ArchitectureAU

Since March this year I have been contributing to ArchitectureAU. Its an online portal for Architects and Designers to connect with people, the latest projects and critical discourse. To date I have contributed five stories with photographs and illustrations.

APT7 at GOMA – View to Damien Gulkledep’s Pomio People 2011. Photography Christina Waterson.

1. My first was a postcard about APT7 at GOMA.

Design Process – This story also included a series of collages and illustrations I completed while Studying Architecture at The University of Queensland. Collage by Christina Waterson.

2. The next was an interview with Queensland Interior Designer Marisha McAuliffe about her groundbreaking research into the Design Process.

The Opposite House Foyer – a luxury hotel in Sanlitan Village, Beijing, designed by Kengo Kuma’s. Photography by Christina Waterson.

3. Then I contributed a Postcard about a great hotel I stayed in while visiting Beijing, called The Opposite House.

Jeweller Phoebe Porter at the opening of her exhibition entitled Unfold. Photography by James Braund.

4. I loved writing the catalogue essay for Jeweller Phoebe Porter on the occasion of her exhibition Unfold held at Craft Victoria. It was great to share this essay called Making Refining Sharing on the Architecture AU website accompanied with beautiful imagery by photographer James Braund.

WOOD: art design architecture – view to Sherrie Knipe’s work Boot Lace. Photography by Christina Waterson.

5. And my latest contribution – a review of the exhibition WOOD: art design architecture at JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design, Adelaide.

I have come to really love being creative through writing and photography, as well as meeting the talented practitioners behind the amazing work. It is a pleasure to present their stories through the professional forum of ArchitectureAU.

Follow the links above to my articles posted on the ArchitectureAU website, have a read and let me know what you think!

THANK YOU to You!

Lately people have asked me why I don’t include more posts about me or my current work. They ask “Isn’t it your blog? Shouldn’t you just use your blog to present your work?”

Maybe! Sometimes my blog does include posts about my latest projects, media reviews, events, exhibitions, awards or successes. But you know as well as I do that creative people do not live in an isolated bubble. We are in the world and are informed by the things around us – the people we meet and the places we visit.

I find joy when I shine the light on other people’s creative pursuits – be it within Australia or further afield overseas. I openly share my moments of inspiration – personal meetings with gifted people and experiences in unique and moving places.

Toto guides me through the beautiful process of Karakami at Karacho.

Delicate pressure applied by Toto to Washi and wood block.

Special people like Aiko and Toto from Karacho in Kyoto. Never a day goes by that I do not think of my experience with them and the personal feeling of Karakami with Karacho.

Mr Ohashi San weaving in his studio, Beppu (Japan).

Keiji at his Bunkyo-ku Studio, Tokyo.

Eastern Weft Textiles shared with me by Samorn Sanixay, Sydney.

I treasure being welcomed into Mr Ohashi San’s practice and the process of weaving bamboo. Meeting inspiring practitioners like Japanese Architect and Designer Keiji Ashizawa, and Australian based Samorn Sanixay co-founder of Eastern Weft was very special.

The beautiful Arda Gokger guided me through Istanbul.

Bruce Lepere and I talked surrounded by colour and pattern (London).

Designer John Quan, Jam Factory (Adelaide).

I was transformed through unique experiences like those with Arda Gokger at The Rustem Pasha Mosque (Turkey); Conversations with Bruce Lepere from Oriental Rugs at Liberty of London or more recently visiting JamFactory and spending Sunday afternoon with Designer John Quan.

Byon Temple, Siem Reap (Cambodia).

Hagia Sophia (Turkey).

An amazing sunset at my place!

There are personal moments at Byon Temple and Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Hagia Sophia (Turkey), or simply sunset at my place and moments of nature. I can share these moments through a personal frame. It means the world is a richer place through further cross-pollination.

The key thing that I learnt through my Winston Churchill Fellowship Travels was that creatives across the globe have similar challenges and joys. We use a common language of making that transcends cultural borders. We are all part of a creative tribe.

Think of the special people who have inspired you in your life or work. Get in touch with them. Write them an email, a postcard or message on Facebook. Say hello and thank them in your own special way! It will keep the creative energy flowing and growing and make a positive difference to their day!

My list of inspiring people gets longer with every day. When I get in touch with them, often they are unaware of the difference they have made and just how much they have affected me!

I cannot say THANK YOU enough!

Siem Reap Arrival

Siem Reap (Cambodia) in the wet season – an amazing experience that I will cherish forever. As we flew over Siem Reap I glanced out across the country below – there appeared to be more water than land!

