Road Works!!!

I'm in the middle of re-designing my blog at the moment, so please bear with me - I'll have my blog looking pretty soon enough!

Fabric Flower 'Bloom' Hairpins

Above is a photo of some fabric flowers I've created to be worn as hairpins. These ones were especially made for my friends hens night this weekend. I created a special hairpiece for the bride also. Hopefully I'll be able to get some nice photos of them being worn.

Each bloom is carefully hand sewn from creamy satin, organza and lace, centred with beads and genuine fresh water pearls.

I'm happy to make these hairpins to order, if anyone is interested.

Framed Fabric Flower Arrangements

I was asked to make a couple more fabric flower arrangements for the gallery Christmas shop. I tried to make a blue 'Christmassie' inspired piece (left) to tie in with some of the other pieces for sale. I also made a small grey piece. I'm a fan of the white and cream myself.

If they tickle your fancy, I am happy to make these framed fabric flower arrangements on request, and can do to specification, colour, etc. Prices would generally range between $20-$50 depending on size and difficulty.

If you're interested, you can contact me here.

Gawler Community Gallery Shop

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Yesterday my Mum and I went into The Gawler Community Gallery to drop off some pieces of work for the Members Exhibition and the Christmas Shop opening on the 10th of November.

I brought my trusty camera along so I could take some photos of the gallery shop to share here with you all.

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you may have noticed I mention (shamelessly plug) The Gawler Community Gallery quite a lot in my posts. I love the gallery because it is a fantastic way to not only share local art with the community, but it also gives everyone a chance to exhibit their work (especially with the cheap room hire) - No matter the level of their artistic talent. My Nanna, Joanne Hughes, is one of the founding members of the gallery and it is run solely on volunteers (I've been a member since it was first opened and been volunteering for a couple years now). 

Their are 4 rooms in which to exhibit work (3 upstairs, 1 downstairs), but there is also a gallery shop, in which members (anyone can join) can display their work for sale.

Every year at Christmas, the shop is extended to the downstairs room, with a display of Christmas creations and gift ideas. This year I have made an effort to put in a few pieces.

So if you get the chance, please come and visit the gallery. Come and show your support for local artistic talent, and get back to the heart and spirit of Christmas with handmade gifts. If your creative yourself, why not become a member and have a go at selling some of your own creations.

1. The Gawler Community Gallery - Station Master's House, Gawler Railway Station, Twenty Third St, Gawler South - Opened 10am-4pm, Thursday through to Sunday. (The term 'Railway Station' is used rather loosely - It's more of a 'bus' station at the moment, as they're re-doing the tracks and there's not actually any trains running.)

2. Gorgeous hand painted Christmas cards by Ellen Steyn - Original art work, a bargain at $5.

3. Display case in the Gallery Shop. A range of jewellery, bags, paintings, textile hangings, even drums, by local artists.

4. Just an example of some the work, hanging in the entrance hall.

5. Large assortment of handmade gift cards for sale.

6. Gallery Shop paintings, jewellery, scarfes.

Lace & Pearls - Fabric Flower Arrangement

The above is a new piece I have created - An arrangement of fabric flowers I hand sewed, using a combination of new, recycled and vintage fabrics including satins, silks and lace, centered with pearls.

It will be exhibiting (and for sale) at the Gawler Community Gallery as part of the Members Exhibition, which is being held in conjunction with the Christmas Shop, opening on November the 10th.

Creative Person Overview - Brett Hughes

 

I'd like to share with you all another family member of mine, who is another very talented creative type (I happen to have a lot of those in my family), my Uncle, Brett Hughes. 

Brett is laid back, with a wicked sense of humour, and an inspiring outlook on life. He is also what I would refer to as somewhat of a 'nomad'. Having spent many years traveling, hitchhiking and busking around Australia, picking up odd jobs along the way, he never stayed in one place for too long. He's had over 60 different jobs; From radio host on numerous stations, to fruit picking, shoe making, even a stint as a 'Pickled Gherkin Tank Scraper' - Which he describes as 'a job so bad, that all he could do was laugh'. He now currently resides by himself in a little 1800s cottage, surrounded by forest in the gold fields, central Victoria.

He is a guitarist/singer/songwriter with a style that I can only describe as folk, pop-rock. Currently in a band called How Much For Cash, his music style is laid-back and has an air of Australian outback/country and often just a hint of melancholy. He also happens to be one of those rare, freakishly musically talented people who is able tune solely by ear (Actually I happen to have a few of those freaks in my family) It's just unnatural...  

He loves going to opp-shops and antique stores and rummaging through discarded and forgotten items. He is very good at picking items of value and has an amazing eye for interesting pieces, so much so that he works at an antique and collectibles store.

