helicopter6

the great coffee plunge - printing tea towels

2011-12-29T23:27:00.005+11:00

Just before Christmas, I signed up for a one day intensive, tea towel screen printing course at the sensational Harvest Workshop in Brunswick. Absolutely love what these guys do - alongside creating their own wonderful products, Harvest Textiles (the umbrella business) organises textile and screen printing classes, design markets, pop up shops & exhibitions.

I had screen printed before, but quite some time ago. The lovely Elissa Sadgrove & I had an exhibition at West Space many moons ago, where we used tshirts to represent a kind of storyboard for a little obtuse narrative we created with stylised graphics - about wombats, weather gods & forces going horribly wrong!

Creating smaller one off prints at one's leisure is a helluva lot easier than setting up a mini production line in a really small window of time. I looked as though I had run a marathon by the end of the course, but was super pleased with the end result. I could unfortunately only print four, so three have found new homes with family (chrissy presents), and one remains with me. Definitely would like to pursue more printing on fabric in the the not too distant future. But due to lack of space, I'm thinking of playing around with smaller stencils and the good ol potato. I do like the idea of a vegetable being a piece of image making equipment!

silly season

2011-12-25T01:13:00.004+11:00

Thank you for your wonderful support throughout the year, especially since posts have been rather sparse! May you all have a lovely Chrissy (if it's something you celebrate/acknowledge) and a truly fantabulous year ahead.

an evening of quirky love = etsy front page

2011-12-17T16:32:00.007+11:00

1. Jevgenia Masks / Yevgeniya Kilupe 2. mck254 / Mimi Kirchner 3. Little Peche Jewellery / Maxine Turnock 4. ninon 5. Recultivation 6. DearDeerDesigns / Dan Leanio 7. AustinModern (US) 8. AnimalFancy / Donna Sanna 9. Foxglove Pearly / Kitty Valentine 10. Paris Couture Antiques11. David Met Grace / Marina Sheridan 12. Sandra Eterovic 13. Herman Marie 14. Karenscottage 15. dadadreams 16. lascosasdibujadas / Mariela Pessah

I'm a just little excited. I recently arrived home from spending a lovely lunch with old friends, jumped online to check my email, and found a whole lot of new people on Etsy had included me in their circle (ie, they can now follow my favourites list - of objects, shops and treasuries/galleries). It was really quite out of character to get so many at once, so I logged into Etsy, and lo & behold, my most recent treasury (where you create a 'gallery' of things you like from other shops) had suddenly received over 400 views. Reading down the comments, it seems the above collection of quirky goodness (meant to be a bit of fun, but I would seriously be elated to receive any of these as a gift - {hint!}) made it to the front page of Etsy. I'm really rather superbly chuffed - especially since I haven't even got around to getting my own shop up and running yet!

So pleased all the wonderful artists and vintage shops in this profile were able to receive the glory they deserve. Noice. Very very very noice indeedy! (The last image of the plate has been added in, because the plate I actually chose from this shop has disappeared from the listing - it's still a great one though). I do receive a lot of pleasure trawling through Etsy to curate a treasury - although sometimes it can take a rediculously long time! You can head here to view more of my favourites unearthed in this sensational handmade/vintage universe.

in search of inaudible quarters...

2011-11-30T21:01:00.004+11:00

Climbing out from underneath it all, he found a surprising amount had changed. You had to know, of course, what it was like before he went under there in the first place which is, it has to be admitted, not easy from this angle. But there was snow, a marauding army had emptied his larder, his 12 sons were all practising their brass instruments under fruit ladened trees, a small carousel was turning to a merry jingle and there had been windows – many windows. Change is a difficult animal to muster and master. The views would be missed but it definitely seems quieter.

... written in response to this drawing - by Malcolm Turner

> @ lowrise projects

the blue path - lost & found

2011-11-29T10:01:00.014+11:00

If ever there were a tale of a treacherous journey across the seas, then this is it! And how very apt, considering the imagined stories that have inspired these works.

