Mulberry Inspirations

"Behind the Scenes at WAAPA" by 3rd Year Design Student, Jenelle Witty

2010-04-09T17:31:00.005+08:00

Some of the 3rd year WAAPA design students

In the process of creation: the armchair for The Trial

Completed! The HUGE chair that formed part of the set of The Trial

The cast of The Trial with director Michael Jenn

Above and below: Under Milkwood

Under Milkwood: Costumes by Jenelle Witty, set by Sara Chirichilli

Above and below: set design for The Wild Party

In progress: the window display for Adam Heath in the Claremont Quarter

Dressed as a ballerina for WAAPA's Open Day Costume Parade

Puppet workshop with Petr Matasek

Learning the 'tools of the trade' - WAAPA workshop

Above and below: scenic painting classes in the WAAPA workshop

Hello, my name is Jenelle and I am a third year WAAPA design student. Katie has asked me to guest blog a little about the course.

First of all, it is not all good, but it can be great. Sometimes I feel I have been given a giant bunch of helium balloons ready to float away, only to be told to expect a hailstorm. But in all honesty you have to take the good with the bad, strive to do your best, set your own standards, and on a rare but good occasion, feel rewarded for your efforts.

WAAPA. Design. What is it exactly? Well, it is a three year course studying both set and costume design for theatre, dance, film and events. In the first year, we are introduced to a broad range of subjects, from drawing to props making, construction, costume history, scenic painting and more. Whilst there seem to be no set rules other than show up and do your work, it is up to you to take on as much as you like. I say - milk it. In the second year, you learn to juggle your class work with production work. WAAPA puts on a lot of shows each year. In my second year, I designed costumes for two acting shows - Ivanov and Under Milkwood, each being low budget shows, so a lot of the costumes came from stock (WAAPA has an amazing costume store). I was lucky to work with an impressive cast and interesting directors. Later that year I worked with student choreographers developing costumes for their dance pieces. This was a great experience; we were given up to 9 dancers per piece and $100 to clothe them all. That challenge was so much more creative than anything I had ever hoped for and I gained so much for it.

This year is my final one at WAAPA, wherein the class times are much smaller as work is geared towards your final shows. I have been concentrating on strengthening my weaknesses - mainly set design. I come from a background of theatre history, text analysis, acting, an appreciation of fashion, and a love of painting. Set was a fairly new thing to me, and I love it. There is something so satisfying in creating a new world for characters to inhabit.

To study at WAAPA I moved over to Perth from Adelaide (alone), a decision I have at times, regretted. I miss my friends and family a lot. Although I was keen to move on with my career, there have been times when the intensity of the course have led me to long for my life back home and for the company of my loved ones. Working in a class of eight you become close to your classmates and fellow students from other courses, which has made a huge difference. I have also managed to hold down a casual job as a duty manager during the course. Going to work is often a nice break from the world of WAAPA, but it is not easy to juggle, waking up early after a late night at work can really test you. Somehow though it has all worked out; my fellow work mates do not understand WAAPA at all and I love them for it.

During our first slot of shows this year, I was fortunate enough to design for The Trial (Franz Kafka), adapted by Stephen Berkhoff and directed by Michael Jenn. I cannot convey to you in words how happy the experience of this show was from beginning to end. I suspect that such experiences are rare, and I shall forever hold onto the knowledge that they exist. This knowledge will be my lucky charm in the years to follow. I was the set and costume designer for the surreal show, which drew heavily on the physicality of the actors and the remarkable ensemble work which they produced. All seventeen actors were present on stage at all times, as well as a five-piece band (the music was composed for the show by Cat Hope). The main set elements were a giant filing cabinet and armchair, each oversized to dwarf the actors in comparison. Being set in Prague between the 20s and 30s, the costumes adopted that period, with dull faded colours and subtly intensified makeup. The great thing about third year is that the budgets afford for more costume makes, so I was able to have so many of my designs realized and they (the Costume staff) did a great job. Michael Jenn came over from London specifically to work with us on this project, and his generosity and kindness touched all who worked with him. On each show I think you tend to get to know at least one person a lot more - gain a friend for life, and whilst my team were amazing and I felt I made a lot of great friends, Michael was the one that meant the most to me.

Now I am busily working on my class projects - one with guest tutor Zoe Attkinson (ah! She is amazing!) and on my next show, a comedy with the third year actors - Joking Apart by Allen Ayckbourne. Is is in June. I am doing the set design and it will be magical - come along.

So Katie and her followers, I hope that gives an insight into the world of a WAAPA design student. The following poem, by Robert Frost, I think sums up the way I have experienced this course.

INTO MY OWN

One of my wishes is that those dark trees,
So old and firm they scarcely show the breeze,
Were not, as 'twere, the merest mask of gloom,
But stretched away unto the edge of doom.

