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In our Window Gallery this week: Artist Nicola Jones

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In our Window Gallery this week: Artist Nicola Jones

Nicola Jones is a self-taught artist who delved into a flora and fauna painting passion with gusto at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Before that she taught primary school aged children in all the wonders of art making. She enjoys using acrylics, oils and gouache to create limited palettes using loose broad brushstrokes to create expressive art which showcases the depth of colour to focus the viewers’ experience of harmony. The theme of this exhibition is the Backyard Birds.

She works from her garden studio just a short walk from Sydney’s Blackwattle Bay. Nicola draws inspiration from her local surroundings as well as native gardens, the offerings from florist/flower markets and trips around this big beautiful land of Australia.

To see more of Nicola’s work, follow her @nicolajones_art on Instagram.

The window gallery is viewable 24/7, displayed at 4 Victoria St Lewisham. All pieces are available for purchase. Please contact us for more information.
Reverse garbage Marrickville sydney

Reverse Garbage in Marrickville, Sydney

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Reverse Garbage in Marrickville Sydney

Many years ago Gillian was an art teacher and collected materials from Reverse Garbage to use with her students. Now Corban & Blair are able to donate still viable materials for Reverse Garbage to use.

“Every time a product is thrown away, all the materials and energy that went into its initial production go to waste. Their value is wiped out. Forever.

At Reverse Garbage, their role is to save materials from going to waste in landfill and to renew their value by making them available for reuse by families, students, artists and community groups. It is one of the most effective ways we can reduce our impact on the natural environment. And it allows us all to be more thrifty, more independent, more creative and more responsible in how we live our lives.

Every year, Reverse Garbage accepts donations from businesses and individuals of around 35,000 cubic metres of items that would otherwise end up in landfill. That’s around 100 football fields’ worth of industrial off-cuts, over-runs, art and craft materials, stage props, knick-knacks, furniture and other odds and ends.

These materials are available to the public at low cost through their Marrickville warehouse and their online shop. They also hold workshops that give community members the skills and inspiration they need to make the most of the resources they find at Reverse Garbage. Manage a program of educational workshops suitable for little kids and schools across a range of ages, abilities and needs.

If you like to donate to Reverse Garbage or find out more about what they do, visit their website reversegarbage.org.au
Colour journals A5 orange purple pink yellow lime green blue

Colourful A5 Leather Journals

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Colour journals A5 orange purple pink yellow lime green blue

Colourful and inspiring

Launching Corban & Blair’s A5 leather Journals in BRIGHT COLOURS.

We have added new bright colours to our refillable leather journals to make writing activity fun. Coming out of our various lockdowns, working from home and heavy rain made many people start journaling very seriously.

Colours can affect your mood. Happy colours such as bright, warm colours like yellow, orange, pink and red can have an uplifting effect on your mood. The brighter and lighter a colour, the more happy and optimistic it will make you feel. Other colours such as blue, purple and green can also have a stimulating effect and make you feel refreshed and energized.

Colourful A5 journals are available in Orange, Red, Blue, Yellow, Pink, Purple, Green, Brown, Dark Navy, and Black. You can purchase the journals here.

Australian Made Week 2022

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Australian made week 2022

It’s time to celebrate and support Australia’s local makers and growers all around the country. With every dollar you spend on an Australian Made product, you’re making a difference.

Since 1988, Corban & Blair has been creating products made in Australia. We create unique collections of upcycling, recycling and reusing material to minimise waste, combining design with environmental considerations in our business practice. We continue this trend by collaborating with artists, manufacturers, and designers to showcase the diversity of our Australian culture.

Look for the products on our website with the Australian Made logo.

window gallery Ruth Downes

Ruth Downes

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Ruth Downes : Wearable art with everyday objects
This body of work is a continuation of Ruth Downes’ passion for reappropriating everyday materials and objects to celebrate their intrinsic beauty. Materials for these fifteen ‘wearable’ artworks have been gleaned from a diverse range of sources – from electrical cable to coffee capsules. Detritus from nature has also been salvaged to be re-born as a fashion statement. By reimagining these materials she has created works that transcend their utilitarian function, casting them in a fresh light.
 
The works question our accepted values and how we award status by projecting these everyday materials into the realm of art. They have a preciousness that confounds our expectations irrespective of their humble origins. This is much more than a simple ‘up-cycling’ exercise – Downes has an acute awareness of the potential of these materials.
 
About Ruth Downes the artist.
This area of sculptural exploration has been an ongoing obsession as was visible in her previous exhibitions. ‘Tea Party in the Mayoral Garden’ (2001
– 2010) won the inaugural NGA Sculpture Prize ‘People’s Choice Award’ then toured to New York and Washington, followed by an extensive Australian touring program. The follow up exhibition ‘Lunch for the Trades’ (2007 – 2010), also toured with the assistance of Manly Art Gallery & Museum, travelled to many regional galleries in NSW and Qld. Ruth has had a parallel career in design and public art. This has included commissions for site specific 2D and 3D public art works.
 
