Movin On

Always Movin On.

2009-08-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

It's been some time since I posted here. Lots going on and yup, you guessed it...always Movin On!

I spent most of the winter going to Theatre or Drawing classes. it was a testy, sharp winter at times (although short) and now in late Aug we have the first signs of Spring with Daffodills and fine sunny days with frosty starts.

Another reason for restarting this blog is a friend has asked me to help him create his blog, and this is familiarizing myself with the tools etc. I'll attach my first video (once I find out how to do this) and really explore & familiarize myself with the bloggers tools etc. Musically things have been "Movin On" with the purchase of a Soprano Sax, from New Zealands Trademe auction site, for a ridiculous price. I always said I'd never buy a sax unseen and unblown, well I did just this and it's worked out well. Soprano's are notorious for intonation issues and hard to play well.

I returned to my teacher for a refresher on technique and was told I needed to open my throart more, which really helped, so much so my old 1935 Alto (Naked lady 6M Conn) really apreciated this and became more full bodied, and even more beautiful.

Another development worthy of mention is my weekly Jaming with Sandro the Itialan drummer down in Motueka.

We sounded very rough for several months, both being relatively new to playing with others, initially playing along to computers, just trying to stay in time and follow the music.

I personally thought we should give up, (several times). but now I'm glad we didn't, as we are still a bit rough, but improving. Sandro is more of a Jazz Buff/Pure-ist having a large record collection (vynyl) I have learned allot and opened my hearing to new music and ways of listening, all of which are because of Sandro.

I have also enlisted the help of Sandro to be the Leonardo Character in my play, although he has not done any acting, he has a long time interest in Leonardo, art and best of all he's Italian with the passion and voice characteristics to match.

We are reviewing parts of the play before rewriting and then will get down to learning the script prior to some test performances.

All very exciting and developing all the time, however challenging most rewarding, I guess the learning is mainly in the process to get to first night , then the real joys will start!

I will keep you posted on developments.

Cheers & Ciao.

Jimu

Movin On #3

2009-01-16T23:07:00.000-08:00

Well it's now over a couple of weeks from my last post. The exhibition went well I sold the table and four chairs (my biggest item) on Christmas eve to a local publican who was out on his Goldwing Honda, quite a bike. Nearly all of my small items, like breadboards and boxes all were snapped up. Not so many people about and due to a cafe being next door, I think the sound of the Sax, did bring in some people, and therefore buyers.

My exhibition title "Movin On" did bring people who knew me and have followed and appreciated my work over the years, so we had some lovely conversations about my travels and people I've worked with over the last 25 years..

I finnaly got down to spending some time exploring some ideas with woodblock. I have been looking at much woodblock web sites and the Baren forum, there is so much information to absorb and I now realize my figiian carving techniques are quite different, although I think my woodworking/woodcarving skills will hold me in good stead!.

This was my first attempt at woodblock carving, I modified a photo of myself in microsoft photodraw and carbon copied it onto a block of NZ siver beech. This proved to be rather tough to cut , and I've since learned (on the Baren forum) that oiling the wood before carving would have made carving easier, I'll try it on my next block. I realized several differences, firstly the tools I have are very long shafted making it hard to control the cutting edge, also the figian style has a strange grip, holding the chisels by the handle, but with the cutting edge pointing up the inside of the arm towards the body. I know this is strange to most people, although I think it gives a greater degree of control being able to use the wrist/hand to leaver into the work. Another, new area to me was the consistency of the printing ink, having no experience, trial and error saw me using more liquid and brushing it on quite thinly, seemed to have the best results. Of course all this depended on the dampness of the paper, another variable I had no experience off. Other issues were, probably using the wrong type of brush to ink up and unsure how to make rice paste.

I am reasonably happy with this first attempt and will seek some local help from practicing printmakers.

I am currently finishing a drawer box which was ordered through an Auckland Gallery.

Next week, I'm off to Wellington to help my brother with decks around his house for 3 weeks.

Susan Creedy who runs Aspects Gallery also runs Drawing, and Watercolour classes so I have enrolled in her next drawing class, which I will be great input for developing new directions into Woodblock.

