Hillscene 11

free nment

ro d envi n a e r u , cult y t i n u comm

je pro the us ci r c yarn Bombing, join the

ct s

,

, K ane Alexander and more hid de n art, upcycling

Winter Issue 11 * 2013

t tee $69.95, Wilga silk-cotton horse prin ts $129.95 Wilga french floral rayon pan

Osma cardigan by Lounge $189.95

83 Monbulk Rd, Kallista VIC 9755 3855 6 Hewish Rd, Croydon VIC 9725 6313 facebook Wilga Boutique

Kids entertaiment and fine arts @ Burrinja Possum Magic 2013 - The Final Farewell Tour!

Saturday 29 June @ 10am & 1pm

After 30 years in print and over 20 years on stage, playing to over 500,000 patrons Possum Magic – The Musical, will tour Australia in 2013 for the very last time!

Featuring larger than life size puppets, and a cast of multi-talented performers, the story of Hush, the little possum, has been stylishly embellished into a rollicking Aussie Musical, complete with lamingtons, pavlovas and vegemite sandwiches.

Kati Thanda 18th May – 11th August

This multimedia exhibition is a journey through time into the ancient world of Australia’s desert interior, featuring low level aerial images by award winning photographer Peter Elfes.

Peter Elfes Tangerine Sea

Burrinja Cnr Glenfern Rd & Matson Drive, Upwey ph: (03) 9754 8723 w: burrinja.org.au

Elisabeth Williams: Narratives 21st June – 21st July 2013

With the emphasis on Design Elements and Principles rather than ‘naturalism’, this exhibition explores a variety of stories.

They are based on my observations and involvement with the people and environs of day to day life.

Elisabeth Williams Op Shop

building community through arts

It’s winter already. There are a few bright leaves still stubbornly hanging around but they’ll all be gone soon. The bare trees replacing them and forging the crisp winter landscape.

The winter solstice isn’t far away either and that means the Belgrave Lantern Parade will be on soon, one of my favourite festivals of the year. Not only because it’s a great occasion but also because after it I know the days will start to get longer again.

Even though it’s cold, and cosier to stay inside it doesn’t mean that everyone is hibernating.

There’s still plenty going on. If there is a theme this issue, I think it would be impermanence and change. We have the transitory yarn bombing on the trees in Belgrave, a few temporary galleries, the Projects in Belgrave and Fatspace in Tecoma. The atmospheric photography of Kane Alexander and the story of Amy Middleton’s tree change. There’s the upcycled shirts on our fashion pages plus new cafe ‘Grunge’ in Belgrave and Emerald tea shop.

Change is all around, sometimes it’s good and sometimes not. A lot of times it means people are making the most of what’s available at the time, coming together to celebrate a moment and then moving on.

As always our issues are all online and our facebook page will keep you up to date on all the goings on this winter.

Editor/Designer

Adriana Alvarez

Cover

Joy Serwylo

Proof Reader

Colin Anderson

Contributors Joy Serwylo, Kane Alexander, Carolyn Oates, Jodie Maloni, Lisa Zee, Ian Jackson, Simone Cunnington, Kylie Haberl, Victoria Slater, Tania Bell, Amy Middleton, Tiffany Morris North, and Adriana Alvarez facebook: The Hillscene For submission and advertising enquiries e: hillscene@westnet.com.au www.hillscene.com.au Printed by Ferntree Print on Envirocare 100gsm recycled paper. © Copyright 2013

Some of our stories are about new beginnings. and some about the ever changing landscape of the hills. Like the seasons things move and transform.

There’s something for everyone so make sure to rug up in your warm winter clothes and get out and see the fleeting nature of the season before it’s gone.

Photo by Simone Cunnington from the upcycled glam shoot

3

WOW ! Great Cover.

Words by Adriana Alvarez

This issue’s cover design is by Joy Serwylo. A well known identity in the hills with a long connection to the artistic community. Laid back and quitely spoken but with a strong character, her topical yet playful works reflect her activist spirit.

Joy studied printmaking at Prahan “many decades ago”, specialising in screenprinting but has worked with many mediums. For ten years she worked with textiles creating tactile images of the environment, which is a theme she often explores.

“I just love fabrics, it’s the same sort of thing as a collage with lots of pieces sewn together. I paint, I draw and collage but at the moment I’m working on books,” says Joy. The idea is that you open what looks like a book and inside is a 3D graphic novel filled with different stories. Some about how the city is being overrun or how the environment is being lost. Each book contains another tiny book inside with works from her previous exhibitions.

The books began from a need to save space. “I like the idea of documenting an exhibition in some form that’s not taking up half a household.” But also some of her works are ephemeral, made out of leaves or natural materials, so photographing them and being able to condense them into a book means that people can see them long after the pieces have fallen apart.

Seven years ago Joy did her Masters in public art at RMIT and in her second year did her thesis on street art. Not afraid of controversy, she produced a piece that satirised the Howard government’s anti-terror campaign that was around at the time.

This revolutionary streak is what has led her to be swept up in a new project, Fatspace gallery.

It’s a space utilising half of the DVD destination store in Tecoma. It started when Paul O’Halloran a local identity who has been very active in the community had a “hair-brained” idea. He’d always dreamed of opening a gallery but still wanted to be involved with the community because where he lives is more important to him than anything else.

The people, the environment, the forest and the anti-Maccas campaign.

