SHOWS OF THE WEEK

sorry for the delay people, here they are...
Interstate

Through the Looking Glass
Shona Wilson takes her environmentalism as seriously as she takes her art. In this brilliant exhibition of found object constructions she strikes a perfect balance between both. Macroscope draws inspiration from the microscopic sea organisms known as Diatoms – a sub group of planktons that form the most abundant food source in our oceans. Taking her cues from the patterning revealed in these forms when viewed under a super magnifier she creates works from the flotsam and jetsam washed onto the beach: pine needles, twigs, beetle wings, crab claws, seed pods and unfortunately plastic. The inclusion of a piece of beach plastic in each work is a salient reminder that this most ubiquitous of materials has mow managed to even infiltrate the plankton in our seas. Food for thought indeed.
Until November 14,
Kings Street Gallery. Darlinghurst.

Local

Snap!
Last chance to see Melbourne photographer Glenn Slogget’s Feeble exhibition. Slogget once again trains his lens on the darker side of the street in this exhibition of selected photographs and found objects collected over his career. We love a found object (as our craft find festish will attest) and a little NQR action on the street even more-so, so really this exhibition is a no brainer for us even though we haven't made it there yet!
Until October 30
George Paton Gallery, Melbourne University Carlton

Devine Decadence
Another blink and you’ll miss it show is Genevieve McLean’s Days of Decadence. In this exhibition McLean celebrates the bounty, consumption and decay that so informed the Still Life paintings by Dutch Masters in the 17th Century. The kick, they’re all lovingly rendered in 3D crochet. Hot no?
Until November 1
Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Abbotsford.

in the cinema

Dharma Bums
If your dharma needs a little darning take a trek over to acmi this weekend for their mini Buddhist film festival. Unfortunately I won’t be in town to make the most of it, which is a shame because even though I know that life is suffering I am in dire need of the restorative powers a little time out from the chattering monkey in my head would give me. Nonetheless, if I was able to make it, high on my list would be Meditate and Destroy – a documentary about punk rock and spirituality and Wheel of Time by the inimitable Wener Herzog which documents the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya India... Now that would be the way to spend a Saturday afternoon. There’s even a Japanese Tea Ceremony taking place in the Cube event space on Sunday arvo if all that chanting gets you thirsty. A four session pass will cost you $50, single sessions $15, but given we’re all learning the art of non attachment that shouldn’t be too hard to part with.
Friday October 30 until Sunday November 1
ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne.

EVENT OF THE WEEK part 2

out and about

For those that couldn't make it last night you missed out on a really fantastic opening at Craft Victoria. The Shoe Show was  a triumph in both the skill and style of the footwear and the amazing installation. Congrats to all!

Especially  the very talented  Emma Greenwood. Whose shoes are works of art. The above boots are perfect for Beck when she's watching Yo Gabba Gabba with Max

I'm partial to these oh so pretty ones - Nanna glamour! a new category of craft perhaps?

Congrats Emma.

Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison's show was of course absolutely dreamy. I couldn't resist this Owl- he's coming home with me at the end of the show!

These two are amazing. Do not miss this show. Fly in from all corners of the earth if you have to!

Congrats to gorgeous Gracia and lovely Louise!

EVENT OF THE WEEK

shoe shuffle

The ladies of HML are very excited. Tonight (as well as completely loving the work of Louise and Gracia in gallery 2) we'll be at swooning at the Shoe Show in Gallery 1 at Craft Victoria. Contemporary shoemaking is an especially vibrant and experimental area of contemporary craft and we are so lucky to have some of the finest cobblers in our home town of Melbourne. One of whom, Emma Greenwood, featured in our little book  I MAKE STUFF.  When it comes to Emma we could have retitled it "I make stuff that makes people wanna dance'. Hope to see you there. Photos of the event tomorrow for our interstate, overseas and otherwise busy peeps (can someone tape Glee for us?).

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

food for thought

Last night Maggie Bee and I went to the launch of Stephanie Alexander's new book. It seemed apt given that M has spent the last three days in the garden planting herbs and tomatoes and generally pottering around in a productive springlike manner.

Stephanie was very gracious and spoke passionately about children in the garden and how this set them up for a lifetime of not just healthy but passionate and enthusiastic eating. I'm not the greatest gardener, that's really Beck's department and now with her new amazing yard I'm hoping some of the Jobson crop will head my way. I'm committed to at least turning my hand to some herbs and lettuce leaves for my hml gardening experience this summer!

I've been thinking alot about food lately (what's new). Partly because I've been denying myself alot of it(cake gone! cookies gone! bacon sandwiches at 10pm gone!) One of those weird times where you bring home cook books and exercise books from the library at the same time! On my bedside table this week has been Nigel Slater's latest. This Brit food writer is an old old favourite of mine. His autobiography Toast was heartbreaking and highly recommended.

Eating for England is a series of short essays (many only a page long) on topics as diverse as Black Pudding (My breakfast on Sunday), afternoon tea, and midnight feasts. It's a lot lighter that Stephanie's which isn't really bed time reading - weighing in at a couple of kg. So you can exercise and read about food at the same time. interesting...

