Day 5 - Last making day

Today was the last day on the job for the Jam crew. And I am pleased to say..... they nailed it! Our target was 100 and we need 80, I'm not sure of the actual count but we smashed it thats fo' sure. Now we will have the luxury of picking and chosing the best for the mobile, the crem de la creme so to speak.

Look even Maddy is happy about it.

And here is Kristel, eye on the prize.

Remember these tiles we laid out ever so patiently?

Well they kinda turn out like this when they are rolled up.

Then they get spun out into this!

Here is Mads hard at work in the cold shop.

Now the thing about mobiles is you have to have balance right? Each one has to be weighed to fit in with each other.

Now its time to think about colour families. Who hangs out with who.

They get sandblasted on the back for that nice soft look.

Now for the first test run. A careful balancing act to counteract the weight of each piece.

and heres how you transport a precarious piece!

And here she is hanging....

Beautiful no? So I think this was a great project for everyone involved. It was a big learning curve for everyone. The team had a chance to find their feet, we all learnt about colour schemes and what works with murrini, Ruth and I are learning to work together and the piece is coming to life. We had the run of the hot shop at the Jam for a week and we are very grateful for their support. So we are maybe 70% there? Now for a whole new set of challenges...stay tuned for installation, i hear there will be scafolding involved......

Day 4 - the deal breaker

For me, today was a day of dualities. The morning was spent very pleasantly attending a Jumpmentoring information session. Here i met some other lovely artists and had quite an informative day. Got a great list of resources and learnt abit more about what Jump can provide for me. I feel really positive about this and look forward to the out comes. Already I would strongly advise any emerging artist under 30 to think about applying for next year. The Carclew team are super enthusiastic and a wealth of knowledge for folks like me. (They even fed me quiche for lunch! How civilised and delicious!) Tomorrow morning both Ruth and I will attend.

So what about the team you ask? A morning off? Time for a kip? Not bloody likely! Those kids were in there pumping it out as always, no rest for the wicked as they say, and by wicked i mean flipping AWESOME! I don't know the actual temperature today, up in the 30's I think, but man the Jam felt like the sun itself, and those kids were in there working hard, as always. Comrades I salute you. Your hard work is much appreciated and will not go un noticed. Sweat was pouring off them yet still they work with a smile, churning out piece after piece. Bravo my little hot shop demons, bravo.

My afternoon was frantic and stressful unfortunately... a grant dead line rapidly approaches tomorrow and lets just say this one did not run smoothly and not to my own fault i must say. But i won't bore you with the details my lovelies (i don't think i am even ready to revisit that yet!) So consequently I don't have any new pics for you, sorry! But I will tell you the team is rapidly approaching their goal of 100 pieces. Tomorrow is their last day and I am very excited to see the quality of work they are turning out. Huzzahs all round!

So instead I'm going to leave you with a snap of my new production line; "Colour Pots". Thoughts? Comments? Feed back is most welcomed here at Little Bird Big Chip....

Day 3 - Team in full flight!

Day three on the project and the team really found their wings today. Everyone had a job to do and the team hit full flight. We nailed some numbers to pump out the pieces.

Heres all that cane we have been pulling awaiting the chop.

Ruth workin the pastorelli!

A little squeeze, maybe a flip of the plate, ready for Mads to roll up.

B.e.a.u.tiful!

A little pinchy here and there to seal the deal.

I would like to chat a little longer but a lady needs her rest! Was a hot and especially sweaty day for me...time to hit the tub yo.

Day 2 - Viva la cane!

Another day, another cane.

Andi hard at work on the murrini chopper. Cutting the canes into little pieces.

Murini central, the kitchen.

Lookit! Looks like candies, no?

The beginnings of a tile.

Just a little more....

Maybe some of these?

Woah! All these lil' babies ready to rock.

The finished piece, or one of many... will take some action shots so you know how we get to this point. By the end of the day I am hot and forget I have a camera...

The murrini/cane makes all kinds of different and intricate patterns.

Today we just kind of tested the waters but tomorrow I am hoping we will go into full scale production and crank out some numbers. Our goal is 100 by the end of the week. God speed, lil murrini....

Day 1... the beginning...

Day 1 on the team = cane.

Lots of cane.

Big cane, small cane, fat cane, skinny cane, oh my! You name it we pulled it. We actually filled the bottom of the leher, might try and get in early for a pic...it's quite a sight..

Mads hard at work.

The mega check off list of alllllllll the colours of the rainbow and then some.

The powder for makin the colour on the glass.

The pull. Long, straight, lovely.

Anyways, im a little pooped so more pics less words. maybe tomorrow will be the opposite!

Tuxedo Cat meets Ruth Allen

Ah, you have all been so patient my little ones! Now I am happy to announce my big news I promised.....

Ahem,

I have been accepted into this years Jump Mentorship Program! (Cue screaming, general racket and good time cheering noises from crowd) You can check out my spiel here. My mentor is Ruth Allen. She is a Melbourne based glassy who makes large installation type pieces which focus on light and sound. She is an all round good guy at stuff.

We are very excited to be working together and the potentials are endless! To get the ball rolling I will be assisting Ruth in making some large scale work for this years Adelaide Fringe. It's going to be a big ole mobile to hang in at the grand Electra House. Tuxedo Cat are a group of hipsters bringing the good times to Adelaide. They are the King of the pop up venue, last year running a fabulous rooftop bar, and we are very excited to be in cahoots with them. It's going to be a long haul, so settle in why don't you, strap yourself in for the ride and let me elaborate a little...

So, the above pictures are perhaps the find of the century, so to speak. Once Ruth and I got in contact, she mentioned to me that she was looking at making some work for the fringe but was yet to find a suitable venue. Would I mind being the Scout, the girl on the ground? The Adelaide connection! After much sleuthing I remembered Tuxedo Cat from last year and began the conversation to hang some work in their establishment. They had found "Electra" house. A run down, heritage listed building with nothing going on but some punks and a whole lot of pidgeons. Its fantastic. Words cannot describe. Its got that whole grandeour from another era going on. It is truly beautiful in its decrepid state and the beauty of Tuxedo Cat is that they are not trying to change this vibe but to elaborate. None of your shiny, soulless revamps here. They are going for grunge! In all its preloved glory!

To make the work, Ruth is running a special projects with the trainees of JamFactory. Basically we will all work as a team to make the work then Ruth and I will work with another team to install. This is an amazing opportunity for me to weasel in on! So excited!!

So I will do my best to document the ride for you. Strap yourselves in real tight my lovelies, this one, she's gonna be big....