June 2010

“Interviews With Escapists”

by Chavah Kinloch on June 30, 2010

Doesn’t this title just grab you? It sounds intriguing doesn’t it? To me it does anyway.

This is the title of upcoming solo exhibition by Karley Feaver. Remember Karley? I mentioned her last week in this post, she was kind enough to send me gorgeous fabric to use in my projects.

Through a series of interviews Karley has explored peoples personal experiences and opinions on escapism.

It all began 3 years ago when Karley found herself going through a tough time; unhappy she recognised she was practicing her own form of escapism through her thoughts.

With each participant being asked the same 12 questions; Karley has taken their responses and translated them into bold abstract art works with each painting telling a story set to evoke emotions through imagery and colour.

Told you it sounds intriguing.

Karley has published the interviews on her blog and believe me, they make for great reading. A book containing the interviews is also available.

You are invited to view the exhibition Interview With Escapists which will be held at The Depot Artspace in Devonport, Auckland from July 10th-22nd 2010. Karley will be holding an artist talk for all on Wednesday 14th July at 6:30pm. Until then, catch her in the top 10 column in today’s Viva I believe!

Borrowing a question from Karley (I thought this one was a real goody):

Have you ever experienced going beyond moderation in daydreaming or escapism?

I would love to read your answers and experiences if you’re willing.

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Countdown to the Reveal of ‘Bloom’

by Chavah Kinloch on June 29, 2010

Every year the NZ Art Guild and it’s members take part in a collaborative project. The finished product is then revealed at the Emerge exhibition and auctioned off on TradeMe to raise money and awareness for The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand. 100% of the proceeds are donated.

This year’s project is titled Bloom. It incorporates 64 individual artworks, created by 62 New Zealand artists that were invited to interpret the theme New Beginnings and Growth. The collaborative project results in an artwork 1/3m x 1.3m.

Can’t wait to see this year’s result!

I’ll be sure to put the link up to the auction once the reveal is done.

Those in Auckland are invited to the Emerge exhibition and reveal of Bloom at Bruce Mason Centre, 6:30pm, 2nd July 2010.

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Successful Sunday’s: Interview with Rachael Inch of Inspirational Art

by Chavah Kinloch on June 27, 2010

Rachael Inch is a wonderful creative that hails from the South Island of New Zealand. A woman I can relate to, her life is surrounded by art. For the past 9 years she has been producing bold paintings with a strong  influence from her surroundings. Her vibrant skies, rivers and hills capture the essence of rural New Zealand in a new contemporary way. Rachael is about to have her first solo exhibition titled Celebrating the Creative Spirit in Colour at Auckland’s Bruce Mason Centre,  August 3rd-31st 2010. If you’re in town you’re invited to meet the artist and view her gorgeous collection at the opening celebrations on August 3rd 7pm-9:30pm.

How would you describe yourself?

I am a really passionate person, who really cares. I am very driven and have a great love for all I meet. I guess I would describe myself as successful, as I am continually reaching the goals I set for myself, I am a mother and a Farmers wife an artist and a school bus driver! So I am able to do lots of things and multi task when I need to!! People inspire me!

What inspired you to do what you do?

My art is purely inspired by what I see and feel around me. On a holistic level, colours are incredibly important and beneficial to us. I am inspired by my emotions and I found that Art was a way out of depression for me. Art is how I express myself and how I learn to move through life.

What would be your best advice for someone wanting to go into business for themselves?

Plan and Action! The biggest thing I have learned is that you must have determination and self belief. If you have an Idea ACTION IT! too many people don’t ever action their ideas, they procrastinate and never put anything into action, if you want to be in business you must plan everything, affiliate yourself with social networking and get out and learn more. There are always great courses that are cheap or free on starting your own business.. go do it! Being a business owner is the most satisfying  job you can have, yes, you need to put long hours in and you need to make sure you work hard, but its on your terms. You only get out what you put in!

How do you handle all your different responsibilities, what are your priorities?

Sometimes not so easily!!! Its very difficult to juggle all the responsibilities I have and to be honest its not a perfect world all the time, things suffer! but if you balance your tasks as much as you can and plan ahead (oh yes I am the great Capricorn start sign the one who writes lists!!) then you tend to get there in the end. Sometimes I just need to go for a run to clear my head because I cant stop thinking and coming up with new ideas or what I have to do next, but I will always try and bring my thoughts back to “Live in the Present” quite often with the busy lifestyle I have “crash moments” that’s when I retreat for a moment, put on some calming music and try to de-stress.

Any goals for the future?

