Graffiti eating dog mural

St David Street,
Fitzroy, Melbourne
October 2013

Speed hump with bite

Fitzroy North, Melbourne
October 2013

Relieved like a manta ray...

'Knowing this information gives me scope and dimension; it allows my bowels to exhale relievedly like a manta ray settling on the ocean floor'
From 'Would it Kill You to Stop Doing That?' By Henry Alford

Binary at Lord Coconut: Celebrating the Digital Age

Stitch and Fusion were created for Binary at Lord Coconut, opening next week.

Binary

Exhibition Opening:
5:30pm - 7:30pm 20 May 2014

Exhibition:
21 May 2014 - 7 June 2014

Lord Coconut

Suite 3, Level 4
Carlow House
289 Flinders Lane
Melbourne 3000
Tuesday to Friday – 11am to 6pm
Saturday – 12pm to 4pm
Other times by appointment

Enquiries:

0450 015 263

info[at]lordcoconut.com



My little robot brooches will also be in the show.

How to make a vine wreath in 6 steps.

Wreath made of wisteria vine prunings, decorated for Christmas.

This is so easy - you don't need to be an expert florist or craftsperson to get a good result. It's a great way to utilise waste from your garden, so it's also free! I enjoy making them so much I've been making one every year since moving to this house. I will have to start giving them away. They could make a sweet gift for a loved one.

Depending on how you decorate this wreath you can use it for all sorts of occasions or as a year round piece of decor. You can also use the same technique on grapevine. That is what the commercially sold natural wreathes are made of. The advantage of the wisteria prunings is that the vines are more supple and won't snap like the grapevine does. I have successfully used a similar technique with young bamboo with the leaves on but the edges of the the leaves are like tiny serrated knives. Wear long sleeves if you go down that path.

You will need a round bucket to dry the wreath on. Preferably it has no moulded in spout - this may lead to a less round wreath - and a good slope to the sides for easy putting on and removal of your wreath.



1. Strip vines of leaves. If you are using grapevines you can leave the tendrils on. They add interesting texture and make the wreath fuller.



2. Starting with the thickest end, wrap a vine over itself into a circle of the size wreath you want. Pay attention to how the vine allows itself to be bent and don't push it in ways it won't yield.


3. Keep on adding more vine lengths - preferably in one direction only but it isn't the end of the world if you don't...


4. ...Until you have used up your prunings.




5. Push over upturned bucket until it fits snugly. This will ensure a perfect, round shape. As you can see it is possible to dry more than one wreath at a time. Leave to dry.

6.It's ready for another wrapping session when it the vines have shrunk back and are no longer green. It takes 3 to 4 sessions of pruning and wrapping to get a sturdy, solid feeling wreath. It can not be done in one session because of the shrinkage. It loosens as it dries and you need fresh material to tighten it up.


Dried and fresh wreathes.


Grapevine wreath

Never double peplum

I dislike peplums and I am not alone - just run a google search on 'peplum ugly' and get results like this. This is ridiculous. Never double peplum/ruffle. Some stylist at thought this was a good idea. WTF. She looks like she's a moulting kangaroo with a prolapsed pouch.

Oia melds with Indigenous Art

Corner of George and Moor Streets, Fitzroy, Melbourne
October 2013

The colour scheme and most of the patterns used have a Greecian influence, but the layout and use of concentric forms and said patterns, plus the little hand print give it an indigenous flavour. It's a successful meld radiating a positive, inclusive energy.

Adventure Time Mural

Corner of Condell and George Streets Fitzroy, Melbourne
October 2013



The interesting thing about finding locations like this on Google Maps, is that the street view usually was taken before the art existed.

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 5

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 4 Inner Space

Not a favouite of mine but done well, incorporating the architecture and indirectly inspired by Pattachitra a traditional, Indian painting style.

