SHOW OF THE WEEK - DANIEL DORRELL, KATE RHODE, COUNIHAN GALLERY, GRACIA HABY AND LOUISE JENNISON

sweet dreams

Daniel Dorell has created a complex maze diorama, both curious and scary

We consider ourselves so lucky to live where we do. We think that we've won the life lottery really. To be surrounded by the most amazing creativity in one of the nicest towns on the planet is the bees knees. One thing we've learnt by highlighting shows each week is there is a variety of venues, all of which need to be looked at. For us, one of the most underrated are those galleries that are attached to municipalities, often existing within the walls of local government.

Kate Rohde continues to excite us with her sublime mix media creations

Opened last week is a terrific group show In Your Dreams at Counihan Gallery in Brunswick - in the delightful City of Stonnington. Curators Edwina Bartlem and Victor Griss have brought artists together that dive head first into the surreal, the imagined and yes of course dreaming and perhaps nightmares too. 

this gorgeous Princess and the Pea work by William Eicholtz was a favourite with the kidlets

We were  so impressed that the text panels had a sort of 'parental guidance' edition beneath it. Giving the show a clever education trail that can help parents and teachers guide smaller peeps through the show. This is also a great way to read work as an adult audience. When you see so much you can often can become a bit flip or jaded so having these text panels push your attention in different ways is a good thing.

a whole room was dedicated to the silhouette animation by Yandell Walton

There's film, collage, sculpture, photography even diorama. I was also intrigued by a beautiful sound work by Dylan Martorell that added to the whole 'otherworldliness' of the show and enriched a space that can often feel a bit sterile or forced. This is of course the downfall of town hall exhibition spaces. But given the right curatorial staff and program they can thrive and develop their own independent character.

Gracia and Louise stole the show with their exquisite installation

A highlight for us was the well considered installation by the hardest working artists we know. Gracia Haby and Louise Jennison's corner of wonder includes drawings, collages, hand written musings, accordion books and more formal framed work. They are the ideal duo to transport us into a dream world populated by dancers, circus performers and endangered species. In our dreams these two get to make a film with Wes Anderson!

Beck's fear of clown means she may have to avert her gaze at this point

So when your down your local high street consider your city galleries as a potential gold mine, or at least another venue to add to your long list of visual feasting opportunities. Here in Melbourne we are spoilt for choice. Here are just a few:

CITY GALLERY

TOWN HALL GALLERY

GLEN EIRA CITY GALLERY

BUNDOORA HOMESTEAD

HATCH CONTEMPORARY ARTSPACE

In Your Dreams is open until June 8 RAMONA

AIRWAVES OF THE WEEK - HML ON THE GRAPEVINE, ANNA VARENDORFF, FRESH! AT CRAFT, MOTHERS DAY AND CRAFT CUBED

we're back...

Yes back at the RRR's and back on air today around 10.30ish on the grapevine. Hear us wax lyrical on what's on around town, what we've been up to, what you need to see, make and yes do... basically covering all that is crafty in Melbourne. 

SEE

Slip

Group show Slip at Anna Pappas gallery brings together a collection of artists creating work that in some way articulates change, slight almost imperceptible but most definately present. Features HML favourite and top five exhibition of the year candidate Anna Varendorff. 

Until May 31.

Anna Pappas

2-4 Carlton Street, Prahran.

Fresh! at Craft Victoria

Elise Sheehan

We reviewed this one last week but we can't talk it up enough. Its a GREAT show. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year it has an alumni that reads like a who's who of contemporary craft and has proven record unearthing craft superstars of the future. This year is no exception.

at Craft until June 8.

31 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Lifestyle Concept 

Alex Vivian

This one is gonna be great!!!  Lifestyle Concepts features some of Melbournes finest makers and thinkers from conceptual fashion duo Dolce and Kabana, set designer, sculptor and illustrator Madeline Kidd (currently also exhibiting in the window at Craft) to contemporary abstractionist Lisa Radford, superstar craft triple threat Meredith Turnbull and object manipulator Alex Vivian. 

