Pandemic Plants, Potting and Pothos: Indoor House Plant Tips with Nat Cheney

Nat Cheney is a reputable green thumb.
Over the last 8 years Nat has cultivated over 500+ indoor house plants at Nauti Studios Sydney and Nauti Studios Blue Mountains. And almost two years ago Nat started ‘The Plant Doctor’,
teaching people how to care for indoor plants, make terrariums and more.

We got behind the scenes, and asked Nat some red hot indoor plant Qs
during a repotting session at Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

Check out behind the scenes footage of the repotting session here:

Photos and video by Stephanie Mazure.

During the pandemic people have really gotten into indoor house plants. What are some tips you would give to those who are new to buying plants?
Start easy! No one tells you at the shop (online or in person) not to buy certain plants that are more difficult to care for. I’m talking fiddle leaf figs, and monsteras most commonly being super popular, but not the easiest to look after. Due to them being popular plants, a lot of beginners end up with really beautiful plants looking really sick.
For starter plants I recommend pothos, peace lillies, rubber plants, rojo congos, bird’s next ferns (native to Australia) and snake plants/mother’s tongue.

Nat Cheney surrounded by some green friends at Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

Some of Nat Cheney’s plants at Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

We got some rad snaps of you and Nauti artist Ashlee Bucholtz (your ap-plant-ice) doing a repotting session at Nauti Studios Blue Mountains. How often should people repot their plants? And when should they repot?
If you’re fertilising your plants regularly (which you definitely should) then repotting every year is a good idea. Even if you just take it out of the pot to see what the roots are doing, and if it’s good in the pot it’s in put it back. If it needs a repot you know and can size it up.
Repotting in spring time is always the best time. When it starts to get warmer the plants’ growth accelerates and they will really grow into any new soil they’ve been given.

Nat Cheney repotting at Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

The world of plants is extensive and never ending, but can you share a fun plant fact you know with us?
The most common creeping vines people have as indoor plants are pothos. The plant is also known as Devil’s Ivy. But a lot of people don’t know the plant earned that name because it is almost impossible to kill, comes back from the brink of death, and it stays green even when kept in the dark.
It is also devilishly toxic to cats and dogs if nibbled, so keep your furry friends safe.

One of Nat Cheney’s pothos plants at Nauti Studios Blue Mountains.

To keep up to date with Nat’s plant work you can keep in touch
on instagram, and facebook.

To buy tickets to a Plant Doctor workshop when lockdown ends,
check out the classes here.

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

Changing Views, and Parts of Progress: An Interview with Painter Ashlee Bucholtz

Ashlee Bucholtz is visual artist and art tutor
based at Nauti Studios in the Blue Mountains.

Ashlee’s current painting practice is focused on the narrative of the invisible and our perception of the unknown. Her paintings “pull at the underpinning structures of old spaces, memories and the sensation felt through my body. For myself, the idea of memory, space and body are not clearly defined and the veneer of these structures no longer resemble a function but instead a sensibility.”

We asked Ash some red hot Qs to get a behind the scenes look at the world,
and inspirations behind her amazing work.

Ashlee Bucholtz, at work in her studio at the Blue Mountains Nauti Studios.

Tea or coffee?
Coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon.

Sunrise or sunset?
Sunset or simply the night.

What scares you?
Waiting for my medical test results.

‘Edmans Gate’ (2019) from Ashlee Bucholtz’s series ‘Deep in the Weeds’.

When did you start painting?
Like most children, I was creatively inclined at a young age but I didn't take my painting seriously until I started studying a Diploma of Fine Arts at the Hunter Street Tafe (Newcastle Art School). 

What inspires you and your work?
I love painting structures in decay or a torted landscape. It's the narrative of spaces, people and things that can't be seen. So I am always chasing the "sensibility" of a feeling.

What’s your fav thing about Nauti?
At Nauti studios, I have the best of both worlds. A sense of community, plus the fabulous "procrastination" convos. And after I can retreat to my own creative world. 

‘Sparrow’s Nest’ (2019) from Ashlee Bucholtz’s series ‘Deep in the Weeds’.

Ashlee Bucholtz, at work in her studio at the Blue Mountains Nauti Studios.

What is the painting you are most proud of?
Every series of paintings I create produces a gem or two. But like children, I don't really have "favourites" because they are all a part of my progress. 

What are you working on at the moment?
I am currently working on a project called "Secret Sitter". Creatives from beginners to practicing artists were asked to submit an image of themself and answer a survey. We were then randomly sent the information & image of our sitter and asked to produce a portrait that will be revealed at the end of September. 

If you weren't an artist, what would you be?
Unhappy with another job. I'm not to be honest, I already quit studying nursing to pursue the arts.

‘Out of the Rabbit Warren’ (2019) from Ashlee Bucholtz’s series ‘Deep in the Weeds’.

‘Deep in the Weeds’ (2019) from Ashlee Bucholtz’s series ‘Deep in the Weeds’.

Have any artists changed the way you see the world?
Most of the time it's for selfish reasons, and the artist has changed the way I see my practice.
James Turrell made the statement that "object and subject are not the same thing" and this has permanently changed the way I see painting.

If you could have dinner with any artist dead or alive, who would it be?
I would hope it would be like the movie "Midnight In Paris' '. I would love to talk to art critique, Getrude Stien, Frida Kahlo, Gerhard Richter and Peter Doig and many more.

Ashlee Bucholtz with Steph Mazure, in her natural habitat at Nauti Studios in the Blue Mountains.

To keep in touch, and up to date with Ashlee’s work you can connect with her on
instagram, or Facebook.

You can join Ashlee Bucholtz working at Nauti Studios by getting in touch here.

Positive Change, and Looking Into the Smoke: Behind the Scenes with Photographer Michael Corridore at Nauti Studios

Michael Corridore is an award winning and multi-talented photographer, director, and writer
based at Nauti Studios in Sydney.

And a really lovely human.

We asked Mikey some red hot Qs to get a behind the scenes look at the world,
and inspirations behind his incredible work.

Michael Corridore, working on a collaborative project at Nauti Studios Sydney.

Tea or coffee?
Both. Two coffee’s first thing, before anything else. Tea usually begins mid-morning and more follow depending on how the day evolves. Rarely have coffee during the day as it makes me sleepy in the afternoon. 

Sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise. It’s quiet and I achieve more in peace rather than chaos if the question is about work. Love sunset and twilight, best light for pictures and play.

What scares you?
People who talk in circles. Think #Scomo, his cronies and their toxic cover-up culture.

