All the things that we do for fun

11 Oct

Written By Minna

It's no secret that I've been lazy with updating this blog. I was wondering why that is, when even in some of my busier periods I've managed to relatively keep up. I realised just now, with a bit of thinking, that it's because I'm very content and happy. And, busy being content and happy. I have fun on my weekends, and most of my weeknights. I spend less time on the computer. That doesn't mean I have to be hauled up and sad to update this blog, it just means I have to consciously insert time to write here when I get distracted with the great things in life. Gonna make more of an effort to do that I guess, but at the same time I'm so happy that I'm happy and am going to keep enjoying that.

I'm working towards an exhibition I have in November at Gertrude Contemporary. Funnily enough earlier on in the year I was so stressed that I wouldn't have enough time with my book coming out to do the work for this show that I started really early and now it's all completely under control. It's odd for me to have enough time not to rush things, but it's been brilliant. The title of the exhibition is On a clear day you can see forever, because it's true.

I'm making paintings and fabric prints for the show, and my work will be upstairs in the Studio 12 gallery space. Downstairs will be the studio artists exhibition, in which I will also be exhibiting some paintings and works on fabric. I'm really excited to show my new work and especially excited to show at Gertrude Contemporary for the first time after having a studio there for, well, almost this whole year now.

The aforementioned fun things I've been occupying my spare time with are vast and varied so it's hard to pinpoint single events to describe in my usual detail. When you have a partner, you get invited to double the things you used to because your friendship circle is now theirs too and vice versa. My boyfriend has a really remarkable group of friends, and I've been so lucky to tag along to countless dinner parties, parties, events, etc. I've enjoyed broadening my horizons socially because my circles were pretty solidly stemming from art backgrounds and it's nice sometimes to experience a little outside of that (not too far outside that though, don't worry).

People keep asking me: "How's your book going?" so I want to include that answer here too, incase you were wondering. I guess my answer is that I don't really know how it's going, to be honest. I'm so pleased with how the launch went, and with how the book has been received by those close to me, but otherwise all I know is that it is "out there" and maybe in the hands of people I don't know and I feel quite uninvolved with that or something. I don't have any sales figures to gauge the larger scheme of things which I guess is what people are edging at when they ask how my book is going. To sum up, I guess, I think it's going really well from where I sit! But I don't know how it's going on a larger scale. Hopefully flying off the shelves I guess ;)

I started a new column at Rookie Magazine called Bad Girl Painters. I will interview a young artist monthly and the interview will then go up on the site. The name is supposed to be a play on Bad Boy Painters who are the worst, and are people like Pablo Picasso and Damien Hirst. I don't want the name to be exclusive to just painters or just girls, either. The first interview I did was with Ale Salmán and you can read it here: http://www.rookiemag.com/2015/09/bad-girl-painter-ale-salaman/

Other ventures include this article I wrote on my philosophies on collecting for Dumbo Feather. It is titled More is More and you can read it here: http://www.dumbofeather.com/more-is-more-how-collecting-embellishes-a-life/

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It has been unseasonably warm in Melbourne, and I am enjoying it immensely. It's only mid-Spring and my winter coats are well and truly packed away, I've near forgotten what it is like to wear stockings. While I know that this early onslaught of summer is bad in a sense that it is going to be a dry summer - not much rain - which subsequently means it's not good for both my Mum and Dad's plant-based businesses, and that bushfires will again be a big threat where I live, not to mention that it is pretty evident of global warming... I can't help but revel in the sunshine and blossom. It's making me feel so light.

The best example of this weather being the best ever was when we had a long weekend a week or two ago now. While initially I was so reluctant to acknowledge this newly instated public holiday in aid of a football match, my boss insisted I take the Friday off. I spent the day in my studio, sleeveless dress and sandals, painting and basking in the sunshine through my windows. I knocked off early, bought a couple of beers and went round to my boyfriend's house where he presented me with a bunch of flowers. We sat out the back in the sunshine talking and drinking and watching his cat catch mice with precision hunting techniques.

I posted a picture the other day on Instagram that was just a little collage I put together and I captioned it with one of my favourite Madonna lyrics from Like A Virgin: "I made it through the wilderness, somehow I made it through-o-o" and it is with that sentiment that I'm feeling about a lot of things at the moment.

Here is an assortment of pictures that I hope are in some kind of order that makes sense.