Hi! I haven't posted a blog for almost a  year!
I have been studying Product design at RMIT in Melbourne since the start of the year.
So, yes the beautifully painstaking art of woodblock print making is on hold.
Still creating. (If i don't I go nuts.)
So I will hopefully be using this blog as a developing visual diary/ reference for my experience at school.
Just got a second hand iPhone 3 so it will be easier to take pics while I am out and about.
Sorry to take up your sweet time. best regards, Michael B ("

   These are some fresh water shell fish that I found sitting next to a creek in the forest near Gembrook. I used the shapes of these little beauty's to help with the design of a lamp that I am working on. I will have some pics of the lamp once I can achieve a successful casting.(In a ceramic called "Southern ice".) Thanks to an awesome local ceramicist named Alistair White.    Bye!

Back again

Hi! I have been away from the bloga-sphere for a while.
Lots of stuff happening in life, I am really very lucky.
Not so much printing at the moment. ( I am working on a secret project).
If its not to brash of Me to asume that You may be interested, here are some photos of
the native flowers that I saw while out in Beenak forest last week.
All the best from Michael B.

Yet to be identified

Native pea

Wonga vine

Four flowering plants in one shot.

I hope to use these shapes as influence for the project that I am working on.

Been a Long Time.........

Yet again time gets away with us. It's been a lovely summer. Many days spent splashing in the river with the kids, dinner picnics on the grassy banks with friends, going to my full time job, hand-digging out the back 'soon-to-be' courtyard and unfortunately not much time for 'arting'. As the weather cools (though today's sunny awesomeness was not very Autumnal!!), perhaps there will be more time for reflection and as the days get shorter perhaps a better excuse to stay inside and create.


However I have managed to put an entry into a local exhibition called 'Wild Things, Wild Places'. An initiative of  'Forests For The Future' . A local group dedicated to preserving and protecting the natural environment in the Central Highlands of Victoria (quote). The print I entered was the Dicksonia antarctica as seen below.

And I am happy to say it has been sold and will be heading of to a new home a months' time.

Also check out an exhibition at Burrinja Gallery in Upwey with Jude of Naturally Dyed and Mike and Marty of Juet Sculpture. It's really fantastic.

So long for now and hopefully it's won't be so long between posts.

B

Alot to catch up on

Hi I'm Le, Michael (B's) partner. I'm writing on behalf of B as he is busy grinding some Silva Organic Sidamo coffee for his sunday morning brew.

Yes, there is soooooooo much to catch up on. Children, work, sunny days, home maintenance, renovating printing press have all taken priority. So now we are going to attempt to update you all on Open Studios, yes I know that was in September but now that our daughter is sleeping much better in the wee hours, we feel a bit more, um normal, present, awake!!!!!

I'll start with some photos.............


WOODBLOCK PRINTS OF MT DONNA BUANG- this 12 piece set was B's first attempt at woodblock printing. It is absolutely stunning with beautiful flowing lines and intricate detail.  We were incredibly excited as it's the first time we have framed any of his work and we were thrilled with the results. And the frame is HUGE! Created by Kane Hammond from www.qualityhardwoodfurniture.com.au especially for this piece it measures 1.4m x 1.6m! We were just putting the frame up as the first guests arrived and now it rests in our dining room. We really love sitting under it every day at meal times and our children love identifying the animals in each piece.



Unlike the first weekend which was wet and cold, the weather on the second weekend was absolutely stunning . B set up an outdoor gallery and we enjoyed copious amounts of sunshine as our guests also enjoyed wandering around the garden, checking out the chooks and admiring the art.



This is a close up of the woodblocks B painstakingly carved to create the Mt Donna Buang set. They in themselves are a stunning piece of work and worth noting. They received alot of positive comments, oohhs and aahhhs during the event. Someone even offered to buy them (sorry, not for sale)!!!



B chatting to some of our first guests in his studio. It has a beautiful view of garden and is splashed in natural light which is very lucky in Warburton!!

Well fair to say we were exhausted. Running the event over 2 weekends was a huge commitment, especially with 2 small people in our lives. We greeted approximately 150 people over the 4 days. Our daughter had her first birthday on the 2nd weekend and we managed to squeeze in birthday cake, grandparents and friends visiting and a playful romp on the grass under the parachute (pictured below).

It really was a thrill and I'd fill with pride and happiness everytime I saw Michael talking to our guests. He is so sincere and genuine with a complete love for his art. One day he will be able to commit to it full time and (selfishly) I can have him home all the time!

A really big THANK YOU to everyone who wound their way through the maze of streets and came to show such enthusiasm for B's art. And we are incredibly grateful to those who purchased prints.



Now Open Studios is finished this is Michael's new project. Restoring THAT press! He has since hit a stumbling block. The centre pin that holds the big wheely thingy (hmmm) in place is proving difficult to manouvre. It needs to be removed and has now way of coming out so he's a bit stuck on that one. If there's anyone out there who knows about this kind of printing press, please contact us, we (he), (I), need to move on!!!

Movement

Hello to anyone who cares to read this post on what is my blog.
I have just started to restore a ye olde letterpress that was
salvaged from out in rural Victoria.
The thing weighs approximately 480kgs! and was a bit of a bugger to move.
The mecanisims were seized and last night i managed to free-up the movement.
Still a long way to go!
I am giving myself 1 year to get it fully restored.
Here Goes! 
Last night i took some photos, put them together and hopefully made an animation that

 you can see here. Ta  MB  ("

Post Yarra Valley Open Studios ''Post"

Another Yarra Valley Open Studios under the belt.
The highs and lows,   Ah, so many memories.
Putting My back out, headbutting a friends cage trailer, (accidentally) with an emphasis on the "dent".
Lots of great visitors to my studio. Looking up from a demo and realising that there were at least fifteen
people looking at what I was doing. That was a bit of an Argh! moment and yet I kept my composure.

Thanks again  to everyone that popped in.
And super thanks to those that bought some of my work, not only do you get a small piece of my soul,
but your purchase enables me to continue in my work for another year. Ta ("
Here are a few photos that a few people requested. Lots o love B

Woodblock prints of Mount Donna Buang 2009
Each piece is on A3, and twelve A3's go together to make up this image.

 This one is titled,"Platypus council"                         and "A flying visit"

This image was taken before the completion of this years print "Moon Platypus Yarra".

Still to receive the final layer of sky and moon detail.

So Long!

Yarra Valley Open Studios

Hi !  Its mid Yarra Valley open studios and the first week was great. Thank
You to everyone that came and said , "hello" .
Apart from putting my back out and almost knocking myself out cold on the back of a friends
 cage trailer, the weekend went fine.
This weekend i will be getting into some demo printing and more great conversation with some more
funky people.
pictures, pictures, pictures! where are all the pictures?
lets see what i can do.

 This picture is of the carving required for the 2nd layer of sky on this years print.

hopefully wht the letterpress will look like when i get into the restoration.

Hope that You  are well, Michael/B ("