Talking 'RUM & RESIN'; Surrendering to Seeking Perfection, with Gina Kaye

Gina Kaye is a resin artist extraordinaire.
We sat down with her to find out more about her upcoming workshop at Nauti,
her passions, her practice, and what truely inspires her.

A stunning resin art work by Gina, showing her love and influence by nature.

Your classes are all under the name and gram ‘Art for Friends’. What is ‘Art For Friends’, and how did it start?
Art for friends started as lounge room hang out with friends who like tacos and playing music. I couldn't pick up a guitar beyond a few basic songs so started to draw on bits of scrap paper and sing along. After sometime everyone started scribbling drawings and sticking them to my fridge. The ritual grew and I found myself carrying a load of art supplies and paper between friends houses where we would host Crafter-noon's and basically sit on the floor, listen to music and make art together. Everything evolved from making art with my friends, so the name was a no brainer. 

What is your history, and how did you get into resin?
I used to work at this cute little art studio where we ran workshops in everything from concrete planters, Shibori, candle making, painting, you name it. Initially I was the concrete planter girl, then the kids term art teacher and the school holiday craft (mess) facilitator until one day we had a resin artist in. I saved up half my wage at the time to attend her class (student life) and in the process of creating a really neat painting I managed to wipe my hands on my butt and ruined a really cute dress. Regardless, I was hooked from that moment!

Up close and personal with one of Gina’s incredible ocean inspired resin artworks.

How do you choose the colours you work with?
I am obsessed with Australian nature, resin has this incredible way of replicating the natural flow of water, bark, sand, anything natural and nothing built. The way colours blend and move together to create these unique and detailed patterns and finishes is like no other material I've ever worked with. My favourite pieces are usually ocean inspired, there is something incredible about touching a painting that is both glossy, transparent and shows depth just like clear water. It has this hyper-realistic fluidity to it that is hard to look away from. You're looking at something that feels like glass and looks like deep water. 

“I managed to wipe my hands on my butt and ruined a really cute dress… I was hooked from that moment!”

Is resin art something all people can enjoy?
YEEEEEES, there is no one I know who doesn't give in to and enjoy the flow of resin. Even the least creative people can create something their mum would be proud of. 

What inspires you in your practice?
There is a surrender to seeking perfection, where the focus is taken away from trying to make something look just so and allowing the process to take over. There is a kind-of waiting game while you allow the chemicals react with the pigments and then a certain amount of time before the resin starts to set. It's all about finding the balance between working the piece and letting it settle. The best pieces are those that are made with patience and with a kind-of calm focus. It's super meditative! 

What is the most difficult thing about working with resin?
It is SO STICKY. We work with gloves on friends! 

“Resin has this incredible way of replicating the natural flow of water, bark, sand, anything natural and nothing built. The way colours blend and move together to create these unique and detailed patterns and finishes is like no other material I've ever worked with.”

What is the highlight for you in your practice?
The flow state, when you drop out of reality and into the process completely. It's so relaxing there.

More incredible textures from Gina Kaye’s resin art.

What is it that you enjoy about teaching?
Seeing people's idea of creativity and their ability to make something beautiful shift during the workshop is super refreshing. It's nice to facilitate a space where there is no performance pressure, so people can just show up, make some friends and surprise themselves at what they can create with their bare hands. 

What do you think people will get out of your workshops at Nauti?
Who doesn't love the chance to just chill sometimes? I don't mean Netflix and chill, I mean switch off your 9-5 brain, meet some like-minded people in a creative space, have a rum and some snacks if you fancy it, learn some new skills and make something with your hands that both functional (you can sit on it) and is uniquely yours. 

“There is a surrender to seeking perfection, where the focus is taken away from trying to make something look just so and allowing the process to take over… The best pieces are those that are made with patience and with a kind-of calm focus. '“

And lastly, if you were a sea creature, which would you be and why?
A manta ray, BFG of the sea! 

Gina’s ‘RUM & RESIN’ Workshop is on at Nauti
on Wed May 29th, 6:30-9:30pm.
No previous experience is necessary!
All materials will be provided.

Book here.