May 7 - June 7 at Daine Singer 

Basement 325 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

opening 4-6pm saturday may 10.

MAKE 

Martha Friedman macaroni necklace

Lucy Folk

Mothers Day is right up there in the lexicon of craft holidays and its not too late to whip up your own original work for Mothers Day. Getting kids to make something for mum (other than a mess) is always a winner and getting your first gold sprayed macaroni necklace is definitely a right of passage. We're both hoping our boys take a leaf out of Lucy Folk's book and make this our year, but given the impact of loom bands and mine craft we're probably going to end up with a pixilated pick axe or plastic choker. 

If you're looking to make something simple but a little more sophisticated for either your kids or you to make have a crack at a simple silhouette portrait, hand painted pot and planter or a dip dyed t-shirt or tote bag. Also remember craft books and supplies never go astray for making mums if you're still stuck for ideas we'll be showing you a couple of super quick projects guaranteed to please during the week. Watch this space.

DO

The annual Scarf festival is an international open entry competition, sales opportunity and exhibition Originating at Craft Victoria many years ago it's been held at the National Wool Museum in Geelong for the last five years or so and just keeps getting bigger and better. Felters, knitters, crochet masters, dyers, patchworkers and fibre artists of all kinds welcome and call outs have been extended until May 16. Get more info HERE and get on board.

Closing date for entries Friday May 16

Exhibition Launch June 5

Exhibition open from Friday June 6 - Sunday September 5

Craft Cubed 

Craft is currently taking expressions of interest for satellite programs for this years festival. Got a great idea for an exhibition, workshop, performance, market, pop up shop, open studio, or happening or already have something taking place during august? Join the growing list of amazing people, projects and events in Australia's only festival of craft! Seriously this is a great for event for makers of all kinds and well worth becoming a part of! Check out details here, or call Program Coordinator Gemma Jones at Craft.

There are also bucketloads of new courses starting up all over Melbourne which we'll be reporting on this week, so keep your pencils or smartphones handy if you're interested in either serious upskilling or starting a new hobby.

whew lots on... see you on air - BECK AND RAMONA

SHOW OF THE WEEK - 20 YEARS OF FRESH!

FRESH IS BEST

Fresh @ Craft Victoria is always a highlight of the year. The 'best of the best' graduates selected by advisory committee, then curated (in this instance by Craft Curator Debbie Pryor) have been a highlight of the CRAFT calendar. This year marks the 20th anniversary of this amazing showcase of emerging talent.

The ladies of HML have been to quite a few of these let me tell you! Both of us have been honoured to be on the committee in past years and it's been a thrill to watch careers forge ahead from this amazing platform. 

John Brooks(VCA) continues to push at the boundaries of weaving

In our mind this has to be one of the very best we've seen in recent years. The focus is very much on craft - with inclusions of weaving, jewellery, ceramics, even embroidery gets a much needed look in! But what can it tell us about current craft practice? We've noted a return to skill, a celebration of technique and material as a rising trend across  the board and Fresh is the perfect example of that.

We can't wait for Kate Jones' (RMIT) solo show

Some makers we are already familiar with. The wonderful weaver John Brooks who I keep banging on about like and incessant fangirl, the incredible monumental slab bots by Kate Jones who Beck has been raving about since her window exhibition at Craft in 2013. With a solo show later this year we can't wait to extend our ceramics collection.

light and shadow are just two of the dualities explored by Elise Sheehan (RMIT)

There is a real lightness of touch to this show. You can see that it has been 'curated' as things sit together so well and support each other in their quiet pools of light. Debbie Pryor is to be congratulated because Fresh is a tough one. All these new kids on the block trying to flex their creative muscles to be heard above the rest, a committee that has very firm ideas on what constitutes 'Fresh' and a challenging space all make for a tricky mix.