Wanting to make an impact, they went to the biggest shop in Tecoma, DVD Destination, and approched the owner who subleased them half the shop till November. Fatspace is commited to engaging local community through the arts. As a cutting edge gallery they want to encourage the use of innovative media, controversial issues and strong community involvement. It’s currently showing the works of three local artists while they call for entries for the first official exhibition which will be called “Junk food – fast, fried and fatal”.

“It’s not just an anti-Macdonalds gallery’” says Joy. With five exhibitions planned all on topical local issues. “Each exhibition will be hopefully something raunchy,” she adds. There’s plans for an organic food swap on the opening night and other events at each opening to make it more engaging for the viewer.

Joy has a dream for the space of creating a working printmaking studio with presses, a gallery, workshops and maybe artists studios with very cheap rent; similar to Port Jackson Press. It started off very small with a shop front gallery. “It’s probably the best press in Australia,” enthuses Joy. “It’s amazing, so well known, I can see a place like that... It’s a nice dream but what we’ve got is a gallery for six months.”

A community gallery with controversial works must be a dream come true for an activist. But Joy’s dream would be a bigger challenge that could unite a community. Maybe it’s too big a challenge but a girl’s gotta dream. serwylo.com www.facebook.com/fatspacetecoma

4

Photos courtesy of The Dreaming Space

A Kaleidescope of creativity Words by Adriana Alvarez Ever wanted to run away and join the circus? Well now you don’t have to go very far since Kaleidescope Creative Arts have started up a program of circus and drama classes in Olinda.

The classes are held in the Dreaming Space arts centre at Olinda Primary School by Chris James, Claire Ruby James and Skye Westwood. Chris and his wife Claire are circus performers and magicians who moved to the hills a few years ago. While doing relief teaching at Olinda Primary, Chris noticed the space and asked what was in there.

“It was completely empty so I thought, well let’s do something with this room,” says Chris.

Coincidentally Sherbrooke Community school where Chris was also working wanted to get rid of all their circus equipment, so Chris bought it off them and set up the Dreaming Space.

“It’s been quite a process,” says Skye. “There’s a strong

relationship with the school because Chris and Claire and I teach there.” Now the space has come to life with their classes.

people’s and kids abilities, because it needs a community to support each other,” says Chris. ”You can’t do this alone.”

Kaleidescope Creative Arts is the education arm of the space. It’s program includes day, after school and evening classes for adults and children.

They also develop education programs here and for beyond the Dreaming Space, for community houses or schools, etc. They teach circus, drama, face painting, guitar, singing and drumming. Plus they perform as ‘the Dreaming Space’ at arts and music festivals and other events.

Skye adds, “The idea we often talk about is becoming a strong collective of fabulous teachers who support each other and when there’s enough funding coming through we get further training to further develop, so that the company becomes a really strong art space that’s highly professional. But at the moment we’re just a baby.”

The adult classes are geared towards professional development with plans to develop a cabaret and singing group to perform at festivals.

Although the Dreaming Space and Kaleidescope Creative Arts are separate entities, they work together and have a shared vision. “The vision is to create a separate space to nurture

Their aim is to have kids and adults that go through the program eventually being able to perform. Then providing work for them at festivals to support them and develop their skills so they can make it a profession.

If you’d like to join the circus, or maybe just learn a trick or two they’re offering the first four classes free to all new students.

A great opportunity if you’ve ever had a ‘big top’ dream. kaleidoscopecreativearts.com 5

the projects Kiera Brew Kurec and Nicole Breedon tell us about their temporary space, the Projects gallery in Belgrave.

Tell me a bit about the Projects.

The Projects is a temporary art gallery which is located in the Belgrave Arcade. The artists exhibiting are associated with Yarra Ranges, having either lived in, or grown up in the area.

Why did you decide to start it up?

Kiera: It sounds like a clichĂŠ but while I was living in New York, one morning I woke from a dream where I returned home to the Dandenong Ranges and opened a contemporary art gallery. Later that day I

started researching community grants and getting in touch with artists I knew who had either grown up in the community or lived there at some stage. So when I returned to Australia the wheels were all in motion, a few weeks later I found that I had received funding from the Yarra Ranges Council.

Kiera and Nicole: Belgrave is a dynamic town filled with cafes and shops, there is a strong interest in the arts but no committed art space exhibiting emerging contemporary artists. We expect the gallery program to allow people who may not usually engage with contemporary art to gain an understanding and appreciation for the artists which the community has produced. We hope that an exceptional group of artists such as this will also bring people from the city to The Hills.

The work seems quite different to other shows in the hills, is that a conscious decision or has it just turned out that way?

Kiera and Nicole: It’s conscious in the way that we wanted to show the art that we and our peers are making now. The artists exhibiting all have very active careers both nationally and internationally having shown in cities such as New York, Barcelona, Berlin and Paris. Work shown in The Hills is usually quite traditional or craft-arts orientated, at The Projects we show work that is current, made by emerging or mid-career contemporary artists. It was part of our mission to open up this dialog with the community, to expose what is current within Australian art.

6

Photos courtesy of The Projects

art life

What do you like about living in the hills?

Kiera: The fresh air and the trees. I’m currently living back in the hills while I run the gallery and I think the thing I like most about the hills is that I can commute in to the city and then

Nicole: I’m currently living in the inner north, and while it’s lovely being immersed in the city, and much more convenient to get around, I always appreciate stepping out onto the platform in Tecoma or Belgrave and getting that first big breath of crisp mountain air.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Kiera: We’d really love everyone to drop by and visit, and talk to us or the artist about the work and tell us what you think. After all, The Projects is about involvement and creating a dialogue with the community.

