PONY&ZUCKER

PONY&ZUCKER

Hello :)

I love your zine, how do I get a copy?

emerald_arts@hotmail.com

-Emmeline

P.S Ich liebe das zine, es ist Aweomse !

Quizzer

Have copied and pasted this quiz that everyone has been doing on FaceBook over here because sharing is caring ;)

And thus:

I thought I would take a stab at this quiz that everyone has been doing, but I'm not numbering it or spellchecking it because quite frankly it's too hot and I can't be bothered thinking so I'm going to post this then swim some laps. I'm sure everyone has probably been tagged by now, so won't pester ya'll with those things.... ONWARD HO Facebookians!

25 Things...


Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I think you'll enjoy the whole process and won't think I'm spamming you. And I think you'll have interesting answers yourself.

(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

In no order of importance:

Facts

I’m not that girly a girl, but I do have a habit of fainting at inopportune times. Once, at a school building opening, I passed out after standing swaying in the sun for an hour. My friends caught me, but it was pretty damn embarrasing. It was only about a year since I had tripped on the steps leading up to the stage to get an award... whenever the mercury rises above fourty celcius, watch me as I swoon like a Victorian lady. I really should have been born in Russia. Also, I look good in fur hats.

I have never been a fussy eater and sometimes ordering meals at restaurants makes me feel like a freak so I love it when Ten or my Mum order for me.

An old man customer at Domayne once looked intently at my eyes and said “Remarkable, I’ve never seen swamp green eyes before”. I took it as a compliment because everyone else told me that they were hazel... and I like swamps.

My Kindergarten teacher refused to believe that I could read, even though I had been for about a year by then, so the next day I told her to get a book from the library and I would read it to her. It turned out to be Boy by Roald Dahl, which was one of my favourites (but I didn’t tell her that ;P). She stopped arguing with me after that.

My best friend for ever and always is Nifty Nige. We met at playgroup and have gotten along like a house on fire ever since. He knows exactly how I think and vice versa. It’s awesome to have that constant, non-needy kind of friendship. Plenty of people have said “Oh, we can spend months without speaking and then meet up again and it’s the same as always”. With Nifty that’s actually true. Also, he is hilarious and Ewan MgGregor looks a bit like him.

Hate having a mobile phone. The idea that people can contact me at will, at any hour, is horrid. I have a tendency to put it on silent for days at a time, have lost several and had that many again stolen.

I don’t have a favourite colour, I like them all. Except puce.

When I was four and starting ballet, Dad was in charge of buying my equipment bag. We came home with a Red yellow and blue toolbox. I still use it, but now it’s full of sculpture stuff and actual tools.

Monopoly is the greatest board game ever.

Habits

Terminally messy. My house is always clean, but messy. I make all these resolutions and try to be more organised, but then I can’t find things because I can’t remember where they are now and it affects my time in the house.

I collect visual influences from every corner of the interweb and save them in month folders. Then once a week I go through and use them as a launching pad for sketchbook ideas.

I have to swim at least every four days, in the ocean baths, or I get restless. I taught myself to swim by watching Dad swim laps in our pool at Dudley. Water is the one place where I can streamline my thousand thoughts into one... how good the water feels.

I’ve always mingled periods of socialising with hermitude and silence. Mum used to leave me with a friend who had a daughter my age when I was 4. She went back to nurse for a while. When she would come to get me in the afternoons she would either find me sitting by the door reading and waiting, or locked in Rhett’s bedroom having taken the mechanism that links both sides of the door out so that it could not be opened.

I love Dancerciseing to music video clips. Teaching myself new dance mooves.

Goals

I attended the Fine Art interviews today thinking (thanks Mum) that they were an invitation day, took an interview anyway and emailed PDF Portfolio when I got home. I hope they accept me, I’m hungry to learn, it’s been so long since I’ve engaged the academic part of my brain. The four core subjects are Printmaking, Photography, illustration and sculpture).





So yeah, it's a few days after I wrote that and saved it in drafts, posted today because there is no way I am ever going to finish 25... whatever :P

Work it.

Since today is supposed to be even hotter and the shop doesn't have air con and I don't have a phone, I have transferred funds from Paypal and Business account into savings so I can go to Garden City later, buy a business SIM then will spend the rest of the day catching up on phone calls and revelling in the awesomeness that is the air conditioning at Buddy. Also, I tripped over Ten's laptop bag last night, which was rather painful (yet still hilarious) so I'm probably best off not walking anywhere today if I can help it. I could go into the shop, spend all day sweating and wishing I was at the baths, or I can stay home in the air con, write up the lesson brochures for Emerald Arts and finally catch up on my emails.

