End of an era

On Wednesday the  13^th of May, team rock had their last blowing session together for I don’t know how long. Dani, Jaan and me have been blowing glass together for nearly 9 years. I guess I kinda knew we only had Jaan temporarily but I never thought too much about it. He seems like a permenant fixture in both Dani and my lives but now it’s time for him to go home to Canada.  I had to remind myself more than once, there’s no crying in glass blowing…

“Theres no crying in glass blowing”, that’s just one of the gems we have come up with over the years. Another personal favourite is, “Make what look like what to look like what?”, or “back in my day I we blew 16hrs a day 8 days a week” and who can forget the call and response “your’e good”  “and youre pretty”.We have built our own hilarious language together and I am going to miss that idiot so much.

Jaan and Dani started their associateship together and they came in my second year. Over this time we built a solid crew and they were my team everytime.  I remember one of the first times I absolutely busted his balls for rocking up late to a sand casting job, still drunk, with a coffee in his hand and a sheepish grin on his face. I was fucking seething! Furious! I wanted to go to that fucking free cointrau party too, but no, I knew we had work in the morning. So I was the only bozo to man up, call him out and send him home. Oh man did he feel it. After we finished the job I think I came back to my phone with like 5 missed calls and a voicemail appologie. (Little did he know if he had of rocked up with a coffee for me none of this would have happened…) Man, how things have changed.

We worked so hard but we laughed just as hard. In the last year I could rely on Jaan to make my work for me when I couldn’t get to Adelaide.  We formed a tight lil trio and I am sad to think we might not work together again. But you know, nothing lasts forever. We are always in a state of flux, that’s just how it is. It was amazing to be able to rely on him and I’ll miss his headbanging at the gh. This goon is loved by so many, there is going to be a huge Jaan shaped whole in the Adelaide glass community and in me and Dani’s little hearts.

So it turns out there is crying in glass blowing because man did I bawl like a baby when it came to say goodbye. Shit, I ever tear up a little just thinking about it now… At least I was there for the last party and we got to send him off right. We even got our team rock t-shirts that we had been talking about for about 5yrs. Polerock, Rockaby and Dzierock.

I sure do love you Jaan. I love you so much. You know Dani and I are coming to visit in Canada right??

xxxx

Bloomin'

So I had one of my lovely stockist ask me for some vases. Do you make vases? I sure do! I was a bit cheeky and just totally put it out there what I wanted to make, and do you know what? They said yes! (This is the crux of my career and the one rule I live by, you ready, here goes, this may be shocking;

JUST ASK.)

Just ask! It's so simple. It is also what alot of people ask me, how did you get that? How did you get that colab with Gorman? How did you get that solo exhibition? How did you get your works in there?!

I just asked.

It is as simple as that. 

I asked and they said yes!

Not everyone says yes, but how are they going to have an opportunity to say yes if you never ask?

You just gotta put out there what you want and I believe 9 times out of 10 you get it.

So I wanted to make really simple vases in nice bright colours. Turns out the stockist wanted that too!

So before I delivered them I wanted to get a couple of nice shots while I had all the colours and sizes in stock. Maybe others might want them too? It was a little rushed but I think they should turn out nice. Being a florist is hard!

I can't wait to see the 'real' shots. Next time I am going to book my sister who is an actual florist and we are going to be unstoppable. BAM.

Autumn; King of the seasons

Goddamn look at these colours!! Autumn is my favourite time of year. Look at it, it is stunning. I can't believe that these colours are for real, it's ba-nay-nays. (Thats crazy in Adeventure time speak don't cha know?) 

These were taken at Mt. Lofty Botanic Gardens in Adelaide and at The Rhododendron Garden in Olinda. 

Everything about Autumn I love. The colors, the smell, the gorgeous grey days perfect for glass blowing and eating toast with grilled cheese and cups of tea, my kind of paradise. Good for wearing flannel, nice scarves and maybe a sweet jacket? I even like it that you don;t have to drive anywhere to see it, it's on every street. One day I am going to have my own stunning autumn garden. (I've made a start, I gots two maples.)

I also like it how Autumn starts to creep into my work.

Autumn; I love you.

Some stuffs

Just a quick image/brain dump before I dash off to an appointment. I gots 15 minutes, go!

(Me and Angry Cat)

So much has happened since I last wrote (sounds like an old time war letter..), the big news is that I was awarded a scholarship to go to Penland School of Craft in the states to take a class with flame worker Amber Cowan! And I leave at the end of May!! So, so pumped!! I can't believe my good fortune sometimes. It's not all popsicles and rainbows though, as my husband puts it, things seem to come to me when I need them most. It's a lonely thing working for yourself sometimes. I beaver away all by myself in the studio and sometimes I loose focus. I was sad that I didn't get a spot at Pilchuck this year (well I did, but not a scholarship so I couldn't afford it) and sometimes I feel like i just drift around. I think it is because I seem to work in batches. I drive to Adelaide and go balls to the wall for a week then I come home get that work sorted and spend three weeks putting things in play until the next balls to the wall period. Just adjusting thats all.

It does seem to work though. I make my orders, make a little extra stock to cover myself if I get any new requests for work then plan the next big adventure. Which by the way is going to be my very first solo show in nearly six years!! So while I was in Adelaide last I also managed to line up a solo at the Jam in gallery two. Gallery two is where it's at. I have wanted to be in that space ever since I first laid eyes on Tom Moore's show in there when I was an associate. I can remember Tom setting it up and he said I could come take a peek. I walked in to his other world and could not stop grinning like a loon! I think Tom said something like I'm glad you like it Amanda. It is a little self contained space, a 'U' shape that is perfect for an installation. The possibilities are endless. I'm going all out for this one. I've got a whole year to plan, scheme and make. Let's see what we can come up with.