Let's back track a bit... Renilde De Peuter of AT SWIM-TWO-BIRDS is a wonderfully talented gal who makes all sorts of things, and is probably most well known, particularly through the blogosphere, for her delectably poetic needlework. I fell in love with her practice a little while ago, posting a small example from her worm hole series here, and have continued to follow her career. So it was to my absolute delight to discover that Mr Kitly, a super fine shop and gallery space on Sydney Rd in Brunswick (beautiful wares by the way... driven by a strong Japanese aesthetic), has also taken a fancy to "our" Renilde, and now carries a range of her mobiles, pin cushions, cushions & pot holders. It's no surprise that I was even MORE delighted to hear that Renilde had been invited to participate in the exhibition 'Denim' at Mr Kitly, a material investigation into the use of denim in craft, art and design curated by Dell Stewart. All the planets seemed to be aligning!

But alas, disaster struck. Renilde's contribution 'The Blue Path' didn't arrive from Belgium, and infact became officially 'lost'. Terrible stuff.

Fast forward... two and a half months after the exhibition opening, lo and behold, Renilde's package finally arrives! Fortunately, the exhibition that was scheduled only occupied the floor and the middle of the room, leaving the back wall available to hold a kind of satellite exhibition dedicated solely to her 'The Blue Path' series. The lovely folk at Mr Kitly even held a scumptious afternoon tea of homemade goodies to celebrate.

I popped in the following week, and it was sensational to see her thread & fabric pieces in the flesh. A couple had already sold, including the large cross stitch (which was so great), but fortunately one of my faves was still available - one of the 'St Elmo's Fire' squares - check out the top image. There was no doubt that the right thing to do (despite of course a questionable bank balance!) was to purchase it without delay! It is beautiful and delicate to handle and such a well considered size (kinda large denim pocket scale) - with two tiny little hoops made from cotton to hang it. How lucky am I.

> Renilde's beautiful blog
> Renilde's flickr
> Mr Kitly
> Maker's profile @ Mr Kitly
> 'Denim' exhibition blog

kids & art & appreciation

2011-11-20T21:30:00.015+11:00

from left to right:
1. Seating for rehearsed aeronautics | 2. Advancing in familiar light
3. Birds ascending at c minor | 4. Outing for uncertain pursuits
5. Lessons in landscaping with music | 6. A league of shadows

An enormously warm thank you to everyone who came to the exhibition (in the rain!) on Saturday at Lowrise Projects. Not only did you all make my opening a super special one, you also bought half my drawings!! I'm so very very chuffed & honoured. The feedback was incredible, and the book with Malcolm's writing (& little b/w snippets of the drawings) received really fabulous praise. He's an uber talented lad & it's such a shame he wasn't there to enjoy it - but Estonia & animation goodness were-a-calling. I'll do a bit of formatting in photoshop and post the book in its entirety soon. Here's a pretty bad photo of the cover to inspire curiosity in the meantime.

The images posted above are the six that sold on the day. And the most interesting thing was that the first three were chosen by kids and bought by their wonderful parents. I love this outcome. I don't consider my drawings targeted at kids at all, but the fact that they have sparked their imaginations and engaged them in conversation is about as good as it gets.

Many thanks to Melanie & Jeremy for being such gracious hosts and for getting all the drawings up onto the Lowrise Projects website - I'll aim to get them onto my own website el pronto.

a gentler approach

2011-11-17T17:55:00.009+11:00

It's funny seeing all the drawings on the wall together for the first time. This lot lack an edginess that has been evident in earlier work - heck, there's no axes, or guns, or decapitations, or burnings, or volcanic heads, or missiles, or nudity. They're all... well, kinda 'nice'. Maybe the gorgeous (but devious) cream Stonehenge paper I used, subliminally directed the whole thing!

a little example from the last exhibition at Chapman & Bailey
...ok, it was one of the sillier works!

it's a good day for a hanging (of art that is!)

2011-11-17T13:19:00.008+11:00

Well, it's finally here! Soon I'll be heading over to Lowrise Projects in Richmond to hang a suite of 14 drawings - all doneski. Somehow I've managed to pull this off whilst working full time. The image above is another little sneak peek, inspired by time spent in my current place of work.

