SHOW OF THE WEEK

contain yourself

This time of year the craft show scene is pretty quiet so it is a great opportunity to walk through the big institutions and see new acquisitions, revisit old favourites and in this case see a gallery full of some of the most well crafted vessels made in this country. The NGV hosts the triennial Cicely and Colin Rigg Design Award with each year themed to bring a highly curated touch to the show.

Emma Davies ghost vessels were a welcome shot of colour

They dropped the world Craft from the title but we all know it still looms large in the criteria. This time instead of going for a medium category (the past has included jewellery, textiles, ceramics) they went for a theme 'Containment' allowing for different media (and makers) to be included. The winner was venerable gold and silversmith Marion Hosking, and without doubt her work was impressive. Hosking always manages to pull off the impossible I think, balancing the robust and the delicate without one making the other appear clunky or flimsy. I have to say that there was some really impressive work in the show.

L2R clockwise Robin Bold, David Pottinger, Marion Hosking, Katherine Wheeler

For my money I would have pinned a gold star on the work of Katherine Wheeler. Her work really genuinely excited me. Her strange hybrid forms combined beautiful hollow ware shapes with strange organic off shoots like roots of a plant or limbs of an alien. They looked as if they could spring to life at any moment.They  far from being grotesque, there is great beauty there, like finding a perfect shell or fossil. A fantastic show and a lovely quiet time of year to go and enjoy it.

Katherine Wheeler

Show runs until 21 July (good grief, what is going on at the NGV?)
RAMONA

PS there were many many makers I think should have been included in this show and there are no textile artists (basket weaving anyone?) which seems an oversight to my mind. Not enough glass and no paper anywhere. hmmm...

FIRST POST OF THE YEAR

Clean Slate

That amorphous time between Christmas and New Year has already passed. For list makers like Beck and myself New Years Day is probably the best day of the year. I have my new diary, journal and notebook ready to go. There is much to look forward to in 2013 and there are a few craft resolutions that we've made that we'd like to share.

Top Five HML craft resolutions for 2013

5. Actually see all the shows we tell you about
4. Have a handmade element in all our gifts (not just Xmas but birthdays too)
3. Share our craft failures as well as successes (eek)
2. Continue upskilling by attending workshops and classes
1. Write a book (deadline November 29 - that's all we are saying for now)

RAMONA

XX HML

Last Post of the Year

Seasons greetings and farewell 2012

So today is the day. Well tomorrow is really but we swear we thought there were at least three more days to go! Personally we've had a helluva year of extreme highs and terrible lows, and are both pretty glad to put this year to rest. That being said we have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all lovely readers for checking in on HML this year and hope you continue to find us a source of info, inspiration and humour (usually at our own expense). We'll be back Jan 1st with more craft news, crews, reviews, clues and...um stuff. Can you tell we're tired? Love to you all! XXXX

EVENT OF THE WEEK

party time

Well we have really saving the best for last. Don't worry if you haven't bought any gifts yet because all shall be taken care of at the Harvest Fiesta. That being said even if you have bought or made everything this will be such a nice day out it may be well worth cracknig open the piggy bank one last hurrah! The lovely ladies of Harvest Textiles have invited all their favourite friends and collaborators to share the Christmas love and put on what is sure to be the sweetest of all the seasonal markets. Sadly HML won't be able to attend but if we were able to be there I can tell you right now we would be the first in line for a taco!

Merry christmas Harvest Textiles!
RAMONA & BECK xxxx

PROJECTS OF THE WEEK

tis, you know, the season

Despite notably ramping down this year, both the ladies of HML have been busy making things. We put it down to the pressure being off considerably, somehow it made it easier to craft! I'm continuing my obsession with needlefelting and made a little baby rattle for my young friend Gene. There has also been more wreath making (hence the air dry clay flower making) and pulling out all the handmade decorations for the tree (most of which Beck made!)

My continuing quest for the perfect christmas village continues. This little neighbourhood took me a fair few hours of an evening to make but how sweet is it? Very pleased! Mind you I have a number of nasty cuts on my hands now, and will have to put the needle down for a while to recover.

The recipient (our gorgeous glamorous publisher) instantly thought they'd be great brooches, something I hadn't even considered. I now dream of making a row of needle felted terrace houses as a brooch. I'll have to write that down somewhere for later. 

Not to be outdone Beck whipped up a set of glamorous glow in the dark polymer beads for her to take to Berlin and this super cool neon basket.

And despite getting ready for an epic 3 weeks in QLD Beck has been a very busy bee. She's made jam, beads and baskets for everyone else as well and as she leaves soon I scored my gift early. This will be the first year in about 6 that we haven't spent Christmas together so there will be a lot of texting going on the next few weeks. But we can honestly say, at the end of a pretty tough year, the ladies of HML find themselves breathing a little easier. RAMONA