Viewable 24/7, when you please – 4 Victoria St Lewisham. All pieces are available for purchase. Please contact us for more information.
window gallery Ruth Downes
UTP

Urban Theatre Project

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UTP

We support the creative energy, initiatives and voices of the URBAN THEATRE PROJECT.

Utp has been at the forefront of art and social change since 1979. Recognised internationally, the Company has a 43-year history of creating artistically distinctive work and being at the forefront of contemporary arts practice. Utp is leading a “not so quiet revolution” of art that is socially responsive, inclusive and that reflects the diverse* nation we live in. They lead from the lands of the Darug people ( Western Sydney) and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. Utp is a unique commissioning and producing organisation who make long-term investments in collaborations with artists and/or communities from outside the dominant culture to give form to extraordinary ideas. They never do this alone, working with an exceptional set of partners to co-produce a year-round program of performance, dance, visual art, learning and community-led projects, unlike anything you have seen before. Their curatorial model ensures projects are self-determined by artists and/or communities, challenging the dominant methodology of the lead Artistic Director to give rise to truly artist/community led projects. They are committed to offering access-for-all to brilliant ideas, unusual experiences and critical thinking. 

Check what UTP have been doing and what is coming up.

katarina hackman Autumn_Apples_2022

Window Gallery: Katarina Hackman

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Exquisite still life works on canvas

Our latest Window Exhibition features Still Life art works painted in acrylic, by Katarina Hackman. She explores the power of colour combined with form. Simple objects are imbued with an otherness beyond their physical shape with uplifting and contrasting colours. Reflecting the energy of the subjects, shadows provide volume and intensity, sometimes more naturalistic, sometimes more impressionistic. In this way, Katarina’s art practice utilises a colourist perspective to seek out the beauty in everyday objects and provide restful contemplation for the viewer.

Katarina commenced her art practice in the 1990s focussing on printmaking, drawing and watercolour while also working full time in the corporate sector. Over the following 20 years she continued to study and develop her approach incorporating acrylic painting into her art practice and achieving many private sales. Since 2019, Katarina’s art practice has concentrated on painting in acrylics, particularly Still Life, which is the focus of this exhibition.

All artworks are available for purchase. Please contact us for more information.

2022 Australian Admin Awards (AAA)

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Gillian & Amanda Supported THE FIRST ADMIN AWARDS (AAA)

Michelle Bowditch had an idea- A VISION- to amplify the multi-talented work of people (mainly women) who go above and beyond making a difference to the leaders, teams and organisations they support, usually without receiving the recognition they deserve. Working with people in this sector Michelle is very aware of their contribution.

Michelle’s aim is to support women (men) who manage enormous responsibility and to use the power of the Admin Awards to pave CHANGE for administrative professionals.

The AAA’s recognise and celebrate the achievements, dedication and importance of all Administrative professionals across the country: inclusive of receptionists, office managers, admin assistants, personal assistants, executive assistants and executive business partners.

It was a great night, the winners and runners up were exceptional women, the event spectacular in every way.

For more information about the Admin Awards visit their website. 

APPA Corban & Blair Gillian and Amanda

We are back on the road! – APPA Roadshow

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APPA roadshow

We’re back on the road catching up face to face with clients at the APPA Roadshow. We had a fantastic time meeting new and old friends showcasing our new Australian made and collaboration product range. We travelled from Sydney to Melbourne, then to Brisbane and back to Sydney in 5 days and accomplished a number of meetings talking about the new exciting innovative things we are doing at Corban & Blair. We had a lovely time catching up with our interstate clients. Thank you to all the people who attended the show and said hello at our stand!

APPA Corban & Blair Gillian and Amanda

Window Gallery: Shaista Harul

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We are delighted to present photographer Shaista Harul at our Window Gallery.

Our lives, our landscapes and our natural wonders make for truly incredible photo inspiration. Shaista has been fortunate enough to capture such beauty through her lens and share with friends, family, and followers alike. Shaista always had a passion for art growing up but ended up working in the corporate sector, which gives her little creative outlet. During COVID Shaista re-discovered photography and was lucky enough to go on phenomenal adventures not too far from home. Photography has allowed her to focus in the present and enjoy the simple subtleness of nature. For Shaista Photography is meditation and her aim is to transport you and evoke your senses. Her journeys are documented through the lens of “The Wandering Eye. 

Most recently Shaista’s work “Whirling Dervish” was commended by The Australian Photography Magazine in the 2021 Australian Photographer of the year.

To see more of Shaista Harul’s work, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.

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