Renovations have started on the outside of our building. Keep a watch on facebook to see progression photos.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Monday, August 22, 2011
World Marble Championship, Cognac, France
After a very long time we finally managed to sign in - should do this more often as we can never remember how we did it the last time.
Some of you will know that Jo is over here visiting with me in France. Before she left Tasmania she found out that there would be a marble competition in Cognac and suggested we go to watch, so on Friday Peter, Jo and I headed off from Versailles where we live, to Cognac - about a 5 hour drive.
On getting to Cognac we decided to go to the park where the competition would be held and we met a few of the contestants and run builders/sculptors who invited us to participate the following day in the competition. The runs are all made out of sand and are real works of art.
On Saturday around lunch time we headed back to the park where we were met by Patrick, one of the contestants in the French finals to be held at 3pm. He took us aside to the practise run and spent the next hour or so trying very hard to teach us how to shoot the marble along the runs which I can assure you is not an easy thing to do.
Peter and Jo decided I would be the one to represent Australia later that evening in the World final so at 8.30pm (after watching the French final), I lined up with the other 8 contestants and headed out.
The first two shots went really well and I was well in with a chance. After that the trouble started and I simply could not get up and around the next bend (otherwise I'm sure I would have won!!!), so I had to admit defeat and leave it to the experts!
I would never have believed a game of marbles could be so exciting. The French Champion from earlier in the afternoon was in the lead all the way around until the last couple of runs when the Spanish champ came charging up from behind and romped home to win.
It is so good to see a competition still exists where all the competitors, while taking it very seriously, still manage to have so much fun and the friendship between the players was heartwarming.
Peter, Jo and I all enjoyed ourselves so much and would now love to get something similar up and running in Tasmania - so if anyone is interested, please e-mail us at info@worldofmarbles.com.au
Until next time ,take care and we will be very busy getting out marble flicks perfected so that we can be sure of winning the next World final.
Some of you will know that Jo is over here visiting with me in France. Before she left Tasmania she found out that there would be a marble competition in Cognac and suggested we go to watch, so on Friday Peter, Jo and I headed off from Versailles where we live, to Cognac - about a 5 hour drive.
On getting to Cognac we decided to go to the park where the competition would be held and we met a few of the contestants and run builders/sculptors who invited us to participate the following day in the competition. The runs are all made out of sand and are real works of art.
On Saturday around lunch time we headed back to the park where we were met by Patrick, one of the contestants in the French finals to be held at 3pm. He took us aside to the practise run and spent the next hour or so trying very hard to teach us how to shoot the marble along the runs which I can assure you is not an easy thing to do.
Peter and Jo decided I would be the one to represent Australia later that evening in the World final so at 8.30pm (after watching the French final), I lined up with the other 8 contestants and headed out.
The first two shots went really well and I was well in with a chance. After that the trouble started and I simply could not get up and around the next bend (otherwise I'm sure I would have won!!!), so I had to admit defeat and leave it to the experts!
I would never have believed a game of marbles could be so exciting. The French Champion from earlier in the afternoon was in the lead all the way around until the last couple of runs when the Spanish champ came charging up from behind and romped home to win.
It is so good to see a competition still exists where all the competitors, while taking it very seriously, still manage to have so much fun and the friendship between the players was heartwarming.
Peter, Jo and I all enjoyed ourselves so much and would now love to get something similar up and running in Tasmania - so if anyone is interested, please e-mail us at info@worldofmarbles.com.au
Until next time ,take care and we will be very busy getting out marble flicks perfected so that we can be sure of winning the next World final.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Settling in, finding friends
I have been trotting off to work in my studio now for a little over a week and it feels good to be working. I have met quite a number of the other artists in the courtyard, all whom are lovely and have made me feel very welome.
Yesterday and I had young visitor for the afternoon. I'm not exactly sure of his name but it sounds like Louik - I shall have to get him to write it down so that I get it right. He was very interested in what I was doing so I had him make a bead. He is 12 years old and so polite and is very good at helping me with my French! His dad is one of the artists in the courtyard. I made him three little marbles and he helped put bead release on mandrels and take beads off mandrels. I always love it when children take such an interest in what we do.
It is Le Mois Moliere here in Versaille which means a month of theatre, arts and music all around the city. A few nights ago I went to see Les Fantaisies mythologiques at Potager du Roi. It was made up of twelve different mini plays or monologues, each of a different mythological creature and was set all around the park. I didn't understand much of it bu it was still very interesting to watch and the actors were all very good.
Tomorrow my son Shasa is coming to visit for a few days so I am looking forward to doing a few things around town with him as well as spending some time together in the studio. Peter is still in Brazil - working hard!
