Gals of Glazz - episode 1

Hi there and welcome to my latest hair brained scheme! Well, not really hair brained, maybe new 'project' is a better word? It's called "Gals of Glazz". I know so many talented lady glass makers I wanted to do a little promo for them. I always love reading about other artists and seeing what they are up to (nosey I know) so I thought it would be fun to launch my own little project. It's also kinda nice to have a new thing to work on just for the fun of it. Each week I am going to feature a glassy gal on here and my fb page. I'm interested to see how many I can get! The more and more I think about it, I realise how many amazing women I know. I started off at home but turns out I actually know quite a few overseas lady makers too! So stay tuned for locals and a few overseas makers too. (I kinda then hatched the idea that the end goal might be I would like to try and get it published in print form....we will see...)

So here goes, the very first instalment of "Gals of Glazz".

My first lady that I would like to introduce you to is my good friend George Agius. Well know for her almost edible pieces, think doughnuts, plums and pears, fairy sprinkles... Georgie makes incredible art and has also assisted me to make my work. I love her work! I met Georgie how I met many of these talented broads, at the Jam in Adelaide. Like me, George went through as an associate. The kinds of works George makes are bright and beautiful, takes lots of her inspiration from family and food. One of my favourite pieces of hers are her incredible egg glasses! Oh and her pineapple pieces! So here we go have a read, and get to know our first gal of glazz, George Agius.

Gals of Glazz

Tune in for 10

1.             Who are you and what do you do?

My name is George Agius and I am a glass artist originally from New Zealand but now based in Adelaide. I came to Adelaide to partake in the two-year training program at the JamFactory and have made this city my home. In my work memory, heritage and ancestry are explored and I aim to display these narratives in a way that is familiar and yet unsettling to the viewer to evoke the awareness of the absent figure. Through glass objects I aim to conjure contemplative nostalgia in the viewer.

2.             What do you make?

My production work stems from my artistic practice. I make small sculptures like Christmas Puddings, Pears and Plums and Ice Cream cups. In terms of my art works they are increasingly becoming more personal and tend to be related to objects that stimulate memory and result in a whimsical aesthetic (think table settings, family imagery, hot water bottles and food).

3.             Why do you make?

Tough question. I guess I love coming up with a concept and the entire process that comes with creating, drawing, research, experimentation and finally seeing your idea come to fruition. It is very satisfying for the soul.

4.             What’s you colour palette?

Whatever suits the design or concept…I tend to use a lot of opaque colours rather than transparent’s.

5.             What’s your proudest achievement?

Mmmm I guess it was creating my work “Whanau: A Breakfast for Ancestors” and watching my usually quite emotionally controlled Mother become overwhelmed, it was a special moment for me.

6.             Hot or Cold?

The hotter the better.

7.             What’s your dream project?

To create an artwork for a major Australian or international gallery is the dream for me…nothing like dreaming big right?

8.             What’s your influences?

Family and memories are what influence my work; more specifically my Grandmother and Mum, their stories, our cultural heritage and of course their cooking.

9.             What’s coming up for you? Or what are you looking forward to?

I have my first solo show next year which I am super pumped about.

I am also going home to New Zealand for Christmas with the family where I plan on raiding the photo albums and family archives for inspiration for my show…as well as having a good G and T with my Mum on the deck whilst we natter and watch the lambs frolicking in the paddocks below.

10.         If you could only eat 3 foods for the rest of your life what would they be?

Sushi, Mums chocolate chip cookies and pineapples.

Thanks so much Georgie! Can't wait to see what you come up with for your solo! If you wanna check out more of George's work head to her sweet web site which you can click on here .

Grow Domes

I started off today tired, grumpy and indecisive. Generally a little dark cloud just looking for an unwilling victim to unleash my rage on. I end, a pale grey cloud who got a bunch of stuff done and is kind of on top of things.

I made these cute "Grow Domes" that I am going to put into a group show called "The Secret Garden" that opens in Melbs later this month. I think they turned out pretty sweet. And who doesn't love using a hot glue gun? No one, thats who. I think it's going to be a cute show and I'm sad I won't be there because I'll be in Adelaide making a million lights....

I think I am going to make some more of these for my solo next year. I'm so close to being able to make on my torch....so close. A buddy helped me out on the weekend and installed my controller for me so now I can get the kiln to hold temp. (Oh, and here's a big fucking tip I wish I had known, Tim told me he could have just change the original controller for me! Say WHAT?! So I didn't need to spend $400 on a controller, I just could have bought Timmy a beer and he could have messed with it to do what I want. Let that be a lesson to all you glassies out there, get a sparky in to look at your shit before you buy other shit you ultimately don't need. Good to know, now you can buy me a beer to say thanks.)

I also got to teach a dog to catch a frisbee on the weekend. It was the best!

And not to be outdone, Mont then taught Nova to do the cat flop.

Victories all round.

