Birds and Blooms opens August 18th and the Surf Coast Arts Trail is this weekend, August 12 + 13!!!!!
​Life has been very productive this year with all sorts of opportunities crossing my path. The Surf Coast Art Space has been an amazing initiative by the Surf coast Arts Officer, and I have been actively helping out by exhibiting, coordinating and curating some exhibitions this year! I have also been very active in securing Shire support so the space continues to support and promote local artists into next year!

Geelong Sculptor's Summer Sculpture exhibition, Anglesea Art Studios exhibition, Emerging Talent and Naturally Precious were all my babies and now my own time to shine is coming up with Birds and Blooms :) 

Birds and Blooms will be exhibiting new metalwork from Rowan and my studio, but also collaborative artworks with some of my favourite artists: Geo and Jan Francis, (aka mum and dad), Jewerey from Steph Hocking, ceramic sculpture by Dani Salvo and our special international guest, Ilya Viryachev has posted over some bird and bloom inspired paintings!!! Opening Friday week on August 18th 6-8pm, exhibition runs from 17-30, open daily 11-4 at the Art Space in Anglesea.

At the time of writing this blog we are only days away from the 6th Surf Coast Arts Trail.....I have been one of the dozen or so art studios to be featured every year! I have delved into the exciting world of jewelry this year, so you can expect to find creative metalwork both large and tiny on show at Studio 66, venue 38 on this year's map......hope to see you on the trail....... x

Exciting commissions and exhibition opportunities keep flowing through the studio doors. I thought I'd share a little of our recent creations as well as let you know what is coming up!

My Native Spoontails have been popular again with an interstate order as well as this birdbath being completed for the Wyndham Lodge Community courtyard in Werribee. I enjoy creating these birds inspired by the tiny Blue Wrens, Willie Wag tails and the Fire Finches that flit about my studio door......

Kookaburra Moon was also selected for the Wyndham Lodge Community courtyard, with a few gum leave additions expanding the wall sculpture to a size suitable for the wall where it now resides.......

Kookaburra Moon is one of the few selected images I chose to be featured in my Red Bubble online store.... have a look at http://www.redbubble.com/people/cinnamonsart?asc=u
​to see what I've been up too. These cards will also be available at my upcoming exhibition BIRDS AND BLOOMS later in August this year!!!!! Stay tuned for more information and a few special guests who will be joining me.....xxxx

Around 2 years ago the concept for this 4 window security panel project began over a conversation........ Evie Wood is a very good friend, fellow artist and home renovator........the idea of a series of metalwork screens for her special bay windows was discussed.

The idea of birds and plants was agreed upon and I drew up a very rough idea.....Evie trusted my vision and I began a very long process of creating the panels. The designs flowed one night under a full moon, each panel was a complete composition, but the entire 4 also needed to compliment each other. A quick visit to Launceston early in 2016  to measure up the windows was squeezed in, and the panels started to emerge..... First was Black Cockatoo and the Gumnuts......

next panel was the largest, Mopoke Owl amongst the Grevillea,​ which of course required a moon to be added.....

The third panel, same size as the first...(because the 1st and 3rd windows open, so these panels needed to accommodate the mechanisms required to use the windows!!!!) The White Goshawk over the fern fronds........

The final panel is the narrowest of the four, but I was determined to continue the entire composition across all the windows.....so the King Parrot over the Kangaroo Paw ​was always visualised to be hanging from the gum leaves to add some drama to the composition.

​So after 12 months of designs and talking, a visit to Tassy, and then 12 months of creation in between other projects, we are finally complete and have booked our trip to Tasmania in April to install the artworks......stay tuned for the result xxxxx

​Special thanks to Evie Wood for her trust and faith in my designs and ability to make magic happen  x

Clonard College's new Chapel is full of hand designed and created artworks. Here is how we were involved.........

Linda Kiernan who has worked at Clonard for 30 years had a vivid creative vision of how she wanted this new Chapel to look. Inspired by the metalwork I created on the campus over 15 years ago in collaboration with Viktor Ceberg, Linda contacted me with a very excited phone call early in 2015 describing her list of creative metalwork sculptural elements she wanted from us. I was very excited with her vision and also the freedom I was allowed in the designs......

