Was this Henson's inspiration?

I'm currently working on a sculpture that will incorporate a wooden chess set. I painted all of the white pieces red. In the process of doing this the bishops reminded me of a muppet from one of my favourite, classic Muppet Show skits (muppet wiki entry here).

It occurred to me that as an artist inspiration can come from all sorts of places and when you're least expecting it. You can see the man in the moon, creatures in floral textile patterns and wonderful landscapes in a polished stone. You delight in the little details not everyone sees.

Perhaps Jim Henson (R.I.P.) got his inspiration one day, playing chess? Or maybe he just drew and it arrived. I shall have to dig out my Jim Hensons' Muppet Doodlings book and see if there are any sketches for the muppet concerned.

In the meantime have a chuckle, courtesy of my elite photo editing skills ;)

Obey the Yellow...

Obey the Yellow
This post might not mean much to anyone outside of Melbourne, or perhaps it will be funnier because of it.

Background info
We have trams running on our roads and yellow lines and bumps to indicate where/when cars are allowed to drive on the tram track area. It’s all very sensible, and exists to minimise delays to trams which have right of way. Obey the Yellow is a current Vic Roads campaign to raise awareness about these road rules unique to Victoria, and most vitally inner Melbourne.

Anyhooo back to this being amusing…
…I find the figure/mascot used in this campaign somewhat weird. While his build is definitely male he has a Ken doll, store mannequin genital bump. His bitumen black body has a bright yellow racing stripe from the top of his head, through his groin and along his inner legs to his feet.


Image from brochure distributed on trams.

In a picture I saw this morning near Melbourne Central he was lying on his side, almost come hither style!
In the TV ads and on the website he morphs out of his CGI road like the T-1000 in Terminator 2, batting his non-existant eyelashes, smiling benevolently, as he swishes a little car about in his hand.
It’s all just a bit odd.

February 2008, top exhibition picks for this fortnight

Melbourne CBD

I recommend this fine exhibition of sculpture by Bertram Mackennal, " NGV, Fed. Square. It's free, and on until Feb 24th.
He was known for his beautiful female nudes. I grew up familiar with Circe (generally pronounced sur-see in English, but maybe be called sur-kee, or KEER-kee if you want to be more Greek). My dad used to be a security guard at the old gallery before its refurbishment and most Sunday afternoons we would visit and have afternoon tea with him. I used to be both daunted and fascinated by this particular statue. She's still quite imposing up on her pedestal, but more so when you're a child :). I used to stand in front of her as if she were casting a spell over me. She's still got that magic... There also a lovely marble of Diana, Goddess of War.

This afternoon I checked out a few other shows.

The Melbourne Museum has an $8.50 entrance fee. There were some interesting things but I don't feel that it was worth that when there's so much free stuff at NGV that is of wider importance culturally. Half of that price would have been more reasonable.

Craft Victoria has a poetic show of glassworks by Brenda Page, Once Upon... on until March 1. She takes childhood toys and gives them a bigger sense of meaning through the fragile medium of glass, and with little black graphics of bunnies, insects, people, animals, words and guns. My favourite was the sling shots. Nicely installed and an interesting use of colour and medium.

The jewellery show by Caz Guiney, Precious Nothing, also at Craft Victoria. was beautifully presented, perhaps more so than some of the actual pieces merited. I liked the idea of this. However there were a few castings of objects that don't have interesting forms including what appears to be an obsession with pigeon poo! I did like the jewellery taken from architectual features and disposable drinking cup lids. Worth seeing, if only to turn the idea of what is precious on its head.

Manatees

I love this little passage by Barbara Behrendt describing manatees and their behavior at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA.

'Sometimes likened to huge potatoes with flippers, the homely grayish brown herbivores will playfully push their stiff whiskers into swimmers' face masks or barrel-roll for belly scratches.'

From November 2007, Smithsonian magazine, page 28.

I always thought moray eels were creepy...

...Now I know they are even creepier.

