November 1, 2009

Amalfi Coast and Rome


After 6 months in Corfu, a dear friend and I decided to undertake the windy road trip of the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy. The unpredictable lanes and chaotic road rules were every bit the adventure.

The cliff side bends of the Amalfi Coast line are never ending from Sorrento to Solerno. Every angle of this region is truly extraordinary. In 4 days, we were able to take our time and visit each of the small villages in between. These included Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. I was overwhelmed at the lost city of Pompeii and excited to experience the crater of my first volcano: Mount Versuvius at 1281m above sea level.

My italian was non-existant but that did not stop me from attempting to ask for directions where possible. The people were beautiful and always helped with exaggerated hand gestures and warm expressions. In the end, we found our destinations and made many friends along the way.

September 3, 2009

Kythera...

After spending almost 4 months in Corfu understanding my maternal side of the family, I have taken 5 days out to visit another small Ionian Island, Kythera to see where my paternal side came from.

As you can tell from this photo - paradise!

I met many family members I never knew I had and got spat on (a Greek blessing) which made me feel very welcome on the island.

The Ionian islands are situated on the Western part of the mainland of Greece and are comprised of 7 islands. All my grandparents came from three of these islands, essentially making me a true Ionian islander. :) My next island on my the wish list is Ithaka...

July 27, 2009

BIG move to a little Island...


It has been a while between blogs - and with great reason.

In May 2009, I moved to a little island, called Corfu, located on the north-western part of Greece. With mountainous views of Albania, Mediterranean weather and the island lifestyle, I have quickly slowed down my hectic London pace to just sit and get back to nature. (About time i'd say too).

So this 6 months is a retreat back to nature and back to the inspiration that fuels my practice. I'm not sure what to expect from the collection that i hope to make by the end of it but as there is not much fungus here, the work will definitely be different.

To understand why I have chosen Corfu - it is simple. The picture attached is my beautiful grandmother's house dating back to the 1930's (ish) which i have finally located after a few weeks of roaming around blindly with this photo and greek letters which to a local may have made some sense. She is the one to whom i have changed my name so the connection is as special as one can be between a grandmother and a granddaughter.

April 9, 2009

THE PAPERED PARLOUR LAUNCH: An Open Day of Free Events

Saturday 2 May 2009
Come and launch The Papered Parlour in style - with a day of free events and taster sessions.

I will be selling some jewellery in the Craft Kiosk - Please come along and show your support! I hope to see you there. x

10.30am - 12.30pm
Exhibition Preview: What Comes Around

Katherine May and Clara Vuletich ‘upcycle’ mid century furniture with pre loved fabrics. Featuring contemporary quilted upholstery alongside hand printed wallpaper.

11.30am – 3.30pm
Craft Kiosk
Shop at our bustling indoor market showcasing inspirational work by some of London’s top designer-makers.

12.30pm – 3.30pm

The Great Proletarian Cloths Swap
From Hermes to High Street, come along to swap and customise unwanted items of clothing. With designers on hand to help you cut, print and sew your way to couture heaven - you’re guaranteed to leave with a fabulous addition to your wardrobe.

4pm - 6pm

Tea Dance
Enjoy a slice of mid-century glamour. Expect top notch tea and indulgent cakes accompanied by music hall legend Vic Charters.

ALL EVENTS FREE!
The Papered Parlour
7 Prescott Place
London SW4 6BS

We’re a hop, skip and a jump away by bus, train or tube.
Bus: Clapham High Street
Tube: Clapham Common
Train: Clapham High Street

March 31, 2009

A great day for our forests and freedom of speech

I have to share this and to save time, i'm just going to take this extract directly from the Wilderness Society Website...

$3.5 million damages claim turns into $350,000 payment to The Wilderness Society (WOOHOOOOOOO!)

The tables have turned on woodchip company Gunns Ltd and its four-year long legal action in the Victorian Supreme Court against The Wilderness Society is over. Its claims for $3.5 million in damages have turned into a $350,000 payment to The Wilderness Society.
In a settlement finalised on 16 March, 2009, Gunns will pay The Wilderness Society $350,000 in costs and discontinue its legal action against The Wilderness Society and individuals either currently or formally with The Wilderness Society – Alec Marr, Leanne Minshull and Heidi Douglas.

"This is a significant win for free speech in Australia. The fact that Gunns now has to pay money to The Wilderness Society after claiming for the past four years that The Wilderness Society owed it $3.5 million demonstrates that the legal action was an empty case from the beginning," former defendant and The Wilderness Society's Executive Director Alec Marr said.