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT

if these walls could talk

There is an obvious reason that the ladies of HML don't spend a lot of time banging on about the Melbourne International Festival. It's the one festival that leaves us a bit cold. Ticket prices are too expensive for a start and unless you are really passionate about opera or obscure theatre not really much chop. But we do urge everyone wander down to take a look at Callum Morton's beautiful installation at the art centre forecourt. Those of you who have taken the Eastlink here in Melbourne will be familiar with his beautiful Hotel sculpture (above). Trust us this is even better!

Valhalla was originally installed in at the 07  Venice biennial . So it's a rare treat for us to see this clever, poignant an monumental work. On the outside it appears to be a ruin of Morton's childhood home at 3/4 scale. A home that his architect father designed and one that has since been demolished.

On the inside there is a pristine foyer, complete with muzak and elevator sounds. It's an extraordinarily clever and unsettling work. You only have the 24th to experience it. If you go you can say 'you've done the festival'!

SHOWS OF THE WEEK

local

There is so much happening in our home town this week that we are going to spread the news over the next few days so you don't all become overwhelmed! We hope all Melbourne peeps squish in to Craft Victoria this Thursday night for the opening of not 1, not 2, but 3 AMAZING shows. In gallery 2 the wonderous Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison will be treating us to new artist books and works on paper in their new show A Key To Help make Your Own World Visible . The ladies of HML have always admired the work of these two prodigious,and quite frankly, magical artists (they are in our book I MAKE STUFF)

we will also be stopping off in Brunswick Street because we have been hearing great things about The Ring Show at studio Ingot. 100 rings by 40 artists is an impressive overview of what is happening in the world of contemporary jewellery. Studio Ingot is a great space, much underrated we think. It has always struck a great balance between mid career and emerging makers. We'll report on what we we saw later in the week.

national

Does anything sound more delicious than being in Brisbane this week? Lets face it, the weather is spectacular, Liana Kabel ,the most fantastic plastic jeweller, is having a new show. And it's taking place is possibly the world best icecream store - the Movenpick at Southbank! This sounds like the perfect combination of craft and gastronomy!

international

of course if the ladies of HML could be anywhere this week we would be in New York to bear witness to the amazing virtuosity of Michael Velliquette's new work at the Museum of Arts and Design. His paper totem looks so extraordinary in the pics he sent us but we get the feeling that to really get the true impact of this work you have to be there. Oh perhaps we should fire up the private jet? lets see how the week pans out.

I MADE IT MYSELF

somewhere over the rainbow...

And finally it's finished, the rainbow to match the rain... For some reason it seemed to drag on as long as the rain has here in Melbourne over the past week. Not that i'm complaining about the rain, the garden has gone bonkers! which is very encouraging and making it seem more and more probable that I can add preserves to the list of potential christmas goodies. Which is good, because the less textile related craftiness I have to come up with for christmas the more likely people are to get their gifts before February.

TONIGHTS THE NIGHT

house party

A Solo show by Marcos Davidson. Opening tonight. Eccentric mad genius and craftsperson's craftsperson extraordinaire. Celebrating thirty years of continual practice, from 1979-2009. That's quite an innings, with no sign of stopping. Features three major body’s of works “Sonic Selectors”, “Head Takers” & “Lapidum” , paintings and an installation of objects from the workshop. But wait theres more: a sound work by Joyce Hinterding, "recorded in the workshop via antenna, of the electronic fields therein."

BE THERE

The House of Hallmarcos

until never gallery
3-5 Hosier Lane
Melbourne
14 October - 21 November

MAKE IT YOURSELF

the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Tired of Times New Roman, over Ariel, had it with Helvetica? well then people this could be your answer. The clever folk at fontcapture have worked out a way to turn your own handwriting into a font, and it won't cost you a cent, yes that's right peeps this one is FREE!!! Now that's what I call genius. I must admit I haven't had a crack at this myself yet, and yes it does almost seem to good to be true. So like the intrepid reporter I am i'll be heading over to fontcapture pronto to turn my own scribble into the schnizzle (I hope) IF it all works out, expect to see my new font "lady cab driver" later this week. Wish me luck.

SHOWS OF THE WEEK

international
blue sky mine

Brooklyn native Dan-ah Kim makes great pictures, she's also a big fan of the DIY craft scene, regularly incorporating hand stitching and collage techniques into her artworks. Which of course we love. She's also a great graphic designer and a pretty nifty photographer. What we like to call a true triple threat.

Here she is proudly standing in front of three fabulous works from her new show at gallery Metropolis, Lancaster Pennsylvania. Which we also think looks like a pretty cool place, self described as a little haven of mid century modern in an area best known for Amish culture and Folk Art. Not that theres anything wrong with either Amish culture or folk art. In fact we think pretty highly of both. But maybe if you're surrounded by quilts and carts you might get all misty eyed over some seriously plastic mass produced pop, instead of the other way around... which is how we get here at HML.

Daughters of the Blue Sky

until October 31.