The Projects Opening times: Thursday to Sunday 12 - 5 pm Shop 7, Belgrave Arcade , Belgrave

www.theprojectsbelgrave.com

“the hillscene”

A Maga’zine’ all about the interesting people and things happening in Melbourne’s beautiful Dandenong Ranges. It’s the funkiest community mag in the hills.

Issue 8 * 2012

free

With creative design and interesting articles it’s a rockin’ read.

e , cultur

community

nt gr re es ltu ul * p e r ma c u e r styl

nme and enviro

To advertise or contribute to the hillscene contact Adriana at hillscene@westnet.com.au With reasonable rates, it’s a great place to promote your local business. www.hillscene.com.au or look for “The Hillscene” on

ow s an * Be d mo lgrave re ’s fe stival buzz* terrarium love*

It’s a temporary space for many reasons, we are both full time artists and Kiera is also studying her Masters at VCA, so this was really a side project to our busy careers. Also the operation costs of running the gallery – we have offered the space for artists to exhibit for free and we couldn’t sustain the gallery without a huge amount of funding. Also there is something nice about having things for just a short period of time, the temporal nature allows for The Projects to morph into other ventures (we have some surprises up our sleeves so keep your eye out!)

come home to the most beautiful forest pretty much on my back door.

Spring

Why is it a temporary space? Any plans to extend the time it will be open?

3MDR Doco Team Carolyn Oates talks to Emma Johnson (3MDR staff) & 3 of the Documentary Team, Leon, Jensen & Damien about this exciting technician mentoring program.

What is the program about?

Young people are invited to join in with the Documentary Team on Wednesdays 4-5.30pm at the Emerald studios. To plan radio news reports, podcasts and documentaries about the things you are interested in – sports, music, politics, history, environment – what ever you like. Learn presentation skills, how to plan for interviews, how to record audio material, how to edit and then publish it. A lot of this sort of stuff is better learnt out in real situations, people learn from each other and watching other people do it, so we organize going out to local events to interview people, record live music, speeches, and to capture the moments that make our community what it is. The audio pieces you create may be uploaded to the 3MDR podcast page and played on air.

Volunteers at 3MDR are enjoying many opportunities to learn new skills for FREE! There are 7 students enrolled in the Technician Mentoring program and 2 have already become fully fledged 3MDR live music technicians that can engineer in-studio performances for live broadcast.

Why were you interested in being involved in this program?

Leon: Coz I want to get into radio, share my opinion and have people listen.

Jensen: Sounded interesting.

Damien: Wanted to use my voice, go to events, meet new people.

8

Erica H - editing her interview with muso Benny Walker at Belgrave Survival Day

radio

What’s been a highlight for you so far?

Leon: Friendly environment and meeting all the other people. Like getting to use the equipment, like interviewing people and hearing their opinions.

Damien: Good experience, get on air, meet lovely people.

What has been the biggest challenge?

Getting up early to go to events and do interviews.

Being prepared for interviews

What would you say to any other young people thinking about getting into radio?

If you’re interested, give it a try, and community radio is a good place to find out if it’s for you or not. Come to 3MDR if you’re interested.

Further Information: The team will be hosting the Wednesday 1-3pm show in the school holidays, tune into their first show on 3rd July 2013. You can also hear some previously produced works at www.3MDR.com/ program_podcast_information Carolyn Oates Carolyn is a local singer/songwriter and also offers instrument tuition, for more information go to www.carolynoates.com

cafe tarts Grunge Cafe – Belgrave Words and images by Tiffany Morris-North Welcome to Belgrave’s newest kid on the block “Grunge Café”.

I have to admit, I was one of the first to whinge about having yet another café in Belgrave. But, since eating at Grunge, I think its relaxed style fits in well and, hopefully with more choices, more people will be attracted to Belgrave’s growing café culture.

The atmosphere in Grunge is hip and relaxed with retro touches here and there. There’s a record player by the window!

My favourite meal is brunch and this menu has it covered. It was a difficult decision. There’s offerings like Soul Mission - poached eggs, avocado hummus, honey bacon on an English muffin with fresh spinach. I am a sucker for homemade baked beans but I also love chorizo so chose Panhead - baked eggs with chorizo in a small frypan, great sourdough toast and a delicious lime pomegranate piquant served on a rustic wooden board.

My friend had the 1696 - poached eggs, home made baked beans on toasted rye bread with spinach and dukkah. The baked beans here are tangy, salty, sweet Yum! Delicious and reasonably priced - everything on the menu was under $15!

Using fresh, locally sourced produce, Grunge also caters to our Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten-free friends.

With great coffee this place is sure to be a hit.

1696 Burwood Highway, Belgrave. www.facebook.com/GrungeCafe Tiffany Morris-North Tiffany is a passionate artist/crafter/foodie living with her family in the beautiful and inspiring Dandenong Ranges. Follow her adventures on her blog tiffanymorrisnorth.wordpress.com

9

Habby Blog Here’s a blog entry from Monbulk’s Habby Goddess meant for Mother’s Day but I think they would be great for the chilli winter months too!

Chocolate and Marshmallow bags Looking for a simple project for Mother’s Day? You can’t go wrong with a Chocolate & Marshmallow combo in teabags.

