Behind the Scenes: RoseyRavelston Books at Nauti Studios

RoseyRavelston Books are a small social enterprise based in Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

Zac & Cath have combined their love of reading with their passion for supporting refugees and asylum seekers. These legends, with the vital support of a small group of supporters, donate 50% of their profits to the Amiculus: The Humble Friend Project charity.

We asked them some red hot Qs to get a behind the scenes look at
the world and inspiration behind Rosey Ravelston.

Zac, Cath and Echo, of RoseyRavelston Books, in their bookshop at Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

Tea or coffee?
Cath (C): LOTS OF Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and after dinner. We met working in coffee, and my mum is British so the best of both worlds here.
Zac (Z): Coffee to wake up, tea to keep going.

Sunrise or sunset?
C: Realistically, Sunset. There’s a reason we need lots of coffee in the mornings!
Z: Dusk. Sunset is nice but there’s something magical about that moment when the sun has gone but darkness is not yet final.

What inspired you to start RoseyRavelston Books?
C + Z: A love of books, a need to share that love and passion for doing something positive for our community. That means providing affordable, quality books to people, using our bookshop and Nauti Studios as a place for people to meet other like-minded people and as a way to raise money for the charity Amiculus: The Humble Friend Project, whom we give 50% of our profit every month so that they can support refugees and asylum seekers within Greater Sydney.

Echo, Zac and Cath’s 10-year-old adorable labrador. She is their Quality Control supervisor, and you might be lucky enough to meet her if you visit RoseyRavelston Books at Nauti.

Do you work well as a team?
C + Z: Cath generally reads more fiction and Zac more non-fiction, so we can both rant for ages about lots of books in various genres. Except horror. Cath is a wuss.

What are your top five fav books of all time?
C: Too hard! There would be an Orwell in there, for sure, I think “Homage to Catalonia”? Definitely “My Grandmother sends her regards and apologises” by Frederik Backman, perhaps “Bone people” by Keri Hulme? I loved “Burial Rites” by Hannah Kent…. Nah. Can’t do it. I’m already changing my mind. Also Zac wrote a book so I should probably include that too....Sanlundia by Z T Quinn.
Z: Too hard! The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón), Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari), SPQR (Mary Beard), Keep the Aspidistra Flying (George Orwell), The Testament of Mary (Colm Tóibín). But that list would probably change if you asked me again tomorrow.
C: Oh yes! Colm Tóibín!

What scares you?
C + Z: Inhumane Government policies.

Zac, Cath and Echo, of RoseyRavelston Books, in their bookshop in Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

Is Echo best described as creative director or site manager?
C: Quality Control. She paws-es to look over each book and selects the book that our readers will Labr-adore.
Z: Neither – unless you’re talking about creative director of finding ways to get a pat, or site manager of the Nauti Studios kitchen…

What’s your fav thing about Nauti?
C: The community and the love of puns.
Z: Awesome people with amazing talent. And that the name makes people think you work in an adult store.

If you could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, who would it be?
C: I would probably have dinner with George Orwell, alive.
Z: Yeah I’d prefer to have dinner with an alive person as well, although if my guest was dead at least they couldn’t complain about my cooking.

Quality Control of RoseyRavelston Books, Echo, bludging on the job at Nauti Studios.

Have any authors work changed the way you see the world?
C: There’s a theme here. Reading “Down and Out in Paris and London” by George Orwell helped me to realise just how much Neoliberalism has negatively impacted society, but in a way that makes it seem like the poor are poor because of their own volition. It relates so much to Australia and the way we treat the “other”.
Z: Totally agree with Cath. I also love tracking Orwell’s evolution and views throughout his books, his willingness to criticise both the right and left side of politics and his understanding of the dangers of political extremism. He had plenty of flaws but had made quite a transformational journey by the time he died.

Are you secretly writing something at the moment?
Z: If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret any longer…
C: Come visit our shop

Good books, chats, helping others

Haikus are awesome.

To keep up to date with the incredible RoseyRavelston Books team, buy some incredible books, find out when to come in to the bookstore, attend their awesome poetry and book club nights at Nauti Studios, and see pictures of Echo on a regular basis… You can find RoseyRavelston Books at their website here, and on instagram, and Facebook.

If you’d like to join RoseyRavelston Books working at Nauti Studios, get in touch here.

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.