Michael Corridore, Untitled, young girl staring into smoke, 2006, from Michael’s photographic series Angry Black Snake.

When did you start taking photographs?
15. All began when a young Graphic Design graduate, fresh out of RMIT took on the role of art teacher at our ultraconservative high school and introduced us to photography and cameras. I wasn’t aware people could make a living in photography and turns out that thought was true. You don’t want to do photography or practice art to make money. If, and when the money comes, it’s a bonus.

What inspires you and your work?
Inspiration comes from anywhere, usually without warning. With regards to my personal projects, 205 (There’s nothing philosophical about the number 205, my cat just stood on my keyboard, sorry) inspiration comes from starting something, whether it begins as brainstorming, writing exercises or walking the streets and taking pictures. Some form of action sets of the triggers.

What is the photograph you are most proud of?
Tough question. Not sure if I can narrow it down. Maybe this one shot of the young woman looking away into the smoke. This was the first photograph I took at a burnout festival, which initiated a long-term photographic project which spanned 12 years. I attended the event with one thing in mind and saw something else, which resulted in a larger body of work entitled ‘Angry Black Snake’. The work went on to win the Aperture Foundations Inaugural Portfolio Prize back in 2008. 

An image from Michael Corridore’s series Whitesville.

What are you working on at the moment?
I’ve always been interested in narrative, writing and films are where my interests are at the moment. I’ve been plugging away at a crime fiction story and recently started developing a YA alternate contemporary reality story, which I’ll pitch to producers. I’m always taking pictures for myself and working on commercial media content projects.

“You don’t want to do photography or practice art to make money. If, and when the money comes, it’s a bonus.”

If you weren't a photographer, what would you be?
Architect, painter, writer or film maker. A maker of some sort.

An image from Michael Corridore’s series Dreamend.

Have any photographers'/creatives' work changed the way you see the world?
W. Eugene Smith was a photographer from Wichita Kansas who worked for Life magazine during the golden period of photojournalism. He was responsible for many inspiring stories from war zones, political campaigns, profiles of Miners in Wales and so on. The work he shot covering the Chisso-Minamata disease in Japan during 1971-1973 was the work that took my breath away. It’s also the work of his that made me understand that photography and journalism can bring positive change to the world. Minamata disease was affecting newborn in the city of Kumamoto, the result of Mercury poisoning from the Chisso factory discharging heavy metals into the local water supply. One of our lecturers in college introduced his work to us. I thought W. Eugene Smith had been lost to history, but strangely, a feature film has just been released about the story.

“Inspiration comes from anywhere, usually without warning.“

If you could have dinner with any photographer, dead or alive, who would it be?
One? Saul Leiter maybe, or Garry Winogrand.

Michael Corridore, working away in his studio at Nauti Studios Sydney.

To keep up to date with Mikey’s work you can see some of his photography and directing
on his website here, and on instagram.

Read more about the series ‘Angry Black Snake’ which won the
Aperture Foundations Inaugural Portfolio Prize here. 

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

Recycling is not Recyclable

On sustainability.

It might be devastating to think about.

But did you know that your recycling often isn't recycled?

In fact, very rarely so.

In this video are some really fucking hard truths about recycling, but don’t lose hope!

Below the video we have taken some time to give you some easy tips
on how to actually recycle for real.

This wise, informed and sassy American is on point. They may be making points about American recycling systems, but Australia is pretty much the same. So let’s do something small to make a difference.

After you have finished crying and regretting all your life choices, let me pass you a tissue of solace. Solace in the form of an idea that you can do better, and easily so. Follow my steps baybeeeee!

If you’ve been “recycling” but a lot of it’s not recyclable, let’s find out what you’re using so we can easily make some changes for the better.

So LET’S DO THIS!!!

1. Do keep recycling! In addition to the steps below, as they said in the video, 10% of recycling does get recycled, so definitely don’t chuck all your shit in landfill, as 10% compared to 0% is huge when you think of the scale of our recycling processes.

2. If the bottle/can has the ACTUAL recycling symbol on it (with no number inside) and is worth 10c, take it to cash in, or give it to someone who will.

3. Tip out your recycling bin.

Oh yeah! You heard me! Make a mess! Fuck it! Go home (unless you’re already there you lazy fucker!) and tip it all upside down.

What’s there? What’s in that big ole stinky pile will tell you what small changes you can make to reduce your plastic waste.

4. A lot of what’s in there can be reduced by a once a week trip to your local butcher, farmers markets and/or your local co-op.

Some examples:
- Meat packaging > go to your butcher and take your own containers, instead of getting supermarket packaged meat
- Dairy > get from your co-op and use their return and reuse systems
- Fruit and veg packaging > go to your local co-op or farmer’s market as they don’t use plastic packaging
- Household and cleaning supplies > free to fill up in your own containers at your local co-op

This shit might seem overwhelming. If you’ve got a long ingrained routine happening, a small lifestyle change can be so painful. But if you can do it, it’s worth it. And remember when you’re making changes no one is perfect. You might do it one week, and forget the next, but that’s okay. Get back on the bandwagon, before those plastic cowboys come getcha.

Yours in not-perfect-with-using-less-plastic-but-doing-my-best,
X

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.

Calling All Pandemic Painters

CALLING ALL PANDEMIC PAINTERS

Love, beauty, pain and death are powerful themes in art. Poetry, song lyrics, paintings, sculpture, books, theatre, film, street art, etc, all capture the art of emotion through the eyes of the creator.

Some of the worst times, of struggle and hardship, dial it up a bit and often produce the greatest works of art. Personal tragedies, illness, loss, wars, and yes, global pandemics. Artists and creators have been inspired, moved and driven to express their feelings and ultimately help us all to try and make some sense of what we are experiencing.

Sumanley Xulx , Untitled, 2020

From the Middle Ages to modern day, and long before and long after, plagues and pandemics have bore witness to those bearing witness. Historical works came out of tragic times like The Black Death and The Spanish Flu through to modern day works depicting AIDS, Ebola and now COVID!

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Triumph of Death, c 1562, Museo Del Prado, Madrid

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, a Flemish Renaissance master and Medieval White Walker Whisperer, channeled his zombie apocalypse fears in his 16th century painting, Triumph of Death, a very Game of Thrones depiction of The Black Death, complete with an army of pissed off skeletons.

Edvard Munch, Self-Portrait After Spanish Influenza, 1919, Oslo, at the National Gallery

Edvard Munch caught the Spanish Flu and painted a series chronicling his illness. Munch survived unlike other famous artists including Gustav Klimt who died in 1918 after contracting the Spanish Flu while hospitalised for a severe stroke that left him partially paralysed.