I still have to finish making pocket size booklets with wonderful fictitious passages by Malcolm Turner (Director of Melbourne International animation Festival & my partner in crime) that have been penned from planes, hotels & animation festivals in Germany, Poland, Portugal, Estonia & London, in response to images of my works emailed by moi from afar! Unfortunately they won't be available until the opening on Saturday, so if you pop in before then, don't forget to come back to grab one. If you're in Melbourne, please say hi on Saturday between 4pm & 6pm, otherwise the exhibition runs until 17 December - full details are in the last post.

score for forming chords & crossbars

2011-10-24T13:47:00.007+11:00

I thought it was time to post a sneak peek from work being developed for my upcoming solo exhibition at Lowrise Projects in Richmond - a wonderfully intimate, light-filled, converted warehouse space recently set up by the lovely Melanie Flynn, former gallery manager at Karen Woodbury Gallery, and her partner Jeremy Smart. They are also the folk behind Artsphere, which provides a very fine website service for artists.

I popped into the gallery on Saturday and absolutely loved the current show - delicate black & white photographic and graphite works by Genevieve Swifte, conceived from her residencies at the Upernavik Museum, Northwest Greenland and the Photomedia Workshop, The Australian National University School of Art. These stark, minimally rendered landscapes, although small, still managed to expound such a strong sense of place - it would be truly brilliant to head to this part of the world.

There’s no doubt that my quirky, colourful drawings which will follow this show, will present a somewhat blaring contrast!

… and here are the all important details!

helen gibbins
a scenario for perfect placement: score for forming chords & crossbars
18 november - 17 december 2011
opening: saturday 19 november 4-6pm
lowrise projects
level 1, 32 wangaratta street, richmond, victoria
gallery hours: thursday-saturday 11am-5pm
www.lowriseprojects.com

careful... plated love is addictive

2011-08-11T16:02:00.006+10:00

Since I can't seem to get my act together to make some work for my Etsy shop (ho hum), I decided to push the ol' inspiration button by creating my first Treasury. I definitely have developed a love of hand painted, hand drawn & stencilled plates, and grouping this little collection was an absolute delight, although far more difficult than I anticipated! And of course... I found myself buying a couple... oops.

But hope is on the horizon! I'm very excited to be having an exhibition in November, so during the next couple of months the creative juices will be flowing to develop a new body of work. Already I'm dramatically overthinking ideas and fastidiously bookmarking images of inspiration. Good lawd I know how to over do this stuff... I've never thought of myself as an obsessive compulsive, but alas!

work / life

2011-07-17T21:03:00.016+10:00

My copy of Uppercase's 'Work/Life 2' Directory of Illustration has finally arrived from Canada and as predicted, its chocoblock full of visual and written wonderfulness (check out the little flick through video they've created here on Vimeo). I can't help but love these kind of publications... carefully considered little windows into creative lives... and Uppercase knows how to do it exceptionally well. Not only are their magazines a delight to behold, their other self published projects are so obviously made with great care and passion. Two other books I've purchased from them include the Camilla Engman edition from the Suitcase Series and The Elegant Cockroach written by Deidre Anne Martin and beautifully illustrated by the talented Stefanie Augustine.

1.The Elegant Cockroach 2. Sandra's image as featured in WL2
(angle match of antennae and fishing rod, & seated positions are purely coincidental!!)

Stephanie's profile is one of many included in Work/Life 2 alongside Melbourne's very own Queen of quirkiness Sandra Eterovic (remember I bought her delicious sailor!) - and many of my other faves including Mia Christopher, Christiane Engel, Camilla Engman and Sandra Juto. And I was delighted to be introduced to new artists such as Lesley Barnes and Caroline List.

festivities

2011-06-04T17:13:00.009+10:00

Goodness, did I really think I could keep posting in the lead up to the festival... silly me! Looking forward to the beginning of July when I can get back on track here and get some drawing done. In the meantime I've been busy designing programs, passes (see below), posters, marketing, compiling, updating the website... and everything else in between. I did manage to dart away to enjoy bday celebrations with a dear friend today, and above is the collaged card I made this morning when I should've been working!! Super enjoyable getting glue encrusted finger tips when days have been so computer based.

sneaky critters

2011-04-08T21:53:00.011+10:00

When I was away, I took the time to seek out some air drying modelling clay and actually allow myself to have an unadulterated play. No sketches, no preconceptions, no over thinking... it was just a matter of grabbing a chunk of goo and seeing what happened (although somehow, I think I may have been channelling 'The Lost Thing', or maybe Benconservato!). I haven't done this for such a long time, and it was so damn enjoyable. They were made quite quickly, detailed with a bit of yellow water colour, and then placed out in public (in corners, on stairs, on shelves). To my delight, they all disappeared. I saw one guy pick one up, check to see no-one was looking, then pop it in his pocket. A perfect outcome!