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 3 Outer Space

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 2 Wildlife

Bear mural


This particular artist also did another mural in Fitzroy off Johnson Street with pandas:



Our critically endangered, state (Victorian) emblem:

Helmeted honeyeater mural


Detail

Street Art in Little Smith Street Fitzroy, Melbourne - 1 Decomposition

Late last year I had an appointment in Fitzroy and went for a wander down a few side streets to see what street art I would find. The following post is the first of a series showing what I consider to be the best works walking north in Little Smith Street, in October 2013. They are not all to my taste but they are well done.


Detail of a mural. Unfortunately the ground level section of this piece has been vandalised with spray paint.


Stencil art skull. I like the decomposing substrate and grittiness with the visceral red splash.

Chewbacca Bunny

Chewbacca Bunny sticker on a parking meter,

Footscray, Melbourne 2013

Sticker bombed sign, Fitzroy, Melbourne

Typical of the area, street art sticker bombed sign in Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne. Features sticker by GhostPatrol.

Monochromatic street art mural, Fitzroy, Melbourne.

Fitzroy, Young Street, October 2013


Mural by Makatron, Phibs, Vato and Gore.

I have photoshopped out some vandalism to the mural as best I could off the hippo. See link to see unadulterated close up by Makatron.


View Larger Map
The location as captured by Google Maps

Good eggs and bad eggs - An old fashioned test

So your eggs are close to or past their recommended use by. Or maybe you have your own chooks and you're not sure how old your eggs are. Before you throw them out you can test them to see if they are still good. This is an old trick your grand mother would have used.


First take your egg. Funny face drawn on is optional (done with a Chinagraph / wax pencil)

Gently place it into a glass of water.
Make sure you choose a glass big enough for the egg to sink to the bottom.
If it sinks, it's a good egg and it's fine to eat.


If it floats, it's a bad egg so do not eat it!
It floats because of the gas created as it decomposes.

I usually test a whole carton to see if any need to be disposed of, then retest them as I use them. I break our bad eggs directly into the compost bin.

Stewed in warmed melted butter

'The heat was so extreme as the ship sailed towards Rio de Janeiro in February 1832 that Darwin slept naked on the mahogany dissecting table at night. Even then he complained that he felt as if he were being stewed in warmed melted butter'
from Darwin and the Barnacle by Rebecca Stott

Another way to express the sensation of feeling really hot here (NSFW: coarse language):

Open - my bear at Toy to the World 2014

Open
Work in progress animation of customised vinyl Popobe bear figure.

Here are the details for the Toy to the World exhibition and silent auction my little bear 'Open', will be at.You can bid for it here.

Toy to the World 2014

WHEN: Tuesday 21st January
WHERE: ArtBoy Gallery, 99 Greville St Prahran
ENTRY: Gold coin donation (voluntary - covers cost of venue hire)

From the Facebook event page:
'Since early December over 80 artists from Melbourne and around the world have been busy customizing over 100 blank vinyl toy bears for the Toy to the World Project.

They're now just about ready to exhibit and to auction off to raise funds for HIV research and education.

Part design competition, part charity fundraiser, the opening night of the TTTW Project kicks off the 2 week long online auction.

The bears will all be on display for only 5 (sic actually 4) days after the opening night at ArtBoy atop the locally crafted quality display plinths from kist3, big ups to these guys.

Once the opening night is over you can continue to check on your bids in the auction and place new bids via our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/toy2theworld the auction will close on Tuesday Feb 4th at 7pm sharp.

Bears can be collected at an arranged time from South Yarra after this, or can be sent via post (additional postage & handling costs will apply on top of your winning bid)

All profits raised via the auction go the Victoria AIDS Council.'

More Band Names

Continuing on from my previous post of band names:
Nematode (explaining a home crop issue to J)
Anal Plate (flipping through a field guide of Australian butterflies. I think it describes part of a caterpillar)
Dirty Measure (housemate talking about reusing a measuring cup)
Pissweak Paperweight (an observation made about an antique acquisition of my father's)
Sticky Spud (~can't remember~)
Spank the Colander (action taken to remove droplets caught in apertures of colander to ensure it dries in dish rack)