weekend wonder

[inspired by Ruth Asawa and her extraordinary sculpture, my wire crochet experiments...]

This weekend there was a pause in the class-prep-chaos as I took our 10yr old daughter away for a mother/daughter weekend. We had decided we would take each of our children away for a night of fun + connection when they turn ten as the world unfolds for them in more and more grown-up ways. We decided on a girly-celebrate-city-life weekend and had a wonderful time by day and night wandering, eating, talking and being inspired!
My 10yr old is a delight to share time with!
These are just a few of my instagram shots from the weekend - hope you enjoyed the stunning weather as much as we did and I can't wait to see many of you this coming week in our holiday classes xx

[BY DAY: the overhanging pool was her favourite/wire crochet experiments by the pool/such a stunning city icon in full bloom + sunshine!/couldn't keep her quirky sense of humor away from this fun journal!]

[BY NIGHT: Brisbane festival lanterns/lazer light show/night time fun with my girl!]

[most of today was spent wandering every inch of the art galleries...she loves these spaces as much as I do!]

weekday weave

[crochet vessel #6 holding sewing supplies]

The last week of school leading up to holiday classes is always a bit of a frenzy. I feel buried under a mountain of supplies + inspiration - not too bad a place to be for someone who loves art + creativity I guess, but easy to get lost here!
These are a few snaps from my week, including some of the delicious inspiration we will be soaking in next week for our classes!

[piles of soft floaty muslin sewn into scarves for printing]

[stamping sample #1 geometric]

[stamping sample #2 floral]

[inspiration for this class by the wonderful Marrimekko fabric house]

[wire flowers are multiplying here as my children experiment with offcuts!]

[so much wire goodness...I'm really loving this medium and have a few projects up my sleeve when class-craziness dies down!]

[Inspiration for this class by the ever-extraordinary Alexander Calder and his artwork in 3D]

[delicious rainbow of tissue cut for collage]

[texture from nature, flakey paperbark]

[inspiration for this class in the stunning work of Georgia O'Keeffe her use of colour + abstraction]

[long days packing and sorting....almost there!]

weekend wonder

[instagram photo @mguyatt]

Oh the perfect day and the perfect setting for a springtime weave+wonder birthday party! The sweet birthday girl selected our ever-popular clay fairy garden and there couldn't be a more beautiful, natural setting than this vast parkland next to a beautiful lake...

artful

'It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.' — Henry David Thoreau

weekend wonder

Class preparation is progressing in earnest here with lots of folding and bending and trying and trying again. Our wire sculpture class, based on the work of Alexander Calder who we have explored in past art lessions, is coming along well...our home is full of 'bent-bits' and slowly a beautiful garden of flowers is emerging!
These will be seated in our wonderfully textural cut logs.

There is inspiration a-plenty budding in Spring gardens around here...

6yrO was inspired by these prolific annuals in our vege garden and jumped at the idea of a spring garden collage, thick with colour, texture and beauty - she was so proud of her work! We are experimenting for the holiday mixed media collage class.

I love how creativity has a beautiful meandering effect...the photo below shows 6yrO three piece series....the spring garden above ground; the seed and roots in the dirt with bugs surrounding; a close-up collage of a bug! Spark the imagination and it takes you on the most magical journey!
This time mama was soo proud!

artful

'Stay close to nature and it will never fail you' Frank Lloyd Wright

In honor of the first week of spring, I thought these artful hanging plants by Australian company Mister Moss would inspire the marriage of nature + creativity in your home this week. Found via Design Milk.

weekend wonder

What a weekend..the Daddy in this house celebrates his birthday and Father's day all on one weekend! He asked for something low key and revelled in a long morning ride, delicious breakfast, long read of the paper in the sun and dinner around the fire with friends!
There was so much to do, I have few snaps but rest assured, enjoyment was had by all....these girls LOVE the man of the house!

:: while pencils are colour coded + sharpened inside...he relaxes in the sun outside!

:: a little gift-given-wall-art around our home...a new guitar stand and a round of golf!

a woven life

[all images The Daily Purl]

Handwoven fabric has always held a particular fascination for me. The way that the texture of the fiber dances over + under, warp + weft...slub + silk...the hands that select and then weave back and forth until a beautiful pattern emerges...a slow work.

As I've gotten a little older, I have come to see my life a bit like a woven piece of fabric...threads carefully selected and interwoven into a beautiful cloth. Unless the threads are woven, they stand singular and insignificant, but pair them with others and they sing.