Fact for the day
I read yesterday in the November, 2007 Smithsonian magazine about it being recently discovered that they have a second set of jaws reminiscent of Giger's Alien (eep! the horror...). Other fish use the suction created when they open their mouth to suck in prey. Moray eels can't do this since they live in confined spaces which won't allow them to open their mouths so wide. When they bite onto prey the second set comes up from the throat into the mouth. It grabs onto the prey helping to guide it down the esophagus. Other species of fish also have a second set of jaws known as pharyngeal jaws, but none have this remarkable, startling degree of mobility and deftness.

Read more about it here at National Geographic, and see pictures!

Shy shark chooses flatulence

Listening to: Goodbye by Sneaky Sound System

Fact* for the day

The sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus,** is unique as a shark when it comes to regulating buoyancy. Instead of just having the high density lipid squalene***, this shark farts. It gulps then swallows air from the surface of the water. As necessary it then farts to control its position at a depth.

*Fact paraphrased from 'Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze' published by New Scientist, 2006, p53, Alexandra Osman, London UK
A fascinating book derived from the 'Last Word' page of New Scientist. It won me before I started reading it when I discovered it has a cute flick/flip book animation of a penguin down the right hand margin. I had to laugh with delight! If you enjoy this part of New Scientist - especially if you do what I sometimes do and read it before I get to the end - if you have an enquiring mind and appreciate a scientific and sometimes humourous explanation for why things are, then you will enjoy this.

**Species corrected via cross referencing Shark Info / Dr. Erich K. Ritter.

***Edited 04/02/08 Also known as shark liver oil since that is what it is. I recently read that it has been used extensively in cosmetics including lipstick (eww!). Fortunately most cosmetic manuafacturers won't be doing this anymore.

Animals in captivity

I've always been a keen visitor of zoos ever since I was little when my parents would take me once a year. We would go to the Melbourne Zoo and my favourite animals then are actually two of my favourites now: the otters and hippopotamus. I'm not sure why the hippo. They look so round and content I guess. The otters, like the meerkats are enchanting to watch when they are active.

The recent new stories regarding animal mistreatment at Melbourne Zoo sadden me. I won't go into it here. Google it and see what I'm on about.

Despite my appreciation for the lovely new Asian elephant enclosure I was not happy that they chose to import more elephants. It does nothing for the species and I doubt it improved the welfare of the existing occupants despite the social/breeding arguements put forth by the zoo.

A few year agos on the ABC TV series 'Zoos Company' a chap from the zoo, possibly the director, said if he had his way he wouldn't have any megafauna (big animals like lions, elephants, giraffe etc) but lots of little creatures better suited to captivity like meerkats, otters, frogs, lizards, fish, insects, birds etc. He pointed out that the public wouldn't be content with this, complaining about all the little 'rats' (his word) on display and wonder where the megafauna are. In a nutshell; we get the zoo we want. Maybe this isn't what you personally want but it is what the masses want. I would love a zoo full of little critters!

Melbourne Zoo has built some fine, habitat mimicking enclosures in the last 10 years, allowing the animals to do what comes naturally and for us to see them doing that. It cost a lot of money some of which was raised by the public. Unfortunately the government has cut back on funding from last year. There are still quite a few animals living in unstimulating environments. I hope they realise that adding more megafauna to a suburban zoo is not the way to go. The space is too small and they are more expensive to keep. Far better to have it at Werribee Open Range zoo instead.

In the meantime I am postponing my day-long life sketching trip to Melbourne Zoo indefinitely.

* * *

I've only been to one zoo where there were peanuts. I was in Rome back in 1997 and went against my guidebook's recommendations (said it was depressing) and visited the zoo there. Don't visit it unless you want to be depressed, it IS the saddest zoo I've ever visited (maybe I'm sheltered...). People were throwing peanuts at a bear in a cage not much bigger than my bedroom. Most of the enclosures were bare earth or concrete with perhaps some straw.

I met the gaze of a lonely, caged gorilla and saw a sadness in its eyes I will never forget.

2008 Labyrinth Masquerade Ball, Melbourne

Listening to Straight Lines by Silverchair

Information regarding this year's Labyrinth Masquerade Ball from the organiser:

'The date: will be Saturday the 12th of July.
The venue: The Regal Ballroom, 216 High st Northcote

Yes after a bit of a hunt for a different venues the organisers stumbled across this lovely place.