From the airport to the city the roads were full of a constant stream of tuk tuks, motorbikes and mini buses.  Along these water lined roads you could find cattle, families fishing, water birds, men resting in the shade, and market stalls.

As we came closer to the city centre it became more dense – with people, movement and life.

We had journeyed to Siem Reap to experience the Angkor Ruins and Temples. From the moment we landed it was the people of Cambodia with their generous spirit, happiness, beautiful way and enthusiasm that became our true life changing experience.

Things I Enjoy About Travelling 01

One of the things I love about travelling is receiving emails from my Mum and Dad about what’s happening in the bush around our family home. The first time I travelled overseas Mum would send telegrams. They would be waiting for me when I arrived in a new place. So very special!

I am travelling through Shanghai, Cambodia and Singapore over the next few weeks. Mum and Dad have started sending me the emails I treasure. Their daily stories and events. Here is one of my favourites, emailed through the other day as I arrived in Shanghai:

Dad rescued a Kookaburra from the pool Saturday Morning…Bedraggled and Listless…Towelled the Kooka off, dried with the Wigo Hair Dryer..fed her some meat…and after a while, the Kookaburra flew up into the Trees and Laughed and Laughed…with Her Mate..Now I have a big Dish of rain Water down under the Bottlebrush Trees, for her and all the other birds around to drink from there…

…Of Course the Willywag Tail &her Mate have a nest built in Your Cubby House and the two parents fly in and out feeding these chirpy Willys…..Dad poked a branch of a tree through the window space (that you would open with a string and piece of stick to prop the window open).

The Two Parent Willywag Tails bomb the Magpies that fly too close.

A Good Sport…for all the birds…and us to see… Enjoyable…entertaining…..

So great to receive! Thank you Mum and Dad!

Bells Beach, Victoria

Did I mention the water temperature was about 13 Degrees. Chilly!

Country Victorian Sheep

Driving along The Great Ocean Road, in Victoria, I met some lovely sheep. They were so fat with wool. Many of the ewes had lambs and they were bouncing around.

Melbourne Arrival

The Howwecreate.com team have arrived in Melbourne ready for the installation of the ‘MAKE it’ Precinct for Saturday Indesign. Very excited to be here and ready to go!

Three States

New South Wales, Australia

From Sydney’s CBD out to EVOstyles workshop at Oakville to meet with third generation wood craftsman Luke Ommundson. Howeecreate.com team had a guided tour through the process of wood-turning. EVOstyle will be working with designers Coco Reynolds and Jonathon Logan for ‘MAKE it’ Precinct, at Saturday Indesign, Melbourne.

Victoria, Australia

Launch Pad mentoring session and an impromptu presentation to the Launch Pad Finalists…Site visit at the location for the ‘MAKE it’ Precinct in Richmond/Cremorne. I am working with  Norman Johnson and Patricia Lee (Pictured on Site) from Howwecreate.com PALAMONT – art in manufacturing on a variety of fronts including marketing, logistics, design, staffing and detail for the day!

Queensland, Australia

Back in Brisbane tying up final details for Saturday Indesign, getting to know more about the Rotor Moulding Process with PALAMONT and doing it for Howwecreate.com in prep for ‘MAKE it’ Precinct

I didn’t just move through three physical states but three states of mind.

CREATIVE – LOGICAL – TRUE BELIEF

Happy Thoughts

Happy Place

With a massive deadline looming I am thinking happy warm thoughts and trying to be kinder to me!

8 Days to go and counting…

Waking Up in Singapore

Waking to Kampong Glam.

Waking up in an unfamiliar place can be really beautiful. The street noises, the comings and goings of guests, and light are quite different and specific to the place. Singapore is no exception.

I am staying in Kampong Glam, the Malay/Arab enclave of Singapore. My hotel is within walking distance of the Sultan Mosque, heritage shop houses, and colourful textile and carpet shops.

I awoke to the sound of an extremely strange noise. A loud wolf whistle, followed by a screech, then another wolf whistle. What the hell was that!

Looking out

I opened the beautiful doors and shutters that front the street and listened for the noise again… and there on the other side of the street was a little house with two bird cages on either side of the entrance.

Beautiful Bird having a little rest as the street wakes up.

I have nicknamed him Gonzo Bird. I have become quite fond of him.

I watched as a man walked past the bird cages. One of the birds let out another sweet loud wolf whistle. This bird has real character! After he let out another deep screech (like a car skidding around a corner), a car lock beep beep noise and another wolf whistle, I broke into uncontrollable laughter.