Spinning my wheels....
thats what I feel like I am doing. waiting, waiting for the studio to reopen, waiting for invoices to be paid, waiting for jobs to come in. it sure is tough to keep the momentum going. the fear of not having work is what eats me alive and keeps me up at night. it's like this every bloody start of the year for me, i go from ballz to the wall, mad rush to xmas, into tumbleweeds and baked beans on toast. it's taxing on ones self worth but i think that is because so much of who i am is tied up in blowing glass. what would happen if i stopped? who do i become? (lady's got to get herself some more hobbies (that don't include wine) thats what that sounds like.)
so i feel intense guilt at not actually working. why can't i just be happy, maybe go to the pool, go see a movie, just like regular people? the short answer to that is I don't know. i go to my studio just about every day, do little bits and pieces but really doesn't feel like alot. maybe it doesn't feel like much because i'm used to 7 deadlines at once and stressed up to the eyeballs. the balance. thats what i've got to find or i'll send myself into an early grave. the kicker here is, that if i do just go into my studio everyday and stare at the wall this is good for no one. i need to see new things, smell new smells, inspiration comes from everywhere and can strike at the weirdest moment. but to let these little moments of magic happen you gots to get yourself out there. live life.
so there you go, iv'e kind of talked myself round.
fuck it
i'm going to the movies
and to eat a choc top.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Gals of Glazz - MAdeline Prowd
So I reckon today will be the last Gals of Glazz for the year (but I may change my mind who knows...). I figure I'm taking a couple of weeks holiday so why not? Not that I view this as work, this is my favourite thing at the moment! So let's go out with a bang! Today I want to introduce you to Madeline Prowd.
Maddy is an absolute killer artist. I have been lucky enough for her to even work for me on occasion! What a piece of luck! MAddy is kind of the gun for hire at the jam so to speak. She assists some big names like Nick Mount, Clare Belfrage and now adds international superstars to her resume like Nancy Callan, woah! (You can see how I can't believe how she still works for me) Alongside her impressive assisting career, Maddy also techs at the JAm AND still manages to make her own work. Her work is gorgeous. She uses beautiful, subdued tones to create well considered forms.
Maddy is an absolute killer artist. I have been lucky enough for her to even work for me on occasion! What a piece of luck! MAddy is kind of the gun for hire at the jam so to speak. She assists some big names like Nick Mount, Clare Belfrage and now adds international superstars to her resume like Nancy Callan, woah! (You can see how I can't believe how she still works for me) Alongside her impressive assisting career, Maddy also techs at the JAm AND still manages to make her own work. Her work is gorgeous. She uses beautiful, subdued tones to create well considered forms.
Gals of Glazz
Tune in for 10
1.
Who are you and
what do you do?
I’m Madeline Prowd, glass artist and designer working
out of JamFactory in Adelaide. I’m lucky to be in the hot shop most days of the
week assisting many of the amazing artists who use the studio and make our
community so sweet. I am also the assistant tech in our studio, so I get to
build equipment and keep the place running smoothly, which is both super
challenging and totally rewarding.
2.
What do you make?
I mostly make functional production work, utilising
different patterning techniques and colour applications to pay homage to the origins of the material while bringing a modern
aesthetic.
3.
Why do you make?
Because I enjoy it! I’m in a
position where I get to go to work everyday and whether it’s making for myself
or assisting others, I get to create things with a pretty crazy medium,
surrounded by a community of amazing people. It’s hot, sweaty and dirty, but we
create beautiful things that (hopefully) serve a purpose.
4.
What’s you colour
palette?
White, grey and blue…and
occasionally I branch out with something crazy like gold. I’m trying hard to
use more colour, but I really am a fan of muted tones and those dirty, off
blues and greens.
5.
What’s your
proudest achievement?
