Back in Sydney - trying to serious-up my workflow.
Hello. I'm Jen.
So... a little background about me. I was born and raised Anna Maria Island Florida, raised by my mother, a commercial artist, and my grandparents - a china-painter and a handy-man. I was taught to do many many things, from sewing to plumbing to carpentry to gardening, so I'm a bit of a Jen-of-all-trades. On growing up, I managed an honors degree in economics and, planning to move to SanFran to work for the EFF, met an Australian Scientist who more than took my fancy. Spent a long time struggling to make that work, and somehow managed to settle on immigrating here. Have lived here a little over four years now, have been to more parts of australia than most australians, and am starting to figure out who I am on redefinition. I am many things. And, it seems that just might be a wood-worker.
I'm new-ish to wood sculpting. That is... about six months ago I was quite disenchanted with the way things were going, and I needed some space ... but as I was then living in Carlton North in Melb, space was at a bit of a premium. So I found myself outside in the courtyard with my dremel and some firewood. I guess I was just noodling, but something just struck me and I knew I needed a different piece of wood... something that had interesting grain.
So, I set about using all these tips and bits that I'd picked up along the way and let each of them show me what they did best - experimenting all the while letting the tool and the wood tell me what to do. The final result was ... ok. Surprisingly good, actually... but uncomposed and incomplete. My biggest impression is that it was a lot like drawing, only easier and more soulful, for me. Visceral.
Meanwhile - since then I was uprooted from Melbourne, where I had finally managed to meet people and moved to Sydney. I wasn't very happy with this turn of events, so in trying to cope I took a trip back to my roots in Florida and spent time with my family, doing a lot of appreciating the beauty of life and remembering who I am and what I'm about.
But what really sunk in my potentially undying passion for sculpting was a present that greeted my return to Sydney - my father-in-law had left me a jarrah lignotuber to work with. It was exactly what I was looking for, something with fascinating grain in both color and structure. I spent a very long time slowly working it, figuring it out, seeing what it had to offer, preserving and delving. It is at a state of completion and I know I should take pictures but I haven't yet... when I do you guys will be the third to see. ;-)
So, I asked my father in law if I could jaunt out to stay at their place in the Perth Hills and use his shop and wood-supply (they have a lot of land so he had a ton of bits around that I could practice on) to see how far the rabbit-hole would take me. And I produced three pretty ok sculptures in a month... worked every day and got so good and honestly tired...because I knew I had to come back and figure out how to make it all work.
Anyway... I just returned from WA with my luggage, carry-on, and my husband's luggage filled (and I mean filled, I had to remove a piece and leave it behind with my in-laws) with jarrah, redgum (the pink and grey kind), and blackbutt. But, I need a durned vice, so instead of carving I've been searching for an affordable one (have a couple auctions on watch at e-bay).So that is what brought me to write, here, today.
Seems there is always something more to spend on, so I'm trying to force myself to produce - but not at the expense of my learning.
I'm hoping to eventually meet some people to share ideas, techniques, and experiences with... just really in the process of solidifying my workflow and design my shop. I've been a little concerned about sawdust diaspora... but so far no one has complained.
So, I know that was long-winded but I've been taught it is best to start as you mean to continue and when I'm inspired I tend to go on, so I try not to be too apologetic about it.
I have been reading the site for a while, but I don't really have a concept of who's who or what the customs are, so feel free to let me know if I fail... not sure how prolific I'll be, hopefully I'll mainly be out working!
