Hot House at Quirk & co - Look.Stop.Shop and other stuff!

It's been pretty busy in Miss Foo's world of late so the blog posts have been sporadic at best. 
I've got a little project that is coming to fruition this week, "hot house" is a group window installation that is being hosted by the lovelies at Quirk & Co. It is mix of lighting sculptures by Nick Johns, a series of lush terrariums by Miniscapes and a large paper sculpture by yours truly! The opening night is Thursday 11th July from 6-8pm & the installation will be up until month end.

It's  part of Look.Stop.Shop the theme this year is "Hot Stuff" and it's being curated by Three Thousand and presented by the City of Melbourne, so check out the link for more details as there are loads of events running through July.

Where 

Quirk & Co

466 Victoria St, North Melbourne

When

Opening Thu Jul 11, 6–8pm. Installation runs until Jul 26.

How much

Free!

 Detail shots of my sculpture

PS have another coming up project with the City of Melbourne during MSFW, it will be titled "beasts in the wardrobe" at the end of August. It's being hosted by Madame Virtue ... can't wait to get my paws on all their couture archives and the delicious accessories! YAY dress ups! (but more on that in another post!)

I managed to catch the Hollywood costume exhibition at ACMI I was super excited as I am a costume and film buff. As always with any textile based show the lighting levels are low to protect the fabrics, so give your eyes time to adjust. I would suggest to go in the morning when they first open to avoid the crowds! 
The dialogues between the directors, actors and designers a must see as they really put the role of costume in context and gives you insight into the process of designing & creating the characters.

Highlights for me included:

- Sean Young's outfit from "Blade Runner"
- Scarlett O'Hare's Curtain dress from "Gone with the Wind
- Paisley sequined & beaded pants suit from Valley of the Dolls
- The Bridal costumes from breath taking "The Last Emperor" from 1987
- Robert De Niro's suit from "Casino", peach suit? Say no more!
- Tippi Hedren's suit from the "birds"  the interview with Edith Head is pretty amazing too
-  Liz Taylor's costumes from Cleopatra 
- Marilyn Monroe's infamous white dress from the "Seven Year Itch"
- Greta Garbo's tuxedo... Sigh!
 - It would be remiss of me not to mention Judy Garland's Dorothy outfit from "The Wizard of Oz" What was also striking was the size and scale of these outfits, you realise just how tiny some of these actors are!
- costumes by Eiko Ishioka, I'm utterly obsessed with her. They have costumes from "Bram Stoker's Dracula" in the show but she was one of those amazing multi-talent individuals who was an art director, costumer, graphic designer with an amazing vision , she passed away in early 2012. Known for designing, Grace Jones stage costumes for the Hurricane tour, for films like "The Fall", "The Cell", "The Immortals". I have a pinterest board  dedicated to her work, as I have been unable to get hold of the now out of print book!

Because of exhibition I am now obsessed with watching tonnes of films, I suppose it is a perfect activity for staying tucked under a blankie in my oneise!

Love Miss Foo XXX
 

Show at Chapman and Bailey

I'm taking part in another show, this time all entrants are given a 35 x 35 cm stretched Bell Arti canvas as the starting point of  their artwork. I can't wait to see what the other entries look like, it will be interesting to the different approaches and mediums used. 

"above the clouds" By Sai-Wai Foo

I managed to snaffle a lovely natural linen canvas as the base for my piece. Here's  a sneak peak of my piece. I have to admit I had a blank canvas for months in my work space just lurking & glowering at me. Typically it came together quite quickly once the deadline was looming - after all the paper folding. I think the process of cutting and folding a paper helps me think through ideas and I find the whole process to be very relaxing and a bit a meditative state.
My piece above is a small flock of cut paper birds circling above a mass of pleated paper clouds. It's titled "above the clouds" and below are images of the work in progress - the canvas was blank for quite a long time....

2012 Belle Arti Prize hosted by Chapman and Bailey

12 December – 26 January at 
Chapman & Bailey Gallery, 350 Johnston St, Abbotsford  
Opening on Wednesday December 12, 2012 between 6-8pm
Facebook event page here

Love Miss Foo XXX

Thinking pink....

"I adore that pink! It's the navy blue of India," 

 Diana Vreeland

Detail shot of 2 pieces in the "Think Pink" show titled 
 LEFT "Tickled Pink" & RIGHT "Pink perfection"  by Sai-Wai Foo

I am taking part in "Think Pink" a group show at the Firestation Print Studio in Armadale. The theme is anything to do with pink. 

The show will be raising funds for the Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) from 22nd October to 4th November.  It is being run in partnership with the Pink Lady Art Exhibition (see link for previous blog post) The official opening is on Saturday the 27th of October from 10am to 12pm - morning tea!

I have 3 pieces in the show and again fabulous birds are the subject matter,  this time a pair of flamingos and a very over the top parrot! 

"her signature colour was pink..."by Sai-Wai Foo

I have always had a fondness for pink. To quote Shelby from Steel Magnolias  "pink is my signature colour..." It's a film that can still reduce me to a quivering sobbing heap! If you haven't seen it do there's lots of big hair, southern accents, Dolly Parton, a bleeding armadillo cake & Shirley MacLaine is awesomely grumpy.

Truvy: What are your colors, Shelby?
Shelby: My colors are "blush" and "bashful."
M'Lynn: Her colors are "pink" and pink."
Shelby: My colors are "blush" and "bashful" Mama!
M'Lynn: How precious is this weddin' gonna get, I ask you?