I should not be withheld but that some day,
Into their vastness I should steal away,
Fearless of ever finding open land,
Or highway where the slow wheel pours the sand.

I do not see why I should e'er turn back,
Or those should not set forth upon my track,
To overtake me, who should miss me here
And long to know if still I held them dear.

They would not find me changed from him they knew -
Only more sure of all I thought was true.

A note from Katie: head over to Jenelle's blog (www.shutmyeyescantfindthebreak.blogspot.com), to see more of her work and reflections on life at WAAPA!

Art + Science = Beautiful Botanical Drawings

2010-04-07T17:19:00.004+08:00

I have always loved antique botanical drawings. They are so incredibly detailed and beautiful, and I love that they represent the unusual combination of science and art (two of my favourite subjects!). Placing a cluster of these drawings together on one wall is especially effective.

If you too, have a 'soft spot' for this type of art, then head over to the Sudio Botanika website, or buy the book "Mr Marshal's Flower Book' by Royal Collection Publishers. You won't regret it!

"Eggciting" Artwork by Franc Grom

2010-04-04T10:56:00.003+08:00

Happy Easter everyone!! Whilst you're all chomping on your chocolate eggs, take a moment to be inspired by the work of Slovenian artist Franc Grom, who drills into real chicken eggs with the utmost patience and precision in order to create beautifully fragile little sculptures.

My Own Work, Part 3

2010-04-01T11:10:00.005+08:00

Welcome to the third and final post of the "Beach House Party Room Paintings" series! I finished off my mural painting 'spree' with a real big bang ... namely, re-decorating a massive rocket that formed the entrance to the Space-themed party room! More images can be seen in the Gallery at the BeachHouse website.

Jess Tran Photography

2010-03-31T17:34:00.007+08:00

As the saying goes, "A picture speaks a thousand words", and with this in mind, I don't think I need to mention that WAAPA graduate Jess Tran is incredibly talented ... her beautiful black and white photos speak for themselves. More of Jess' work can be viewed at her online flickr account. Have a peak and be inspired!

Fresh Flowers From the Market

2010-03-30T13:38:00.006+08:00

Marche aux Fleurs by Edouard Leon Cortes

Flower Market, Madeleine by Antoine Blanchard

Flower Market Outside the Madeleine Church, 1890, by Jozef Pankiewicz

Flower Market in a French Town by Alfred Glendening

A Flower Market Along the Seine by Georges Stein

Thought I'd share some of the images I've found whilst researching for a painting that I'm about to start, with the subject matter being .... you guessed it; a flower market! I adore the Impressionist style and how the artists of this period captured light and 'mood' so effectively.

Antoine Blanchard's painting is my personal favourite, but I am also intrigued with the story surrounding Marche aux Fleurs by Edouard Leon Cortes ... apparently the painting was left on a pile of donations at Easton, Marylands Goodwill store, at which point one of the staff decided to do some 'digging' as to the origin of the artwork, which resulted in the piece ending up at Sotheby's and selling at auction for $40,600! Whoever had that painting pinned down as 'trash' must be kicking themselves!

Speaking of Teacups ...

2010-03-26T11:44:00.005+08:00

... don't you just love this 'teacup clock'?! I think it's such a clever and original way for those of us who don't drink tea to still have the fun of displaying pretty china for everyone to see!

Top image courtesy of "The Finds".

Bottom image courtesy of "Its a Jaime Thing".

"It's Time For Tea!!"

2010-03-25T16:25:00.017+08:00

Inspired by the Mad Hatter's tea party after watching Tim Burton's new version of Alice in Wonderland, I thought it'd be fun to create a post focusing on 'everything tea'! Enjoy :-)

Image taken from "A Life More Fabulous".

These lovely vintage tea cups are available to hire through the "Vintage Touch" website.

This tea party is a riot of pattern and colour and a celebration of some very yummy looking cupcakes! Image courtesy of Country Living.

A very posh tea party in very green surrounds ... Image taken from the "Lisa Dawn" website.

A garden tea party is so much better than one had indoors; and spring is the perfect time for it ... all the gorgeous flowers and birds and everything bursting with the promise of new life! Images courtesy of Country Living.

One of the best blogs for everything 'tea' is "The Tea Room". I absolutely love the gorgeous images of the tea cup candles (courtesy of American Bridal) and the stunning little teapot filled with pink flowers (courtesy of Southern Accents).

Mmmm, no tea party is complete without yummy cheese and cucumber sandwiches! Images courtesy of Country Living.

Image above and below, courtesy of "At Home With Kim Vallee".

No prizes for guessing that a tonne of gossip is taking place over that cup of tea! Image courtesy of "Two Ladies in Waiting".

