am still recovering today.  I have always been a person who was incredibly afraid to fail.  I know this isn't that unusual but certainly career wise and most definitely art wise I've never taken a chance and put myself out there until the last six months.  I love what I am doing and that makes all the difference but it is stretching me in ways I didn't think were possible!

So - where were we up to before I started down that path?  Oh yes - media stuff.  Yesterday when I did my market spiel I forgot to mention that at the West End Markets something pretty exciting happened in that ABC North West Radio interviewed me along with some other stall holders on the night.  I giggle a lot when I am nervous so if you can put up with that part I think the rest sounds ok!  Here is the link if you are interested.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2010/10/25/3047420.htm

Hope you have a brilliant weekend!

West End Markets...

Last year FORM started the West End Markets in Glass House Lane, Port Hedland.  It was my first go as a marketeer and trust me when I say I now have a heap more respect for the hardy souls who work these markets.  It was a nervewracking experience and while I didn't sell much I learnt a lot so it was totally worthwhile.  I am looking forward to the first market for this year coming up on Saturday 16 April.  If you want more info on the West End Markets I've popped a link below and below again is an article I wrote leading into the market last year.

http://www.courthousegallery.com.au/west-end/west-end-markets

The Pibara Echo, 9 October 2010

West End Markets

Living in Hedland is great and artistically speaking things just keep getting better.  I am a new artist and I am studying arts through the TAFE.  Every time I turn around there is a workshop, an event, an opening, a course – so much to do and learn which is fabulous and a lot of fun.

Coming up really soon are the West End Markets on Saturday 23 October in the Courthouse Gallery gardens.  These markets are slightly different from your everyday markets in that they are targeting stall holders who make or produce goods. 

For someone like me this is a dream come true.   How does a new artist get an opportunity to exhibit their stuff without actually holding an exhibition?  How do you get independent public feedback that isn’t from family members, friends or co-students who would do anything to avoid hurting your feelings?   And here is the absolute best bit – they let you do it in groups!  So, not only do I get to put my artwork on display and up for sale but I get to do it with a group of other TAFE people – for this sort of thing safety in numbers is perfect.

Oh – I forgot to mention the other big bit too.  The Silver Star will be up and running by then so not only will there be wonderful arts and crafts to peruse but there will be refreshments to be had as well.  So clearly you need to write this date in your diary right now.  Saturday night (did I mention that they are twilight markets – it just gets better and better), 23 October at the Courthouse Gallery gardens.   If you fancy yourself an art critic make a beeline over to our table – just be gentle with us please!  

Getting up to speed...

I have been having an absolute ball over the last 6 months or so.  I have to say it all started when I seriously thought about doing art for real rather than as a hobby.  One of the more exciting things I've done is that I've been writing articles for The Pilbara Echo.  This is a fabulous community paper and the bit I love the best is that they take stories from the community. So myself and my art teacher Naomi from TAFE got together and created ARTicle - a weekly art spot in the paper.  Over the next few days I'll pop up the articles I've written here for everyone to have a look at. 

The Pilbara Echo, 18 September 2010

The Hedland Art Awards opened Friday 10 September with a massive crowd present at the Courthouse Gallery to celebrate.  If you couldn’t make it to the opening don’t panic because the exhibition runs until 9 October.  There is an incredible mix of regional WA art on display and the exhibition and surrounding programs such as the judges walkthrough on 11 Saturday provide a great opportunity for local artist to learn and expand their artistic horizons. 

Ok – so is this the best night of my life or the worst night of my life?  Well, clearly it is the best because, you know, lifelong goal to have an artwork in an art exhibition and here I am on my way to the opening of the Hedland Art Awards which contains a piece of my art.  Or does it?  What if…it doesn’t?  What if they forgot to ring me to say it didn’t get in?  What if they did ring me and the answering machine ate the message?  What if I have told everyone it is going to be there and it just isn’t?  No – it is all fine, of course it fine, it will be there and it will all be good.

Upon arriving I decide I better have a glass of champers to settle the nerves.  A friend races over and says I’ve looked everywhere for your work and it’s not there – your name is not on the list.  My breath hitches and my heart lands at my feet.  My partner, a cool, practical sort says it will be there.  I spring into action, grab the list out of my friend’s hand and madly start scanning the list for my name…and there it is!  The relief, the absolute relief is overwhelming and I feel like I am about to cry with it so instead I have a big swig of champers. 

So then it is time for the next hurdle and I make my way through the masses and into the Courthouse Gallery.  I scan the entrance – not there.  I walk into the main area and there it is.  No-one is anywhere near it which is pretty frightening and there is no way I can bring myself to walk over to it.  I am not sure why because clearly it has my name on it but I keep my distance and just hover around the edges pretending to check out the other artworks. 

Finally I calm down enough to act normal and actually smile at some people I know.  But then it is time for the awards.  The speeches are interminable but I clap politely.  I know that I am a new artist and I am just lucky to get an artwork in but I still wait with trepidation for every winning announcement.  Then it is over – the last winner done and the sense of relief is enormous.  Another friend comes over and I manage to mention that I have an artwork in the awards.  I relax more – I can do this, I can.  Maybe 90% of me feels like I am pretending but the other 10% of me feels exactly how I am meant to – an artist starting on a journey.

It has finally arrived...

I know this is odd - seriously odd.  How can one person be so excited about the delivery of a guillotine?  But I am and it is finally, finally here.  Which means that I can get on with making books and that of course means that a heaps of other things I've put off (like this blog!) are now just going to happen.

You see I am a printmaker and a writer and last year I combined these two loves to make a kid's book.  Something brilliant then happened because people really liked it so I made another and now I am making a third.  I spent some time thinking about my life and what I want to do with it and came up with the fact that I'd rather do what I love than anything else so I quit my job and I am now running my own arts business from home. 

Now I am going to get on with it.  I can't wait and hope that you enjoy my journey too.