MaricorMaricar, MIAF and Moving Blogs

MM&M! Lots of m's in that heading.

After trying to work out how to transition to a new blog i am finally moving over to my new blog which is here ( I didn't really work out anything just stuck a picture on my sidebar saying i was moving!).

I have also been busy over at The Creative Haven (my other blog)  which focuses on stop motion animation in Australia. We had an awesome interview with the amazing MaricorMaricar about their processes and inspirations and coming up we have a few interviews with some of the stop motion entrants in the Melbourne International Animation Festival which starts on 19th June.

So farewell to busybird blog! and come visit me at http://www.carlyaltreewilliams.blogspot.com/ or http://www.thecreativehaven.blogspot.com/

xx

Interview: Malcolm Turner & Helen Gibbins - Melboure International Animation Festival

(image source: MIAF)

I know I said I wasn't going to post here anymore but well I am! for the moment anyway.  I wanted to let you know what is happening over at The Creative Haven. As mentioned previously we had a bit of a blog makeover - and have turned it into a blog about stop motion animation in Australia.

We have our first interview up with Malcolm Turner & Helen Gibbins from the Melbourne International Animation Festival here. Please come visit and check out all the great stop motion coming up at the festival - very exciting!

Stay tuned as we also have some other awesome interviews coming up!

Moving Blogs

I am on the move and have started a new blog! This is due to a new creative adventure so I will be doing all my future posts from now on over at strangerthanfictionblog.blogspot.com.

Please come follow or pop in for a visit if you like!

New Work, New Blog, New Shop

Here is a sneak preview of some new work and projects in the pipline. It will mean a new blog and finally opening a shop so stay tuned! Hope everyone has a happy and safe easter.

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan Tour

This is very exciting news - I had to share that Mark Lanegan (of Queens of the Stone Age fame) and Isobel Campbell (of Belle and Sebastian fame) will be coming out to Australia for Splendour in the Grass and also doing their own sideshows!

Here is one of their earlier tracks. Have been waiting for this for a long time!

Jumper Makeover

I truly have also been making things and not just playing with my old toys! I found this beautiful knitted jumper at an op-shop for Audrey but the neck was way too small so decided to make a cardigan out of it for her for winter.  Below are some process shots.

and the final results:



80's Flash Back - Final Installment

The final installment to my 80's flashback posts - Gem Dolls and Cabbage Patch Dolls.  I of course had the Misfits (badies) cause they were way cooler than Gem. I can't remember the name of my cabbage patch doll it was something like Freda Marie but I might be confusing that with my sisters one!  

Exhibition - Cat Rabbit

I am a big fan of CatRabbit and very excited that her exhibition will be opening here in Melbourne next week!

She makes the most amazing handmade creatures amongst other stuff and I hear on the blog grapevine that she has done a stopmotion animation with Isobel Knowles for this exhibition which is super exciting!

The opening is the 20th April at No Vacancy Gallery from 6-9pm and will be shown there till 8th May.

Make sure you check it out!

80's Flash Back - Part 3

This one gets a post all of it's own - She-ra Princess of Power.

I dedicate this to my oldest and one of my closest of friends Andrew, for all those happy memories as children playing with He-man and She-ra in the back yard!

80's Flashback - Part 2

more bits and pieces of things - where does it all disappear to?

80's Flashback - Part 1

As promised I am about to start an 80's flashback for you (and especially for my friend Thouraya as I know she will appreciate this!)

I found a tonne of my toys back home when we went recently - all in bits and pieces - why oh why did I not look after things better. I am now on a mission to rebuild my collections on ebay!

My Little Ponies above, Strawberry Shortcake below with more images to come as I sort them out. I hope this brings back as many memories for you as it did for me.

Stop Motion Animation Blog

I have been neglecting my other blog for a while (for a long while).

It started out as a record of a stop motion animation I had made with my partner Andy a few years back but I have recently decided that I would also like to make this blog into a little hub of information on stop motion animation production in Australia, including what people are up to, exhibitions, film screenings and competitions.  Additionally I would like to have an inspirations section which shows independent and indie animation from over the world.

If anyone has any suggestions for film clips or wants to post about an exhibition or event coming up please let me know. You can email suggestions to me at thecreativehaven@hotmail.com .

Here is the blog The Creative Haven !

1st Wedding Anniversary = Paper - of Sorts

If you have read this blog before some of you would already know about my obsession with King of the Hill. I have always tried to track down some of the figures from the show but could never find any.

So I couldn't believe my eyes when for our 1st wedding anniversary - one of my gifts was a Peggy Hill original figure in the packaging still - incredible! Ponyo Blu-ray was the other gift for those interested.

I have been back home to my parents house and discovered all these old toys for Audrey.  Will have to share that in another post but lets just say it's a trip down 1980's lane - I only wish now that I had looked after all these things better there is so much missing!

Broadsheet Pop Up Cafe

I am so slack - I keep meaning to post about all sorts of things and then forget.  One of the things was the Broadsheet Pop Up Cafe which was part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival on recently.  I was going to say you should go check it out if your in Melbourne! The Broadsheet Pop Up Cafe was a collaborative project featuring some of Melbourne's best coffee businesses. (The image above is one of the coasters they had printed that you could pick up at the cafe.)

