Sunday 28 September 2014

Well we really failed at the Hitchcock thing!


"Birds", Margaret said. "We must make birds". So we did.  Lots of them, or so we thought.  

Then came one of those two people speaking at once things, "We can we make them  look down on people like in 'The  Birds'"

So we did, and they did not look one bit threatening, so we asked Tony to make a movie, and its not threatening either, rather  proved the point, they are just plain funny, warm and fuzzy. 
  For  small screen quality.......




  For big screen quality and a better look go to

Sales have proved that point too, lots of little red stickers.  Its become a kind of joke with us now, "what did you do last night?, "I made another bird(or two)" then " Is it different to the last one?" Of course it is.  So to meet the challenge every other day or so a couple of new birds appear.

  There's only just over a week left and we keep looking at the flamingos and thinking, should we....they'd look great as a flock, then we look at our, lives and think, maybe another time.....but , on the other hand......


Mind you we're open to requests and orders,  we're having so much fun!

Come and see our Birds and many other amusing things,

Who Needs Permission,The Eltham Library community Gallery, Panther Place, Eltham, last day is October 6th !




Tuesday 16 September 2014

Tomorrow's the big day

Cold and wet, that's the forecast, but we hope the intrepid will brave the weather and make it to our launch/opening tomorrow night 


and we're hoping that some adults might follow the example of these two young gentleman, Vigo and Wisse Wijers


and have a proper serious game of cupcake /checkers.  




Thursday 11 September 2014

Overwhelm-ment should be a word

Because that is the state we are in right now, overwhelmed just isnt strong enough!

Its been a knockout beyond our dreams! Oohs and Aahs, so many laughs and so many smiles.  Just what we wanted.  And thats just the first day. 

The library is a fascinating building, after all these years I  properly saw and realised  the concept of the vaulted ceiling in the  library area, so appropriate for a studious space .....You can see it at the back of this photo taken from the exhibition peacocks eyeview.


Our pristine cupcake draughtboard/checkerboard has been interactive in a way we never imagined. 



 Designed for adults to have a serious (?) game, we discovered the bonus that even quite small children knew straight away they were playing white icing and strawberries against pink icing and cherries.  They also got right into the touching feely thing that textiles just bring on in a serious  way.  One young man, maybe of about three, visited twice in the morning then dragged his Mum back in at 5 just so he could hold a cake again! 



If photos made you a millionaire, we'd be billionaires.  Never seen so many, all round the exhibition, so good for morale.  Even better when you've been busting your boiler to make it just the best happiest exhibition you can imagine.



And all the while this little chap has been watching, he's looking for a good home on October 7th.


Wednesday 10 September 2014

Who Needs Permission - Woo Hoo We're IN

We started the day in the usual  organised  way that you install something different to the last thing you did. Railings finished, most of the poles covered, time for bunting!



Despite  the tempting smell of coffee drifting in from the cafe down the corridor we persevered.


After raising Hung Out to Dry there were  many bicycles.....


And  they were hung quite quickly, lots of fun deciding which one to pick first, or second or......


More on the bikes another time.....its enough to say the laughs and delight from library visitors cheered us on as our hearts sank looking at all the rest to be done.

And we did it!!!!!!!  Many thanks to Joel and Isabelle, not only their help but their good cheer made it a pleasure to get through all our stuff!!!  Chairs, banners, peacock, sewing machine, The Birds (lots of them), cushions and of course a draught board .  


Some of you will remember "There Goes the Neighbourhood", Margarets  shortlisted piece for the Nillumbik Prize in 2013, its here , not in the photograph, YOU have to come and find it,  take a seat to look at the video inthe shade of the palm tree, then get a little exercise playing draughts  (handle the pieces gently please, cherries and strawberries bruise easily).  

Who Needs Permission, Eltham Library Community Gallery until October 6th.




Who Needs Permission? - day one of the install


The afternoon of day one installing, a beautiful empty space just waiting....for  ......


Yes waiting for us to start yarnbombing  - and once again its a warm and friendly way to go.  People wandering in and out of the library just couldnt help smiling and laughing.  Just wait til tomorrow night!



But then we had to take a break, the rain got louder and louder and turned into hail.....we patted ourselves on the back.  This time we're installing indoors  - in Dandenong we installed in icy wind and we de-installed in the rain. Indoors is such a luxury! 


It got heavier and darker and heavier and the gutters were overflowing like waterfalls...

But back to work,  then a quick rest to decide our dinners before we left....


You might be getting a bit of an idea of what we're up to - just wait til tomorrow night!!!






Monday 8 September 2014

Who Needs Permission?

Only twelve months ago Margaret and I started discussing what to do with the skills we'd developed during our Artists Residency at Montsalvat in Eltham.

Who Needs permission? Margaret said!  Of course, what gallery? Well the Eltham Library Community Gallery of course!

So here we are, the day is nigh.....

Panic levels are high, in a very calm sort of way.....

We start installing tomorrow afternoon , then more on Wednesday.....

Here's a clue 


No its not really a pie but it does relate to a day of domestic virtue - as you will see later...

Remember the Montsalvat Wedding Tree - well any good idea can be developed into......


You'd better come to the library and see...this is just the corner of......


Then there's a little bit of this


Then more domestic virtue


Take a good look, there's more than one exhibition piece in this cute little Hursbridge almost bakery.  

The icing is not yet on the cakes, and here's a clue to their interactive role in the exhibition - we need twenty four so you can come and play.

And so the best of friends talk about settling into their new habitat...


They look forward to showing it off to you from Thursday September 11 at the Eltham Library Community Gallery.  They might even reveal a little bit more tomorrow.....