Scenes From Sydney: What's On Your Social Calendar?
By Jaclyn Carlson The Sydney creative scene has been bursting at the seams lately with book launches, birthday events and other celebrations of creativity – it’s enough to keep a girl's social calendar full! I’m here this month to report back on a few events that caught my eye as well as a few upcoming gatherings that you’ll certainly want to keep an eye on…
First up is a collaboration of the best kind – blogger Jodie Wilson, of Che & Fidel fame teams up with talented photographer Tim Coulson to host The Creatives, a full day of creative writing & photography goodness on 3 May - I can't wait to hear all about this one and certainly will be booking myself in for their next workshop.
Up next is an event that I look forward to every year - Vivid Sydney. One of Sydney’s finest gatherings of creative minds and visionaries gathers throughout May & June as part of the Vivid Sydney or more specifically, the Vivid Ideas Exchange. This year I can't wait to check out an event with 3 creative female bloggers entitled - We Blog The City on May 25 - don't miss it!
And finally I couldn't help but share a birthday wish to super stylist Megan Morton as she rings in The School's first birthday with a creative bash to end all others. If you missed this one here in Sydney then I'm sure you would have seen the images & craft goodness that flooded Instagram or watch out soon when The School invades Melbourne, make sure to sign up for a class (or two). Enjoy!
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column.
Women in Art: Kirra Jamison
By <Liz Banks-Anderson> “All consuming. Considered. Calm. Intensive. Frenzied.” This is how the talented Australian artist Kirra Jamison describes her creative process, not that this discordant energy is reflected in her distinct colourful art works.
Growing up in Byron Bay, Kirra cites being surrounded by a lot of creative people as a child as a key influence in developing her interest in art, “I can remember being taken to a lot of community theatre, dance and art shows from a young age. I always wanted to be a painter,” she says.
Since capturing people’s attention with her first solo exhibition in 2006, Kirra’s work has continually evolved and diversified and has seen her garner a faithful following. Once you view her latest exhibition Still Point it will be easy to see why.
I first saw Kirra's works from her 2011 exhibition Spirit is a Bone, where intricate and celebratory works in colour were instantly mesmerising. Since then, she has had many solo exhibitions including Love me two times in 2011 and Locomotor in 2012, gaining widespread recognition along the way.
Kirra explains how her bold and expressive use of colour means “everything” to her and the significance of this is clear in her latest exhibition Still Point. Each work explores colour, space and line. These concepts are captured and translated onto the canvas to create whimsical and uplifting pieces of art.
Belying its title, Still Point is anything but stationary. Your eyes cannot help but follow the flowing pattern of the solid lines of colour interrupted by flat abstract shapes. Pale pastels sit next to vivid blocks of colour and “...hollow greys create a unique spatial depth that allows the forms to hover and move,” says Kirra.
The ethereal qualities of Still Point are a continuation of past themes in her work as well as exploring something new, reflecting a process where “each body of work feeds the next,” she says.
The exhibition includes large canvases and small works largely using gouache on primed paper. Works are titled ‘Loop’, ‘Lucky Star’, ‘Serpent’ and ‘Gypsy’ reinforcing the whimsical qualities that remain throughout. What resonates in the art work is the sense of freedom when you view it and this says Kirra, inspires her as an artist as well as the sense of possibility and colour.
Kirra’s artistic process is not without its challenges. Navigating periods of creative frustration and block has been the greatest obstacle she has encountered in her career so far.
“It happens with every new body of work. It is just part of the process. But no less painful each time,” she says.
Each composition reflects a creative expression where lines, forms and shapes come together. These works cross many boundaries, combining and transcending opposing forces including calm and chaos, harmony and fragmentation and where well-practiced as well as new ideas flow through each piece.
All at once they can be embracing and disarming - liberating as well as consuming the observer’s attention. Well worth a look. Hope you enjoy the exhibition.
Still Point exhibition details: 26 March – April 20 www.sophiegannongallery.com.au
Liz is a communications professional and freelance writer from Melbourne. Inspired by the city’s artistic endeavours she likes taking photographs, exploring the design world and has developed a great interest in all things art. Passionate about documenting and sharing the unique projects, people and possibilities in the creative community, Liz is excited by what lies ahead. Liz’s own blog will be launched soon…In the meantime, she’s happy being a twit.
Introducing Martina to the team
I feel awfully slack to only now introduce you all to Martina Gemmola, who joined the CWC team as my event coordination assistant earlier this year. She's been a fantastic helping hand at our last two events, taking on many of the random tasks associated with pulling an event together with aplomb (not to mention baking some amazing treats for us all to share while catching up after wards!)
Martina is a freelance photographer by day, and has spent manyyears working and travelling through the US and Europe, gathering experiences and imagery from all over the world. After realising that Melbourne would always be home, she has embedded herself into the local creative community. When she is not shooting gorgeous spaces or spirited people, she is poring over design publications and dreaming of what's next. At times wearing many hats, she has a background in production and project management, keen barista skills and a serious passion for anything food and travel related.
In addition, Martina has a passion for helping fellow creative ladies in their business ventures, so if you find yourself in need of product or portfolio photography... she is highly recommended!
See more of her work at www.gemmola.com, on The Circle Database, or revisit her featured profile on the blog in 2011.
Bricks and Mortar: Peony Haute Parfumerie
By Catherine Harvey Straight away, I feel the need to confess two things - Firstly, I must admit that I have never been an avid wearer of perfume and, secondly, that after I left Peony I really did want to keep this store my own little secret!
Jill Timms started Peony Haute Parfumerie nearly ten years ago and it is clearly evident that her passion for artisan perfumery has remained strong. Rather than stocking mass produced fragrance brands, her store contains (as she calls it) "a curated collection of historical and contemporary brands."