They are super easy to make and low cost.

Here’s what to do......

You will need:

Grate chocolate finely. Chop up marshmallows.

Spoon chocolate into bags. Add a few marshmallow pieces. Top up with more Chocolate. The fuller the better! Close up bag drawstring. Add some folded Washi tape for tags.

I made these at the shop and they drew quite a bit of comment from customers. The general feeling was that they would not melt and seep through the paper. They do!

Teabag blanks - you can get them from here (The Habby Goddes in Monbulk or online shop) Good quality chocolate - I used Lindt 85% Cocoa Dark Noir Good quality marshmallows.

I heated milk in microwave and then added the bag. Left it for a minute or two to melt the chocolate and marshmallow.

Once melted, I stirred the milk and bag with a spoon. If you squeeze the bag a little with the spoon against the cup side, the mixture oozes out.

YUM! Jodie Maloni is the Habby Goddess The Haby Goddess is a shop, a blog, a sewing school and a community for all things haberdashery. Items are sourced both locally and from around the world. This is a space for me to share with you all the crafty news from the web. www.thehabygoddess.blogspot.com.au/

10

Kane Alexander Words by Adriana Alvarez Imagine a far off, wild and desolate landscape, beautiful and extreme. This is where you would find Kane Alexander photographing nature’s essence.

Kane Alexander is a photographer and jewellery designer with a long artistic pedigree. His grandmother was a jeweller who travelled around Australia collecting gemstones and his grandfather painted.

His great grandfather was a well known surrealist painter in Holland who made a living from his work. Thus Kane is interested in all things creative and has always made art, drawing from an early age.

He studied fashion at RMIT but didn’t really start to enjoy making work until someone gave him a camera. Then he did a few short courses at the Centre for Contemporary photography to add some technical knowledge to what he had taught himself.

His photography has taken him far and wide to the most remote and severe landscapes. The work is reflective, it’s about nature and extreme natural places. “I’m interested in how these places can help put our existence in perspective,’ says Kane.

Sometimes taking sculptures with him to photograph in these landscapes to create a contrast between the natural and the man made and show the fleeting nature of our world. Whether on the plains of Patagonia, the peaks of the Andes or the heart of Arnhem land his photos somehow depict the heat or bitter cold, the clean crisp air, the desolate beauty of the land.

To continue his journey to the extremes of nature he plans to go to Antartica to create works around the theme of environmental care and human responsibility. Here he’ll produce life sized human figures of ice and 12

photograph them in the surrounding landscape for a later exhibition.

Wandering is a constant, last year he travelled to Nepal, Europe, Iceland and Ibeza where his camera was stolen.

He bought a 50 year old SLR camera to replace it but it’s broken light meter made it challenging to work with.

This is the camera he took with him to Arnhem land when he went to a cultural bridging festival which coincided with a full solar eclipse. The journey to the land of the Yolngu people was long and hot but Kane says “the event and connecting with the people was the most amazing experience of my life.” These photos are not as polished as his other works due to the challenges of the 50 year old camera but they still reflect the spiritual nature of the festival and the celebration of different cultures connecting deeply.

Kane has been given permission to use these photos and plans to have a public exhibition to share the profound experience with others. “I’d like to bring some of the indigenous people from Arnhem land down here to

share their culture and bring it to a contemporary audience,” says Kane. He hopes to share and recreate the spirit of the event and expose people to a culture that celebrates the invaluable and rich spirit that this land holds.

The spirit of nature is a theme also carried through to his jewellery designs. He uses crystals, owl feathers and other natural objects in his pieces which include some larger sculptural hanging works. Something Kane is exploring is the vibrations of crystals to give energy and add an ethereal dimension to his jewellery.

“Jewellery and small sculptural objects can become significant.” says Kane. “They can be passed on and hold memories and importance to the individual.”

They can be given as gifts with love ensuring that a little piece of our spirit gets passed on, travelling, like this artist, far and wide. www.kanealexanderimages.com www.facebook.com/kanealexanderart?

13

upcycled glam

Lisa Zee had a great idea. Take one ordinary blue denim shirt and give it to three local designers to upcycle. Then see how three creative minds can transform the ordinary into some stylish new threads. These beautiful unique pieces are the results of that great idea transformed by Jediah Ezra, CJ Dakis and Rummage Style.

Jediah Ezra has lived in Olinda for the past 15 years and over the last five years has been designing and creating one-off fashion pieces. He is currently starting his own clothing label specialising in creating 100% original designer pieces ‘loosely’ made to order for size, style and colour.

For any queries or to place an order you can message Jediah on facebook Jediaah Ezraa or email jediahezra@gmail.com 14

Upcycling : the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or for better environmental value – Wikipedia.

CJ Dakis from Limerence in Belgrave creates one-off and limited run garments and accessories for her label Twisted Fig. Pieces are made entirely of reclaimed materials or industry excess, with CJ’s particular passion being the re-mastering of pre-loved garments, often embellishing them with seas of stitching, trims and found objects.

Twisted Fig is available exclusively at Limerence and shirts like this one can be made to order in 2 different styles - with your own shirt too if you like! www.twistedfig.com.au www.limerence.com.au

15

Rummage Style was founded in 2007

by Theresa Evans through a love of recycling and an aversion to mass production. She moved into making for the public through markets. She is stocked in stores throughout Melbourne and is now making the move interstate.