March 29, 2009

Ruby Pear

New gallery to be launched in Launceston
Ruby Pear
Initiated by Rachael Hilliard, Ruby Pear will be open from April showcasing many Tasmanian talents.
Launch date: 4th April 2009
Opening Hours Wed-Sun 9-30-7.00
45 Brisbane Street, Launceston, Tasmania.

Ruby Pear will be showcasing some of my 'melting point' series.

New Gallery in London...

Heafford and Hall
www.thepaperedparlour.co.uk
www.heaffordandhall.co.uk

Heafford + Hall is an art and design studio with an exhibition space set up in 2008 to offer tailor-made contemporary art and design solutions to corporate and private clients.

Located off Clapham High Street, the studio is open by appointment 10am-6pm Monday to Friday.
Works represented through the gallery will be my 2D artworks. These include some ink sketches of trees and graphic images from my greeting cards. Visit my journal page to see those images.



Workshop in London
I will be conducting a 1 day workshop in May 2009 – ‘How to make a ring in a day’
To book, please contact Heafford and Hall.
Be quick, only 10 places available.

February 19, 2009

The Dazzlers of England.

2008/2009, I worked for just over 2 months for Dazzle- London. The hub of jewelley talent from the UK. Whilst working there, I had the pleasure of meeting some talented and beautiful jewellers.
They included Becky Crow, Clara Breen, Jenny LlewelLyn, Anna Wales, Beth Gilmour, Natalie Ryde and Annabet Wyndham.

February 17, 2009

The Art of Adventure Photography


The Art of Adventure Photography - Without sounding like a total gushing groupie, I have to spread the word of this outstandingly talented photographer I have recently come across through itunes (of all places!).

I have lost myself fumbling through Bruce Percy's Photography and watching his Podcasts.

This scottish photographer has taken me back on some of my adventures by looking at his work as has travelled to many of the places I have been and to exact locations i have stood. These included Patagonia, Norway, Morocco, Scotland, and New Zealand. Other destinations he has captured are places I have longed wished to visit - these include Iceland, Easter Island, Cambodia and Portugal.

I can say nothing else about his work other than - he just gets it!

I highly recommend downloading his podcasts and submerge into these destinations through his lens and his words.

The Real Price of Gold

Today I spent my afternoon clicking through the National Geographic Website and came across this article 'The Real Price of Gold' by Brook Larmer. We are entering this ethically aware trend to know how and where our everyday objects are made. Thus, we are given the opportunity to make that choice to purchase eco-friendly and ethically responisbly.

In my small bubble world of jewellery, I was made graphically aware with 'Blood Diamond' of how important it is to ethically purchase stones and beads. This article, i read today brings to light how gold is sourced.

In the past 8 years gold prices have soared 235%. (Makes me wish i had invested all my hard earned money in gold bars). Today, the big gold mines are reaching far ends of the earth in search of what is left in the earth to mine - including 3 miles above sea level to La Rinconada in Peru. These workers are not paid to risk their lives mining for gold. They have to battle with the high altitude of the andes and of course the terrible working conditions forced upon them. These workers are not even paid for the time they work. Instead, they are allocated 1 day to mine for as much as they can carry with the hope they find a little gold flicker in their sack.

January 14, 2009

I hear Scotland calling...

As I have been warned by many people who have visited Edinburgh - yes i LOVED it! and YES I WANT TO LIVE THERE! However before I get too ahead of myself with enthusiasm for the energetically arty town in Scotland, I am reminded of just how cold I was on my journey there. Squashed into a little red combie, called Nutmeg (with no heating in the front) and 4 Aussie girls - we headed as north as we could get in our little bus to explore Scotland for New Year 08/09.

We stayed a few nights in Edinburgh and 1 night in Aviemore and a few random nights along the way at service stops where I have NO idea where we were. Edinburgh was every bit the vibrant, energetic creative town an artist would enjoy living. However, the real highlight was the day we left to head north to Inverness. Unfortunately, our lack of heating in the van caused our windscreen to freeze and we were forced to pull over on the side of the road. As fate played it, we ended in the ski resort town of Aviemore. A Quaint, bustling little town where we managed to have a great night of laughs in a few pubs and met some colourful locals. The next morning, cold, tired and hungover - we all witnessed the beauty of the area we were in. It almost looked like someone had dusted icing sugar around us.

Now back in London, I am missing Nutmeg, Scotland and the open road. I am counting down the days till my next adventure...
Paris!!!