We think Marcos Guzman (RMIT) is the NBT in contemporary jewellery

It may be that having the show In April/May rather than the traditional November/ December has allowed some of the dust to settle on graduation but none of the excitement as was evidenced by a packed opening night. People were genuinely excited to be there, to meet each other and to share in each other's successes.

Guzman's work celebrates primitivism and minimalism at the same time

Craft Victoria also have a fantastic short film celebrating the 20 years of Fresh with some interviews with past recipients. It's a nice watch and shows just what an important show this has become for the craft culture of Melbourne. We'd like to add that unless funding levels are maintained or improved many of the tertiary craft courses will disappear (like tapestry and glass at Monash).

Louise Meuwisson (VCA) dense and strange embroidery

There aren't too many yardsticks for professional maker, especially emerging ones. As they begin a tough journey of defining their own practice and where it fits in a complex craft culture, Fresh remains and important exhibition that acts as both celebration and forecast. This year the mood is resilient and optimistic, a fantastic combination we think. Here's hoping for 20 more. RAMONA (words) AND BECK (pictures)

CATCH UP OF THE WEEK - EASTER MAKEATHON

making and baking

Apologies for our week off air, but what with Easter, school holidays, ongoing health issues and crazy chocolate fueled children we've kind of been swamped. This hasn't however meant that we haven't been busy making, we still both manage to find time to get creative even if its in a stolen half hour between boys bath and bedtime.

While I tend to work on longer term projects that can be picked up and put down easily like tapestry weaving and coiled baskets Ramona knocks out new works on a daily basis like some kind of crazy making machine - you can see the results of her current totem obsession above. Having these long weekends is such a luxury for home crafters, giving you a whole day to get busy on bigger projects (like overdue wedding gifts) without having to think of the barrage of domestic duties and needy family members that fill regular weekends.

Over the past ten days Ramona's been busy with hand painted totems, paper flowers while I've been working on dyed indigo bedding, needle weaving, and baking... lots and lots of baking (I even broke my old oven over the weekend courtesy of my new-found obsession with freshly baked sourdough) and the kids have been making mine craft craft and covering the concrete with chalk drawings.

Busy busy crafting creatures we are... what did you get busy with over the long weekend? BECK

PROJECTS OF THE WEEK - WREATHS AND EASTER

egg on

he took great care getting the colour combos right

The ladies of HML are REALLY looking forward to Easter this year. Work and home have been unusually mental and we could sure use some downtime (if you call cooking Easter lunch for 8 people downtime). The school holidays have beautifully coincided with Easter this year so there has been much seasonal crafting. Thom excelled in the crepe paper stuffing of clear eggs for the branch.

$2.80 shops are the best for odd craft supplies

I even went one step further this year and made an Easter wreath for the front door. I'm a little wreath obsessed I admit. I find that they work best if you amass bits and bobs over time and have a beautiful wreath base so you don't have to cover the whole thing. You'll need a hot glue gun too because you need instant grip of odd shaped items like eggs, felt flowers etc

it wouldn't be Easter without those chicks

The branch looks particularly pretty.  I wrapped it in different coloured wool first and then dotted it with those crazy yellow chickens. It showcases both this years clear eggs and last years bedazzled gilded ones.

a hot glue gun is your best friend to get this much stuff on!

The front door wreath was so successful someone passing by asked me where I bought it! She then offered to buy it off the door which was sweet but a little crazy. It only took me 30 minutes and cost about $10 (wreath from a $2 shop, papier mache eggs covered in  scrap fabric and lace trim, felt flowers made out of cheap acrylic felt which is better outdoors, and Peter Rabbit acting as the Easter bunny  printed out from the internet and mounted on cardboard - it's not rocket science).

looks great in my Iggy and Lou Lou vase!

We'll be back next Tuesday with a show of the week. We hope you all have a lovely break with family and friends, eat some chocolate, read a book, listen to the rain, have tea, ignore the housework, sleep in. 

That's our plan! HAPPY EASTER! RAMONA AND BECK