Banksy, Game Changer, 2020

Painters all over the world have been busy creating everything from murals to street art, to self portraits and beyond. Beautiful, bizarre, devastating and angry. 

Has Covid informed your work? Or the work of someone you know? Share with us in the comments below!

Crisis As A Muse: 8 Steps for Immunising Your Mind, Work Practise and Work Space, in Trying Times

 Crisis As A Muse:
8 Steps for Immunising Your Mind, Work Practise and Work Space, in Trying Times

Fires, flood, drought and now COVID-19!
It’s been a challenging time for all of us and it looks like there is a long road ahead.
Now is the time to use what’s happening as fuel to refresh!

 Social Distancing and hand gel are now the new norm,
but that doesn’t have to mean fear.
Let’s flip it around and see it as an opportunity! This time of uncertainty can be also be a time to pivot by taking a fresh look at your outlook, your creative practice or small business, and your work space.
Throw open the windows and take a good look at everything.
Many entrepreneurs, artists, musicians and writers have produced beautiful, extraordinary,
provocative and shocking works with crisis as their muse.

Here are some ideas for cleaning up your craft, refreshing your workspace, and
making the head space to work during the current state of the world:

1.  CLEAR THE CLUTTER

I don’t know about you, but this image makes me feel rather uneasy.

If your head is so jam packed with the crazy crisis, everyday crap and cracking ideas that you can’t fit one coherent thought in there, then here’s a great tip: Write. Them. Down. Yep, that’s it! Get your laptop out, put a note on your phone, or go old school and use a PEN AND PAPER!  It’s always good to get them out of your head and in a place where you can have a really good look at them.

If your office/studio/desk space is so jam packed with the crazy crisis, everyday crap and cracking ideas that you can’t fit your laptop down somewhere: Clean. Your. Shit Up. Yep, that’s it! Get your bin out and put that paperwork you don’t need in it, get a bag out for shit you don’t need to donate, rearrange your crap to be more space efficient!  It’s so fuckin good to get rid of that clutter to get your head in a place where you can look at your work space and not have a fucking anxiety attack.

It’s time to. Get. Your. Shit. Together.

2.  CLEANSE, RINSE, REPEAT

 Make a concerted effort to shift the energy in your work space and your brain space. There are literally a million ways that you can do this: get some flowers or plants to brighten it up, put a fresh coat of paint on the walls, get a new comfy chair, burn sage, hire a witch doctor, invite some friends over for a bottle of wine, cup of tea, shot of Todka (it’s a thing, toffee+vodka = what could go wrong?)

3.  ELBOW GREASE IT

This image. Lol!

Did you have a nice set of projects, all sparkly and shiny, at the beginning of the year and then some how they got tucked shoved to the back of the cupboard getting dull and tarnished? Rescue them! Reach way back in to that dark place and pull them out in to the light. Give them a rub and a good long look. Air them out! Maybe they can be salvaged or maybe it’s time to let them go.

4. WASH YOUR WINDOWS

How are you viewing your practise? What do you see when you look out your ‘window’? Are you seeing things clearly? Is it time to wipe away the grime and smudges and see if you can get a new perspective? Mmmm… New perspectives. Delicious.

5.  RECHARGE YOUR MOJO BATTERIES

For me recharging is with the biggest bad ass bitch of all time. Mumma Nature. But you do your thing, whatever brings your joojoo back!

Dial it back a bit - stare into space, go for walks, sit on the beach, organise the sock drawer, alphabetise the condiments, chill, Netflix, Netflix and chill… creating takes energy and TIME. Ideas don’t grow on trees, or is that money? Either way, take your brain off the boil, reduce the heat and simmer. Simmer time and the livin’ is easy…

6.  THROW AWAY OLD, OUTDATED ATTITUDES ABOUT YOUR SELF-WORTH

Destination, town of FeelGood. Im pretty sure Gorillaz live there. Good place to be.

Okay, this one is big. Like, BIG! We all do it, so let’s shut that shit down! Create a new daily habit of meditating or gratitude journaling. Be thankful for anything big or small - the sunrise, the wind in the trees, that good friend, your smashed almond macchiato on gluten free toast. Looking at the world with gratitude will help you to recognise all the good in yourself and your work.

7.  DUST OFF THE COBWEBS

Does it seem like you are on auto pilot. Same thing. Different day. Well, it’s a great big world out there filled with interesting people. Find a mentor, collaborate with someone, or start hanging out with a supportive network of cool people (uh hellloooo Nauti Studios!)

Do you have other ideas for refreshing? Hit us up with any ideas you have!

Apartheid, Led Zeppelin, Earthquakes, and Moby Dick: Creations Birthed from Crisis

Apartheid, Led Zeppelin, Earthquakes,
and Moby Dick:

Creations Birthed from Crisis

Times of crisis are a huge challenge to all of us. Often breeding personal disaster on top of external disaster.
It is in these hard times that we must let our experiences be the birthing place for new creations. Some of the greatest works have stemmed from times of crisis.
Here are some great pieces of music, film, literature and art that have been created, inspired by crises.

‘When the Levee Breaks’ by Led Zeppelin

Memphis Minnie (left) one of the original writers/performers of
‘When the Levee Breaks’, later covered by Led Zeppelin (right).

‘When the Levee Breaks’ was originally written and sang by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy in 1929. The song was written about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States. The disaster destroyed around 130,000 homes and farms, displacing over 700,000 people.

Residents of the area built sandbag walls along the river to stop the flood—known as levees— and some were forced to take shelter on top of them, however, the worsening conditions prompted them to lament about their unstable future, which is where the tune draws its interpretation from. Those who endured the worst were African Americans in the community, who were often forced at gunpoint to build the levees by the white people who operated the refugee camps while suffering systematic poor treatment from the Red Cross. As a result, the lyrics of this song express the horrendous experiences of the oppressed during disaster.

Writing credit to Grassroots Journal.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

In July of 1852 Herman Melville took a steamer to Nantucket for their first visit to the Massachusetts island, home port of their novel’s mythic protagonist, Captain Ahab, and their ship, the Pequod.

On their last day on Nantucket, Melville met the broken-down 60-year-old who had captained the Essex, the ship that had been attacked and sunk by a sperm whale in an 1820 incident. This person became the inspiration behind Melville’s novel.