But since I didn't post this in time I have instead made a list of my top 5 favourite good coffee places in Melbourne . Please let me know any of your favourites that you would like to share in Melbourne or anywhere! They are all linked to reviews from Broadsheet with images, location and a bit of history on each which is interesting.

• North Island
• Dead Man Espresso
• Proud Mary
• Seven Seeds
• Brother Bubba Budan

New Work - Iris

I made this for a gift for my friends 30th - I can post it as I have finally sent it (sorry it's so late Katherine - Happy Birthday!). 

 

The Subterranean

(image source: screen capture of The Subterranean)

Andy has written some articles for our friend Daniel who has just started a blog called The Subterranean - it's a pop culture blog looking at film, literature and music. Daniel is an awesome writer and has some very interesting articles on there (I especially enjoyed the look at the Dracula movie interpretations).

Daniel is exploring the Cut-up technique in variety of genre's including literature, art and music.  He asked Andy to write up some articles on Hip-Hop producers and give a selection of songs they had worked on.  If you don't know much about Hip-Hop or which artists to listen to these articles give some awesome examples - I must admit before I met Andy I didn't know alot of Hip-Hop artists (I was in the alternative, metal, indie catagory) but he has introduced me to some amazing music - some of my favourite musicians and music is now from Hip-Hop.

Anyway if your into Hip-Hop or interested in learning more check out these articles written by Andy:

  

True Master

Oh No
Premier
Hi-Tek

New Works

A few new works in the pipeline - one is a belated birthday gift for a friend and the other is for a grant application. Will post finished works soon. Very mysterious - I know....

Soundwave

I have been a little distracted lately and not much work happening due to Soundwave finally arriving to town. This has possibly been the best festival I have been to in years and alot of planning has gone into organsing my parents to come visit to babysit so my partner andy and I could make it along for the day! ( we were excited to say the least).

By far my favourite of the day was Queens of the Stone Age followed by High on Fire and Monster Magnet plus a little Slash on the side doing Paradise City.

Here is a little contribution from Andy - the set list for Queens:

• Feel Good Hit of the Summer
• The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
• 3's and 7's
• Sick Sick Sick
• Burn the Witch
• Little Sister
• No One Knows
• Go with the Flow
• I think I Lost my Headache
• Monster in the Parasol
• Misfit Love
• Song for the Dead (encore)

But I do have a few new things in the pipe line so stay tuned!

Juxtapoz Handmade

Something else i have been meaning to post about which i'm sure i'm behind on the eightball on this one but i recently bought the Juxtapoz Handmade book and it's amazing! Below are a few of my favourites but the whole book is great.

A.J Fosik

Diem Chau

Gregory Euclide

Stephanie Anderson

New Work - Phryne Fisher Doll

I have been meaning to put up these images for a while but had to wait until my sisters birthday came as it was a gift for her. I made her this doll based on a character from a series of novels about Phryne Fisher - a female detective from the 1920's. Written by a lady from Melbourne by the name of Kerry Greenwood. Below are some details and process shots. 

Exhibition - Gustave Moreau

(image source: NGV)
Gustave Moreau
"Venice"

I went to the NGV to see the Gustave Moreau exhibition the other day which was small but good.  It was interesting to see his studies/sketches for paintings and then the actual painting.  Completely different.  I like the dreamlike quality and imagery of the Symbolists - although I think he might be prior to movement he definitely was an influence.

(image source: NGV)

Gustave Moreau
"Jupiter and Europa"
 1868

It reminded me about another Symbolist painter Odilon Redon who I like and found an old calendar in one of my boxes so wanted to share some paintings by him also.



(image source: scanned from 2008 calendar)

Odilon Redon
"Silence"
1911



(image source: scanned from 2008 calendar)

Odilon Redon
"The Chariot of Apollo"
1912

Big Day Out

If I didn't believe in karma before well i definitely do now. It just so happened that a few weeks ago my partner and I were going to go see Cat Power as our Christmas present to each other and I couldn't wait.  Then that night our daughter wouldn't go to sleep and we ended up giving the tickets away at the last minute to some friends.

Then somehow the cosmos took pity on us and we managed to score some tickets to the Big Day Out at the last minute!  We saw Iggy and the Stooges, Primal Scream and my favourite of the night Grinderman.  So lets just say if you put good things out there to other people its sure to come back to you at some stage!

Here were my favourite tracks of the night (obviously not from the big day out!):

Iggy Pop - I wanna be your dog

Grinderman - Honey Bee

Exhibitions: Ballet Russes and Space Invaders

(image source: NGA)

I went to see the Ballet Russes and Space Invaders exhibitions at the NGA when I was back in Canberra over Xmas. Both were really inspiring and it was great to go back to the gallery. It has completely changed since last time I was there - was really strange considering we used to be there everyweek at art school. Definitely both worth a visit.  

(Image Source: scanned flyer from exhibition)

Here are two images from postcards I bought for the Ballet Russes exhibition - they are both sketches of costumes which I think was my favourite part of the exhibition.



(image source: scanned postcard from exhibition)

Leon Bakst

"Dione" plate 73

1913

(Image Source: uploaded by myself from postcard)

George Barbier

"Nijinsky as the Golden Slave and Rubenstein as Zoebeide in Scheherazade"

1913