Some more things to add to the list;

Live entertainment.
Finger food
Fashion parade
Fantasy art exhibition
Decent bar prices
Similar games and competitions as last year

...and more

Tickets to this year event are still being discussed but at this stage its looking to be around $30 (rough estimate so far).'

I will update/edit this post as further details become available. See here for a couple of pics from last year. Going by the gorgeous venue alone and the effort previously made it promises to be even better!
[edit 15/05/08]
Guild of the Golden Owl, the official Melbourne, Labyrinth Masquerade Ball website

Peak hour musings

Ladies, if you must totter about in high heels do not do it going down the stairs to a train platform during peak hour. Do not stop a few tantalising steps from the bottom of the stairs for no apparent reason while there is a train waiting. Take the escalator down, or be sure to keep to the extreme left. A few of us almost missed our train tonight because of such a woman who, when I turned back to give her a dirty look, was blissfully unaware of our frustration.

Have some consideration for your fellow passengers' olfactory sensorial systems.
Wear deodorant, especially in Summer!

Don't lean your body against the poles in the train carriage/tram/bus. It is not a strip club. You are not pole dancing. You do not have an exclusive one on one relationship with the pole. Only your hand should be in contact with it. Other people need to hold onto the pole and they want as little of you as possible, in their personal space when they do so.

Coypu in Florence, Italy

Listening to Super Massive Black Hole by Muse

Last year in Florence in the river near our hotel we saw what at first we thought were otters, water rats, and from initial research muskrats.

After hopping on the internet again (edited 18/01/08) I discovered they are most likely to be coypu*. The muskrat** is a very similar species. The coypu is a bigger animal with a pendulous, heavy body and a head shape more reminiscent of a capybara*** in its bluntness. It has a sleeker coat that is more reddish brown than grey. Having looked at lots of pictures of both I've decided we must have seen coypu. Both species were introduced for the fur trade.

Apparently they are also good eatin' going by some of the sites I've looked at.

Anyhooo, I found them interesting to watch as I tend to do with anything small and furry - or just new, special to me (last night I watched an orb weaving spider building its nightly web off our back verandah). Here are some sketches I did at the time (done from memory, they look more like muskrats, meh).





Coypu, Florence (drawings enlarged)
March 2007
pencil

Did you know...
...that the crested porcupine was introduced to Italy? Neither did I. Source: Wikipedia.


* Native to South America and called a nutria in America.
** Native to North America.
*** World's largest rodent, semi aquatic and also from South America.

Making greener packaging choices

Listening to History Never Repeats by Split Enz

I have been getting back into reading New Scientist. I don’t have much time for leisure beyond getting home, eating and getting onto the internet except on my days off, so it’s nice to catch up on that. It’s always been such an interesting read, full of nifty conversation starters and the occasional inspiration for an artwork. Some of the information presented is particularly pertinent to everyday life and our environnment’s well being.

There was an article about packaging (7 April, 2007) and how to be environmentally aware in the choices you make when shopping. Going by this and other things I've read, I would say the bigger issue these days isn't landfill but energy consumption.

Traditionally plastic has been seen as bad and paper things as good, the most obvious example being bags. However there has always been the little known fact that it takes a lot more energy to produce a paper bag than a plastic one. It's something I have mentioned to customers who argue that we should have paper bags. Did you know that the old fashioned, non-biodegradable McDonald's containers were actually much greener in terms of the energy consumed to produce them? When you think about how many of those are being made every year... I think the main issue with both of these examples is that the end users aren't disposing of their rubbish thoughtfully.

Anyhooo back to what I gleaned from the article and some facts to help you make choices next time you go shopping.

> The following is the simplest, healthiest and cheapest shopping choice you can make. If you find the rest of what I have to share from the article too confusing or too much effort then just try this one.

Reduce the amount of packaging you consume by buying more fresh produce.
Preferably shop at a green grocer, butcher, bakery, deli etc where you are given minimal, to no packaging if you bring your own reusable bags etc. Even at the supermarket choosing a fresh head of lettuce instead of packaged, chopped bag of it, is still greener and cheaper. Some produce will be in better condition when you buy it loose rather than in a bag, apples being a good example. Yes it will take you a little longer to prepare, and yes you may have more kitchen waste. That's why you need a compost bin or a worm farm :)

> Choose refillable packaging and refill it. Apart from dedicated refill packs - quite common with cleaning and laundry products - one way you might refill a pack is to...