Jill is a self professed 'storyteller' and after spending only a short time in her store, it is the stories behind the fragrances and their creators that adds another dimension to the experience. There are so many brands in this store that are unique, such as: James Heeley - one of the few owner-founders of a luxury perfume house in Europe, Olfactive Studio - where perfumeurs have teamed up with photographers to draw inspiration from their works and also Naomi Goodsir - who had previously spent more than a decade being a milliner creating couture hats prior to turning her talents to perfume. Jill shares their stories and invites you into a sensory experience that is quite captivating.
Whilst in the store, I had a brief perfume consultation where Jill chose a selection of scents to ascertain which fragrances I preferred. After all, perfume is an emotional purchase and one that differs for each individual. There were quite a few scents that I actually liked but didn't feel quite reflected my personality - a realisation that made me aware I had never put much thought into the perfume I wore.
Jill discusses with me that it's about translating the purchase of a perfume into your everyday reality. And this is where the skill and expertise of Jill comes to the forefront. Whether it is based on your career, your upcoming wedding or purely your love for wearing perfume, Peony provides a personalised service that takes into account individual tastes and circumstances.
Jill has created a retail experience that feels as though she has allowed you into her own private sanctuary. An experience that you can't buy online and also an experience that would be difficult to replicate.
I left the store with more knowledge than I walked in with, a greater appreciation for the creators themselves and a newfound love for the scent I had purchased (Still Life by Olfactory Studio). I was a completely happy and satisfied customer - and how rare is that these days?
So now I have shared my 'secret' store with you and my new perfume has now become like my favourite pair of jeans - we are rarely apart. As to Peony Haute Parfumerie, I am now a customer for life.
Peony Haute Parfumerie, 107 Auburn Road Hawthorn 3122. Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10-5pm, Saturday 10-4pm.
Catherine Harvey lives and breathes design. Working at one of Melbourne’s top studio’s, she is rarely ever away from her computer. She loves to keep up to date with the design industry in a global and local context and follows too many blogs to count! You can follow her findings here.
Organise Me: How to Stay Creative on the Road
I’ve been travelling across the USA and Canada for about 8 weeks now, and whilst my plans to stay long term in Canada have changed, I’ve been doing my best to keep my creativity flowing on the road so I’m refreshed when I get back to Melbourne after 12 weeks away.
The novelty of travelling and living out of a suitcase can get old pretty quickly, especially if you thought packing light was an amazing idea and now you’re just sick of wearing the same outfits over and over.
Here are my top tips for staying creative on the road:
- Have a packing system. Know what you’ve got and how to pack it easily. I roll everything I can and put an elastic band around it to keep it small, and keep my shoes in the dust bags they give you with handbags (then you don’t have to worry about dirt in your suitcase). A tidy suitcase takes the stress of packing a suitcase explosion on checkout morning and allows you to fit more goodies you pick up along the way.
- Walk where you can. You see more of the everyday activities that go on in a place if you walk around it. Take the time to wander. Look in the shop windows and see what you find. It may surprise you.
- If the weather is good visit the local park or garden. Take a book or sketchpad and allow your thoughts to wander. Listen to the sounds and people watch. If it’s winter and snowy, visit an ice skating rink and just soak up the atmosphere.
- Visit a book shop, an independent one if you can find one. Find your favourite section and take the time to see what titles they have on the shelves. See what’s popular, it may just spark an idea that you never would have thought of at home. If you’re feeling adventurous, pick a section of the bookshop you’d never visit at home and see what pops out at you.
- Get your camera out. It doesn’t have to be a top of the range, bells and whistles camera for you to stop, look around and see your surroundings. Use your phone if that’s what you’ve got. Make a point to see where you are and be in that moment. It’s amazing what you see when you look. Extra tip: Don’t forget to look up! (I must have walked through Flinders Street Station a million times before I stopped to look up and see the beautiful ceiling)
- Buy a local magazine about something you’re interested in. Even if you can’t read the words, it’s always interesting to see how other cultures approach things and how they present them.
- Keep your headphones off and ride the public transit. If you’re in a city with good public transportation, pick a place to go and take a ride. Listen to the sounds, the conversations and hear how the people live. Even if you can’t understand a word they say, enjoy how the sounds are different to what you’re used to.
- Take a break and be kind to yourself. Travelling gets tiring, especially when everything feels go, go, go. Pick a night or a weekend that’s just for relaxing. Put on your favourite music, grab that book you’ve had no time to read, order in something delicious and just enjoy the break.
If you can do a combination of these you may feel more inspired and relaxed while your away and carry that through to when you’re back home. I know that I have felt more inspired on this trip than I have in a long time. But even if you’re not travelling, some of these tips would work at home as well.
Dannielle is a blogger, web designer, serial organiser and passionate traveller. She has a secret love of 90s teen movies and can often be found on Twitter. In 2013, Dannielle is packing up her life in Melbourne into one suitcase and moving to Canada to make her crazy dream of a more adventurous life happen. But she quickly found the inspiration she was searching for is on her way back to Melbourne. You can find out more on her blog.
CWC member packs for the Big Hearted Business conference
Clare Bowditch's (sold out) Big Hearted Business conference is on this weekend, which CWC is proud to be sponsoring!
As well as a superb door prize, here's a little sneak peek at something every attendee will receive. The other week I sent out an open call to Full Members to provide some information about their services or products that might be of benefit to the creative entrepreneurs attending BHB. I carefully assembled each pack so attendees will have the details of and special offers from fellow creative designers, web developers, marketing professionals, and many other creative ladies whom they can then call on to help start their new ventures or help them on their journey in some way!
I love being able to provide these kinds of opportunities to Full Members so they may promote themselves, and helping fellow creatives who are just starting to follow their creative business path is a bonus in this instance!
So, who's going this weekend?