liz hobbs

2011-04-03T20:57:00.008+10:00

Most splendid greetings! It has been such a long time, so it’s great to be back. I’ve recently returned from a trip overseas where I presented two Australian animation programs at OFAFA in Krakow, Poland. The festival principally screens Polish animation, but has slowly been branching out to include a number of highlight sessions from different countries/festivals in its programming. Contemporary Polish animation is absolutely flourishing after what has been difficult times, so we’re thrilled to be screening 2-3 focus programs in MIAF this year.

On my way back to Australia, I spent a few days in London. Due to exceptional timing, my colleague from LIAF invited me to attend a Women in Film and TV panel discussion with three uber talented animators/directors currently working in the UK – Suzanne Deakin, Elizabeth Hobbs and Magdalena Osinska (now working at Aardman). The session made me realise how irregularly these type of events are held - straight forward Q&As with creatives simply chatting about their processes, influences, techniques, work spaces, families, beginnings etc. Wonderfully honest and enlightening stuff. It reminded me of being back in uni, and got me thinking about what could be organised here in Melbourne.

A screening of everyone’s work preceded the talks, and it was just so good to be reminded how brilliant they all are. But for me personally, it was the joy of seeing Elizabeth’s outstanding work, one after another on a big screen – a pure treat. Lithe brush strokes and dobs, rich in pigment, bead and ensue – while intelligent writing and stunning narration – most often by Liz herself - draw us deep into her watery world. It’s unfortunately just not possible to appreciate her fluid textures on the internet.

She described her studio - a spare bathroom where she works over the bath itself – the image was so compelling in my mind that it’s made me seriously review the excuses I make regarding the shortcomings of my own work space! Time to make better use of what I have.

> Liz's website, her YouTube page, her fabulous blog: news from the bog
> Suzanne's work profiled on Slinky Pic's website
> Magdalena's work on Vimeo

card for misinformed birthday

2011-02-12T16:37:00.006+11:00

It's great when at the last moment you can whip up a birthday card for a friend so as not turn up empty handed, but not so great when you write 'happy 40th' when they are only turning 37. Apologies dear Andy! It's just that I've been waiting so loooong for some of my friends to turn 40 - I thought this was her year! Doh!

It's been such a long time since I made coloured paper collage cards, and I have to question why, as this was an absolute joy to create in the 30 minute window of time I had - I get the feeling deadlines are a good thing for me!

a view from above - circles

2011-02-09T18:33:00.020+11:00

Since my fingers seem to be incapable of drawing, I found myself in an impromtu moment (15 minutes before leaving for the Yarra Valley wine region for our anniversary!!) capturing a few circles. It was uber fun, despite terrible lighting. Here's a list of what you're looking at (left to right).
1. My absolute fave, the kitchen door knob. Looks like a paper mache planet!
2. A good ol vegemite lid. For those you unaware of Australia's favourite spread (certainly not mine, can't stand the stuff!), it's a thick dark brown gooey smelly yeasty sludge that folk slather on their toast, on crackers or in sandwiches. Yuk!
3. This type of wafer with cracked pepper or herbs has taken off here in a big way recently. They were always available in good delicatessens, but every single company out there seems to be producing them. Very fabulous with Tasmanian smoked salmon, Maggie Beer pear paste (South Australian) and King Island (a brilliant foodie island between Victoria & Tasmania) blue vein cheese.
4. Just to add a bit of colour. We do all love a container of coloured paper clips!
5. One of three beautifully crafted hand held wooden percussion objects brought home from the Bauhaus Museum in Berlin many years ago. Wish I had remembered to write down who made them. The ball in the middle rotates, and the whole thing is kinda representative of a wooden flying saucer. Nice.
6. Died paper twine left over from Xmas. Perfect for all matter of things.
7. The top of the head of a set of babushka dolls of Russian presidents. Guess who this one might be?!
8. An inside peek of a glass candle holder. I do like a captured bubble in the sun.
9. Jelly! Mango & pears.
10. One of those castor cups to put under your chair/couch to avoid scratching the floor. Never used because they were too big. This one comes complete with a hair.
11. Candle in a glass. Lucky you can't see the charred pantry moths in the bottom. Silly bastards, do they not know that flame & wax = impending horrid death?
12. There's not a lot of these left around the neighbourhood. A metal garbage bin survives the wheely bins. Goes exceptionally well with a Hills Hoist.
13. An Aerogard lid. Yet another Australian iconic product, to help keep the mozzies (mosquitoes) from sucking your blood dry! More than happy to spray myself with this stuff and reduce my life span, than to be bitten by these opportunistic little critters (just like pantry moths) - as they come from far & wide for my blood.
14. M's new plunger juicer - fresh orange juice for brekky.
15. A rather disgusting (now that I look at it this closely) kitchen sink plug. The texture here looks a little like a mushroom - though definitely more rubbery and devoid of flavour.