Made in Melbourne, by her small team, each garment is lovingly made by hand from vintage, recycled, donated, salvaged and rescued materials. With a true dedication to environmentally sound production, each Rummage Style garment comes free from guilt and even better, they are all one-off pieces. www.rummagestyle.com

Styling: Lisa Zee Photography: Simone Cunnington Location: Emerald Lake Park 16

eco matters Eco fashion Words by Lisa Zee When it comes to the environment it is great to buy organic food and not use plastic bags, etc.

This is a good start but being ‘eco’ is a holistic and complex issue. Being eco and ethical when it comes to fashion is something that is also important and one of my major influences.

While the contemporary fashion industry truly concerns me, I believe it is possible to have sustainable fashion.

Being eco with regards to fashion is about thinking in depth and perhaps researching, knowing exactly what you are purchasing and being completely present in your decisions.

To start with, one must consider the fabrics, the elastics, edging, stitching ie. the raw materials.

Firstly what are they made of? How are the raw materials grown or manufactured? The treatment of animals involved in wool and silk, etc? Cotton, hemp, bamboo how is it grown? Plastic products such as polyester, rayon etc.? How do they impact the environment?

So that’s just the beginning – at the very least!

Phew – HUGE. Now you see what I mean about complex.

Next is the production, the human aspect. Now here come some huge ethical concerns; fabrics cut, peoples safety and garment construction.

Is it fair trade? Are the people involved with the manufacturing being paid and treated ethically and is there child labour involved? Also is there ethnic ignorance being grossly exploited in the production of clothing made on our very shores?

Then of course, is the carbon footprints to be considered with importing or transporting the product to retail outlets and finally there’s the garment in store awaiting your purchase!

Now this may all sound overwhelming and you may wonder where is the solution. Well there are ways in which you can purchase your new look, find that perfect colour and dazzle your neighbours with your new threads, while supporting a more ethical and sustainable industy.

Seek people selling eco fashion – it’s around, on line and in stores. Options such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo and organic silk are available. And upcycling, turning old garments into new fashion.

There is clothing being made using recycled fabrics, small production, local production and fair trade production are all a good start.

For me the easiest option and an industry I have put my time into, is plain and simple recycling, I have run recycled clothing shops for the last 13 years.

Recycling does not support the manufacturing of new product. We have made so much already need we make more??

There are a handful of great shops around the hills, including my own, that are re-marketing already existing clothing and selling it back in a boutique style giving you a fulfilling retail experience.

So next time you go spending your hard earned dollars – think carefully about just exactly where your money is going.

Aside from wanting you to enter my shop – this piece of writing comes from the heart. :-) I truly hope we all choose wisely...

Lisa Zee Fashion consultant and eco stylist, with a deep love of all things vintage, with two stores in the hills, Finders Keepers Kallista and soon to open, Finders Keepers Cockatoo.

17

Pilates demistified Pilates, “a form of exercise that allows each user to experience a new awareness of muscle function and control.” was created by Joseph Pilates 1880 -1967. I love this description of his method and hope I am able to guide my own students to this awareness with the passion and joy I have in teaching.

Pilates today is a confusing array of gym classes, studio sessions, Community Centre classes, Physiotherapy, Osteopath clinics and more. Are they all the same? Are all the instructors equally well trained? And what does well trained mean?

Joseph originally named his method ‘Contrology’.

Yet ironically it has been his lack of control over the evolution of his method that has created the current level of confusion. Joseph handed down his teaching method to chosen apprentices.

These apprentices brought with them their own experiences, influences and qualifications which triggered a gentle alteration in the way they taught Pilates. They then passed their teaching philosophy down to their own apprentices who evolved it in their own way.

Today this leaves us with a familiar framework of exercises recognisable as Pilates. Similar to the way we know Downward Facing Dog is Yoga, and Horse Posture is Tai Chi. The framework or image of an exercise however offers us no guidance as to the muscular function and control needed to create that movement or posture safely and purely. It is the skill and knowledge of the teacher guiding the student that created the positive effect. Taught well and the client gains knowledge of their body and a way to strengthen it in a productive way. Taught poorly and you can injure, confuse and create imbalance in the body.

I have observed a disturbing gap in qualification and skill over nearly 20 years of involvement in Pilates. Ranging from none or only weekend long courses qualifying instructors to teach in 18

settings like a Physiotherapy clinic. Instructors at gymnasiums teaching classes on mass with no way to observe an individuals ability to correctly perform the exercise. Through to a level of training where instructors are trained using courses run by Pilates, Osteopathic, and Physiotherapy Associations. These involve 12 -18 months or more of theory, practice and examination, followed by hundreds of hours of apprentice teaching. It is a matter of pot luck when you attend a class as to what the knowledge base of your actual instructor is going to be and the philosophy of the venue offering the class.

Very confusing to the general public.

How does all of this help you find a safe nurturing place to learn Pilates? For now it is a matter of asking lots of questions about the qualifications of your instructor. Perhaps it is a simplistic view but I hope one day Pilates will evolve again, allowing for some sub classification guiding you to the form of Pilates that most suits you. For example a form with a greater mind and body connection, or an intense medical rehabilitation form, or a faster gymnasium form that excites those more extroverted. I believe all have their place. At their core however all variants must have instructors who are highly trained in human biology, allowing them to teach their chosen variation in a way that allows you to find the passion in the movement and function of your body safely.