Yesterday was the first day of trading (sort of) for Emerald Arts. I spent the morning painting a mural on one of the columns, then occupied the afternoon by posing for photos for the Herald. Usually, I hate having my photo taken, but after working blue steel and posing in the middle of my origami sculpture, I loosened up and rather felt like Serena from Gossip Girl. My photographer was awesome, totally encouraging and fun to work with. I highly recommend the experience ;)

Another Renew Newcastle project on it's way, this space is to be a photography gallery. It has the most amazing timber columns in the back (soon to be backdrops in a studio).

Wednesday night Ten and I attended the opening of "Art Works" at the Front Room Gallery. The exhibitors being all staff members of the Newcastle Art School. I was completely besotted with this piece, a study of the Doggie Park in near Nobby's Beach. But my favourite by far was at the other end of the room. I didn't get a good photo of it, but it was amazing... trust me. Throbbed with the richest reds and purples that pulsed through a glossy black. I really hope I have that artist as one of my teachers.

Um... yeah, that was my other good news, I got accepted there to study this year. Wed, Thur, Fri will be taken up with learning. Yes.



The wall of ideas at Emerald Arts. These are works by other artists that I have collected over the years. The central poster was from Yen, it's just sublime.





The large sculpture (posed in yesterday) with the Dalek print from which many of it's cranes were folded. So much love.

Zephyrama's creations on display. The button brooches and necklaces are most awesome, but the knitting needles are the best part... such a simple idea but so effective, and they feel beautiful to wear. I had kind of expected the pointy end to snag on things, but it really doesn't. Such a crafty girl. You should see her on her spinning wheel, maybe I can convince her to come in and give a demo one night at the Anti-Scrapbooking Society *grins*

Robots robots ROBOTS of LURVE.... :)



My work station.

Sweet baby Jeebus this is an epically long entry already, but I have to share what I just came across on FaceBook because it proves how made of win my boyfriend is.

Here's the premise: Renew Newcastle, which Emerald Arts is a proud and shiny part, has an event on FB created for it's Launch Party (21st Feb). Someone made the following comment:

why are you promoting artists to be pawns of the propertied elite? Baffling but desperate...they've got us just where they need us eh? Process space is the key...put a holding charge on land and those vacancies will hit the market, forcing rents back down. INstead YOU are promoting an artist run cultural revamp of central newcastle ...making those landlords even wealthier when the wanna bees move in cum 18 months later when your rents go up. You must have vagued out during the opening plenary of TINA 2007 when i discussed this. sorry to be harsh but really.....

And Ten replied the following:

Karl - WTF, seriously. The 'landlords' that this project will make 'even wealthier' have donated UNUSED spaces (ie. spaces they can't get tenants for) for ZERO cost (as far as I'm aware - in many cases they've had to part with money to make the shops meet fire safety and similar standards) to give artists a place to pimp their wares - or even just show it off.Also, most - again, if not all - of the spaces are going to be torn down when the entire mall area is redeveloped in a year or two.But hey, if you want to believe that, go ahead. But what's your alternate suggestion? Let the starving artists remain starving by not giving them ANY realistic contact with consumers? Artistic integrity is one thing, but what's the point of taking the moral high ground if you can't afford to eat and put a roof over your head? And what's the point of having a creative outlet if no-one can ever see it?



Oooh I love that boy. Rationality and reason are so hot right now.

The Lovebirds in the window at Emerald Arts for Valentine's Day


Right, off to do some work...

MWAH!

-Emmeline

Awwwwwyeeeaahhhh

Guess what arrived in the mail today?

10 tiny robot necklaces made of AWESOMENESS that's what! Am off to make a display twig out of branches and a teacup.... or a faux cherry blossom branch... haven't decided yet...

You'll see ;)

In the meantime, check out the work of Dan May, I've never seen creatures quite like these before...

http://dan-may.com/

Listening to: "Public Warning" by Lady Sovereign

Sweet relief

This week is already shaping up so much better than the week before. Had the loveliest day at the markets with Zephyrama. It's so much more entertaining to share a stall with a friend and while away the hours sharing gossip, swooning over the Mighty Boosh and eating the most delcious cakes and profiterroles (gf of course ;).

Ten found out on Friday that he's getting a pay rise. His boss also raised the possiblity of him getting a work car, which would mean his beautiful Nissan 180 could come off the road for some much needed TLC. That's in the future though, because these decisions take time. Spent friday night celebrating out at Benny's with Kim and Nifty Nige. We heart vodka and Skins.

Today I accompanied Mum to what she thought was an information day at the Newcastle School of Art. One glance around the room decided her on Not going, while an interview with the teaching staff cemented me on the prospect of a Certificate four in Fine Arts. Emailed my portfolio when I got home, am on the waiting list. Fingers crossed ya'll.