superbly sandra

2011-01-26T14:31:00.008+11:00

Where are my manners... (and where has January disappeared to)? Not sure why everything has been so difficult this month, all I've wanted to do is sleep at every possible opportunity. So the best way to get back on track is to share two works I recently bought from two gorgeous Australian artists, who I got to know late last year through ye ol' blogosphere.

Sydney artist Sandra Winkworth held an exhibition of her stunning painted bird studies (inspired by the 19th century collection at the Uni of Sydney’s Macleay Museum) with deconstructed books and discarded ephemera (frayed & aged with hues of brown & hints of mould), in November last year at Hand Held Gallery in Melbourne. Since we had engaged in a number of online exchanges, I was uber excited to hear she'd be here for her opening. I popped in to this great little gallery and shop (located on the upper level of a small city plaza - well done Megan - it's a fabulous project!) and before long found myself faced with the difficult task of choosing a piece - because... welll.. I just had to! Her delicate assemblages enticed the viewer closer with their detail, and once they held your attention in this way, often surprised and always delighted. I was tossing up between a few pieces, when finally, I of course, took home the more kooky one - with spotted birdies flying the loop the loop. I'm so predictable sometimes!

I was also thrilled that Melbourne based artist/designer Sandra Eterovic arrived. I've been a fan of her body of work since it appeared on Etsy and at Craft Victoria. Beautiful hand sewn scarves, painted plywood sculptures, 'make your own man' cubes (hilarious!), knitted delights, handpainted mirrors with pipes & hats & hairdo's & lips & beards, vertical hand clocks (so wonderfully innovative), illustrated paper goods... mmmm. Her quirky, unique, illustrative style carries a surrealist folk aesthetic, with a charismatic eastern European twist - and will often make you chuckle aloud, or smile with recognition. But it was when the newly created tattooed sailor appeared on her blog, that I knew we had to share a life together. So once delectable muffins filled with her mum's pineapple (and ginger?) marmalade were consumed with chats (in amongst a vast collection of splendid objects) about the woes of perfectionism, the chap and I headed home... very, very, very contented... and a couple more muffins in hand. And here we are, rosie cheeked, breathless, gazing at each other across the desk. (I think I need some help coming up with a name for him... suggestions welcome!)

Sandra Eterovic: blog, etsy, flickr, Craft Victoria, The Design Files profile
Sandra Winkworth: blog, Hand Held Gallery

climbing out of the vortex

2011-01-03T18:11:00.007+11:00

... hello everyone! I think I've finally managed to pull myself out of the Xmas / New Year spiralling vortex! Most of the food has been finally consumed (we had monstrous amounts to get through!!), I'm half way through a novel (a rare event in itself), I'm several kg's heavier (so NOT good), I have a temp job for the next month, and I'm ready for a truly brilliant year.

For Xmas I gave my partner the 'Best Friend Monster Mooks' (pictured above) figurine by Kim of ilovegreyskies - check out her wonderful Etsy shop. I fell in love with her anatomical Mooks ages ago, but when I saw these guys, I just knew where they belonged. The masks are removable, so M has been changing their position just a little every couple of days. If they are representative of us... I'm not sure who is who?!