Love Miss Foo XXX
 

Firestation Print Studio

2 Willis Street

Armadale VIC 3143

Gallery Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 11am - 5pm or by appointment

Workshop Hours: available for booking, 365 days a year. 
Below are images of the studio & gallery space.

 

 

Mini the wonderdog wanted to have a sticky beak in the studio

 

Pink Ladies & parrots!

I'm taking part in the 5th annual "Pink Lady Art Exhibition" its a Bayside local community event that is a fund raising event for the Breast Cancer Network Australia. It's a nice way of getting my work to a different audience and more importantly supporting a good cause.

The exhibition is based around the 5 elements as a theme, as much as I love a theme I have to admit I was stuck for a bit. I decided to explore the "lady" element of the exhibition  and do something that was fun and tied in with my obsession with all things fashion.

The resulting work a flock of three fabulously coiffed and groomed parrots express their personal concerns about the elements in their own unique way. Paper assemblages made of original ink drawings are hand cut and coloured with water colour pigments, pleated vintage book papers sequins and pom poms these fine ladies are the fashionistas of the feathered kind.    

EARTH “forget taupe or beige, the only earth tone she cared about was spray tan…”

FIRE “fiery temper? Clearly they had never been in her way at a shoe sale…”

WATER  “she didn’t mind the water so long as her mascara didn’t run…”

Love Miss Foo XXX      

 

Opening: Friday October 26th 7-9pm 

Opening Preview – Entry $15 donated to Breast Cancer Network Australia!

Exhibition: Saturday October 27th & Sunday October 28th 10am-5pmFree Entry – All Weekend!

Awards Ceremony: Sunday October 28th @ 1pm

Bayside Arts & Cultural Centre (Brighton Town Hall)

cnr Wilson & Carpenter Streets, Brighton, VIC, 3186

(MEL Ref 67 F10)

tickets for the opening night preview or more information go to http://pinkladyart.com.au/

Feathering my nest..... exhibition at Gleaners Inc.

I delivered some work for an upcoming exhibition at Gleaners inc. the exhibition is part of  Craft Victoria's Craft Cubed festival. I have 2 pieces in the show that references the theme "Feather your Nest".

One piece is titled"Iced Vovos, jam fancies & cups of tea" It's of one of my crazy parrots replete with pleats, poms poms & sequins. I like to think she is squawking mid cackle during a tea party. Its about nesting, being and feeling at home.

Detail of "Iced Vovos, jam fancies & cups of tea"by Sai-Wai Foo

The second piece is a small scale sculpture, titled "Flight of fancy". I am a bit obsessed with bottles and glass at the moment; also about catching a moment in time like a souvenir. Clearly my fixation on snow domes and tourist kitsch is paying off.
It's a small black bird in flight over pleated clouds/petals made of book papers in a small glass dome with a champagne cork. (It's expanding on my artist book piece I made recently - which will be on  display at  Artisan Books as part of the 7th Annual Artist Book Exhibition, 11th of August - 8th of September)

 

"Flight of fancy" by Sai-Wai Foo

I think it maybe a a bit of a comment on my hording of materials too. I see things pop them away, it maybe awhile until use them but there is some method in my squirrel like ways!
The pieces will be on show at Gleaners Inc at the Stairway to Nowhere Gallery as part of the Craft Victoria's Craft Cubed festival .

Feather your Nest

at Gleaners Inc

2 Ballarat St. Brunswick, 

Victoria 3071, Australia

The show opens on Friday, August the 3rd at 5.30pm and will have drinks and nibbles and discount shopping on the night! The show runs through to August the 31st so pop by!

 Love Miss Foo XXX

lovely long weekends

I love long weekends - the June Queens birthday holiday is the last before the drag through the cold & gloom of winter. Also we have to wait months until the next in one in November.

It turned out the holiday on Monday was a beautiful Melbourne day which makes me utterly grateful for the fact I live in Melbourne. The warm sunshine and the wonders of vitamin D in the winter definitely helped stave off the winter blues. 

Here's  a couple of things we got up to:

A wander up to the local shops North Melbourne we are spoiled as we have great food coffee on our door step. One gem is Grigons & Orr  anywhere that has nanna crochet and knit blankets at the ready is ok by me. Besides the coffee andfood there is delish! 

a lady like coffee

Mini wondering where her breakfast is

mmmm Menu!

Uncle Bennies

Coddled eggs with cheesy toast soldiers

Followed by a wander around Collingwood and Fitzroy, nice to see the yarn bombers from Yarn Corner are keeping the trees warm...

 

Wandering works up an appetite to off to Naked for Satan for a nibble! MMMM pintxos... 285 Brunswick Street  Melbourne VIC 3000
Can't wait for their roof bar to open - Naked in the sky

After all that eating best to take ourselves & Madame had not had a big adventure  to the dog beach - Burns Reserve (Altona Dog Beach) Altona Rd Altona VIC 3018.

If you do go - go at low tide http://tides.willyweather.com.au/vic/melbourne/altona.html &  the road there is pretty potholed if you are coming via ...best to do a  bit of a detour & save your axels!

 

After all that it is back to the studio to start on some artwork. I am taking part in a few  group exhibitions.  One of them is the "Feather your Nest"exhibition at the Stairway to Nowhere Gallery- which is part of Gleaners inc. It opens at the on Friday, August the 3rd and runs through to August the 31st, will be part of the calender of events for the Craft Victoria Craft Cubed Festival.

& just a quick shout out to cherryandme.com for the write up on the blog! check it! 

Thanks to the lovelies at http://www.cherryandme.com for the photo from Markit @FedSquare

Love Miss Foo XXX