Here's an image of a piece I created back in 2001, and some of my pre-design work.

The first piece we designed and created was the water feature for the meditative corner in the Chapel. This was designed with the water drop/leaf/ flame shapes I devised from the mural another artist was creating, and also the Kildare Ministries candle symbol. We also commissioned Wathaurong Glass to create the glass panels that include the running water symbol......A Wathaurong student of Clonard designed a gorgeous panel of the lead light window 20 panel story, so this was another beautiful connection within the chapel space.

Feeling confident, we progressed to the lantern/lamp that was designed to be lowered down to light the candle before every liturgy and is extinguished at its conclusion. Again the design connected with the flowing lines around the windows, the light from the lamp of learning and the flame of Kildare Ministries.

Linda's next surprise in the last month before the official opening was that she had envisioned metalwork symbols on the external signage. The oak leaf from the Irish Oak tree where St. Brigid originated, the Brigidine Cross and the lamp of learning, oh and also a section of ribbon to connect the flow of the window design......and did I mention there are two signs!

The surprise candle snuffer I made for Linda and a close up view of the copper and metalwork detail in some of the smaller creations!
​The final piece that was installed the day before the opening was the door embellishments. These included the oak leaf and acorns for St. Brigid and also some free flowing copper curly work, that I absolutely love! The green of the door and the signage is also a homage to Ireland.......

Thank you so much Linda for your trust in us to follow your brief with our own artistry.....I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and I'm looking forward to your next vision! x
​Clonard College is in Vines rd. Herne Hill, Geelong.

My Native Spoontail was inspired by Australian native flora. The bird, created from found objects including a spoon handle for its tail has been very popular this year. It has featured on mobiles, birdbaths and garden sculpture, but this was the first creative sculpture. The flowers were created with small pieces of copper around a washer, the leaves are pieces of cut steel, brass fittings as flower buds and a gear for the sculpture base!

Drill bits were also included as extra foliage ..........
​The sculpture was created with the 2017 Surf Coast Calendar exhibition in mind, but as a favour I exhibited it at the local ANGAIR wildflower and art show......and it SOLD!!!!
​I have been busy creating a similar piece, and this will be exhibited in October at the calendar show!

Also in October is the Geelong Sculptors annual exhibition. This year the theme is Wonderland, I hope some of you can make it along...Lots of amazing sculpture by over 30 local sculptors all for sale and looking gorgeous! I also help organize and curate the exhibition xxxxx
​Here are a couple of our entries....

Queen of Hearts mirror by me and KO/Kanga-eru - to consider or to wonder by Rowan x
​Exhibition details above x

This week I had some fun playing with the concept of my creative metalwork designs being used on fabric.....

Rusty Feather depicts a section of my Giant Feather sculpture photographed down at the beach! I was really happy with the offset rusty design with the brilliant blue sky becoming the backdrop. The original sculpture is now privately owned in Birregurra x

Kookaburra Moon only shows a detail of the original sculpture, but I loved the way the shadow of the sculpture makes this design jump off the fabric xxx The original sculpture is now on display at the Stonehouse Gallery, Warrandyte.

Copper Iris uses an enlarged bloom from the original mirror frame design on a top and a scarf. The original mirror is on show this month at Art @ Wintergarden, Geelong

Butterfly Moon and Gumnuts are both cropped sections of original metalwork artwork designs that work well on garments! Butterfly Moon Sculpture has sold and Gumnuts is part of a large series of window panels I am currently creating for a project in Tasmania xxxxx
This was all a fun experience that has led me to see how my designs would look on fabric! Perhaps something to investigate further with local printers..... ​For now you can see the full collection on http://www.shopvida.com/collections/cinnamon-stephens
​but be quick because I will be deleting it soon........I require very high resolution images to continue to the printing stage, and I don't have these at the moment! It was fun to play though, and I hope you enjoyed my explanation of the different designs......for now its back to the studio for me x

You can now take a piece of our Italian residency adventure home with you.......

