love; ten things i love this week

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1. Finding out I am one in five finalists for a major art award! YAY. Fingers crossed! LOVE!

2. Eating cupcakes sprinkled with glitter on a train ride heading out of Melbourne! LOVE!

3. Checking out one of the oldest carousels here in Australia in Geelong. It was made in 1895 and is the oldest carousel I have checked out so far. LOVE!

4. Buying this door on ebay for my next work! Will keep you all posted on it's developments! LOVE!

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5. Going to the hardware store and buying up BIG for my next project. Something kinda fun about a trip to the hardware store leading up to an exhibition! LOVE!

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6. Having a meeting with my film crew at the North Melbourne Town Hall Pub over a few pots of beer (thats glasses for ye Americans!). Ahhhhh, Australian Beer Gardens, I missed you! And what a perfect office you make! lol!

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7. Baking. I haven't really baked that much at all this year, preferring raw sweets to baked cakes, but this week, my mum requested my banana cake, which I haven't made in years! There is something lovely about the house being filled with the smell of a cake baking. LOVE!

8. I came across these 'finger monkeys' last week and think they are AMAZING! I can't imagine them actually existing for real but apparently they do! LOVE

9. Watching The Devil Wears Prada on telly. Great to see New York again even if it is on telly and how great is Merryl Streep?!?! LOVE!

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10. Swapping my flannel sheets with summer sheets! It is the sign of summer coming. YAY! LOVE!

pink; (untitled performance) pink tube

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Chicago based performance duo Dutes Miller and Stan Shellabarger have been making work together since they starting dating in 1994.  Whilst doing some research on this duo, I came across a work they did where they held each other in a naked embrace and waited to be sunburnt in this position. As I read it, I imagined the couple lying down in the embrace on a sandy beach, waiting for the sun to do it's thing, but instead, I came across images of them standing, between two vertical sunbeds and for a period of 45 minutes. Hmmm. Not as romantic as I would have liked to see :0(

Untitled Performance (Pink Tube) is an ongoing work the couple began in 2003 and is performed at various locations. Miller describes their collaborative performance as "a matter of fact" which I agree with and love. This work is not about heterosexuality nor homosexuality it is simply about the connection to another human being we either have, had have or crave to have, matter of fact. 

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In this work, the couple knit to be connected, yet knit away from each other at the same time. It's a work that reflects on the opposing forces of love between couples; love and loss, life and death, connection and separation, etc.

I really do like watching lovers create works together. The dynamics between the two performers and the resulting works are always powerful, whether the couple is heterosexual or homosexual. An understanding of human connectivity crosses all boundaries and is a pleasure to see.

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You can read a great article on this work here, see photos of Untitled Performance (Pink Yarn) here, which documents the yarn travelling from Miller to Shellaberge and more of the couple's dynamic practice here.

eat; kale salad with pomegranate gems

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I have this dilemma where I am just about to experience my second summer in a row (I know..."poor me'!!!) which means what is in season here is NOT in season in the States and vise versa! Today, I went through some old photos (taken from Nat's great camera!) to write this post and came across this amazing salad I made earlier this year. If you are in the States right now, Pomegranates are just about to go in season, so all ye folks in Australia reading this post will just have to archive this recipe until next March. It is sooo Christmasy looking and unfortunately, I will never be able to experience serving it at Christmas time as neither Kale nor Pomegranates are in season here in Australia at Chrissy :0( But for today, lets just forget all that and feast our eyes on this amazing looking and tasting salad!

Serves 3-4

What you need;

 1 bunch of Kale

2 avocados

1/2 small red onion

1 pomegranate

juice of a small lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

This salad is really easy to make and the best part is that it will last a few days in the fridge, softening up and becoming yummier as it rests.

Start by finely slicing the onion. When I say finely, I mean really, really fine! Wash the kale and pull out your kitchen scissors, cutting off the curly bits of the Kale from it's stalk as shown in the middle pic. Throw away the stalk. Proceed to cut the Kale into little bit size pieces and set aside. Scoop out the Pomegranate seeds and set aside.

Kale needs to be 'massaged' so that it breaks down and wilts, making it easier to eat (don't skimp on this step or you will be sorry!) Do this by adding the avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to the kale in a big mixing bowl. Simply 'massage' the Kale by squeezing through the avocado dressing for about 4-5 minutes. Yep, your hand will be sore after all that massaging!!!