Yesterday and I had young visitor for the afternoon. I'm not exactly sure of his name but it sounds like Louik - I shall have to get him to write it down so that I get it right. He was very interested in what I was doing so I had him make a bead. He is 12 years old and so polite and is very good at helping me with my French! His dad is one of the artists in the courtyard. I made him three little marbles and he helped put bead release on mandrels and take beads off mandrels. I always love it when children take such an interest in what we do.
It is Le Mois Moliere here in Versaille which means a month of theatre, arts and music all around the city. A few nights ago I went to see Les Fantaisies mythologiques at Potager du Roi. It was made up of twelve different mini plays or monologues, each of a different mythological creature and was set all around the park. I didn't understand much of it bu it was still very interesting to watch and the actors were all very good.
Tomorrow my son Shasa is coming to visit for a few days so I am looking forward to doing a few things around town with him as well as spending some time together in the studio. Peter is still in Brazil - working hard!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Working Girl
I am now moved into my studio and trotting off to work like all the other locals here! Today I spent a lot of time getting things together like putting together my drawing table and a new easel. I bought a new projector in England so thought I would plug it into the computer today and try it out. It's a wee baby one so really handy for travelling with. However, having followed all the instructions - it didn't work. The message said "no signal". There wasn't a trouble shooting page anywhere so I ended up packing it all up and along with the computer set out to find a "fix it" computer shop. I found an Apple shop but of course they couldn't possibly help if it wasn't an apple but the man showed me on a map where to find another place that could. He said "just catch the B bus" Yeah, right!!! I didn't have a clue where a B bus might be or how to pay for it so I set off on foot and finally made it to another part of town and a very nice young man who was able to rectify the problem.
Seems there is a particular order in which you turn everything on and if that doesn't work you just press a couple of buttons - well, how I was I to know!! So back I went to the studio and my arms are another three inches longer from carrying things so far but it all works and I am happy.
Tomorrow I shall start on another painting so I shall attempt to put up some progress pictures.
We are also settled into our temporary apartment although not until after some very anxious moments when they told us at the last moment that we couldn't move in because the Company hadn't signed the lease. After a day of phone calls and e-mails to Australia and Switzerland we finally made it in with minutes to spare before Peter had to run off and catch a plane to Brazil!
Now I come and go from behind a big blue door which leads out to the street. The door leads to a courtyard hidden away form everwhere and everone and the apartment looks out on to the courtyard. It's very peaceful and quiet and a whole heap nicer than a hotel room. We shall be in here a month and then move to our permanent apartment in the same courtyard as my studio.
Seems there is a particular order in which you turn everything on and if that doesn't work you just press a couple of buttons - well, how I was I to know!! So back I went to the studio and my arms are another three inches longer from carrying things so far but it all works and I am happy.
Tomorrow I shall start on another painting so I shall attempt to put up some progress pictures.
We are also settled into our temporary apartment although not until after some very anxious moments when they told us at the last moment that we couldn't move in because the Company hadn't signed the lease. After a day of phone calls and e-mails to Australia and Switzerland we finally made it in with minutes to spare before Peter had to run off and catch a plane to Brazil!
Now I come and go from behind a big blue door which leads out to the street. The door leads to a courtyard hidden away form everwhere and everone and the apartment looks out on to the courtyard. It's very peaceful and quiet and a whole heap nicer than a hotel room. We shall be in here a month and then move to our permanent apartment in the same courtyard as my studio.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Our Travels
Some of you will know I have spent the last couple of months in Europe. Right now we are in Paris where we will settle for the next few months due to Peter's work. I have glass and equipment scattered around Germany, France and England and hope soon to gather it all together and get a studio space set up to work in here. Unfortunately things are taking a huge amount of time to get sorted and I am going slowly insane.
I have managed to visit a few glass places and studios in our travels and spend three days making marbles in the studio of Plowman and Thompson in Stourbridge.
Looking forward to getting our own place here in Paris as hotel life isn't all that wonderful!!
Hoping to meet up with Shasa this weekend (my son) who is holidaying over here too.
I have managed to visit a few glass places and studios in our travels and spend three days making marbles in the studio of Plowman and Thompson in Stourbridge.
Looking forward to getting our own place here in Paris as hotel life isn't all that wonderful!!
Hoping to meet up with Shasa this weekend (my son) who is holidaying over here too.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
World of Marbles
For those wishing to know more about us please visit our website http://www.worldofmarbles.com.au/
World of Marbles
This is our first blog so hello to all who are interested in seeign what is happening here. We have just had a couple of interesting days playinig in the glass studio with Pauline Delaney - a wonderful glass worker from Melbourne. I will post some of our new creations when they come out of the kiln
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