2022 — Wow
What a year folks!
Reflecting on 2022 been an interesting exercise. After a couple of rollercoaster years, we got back out there teaching classes, selling at markets and travelling. Our work lives were full and happy and despite end of the year exhaustion, we closed out 2022 with hope in our hearts.
The news has been quite grim all year. Here at home, devastating floods dominated the headlines while the Ukraine War took center stage abroad. Both existential threats, both human-made. The age of the Anthropocene is upon us and we humans are shaping the planet in irreparable ways.
Closing out the year with hope then was a choice, and more specifically a choice to focus. Not on the things we can’t control and therefore feel helpless, but on the helpers and those doing incredbile work. All around us, in our beautiful art and making community people are choosing to create sustainable, purpose driven work and other people are voting for the planet by shopping local and choosing better.
I grew up in the U.S. watching the T.V. show Mr. Rogers and I’m always lifted by his quote:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
Good is out there and so is hope, lots of it if you look in the right places.
Here are some hopeful highlights from our year…
# Bushwalking Collection
We launched a new collection, the Bushwalking Collection, a love letter to the bush and the creatures within. To create the collection, we bushwalked all over eastern NSW for inspiration and let what remains after the fires inspire us as a story of growth and hope. Did you know we take our own reference photos for work? 5% of this collection’s sales go to supporting BirdLife Australia.
# Bird Week Exhibition
Truly the most exciting week of the entire year, when Australia comes together to celebrate all things bird. This year we participated in the annual Bird Week Exhibition, created by the inspiring Angela Robertson-Buchanan, held in Stanmore at The Corner Gallery. I finally painted a Lyrebird to reflect on the theme of the exhibition which was change. These ancient birds have seen it all, roaming the continent for millions of years, yet no years so perilous in that timeframe as the last few.
Mark your calendars for this year’s National Bird Week 16-22 October.
# Recreate Market
The Reverse Garbage RECreate Market! This Sydney institution works tirelessly toward a world where nothing is wasted and where reuse is the first choice. We created a small batch of hand-painted birds and caterpillars from materials sourced at Reverse Garbage. We also used the paper recycling in our studio to make some paper mache mushrooms.
# Imperfectly Perfect
We created and launched our very first Imperfectly Perfect event in Marrickville! Did you know artists and makers often have lots of seconds or samples in the studio that they don’t know what to do with? Instead of refuse, our less than perfect products went to absolutely perfect homes. This event is back at Marrickville Pavillion on Sunday 19 March :)
# Trip Back Home
Going back to the U.S. to see my family after three years. After so much worry and closed borders, being able to go back home and reunite with family and friends was next level soul enriching. The site alone of tulips blooming in the spring were enough to ground me in a way I didn’t know I needed after these past few years.
# Tourism Australia
Our work was chosen to be part of Tourism Australia’s new global television ad inviting people from around the world to visit Australia! We started our business to reimagine souvenirs as sustainably made local goods, so to be selected for the campaign’s gift shop representing Australia has been a dream come true.
Check it out, 0:11 seconds in the film.
# Birdlife Australia
Look Mum we make a Tik-tok! …or at least an Instagram video, but for a very good reason and in partnership with BirdLife Australia (swoon). We visited the migrant Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos in Centennial Park to promote and share the love of birding as an inclusive activity. Our sister business, Sydney Bird Club, focuses on introducing people to the world of birds. And we believe that curiosity is the only thing needed to enjoy birdwatching. On that note, we held our first Sydney Bird Club walk since the pandemic this year, also in Centennial Park where we spied a range of local birds including two Tawny Frogmouths and Powerful Owl. Check out Sydney Bird Club here.
# Podcast & radio
Rolling right along with the birds, we did our very first podcast, the incredible Weekend Birder by Kirsty Costa. If you haven’t had a listen, treat your ears to incredible and inspiring stories of Australian birds by a wide range of guests. We also visited Simon Marnie’s radio show at the ABC to discuss birds (someone pinch us please).
# New Christmas Collection
In July we launched our new Christmas Collection including new cards, cracker prizes and ornaments. My personal favorite was the Gloomy Octopus ornament, but I can be swayed toward the Nudibranch any day of the week. The best part of our new collection was sharing it with you all - online and in-person at markets. And WHAT a market season it was for us - Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, oh my! We got a chance to reconnect and meet so many people at the markets and although you couldn’t see because we had masks on, we were smiling the whole dang time.
# Painting Class
Not only were markets back, but so were art classes and we taught two very classy classes at the Fleur De Ville event at the Royal Botanic Gardens in August. We’re teaching another at the Botanic Gardens this February as part of World Pride.
Other highlights from our year include:
—
Visiting the Muogamarra Nature Reserve with Christina Mclean from Trade the Mark and gaping at the awe inspiring abundance of wildflowers.
—
Participating as a finalist in the Greenway Art Prize, celebrating the urban eco-corridor of the Inner West’s Greenway with a Royal Spoonbill painting.
—
Snazzy new photography from incredible photographers: Sian Fay Kerr, Samee Lapham, Charlotte Brandis and Renee Baker.
—
Taking a delayed birthday trip to New Caledonia and swimming with turtles and sea snakes (!)
—
Our year was full (too full arguably at times), but full in a way that seemed impossible just a year ago. To all of you out there reading this or who supported us throughout the year, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
We’ve got something very special coming for you this year. If you’re a newsletter subscriber, you’ll get a whole lot of inside scoop and if you’re not, well… what the heck are you waiting for! Here’s the link:
Cheers,
Steph + Amy