Kylie Haberl Has over 15 years experience in Pilates, with a strong understanding of the human body, gained by a degree in human biology and training as a massage therapist. Further enriched by her personal experience with Tai Chi and the Alexander Technique as applied to horse riding. Kylie currently teaches Pilates at Selby Community House and Belgrave South Community Centre.

19

Images by Victoria Slater

t e a fo r tw o Tea anyone? Here Victoria Slater from Emerald teas tells us why nothing could be better than a lovely cup of tea and a chat with friends.

We are a small tea shop recently opened in Emerald specialising in quality teas, teaware, accessories, my tea biscuits (lavender, earl grey, etc) and tea tasting.

We offer tradtional teas (earl grey, english breakfast, etc) flavoured teas, such as vanilla caramel, herbal teas, green teas & fruit tisanes.

Our herbal teas are blended by us using Certified Organic & Organic herbs sourced locally and overseas.

I’m passionate about all things tea! We’ve been offering wholesale teas to our spa customers for the past 5 years and when we moved to Emerald recently I wanted to focus on tea. What better way than a tea shop where I can talk about tea, chat and drink tea all day?

Our shop is located on Heroes Ave in Emerald.

We also have an online store, you can find it at www.emeraldteas.com.au which has been very 20

handy for those wanting more tea but who are unable to come to the shop.

After 20 years in the eastern suburbs, we are constantly surprised at how friendly and supportive people are in the Hills. There is a great sense of community, which we found immediately at the Community House and the Emerald Market.

We’re keen to support local talent and offer unique ‘hills’ items to visitors. We have a local lady knitting tea cosies and an artist creating one-of-a-kind ‘Tea Art’ both of which have been very popular.

I would love to relocate and expand the shop in the future. My vision is a Tea Room that serves morning & afternoon teas that includes a selection of home made desserts made fresh each day. Baking is my other passion!

We are currently open Wednesday, Friday & Saturday or by arrangement (hours will extend later in the year).

Tea enquiries: 0433 121 020 e: emeraldteas@gmail.com

Image courtesy of Danielle DeValence

Yarn bombing Words by Adriana Alvarez Google yarn bombing and you’ll see a huge array of weird and wonderful objects covered in knitting and crotchet. There’s seats, poles, trees, bikes, buses and even a tank covered in pink knitted squares. It’s a global street art movement which is invading in a warm and fuzzy way.

It recently invaded Belgrave when Danielle DeValence owner of Walk in Wardrobe yarn bombed a tree last year.

Originally it was done for the End of the Line festival.

“Because I’ve got the vintage shop I thought of contributing something that had a recycled, environmentally friendly, sustainable kind of feel,” she says. “So I collected a bunch of vintage, already crocheted blankets and some of the knitting that I had and just patchworked it onto the tree,” explains Danielle. The blankets were wrapped around the tree and then stitched together.

Danielle says the response has been fantastic. “The majority of people that have seen it absolutely love it, especially kids because it’s really tactile. They can hug it and climb on it. There’s a few people that have worried that it’s damaging the tree but it’s not permanent, there’s nothing that’s been nailed or spiked onto the tree at all.”

When these questions came up she asked a friend of hers who is an arborist about it. He reassured her that it wasn’t hurting the tree. The knitting allows the tree to breathe and since nothing was nailed in or covering new growth, it wasn’t damaging the bark. Even the insects that live on the tree are not being hurt as they can easily climb around it.

“It’s been six months that it’s been up there and it’s started to come off. I’ve mended it a few times,” says Danielle.

Yarn bombing is by nature impermanent. Unlike other forms of street art like grafitti it can be easily removed and will eventually perish. It was initially about reclaiming and personalising sterile and cold public spaces but now has a world wide following with many groups using it for different purposes.

Danielle has caught the bug and has since done the poles in front of her shop and the tree across the street. “I’d love

to do more because it’s great.

People love it and it brings the community together. It gets people talking and brings out their curiosity.”

She’s doing another tree for the End of the Line festival this year. The plan was to have it as an annual work so you’d be able to count the trees and see how many years the festival has been on.

Hopefully they’ll hang around for a while, creating a colourful and cozy streetscape you can hug and we can all feel warm and fuzzy about. www.facebook.com/ walkinwardrobevintage

Raw Fo od We talk to Ian Jackson from Rawgasm about his delicious and healthy raw food passion.

What is the raw food philosophy?

The idea is to preserve all the nutrients in vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds that are destroyed by heat. It is better to eat food in its most natural, lively state. Fresh, natural foods are what humans have always survived on. We used to eat only organic food - which was then known simply as “food”.

Vegan foods are made from ingredients free from animal suffering and the environmentally damaging, unsustainable methods of commercial animal farming.

It is wiser and healthier for all of us that we only eat good wholesome nutritious food that comes from the world’s biggest produce supplier...

Mother Earth.

Why is it so good for you?

Many elements of foods and their nutritional qualities such as enzymes, oils, minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients (which are the plant’s immune system) are killed by the cooking process. Eating an abundance of colourful vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds is one of the best ways to be healthy.

Describe some of the dishes?

I enjoy trying to mimic junk foods that people are familiar with, such as pizza slices made with carrots, sunflower seeds and buckwheat that have been sprouted and dehydrated to make a crispy crust. I make raw lasagna with zucchini noodles, kale and a “cheez” made from walnuts. And sprouted seed falafels with a green tahini drizzle and happy carrot salad!