I have the tendancy to compartmentalize my life for ease - a single ball of thread - if I just manage this 'ball' today, I can keep all the other 'balls in the air'. Drop one and they all fall. But if I unravel all of the balls of thread a little - risking chaos and tangles - and work them together...a little of this and a little of that, I am fully aware of the impact one thread has on another. I think we were made to 'work all things together for good' rather than work too hard on any one thing. Certainly my family/work balance is much improved if I take this approach.

A beautiful woven work is one that engages all threads in a dance of texture and grace, risks the unravel but is honoring to all threads.

All images are from a new-to-me blog, The Daily Purl. I absolutely adore her work and images - the artistic snapshot of her daily living I find inspirational. and the beauty is endless. Do pop in and take a look.

SPRING school holiday workshops!

We are very excited to announce our spring school holiday art+craft+books workshops! We have a new addition these holidays too - an afternoon fashion series for those that were interested in the term-time classes but couldnt make it or get in!

weave+wonder
THEMED ART+CRAFT+BOOKS CLASSES FOR CHILDREN
partnered with
RIVERBEND BOOKS AND TEAHOUSE
193 Oxford St Bulimba Ph. 3899 8555 e: info@riverbendbooks.com.au

'what's sprouting in spring!'
Inspired by the exhilaration of new life in nature, the promise of colour and sunshine!
Our mixed media art+craft classes will explore mono printing scarves + plywood mixed media collage + working with wire sculpture 

for 6-12 yr olds
$20* per class OR $30 including breakfast!

Monday 24th September - plywood mixed media spring collage
Tuesday 25th September - working with wire sculpture
Wednesday 26th September - mono-printing your own scarf! [* this class is $25 including handmade scarf]

9.00-10.00am and [11.00-12.00noon according to demand]
[from 8.00am for breakfast – banana, macadamia + butterscotch pancakes – only $10!]

BOOK NOW!
Limited Places Available
These classes are extremely popular so book now to secure your place!
To book, contact Melissa Guyatt mob. 0407 778 907 email. melissa@guyatt.net

[photo: current after school inspiration series for 10-16yr olds]

weave+wonder
HOLIDAY FASHION DESIGN INSPIRATION WORKSHOP
by Melanie Finger

Due to the wonderful response we received for our Fashion Design inspiration series run on a Tuesday afternoon at Riverbend Books + Teahouse we are pleased to offer a 3 afternoon holiday workshop covering a condensed version of the course!
The term-time inspiration series has been incredibly successful with fashion designer Melanie Finger providing a wealth of information that was particularly pertinent to those children considering Fashion Design as a career! With wonderful inspiration on mood boards, designing your own label and of course drawing your own range of fashion, Melanie encouraged each child to pursue their own creativity and passion!
For those who were interested but unable to attend, we will run these workshops again during the holidays!

When: Monday 24Th, Tuesday 25Th, Wednesday 26Th September
Time: afternoon session 2.00-3.30pm
Cost: $80 for three 1.5hr sessions
Age: we are taking all expressions of interest for this class until Thurs 6th September.
[opening up from younger through older children to see where the interest lies in order to set a preferred age for these sessions. Melanie will then tailor the course accordingly.]

Please email melissa@guyatt.net with expressions of interest and bookings - book early as places fill quickly!

fashion inspiration series - final week!

Such a wonderful end to an intense but highly creative four week course in Fashion Design, run by the very tallented Melanie Finger. I will let her sum up their last Tuesday afternoon together....

It was almost a shame to stop the creativity today in the final class of the “so you want to be a Fashion Designer” series.
We touched briefly on ‘branding’ and how this can make or break a designer, then there was a short brainstorm about what their brand might look like.
Some had never considered this before, and this opened up many ideas about who they might like to design for and what their company name would be.
(I apologise if anyone came home and begged mum and dad to register a domain name for them right now!!)

The students were then very engrossed in choosing their favourite design for their final fashion presentation. Sketching and tracing were completed, the light box was a hive of activity, then watercolours, pencils, oil pastels and paint were used. Some experimented with oil pastels and then painting over with gum turps, others watercolour pencils and then paint, whilst others loved the familiarity of lead pencils and colouring pencils. Check out the results – I was most impressed!

I was also really inspired by those who went home and completed extra homework, or who bought in things to show me – including fabrics and photos of garments that they had made.

I have loved teaching your kids, I really hope I have inspired them to continue their journey into fashion design.