Get your booty down to Nauti to make your own stunning resin artwork, like this piece from teacher Gina Kaye.

Kicking Off 2019 By Giving Back: Nauti's Twelve Month Residency Program

To start off 2019 we are having a chat with Nauti Studios’ Founder and Captain, Nat Cheney. Having opened applications for a brand new twelve month Residency Program at our Blue Mountains location, we ask Nat about the inspiration and drive behind this initiative.

Nauti Studios Founder and Captain Nat Cheney. Picture: Ann Niddrie.

A twelve month Residency Program?! What? Where did this come from?
I have started 2019 by having an amazing festive season. It has been filled with amazing chats and idea sessions with fantastic people around me at Nauti. I have kept at work over the past few months at Nauti, but it has felt like a holiday in that the amazing people around me have helped me be more invigorated, inspired, and grateful for their incredible influence. I decided, feeling very grateful for the incredible people I am surrounded by, that I wanted to give back. The Arts, Culture & Small Business Residency Program is designed to give massive opportunities to an individual, team or group who would benefit from having their own private work space, mentorship, and being around creative, inspiring and productive people. Giving this opportunity also has the potential to greatly impact locals, the local economy, and the international industry of the Resident/s’ profession. Through someone developing and furthering their practice, it will have a great impact on the people around them, the businesses they interact with, and the international community of the industry in which their work is produced. Seems like a win-win situation to me. I love that saying “a rising tide lifts all boats”.

Who is able to apply for the Residency Program?
As the people working at Nauti Studios are very diverse, as are their professions, I have written the program to be applicable for most industries. We are welcoming all applications from artists, designers, media innovators, educators, creative arts researchers, scholars, and anyone working on a project or in a field in arts, cultural development or small business.

“A rising tide lifts all boats.”

Is the opportunity open to people of all skill and experience levels?
You betcha! All disciplines, and all skill levels are welcome.

What does the Residency Program provide?
Participants receive full-time access to our work space for twelve months, with access to our communal areas, social events, utilities, amenities, mentor opportunities, professional knowledge and networks. Also, our Hazelbrook studio is easily accessible from Blue Mountains areas by car or public transport.

What is expected of the Recipient/s of the Residency Program?
Nauti expects that they will be dedicated, productive, and grateful for the opportunities they are given. We also welcome and encourage the recipient/s to give back to their local, national and international community. This giving back can come from simply furthering and developing their practice and profession throughout their residency. Also, Nauti Studios can provide working space and open areas for meetings, rehearsals, workshops, exhibitions, or other, for participants to give back to the community during the Residency Program. For example, recipient/s may like to hold an event, presentation, exhibition, or such, inviting industry professionals and the general public to share the work they have been able to achieve during their time at Nauti Studios.

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

When and how can someone apply for the Residency Program?
Right now, baby! Applications are now open, and finish up 15th March 2019. If people want to learn more, they can check out the info here, and if anyone has any specific questions they can ask me here.

And to wrap up, would you like to say to anyone reading this?
Happy 2019 Sailors! May this year be productive, inspiring, and may you rise to all challenges. Remember, ”a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”

Aye Aye Captain!

One of the great, and sustainably made, work spaces at Nauti Studios.

Sustainably Awesome: Nat Cheney on her Sustainable Coworking Dreams

In 2014, Natalie Cheney decided--let's open Nauti Studios.

After transforming the old warehouse space into the fantastically nautical themed space it is today, Nat opened the doors to the creatives of Sydney. One of the most interesting things about Nauti Studios is its emphasis on sustainability, upcycling, and caring for the environment. We spoke to Nat about why it is just so important to her.

Sustainability is always very important to you. When you decided to start working on a co-working space, did you know you wanted to use upcycled and sustainable materials?

100%. I have always liked using found materials in my practices. They really appeal to me on multiple levels; environmentally, financially, aesthetically, and emotionally. 

Before starting Nauti I was living in Melbourne for four years doing illustration. I had paid work but I wasn’t by any means loaded. I would use found materials for a lot of my work because, MONEY. Money is a thing. But also I found that pre-loved and pre-used objects have their own charming history and character. 