Springin in the step

Hello friends! Spring is here! (Well you might be mistaken for thinking it was still winter in melbs after that fucking torrential downpour last night but what evs)

Spring just made me feel instantly better. I loved seeing our apricot tree puff out into gorgeous marshmallowy puffs then just a week later there was gorgeous plump new leaves! So good. Even my old friend the maple is back (My sister gave him to me for Christmas and shortly after all his leaves shrivelled and he rapidly turned to brittle stick...) The nasturtions are fucking off the hook! Swirling their little tendrils into anything possible.

So good.

It has been a whole bunch of worrying and stressing out for me, oh, i reckon the last month? And just when I thought there was an end in sight...WRONG!! New giant orders to make and freak out about. Anyway, thats for later to worry about. It's past 5pm, I'm off the clock dammnit. (Thats my new thing, no bizz after I get home.) 

Me and Rizz got to install our little exhibition in Fed Square on Monday (At blood 6am I might add) and it looks pretty sweet. Seeing as I panicked when it came time to submit the name and was listening to beastie boys at the time, consequently the tittle of the show is;

"Like a scientist, when I'm applyin this"

(Pretty good right? Thanks Mc A)

Its on in the fracture gallery in fed square for a week as part of the craft cubed festival. Noice.

It's always hard to get decent snaps from installations but I still think it is pretty awesome. So then the next big thing was the transportation of my new equipment....

MAn oh man did I give myself some new grey hairs over this one. I almost gave myself a panic attack at the party just looking at the annealer. It just looked so big, awkward and heavy. My eyes kept sneaking over to it mid conversation with whoever I was talking too. I think I had to leave the room at one point. And then I freaked out that the movers I had booked were bogus. Bogus as in didn't exist and just took my deposit. (seriously, what the fuck is wrong with me?) (In my defence they were two hours late) Anyways, they got the job done and I am only slightly greyer to show for it.

Look at all my stuff! And there is an annealer in the loading bay. All I need is a furnace....and a gas line, and a new studio, and connection,....could be sitting there for awhile, but, hey, it's mine, I paid for it, I'm ready. (Almost) My kiln controller came in the mail today so now I can get it installed and get it to hold temp. I bought this cute lil kiln off ebay and who fucking knew that tetlows just switch off when they get to top temp??! Not me thats for sure. What a grade A doofus. So now I got it and just gotta get it installed, next on my hit list is a bigger oxy tank from supa gas. I got a little guy from bunnings and man did my torch chew through that! Like, maybe two hours total? Another "learning" curve. 

Just look at my cute little set up!!

And heres my pal helping me set up. Watch that beard buddy...

I just want to be on that torch! Life just keeps getting in the way though. I had this amazing feeling of lightness on Monday after we installed the show. I felt like all my months of planning and worrying were finally coming to an end. That I could dedicate time and space to my exhibition, to play on the torch and make some stuff....WRONG!

Hey heres an order for x60 lights. Hey Dinosaur Designs wants to stock your Yumemiru for Christmas. Hey Cummulus wants you to design and make champagne decanters for them. All this is AMAZING. I just wish it could be spaced a little better? Is that even right? I think it's hard because I have to slot into another studio to make the works. Like rather than space it over a couple of sessions a week for a month I have to do it all in one hit. One big, fuck off week. Sometimes I wonder just how I got myself into this? It's ok, I can do it. I just make it happen. Thats what I do. I have almost resigned myself to the fact that I will be blowing my exhibition work in Febuary and March. Not my ideal plan, but a decent back up. If I didn't get these orders I couldn't spend the $$ to make the exhibition pieces. Catch 22 I guess. (What the fuck does that even mean?!)

I am also looking forward to spending the Summer, December and January on the torch. I want a large part of the exhibition to have flameworked components. Better hop to it I guess...

Wish me luck.

Winter time woes

So I just wrote that last post trying to be all puppies and sunshine when the real truth is I'm more surly cats thunder clouds. I want to tell you how meh, I am feeling, but I don't want to be that guy at the party. (You know the guy. The one that is the major downer, probably has greasy hair and sniffs really loudly while telling you how hard his life sucks.) I really don't. But sometimes, thats just how I feel. This blog is like the diary I have been keeping for like 5 years. Thats just awesome. High five for me. And over the years its kind of changed, sometimes I come in and out, sometimes its just photos. I think before I had my website I was always directing people here so then I thought I had to put forward a "professional" like front. You know, keep the swearing to a minimum, talk about all the great stuff I was working on and keep the whining to a dull roar. Weeeeellll, the thing is, that gets boring real fast. It's not me. There are no shades of light and dark. When it just tries to be light it gets boring and the dark is busting at the seams and before you know it its burning down your lap top trying to get out. Which brings us to the present.

So sometimes I like to go back to the very beginning of this blog and read past entries. Kinda makes me feel better and kind of resets me. What just dawned on me was that the whole reason for starting this blog was to wade through and try and figure out my ideas for my first solo show. It was going to be a sounding board to try and find my way. And whaddya know, we are pretty much smack bang in the same place. History repeats itself. 

So I think thats what I am going to do. Go back to basics.

