Craft Cubed 2013 has been so amazing thus far. We have already held 5 of our own workshops as part of the satellite events and on Saturday I’ll be at the Craft Hatch market hosting a drop-in workshop on 3D paper flowers!

Even with all the crazy busy fun we’ve been having I still managed to check out some other Craft Cubed events too.

And that’s where Mirka Mora comes in.

For those who don’t know who she is… well… you should. She is (as one of my Instagram followers put it) “The grandmother of all us creative people” and a much loved, well known Melbourne icon. Chances are you’ve seen Mirka’s work before… especially if you’ve ever been to Flinders Street station and admired the wonderful mosaic piece on the inside wall at the Yarra river end. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Maybe the picture below will ring some bells….

mirka mora mural

 Image from Melbourne Daily Blogspot

I really fell in love with Mirka’s art and the person behind it after reading her book “Wicked but virtuous – My Life” a while back – a wonderfully written account by Mirka of her childhood in France and her move to Melbourne in the 50’s with husband Georges where they quickly adopted an eccentric bohemian lifestyle.  Their artistic crew consisted of John & Sunday Reed, Arthur Boyd (who sometimes shared his paints with her) and Charles Blackman to name a few.

 mirka mora

So imagine my excitement when I opened the Craft Cubed festival flyer and the first thing I lay my eyes on is “High Tea with Mirka Mora”…. what tha?? Mirka Mora + high tea?? That’s kind of like the best thing EVER!! Giddiness aside I continue reading to discover that the afternoon will be hosted by Lucy Mora (Mirka’s daughter-in-law) from the wonderful Hut 13 in Armadale as part of the satellite program for Craft Cubed. All I had to do was secure a ticket to spend an afternoon with one of my all time favourite artists. Easy peasey!!

 mirka mora high tea

The afternoon was filled with so many wonderful artists, makers and crafters and generally lovely folks as well as delicious cakes, sandwiches and of course CHAMPAGNE!! Everyone had a chance to chat with Mirka and even hug her (I did!) and she was so generous with her time and words throughout the afternoon. Not to mention wonderfully cheeky! Just look at that grin 🙂
mirka mora high tea mirka mora

 

I think it’s fair to say that once it was all over we all left with a skip in our step after being filled to the brim with magic and inspiration. Mirka let us into her world of whimsy and colour and was so abundant with her joy and positivity. Here are some of my favourite Mirka quotes from the day:

“Paint everyday! Even when I had a baby it was a brush in one hand and baby in the other!”

“I was not very obedient. I used to hate the complimentary colours… now I loooovvveeee them”

“I am a self-taught artist and many times I would have liked to know the rules

– but i never trusted them.”

“I love to paint with the light. We have the best light in Australia.”

“Never grow up!”

 

On the tram back into the city it was great to chat further with new-found friends  Vicki Fowler and Jill Kellett – 2 extraordinarily talented sisters whose colourful and masterful creations are such a delight to behold! You can find more of their work at the gorgeous Hut 13 store in Armadale.

Meeting Mirka Mora was one of those things I never thought would happen. I’m so very glad it did.

 

mirka mora

 

Were you there? What are your favourite moments from the day?