> ...Buy in bulk. All of those little snack size convenience packs you see advertised on TV are a big NO! Buy a big quantity/container of the same stuff and serve it out in a bowl, or put it in little, reusable, plastic lunch boxes for portability.

> Plastics are now seen by sustainability experts as a less environmentally damaging choice, in particular recyclable plastics. Glass, paper, and metal are particularly demanding in terms of energy consumption. In the Netherlands soft drinks are no longer sold in cans for this reason. Recycled aluminium is actually okay energywise so if you do use it be sure to recycle it. Steel uses less energy than aluminium in manufacture but because it weighs a bit more it costs more to transport. Glass while easy to recycle or refill is heavy and uses a lot of energy in manufacture recycled or not. Avoid glass, aluminium and steel cans where practical, unless you can reuse or refill them.

EDITED: It's Plastic Free July 2015 and while most of what was said still applies, plastic is here forever. Avoid processed foods. Buy in bulk and bring your own reusable containers and bags. 

The best policy is to avoid single use packaging and single use plastic products.

Mitaka Canal, Local Wildlife

Walking back to the station after seeing the Studio Ghibli Museum*, we went along the canal where there was a bit of local wildlife including, one golden koi swimming among dark koi and a tortoise sunning itself.


The Golden Koi, Mitaka Canal, drawing enlarged
March 2007
pencil and ink


Sunning Tortoise, Mitaka Canal, drawing elnlarged
March 2007
pencil



*A must see for anyone who is a fan of their movies - fantastic! You do need to buy your ticket months before you go there. Selected travel agents outside of Japan sell them. While the shuttle bus from the station isn't a cat bus it was very cute and the bus stop itself was kinda funky as well :)

Venice Warming

Here's the scene:
In a busy Venetian restaurant 3 couples share a table for dinner. On one end is an English couple, in the middle is an American couple in which the woman is pregnant, on the end is an Australian couple (M and I). The English and American couple ignored us in terms of inclusion in the conversation. Frankly I don't think we had much to talk about with them anyway. The cartoon below gives you an idea why.


Venice Warming
pencil, ink
March 2007

I found it incredibly ironic that this conversation occurred in Venice of all places.

When it comes to accelerated global warming caused by human activity, I am a believer. If you're not, then consider this.
What's the worst that could happen if the growing number of scientists, general public and myself are wrong?
We get a stuffed up global economy, but global life as we know it is saved for the most part.
What's the worst that could happen if you're wrong?
Increased worldwide 'natural' disasters, floods, droughts, rising sea levels, famine, disease, cyclones/hurricanes, species extinctions, habitats destroyed, biodiversity reduced and the list goes on.

I don't write all of this because I want a heated discussion with my readers. If I can convince any one of you to make a green decision rather than a hip pocket one, to read up on the topic and make yourself extra informed, then my blog has made the world a little bit better.

How to make a fascinator

Making my own fascinator is something I have wanted to do since they became fashionable attire during the Spring Racing Carnival. I've never actually attended the races, but I enjoy the millinery. Before that I always thought that dainty little black veils and dark lipstick looked especially glamorous.

So last month I combined the two and made my own fascinator.




I was well chuffed with the final result and received many compliments - especially when I mentioned that I'd made it myself. The veil is delicate enough not to hamper vision though if driving I would fold it up just in case.


Materials and how to choose them
Making a stunning fascinator is very much about strong composition. For some of us this comes naturally, others may find it hard to make it come together. Even if you have an artistic eye, for your first attempt I highly recommend doing a bit of research first. Some of the materials are fragile and don't take to reworking kindly.

