A month away from the blog is the longest I've ever gone quiet. Among that time was a twelve day trip to Australia, tagging along with my husband who attended a conference in Perth and then continued to further business in Melbourne. The last time I visited Australia with him, I had a twelve year old home schooled boy in tow, so all my tourist activities were geared toward entertaining and educating him. This round, I focused on my own interests, visiting gardens, museums and galleries.
The work that most amused me during my outings was the glass art of Richard Clements, whose delightful bird sculptures fascinated me when I visited Kirra Galleries in Melbourne. His "animals of unknown origins" were at once whimsical and masterful, mounted on the wall at eye level.
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| "Animal of Unknown Origins" Richard Clements via Kirra Galleries |
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| Kristin McFarlane via Kirra Galleries |
Amongst the flame work included in the special exhibition I viewed that weekend were plenty of jewelry pieces, including typical beads. The most intriguing jewelry work was that of Terri Kraehe, whose necklace based on eucalyptus pods was simply stunning (and already sold).
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| eucalyptus pod neckpiece Terri Kraehe and Marianne Kerby |
I find that although most of my recent work has been silver, I am still enormously drawn to glass. As I try to analyze directions for future work, I came away from this trip convinced that I need to somehow combine my glass and metal interests to produce work that is truly representative of my highest ideals. Now I just need to find time to explore the possibilities!
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Glad you enjoyed your trip to Oz - I love seeing our country showcased in wonderful blogs such as this one, look forward to seeing what new designs you create influenced by your trip here :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you went home inspired and that you found Kirra Galleries. I hadnt realised the flamework exhibition would be on, but so pleased you found it. Next time hope we catch up
ReplyDeleteMelbourne was a very inspiring city, and I hope to return again to explore more! Thanks so much, Carol, for the list of galleries to visit. I can't think of anywhere here with that density of jewelry galleries.
ReplyDeleteoh goodness,,thank you for showing my work on your blog,I can't take all the credit,,my friend Marianne Kerby is the silver smith who put it all together,I have been looking at the pictures of your work,,,what can't you do? lol, I love really beautifully crafted work and your is stunning
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration, Terri! The one thing I can't seem to do is focus on only one medium. ;-)
DeleteI know exactly what you mean,,lampworking is the first thing I have ever stuck at nearly exclusively for more than a year or two,,I am finding that there are so many new things to explore with glass,,it never gets boring :-)
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