In East Brunswick, just around the corner from a flat two of my best friends literally just vacated, lies the rubbled ruins of the Hoffman Patent Brick and Tile Company. Established in 1870 the last of it's doors closed in 2005 and the amazing building and the fantastic Victorian machinery that it homes now lies in a limbo of graffiti and dust as it awaits redevelopment. The main factory building is by far one of my favourite places in this magical city and over the months I've spent hours exploring the visual treasures on offer, gazing mercilessly at the enormity of the old machines and loosing myself to the eerie calm that lies within the once bustling factory walls. Ever since the first day I ventured through the door-less doorway and navigated the magnificent cavern with its undulating piles of discarded bricks I've been absolutely itching to utilize the space for a shoot...

Enter one Mr Lee Gray - a man I am extremely lucky to count among my closest friends and who just happens to be an incredibly talented drummer. Drum kits are admittedly not the most convenient things to lug across the world on your travels so Lee has created his own: a conglomerate of discarded buckets, pots, pans and yes - a brick. The factory provided the perfect place for him to abandon all notions of time and spend countless hours jamming on this 'Treasure Chest Drum Kit' without interruption. One day not too long ago I asked him how he felt when he plays and his answer founded the basis for a creative collaboration that would showcase both of our passions as well as utilizing the magnificent building that has given us so many amazing memories.

The following photos are test shots I took one afternoon while familiarizing myself with the alien concepts of shutter speeds and ISO on kindly loaned camera (thank you so much Hannah!). Armed with little more than a pair of drum sticks and a page of scribbled notes Lee and I embarked upon an afternoon of exploration, drumming and photo tests playing with the varied pockets of natural light the day afforded us and literally chasing sunbeams.

RAW is a fantastic independent arts organization run by artists for artists to give people starting out in creative fields the exposure and network needed to kick-start their careers. As I haven't been in Melbourne long I thought it would be a great idea to jump on board to meet some people and potentially showcase some work, turns out I was right!

The day after I joined the RAW community I was asked to do makeup at the Awakenings Showcase a mere two days away to cover for a last minute drop out. I joined Lyris Deisgns and Gorejess Hair and could not have been luckier - both Carly's clothes and Jess's hair designs being very bold and theatrical allowing me to go a bit crazy on the makeup front :) To ensure that the whole collection fitted together despite some of the designs being very varied I opted to create a similar, abstract makeup on each model using colours that matched or complimented their clothing.

The night went amazingly and our fantastic models absolutely owned the catwalk - bringing a fantastic element of theater back to the runway. Thank you so much to Yolanda for getting me on board and to everyone involved with the Lyris show - you are all gorgeous, lovely people and I'm very lucky to have worked with you!

As I was called in so last minute I am very lucky to be showcasing again - with ample preparation this time - at the next RAW event in Melbourne this March, more information coming soon!