That’s a tough one…
I think I’m pretty proud of
where glass has taken me – I’ve had the opportunity to go to the States a bunch
of times and TA for amazing artists that I have looked up to since I started at
uni. Last year I got to go to Berlin for two months and do a residency, and
then headed up to Ebeltoft where I met and worked for Tobias Mohl for few days,
which led to TA’ing for him when he came to Adelaide this year for the Ausglass
conference. Definitely didn’t expect to be travelling the world and blowing
glass in my 20’s, it’s pretty sweet.
6.
Hot or Cold?
Hot for sure!
7.
What’s your dream
project?
To keep making for myself and
for others, and to continue to be able to support myself from making glass.
I’d like to teach as well - I
wouldn’t be where I am without the generosity of others, I really believe in
the value of shared knowledge, so getting to a point where I can pass on what I
have learned would be awesome.
8.
What’s your
influences?
The people and places around me. The material
itself drives a lot of the work I create – focusing on a specific technique,
colour application or the objects proposed function.
9.
What’s coming up
for you? Or what are you looking forward to?
No big trips planned for
2016…had a few good ones the past few years. So I’ll be in Adelaide, knuckling
down and getting shit done. At the moment though, I’m looking forward to a
little break over xmas/new years before rebuilding one of our furnaces in Jan.
10.
If you could only
eat 3 foods for the rest of your life what would they be?
Sushi
Bread
Lamb
You can also check out more of Maddy here
Thank you MAddy! And thank you for reading. Gals of Glazz will be back next year with a fresh crop of talented ladies for you to meet. You may be thinking, really? there's more? Of course theres fucking more! We glass ladies, we everywhere!
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Gals of Glazz - Bethany Wheeler
Halo! This weeks gal of glazz is the lovely Bethany Wheeler who runs 1000 degrees glass studio. Beth worked at Monash when I was there and now runs her own studio. I am in awe of the studio she has built. It is so fantastic, well considered and a lovely, light working space. (She has also saved my bacon, letting me come down and use her drill press to drill holes for my lights, thanks beth!) Her cold working space is the bizz! (i hate cold working and even I want to be in there).
I really admire Beth and what she has done. She built up that little studio from scratch. She is my inspiration for my future studio, everything is just so nice in there (not like my leaky, dusty little shed...). So here you go, meet Beth;
I really admire Beth and what she has done. She built up that little studio from scratch. She is my inspiration for my future studio, everything is just so nice in there (not like my leaky, dusty little shed...). So here you go, meet Beth;
Gals of Glazz
Tune in for 10
1.
Who are you and
what do you do?
I’m Bethany Wheeler an artist based in Melbourne, I predominantly work
in kiln formed glass whilst dabbling in paper, porcelain, found object
assemblage and installation.
2.
What do you make?
I usually have few different bodies of work on the go at any one time. At the moment I’m working of a new series of fused
wall panels based on abstract aerial landscapes.
I always have a wax on the go, to be cast and combined with other
elements and found objects for a body of ongoing works based on memory and
recording the actions makers and their tools.
I’m also
constantly adding to a body of work based on the historical practice of making friggers
- ‘glass with no utilitarian purpose,
executed to satisfy
the whim of
the glassmaker.’ They
were most often made in glass factories at the end of the working day on a whim
– it’s where the term ‘friggin around’ comes from. They document a calendar of making; I usually
make 3 or 4 each month.
Plus a bit of production and corporate awards etc.
3.
Why do you make?
Making
is inherent to who I am and I love challenge and beauty of working with a
material that teaches you something new every time it comes out of the kiln. I’m drawn to the fascinating material paradoxes of glass; fragility -
solidity, liquid - solid, transparent - translucent - opaque – it is a hybrid
that illustrates notions of the human condition and ways of seeing.
4.
What’s you colour
palette?
Clear or black teamed with anything bright - transparent or opaque.
5.
What’s your
proudest achievement?