22

I make an array of desserts such as a carrot cake with you guessed it...raw grated carrots and Australian raisins topped with a cashew cream frosting! One of the bestsellers is an indulgent chocolate pie topped with crispy raw cacao nibs, and my new one is lemon avocado pie.

I am always trying new things, so who knows what’s next..

How did you get into it?

I have been a chef for many years and have been drawn towards health foods in the last three years while living in London. On my way back to Australia in 2011 I spent some time in Canada where I ate my first raw veggie burger. The first thing I noticed was how light and energised I felt having eaten something which was essentially still alive and packed full of sprouts and seeds!

I was an instant fan of raw living foods and my interest turned into a passion which fuelled my desire to retire from commercial cooking and use what little money I had left to start a market stall, and I have been providing raw vegan cuisine to my community since March 2013.

food files Where can we get your food?

Currently Rawgasm is a regular feature at Kallista Market on the first Saturday of the month, Emerald market on the third Sunday of the month and Gembrook Market on the fourth Sunday of the month. I am always on the look out for local festivals and special events and I offer catering for functions, parties or retreats. Check the website for contact details www.rawgasm.com.au

Do you do workshops?

I have had a lot of demand for workshops, so I am in the process of writing some lesson plans, focusing on simple raw meals that can be made at home without all the fancy equipment. I hope to run these workshops at the local community centres in the area real soon.

What do you like about living in the hills?

I love the luscious greenery, the abundance of wildlife and the scent of damp wood... In summer I like that it is always a little cooler!

I have been drawn to mountains and hills all my life. It is where I feel alive with room to move, breath and be inspired.

The community here has been so supportive of my passion and it didn’t take long for me to realise that Rawgasm can be much more than me trying to make a living. I think I have a real opportunity to share something that I am truly passionate about and help improve people’s lives through healthier eating of creative raw foods that will feed the body with an abundance of energy, proteins, vitamins and whole food synergy.

Happy Carrot Salad This Moroccan inspired salad is so fresh and tasty... I love eating this on it’s own or with just about anything! Carrots are rich in antioxidants and vitamin A. I use organic juicing carrots which are usually available for less than $2.00 kg!

Ingredients (serves 4 on the side) 2 heaped tablespoons of raisins 3 large carrots, grated 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 heaped tablespoon of mixed seeds (sesame, linseed, sunflower, pumpkin) 1 spring onion, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon, chopped coriander 1 tablespoon, chopped mint 1/2 a red chilli, finely chopped 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper

Images by Ian Jackson

Method Plump up the raisins in hot water for 5 - 10 minutes, then drain.

Mix everything else together very thoroughly and season.

Only put the lemon juice and olive oil on when you’re ready to Go! 23

Lighten up Illuminate your home in winter Image courtesy of Green Room Interiors

With the onset of winter, life up in the Dandenong Ranges can get pretty dark, dreary and cold during the winter months.

When designing our homes it is important to consider the purpose of the room and what lighting may be required to support those activities. Generally a room will require a mixture of light sources to achieve the right ambience and ensure that tasks performed have the correct lighting.

From June through to August, we spend more time indoors so I thought I’d share some ideas on how to cleverly use lighting to illuminate and brighten your home in winter.

1 2 3

Go for a multi layered look. Include a mixture of ceiling mounted, floor lamps, table lamps and even wall lights.

When using overhead lighting, glare can be distracting, fit a dimmer switch to allow greater control.

Pendant lights have become a popular decorating element. When selecting a design carefully take into consideration their scale and placement. Be careful when placing your pendant light over free standing furniture i.e., a dining table. If you decide to rearrange the room, a pendant is difficult and expensive to move so consider hanging it in a corner instead.

4

Regarding table lamps, look at the shape, size and colour of the lamp and shade, but also ensure that it will supply adequate illumination for the task at hand.

5

Uplights bounce light off the ceiling and provide good background lighting. They are particularly useful to highlight feature pieces.

24

6

The colour of the light emitted from a globe can change the way curtains, furniture and wall finishes appear. Where possible always look at samples in the light that it will be viewed in.

7

Downlights have come a long way, with LED energy efficient lights now available.

They last longer, are more efficient and have come down in price to be comparable to the halogen variety.

8

To add atmosphere to a room, you can’t beat candles. Look for a new take on an old classic - the Flameless LED candles. They look like the real thing without the mess!

Tania Bell Is the interior decoration & design expert behind Green Room Interiors. She will take your hand and lead you through the re-decoration maze. Together we will arrive at the interior space of your dreams.

Join us on facebook to gain more interior design hints and tips. e. info@greenroominteriors.com.au w. greenroominteriors.com.au f. facebook.com/green.room.interiors

Image of artists Sioux Dollman and Zephlyn Nielsen by Sarah Oldman

Hidden art

Words by Adriana Alvarez Hidden down a side street in Monbulk are a few small canvases. They look a bit lonely and out of place on the massive brick wall but soon they will be joined by hundreds more to liven up the streetscape.

“Hidden” presented by the Monbulk Arts Project is a venture designed to brighten up the town and get community interest and involvement in Monbulk. It’s aim is to involve community groups and local people to make different sorts of street art that will be hung up around Monbulk. It’s a joint effort by Council and the Monbulk Business Network, they will be running free workshops to get people creating art in lots of differnt mediums from textiles, drawing and painting to spraying, stencilling and mandala, catering for all ages.