For those that missed out on the public presentations I have done since our artist in residency in Umbria earlier this year, you can now cut and paste this link and watch the Prezi on a PC or laptop .... https://prezi.com/hih10gfgvd4_/artist-in-residency/
​Our thoughts are with the people and cities of Northern Umbria who are coping with the devastation of the recent earthquakes xxxx
​

Travel around Southern Umbria, stay where we were based during the residency, and watch our sculptures, (inspired by the property), come to life! You will also meet the mural artist, Ilya Virachev, who shared the residency experience with us.

I have also chosen my three favourite images and three favourite sketches from my travel journal to be transformed into greeting cards, complete with explanations on the backs! These are available now from my studio, or can be posted....

These three are from my travel journal. The left and right sketches were drawn from the back of the property we were staying, from il Bosco (the woods) looking across the mountain side views. The one in the middle is a 6 hour sketch I drew of the massive ancient Oak tree that our feature sculpture now resides under. I have even hidden three small Racani lizards in the design x (this piece is also available as an A3 print)

These cards feature my favourite images of the two large sculptures we created in Italy, that remain on the property, Podere Conte Racani. From left to right: A detail shot of Racani Yin Yang and the shadows that played on the studio wall.
A close up of the verde vetro (green glass) olive oil storage bottle we found and were allowed to use in our second sculpture. This photo is in situ under the Oak tree.
​and our final piece, La Potenza e Armonia della Natura (the Power and Harmony of Nature) photographed near the gorgeous studio door xxxx

At the end of the Prezi is a time lapse video put together by Ilya that features his mural creation as well as us and some sight seeing......I'll add a link here too x       ​https://vimeo.com/167567065

At Studio 66, Rowan and I had an incredible weekend visited by around 250 art lovers who enjoyed chatting, looking, walking through our new sculpture garden, buying art, ordering art that had already sold and commissioning exciting new projects! Thanks to all who came xxxx
​Pictured above is our brand new series of art cards inspired by sketches and sculpture created during our Italian residency. This was a last minute inclusion in the arts trail and are still available at only $5/card. Special thanks to Paul of Groundswell Design in Anglesea and Matthew Stephenson for the brilliant scans in Geelong/Torquay for helping make this happen!

Here are a couple of happy customer's new sculptures.....a bird bath settled into it's new garden, and our Italian poppies were whisked away with a spoon tail on a branch to another garden x

Another exciting development was the Two Birds Brewery in Spotswood purchasing my piece inspired by their cute birdie logo....here is a pic of the piece being packed ready to post......stay tuned for on site product pics x

One final pic of me at work during the Arts Trail with spectators galore! The only time of the year I ever weld in front of people.....see you next year! x
​I'm now back in the studio working on orders, commissions and new work for upcoming exhibitions.......

Open studio this weekend! Rowan and I have been very busy with lots of new artworks to excite our regular visitors as well as new guests. The metalwork studio has had a slight makeover and the deck gallery plus the garden gallery is over flowing......

Kookaburra Moon and Circle Stack Candlestands are some of the fun sculptures we have been creating! A good time of the year to clean out the studio and create artwork from all types of resources found lying around just waiting for the inspiration to strike.

Seahorses seemed to be a theme, but you will also find spoon tail birds, flower designs and some quirky surprises!
​PLUS a new range of gift cards inspired by our Italian residency........

Our newly landscaped back garden has also become a sculpture garden......hope to see you on the trail! x 10-4 Aug 13th & 14th

One of our biggest weekends of the year at Studio 66 is the Surf Coast Arts Trail! This year August 13th and 14th is the weekend.....not far away! On top of this I have had an exciting order from the Stonehouse Gallery in Warrandyte.
​In order to get everything done, I will be exhibiting pieces I have created for the gallery during the Arts Trail, plus extra goodies.....

Here is a sketch for one of the mirrors I plan to have on display, and the end result! This one inspired by the iris flower bouquet in my home....I love the shape and colour of iris blooms x

Next were the Spoon-Tail trio that appeared on my studio work bench. Created from large ball bearings, coat hanger wire, tiny washers and spoons.......

some dragonfly additions will also be flying about.....

My final image for this blog is the most recent creation....a fancy centrepiece stand design....See you along the art trail! Follow the other 40 venues as well on www.facebook.com/surfcoastartstrail also you can find the arts trail on Instagram! x