Delightful Canberra Times!

So my delightful new life affords me the luxury to spend a few days visiting my ma and pa in old Canberra town. As you're all probably expecting my JEMposium writings, they are on the way, to be perfectly honest that's actually what I'm working on while I'm here. But a few little adventures where also on the cards.

BILK

I visited to the jewellery gallery in Canberra, Workshop Bilk, well it is now known as Bilk since it relocated to Manuka from Queanybeyan a few years ago (web/blog). The show on display, opened just last Friday night and I was pretty excited that I managed to see it.

'Embark' an exhibition showcasing the work of 6 emerging jewellers from Melbourne and Canberra, was quite a delight. Bilk is known for its incredibly high standard of craftsmanship and, like most galleries has it's own aesthetic, I think this show is a testament to that. A 'best of the best' emerging showcase in the Bilk aesthetic. The absolute standout work for me was from Jill Hermans. Her work is luminous! It is masterful and if funds where permitting I think I would have bought a piece. If you get a chance you should pop down to Bilk and have a look. The show isn't going to change your life, but I think give it some time you will enjoy the quite moments this show can offer.

POCKET STUDIO

Recently I did a callout for jewellers, and the delightful Alison Jackson responded to my request. Since I knew I was coming down to Can Can, I thought I would hit her up for a studio tour, luckily she was most obliging and we talked the talk over a cup of tea.

Alison and a fellow jeweller started the workshop in Queanybeyan (just down the road from the first Workshop Bilk) about 4 years ago and since then it has become Pocket Studio under the sole guidance of Alison. She shares her space with 3 other studio tenants and has just started teaching classes on Monday nights. We had a lovely afternoon talking about the jewellery community (how to engage), workshop/studios (how they work and how they don't work), professional practice (or lack thereof in teaching institutions) and a little collaborative project her, an architect buddy and a product/industrial design pal have been working on for the last 3 weeks (thats the little bowls and spoons you see in the pictures), I can't wait to see the end product.

For a lady who can only be in her mid to late 20's she is going great guns! I'm pretty impressed, it's always nice to meet someone who is just doing what they do. Seemingly effortless (which of course it isn't), humble and generous. I'm looking forward to seeing where she steers herself next.

Thanks Alison for taking the time to have a cup of tea with me this arvo, mucho appreciated.

Cheers - Z