Captain George Pollard Jr. was just 29 years old when the Essex went down. They survived and returned to Nantucket to captain a second whaling ship, Two Brothers. But when that ship wrecked on a coral reef two years later, the captain was marked as unlucky at sea and no owner would trust a ship to him again.

Pollard lived out his remaining years on land, isolated and ostracised, as the village night watchman.

Writing credit to Gilbert King.

Neil Blomkamp’s film ‘District 9’

District 9 is a 2009 science fiction action film inspired by events in Cape Town’s District Six, during the apartheid era. 

The film is partially presented in a found footage format by featuring fictional interviews, news footage, and video from surveillance cameras. The story explores themes of humanity, xenophobia and social segregation.

Beginning in an alternative 1982, an alien spaceship appears over Johannesburg, South Africa, and a population of sick and malnourished insectoid aliens are found aboard the ship. The South African government confines them to an internment camp called District 9. Years later, during the government's relocation of the aliens to another camp, one of the confined aliens named Christopher Johnson tries to escape with his son and return home, crossing paths with a bureaucrat named Wikus van der Merwe.

The treatment of the insectoids, and protagonists, throughout the film brings to life the cruelty of xenophobia and social segregation from a first hand perspective. Exploring the effects, from the ground, on real people in mass crisis events. 

Writing credit to Wiki.

‘Remembering’ by Ai Weiwei

In 2009, the dissident artist Ai Weiwei created work to honour the thousands of children who died in the Sichuan earthquake. 

More than 80,000 lives disappeared, many of the dead were young people at school and university. 

The Chinese government censored and controlled all of the information about the earthquake, so people didn’t know the details of what really happened. So Weiwei decided to cover the Haus der Kunst museum’s facade with one sentence from a victim’s mother. She had written to me: “All I want is to let the world remember she had been living happily for seven years.” This beautiful little girl was just the same as any other: she liked to dance, to sing. But suddenly – because of the negligence of the government, the corruption in construction – there wasn’t a safe building for her to go to school in.

The project, ‘Remembering’, angered China’s rulers – and changed his career for ever. 

The Haus der Kunst is a historical building. The architects made it especially for Hitler. They all knew he loved art but had never been accepted as an artist. He criticised any work he considered “degenerate” – any abstraction or early examples of surrealism. So to cover that museum’s facade was a very political act, a very dramatic act. It took 9,000 student backpacks to construct that sentence.

Of course, there is a front door to the museum, so people had to pass right through this sentence. They didn’t understand the Chinese writing, so it forced them to find out, to learn, to read about the show. Munich is a city full of art lovers and collectors and it became very popular.

Writing credit to Ai Weiwei.

Share with us

During this crisis, what are you inspired to create?

What great works, created from crises, have influenced you?

Let's Spoon! Nauti Studios' Spoon Carving Club on Trees, Tools and Techniques

Once a month on a Monday night you will find a small band of tool-wielding folk sat in a circle
in the common room of Nauti Studios in the Blue Mountains.
Some are chatting, some are concentrating, some wear aprons, some don’t, but all of them are holding a small piece of wood that they are painstakingly carving and shaping, ever so slowly,
until the wood begins to look like something
we can all recognise…a spoon!

Yes, the spoon carving club in Hazelbrook is in da house and upholding an age-old tradition and
craft. And, the first rule of spoon club is, wait for it…you only make spoons! Nope, no forks or
knives or tissue holders or other such handy items, because alas, as the name says, it’s all in the spoon.

They are seated in a circle, a Spoonie pow pow and talk soon turns to trees and tools and techniques.

How did Spoon Club start?
It began as a small group of people meeting at Georgina Donovan’s workshop in Woodford in 2017,
before it grew and needed to be moved to Nauti. Sometimes there are up to ten people who come
to the studio. Georgina jokingly refers to their weekly gatherings as ‘Monday Spoontaneity’
because ‘when you say you are in Spoon Club at Nauti Studios, it raises eyebrows.’

How long have you been spoon carving?
The answers vary from years to months. There are newbies and those who seem to have been born with a wooden spoon in their mouths. ’I have been spoon carving for 18 months,’ says Ingrid Errington. ‘This is a very slow and meditative hobby, a very nice combination. I don’t think I’ve ever met a spoon carver that I didn’t like.’

Georgina jokingly refers to their weekly gatherings as ‘Monday Spoontaneity’
because ‘when you say you are in Spoon Club at Nauti Studios, it raises eyebrows.’

What is the best kind of wood to use and how do you source it?
There are as many types of wood as there are ways to find them. It often comes down to personal preference and happenstance. Georgina is using a piece of Mulberry and explains how she is always on the lookout for wood on the side of the road. Lots of Spoonie heads nod in agreement with various people talking about the excitement of a downed tree.

Georgina explains that the wood needs to be wet, soaked in water, so it is easier to carve. When a
fallen branch is found, she chops spoon sized blocks out of it and then soaks them in water to
soften, which she then has to put in the freezer to preserve for later use. ‘It’s a constant negotiation
with one’s partner - the space for wood in the freezer!’ There are currently pieces of a Cherry Tree in hers.

‘Dry wood is hard work,’ Paul Crowe adds. ‘I am a biologist and a pretty keen gardener,’ says Ingrid, ‘I am
always looking around at trees. I like Birch but I find the willow is very soft, too soft for a spoon. If you tap on the side it makes marks.’

Georgina carving away!

So, how is it done?
A spoon shape is sketched on to a prepared piece of wood and then a whole range of carving and
chopping objects are used to carefully coax the utensil out of the wood. The Spoonies all seem to follow the mantra ‘Carve, Look, Examine’. But, there is always the risk that the wood will split and derail the whole thing.

After an hour of carving, Erik Sipiczki laments to the room ‘Oh no, it’s going to crack off, I just realised that his piece of wood has a small crack down it, but that’s the beauty of the whole thing,’ he adds, ‘it changes all of the time.’

Jill’s collection of wood carving tools.

‘ …but that’s the beauty of the whole thing, it changes all of the time.’

Do you use the word ‘whittle’?
A few laughs and then Paul pipes up, ’whittling is carving without a purpose!’. ‘That’s what I do,’ laughs Lindsey Pacchini.

How long does it take?
‘It could take me a day if I wanted to finesse it,’ says Jill Day, ‘or it could take an hour, and it also
depends on the wood’.

What are the tools?
Erik goes outside to split wood in the traditional way, on a block using a froe, which is an L shaped shake axe looking tool, that has a wooden handle, which is about the same length as the metal blade. There are tools of every shape and size and sharpness used for very specific jobs like hatchets for chopping larger chunks, or long thin bladed knives for fine tuning sharp turns. Then there are these awesome Hook Knives, think very sharp ice cream scooper, which are used to scrape and bore out the spoon bowl.