You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea.

Only in the awareness of the present,

can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup.

Only in the present, can you savour the aroma,

taste the sweetness,

appreciate the delicacy.

If you are ruminating about the past,

or worrying about the future,

you will completely miss the experience of enjoying the cup of tea.

You will look down at the cup,

and the tea will be gone.

Life is like that.

If you are not fully present,

you will look around and it will be gone.

You will have missed the feel,

the aroma,

the delicacy and beauty of life.

It will seem to be speeding past you.

The past is finished. Learn from it and let it go.

The future is not even here yet.

Plan for it,

but do not waste your time worrying about it.

Worrying is worthless.

When you stop ruminating about what has already happened,

when you stop worrying about what might never happen,

then you will be in the present moment.

Then you will begin to experience joy in life.

- Thich Nhat Hanh : Vietnamese Buddhist monk and philosopher writes about enjoying a good cup of tea

Lindsey Adelman Lighting

2010-03-24T10:55:00.004+08:00

Aren't these eclectic lights just amazing!! I would love to have them in my home. To see more of Lindsey's work, go to http://lindseyadelman.blogspot.com

She is so talented!

The image directly above was taken from the "Interior Divine" blog and is of the Gramercy Park, New York City home of Carin van der Donk.

"It's raining, it's pouring ..."

2010-03-22T22:44:00.003+08:00

More than an umbrella was needed in Perth today as hail the size of golf balls pelted angrily down to wreak havoc on the helpless city below ... Here's to sunshine and lollipops and all things bright and happy tomorrow morning! x

Image courtesy of Jetkat Design via Animal Head Vintage

The "Shoe" Theme Continues ...

2010-03-20T11:38:00.003+08:00

A little drawing that I did of a very cute (and very old) shoe ... Hope you're all enjoying the weekend! x

Heel Love!!

2010-03-19T08:50:00.013+08:00

What girl doesn't love a great pair of heels?!! This selection featuring: Chanel, Prada, Louis Viutton, Jimmy Choo, Guiseppe Zanotti, Manolo Blahnik, Badgeley Mischka, Christian Louboutin, Casadei, Magrit, GINA, Elie Tahari, as well as Stuart Weitzman .... is to DIE for!! I'll leave it to those truly "shoe mad" ladies out there to match each pair with it's designer!

Of course, if we're talking shoes, then a reference to Sex and the City surely has to be included in the conversation ....

"Sex and the City changed New York. New York's become a big shoe store now, unfortunately." - Chris Noth

Jennifer Gordon - Mixed Media

2010-03-16T10:57:00.004+08:00

I've recently been researching mixed media creations and in the process, I came across these stunning mixed media wood prints by Jennifer Gordon. They are available to buy online from Stiletto Heights... I think they're lovely!

Romantic Rooms

2010-03-12T11:12:00.005+08:00

So, so, so PRETTY!! I love the room with the black 'Hotel' sign above the bed and the old-fashioned telephone on the bedside table ... the little shutters in the window are gorgeous too. As for the top image, the soft combination of reds and whites looks so crisp and makes for a beautiful, inviting sanctuary. x

My Own Work, Part 2

2010-03-10T18:38:00.007+08:00

The 'Treasure Island' murals I painted for the second party room at The Beach House. More images can be seen on the official Beach House website under the 'Gallery' tab.

A House for Dreaming

2010-03-08T15:46:00.013+08:00

"If I were asked to name the chief benefit of the house, I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace."

- Gaston Bachelard

Cozy Attic Bedrooms

2010-03-06T18:20:00.005+08:00

I've always wished for my own attic bedroom ... a private sanctuary seperate from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the house below. My favourite are the top two images - I love the symmetrical nature of these rooms! I am in equal adoration of attics with gorgeous, exposed wooden beams which make such a bold statement.

My Own Work

2010-03-04T10:44:00.010+08:00

Thought I'd share photos of some more of my own work ... these are murals that I painted for a party room at a Kids Fun Centre in Perth called The BeachHouse.

If you click on the above link to the official website for The BeachHouse, you can see more photos of my paintings in the "Gallery" section beneath the title "Underwater World". These are the largest paintings I've ever attempted and I had loads of fun working on them, although they took months to complete!

Comfortable Chic

2010-03-03T14:08:00.004+08:00

"The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment, not about fashion or what's in or what's out." - Albert Hadley

I love the images above because they demonstrate that interiors can be "comfortably chic" and allow for the realities of day to day wear and tear, whilst at the same time still possessing a very real beauty.