Once you have wilted the Kale, add the onion and toss it through. Place a serving amount on each plate, stacking it up high so that it looks pretty and like a Christmas tree (as every day should be like Christmas!!!). Sprinkle the Pomegranate gems over the salad and serve. 

Creating this post really makes me WANT a great camera NOW! I have thrown it out there to the universe and I'm expecting to have an awesome camera by Christmas! YAY! In the meantime, enjoy the visuals of this post. I think it's definitely a good looking post if I say so myself! lol!

Buon Appetito!

love; ten things i love this week

1. This artists work. Seriously?!?!?! How much do I love this guy right now?!?!?

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2. Spring Mornings. How lovely are they?!?!?! Summer is coming!!!! LOVE!

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3. Fare welling a great friend of mine who is heading over to New York for a year. I do love that most of my friends are travelers. Meet you in the Spring Kiera! BTW, how adorable is the Bon Voyage Cupcake?!?!? LOVE!

4. Creating a press release for my exhibition at the end of November. Boy, now is that challenging or what?!?!? Took me ALL day yesterday to write it and it's only a page long! I did love the challenge of it though.

5. Coming up with an image for my show. WOW! LOVE IT! This is always difficult as most of the time my work isn't complete until it is installed in the gallery. But I do love this pic!

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6. Going to openings in Melbourne. Seriously, I think I could go to any oepning at any gallery here in Melbourne and find at least one person I know! Love it!

7. Shoes made out of candy?!?! Yes please!!!

8. Click here to find out the meaning of your name! I love that my 'soul urge' is to lead and direct, to work independant of supervision, by myself or with subordinates! Subordinates?!?!? WTF?  All I can say is that I have ALWAYS been a rebel, thats for sure ;0)

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9. Adding superfood ingredients to my 'cooking'. I'm yet to buy this book but adding superfoods into your diet is as easy as adding chia seeds to your juice. LOVE!

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10. Italian biscuits. Yup...my weakness is a biscotti with my espresso. It's in mi blood afterall! I'm definitely going to have to try a raw version someday. LOVE!

pink; hero

Born To Rule by Nick Waddell was the title of his show at Westspace in July/August this year. I wasn't here in Melbourne at the time so haven't seen this work, but I have fallen in love with Melbourne's artscene again in the last few weeks and decided to stick with a local artist, who is an alumni of my College and exhibiting at one of the many artist run spaces here in Melbourne. 

The Royal Wedding earlier this year seemed to have captured the imagination of the world. I was in the United States during the build up to the big day and was quite surprised at how many Americans were really and truely excited about this event. The only connection they have to the Royal Wedding is Disney Princesses! Frankly, I was not interested at all. Maybe it's because I grew up at a time in Australia when the only Australians supporting the monarchy, or even interested in them, were the Australians who had been here for generations, with roots going back to England. Since the influx of immigrants into Australia from the 1960's, the demographic that makes up Australia has changed immensly. No longer are a large part of the population rooted to 'The Motherland' of England.

I'm not sure what Nick Waddell's background is but this exhibition certainly suggests a lack of interest or support for the British Monarch. I paricularly like the work below as it is a cropped image of the Queen's throat and chin, who is on our five dollar note and all our coins. Having a quick glimpse at this work, I saw a penis! It made me think of naughty young teenage boys drawing penises on everything as a sign of retaliation for authority. Very cute indeed, but of course I would find anything with a suggestion of a penis 'very cute indeed'. LOL!!!

 The tilte of the work confirms this teenage boy retaliation against authority. In the eighties, at the time when the last royal wedding was happening, the word 'hero' was used in Australia in a derogatory fashion to suggest that someone was too big for their boots, a smart arse or simply too bloody confident. Using the word 'hero' as the title of this work definitely suggests a facetious tone towards the Queen and all that she represents.

I imagine Waddells exhibition would have been a fun one to visit, having been produced around the same time of the wedding and exhibited shortly after all the hype and bombardment from our media. You can see more images of the exhibition here where great documentation of the full exhibition and all works involved have been created for Westspace's website.

eat; raw strawberry and chocolate parfait

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Here it is!!! Get your tastebuds on, get your blender out and start soaking those nuts for a truely amazing trip into the world of a raw parfait!