Erik looking like a lumber jack.

John Steel, a carver and a blacksmith, is visiting the group tonight and has an impressive collection of tools all laid out on the table. It looks like an operating room set up for spoon surgery. Another very important ‘tool’ of the trade is an apron. Jill has a beautiful kangaroo hide apron, which protects her from injury. A popular way to carve is by holding the wood against your sternum, elbows tucked in and pulling the knife toward you and accidents can happen. ‘You have to be very mindful really and you have to be quiet in yourself,’ she warns, ‘it requires a calm presence.’

We must know the nautical interests of all the Spoonies! What sea animal would you be?
Ingrid – King Penguin, Georgina – Squid, Paul – Octopus (‘so I can hold more tools’), Lindsey - Turtle, Jill – Sea Horse, John – Sea Horse, Erik – Worms that lunge up from the bottom of the sea

Raise your hand if you can’t get that image out of your head of
Spoon Bob Carve Pants and his merry band of Spoonies at the bottom of the sea?
For more info on joining the Spoon Club – get in contact with Nauti Studios here.

Assorted craving tools on the table at Nauti Studios.

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.

Sarah Frank on Nauti Yoga, Female Form & Community

Nauti Yoga teacher Sarah Frank.

Teaching since 2014, Sarah Frank is an accredited Yoga teacher specialising in Vinyasa and Yin Yoga. She has created community incentive Nauti Yoga with Nauti Captain Nat Cheney in March 2019.
Sarah is also the Director of Sydney-based wellness company Zenly -Workplace Educators specialising in cultivating creative energy.

What inspired Nauti Yoga?

Nauti Studios is a beautiful example of creative people living as their higher selves, flowing with integrity in their work/life balance. The vision is to cultivate momentum towards these higher versions by incorporating body work into the space, meanwhile developing community between our ‘Sailors’ and all who come to join us. 

What are you seeing?

The opportunity to come together and practice yoga in the Nauti’s Sun Room literally raises the vibration of the space. This results in higher levels of focus, more collaboration, and a stronger sense of community and investment in our collective health & wealth.

“Nauti Studios is a beautiful example of creative people living as their higher selves, flowing with integrity in their work/life balance.”

There are different types of Yoga, what do you teach here?

It’s a combination of Vinyasa Flow, Hatha, Yin Yoga, and meditation. I’ve trained in Queensland and in Bali since beginning on my path with yoga in 2013. I look forward to increasing the class schedule throughout this year to offer more time slots and variations of practice.

Sarah Frank during her Yoga teaching in the depths of Bali.

When is Nauti Yoga on?

We have a Women’s Vinyasa on Tuesday’s at 5:45pm-7pm and an Open Vinyasa on Friday’s 12pm-1pm.
Classes are $10 each for your first month and are open to everyone.

Why is the Tuesday night womens class so important? 

It is important for women to come together and move into their bodies because it is a place of sisterhood, comfort and joy. In these spaces we find refuge from the abhorrent attack of commercialism on the female form, and instead we embrace each others unique gifts, shapes, and softness. These classes are about grounding into confidence, strength, fluidity, and enjoying our beauty.

I also run Young Women’s Yoga workshops in the space for female identifying people aged 8-16 which are a massive success, giving me great joy and peace for the coming generation of women and their interpretations of self.

How do you design each Nauti Yoga class?

I firmly believe that teaching starts with maintaining a strong connection with personal practice. I am a student as much as I am a teacher, and I love to play and learn. My daily yoga practice is a philosophy of my life, it helps me connect to source and what it is that universal intelligence has for the group to experience.

The sequences that result are mostly about getting away from the desk and into the body, opening hips and hearts, stimulating blood flow and removing blockages, providing a nurturing space, and cultivating creativity.

“We embrace each others unique gifts, shapes, and softness. These classes are about grounding into confidence, strength, fluidity, and enjoying our beauty.”

Do you have any special events coming up?

Yes! As per Yogic tradition, to celebrate the new season and full moon on May 18, we will be be practicing 108 Sun Salutations. Absolutely everyone is welcome to challenge themselves, sweat and shed layers, welcoming in the new. Look out for details on the Nauti Studios Instagram and Facebook.

Soo, one last question, if you were a marine animal, what would you be?

A dolphin! I feel like they have the most fun. And I love fun.

The ‘Nauti Yoga Challenge: 108 Sun Salutation’ is
Saturday 18th May 5-7pm.
$15 including free delicious vegan treats afterward.
Contact us here for any more information.

The Nauti Sun Room, all set up for Yoga and relaxation.

DAN BARANOWSKI ON ICELAND, ART AND ZEN

Nauti Sailor Daniel Baranowski recently opened a show in the Blue Mountains, filled with works inspired by landscape. We caught up with him to get the down low on his inspiration, process and passions.

Daniel Baranovski, painter and photographer, working on his works for ‘Snap Frozen & Still’ in his studio at Nauti Studios, Blue Mountains.

What’s it like to live in the Blue Mountains where there are a lot of artists and creative people? 

I was born here, went to school here, in Springwood. The mountains attract a lot of people which is really cool. If you’re born and bred here stuff just filters in. But, it’s a bit of a challenge to not do a bit of a pastiche – it doesn’t float my boat.

How long have you been an artist?

That’s a really good question. Since my exhibition! Hahaha. 

“I want to be successful, not famous.”

Okay, what about this? How long have you been ‘artistic’? 

Well, that’s been an always thing for me. I’ve always been creative in that sense. Always. Always.

Tell me about your first exhibition, ‘Snap Frozen & Still’ that’s coming up.

This is the first time I’ve painted since high school. There will be paintings, ink drawings and pastel drawings. I have what I call my ‘Socratic sense of humour’ which is why I called the exhibition what I did. It’s largely inspired by a two week trip to Iceland where I took photos because essentially you can fall over there and still take a good photo. I also brought a tiny sketch book and did some 15 minute rapid fire drawings outside in the freezing cold trying to hold a pencil with a big glove on. I do and I teach Tai Chi, and am in to the whole Zen side of things in terms of immediate response to an experience, that is, the Zen idea of capturing a fleeting moment. Also, when I was there the colours were very minimal and that is reflected in my work.

I tried to stalk you on social media but you are hard to find. Why’s that?

