in the city...

 It's been cold and wet and windy.... but as I've had an umbrella with me today - I've had an absolute blast discovering gems around the city....

there's so much to love about Melbourne - I thought I would list Ronnies "top five things I love about mellyborne today"

número uno...

the public transportation network

trains, trams, they're everywhere... they're almost idiot proof (heck I'm navigating my way around on them... they must be)...

I seriously love love LOVE the trains/trams of Melbourne

number two

the coffee

I don't think I've had a bad brew yet... and the cafe lattes of degraves street are worth returning for again and again (so I have!)


number three

the buildings... love the wrought iron lacework of the inner city terraces, the slightly tattered exteriors of city laneways, and the theatricality of the very grandest buildings

(this is the


number four

the funny/ quirky/ arty people and places....

(hand held gallery - Bourke street in the city....
it's tiny and squeezed inside are equally tiny book/art/objects....
I only got to see through the window.... but it was worth the walk for the gaze)

number five

Gertrude and Brunswick streets of Fitzroy!

this is Brunswick street... so many delish delights to behold....
from art galleries to clothing factory outlets to coffee spots, organic food, clothing designers - you name it...
Gertrude st was even MORE quirky!

I met the wonderful folk of Beautiful Silks whose emporium - for lack if a better term - is in Victoria St Fitzroy ... and so lovely was my visit I'll have to tell about it in another post...

tomorrow is the final day of Impact 7 ... I'll pack up our small exhibition and squeeze all my extra stuff into my already bulging bags for the long bus trip home tomorrow night...

..

I don't so much love Melbourne in the raintime....

Soaked to the bones took on new meaning this afternoon after walking home (to my temporary digs) in violent thunderstorm

I'm currently perched beside a nice, (all-be-it fake gas) fire drying self and boots and clothes out ....

ps due to techno constraints (ie no access to a desktop or laptop) I can't publish the nice comments everyone has been writing.... I always appreciate each person who swings by my little bloggy corner and I will be able to give your notes the big Ronnie thumb of moderated approval when I get back to the creek.....

psss... it's still drizzly wet outside .... but at least my boots have dried out in front of the fire....

rego...

I've registered for impact 7 and have my impact bag of goodies.... and in a few minutes time I'll be doing my thang as part of 'open portfolio' here...


I can't believe how many familiar faces I've stumbled over already this morning (I don't want to name names lest they run after me with a sharp printmaking tool)

ahhhhh well time for a quick bite before I bring out the loooooong book for a spot binding...

I love Melbourne in the springtime

long bus ride

met the gorgeous sara for brekky

met a calligraphic mate and walked around the city for a few hours in the gorgeous spring sunshine (oh melbourne when you are good you are very very good) enjoying coffee and great conversation

found my old uni mates STUNNING place where I'll be camping for the next few days


collapsed in a heap and slept soundly awakening to another beeeeutiful spring morning in the city

zine times...

Before rushing off to Impact 7 day one and my Open Portfolio presentation I thought I'd show give you a peek at something I made to plonk on my table today (at least I won't feel lonely)


Zine preview
The Enemies of Books

front

inside

lift the first image for the second inside spread

back

the little zine is archival inkjet
printed on Mohawk Superfine

very limited edition of just 20

it's A4 - folded to 10 x 10.5cm

and comes in a DL envelope (100% recycled paper)

This is the first in a small series of related zines

(I've got 4 in various stages of completion so far...)

each contains a blend of

photos of my ephemeral artworks

and some of my other related photographs

along with a pithy booky quote

that relates to the themes
contained in the pics/artwork/rattling around my head!

the very limited editions (eg below 25 in each edition)
are $4.50 ea plus postage
(they are a standard letter size)


Zines will be available at Impact 7
or drop me a line if you'd like me to reserve one for you

(no I don't have fancy-schmancy internet shop/bank/stuff in operation -
but I'm sure we can work something out....)


...

in the bag...

Packing for tomorrow's journey

 in my suitcase I have a collection of small zines

created over the past few days

including a teeny concertina showcasing some of my favourite ephemeral book artworks

 front

 

 open

archival inkjet on goatskin parchment paper

folded 10.5 x 7 cm - open 10.5 x 42 cm

I've printed only 10 of these on the delightful goatskin parchment paper

(I WILL print more of these in the future - but on something else)

so it's going to be a case of 'first in gets the goatskin'

(now I REALLY have to go pack something other than arty/booky things.... 

like clothes maybe??)

...

melbourne bound...

In a couple of days time I'll be boarding a bus as I travel down the highway through the night to Melbourne town

I'm off to attend Impact 7 - international printmakers (and etc) conference at Monash Uni....

oooo excitement

I'm staying with a fellow survivor of the Monash MVA (thanks so much A)

I'm still working out my itinerary will be - but I DO know that I'll be catching up with old friends and (ooooo excitement) meeting old bloggy friends for the very first time (and if you've visited Sara's blog today you'll notice how we are saying all the same things right now.... including THANKS RANSW for the grant to let me/us go to Impact!)

Of course right at the last minute I decided to make some new 'things' to take with me (face palm!!!! why do I do this to myself!!!)

 it's a small limited edition colour 'zine' of sorts.....

and another small limited edition 'zine'.....  I'm on a roll!
I'll share more pics and details of these in a later post...

eschewing the usual printed business cards or the like -
I've created a very rough-n-ready photocopied (and hand worked) zine-as-promo (printed on recycled paper)

 if you turn up to Impact and smile nicely at me - I'll give you one of these...

for everyone in aussie blogland - if you send me a self-addressed stamped DL envelope - I'll post you one!

On Tuesday I'm presenting my work as part of Impact's 'open portfolio' (I'll be in Room E2.11, Building E - 12.30 - 3.30pm)


I don't know if I'll have enough energy to get through everything on my swelling 'to-do' list as the conference has many juicy offerings - and I'm hoping to check out a few things in the city as well.... ahhhhh well -  at least I can rest up after I board the bus early Friday evening for the long journey home (I'm due to arrive back in Cobargo at 4am)

oh I almost forgot - the other day I found a newish app to help post to blogger from a iOS device.....

yeeee harrr! (so keep your eyes peeled here and at the BAO blog for a melbourne pic or two next week as I blog on the go)


....