I bought most of mine from Lincraft in October when they became seasonally available. When I decided to buy my materials, the cheaper round base with sewn on slide comb was not available. I had to opt for the more expensive base and separate slide comb, which I sewed on. I already had some sheer ribbon saved from a gift wrapping (see - hoarding stuff for years pays off!), and a small pick of plain black, trimmed feathers.

iris fascinator, $10.99
slide comb, 79c
hat veiling, 35cm at $5.99 a metre, $2.10
flower, $5.99
iridescent black, trimmed feather pick $4.99
total $24.86

While this may seem quite an outlay for raw materials, you will find this is only the starting price for a basic ready made one that isn't likely to be as well crafted or fancy as one you can make yourself. I estimate I put 4 hours work into mine. To buy one like it would definitely be over $50, and probably closer to $100. Part of the pleasure of such a project of course, is not just the monetary saving but the creative part and knowing you have something at the end that is unique, and made especially for you by you. That is priceless :)

Look around and see ready made fascinators.
Fashion shops such as Portmans and Sportsgirl, as well as the millinery department of Myer sold them this season. Notice the shape and composition. Some are spikey and architectural, others are softer or fluffier. This will give you a stronger idea about how to compose your own, and what will suit your style.

Think about the style and colour of the outfit you plan to wear it with and decide on a colour scheme.
I went for something that will go with a range of outfits rather than one in particular, and my favourite colours.

Choose your base first, then have a play around with the assortment of materials until you find a composition that is pleasing to your eye.

The feathers, flowers and etcetera you choose is the star, not the base. Make sure you have enough. I made 6 little fans in burgundy sheer ribbon to provide body, contrast and help break up the shape of the base. It makes a cheap and easy filler, but because it's gauzy it's not visually too heavy.

Consider your partner if you have one, by avoiding trims such as big, rigid feather quills that may take his eye out!


Construction
Hand sewing it all is best, though a little craft glue here and there may also be helpful.
Have a mirror handy thoughout the process as you are constructing the fascinator to suit your face.
Check out fascinators online to see how they are worn in terms of placement on the head.
In front of a mirror decide where on your head you will wear it. This will help you know how best to sew your slide comb or other hair accessory to the base. Take note of where it is in relation to a facial feature such as the corner of your eye, and draw a simple diagram of this. It will assist the fitting process and ensure consistency.

If you are making a veil this is where it gets fiddly and you can expect to have a few tries before you get the shape just right. Seeing veiled fascinators on the internet and the different ways they can sit is particularly helpful.
Trim the edges straight. I trimmed mine to each intersection.
In front of the mirror, put the base on your head. Fold the veil so that it wraps around your face.
For mine I did a bit of folding at the corners with a little bit of bunching in the middle. The veil material is fine so when it is a little bunched it isn't very bulky and easily concealed by a feather etc. Once I found the right veil shape I held it in place with my fingers while carefully slipping the base off my head. After lightly sewing it in place, I rechecked the fit and added a few more stitches.*

With the aid of a mirror I decided how I wanted the main feathery plume to sit. Note how its curve curls around my head, and does not stand up like a cockatoo. That is what makes it classy rather than sassy. Not that there's anything wrong with sassy but that wasn't the flavour I was going for.

The trimmed feathers add a bit of volume and textural interest.
They were attached to the main plume with stitching and a bit of craft glue to hold the stitches in place.
Next I added the flower, again with the aid of a mirror, to ensure it sat right when worn. This was stitched and glued to the feathers, which in turn were stitched to the base.
Lastly I made a series of simple mini fans out of sheer ribbon. In addition to colour and contrast they also help conceal the ends of the feathers and the stump of the flower stem. To make them, I carefully folded them like paper fans about 1cm wide, stitched them together when I thought they were thick enough, then snipped them from the length of ribbon (rather than snipping lengths of ribbon then folding them). I quickly sealed the raw ribbon edges with a lighter to prevent fraying. I made about 3, sewed them on then decided I needed about 3 more.

Hope that was helpful :D

*Hint:If after all of that you find your veil isn't sitting perfectly you might be able to cheat a little by hooking it into bobby pins in your hair, as I did on one side.

[edit 16/02/08]
As promised (see comments) a photograph showing just the fascinator, which should make my explanation that little clearer, and the project a little bit more tempting as well!



EDIT November 2009:
Here's another facinator project to tempt you
How to Make a Fascinator: Part 2.

Ron Mueck - Artist of Humanity

Sitting in my local library today I found a contemporary, Australian art magazine featuring one of my favourite artists, Ron Mueck. Why is he a favourite? I greatly admire the technical skill and thought he puts into his work; his attention to detail, the expressive, strong, simplicity of the statements made, the hushed awe being in front of one of his pieces inspires.