I've been working hard to get Emerald Arts up and running, the shop is pretty much sorted, going to spend today and tomorrow making more stock and a Valentine's display. Tomorrow the electrical mains should be sorted too. Then opening Wednesday.

Am off to read and elevate my legs above my head for a bit. Been a bit harsh on my poor injured foot for days now, time to give it a break while absorbing the awesomeness that is Famous magazine.

-Emmeline

Progression at Emerald Arts Newcastle.

The start of a mural which will feature one of my girls and a full moon.

Sorry this photo is a bit dark, but I have the markets tomorrow and much as it pains me not to fix it, I'm off to Bedfordshire after this post. So, this photo is the Valentine display.

This is the "current project" wall. At the moment I'm painting a canvas sign for Emerald Arts.





The photography section. This contains portraits of the creatures in various locations around Newcastle. Taken by the v. talented Ten.


Dangly glass constructions by Kim. So lovely. The butterfly one on the left is my favourite so far ;)



The zine table so far. There will also be a "swap box" where you can swap things out. If you have a zine that you are done with, it goes in the box and you take a different one out.



A slightly wider view showing the Toy Bed that lives underneath and will serve as a daybed for parents etc. to sit on reading while classes are on. Or they can go shopping or do coffee ;)


This is the rear wall of Emerald Arts so far. Black and white photography (mine) mixed with favourite images by fashion photographers, more to come.

blergh

So I am not to be a homeless person after all... my lovely friend Andrew is lending me money so I can get my business officially registered then get the bank account and blah blah ohdeargod I am so relieved.

I wrote a massively long post but blogger ate it :( So I'll give you a link to my facebook album instead so you can see the scrubbed up and repainted shop.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=206361&id=656225390

Will try it again tomorrow, but for now I am off to Bedfordshire.

-Emmeline

Arrrgghhh

The problem with not having enough money, working for yourself as an artist and business owner, is that collecting a safety net is impossible. After a year of hard work, slogging it out, I'm now a week away from an eviction notice. We're behind in rent and it's my fault. I have managed to get myself an artspace, I've spent forever making stock and planning and longing for a place to call my own. I achieved all that but now I'm about to be out in my arse because I'm unable to pay the $140 dollars to register my business so I can get a bank business account and use overdraft to pay my rent.

I'm feeling like the worst person at the moment. I can't bear to think of losing my beautiful house because I broke my foot and couldn't go to the markets to earn money. My beautiful Ten doesn't deserve this. I guess I can do right now is spend every waking (and when I should be sleeping second) on getting that place going. I have to hope that I can make enough money in sales on the weekend to keep the wolves at bay. So scared.

Blooming lovely

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

Introducing Cas.

Whilst lurking on Facebook waiting for the day to cool down so I can go work in the shop, I came across these photos of my sister in someone's Christmas party photos.

Cas is Cassandra Jane Stronach, she's four years younger than me, but people often mistake us for each other because we're both tall and brunette, even though we're built differently and have quite different faces. Cas is about two inches taller than I am and slender, I'm almost six foot so I'm hardly tiny, but I'm more of an hourglass, very curvy. Also, Cas has blue eyes with flecks of gold, whereas my eyes are swamp green (long story... how the name came about I mean, not infidelity or being swapped at the hospital :P).

So this is Cas at her work Christmas party on Sydney harbour. Feb last year she started work with a company called Nettleton Tribe on the North Shore. She's an (incredibly talented) architect.

Keeping up the family tradition of being total junkies when it comes to Champagne. I remember when I was going through the gamut of testing to figure out what turned out to be coeliacs, the doctor read out a list of what I could and couldn't drink. My Mum asked in a tiny sad little voice "Does that mean she can't have Champagne?"

The doctor laughed and said "It's ok Mrs Stronach. Champagne is gluten free."

Big Sigh of relief.

Anyway, back to the Cas One. What else can I tell you about her? We sound alike on the phone and often confuse Mum. We both count "Zoolander" and "Fogetting Sarah Marshall" as cinematic classics. She sets me off on such laughing fits sometimes that I double over and no noise comes out. She's never been a great reader of books, but she's getting back into them which makes me really happy cos books rock. She bosses me around FAR more than I boss her, but it's like water off a ducks back with me anyway haha. Also, we can fight like cats and dogs about the stupidest things, but five minutes later we're over it.

Whenever we go on family holidays, Cas and I go into sleepover mode and annoy our brother by talking all night, but then Lachy and I fight over who gets to share a room with her because she can snore if she has hayfever, Lachy snores too though, so he loses :P Plus I'm the eldest, so I just keep repeating that as the answer to every argument he puts forward.

Cas is the most excellent sister.