As most of you have been hearing lately, I've been introducing raw foods to my brother (BTW, he took the photos below! Thanks big bro!) who is a little sick. A great way to introduce raw to someone new to it, is through raw treats. Everyone loves sweets and the best part of raw desserts is that they are packed with great things and every ingredient is actually great for you; antioxidents from the cacao, omega from the chia seeds and great fats from the cashews! 

This recipe is taken a little from Cafe Gratitude's I Am Grateful cookbook and a little by me playing around with stuff. I've made them in whiskey glasses but feel free to use whatever fancy glasses you want to. They are quite rich so this recipe allows for half filled glasses only. 

Makes 6 servings

What you need;
 Chocolate Cream
1 1/2 cups soaked cashews (four hours)
1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs sweetener of your choice (honey, agave, maple syrup)
2 Tbs raw cacao powder
1/2 cup filtered water
pinch salt
Strawberry Puree
1 punnet of strawberries
1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
1 Tbs chia seeds
1 Tbs sweetener of your choice (honey, agave, maple syrup)
Almond Crumble
1 cup soaked almonds (overnight)
4 soaked dates (four hours)
2 drops vanilla essence or 1/2 a vanilla bean

Start with washing the strawberries and divide the amount in half. With a potato masher, mash half the strawberries in a bowl until you create a puree. Add the orange juice and chia seeds, stirring the seeds in well making sure they are coated. Add the sliced strawberries and set aside.

Whizz all the ingredients for the cashew chocolate cream in a blender until light, fluffy and smooth. Taste it and add more chocolate if you would like a heavier chocolate taste. Set aside.

To make the Almond crumble, simply pour the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles crumbs.

Before creating the parfait's, check the strawberry mixture. If the seeds have soaked up too much liquid, add a small splash of orange juice and mix. It shouldn't be runny nor too solid either.

Now for the fun! Start by dividing the crumble mixture in half and use one half to cover the bottom of each of the six awaiting glasses.

Do the same with the chocolate cream, dividing it in half and spreading one half between the glassses. You don't have to be too neat with each layer as parfait's are meant to be a little 'dollopy' looking.

Next, pour in the strawberry puree, dividing the whole mixture between the six glasses. Add the rest of the chocolate cream topping with the remainder almond crumble. I then threw in a few blueberries for decoration. You could add a mint leaf of whatever tickles your fancy to finish off the parfait!

YUMMMMMMMMM!

Buon Appetito!

love; ten things i love this week

1. The out pouring of love surrounding an amazing man's departure from the world as we know it. I loved Mastin Kipp's tribute the most. Very inspiring indeed. LOVE!

2. This video created for Apple in 1997, narrated by Steve Jobs. It never did get released. I actually can't get enough of watching it! Soooo inspiring! LOVE!

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3. Hugs. One of the greatest things Americans have taught me is to hug. I hug everyone now! Australians are not the best huggers around, let me tell you, but I manage to soften a few hearts when I do hug. LOVE!

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4. Having my nails done by my good friend Kiera. She too has been inspired to paint crazy nails and was sooo looking forward to doing mine for the longest time! The nails in the pic aren't mine as I didn't get a chance to take a photo before they began to chip! Bright red lepoard print nails are defintiely fun to wear! LOVE! 

5. Crimping my hair! I have been in search for one this past month and told a friend who pulled out hers from way back when and gave it to me. It makes my hair look ridiculous, but I love it!

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6. Driving. Yep, I'm back chauffeuring to keep my belly full and it feels great to be on the road again. I think I was born into this world with a steering wheel in my hand...seriously! LOVE!

7. This picture, or should I say, this warning. I couldn't find the original author but I do love it!

8. Parfait's! I've made two batches just in this last week! The great thing about these 'raw' desserts is that they are great for you! LOVE!

9. Hearing the news that my brother is now having green smoothies for breaky!!!! This is a BIG accomplishment as he is sooooo traditionally Italian in his choice of foods. The green smoothie LOVE is spreading! Check out my friend glo's post on how to make a green smoothie here. LOVE!

10. Forgetting that someone owed you money and getting it just when everything looks bleak as hell! YAY!!! LOVE!