Whether it’s paper, wood, a lamp shade, a room. They have character from where they’ve been, who used them, what they were made of, why they were made. I love that. I love those stories. Those rich histories. 

This methodology may possibly have grown in me from descending from a long line of farmers and green-thumbs. Some of my fondest childhood memories are from running around on my Grandparents’ farm. Mum once sent me to the farm for eight months straight because I kept breaking my arms. So I spent the good part of a year sleeping with cows in fields, swimming in the stream, adventuring with the cattle dogs, getting down the well with Grandpa, spotting foxes, making beer with my Grandpa (lol he was cheeky - he trained me to be his little brew hand), gardening. I loved it there. Farm life, unless you run a massive produce farm, tends to come hand in hand with a DIY attitude. I have definitely inherited that. My folks, too, have been renovating their house themselves for similar reasons for FAR TOO LONG. Lol. My dad’s out there in the summer lifting each 35kg retaining brick himself. Part of me hates that he’s spending his retirement working, but he enjoys it, and he sure appreciates it. There is a lot of joy in his eyes when he looks at something he’s built, and I can relate to that. There is nothing quite like seeing something you’ve made and transformed, be enjoyed. 

I get a lot of joy from seeing people learn, grow, connect and thrive at Nauti, and my re-use of used/reject materials gives me a similar joy. I get to watch something I’ve made being enjoyed, but also I get to see the disused and unloved materials I source get a new life. A new purpose. 

I also LOVE nature. I feel so at home when I’m out in the forest, or the sea. The desert. The sky (another story). On top of a mountain with the breeze in my face. The natural landscape is so varied, so vast; it is incredible. A lot of people are super wasteful when making their products, crafts, buildings, whatever. I just can’t do it. Whenever I can I recycle and reuse things I do, because nature is so magic. 

Nauti Studios is an eclectic and vibrant space. How did you go about finding the materials you used?

A magician never reveals their secrets ;)

Lots of the items in the space have a story! What’s your favourite story?

Hmmm… That’s a hard question. Dang. Um… Definitely the top story. That’s where the studio is. ;)

You’re a self taught builder, and built Nauti Studios from scratch in both Stanmore and Hazelbrook. How did you go about teaching yourself these skills?

Very slowly and painfully. Very. Painfully. Learning by making mistakes and doing things the wrong way first.  LOL!

A lot of people seem to think that sustainability can be a hard practice to live life by. Do you agree?

It’s as hard as changing any habit. Which can be very hard, but once it’s ingrained, it becomes easy. I think the difficulty is in getting in the habit of asking where things come from, and by saying “no” to sources and things that aren’t sustainable. Companies make it so easy, and so convenient for you to not give a shit about the environment. If someone is wanting to live a more sustainable lifestyle I would recommend seeing what you buy and where you buy it from. If you don’t agree with where something comes from, or how it was made, don’t buy it. Don’t give them your money. Don’t fuel their business further unless they start producing things sustainably. 

Personal agency. Yumbo. 

It’s like if you buy cookies from Scouts when they come to your door, but every time you buy from them they take a poop on your front lawn. Your neighbours buy from them too, because they go to their door and it’s easy, convenient. Then they shit on your neighbours lawn. Everyone just keeps on buying the cookies and complaining about the smell in the street. Why would you keep buying from them if they keep doing more and more poops on your lawn, your neighbours lawn, every body’s lawns? You wouldn’t. Unless your lawn needs fertilising. Then, fair play to you.

One of the favourite features of the space are the boats we have! Why boats, and why nautical?

When I fist got the studio I was chatting with my mate Steve, who is an architect. We were talking about the best ways to lay out the studios, and he asked me if I was going to have a theme. I think in hindsight he, as a professional architect, meant “tasteful interior design colour palette theme”. But I straight away thought “YEAH! SOMETHING FUN! NAUTICAL WOOOOHOOOOO!” 

What’s one tip you’d give to someone about living a sustainable life?

Every time you go to buy something think “Who is my money going to at the end of the line?”, and “Do they care about the environment?”. If the answer is no, then walk away and give your money to someone who gives a shit (but not on your front lawn (unless you want them to)).