Ready to POP!

One of two new Pop Up Spaces in Crows Nest, Sydney.
And I have a set of keys to this one!

Where do I begin. 

Maybe with a hello, a 'how are you?', and an apology, as I've been an absentee blogger in the past few weeks. Ive tried to get online and fill you in on the myriad of new projects that have been happening this month. But at some point I had to thrown in the towel on my 3 posts a week, and just give you tiny snippets and bits of information where I could.

So the title of this post is fitting. Im so exhausted that I do feel like Im ready to Pop! 

But I also feel like im about to burst, as I have many things to share with you... 

One being the new Pop Up arts project that I have been working on these past  three weeks! 

Yes - A Pop Up. In the heart of Sydney, or more specifically, the heart of the North Shore. This new project has been initiated by North Sydney Council and its an extension of the pop up concept that has been happening all over the city, in places such as Marrickville, Parramatta, The Rocks, and Oxford st. in the inner city.

The council realised that the North Shore Arts Scene had been flat lining in recent years.

So this is a significant step for an area that has a fantastic artistic culture, but few spaces to access and engage the community. So its been a huge honour to have been accepted as one of eight artists to participate in this new temporary pop up adventure. 

So... this all began at the end of June. And I had just opened my solo exhibition and was saying that I was ready for a BIG HOLIDAY! Well - what I got was a phone to participate, and a fresh set of keys to one of two vacant shops in Crows Nest !

And as you can see from the photo below 
what we were shown was..... 
A BIG empty shell!

{with alot of potential...}

As you can see... it was a cold, empty shell with basic walls and concrete floors. But what you cant get from these photos is the smell...! The space had been a Pet Store - and that is what it smelt like...!
And gift with purchase was ALOT of hair and dirt which we had to sort out straight away...

But we could all see the potential... and just two short weeks later...

This is what it looked like! With painted floors and walls and alot of cleaning, it scrubbed up nicely.
And I was excited to start hanging and seeing the possibilities. 

So to start the ball rolling I brought in some furniture and many pieces that I had in the studio at home...
and did this...

And already it has changed, as I few days later  my mate Kylie and I
took everything down and started again.
And thats the beauty of this space...
We have been given the opportunity to change it, paint it, and do whatever we would like in order to have fun!

Over the next few months all eight participating artists' in the Pop Up will be talking to the public, and giving free workshops, demonstration, and talks to create an artistic environment in what was just another vacant shop front in Sydney. 

And it all starts soon.
Stay tuned!