Oh good. My plan is working. Haha. I agree with the singer Sia who famously said something like “I want to be successful, not famous.” And, I think that fame is the byproduct of talent.

“Yes, there is a lot of movement…
but it’s still a still!”

How did you find out about Nauti Studios?

I think I saw a post randomly pop up at around the same time a friend also mentioned it. I’ve been here around 18 months or so sharing a studio with another artist who is a friend of mine. I like it here because I can do certain stuff at home but it is still limited by space.

I actually heard you paint before I saw your work. I am in the studio under yours and your brush strokes sounded as if there was a lot of movement in your paintings. It’s amazing to finally see your work and realise that what I heard is true!

Yes, there is a lot of movement. That’s my thing I guess, but it’s still a still!

Who inspires your work?

So many artists to choose from, but always Brett Whiteley and Katsushika Hokusai. Whiteley’s lines and his drawings are phenomenal. The freedom that he paints and draws with – his work is extraordinary from my point of view. And then Hokusai has the whole Japanese woodcut thing. He has different ways of doing a similar kind of thing.

Up close with Daniel Baranowski and his palette in his studio.

And finally, which nautical creature do you resonate with the most?

Scylla and Charybdis.

(Editor’s note: These are monsters in Greek mythology, mentioned in, among other texts, The Odyssey. Scylla is a six headed beast and Charybdis is a whirlpool. The grim pair were said to wreak havoc for ships sailing through the Strait of Messina, which is located between Italy and Sicily, where they flanked either side. When the ships moved to one side to avoid one, they would inevitably be too close to the other one. A no-win situation which is where phrases like ‘between a rock and hard place’ and ‘between the devil and the deep blue sea’ derive from.)

They are the flip sides where one or the other will always get you. No matter what, you’re going to get tagged by something, but that’s not always bad.

‘Snap Frozen & Still: An attempt to capture the fragile eternity of the Void’
Dan’s first exhibition and is on now, until the 14th April at Braemar Gallery
104 Macquarie Road in Springwood, Blue Mountains
(Ppen Thursday - Sunday, 10am - 4pm)

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.

Johanna de Ruyter on Losing Herself, the Ability to Listen, and Getting Your Creative Juices Flowing

This Thursday night we’ll be hosting a fun theatre, improvisation and embodiment meetup with Johanna de Ruyter called ‘Let’s Meetup and Get Our Creative Juices Moving!’ I caught up with Johanna this week to ask a bit more about her inspiration and practice being this intriguing event.

Performer, facilitator and martial artist Johanna De Ruyter.

What inspired you to organise a meet-up for people to get their creative juices flowing?
I ran a session for a group organised through a not-for-profit for organisations and participants in Western Sydney and lots of people were attracted to the session and wanted more. I think a lot of people don’t see themselves as creative and/or do not have a creative outlet so I want to offer a safe space for people to explore and strengthen their unique creativity which can be applied in a variety of chosen mediums.

Has creativity always been a part fo your life?
Yes the way I have moved through life has been through creative impulse – surprising, divergent, expressive, authentic.

How silly are you, between one and banana?
If by silly you mean playful then I would say I move between banana and one, and the more banana I can access the more creativity and connection I generate.

Is laughter truly the best medicine?
It’s one of the most enjoyable and available not to mention cheap!

Where does your knowledge behind the science of creativity come from?
I am more interested in the doing then the analysing but I have researched creativity as part of my training.

You have studied communication and performing arts?
Yes for many, many years now. The performing arts for me is all about communication and a very useful resource for communication, one that has focussed specifically on communication of ideas.

Where does your love of authentic connection and communication come from?
From my own experience of losing myself and finding myself through a theatre. I completed a 2 year Diploma of Movement at a unique drame school – The Drama Action Centre. It was located in grounds of the Rozelle hospital with a focus on physical theatre influenced by Jacque La Coque but it also combined personal development and group communication influenced by Psychodrama. It was very authentic, healing and creative and I find a lot of theatre training lacks the development of these skills especially useful in group collaborations and stable ego.

What kind of performances have you done?
Mask – Commedia and Basel, Bouffon – ugly, outcast clown, Clown, Improvised, Playback Theatre, Co devised scripted and unscripted.

How did you get into improvisation?
Through Drama Action training.

Wait. What?! MARTIAL ARTS?! HOW AFRAID SHOULD I BE?!
It is great training in managing your own power and strength, I know when I need to use it and not. You are so lovely I don’t think you will trigger my inner warrior ready to strike….

You also facilitate Leadership Presence training programs throughout the Asia Pacific region. What is one of the main things you think is important  to have in a leader?
The ability to listen, to share stories of learning, to excite their followers and support emerging leaders.

To conclude, if you were a marine life form, what would you be and why? 
Hmmmm a dugong because I love cows also and they are like sea cows – steady, strong and vegetarians.

Lover of creativity, communication and canines; Johanna de Ruyter.

If you’d like to come and enjoy a fun night of doing theatre, improvisation, being silly and exploring embodiment, Johanna’s night ‘Let’s Meetup and Get Our Creative Juices Moving!’ will be on at Nauti this Thursday 20th September from 6:15pm - 8:30pm.

Iain McKelvey on Family, Intimate Shows and Inspiration

This Friday night we will be hosting an intimate acoustic folk night at Nauti. This is being organised by musician Iain McKelvey, with proceeds going to Parkinson's research. I chatted to Iain to get some insight into him, his practice and his passions. 

Musician and event organiser Iain McKelvey.

Hi Iain! Welcome to Nauti! How long have you been making music? 
I've been making music on and off since I was 15. With incredibly varying levels of seriousness. I had an incredible knack for writing songs I would never complete when I was younger. I guess that was my 'instrumental' phase. I think it really related back to my confidence surrounding my voice. I didn't think I could sing. Once I started to focus on that it got easier tie the whole thing together and actually complete a song. It's only been in the last few years that I've begun to engage in it with a little bit more seriousness, thanks to the encouragement of friends and family.

How did you get into it? 
My parents aren't musical but they love music and have always been really encouraging with all the weird little paths I try to walk down. I took piano lessons when I was 9 (or thereabouts) and it's still my biggest musical regret, giving up the piano. I started Guitar lessons later on and that's when something started to resonate for me. What little kid doesn't want to rock out to Oasis's Wonderwall in their bedroom. It wasn't until I studied at JMC that I really began to explore possibilities within music. To be honest though, I struggle at a desk and music makes me feel good.