Goals for the future… Too many to list!! I will have my own store/gallery one day in the future and I have many Ideas on how to keep branching my creativity out to generate income. I guess my biggest goal is to be healthy and enjoy life as much as I can. I know that sounds so cliche but how can you make any career goals if you are not healthy?

Tell us a little bit about your family and relationship, if you’re in one:

I am a mother of a great 10year old boy, Jayden who is very special in his own way, I have a fantastic husband of 7 years, Rodney who is a farmer. (the rest is private ::))

Biggest life lesson?

Wow I have had sooo many LOL biggest… hmmm I guess “that life is way to short.” My mother in law whom I was very close too passed away in my arms around 4 years ago. It was such a sudden event and I guess after her death I took the rose coloured glasses off about life, I learned lots from that big event. Like, being honest at all times and no matter who doesnt want to hear the truth at least you stand in the truth.

We are here on the earth for such a short time and it can just be pulled away from you in such a quick instance, so I guess I would say that everyone needs to start living from their gut instincts. I have learned not to stay and feel unhappy in a job that I hate and “trust” that things will work out for me.

I have learned to APPRECIATE people more and say thank you all the time. That at the end of the day when we strip our material possessions all we have is each other so I learned to value that time that we have with people. Life is too short for letting other people run your life.

Biggest lesson you’ve learned in business?

In business? Well that for me personally is money management and research everything. I have learned in the art world that its not what you know its who you know so networking is incredibly important!! And I have learned in business if something is not working its not meant to be!

Share with us your favourite quote:

” Do not wish to be anything else but who you are and try to be that perfectly!”   and on a final note, I came from a family who work hard for what they have. I was always told by my father “There’s no such word as I CAN’T” its cannot or can. So I guess he taught me to always believe that no matter how hard things are I can always but try. Time and time again in my personal life I encounter people who are jealous of others success because they cannot set their minds to do what drives them. Everyone is good at something, I believe that the only restrictions in life are the ones that we put on ourselves.

Opportunities are everywhere you just have to take them and go with what you feel is right!

I suffered depression so badly that I tried to take my own life, I lost the support of almost all of my friends and I created a situation in my life where I was rock bottom. I said to myself that I was going to change it all and I did, one step at a time, it has NOT been easy. I work damn hard everyday to get where I feel I should be. I stopped blaming the world for my problems and started taking responsibility for myself. I started really looking at the way I acted spoke or was and I changed myself, why? For a better quality of life. I am just an average 30 year old woman and I made this happen by speaking from my heart. Anyone can do the same if they just say to themselves “I am Worth it”.


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The Latest Project – Side Table Drawers

by Chavah Kinloch on June 25, 2010

Ahhhhh. First off, I just wanted to say I’m feeling great. Thanks for the lovely comments I got all around the place :)

Next up, my latest project!

So my favourite places to shop down here are Habitat from Humanity and the dump. This particular project was found at the dump.

Shopping second hand down here isn’t like shopping second hand in a big city. Everything is labelled ‘antique’ when really it’s just old and nasty and only worth a dollar. So buying an affordable set of drawers is no easy feat. Not to mention a set of drawers that match.

When I saw them I instantly saw gorgeous side tables for a living room, hallway or bedroom. The shape of them is stunning IMO., and those handles…yes! The drawers are quite big/deep so they’d actually store quite a bit even though there are only two of them. At $15 each, I couldn’t say no.

I’d heard you could actually refurbish veneered wood so I thought this might be a good introduction to working with it.

So here’s the before:

I’m still working on them but here are some during photo’s:

I still have a long way to go with this project but I’m hoping the end result will come out as what I envisage in my head.

I’m working in my dining room.(The whole middle of winter thing.) I’ve completely trashed it.  Well, I’ve gotten paint everywhere, my baby has trashed it lol. I’ll be doing something that requires a lot of elbow grease, like sanding.. and he’ll come along and pull things off my desk and sprawl everything across the floor. Darn him for getting bigger! He’s into absolutely everything right now. I think he believes he’s helping me… but really… lol.

The results for the drawers are great so far and I really, really hope I can pull it together. So keep watch! All going well I’ll have it done by next week… unlike my painting which is STILL waiting on goods to be shipped so I can finish it.

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Winning The Battle

by Chavah Kinloch on June 23, 2010

Don't I look so happy :/

Have you ever had one of those days where you’re just so frustrated all you want to do is scream?

Well that was me yesterday.

