Singapore/Moorabool diary #4

Ayob bin Ismail holding the model of The Red Dot.


A quick reminder...
Ayob bin Ismail has travelled from Singapore to Ballan, a regional town in Moorabool Shire in Victoria Australia, for a four-week residency and internship. His visit is being generously supported by Nanyang Polytechnic (School of Design), Wombat Regional Arts Network and by Velislav Georgiev and Tor Roxburgh's public art business Zabelski Han and their gallery studio complex Omnibus Art Gallery.

Saturday 13th June...
Today we drove to Mt Egerton to visit artists Ben Creaney, Chris Creaney and Martin Creaney. Ayob was received very warmly on what was a particularly cold and windy day. Chris showed Ayob her studio, her kiln and some of her ceramics. The pair had a lengthy discussion about wheels, kilns and ceramic firing techniques. Martin then took Ayob into his studio to see his wood turning facilities. Inside the studio, we caught sight of a very large and stunningly emotive ceramic fist that Martin recently completed. We then went into the house to look at Ben's paintings and to have a warm cup of tea.


Ayob bin Ismail and Martin Creaney discuss charcoal making. Background painting by Ben Creaney.

There's a lot to talk about when artists get together. We ended up seeing some very interesting pieces of the family's artwork, discussing artists and designers working as teachers and we got to see some particularly impressive dark, charcoal skies that Martin produced when he was still a student. Then Martin showed us his homemade charcoal... Ayob loved it. It looks as though Ayob will be taking some back to Singapore!

We then drove to visit Mt Egerton Primary School where Chris showed us the ceramic panel project she devised for local children. The project was sponsored by a Community Art Grant from Moorabool Shire.


Chris Creaney talks about the methods she employed when creating this ceramic panel with children from Mt Egerton Primary School.

That evening we drove to Melbourne to see our son Caspar Roxburgh perform with his band Vea Medea at the Court Jester Cafe in Brunswick.

Sunday 14th June...
Ayob took off on his own today for a visit to the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne. He stopped in at RMIT and then took the train back to Ballan.

Monday 15th June...
Velislav and Ayob visited the engineering department at Moorabool Shire Council to deliver some technical drawings for Ayob's windart gift, The Red Spot, to Keith Linard. The rest of the day was spent in the studio, working on the storage seats and on the pottery wheel.

In the evening, Ayob, Velislav and Caspar had dinner with Patrick Bonello and Wolfgang Perner. Patrick is a journalist, graphic designer and website designer. Wolfgang runs a business offering equestrian services.

Tuesday 16th June...
Public furniture is complex to create. Often the work involves designing and fabricating one-off pieces that must resolve completing complex imperatives. Public furniture has to be safe to use, it needs an aesthetic that will complement the streetscape, it must be achievable with a budget the respects the public purse and it must address function. Frequently this means designing both the overall form and the hardware (hinges and locks, etc.). Ayob and Velislav spent the day in the studio designing hardware for the storage seats.

Wednesday 17th June...
Today we were involved in a photography session for the new Ballan main streetscape. Moorabool Shire wanted some shots that included Peter Blizzard, his new Moorabool Earth Totem sculpture, the pavement chessboard, Velislav and Ayob, and the new storage seats.


Moorabool Earth Totem by Peter Blizzard.
L-R (top row): Ayob bin Ismail, Velislav Georgiev & Tor Roxburgh. L-R (bottom row): Peter Blizzard, Rosy, Leigh McCallum (Executive Officer, Corporate Projects) & Sue Jones (Culture & Arts Officer).

Ayob and Velislav carried the seats out and put them in position. The seats aren't finished, but already they look wonderful.

A game of chess began...


View of the storage seats by Velislav Georgiev & Ayob bin Ismail, the chess set and Moorabool Earth Totem by Peter Blizzard.


Peter Blizzard and Velislav Georgiev consider some moves.

After the photo shoot, we went down the Flying Teapot Cafe for a coffee and a chat. Peter and his wife Liz invited us to come and visit their studios.

Thursday 18th June...
We visited Peter and Liz Blizzard this morning. The Blizzards live in Greendale, which is about 8km north-east of Ballan. Their home is surrounded by sculptures, garden and the bush. The house itself is magical: an idiosyncratic collection of old timbers, bluestone, and windows and doors recovered from old buildings.

Liz took us into her studio and showed us some of her paintings and journals. Peter's studio was spread across a number of rooms: a model making room, a moulding room, a tall fabrication room, and a foundry out the back.

We got to see the garden, which was full of Peter's sculptures and then had morning tea.


Peter Blizzard's sculpture in the garden of his house. L-R: Velislav Georgiev, Peter Blizzard & Ayob bin Ismail.

Ayob and Velislav worked in the studio in the afternoon then Helen Tatchell dropped by to interview Ayob for an article in the Moorabool News.


Helen interviews Ayob for an article in the Moorabool News. L-R: Ayob bin Ismail, Helen Tatchell and Velislav Georgiev.


L-R: Ayob bin Ismail holding a model of The Red Dot and Velislav Georgiev beside Windy Day in Ballan.

Friday 19th June...
Ayob worked on The Red Spot today, painting surfaces and using a heat gun to improve the finish. In the evening we had dinner at Kaaren Hawkes' house where Ayob also met Jeff Sparrow and Lou Callow. Lou is the artist who created all of the mosaics in the garden of the Flying Teapot Cafe and founded Wombat Regional Arts Network.

Saturday 20th June...
Ayob finished The Red Dot. He moved it into the gallery. You can see glimpses of it from the street.

Sunday 21st June...
Councillor Phil Flack and his wife Alicia invited Ayob to visit the Talbot Market. They spent the day visiting stalls and looking at local produce.

In the evening, Ayob had dinner with local artists Jesse and Emily Walsh.


L-R: Ayob bin Ismail, Emily Walsh & Jesse Walsh.


Ayob bin Ismail examining panel sculptures by Jesse Walsh.

Monday 22nd June...
Ayob and Velislav spent the day working on the hardware for the storage seat. They made stays, hinges and lock fittings. Ayob cleaned the potter wheel in preparation for its return to Northcote Pottery.