The workshops are open to school and community groups and there will be some open studio time when anyone can just drop in and make some art. The official launch will be on Sunday June 23rd at the Learning and Living centre (The Hub) from 12-2pm with a sausage sizzle, martial arts display, music and more.

Artists Sioux Dollman and Zephlyn Nielsen will be running the workshops and hoping everyone will get involved. “We want the people of Monbulk to come out and take ownership of their town and their public spaces through creating art,” says Zephlyn. “Getting everyone

in touch with their own creativity... because everyone is an artist,” adds Sioux. The artworks created will then be hung all over the town and will be up for three months.

Once the artworks are up on the walls they are public property and then anything could happen to them. The artists are inviting people to interact with them and augment them which is a brave step.

What happens after the three months is anyone’s guess. “It’s an experiment,” says John Coleman “we have two huge existing murals which have been so succesful and generated a lot of interest. Judging on the outcome of this after three to six months we’ll be able to move onto another phase and more funky murals around the town.” Then hopefully Monbulk will no longer be hidden.

To find out more about workshops call Jenny Watson 9756 7566 or John Coleman 9014 9733 from the Monbulk Business Network. www.facebook.com/MonbulkArtsProjectHidden

Tree change From the city suburbs to land in the hills Words and images by Amy Middleton I often describe myself as being an “Afro-Anglo-Aussie”. I was born and raised on a sugarcane farm in South Africa and after finishing high school moved to England to explore. My travel souvenirs include a bad tattoo, a wonderful husband and roughly six years at University. Not long after finishing my degree in Fine Art, my hubby and I hit the road again and eventuated here… in Australia.

During our first weekend in Melbourne a friend took us to SkyHigh in Mount Dandenong. It had been raining and a heavy fog limited our view but the air was so clean and fresh! I recall our friend pointing out various areas we should consider living, from the Mornington to Richmond, but I thought to myself… “I wonder if we could live around here?“ After a few more years at University doing my Masters in Arts Management and working in art and mental health, we decided to make space for a healthier lifestyle. I joined the team at Burrinja as the Community Cultural Development Officer, and we bought a little weatherboard in the hills with some land. Whilst living in the hills has provided the space for an art studio, veggie patch and chickens, it has also presented something far more significant… a happy place to call home.

Since arriving we have not stopped renovating, planting, growing, (weeding!) and making. The making element is important – as an artist I go through creative ups and downs. Since moving to the hills my creative process feels more integrated into everyday life, instead of something I schedule in my diary. I am free from the distractions of the city and I can retreat to my studio. The art I make seems more honest and authentic now. My latest series of drawings called ‘Objects and Emotions’ will be exhibited at Limerence in Belgrave this July. (Hurrah!) Please pop by to have a look… and if we time it right, I hope to meet you in person! amymiddleton.com

26

community

Advertisement

Volunteer Adventures

Online boutique of natural clothing

By Jenny Watson

For the past 3 years we’ve travelled to Cambodia to build homes and latrines for families that are in dire need of assistance. Our teams have worked alongside communities on the fringes of Siem Reap (right near the famous Angkor Wat), and we have been humbled and inspired by the incredible tenacity of these gentle amazing people.

Whilst we will be returning to Cambodia in the future, Habitat for Humanity have asked us to help out in Thailand this year. Given the number of holidaymakers that travel from all over the world into Thailand, we could all be forgiven for thinking that the Thai people are relatively better off financially than they actually are.

Phuket, in particular – whilst the tourist areas of the island have been largely rebuilt since the 2004 Tsunami, behind the stunning beachside resorts, palm trees, and white beaches, is another world, unseen by most eyes.

A world where mothers give birth on shack floors, where children have nothing to play with but a stick or a piece of metal found on the ground; where parents suffer the indignities of not being able to support their families or being granted basic health care; where men often resort to gambling and drugs as an escape from their pitiful lives; and where, for children, even basic education is a luxury.

nature? fashion?

Then you need

www.odezha.com.au

10% OFF first order

Use promo code during check out: THA613 Valid till 31 August 2013

This is the Phuket where we will be working alongside a local community to build a home for a family in need.

We will be able to immerse ourselves in the Thai culture, interact with the local people in their own environment; and learn about their hopes and dreams for themselves and their children.

This is the third team that we will have taken on a Habitat build and all of our previous team members, without exception, return feeling enriched, inspired and truly connected with the families that we have helped.

If you want to know more about how you can be a part of this life changing experience, either by volunteering yourself (in November), or by sponsoring one of our volunteers, call Lauren now on 03 97567566.

Nexus Volunteer Connection is a fully owned subsidiary of TRAVELSCENE MONBULK 74 Main Rd, Monbulk, 3793 email : admin@travelscenemonbulk.com.au web : www.travelscenemonbulk.com.au

Dandenong Ranges Childcare Centre is a family owned and managed centre, achieving excellence in care and services to children, families and the community.

MISSION Within a stimulating environment, we aim to maintain a partnership with families & the wider community that will provide safe, meaningful and enjoyable experiences for all children in our care.

We believe that access to high quality care & education is the fundamental right of every child. Where open-ended, interactive & positive play; along with the right to freedom of speech & to be heard is provided in a healthy and caring environment.

We believe all children should be equally accepted & that each child should be encouraged to respect all others.

Our playrooms are aesthetically appealing, stimulating, warm, homely, safe, comfortable and happy.

Dandenong Ranges Childcare Centre 89 Morris Rd, Upwey 9752 5677