I was thinking about just how homesick I was. I thought about where I wanted my career to go. I thought about how I wanted to see my cousin walk through my door so we could have a long girl talk. I got to thinking just how much I needed a Mum around to offer to babysit, just for a couple of hours, so I could go out and do something alone with my husband. I pictured sitting and folding my laundry and laughing with my Mum. The extra hands I get once a year (when I’m lucky) help more than anyone can imagine.

Then I thought about how unhealthy and moody I feel because I got fat.

My thought’s lingered there.

I hate being fat. Hate it.

I don’t look a thing like myself and it bugs the heck out of me.

I hate victim mentality.

Wow, that’s a lot of hate. Can’t believe I’ve allowed myself to use the word.

I have been working on it though, and I do notice the difference, so I really should stop giving any glory to it but it just sucks so bad!

I have no idea how my friends have babies and look like they were never pregnant the next day. I need some of those genes. My baby turns one next month and I only just feel like my body is recovered! Pretty sure I still look pregnant lol.

Anyway, when I was working out yesterday, I had to ride the bike so long by the end of it it felt like my wahoo was preparing to open itself up to deliver another 12lb baby!… and I thought lunging up 10 flights of stairs was sore.

It made me have to take my mind elsewhere so that I could forget about the pain. I found myself thinking about everything I wrote ^^up there in the intro.

As I was working out, feeling bitter, annoyed and angry I did the unthinkable. Do you know what I did?

There was no one else around so I let it happen.

I cried.

Just a little.

No sobbing, no shrieking, just some very sad tears and stinging eyes.

I sat alone in a room, peddling my heart out, upping the resistance every minute, crying.

For the entire rest of the day, at random moments, my eyes did it again and again.

If you recall, I don’t cry. It’s very hard for me to cry (unless it’s a wedding?!). I have a massive protective shell and it’s extremely hard for anything to penetrate it. So yesterday was weird for me. Needless to say I’ve probably shed my tears for the year.

Nothing had happened, no one had insulted me, my family wasn’t in crisis, finances were fine.

My thoughts had just consumed me and I just.needed.to.cry.

Amongst all the sadness I felt yesterday, one thing was very clear. It was time for change.

Being a mother, wife, artist, blogger, landlord, business partner, arts council member (and a million other things that one does) I haven’t had time to myself in about 2 years… Just before I got pregnant with Boston.  I used to get regular alone time. It was part of my schedule. Now I feel immense guilt for taking an hour to myself. That’s ridiculous, it’s only ONE HOUR! Why should I feel guilty?

I don’t know if anyone will understand the guilt thing because I’m not sure if it’s a me thing or an every person does it thing but I do know that being physically strong made me mentally strong and I want to get back there. I never used to doubt myself, I got scared but never let it get to me. Right now I just don’t feel like that. I do feel proud that I’ve been pushing myself to just work out despite the guilt and the tiredness though.

I realised something today writing this. I cried at the gym because I was finally alone! Seriously, I can’t even shower without being interrupted most days. I was in my refuge. I’ve mentioned before how attached I got to that place because of this reason. In that moment yesterday at the gym I didn’t have to do anything but work on me; it was a chance to make myself happy. I let go, released the tension and today has been beautiful because of it.

I came to the conclusion that I was far too hard on myself. I had been focusing so much on how sh*t I felt that that was all I was ever feeling. It was time to face facts.

  • I don’t have help and usually I don’t care because they’re my kids, my responsibility.
  • I like creating and I would never stop just to make mothering and being a housewife easier because that would be like torture to me.
  • My in-laws will be down for a visit next month and I can get my family fix from them.
  • I can use the time I have now to do all the things I’ve wanted to do around this house; while we work on the last of our goals, before we set off on our next adventure.
  • Fat sucks, so don’t stop working out and eating right. It’s really that simple.

In the mean time I have to put my big girl panties back on. I don’t have a bad life, in fact I have a really good life so what the hell was I doing feeling sorry for myself.

It needed to stop.

So here’s to being a big girlpants about the whole thing. It opened my eyes to see the bigger picture. Good things take time.

P.S. I really am amazed those stairs haven’t killed me.

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A Seriously Cool Fun Find

I’m passing along the credit to Molly for this find. She twittered it out and I replied telling her that this was totally blog worthy. As an artist, I love all things that have to do with paint, I’m always on the lookout for what’s new; so imagine how giddy I got when I read [...]

Sneak Peeks

Last week, before all chaos ensued, I was lucky enough to receive a package from fellow creative Karley Feaver. (I have a little feature on this talented artist coming up soon!) Included in the package were remnants of gorgeous fabric for me to use in my creations and the coolest card. It was a recipe [...]

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