I have a solo show lined up for May 2016 at JamFactory in gallery 2. Thats right, I'm playin with the big boys now! I am so pumped. For the length of my career as a glass blower I have always wanted to exhibit in gallery two. It is my fav space. It is a self contained "u" shaped space that is just perfect for an installation. My initial idea is to create a show that is based on the greenhouse. (I am also aware that my first solo show was garden themed....) My working tittle is;

I DREAM A GREENHOUSE

I feel like this is my chance to show all my works I researched and created from my residency in Northlands, it's my chance to fill this little space up with all my garden-y loves. It is daunting. At the moment I have a heap of scrambly ideas running around my noggin but I feel like I'm starting to take a hold. So thats why I want to reactivate my blog again. This lil guy helped me out last time around and I'm hoping it can pull me through again. 

This is the story so far:

- "The leaf library"

- Green shed type of installation

- "Memory Keepers" - domes in like sargasso, eel green, olive with decals of family

- stag ferns (god help me how am i going to pull that one off?

- a call out for prop hire to incorporate viewers into the exhibition, we create a common shared memory of the garden

So sometimes, like now, when i stay up too late and all the little niggly things start to eat away at me (i have to remake x6 lights that got returned, i have to set my torch up but i don't know how, i lost my studio mate, i feel alone, it is ridiculously hard to be a glass blower in melbs) all that junk, i'm gonna cram it under the rug and focus on all the good junk. The good junk is what makes for a good life. The bad junk is what makes for a wasted life. 

I'm going to pour everything I have into this show for next year

And

it

is

going

to 

be

a

fucking

knockout

.

Adelaide, the land of celery dreams and glass blowin teams

Another day, another trip to Adelaide. I have been to Adelaide so much this year. It is both good and bad. Good that I get to see my family and mates and blow a shit load of glass. Bad in that I have to hit the ground running, generally stress myself out and have to blow a shit load of glass. Same, same but different see?

So deja vu, heres a bunch of lights I made.

Here's the little ray of sunshine that works her ass off for me and keeps me on track.

I did get to go and see a show opening which was super fun. It's at my fav pub, the wheaty and with some of my fave gals, the girls from gate 8.

But this is the most exciting thing.....celery! I finally got to spend some time working on my solo show next year. I' starting to get excited for it and almost ready to throw myself in head first. I've been doing a little dicking around and procrastinating but finally I am (almost) ready to commit! Darryl made me a couple of sweet leaf moulds to use and the celery stalk was one of them. I am so happy with how these stalks turned out. Pretty good for the first try right? Exhibition work is hard going. Especially if you are trying to make new works. It's just so freaking expensive to make glass. So to make something that a. potentially might not work out and b. doesn't turn an initial profit is really tricky. And now that grants are getting harder and harder to come by, it's even trickier. 

I think these guys turned out pretty good. (I love that my sister said to me, "why'd you put that picture of celery on instagram?" "uh, because I made them....out of glass!!" "ohhhh, i thought they were real!" hahahahahaha. Job done.

Now I gotta think about how i am going to display all these lil suckers. That is a show in itself.

Come Bloom with us!

Hey crew! If you are in Melbs on the 9th of August and you like blooms you should come take a class with me and my sister. (My sister is the rad florist, I'm more like her sou chef of floristry and I'll also be there for general chit chats and hilarity) The classes will run as part of the craft hatch festival and they take place at thousand pound bend in the city. All details can be found at craft vic here.

Gonna be a good time. Add some fun and colour to your Wintery Sunday, thats what I will be doing....

(Oh and we will also be at Finders Keepers this weekend!!! If you come up to me and say some sort of code word, lets say, 'phenomenal llama', I'll even cut you a deal on the class and give you a $30 discount. $30?! Thats like a a carton of beer off!! Well, almost....)

Stressed Eric

Here's the thing, I like to stress myself out and put immense amounts of pressure on myself. Sometimes it feels so intense that I feel like I might implode. What the fuck is wrong with me? Plenty, it would seem. At no point is there an easy ride in my job. I seem to freak out at every point. Get the order, freak out. Try to book the sessions, freak out. Attempt to make the work, freak out. Cold work it, freak out. Pack it up, freak out. Go to hand it over, total freak out. Is it good enough? Will they like it if it is a bit different? Is that minute bubble ok? Fucking hell, see what I mean? Yesterday I worked myself into a right state. So much so that I began to question is it all worth it? MAybe I should just go back to schlepping tea for the man? Learn to zone out with morons customers and just do the 9-5 like everyone else? Just live for the weekends?

MAybe I just have to be a little kinder to myself? I just got back from a super intensive working stint in Adelaide, 5 days team blowing back to back and I didn't even stop when I got home, just hit the ground running. I love being busy but I don't love being stressed. I think after this weeks over, I'm taking myself to the movies. Maybe a swim in the morning then a choc top in the afternoon watching mad max? I fucking love the movies because it is the only place I can totally zone out and forget everything else. No emails, no phone, no worries.

That seems like a solid plan kid. I'm glad we had this talk.