Lockdown Day 11

Not much to say today after a 12 hour day shift at work. Too tired to write a heap, so I thought I'd just show this picture.

'Cause I think it's funny.

I waited outside his door with my camera then scared him. Got him good!

I'm a mean Mum.

The big snip

I didn't show you a photo of the finished 'Dawn Contemplation' quilt.  When you last saw it, I was pushing to get it finished for the KOAST art trail, and it looked like this:

Well, the first day of the trail saw me stitching on the binding, but I managed to finish that and get a sleeve on it and it was on display on the second day.  I added some colour and a bit more stitching to the woman to give her more depth and make her more part of the whole image rather than just 'on top'.  I also added a bit more to the bird above her head.  And it's always amazing how finishes the edges makes it look so much better.

The colour of the binding was a hard choice.  I auditioned many before I went with this tan colour.  It was a serendipitous choice, it just happened to fall next to the quilt when I was looking through my purple and pink hand dyes.  I really liked how it complemented the blues and purples rather than blended with them.  And the dark grey/blacks I'd tried just looked flat, so tan it was.

But, and it's a really big but.

I'm thinking of taking my rotary cutter to it.

I'm not entirely happy with the bird above the woman's head.  It's not quite right.  Then when I was editing my image before uploading it to the blog, I played with a few croppings.  And I think I really like the image above.

The question is, do I like it better than the finished quilt as it is now?

So what do you think?

Chop, or not?

And, just like that, I'm a Art Gallery owner..

Yes, you read that correctly.

Squeeeeeeeeee!

This has never, ever been in my plans, but it is now, and I'm super excited and really working hard to make it work.

Here's a little background:  My husband and I have been casually looking for a studio space 'off-boat' for me.  I say casually, because this year was meant to be all about consolidation.  We didn't want to spend any money and I was pretty happy making do with a corner of the saloon.

But I take up a fair amount of room, so we have had our eye on a beautiful office just across from us on the Opua Wharf.  Problem is, it is a commercial space and the rent would be well unaffordable just for a studio.

The fence in front of the building surrounds a hole in the wharf looking straight down to the water.

About a week ago, my husband (bless his cotton socks), came up with a plan.  Why don't I have a working studio, open to the public, with half the space as a gallery selling local artist's work?  I can sell my work, my hand-dyed fabrics and possibly other small items like bags and table runners.  I can sell other artist's work on commission, and there is room upstairs for myself and other artists to run classes and community arts groups.  We envisage it becoming a thriving arts hub, supporting the local arts community and the community in general, and all the while providing me with a space to work and produce my own art.

My proposal to the landlord (a council owned company heavily invested in the community) was accepted.  Just like that I have the keys and I'm planning an opening night in two weeks.

Holy crap!

So I'm excited, yes, but I'm also just a teeny massive bit scared.  All of the sudden there are a million things to do.  I need to set up an accounting system, I need to make display plinths, I need to contact all the artists I know (and don't know), I need to make an inventory, I need to write gallery contracts, press releases and opening night invites.

So 'scuse me if you don't see too much of me in the next couple of weeks.  I'm busy learning how to run an art gallery.

PS - If you are a Northland based artist reading this, please email me (you'll find my email address under my profile) with your portfolio and we can talk!

MV Cerego on the slip

This is a photo-heavy post and is all about the boat.  MV Cerego is being turned into a home for my family and I.  We hope to be living aboard soon.  

MV Cerego came out on the slip last week.  It was also the first time my husband had moved her from the dock, so he was practicing piloting her at the same time.  He had plenty of helpers and it was a clam, beautiful day.  I was nervous but kept myself occupied by taking lots of pictures, and even a little video of them winching her out (I could try and post that if anyone is interested).

The little helpers thought it was the most BORING thing in the world.  I caved in the end and let them play Plants vs Zombies on the iPad....

She looks huge sitting up there out of the water.  That is a big shed behind her!  But, of course, photos can't really convey it.

And a week or so later, she is cleaned, painting has begun, and her propeller is shiny.

The work continued inside too.  There are bunks appearing, staircases being put in, painting finished off and wiring being done.

 There is even have a floor in the forward cabin, my bedroom-to-be.

Don't you think the pointy end of this room would be a great place for a built in desk with a Sweet Sixteen mid-arm sewing machine?!  I suggested this to my Husband and he wasn't completely averse to the idea so I think I might keep working on him.

In this picture I'm standing on the deck looking over the side at a worker holding some of the shiny new copper sheathing that is being put on her keel.  It's a vertigo-inducing long way down.

Then here she is almost, almost ready to go back in the water.  You can see the shiny copper if you look close - this gets painted black.  Her belting has been painted dark green, the rest of the trim will be done later.   

That last photo was taken at a time of intense stress.  Every morning Cerego was being carefully jacked up in sections so they could work on her keel.  That morning something didn't go quite right and she began to lean.  Gulp.  That's about 50+ tonne of boat.  Everyone was cleared out and they carefully repositioned the cradle arms as much as they could.  Then they lowered the cradle back into the water and waited for the tide to come in.  They refloated and levelled her and then pulled her back out.  Sounds simple, but it was several hours of scary moments.

MV Cerego is now back in the water, all the work on her underside done.  Hubby got her back to her dock with no dramas and now everyone is concentrating on her insides again.