Jessica Claire Photography

2010-03-02T17:56:00.004+08:00

Today I have made the very exciting discovery of the photography of Jessica Claire, which I think is absolutely STUNNING!! I love all the brilliant colours in this VW photoshoot ... what a clever idea to bring in all those lemons. The link to Jessica's blog/website is on the right of this page under 'Favourite Blogs' ... definately worth having a look, as she is extremely talented.

Typewriter Love

2010-03-01T07:56:00.006+08:00

A friend of mine once found an old typewriter at a waste disposal site for $5, and believe it or not, it was still in working order. I wish I was that lucky! I have been on the lookout for one of these beautiful old machines for a while now, and I think I am close to resigning myself to paying the huge price that is usually asked for them at antique stores ...

Clever Recycling

2010-02-28T09:57:00.004+08:00

Who would have thought that some shabby old shutters could be transformed into a cute Country-style headboard? I absolutely love it and have managed to find some discarded shutters myself so that I can do the same thing. The beautiful quilt and the plump pillows make me want to curl up on this bed for hours with a good book and a hot cup of Milo! Certainly a very cosy and inviting room.

Orange + Black = Total Chic!

2010-02-27T16:04:00.002+08:00

Loving the chandelier and the black and orange colour scheme which looks really snazzy!!

Trompe l'oeil

2010-02-26T10:29:00.005+08:00

I am fascinated by trompe l'oeil (French for "trick the eye"). Isn't it amazing how a flat wall can be transformed with mere paint (and loads of talent) in such a way that you really do believe that what you are seeing is real?

Can you guess which elements in the above images are true and which are false??

"Both witty and serious, trompe l'oeil is a game artists play with spectators to raise questions about the nature of art and perception" - The National Gallery of Art

Divine Dining

2010-02-25T12:40:00.004+08:00

Isn't this dining room just exquisite?! I love how there are several different chairs around the table and they don't just look pretty, but comfortable as well. The collection of china plates hanging on the wall is lovely, as is the golden chandelier ... certainly a very inspiring image!

2010-02-24T13:40:00.003+08:00

I just love walking into someone's home and seeing a collection of treasured images hanging in beautiful frames on the wall. I am especially a fan of old black and white photos shrouded in the mystery and secrets of bygone eras. Don't you just love the turquoise room with gorgeous frames of varying shapes, sizes and colours?! Very cute and quirky!

18th Party

2010-02-23T15:33:00.005+08:00

Oh dear! I have really been slack lately ... first blog in 5 days! But I'm back on track with a few photos of my sister's 18th party that continue on from the graffiti theme of my last post.

For a really cheap but funky venue, we decorated our garage in over a hundred bright balloons; as well as hanging some simple graffiti banners that were painted a couple of weeks before the party. The DJ brought along all his own equipment and my boyfriend provided the colourful lighting (and the strobe) for free! Easy peasy!!

Grandiose Graffiti

2010-02-18T09:39:00.003+08:00

IMPACT!! I love the bold, bright, in-your-face statement that this street art makes ... graffiti artists have some incredible talent and when used at the correct time and place, they can really impact a city for good.

Set Designs

2010-02-17T09:47:00.004+08:00

As promised, here are some more pictures of the Set Designs I've done for the Beachway Live concert club (see the link to their website on the right). The first is a photo of the screens we made for the Glyn MacDonald concert ... just used wood planks from Bunnings, some calico and then painted the logo onto the fabric. Easy, cheap and very effective!!

Directly above that are a couple of images of the actual set design for that same concert ... sewing 30 metres worth of fabric together proved no easy task on my little sewing machine!

My favourite design is the one I created for the Joe Chindamo concert as seen in the very top two pictures. This was probably the cheapest and most effective/visually appealing. I simply cut a whole lot of circles out of cardboard boxes, painted these white and glued black irrigation piping around the edges. The fun part was laying these out into two roughly symmetrical shapes, cable-tying them together and then hanging from a bar in the ceiling.

A Dash of Colour

2010-02-16T16:35:00.004+08:00

These are the last 2 images I have to share with you today and they are absolutely stunning! I just love the bright colours of the fabrics against the black and white architecture. The arched French doors are also exquisite and seem so much more elegant and inviting to me than just a plain squared entrance! Both images were found on www.modnest.ca (a great site!) and were taken by the photographer Mikkel Adsbol.

Olde-World Glamour

2010-02-16T15:57:00.004+08:00

Just been surfing the net and found this image which I love! Olde-world style but very modern, luscious colours. Gorgeous. Love the added touch of the two black and white oval framed portraits.

Concert Club Design

2010-02-16T14:56:00.005+08:00

Yippee Do!! I've finally entered the world of blogging ... how exciting! Thought I'd share a design with you that I created for a concert club in Perth called Beachway Live (www.beachwaylive.com.au). I have the honour of being their principal set designer which is great fun! More pictures of my designs to follow shortly.