Setting up my workshop 1000 Degrees Glass Studios two and a half years
ago was a big achievement for me. Starting with a 230sqm empty shell, I built five
artist’s spaces, a kiln forming area, a project/gallery space and later a
purpose built cold working and wax/mould making workshop was added. There are up to five resident artists based
at 1000 Degrees at any one time creating a
vibrant and supportive creative collective.
6.
Hot or Cold?
Hot, warm and cold its all integral to the process.
7.
What’s your dream
project?
I’d love to play around with some large-scale furnace casting.
8.
What’s your
influences?
The natural world.
The history of glass making and the communities and cultures that form
around the medium.
Plus………Livio Seguso, Clarice Beckett, Silvia Levenson, Antoine Pevsner,
Issey Miyake, Clare Morgan, Tapio Wirkkala, Rosslynd Piggott, Donald Judd, Peter
Cooley, Walead Beshty, Janet Lawrence, Michael Rogers and the list goes on and
on.
9.
What’s coming up
for you? Or what are you looking forward to?
My last exhibition for the year is a group show at Kirra Galleries
called Virtuoso, its opens on the 3rd
of December. After that I’m really
looking forward to working towards a group show called Aesthetics In a Time of Emergency at Craft ACT next year with a
group of friends.
10.
If you could only
eat 3 foods for the rest of your life what would they be?
Avocado, hummus & raspberries.
Check out Beths studio here
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Ballz
Bloody hell. Fucking ballz. Turns out your body will tell you when you've had enough. Being sick is NOT how I wanted to end my last week of blowing production. This week I had two sessions booked and at the end of those sessions I would be sitting pretty. Would have given me x2 completed homewares orders and a refill of stock. Now I am lucky if I can scrape through with one order. Fuck.
I just can't get over how different this time of year is for me as opposed to this time last year. Last year I was sitting pretty, no blowing in December, had all my summer ducks in a row and got to totally get into the christmas spirit (i baked and made candies for fucks sake). This year? This year is a mad frantic scramble to the end. And over worked, stressed out, burnt out muffin, who now it turns out can add a sinus infection sore throat to the mix. There is no lolling around, baking or wrapping elaborate presents for me this year. This year I am scrambling to make it and bowing glass till the 23rd of December, till the bitter end! HA! What a difference a year makes.
Don't get me wrong, sans sinus infection, it's an excellent position to be in. I am grateful to be a full time glass blower. I just need a little break that all. I have all this on top of the mounting ticking time bomb of stress that is my solo exhibition, and let me tell you, the well is dry. There's no ideas kicking around, there's no glimmer of excitement at the thought of new works, theres only pure terror at the thought of exhibiting. I go into my heaving studio, boxes and packing material strewn everywhere mingled in with large pieces of equipment and glass getting a nice coat of dust on the shelves. I sit at my desk littered with empty cups of tea (some mouldy some not), half finished (glass) pretzels, a sea of scribbled dates and times highlighted on my calendar, and I just stare blankly. Behind that blank stare is the pure terror, the terror of questioning everything I am doing. I got nothing. I feel like a fraud. It's time to fess up.
I. Am. Burnt. Out.
There I said it. It must be true. I feel like now my body is catching up with my mind frame and has decided to pack it in too. Good one. The thing I learnt this year was it is actually quite difficult when your pay the rent job is your creative job. There is no time to switch off and reload. No real down time. On top of the creative side, glass blowing is also a physical strain. ("The heat Jerry!, By god the heat!") Tuesday was the first time in I don't know how many years, I had to pull the pin early. It was so fucking hot, I couldn't cope. I was starting to see spots in my vision and I was totally fucking up the most simplest of forms that are usually a joy to make. Oh man, woe is me, we're deep in the pity party now aren't we? Maybe today is a good time to do the recap of the year? Grab that shovel, I'm diggin us out of this hole, hold tight here we go....
JANUARY
We started our year off with a wedding in Thailand! Even though I was the only person that managed to get food poisoning, it was still a ranch relaxo holiday.
(I also got to pat this elephant. BIG tick off my list.)