He is also an artist of sorts, creating what he calls agricultural industrial art; Fondly nicknamed Agri-dustrial art. Using a collection of  random old metal parts he has uncovered at the tip, old farm houses or found in paddocks using a metal detector, he creates amazing rustic metal sculptures. He really gives new meaning to 'One mans junk, is another mans treasure'. Anything from old parts from tractors, trains, sewing machines, to old gas top handles, even shells from WW2 have been used to create his pieces.

Like Brett, and like his music, his art evokes a laid back feeling of the country, outback and solitude, and is distinctively Australian. It is an appreciation of that others have over looked, and a tribute to a time forgotten. His creations, although often miss matched, overall, have a sense of harmony, and raw beauty. Not to mention that his work is eco-friendly.

Brett is not the most 'tech-savvy' of people, and is yet to set up a website where his work can be viewed and purchased. He doesn't even have an email, or even a computer! (How he manages without the Internet, I will never understand...) However, if you are interested in his work, you can contact him through me here.

You can also check out Brett on his son (my cousin) Cody's You Tube channel: CodyDaviesTV, where he did a short interview with him on one of his pieces. It's worth a watch if not just for a laugh - Brett was completely unprepared and is a little stuck for words at times.
Although, fore warning: You may hear some of the information in this post repeated in the interview, as I may or may not have stolen most of the details from it....

Handmade Christmas Cards

The above reindeer blank Christmas cards are designed and handmade by moi.

The reindeer was hand-carved into rubber then hand stamped with quality white letterpress ink onto each hand-cut piece of card stock. I then individually sewed a border onto each piece of card with white stitching.

The end result is a simple, yet effective and somewhat elegant Christmas card (I'm selling myself a bit here).

Each card is just that little bit different due to the printing and sewing process, making each one unique.

For the amount of time and effort that has been put into them, not to mention that it's a one of a kind design, these babies are a bargain at $3!

If you're interested, they will be sold at the Christmas shop at The Gawler Community Gallery held from the 10th of November until the 18th of December. Or you can contact me here.

Exhibition Announcement

I'd like to announce an upcoming exhibition I'm really excited about, featuring Joanne Hughes (My Nanna), Lee Eiffe (My Mum) and myself, to be held next year in March at The Gawler Community Gallery. 3 generations together, to exhibit new collections of work, based on the theme of Aquarius.

Official exhibition announcement still to come.


I have been 'umming and erring' as to whether I should post the above picture - I want to show everyone what I've been working on, but I don't want to give too much away yet. Obviously, the photo won out, and above you can see some fabric flowers I've been working on, made from new, recycled and vintage - Beautiful silks, creamy satins, lace and pearls. You'll just have to wait and see what they're for...

Inside Their Home - Joanne & Ken Hughes

My Nanna and I organised a 'crafty' day spent at her house the other day, where she helped me with some of my art & craft projects. When it comes to working with fabric or thread - she is the woman to see.

While I was there, I took some photos so I could share with everyone my Nanna and Poppa's home.

I have always had a love and passion for home decor. Even as I child, I was already purchasing home decor magazines, cutting out my favourite interior designs (You can imagine over the years I've amassed quite a collection).

More recently, I've loved the idea of looking at the homes and studios of artists and creative types - I find it so fascinating to see the artists work space and their surrounding influences. I love seeing an individuals personality shine through their home; their loves and their collections and their travels.

Seems I am not alone in wanting to take a sneak peak into the homes of artists; I recently came across website and book, Where They Create by Paul Barbera - An interior based photographer, who sources out artists around the globe and photographs their creative environments. Frankie Magazine has also released a book called SPACES - 'It's all about lovely interiors from all over the world, where creative people live, work and play.'

My grandparents home is an accumulation of my Nanna's textile creations, collected art, patchwork throws & cushions, and worldly and cultural treasures from their travels.

Every time I visit their home, I find myself discovering new art and creations - Although my Nanna tells me that she has given a lot of her work away since I was last there, even sending some off to Vanuatu.

My Nanna & Poppa are two of the most influential people in my life (along with my Mum and Dad), although probably unknowingly and unintentional. My Poppa, Ken Hughes is a Chiropractor and practices Natruopathy and Homeopathy among many other studied and learned healing practices. He is also an extremely talented and accomplished self taught musician and plays the accordion and harmonica among many instruments. Both my Poppa and my Nanna were a part of the rather successful folk music group, Galimaufrey for 25 years. My Nanna, Joanne, is an amazing textile artist, deeply involved in the local art world and community. She has been a part of and even chaired numerous community groups and for years she has been on community radio. They are members of the Bahai faith, are well traveled and have spent a lot of their time volunteering and working for charity.

I in turn share a lot of their passions: A love of art, textiles, music and alternative health and natural healing. I aspire to live a life as creatively and charitable as theirs.