joining the *real world*...

Today was a day of new beginnings, consolidation and reaffirmation
(I love those days!)

I joined the *real world* today. I have stepped into my new role as manager at the gym that I work for...and have begun my new life as a part-time worker :) I'm working part-time hours 4 days a week, and so have permanent long weekends to work on starting my own business. I'm very excited! I'm looking forward to getting into some new work shortly :)

However, the day was also highlighted by the fact that my academic history was finally unlocked online this morning (on the university website before I left for work)...and my results were posted. I'm going to graduate!! *yay!*

Finishing note: Having just had a week of holidays, I gave myself a mental and creative health week and just absorbed...rather than designing/creating. It was lovely...and very much needed after the *design pressure* of university assessments! The weekend prior to my week away was the 21st birthday celebration for one of my friends. Here are a couple of photos of the glass pearl necklace I made for her as a gift...and the wrapping, which she exclaimed was *very Amy~!!*

nostalgia

I have just been reading through Melanie's blog (Kimono Reincarnate) and found myself becoming quite nostalgic for Japan. I was only there for a year...but that year will live with me forever and will perhaps play a larger role in my life than other years that have passed. That got me to thinking about the passage of time and how fickle it can seem. Isn't it funny the way that some days can last forever...while others flit past before you have a chance to blink?

It brought me around to thinking about Japan and the current season. This time last year I had been in Japan for 3 months (where did the last year slip away to??)...and autumn had really set in. It is momiji (autumn maple leaves) season over in Japan at the moment...and so I found myself flicking through my autumn photos. I wanted to share a couple: the first was taken at Fushimi-inari (the fox shrine) and the rest at Kyoumizu-dera temple, both in Kyoto.

katazome

A little bit of background...I was lucky enough to have spent a year of my three year textile design degree on exchange in Japan. I arrived back in Australia 4 months ago in time to complete my final semester here. During my sojourn in Japan I spent 9 months learning a traditional dyeing technique called katazome. It is an enormously time consuming and labour intensive process, but is equally as rewarding. For want of a better description, it is similar to the silk screen printing process but completely hand done...right down to cutting the stencil (which acts as your screen). I enjoyed this technique immensely and would love to have the time and the equipment to explore it further. Hopefully I will make it back to Japan for an extended period again someday.
Here are some sequential photos of the katazome process, following the progression of one design...

japan | graphic design | textile design

Every creative spirit is shaped and moulded by multiple influences in varying degrees. I marvel at the way that this happens. Japan, graphic design and textile design are the three factors that have had the most sway with me. Everything that I am and everything that I seem to create is influenced by all of these. It seems to be unavoidable...and I wouldn't want it any other way.

I would like to share a couple of *arty* pics that I took whilst in Japan that continue to inspire me. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

presentation for assessment

On Thursday last week I had my final assessment for the textile design degree that I was studying. I hand dyed and printed 10 lengths of fabric and made a range of handbags using a variety of combinations of my fabric designs. Here are a couple of photos of my set up in the gallery on the day.

some recent designs...

Seeing as I created this blog to work through design thoughts and keep myself inspired, I thought I should post a few pics of recent work that has kept me occupied. I have just completed a textile design degree and spent the best part of the last year working on one concept towards a final major work. Here are a few sample pictures of the work in progress.

the beginning...

I am apprehensive, nervous and excited...all at the same time...about starting this blog. It is a wide internet world out there...and I haven't really ventured into the blog realm before. It is time to try something new.

I have been looking (with keenness and interest) at a number of blogs on here for a few months now (Kirin Notebook, Satsuma Press, Hollabee, Of Paper & Thread, and recently Paperiaarre) and must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! I am continually amazed, excited and inspired by the number of wonderfully talented people there are out there. Up until now I have been exceptionally busy and always thought 'when there's time, I'd like to do that'. On Thursday last week I finally finished 6 years (and 2 degrees) at university...and now find myself on holidays for 2 weeks before I begin working part-time and look at starting my own business.

Here's to new beginnings :)