What inspires you to make music? 
The Blues and anyone and anything. Music, to me has been a consistent in my life at bringing people together and creating amazing experiences. I am really in to taking a notebook out with me, sitting in the park and just seeing what happens. It's really experiential for me, which probably explains why I go long periods without making anything (a good excuse eh?). I've been on a real introspective bent lately, diving in to music as catharsis. A medium in which to work through, explore and reveal some aspects of yourself that you might not otherwise want to face. That can be pretty depressing to listen to haha. For a long time it's been me, a guitar and a bedroom, so I think that's natural. Cabin fever has definitely set so I'm trying to right some more upbeat tunes, so people don't have to listen to me whinge all the time, more so I can dance. 

Some of the proceeds of the night at Nauti will be going to the 'Shake It Up Foundation'. What inspired you to donate, and why did you choose this organisation? 
Shake It Up is a really special foundation for me. Their focus is on Parkinson's Research and they are the largest NGO geared towards this. My Dad has Parkinson's and suggested them due to their donation structure being very well skewed towards research rather than admin and bloated salaries. My Dad really is a massive inspiration. Approaching everything with poise and a wickedly in tact sense of humour. He's helped open my eyes to what it really means to have and to be affected by Parkinson's. It's my way of combining what I know in a way that I can raise awareness and do my part for Dad and the millions of families out there.

You are setting up this night to be quite different to a lot of other live gigs in Sydney. How is it going to be different? 
I want these experiences to be special. Often there can feel like there's this wall between artists and punters. I don't want that. It's a small (50 person capacity), intimate show in a space that most people might not think of as a live music venue. The aim is to introduce and showcase the incredible talent that we have here in Sydney. There's a focus on singer-songwriters, as that's my background, but that doesn't always mean acoustic. It could be spoken word, a duo or electric. The artists get to sit in with the crowd and share stories behind their work and hopefully engage with each other in a lasting fashion and a way that wouldn't normally happen at a purpose built music venue like The Hordern.

Which musicians most influence your music? 
That's a near impossible question to answer! There's the standards like The Beatles. Delta Blues artists like Robert Johnson and Lead Belly. I think Sarah Blasko and Missy Higgins are incredible, I've recently enjoyed a tour through their back catalogue. Nick Cave is a huge one for me, especially on the words and stories front. He's incredible at painting a picture. Tom Waits, Jackson Browne. I love pop music too, I'm not ashamed to say it. Toxic by Britney Spears? One of the best ever written. Pretty much anyone that plays these experiences I put on is an inspires me in some way. That's why I want them to play, so I can share that. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's hard to pin down any one main influence but there's an anchor in the classics due to Dad not letting me change the radio from WSFM. Which I am now hugely thankful for. 

What's the best live gig you've ever been to? 
Again so hard! What are you doing?! (HAHA!) I remember seeing the Pixies at Splendour one year and that was pretty epic. The Lumineers at The Enmore Theatre was incredible. Their support act D.D. Dumbo had to cancel so their pianist Stelth Ulvang came out and from that point it was just a big ol' party. They commanded that room. One of the most raucous gigs I've been to was Swedish punk band The Refused, easily the wildest gig I've attended. Locally though I just recently saw a band called ARSE at Petersham Bowling Club. They were SO good.

And finally, if you had to choose one nautical creature to best describe yourself in metaphor, what would it be? Why? 
Oh man....I don't know. I'd like to say Sea Turtle. I resonated on such a deep level with Crush from Finding Nemo. He was just the ultimate dude, cruising round the ocean having a blast. He seems like he would never get mad and I can have a grouchy side. Maybe a sea lion? They seem pretty chill but then like to make an incesseant amount of noise occasionally. Yeah that works...For now.

Catch Iain this Friday night at Nauti Studios. Click here for more info and tickets.

Iain McKelvey probably deep in musical thought. 

Announcing... Life Drawing Classes at Nauti Studios with Elsa McGrath!

ANNOUNCING...

Monthly Life Drawing Classes at Nauti Studios!

After a brief break, Nauti Studios are excited to be bringing back by popular demand our monthly life drawing classes, held the first Thursday of each month!

Beginning on Thursday the 2nd of August from 6.30 - 8.30pm, these 2 hour life drawing classes are for people of all different experience levels. Beginners can master new skills and techniques for learning photorealism, amateurs can refine their drawings with new techniques and professional drawing guidance, and pros can choose to do their own thing or revisit foundation techniques. 

Tickets are $20 at the door, or available for purchase online here.

They'll be taught by Nauti newcomer Elsa McGrath, a super talented and creative artist. Read below to find out more about our new teacher!

Elsa in her element.

Elsa Isabella McGrath is a visual artist based in Sydney.

Her painting practice explores the everyday - moments considered banal are seen through a unique lens, transforming space from the ordinary to the extraordinary, and nestled organically within are human forms.

Tell us about yourself and your drawing!

Drawing was absolutely my first passion in life, and as I grew older and began to develop and discover my art practice through painting, drawing gave me the structure and knowledge about how to translate my own style to different mediums.

I think growing up in a very nature-heavy environment solidified my love for charcoal as a drawing tool. I'm really drawn to its looseness and ability for high tonal range. 

Why were you drawn to art? How long have you been doing it?

Like most creative people, I can't remember a time when I didn't have a pencil in my hand - it seems like art has been in my life since day one.

I am an introverted person, and art gave me an avenue to feel bold, brave, and expressive. I draw when I'm sad, happy, anxious, tired, lonely - it is absolutely my one true love.

What is your favourite type of art?

Though my tastes sway and change I think my main love has always been a painterly mark with a strong sway towards impressionism.

I also adore graphic novels! 

Do you find yourself fascinated with one theme or motif throughout your work?

Definitely the motif most present in my art is the human figure. It forms the base of the majority of my work. The human form is something that is forever explorable, moldable, and open to interpretation - it can be relayed in anatomical detail, broken down into two dimensional shapes, pure line - the options are endless! 

The human form is something of extreme beauty in my mind, there are no two bodies alike so each chance to depict that is really exciting!

You studied at the National Art School – what was that like?

It was a great experience! I graduated last year majoring in painting with my main body of work exploring the human form through varying abstraction techniques. 

Something I really loved about NAS was the weighted importance placed on life drawing as not only a crucial activity to participate in, but as a foundation for truly seeing what you're drawing, with the idea that you can carry those skills to any other art form. 

What are your favourite mediums?

Charcoal and oil paint! Separate, and together!

What do you like about teaching?

I believe strongly that drawing is the foundation of all art. I love being around likeminded people coming together to learn, grow, and explore their own art practice. I've been involved in all facets of life drawing for over a decade as a student, model, and teacher. 