FEBRUARY
Was super stoked that my buddy Jeff came all the way from the states to demo with Berlin glass at the Aus Glass conference in Adelaide. Somehow I even got to help out with the demo! I had THE best day. Blew glass with my buddy, got free tix to a fringe show, drank espresso martinis with my friend. Tick.
I just can't get over how different this time of year is for me as opposed to this time last year. Last year I was sitting pretty, no blowing in December, had all my summer ducks in a row and got to totally get into the christmas spirit (i baked and made candies for fucks sake). This year? This year is a mad frantic scramble to the end. And over worked, stressed out, burnt out muffin, who now it turns out can add a sinus infection sore throat to the mix. There is no lolling around, baking or wrapping elaborate presents for me this year. This year I am scrambling to make it and bowing glass till the 23rd of December, till the bitter end! HA! What a difference a year makes.
Don't get me wrong, sans sinus infection, it's an excellent position to be in. I am grateful to be a full time glass blower. I just need a little break that all. I have all this on top of the mounting ticking time bomb of stress that is my solo exhibition, and let me tell you, the well is dry. There's no ideas kicking around, there's no glimmer of excitement at the thought of new works, theres only pure terror at the thought of exhibiting. I go into my heaving studio, boxes and packing material strewn everywhere mingled in with large pieces of equipment and glass getting a nice coat of dust on the shelves. I sit at my desk littered with empty cups of tea (some mouldy some not), half finished (glass) pretzels, a sea of scribbled dates and times highlighted on my calendar, and I just stare blankly. Behind that blank stare is the pure terror, the terror of questioning everything I am doing. I got nothing. I feel like a fraud. It's time to fess up.
I. Am. Burnt. Out.
There I said it. It must be true. I feel like now my body is catching up with my mind frame and has decided to pack it in too. Good one. The thing I learnt this year was it is actually quite difficult when your pay the rent job is your creative job. There is no time to switch off and reload. No real down time. On top of the creative side, glass blowing is also a physical strain. ("The heat Jerry!, By god the heat!") Tuesday was the first time in I don't know how many years, I had to pull the pin early. It was so fucking hot, I couldn't cope. I was starting to see spots in my vision and I was totally fucking up the most simplest of forms that are usually a joy to make. Oh man, woe is me, we're deep in the pity party now aren't we? Maybe today is a good time to do the recap of the year? Grab that shovel, I'm diggin us out of this hole, hold tight here we go....
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
Was super stoked that my buddy Jeff came all the way from the states to demo with Berlin glass at the Aus Glass conference in Adelaide. Somehow I even got to help out with the demo! I had THE best day. Blew glass with my buddy, got free tix to a fringe show, drank espresso martinis with my friend. Tick.
MARCH
Made a shit load of product.
APRIL
We painted our house.
Made more product.
MAY
Had to say goodbye to one of my best buds, Jaansie. Team rock had its last session on the glass, and turns out there are tears in glass blowing.
JUNE
Had a birthday weekend away with these goons.
Made more product..
JULY
Got awarded a full scholarship to go all the way to North Carolina and take a flameworking class with Amber Cowan at Penland.
AUGUST
Made more product...
Did the Finders Keepers market with my sister.
SEPTEMBER
Made a few break throughs with work for my show.
OCTOBER
Bought a shit load of equipment.....
(some how this sign seemed fitting...)
Exhibited an installation as a part of craft cubed with The HAndsome Bloom
Finally set my torch up...
Was apart of a cute little group show...
Made more product...
NOVEMBER
Made about a billion lights...
MAde a bunch more stock...
Had a weekend away with this puff...
Which brings us to December.
Ran around like a headless chicken trying to finish everything, got sick, fought social media battles, raced towards the end.
When I look back at all that stuff I really notice just how much work I produced. It is a little slice of madness if you think too long about it. But it also reminds me that I worked real hard and I managed to support myself as a full time glass blower for the whole year. PHENOMENAL.
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