Metropolis Gallery
154 N. Prince Street
Lancaster, PA

local
monsters inc.

Melbourne jeweller Justine Austin is back in town, and she's brought some friends with her. Funny, perverse little monsters, 36 of them in all, each meticulously handcrafted from sterling silver, paua shell, gemstones, bone, glass, mother of pearl and coral. With bad habits too boot: swimmer stealing, condom biting, clothes headbutting. These little fellows have some serious issues and we cannot wait to meet them.

Monster Zoo

until November 14

(so you have plenty of time to go back, again and again)

Pieces of Eight Gallery

635 Brunswick Street

North Fitzroy.

the living room (no seriously that's what it's called)

domestic help

"Paying respect to the idea introduced by the late 19th century Arts and Crafts movement of creating a ‘Total work of Art’ from a domestic place of dwelling, The Living Room will see Blindside gallery transformed into a functioning, albeit unconventioal and slightly supernatural, living room." This sounds brilliant... kind of crazy, with the possiblity of a very variable success rate and just the kind of thing we like to dip into. Especially seeing as its neither of OUR living rooms and therefore not covered in randomly thrown toys, bibs and bits of yesterdays lunch.

The show features "A selection of 12 of Melbourne’s most inventive artists, designers and architects will collaborate to create a highly imaginative example of the way in which we can inhabit and influence the spaces we live in." A veritable who's who of Melbourne's indie art scene... Belle Bassin, Sally Blenheim (pictured), Tim Fleming, Ghostpatrol, Rory Hyde, Kotoe Ishii, JT De Mallory, Dylan Martorell, Rowan McNaught, Scott Mitchell, Annie Wu, Tai Snaith.

So it is almost like going to a party at the house of the coolest kids in town, only we're all invited, we don't have to bring drinks and some creepy guy with a lampshade on his head isn't trying to feel you up at 3am when everyone else has left. Just one Mr. Tim Fleming in white gloves working out his jazz hands on a plywood faux organ.

The living room
Blindside Gallery
Level 7, Room 14
Nicholas Building Swanston st. City
Open Thursday till Saturday 12-6pm
15 -31 October

BEER OF THE WEEK

cheer up charlie

Saw Chris from the first series of masterchef walking along Brunswick Street. He looked smaller, more miserable than usual and the wind kept catching his hat.  I thought of all the things I could yell out the car window "Dirty Dog!" "Bad Man!" "W**nker!". But then I remembered he has 800 cookbooks and can make perfect cupcakes using beer. So it true hml fashion I would invite him over and offer him a Craft lager. Because if there is one thing that Chris and HML have in common - we know everything is better handmade.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

knowledge = power!

Uk design firm Young have a nifty site called Learn Something New Every Day where people send in factoids and they respond by making these fabbo illos. we love them.

There is one for every day of the week  and the geekiest amongst us  follow them on Twitter. We know this is another time suckage but at least it will bring a smile to your dial and

make you smarter (or a smart arse)

SHOWS OF THE WEEK

Cross Country

The ladies of HML have both collected pieces by David Pottinger and so we'll be eager to get to his new show at Gallery 101 this week. This is old school, hardcore capital C ceramics and we are a mite bit pleased that we bought while we could still afford it.

If we were in Sydney we'd be peeking inside the wardrobe of Gene Sherman who has been wearing and collecting the very best of Japanese fashion for over 20 years. She's donated her 'retired' outfits - that bear the labels of Yamamoto, Myake and Kawakubo for a unique fashion overview. Oh to have a wardrobe so styling it's exhibition worthy!

Being the fashion hounds that we are we'd also be keen to check out the Easton Pearson survey show on at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. It would nice to be somewhere warm and where people didn't just wear black and grey all the damn time.

We urge anyone in Perth to go and see the Mari Funaki exhibition at the Art Gallery of Western Australia. This Melbourne-based jeweller and gallery director is craft royalty and with 50 works in the show - including new objects especially created for the occasion - this is a rare treat. 

Zoe Veness will change what you think about paper jewellery. If you are in Adelaide go check her work out at the Jam Factory. This work is dense, complex, tactile and, for want of a better word, mathematical. 
phew. Big country this one. Sorry we didn't make it everywhere, we only have a week!

CHRISTMAS FRIDAY, ON A THURSDAY

rainy days and sundays always make me smile...

This year, being time poor and idea rich is actually turning out to be not so bad. I've hit upon what I think could be the ultimate answer for peeps in my position. Customisation. So everyone will be getting something a little home-made and a little bit store bought this Christmas. This is part one of what will be a pair of cushions for a pair of people that like nothing better than rainy days and a good lie in. The other cushion will have the same clouds but with a rainbow above it. Nice sentiment I think. And even nicer that I actually can get them made, rather than just imagining how nice it would be to make them, which is what would no doubt happen if I had to make the whole cushion cover from scratch rather than just making a plain one look better.

               

I like to think of this as less a lazy craft option and more a clever craft option for working mums who now spend most of their spare time picking up toys and doing laundry. One down, one to go and 90 days to do it, along with the other seventeen presents on the list. Wish me luck.