My drawing comes from a classical draughtsmanship stance and I believe that learning how to truly see what you are drawing is crucial to grow as an artist - through measurement, perspective, tone, line weighting, and mark making. Only then once those laws have been learnt can you break them down and rebuild to suit your style. 

What are you most excited about for the Nauti life drawing classes?

Immediately, the space itself is incredible! Open, airy, light-filled - perfect for life drawing!

I'm really excited about meeting people beginning their journey with drawing and art, as well as those who have established themselves and are wanting to further their skill base, or just relax for a few hours, let go and draw! 

Finally – if you were a sea creature, which would you be and why?

A Dumbo Octopus - mostly because they are little, shy, and swallow their food whole, and I'm a notoriously fast eater. 

Elsa's work.

Naugh-tea or Nice: Q&A with Monique of The Loose Leaf Tea House

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Tea-lover Monique Lucas started The Loose Leaf Tea House in 2010, and has been cooking up delicious blends ever since. Monique handblends each and every one of our teas to make every cup memorable - from your regular morning 'pick you up' - through to those special tea moments that take you out of the everyday. She's an ever-present fixture at Nauti Studios, always ready for a chat over lunch or sharing some of her new concoctions.

Why tea?

I love the ritual of tea. I like that it’s a excuse to stop for a moment from our crazy lives. I find it really comforting if anyone is sick or down it’s always “I’ll make you a cup of tea”.

Tell us about how you make your teas! Do you blend them yourself, and how do you come up with the flavour combinations?

I have some traditional blends, such as English breakfast, but I try to blend most myself. I seem to go through phases of flavours, for example cinnamon was quite dominant in a few blends then it was orange, now rose. I am thinking lavender next…

What is your ultimate creative dream?

I would love to open a little tea store that’s floor to ceiling full of tea! 

What do you use the space at Nauti Studios for?

I use the space as my office and where all our tea orders are processed.

What’s your favourite part about the space at Nauti?

The social aspect. There is a nice community here where we have lunch and afternoon tea together which makes for great breaks through out the day.

We have a ping pong table here at Nauti – are you any good?

I am ok, until we start scoring ;)

If you were a sea creature, which would you be?

Does a hippo count? 

Finally, are you nauti or nice? ;)

I think I am nauti but in a nice way.

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)).

The Prince and Me: Q&A with Brand Guru Daniel Poskitt

Dan is one of our full-time studio members, and what a joy he is to have around the space. He's a graphic designer and brand identity guru, and he's always up for a game of ping pong or a chat over lunch. Check out his stellar work on Dan's website.

Tell us about yourself and what you do!

My name is Daniel Poskitt, I’m a graphic designer and I specialise in brand identity. 

How did you become interested in design? 

I don’t think there was ever a moment when I became interested in design, it’s just always been that way. I remember doing title pages for classmates in Year 1 and I’m still doing them. I was one of those kids who could draw. 

Your business is focused on having clients work directly with the people doing the work! How do you find this different from working in big, more impersonal agencies?

It’s easier to discuss plans with the people who will implement them and problems with the people who will help you solve them. It’s more efficient to deal directly with the person who actually does the work – it’s quicker, most cost effective, and dollar for dollar the results are better. The added bonus is that a clients’ job won’t ever get flicked to the junior, every job gets the attention it deserves.

What is your ultimate creative dream? 

To think and it just happens.

What do you use the space at Nauti Studios for? 

I have my computer there and I find it a very creative place to be. The people are awesome and like-minded so there’s also a social element to it. I love the rawness and character of the building, the old furniture and quirky bohemian style. It’s something big ad agencies try to do but never get right. 

What’s your favourite part about the space at Nauti? 

It’s the constitution, it’s Mabo, it’s justice, it’s law, it’s the vibe and aah no that’s it, it’s the vibe

What’s the wackiest design you’ve ever worked on? 

I once designed a tie pin for Prince Charles and the approval process was crazy. You think corporate approvals are bad, you should try the Royal Family. It had to be signed off by 25 people! Luckily, there were no changes.

We have a ping pong table here at Nauti – are you any good? 

Not too bad, I’ve improved a lot over the past few months.

(NB: Dan is modest. He's a fiend. In my first week at Nauti, he beat me 11-1. Slaughtered.)

If you were a sea creature, which would you be?

A killer whale. 

Finally, are you nauti or nice? ;) 

Nauti

Illustrator Extraordinaire: Q&A with Jessica Meyrick

Originally from the city of Bristol, Jessica Meyrick graduated from Falmouth University with a first class degree in Illustration BA (Hons) in 2016.

Exploring minimalistic approaches to figures and environments using watercolours and inks, Jessica is intrigued by uses of limited colour palettes; strong, fluid lines and graphic shapes that reflect in-depth ideas.

Jessica currently works and lives in Sydney, Australia and is represented by The Jacky Winter Group.

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Tell us about yourself and what you do!

My name is Jessica Meyrick and I’m a freelance illustrator, represented by the beautiful people at Jacky Winter – living and painting in Sydney. 

Why illustration?

I’ve drawn for as long as I can remember! After studying Fine Art & Design for a year, I moved to Cornwall where I received my degree in Illustration. Drawing is such a natural part of expressing myself that when I discovered I could develop something significant from it – that was pretty much it!

Tell us about your process! How do you go from idea to stunning creation?

If I wait for a good idea to happen – I’ll be waiting a long time. I push myself to sketch (VERY badly) as much, and as quickly as possible. My sketchbooks are a mess. But it helps to really smooth out the composition, colours and shapes so I can finally paint it all.

What is your ultimate creative dream?

To look back on my work and feel that I’ve had a small impact on social change. That would be the dream! Illustration is one of the strongest forms of communication – it’s universal! To know that I’ve made a difference in giving a voice to real people would be incredible. 

What do you use the space at Nauti Studios for?

Working 9 to 5, drinking coffee and painting amongst my baby plants. 

What’s your favourite part about the space at Nauti?

Being in a relaxed creative environment with friendly artistic peeps!

If you could meet and draw any person in the world, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Sylvia Plath. Her book, ‘The Bell Jar’ is one of my all time loves. She was a fascinating woman – I’d love to capture something of her in a painting.

We have a ping pong table here at Nauti – are you any good?

Uh…no.

If you were a sea creature, which would you be?

A jellyfish. Some can regenerate their own cells, making them immortal. Plus they look pretty cool.  

Finally, are you nauti or nice? ;)

NAUTI.