Life after Empress At Forbidden City 2018

Time flies.. it really does. 

My inner creativity has been brought out of me. I feel re-energised and definitely felt great about the "new me". Let's keep this momentum going, don't let it stop.

I been looking online in a few different sites re: wearable art. I came across this wonderful event in New Zealand called World of Wearable Art (WOW) and Wearable Art Mandurah. I must say, WOW WOW WOW... looking at their entries creations is very inspiring and I definitely want to give it a go and see how far I can push myself. 

I started to draft some ideas. Some days I draft like 10 different ideas, some days I may not get to do any at all. At that time, my career as a Support Worker has been going really well. In a very short period of time joining a new company, I have been offered a promotion as a Team Leader in a group home as well as Respite Coordinator. I love my job. It is a very rewarding kind of work that I get to work and devote my time to the vulnerable people. Giving back to the community is a great feeling. Occasionally I get to use my creativity to share and teach these vulnerable people. And it does makes their lives very colourful. Nothing makes me happier then seeing a smile from them. That 1 smile represent accomplishment that I must have done something right there.

Being a Team Leader is very new to me. Leading a group of staff and managing the house can be exhausting. I was so busy that some days, even when I am not roster on I am still at work. It almost feels like I am always at work. Did I mentioned that I also have a second job? As a photographer and graphic designer at a local cosmetic company and I have worked there for a total of 7 years. So, life was definitely hectic for me. 

As single mum, I must think about my children and putting food on the table and give them the best I could. But as time goes by, work and children has get the better of me. I have not been able to get creative and submit anything prior the deadline of WOW and Wearable Art Mandurah. At the end, I missed out on both opportunity. 

Oh well..... maybe next time.

As I was getting the hang of being a Team Leader, managing my staff and run the group homes, I feel a lot more stable. I keep reminding myself, I cannot repeat the same mistake that I have worked so much that I abandon my passion again. So, I am on the look out for any opportunity to create again. 

My piece, Empress At Forbidden City for Paper on Skin doesn't stop after the exhibition held at the Burnie Regional Art Gallery. Not long after that, I was approached by the local council to have my piece show at the Council Chamber. I couldn't be happier to have my piece on exhibition again. My house at that time was a 3 bedrooms unit. It was a very bright and beautiful home but I have no room to accommodate the piece. So I was happy to have it show at the Council Chamber until a bit after Christmas. I ditched the old hairpieces display box and create a new perspex to display all the headpieces. 

I ordered the perspex case from Ebay and create the stand in the middle with some thick plywood and use some "L" hooks to hold the nail guard and hairpieces. 

The installation of the piece went really well

After a couple of months, I was notified that my piece seems to start fading. The red becoming not as prominent anymore. It was because the light coming through the skylight at the chamber. So with no further delay, I decided to collect my piece and bring it home. The piece has definitely faded. It doesn't seem to be as red as it used to be. I was a little sad that I couldn't preserve the colour of the piece. But it is ok, I will keep it at home for now away from the sun, although it was getting very crowded at home. 

Not long after I took the Empress home, I visited Penguin Creek Gallery in Penguin. I was on a shift at work with a client. I took him there for a cuppa while enjoying some artwork. It was a little gem full of amazing artwork by many talented local and interstate artists. The atmosphere was very relaxing, with a large window of the panoramic ocean view. I would be very happy to visit regularly and have a cup of tea, enjoying both the view and artwork. 

I had a good chat with the owner there and if I am not mistaken, her name is Anna. I was randomly showing her my piece and she seems really like it and happy to have it display at the gallery. Yayyy (I thought). A couple days later I installed the piece at the gallery. 

Me and Empress At Forbidden City at Penguin Creek Gallery

I feel really good that my piece get to be out and about again. And more people will get to enjoy it. But I also must be very careful that the colour of the piece is fading day by day. The gallery has looked after Empress really well for good period of few months. And then, it is time for Empress to come home again. This time, when I arrived at the gallery to collect it, it has faded a lot more. It has became a dusty red and has aged very quickly. During the collection of my piece, I came across a couple of artists at the gallery. I decided to sit down and have a hot drink and chit chatting away with them. I told them I was indeed a little sad that my piece has  faded in it's colour. They asked, what am I going to do with it.. I jokingly said, "I might just bring it home and burn it.. " LOL ... and then they told me; "don't do that. Yes the piece has faded but keep it, you never know; maybe few years later you pull it out of the storage and the piece may have a very interesting look to it". I instantly had this moment thinking yes they are right. After all the hard work and get to where I am, it is really a pity to just discard the piece. So, thank you for the "lightbulb" moment. I have now stored empress in a box, away from the sun and on top of a shelves in the shed.

Does Empress stop there???? No... there is more to it... 

Well.. stay tuned for my next blog, ciao for now.