A recent visit to Christchurch to my sisters youngest 21st birthday party happened to coincide with the World Busking Festival. Christchurch turned on 30 deg days, perfect for punting down the Avon.

These professional buskers are very talented and have a well practised routine. Must be tough to perform several times a day in the hot sun! I take my hat of too them and admire the talent, creativity and freedom they enjoy!

Looks like I will be doing some Busking (of the more traditional variety) this coming weekend where I'll be standing on a corner blowing my Sax....might even have a go in Wellington!

Cheers and Ciao

Jimu

Exhibition 3 days into it!

2008-12-21T22:49:00.000-08:00

Well the first couple of days went with a hiss and a roar! Sold a mirror and a box, to Nelson friends. The second day even better, with a mother coming in with her children and buying one of my beautiful boxes for her 9 year old twins (Astrid & Sophie) and her 11 year old boy (Tristam). Wow what a gift to give your children. They did look like they really appreciated them, choosing their own. Whether it was my boxes or the Saxophone playing (pink panther as they walked in), I’m not too sure, however I told the mother, what a special gift you’ve given your children and these are the last one’s I will make, in fact I made a box for the Dalai Lama, and it wasn’t as good as yours!(true)

This is the sense of connection I hoped for, chatting and sometimes selling, finding out something about the people, the interactions are really neat!

Nearly sold my table and chairs, but his lovely wife threw several spanners in the works, he really wanted to buy, finally settling for some breadboards.

Each day in the Gallery, is different, now the weather in on the improve, it’s a great place to hang out, Susan’s art books are at the end of the Gallery (she teaches Drawing & Watercolours, several times a week in this Gallery space). Her Studio actually has a printing press (roller), so I hope to do some trials while I’m manning the exhibition.

So far I’ve been researching and viewing allot of woodblock images through books and on the internet, deciding what attracts me and how I can start doing some thing from the carving I’ve done in furniture and for my local Community Sports Centre.

Last winter I escaped to Australia (Queensland) and while visiting Cairns came across the fabulous linocut prints of the Torres Straight Islanders
I was struck by their carving technique, how similar the imagery and patterns are to the Fijian carving I have been doing for the last 10 years.

So where do I go from here!!!

I’ll have a play tomorrow with another self image!

This will be the last post before Christmas, back on deck boxing day.

Cheers

Jimu

Movin On Exhibition opens

2008-12-19T00:18:00.000-08:00

Kia ora everyone.

Yes after 25 years plus as a woodworker, today my first ever solo exhibition starts at Aspects Gallery. Why is this my first solo exhibition, you may be asking? Well I happened to be in chatting to Susan Creedy, who runs Aspects Gallery. I first met her when she taught me drawing 13 years ago. She suggested I have this exhibition over the Christmas peroid. I only had 3weeks to prepare for this, luckily I had quite a bit of stock on hand and also decided to finish a batch of partly made boxes.

I am really looking forward to meeting the people, I will be there each day from 10-5pm for 3 weeks. I will be exploring some ideas with the carving chisels and will play with woodblock printing, starting with my figian carving patterns and see what I can come up with! Of course my Saxophone and laptop will be with me, so time will go very fast.

I intend to blog about the experiences, with the public, with my exhibition, and how I'm going with the woodblock explorations.

If your out and about over the christmas period and in Nelson at this time, heading to Rabbit Island, Mapua, Abel Tasman National Park or even Golden Bay, please call in for a chat and a cuppa!

Aspects Gallery is right next to "The Grape Escape" just off State Highway 60, McShanes road runs beween the State Highway 60 and Lower Queen street. There's allot to see with Eyebright, the country store just down the road and also the Nelson Jazz Festival being held at various venues around the district.

If you want to see the exhibition catalogue, email me and I'll send it on.

Drive safely (and slowly, the speed camera's are always around) this holiday season, relax, reflect and unwind from all your doings this past year, simply enjoy the ride!

Ka Kite, Ciao and Namaste

Jimu