Apparently its the week to feature Regina Middleton Jewellery on online magazines and blogs!!
The ever so lovely Nick Simpson-Deeks over at the ingenious Quiz-Meisters office felt I was special enough to feature as their special ingredient of the month. You can read the article here. I feel very loved and humbled by the thought of being a secret ingredient. Thank you for the kind words Nick.
So I know these boys, who are pretty rad designer's. Recently they combined their powers and launched an even more rad online magazine HARXEST
Basically its an awesome read giving insight into the industries we love and adore; art/design, fashion, culture, style icons and media. They are all about the up and coming creative minds and have this great little section called spaces. I highly recommend checking it out, and I swear I'm not just saying that because they recently featured my studio as a space worth exploring.
This weekend Deirdre and I will be opening our studio to the public. From 6:30 to 8:30pm on Friday night, and by appointment on Saturday and Sunday. I envisage between 12 and 4 is likely on both days. So please be sure to come in and say hi, see where the magic happens, and if you feel inclined walk away with a hand made treasure.
Recently my neckpiece lines of connection - vogue was chosen as a finalist in the 2010 St George Art Awards in Hurstville, NSW. If in Sydney and happen to be in the Hustville area be sure to check it out. The exhibition is on until the 16th of December.
A few months back I received an email from my very talented photographer Otilee asking if I would be interested in doing a collaboration with another client of her's Alicia from the label on Tour. Alicia was launching her label at the Perth Fashion Festival and wanted to use my jewellery to help it all go 'pop'. Of course I saw this as opportunity too good to miss. I was instantly attracted to the bright bold colours of Alicia's collection, and completely won over by the fact she had a playsuit as her 'it' piece.
If in Melbourne (or coming here before the 24th of October) I highly recommend a trip to the NGV - Ian Potter Gallery to check out the exhibition of works made by the late Mari Funaki. Her forms are so incredibly powerful I was almost brought to tears by their beauty. I wanted to become lost in the under the sea like world that these creatures appeared to belong to, looking as though they were about to walk/prance off in any moment, I was reminded of the energy and sense felt when viewing the works of Ron Mueck.
Those who know me well know that I am quite the procrastinator. In fact if it wasn’t for the whole pressure produces diamonds thing I would quite possibly never achieve anything. But winter is coming to an end, and spring is ever so close (I sincerely hope) so I am thinking it’s a better time than ever to start some new habit’s. And this whole blog thing is one habit I must be determined to crack.
I learnt an important lesson when exhibiting in Perth; it is really important to get product shots of all works before going into exhibition because you might actually sell something. Fortunately enough Melissa Cameron (jeweller and curator of the 'Return' show) took this shot for me.
It can be a little bit hard to know what one should put in a blog.
But I feel the hardest task of all is the first entry. It's kind of like the first page of a visual diary. There is so much expectation that it must be amazing, profound and possibly intriguing... I usually leave this page blank!! Im tempted to leave this entry blank, but I shall resist that temptation.
Instead I feel the urge to begin to explore my relationship with jewellery. And not as one might predict my love for it, but rather, my hate.
There is alot I hate about jewellery and it was only ever so recently that I attended the JMGA conference in Perth and was surprisingly reminded of the some of the things I hate. First and foremost MINING, the impact it has on our environment, and the way we choose to ignore where a piece of jewellery came from.
Mining in general has been known to have the most detrimental effects on the environment, only yesterday was I reading an article about uranium mining and the 'accident' that has occurred recently up near Kakadu. Sadly the gold and diamond mining industries are not free of such issues.
I think it's important to think about where something we hold so dear came from. As a jeweller I feel a responsibilty for this, and in a way I think it has a great influence on why I collect random objects, rather than just buy bits of gold and make them pretty. In collecting random objects I am also collecting a story, a journey, an idea or a concept. I believe in preciousness being created through the memory, ideas and tales that we attach to it, not in how expensive, or glitzy it is.
I don't want to be a political artist but I do care about the future. I aim to find this balance.