This artist's striking sculptural work is sometimes described as hyper-realist and more commonly as photo-realist. His pieces are a statement about the human body, its vulnerability and our humanity. Using specialist model making techniques, Mueck's sculptures play with scale, featuring lovingly added detail and bodily blemishes/flaws. Originally from Melbourne, and now based in the UK, Mueck's internationally most recognisable piece would be his giant crouching Boy as seen at the Venice Biennale. Locally in Australia, the expressive, 2 metre tall Pregnant Woman would be the best known. It's owned by the National Gallery of Australia and was featured in his first Australian show at the MCA, Circular Quay in Sydney in 2003. I was lucky enough to see that show .



Boy
2001
Photograph by Pollyanna Sutton

Prior to becoming an artistic sculptor, Mueck produced models and puppets in advertising and film, starting out in Australian childrens' TV as a puppeteer. His most well known turn as a puppeteer is from Jim Henson's Labyrinth as the gentle giant Ludo, whom he also voiced. Check out Muppet Wiki for more info on his work with the Jim Henson Creature Shop.

The following clips provide insight into the production methods Mueck uses.
WARNING: These clips contain artistic nudity.

Even more fragile? Tastier!

Listening to: Starlight by Muse

Usually when a cardboard box contains something fragile the symbol used is a black glass shape, commonly a wine glass (probably red). The other week I was unpacking some games (which actually aren't what I would call fragile) and this was stuck to the box:



So not only is it fragile, it also contains a liquid? I like how the fragile cocktail has a garnish. Delish!

I expressed to my colleague my mock disappointment at the box's contents including no cocktails {Where's my martini, dammit?!}, umbrellas nor arrows :P

Website of the Day
Muppet Wikipedia.
Enough said.

Wunderkammer, Melbourne

Listening to Funnyman by KT Tunstall

I haven't visited the store itself in a few months. For those of you in Melbourne, Australia with an interest in framed insect/arachnid specimens, taxidermy, carnivorous plants, and vintage scientific prints/objects/equipment you will find Wunderkammer (say woon-der-cay-ma) a delightful place to visit/shop. It's like a little museum as a wunderkammer should be. The owner selects his stock because he has a personal interest and affection for it. Due to the often antique, natural, rare or hand crafted nature of the materials, on no two visits will you see the same selection. There are a also few things N.F.S. as part of the owner's permanent collection.

Michael Sowa

Michael Sowa's quirky animal art was featured in the French film Amelie. Unfortunately there isn't much information available about him on the internet, with no official site though many poster sites sell prints of his works.


























Bunny Dressing

Julia deVille's Memento Mori

Listening to Safety Dance by Men Without Hats

Julia deVille is a New Zealand artist based in Melbourne, Australia. Last year I had the priviledge of seeing her work in the flesh as part of the touring show Cicely & Colin Rigg Contemporary Design Award 2006.

This morning I got reaquainted with her work through discovering her steampunk flavoured website.

Her works combine leather work, taxidermy and gold smithing skills. Most of it is wearable art. It's exquisitely detailed, often combining the remains of (naturally deceased) small mammals with precious and semi precious materials. A major inspiration is Memento Mori jewellery especially of the Victorian period. All of her works deal with mortality, which some may view as morbid, perhaps even grisly though this is not the intention. Instead DeVille is interested in exploring the fragility and value of life.


Brooch: Bird Claw 2006
Sterling silver, black rhodium plate, Keshi pearl
9 x 4 x 2 cm

Natural History Inspired Art Overload

Invidia/Sebastian
Emoto Hajime
mixed media, 2005

I started looking for a particular artist, Emoto Hajime (thanks Scoia)
then found this wonderful blog combining art and science,
Bioephemera

which led to,
Morbid Anatomy (NSFW)

a well as a range of artists and fantastic works my favourites being:
Peter Callesen, poetic paper sculptor
Peter Milton, steam punk flavoured
Unusual taxidermy
Les Deux Garcon aka more surreal taxidermy
Custom Creature Taxidermy, quite a few squirrels some cute, some an aquired taste!
Jessica Joslin, fabulous skeletal animals, combining Baroque with steam punk.