And finally... thank you all so much for taking the time to follow this blog and leaving such encouraging and heart felt comments. It's been an absolute delight. Wishing you all a sensationally fabulous 2011 (I'm going to start counting how many of the following words I use throughout the next 12 months: fabulous, lovely, sensational, gorgeous, wonderful, brilliant, marvellous, devine, incredible, beautiful!) - and I can't wait to endulge in a year of creations and posts from you all. Happy days.

miss holly

2010-12-19T20:34:00.010+11:00

I know I'm pretty much preaching to the converted, but it just wouldn't be right to end the year without the gorgeous water colours by the equally gorgeous Holly Ward Bimba aka Golly Bard. I have no idea why it's taken me so long - silly me. With an enviable (self confessed!) obsession for intricate patterning, Holly takes us on a naturalist's journey of all things splendid - birds and feathers and snakes and mice and eggs and bats and insects and nests and flora and weather and kooky hybrids and pickled eyes - yes, you heard me correctly - I do love how she slips these works in. With warmth and humour she creates a radiant microcosm that is so beautifully balanced in composition and tone - reflecting an attentiveness to her surrounds and a vivacious imagination that grows without cease. There's nothing more we could possibly want for. xx

> Golly Bard's drawing room blog, Etsy shop, Flickr

the revenge of the christmas triangle

2010-12-18T08:52:00.003+11:00

I'm very scared dear friends. I snapped this in the wee hours of the morning. It seems... that just like gremlins, or triffids, these guys are self spawning... and in the process, they've grown hair. Even scarier. Not sure if I'll be able to sleep tonight... should I set traps? If you don't hear from me again, please contact the appropriate authorities...

the christmas triangle

2010-12-17T17:00:00.003+11:00

Very happy to have finally sent Xmas treats to my wonderful brother and sister inlaw who live interstate. Judy's working hard to finish her incredible drawings for an exhibition early in 2011. She's been a scientist all her life (as is he), and has recently retired to focus on being a full time artist. You can visit her website here for a taster. Still some shopping to do for the rest of the family, but thank goodness I have a small one, so it's not too crazy. I've always made Xmas cards every year - it's been 'my thing' since I was a kid, and this year I'm quite liking the christmas triangle with antlers! The gouache didn't take too well to the recycled card, so will have to work on that. Collage may be a better option. But I can see a nice range coming together for my Etsy shop next Xmas. I'm really hoping to have this open in the new year, firstly with small originals, then some prints, cards and other items that feel right as time goes on.

sketchbook project

2010-12-15T20:16:00.006+11:00

It's official. I'm dumping the sketchbook project. There's a number of reasons:
1. I've fluffed around too much.
2. I don't know how to come up with that many new ideas for each spread.
3. I'm beginning to question whether I want to put that much energy into something that will essentially be lost amongst thousands of submissions (it is pretty crazy - 28833 artists are participating - phoof). I so love the premise, but I think it's got a bit too big. Goodbye entry fee.
4. I feel like what I've done sucks a boogie. Yes... I want it to be perfect!
Feeling pretty disappointed with myself, but a lovely entree at home of smoked salmon, blue cheese and quince paste - a pomegranate lime & orange cocktail - duck breast (yet to be cooked, I'm hoping it will be accompanied with a cranberry jus, but M thinks he'll experiment a bit) - a good New Zealand white wine - animation submissions playing in the background - makes it all ok.

paper birdy goodness

2010-12-10T20:34:00.005+11:00

Ohhh my... Cheong-ah Hwang of papernoodle. How devine.

horse ties

2010-12-05T02:04:00.015+11:00

Saleeh Oh

Camilla Engman

Andrew Schoultz

I've been thinking more about horses of late. I've never been a 'horsey' person, and for someone who was apparently born in the year of the horse, it carries no meaning for me. I guess it has something to do with their comparable human scale and the incredible relationship we've built with them - and the fact that during the process of admiring more and more work by fabulous individuals, more horses seemingly materialise and gallop off the page!!

And here... horses tied, playing with lines... legs engaged and restricted. It's an interesting link that has emerged from the work of these three brilliant artists. Despite an obvious love for intricacy and narrative, their style is very different - yet they have all used the Equus figure to depict a variation of a theme. From Saleeh's sweet sweet watery world, to the awkward candour of Camilla's string game friend, to Andrew's astounding war horses in all their glory. Intriguing psychological bindings to delight our senses.

> Saleeh's website, her blog, interview on Miss Onmi Media, video interview re 'breathing underwater' animated project
> Camilla's website, her beautiful book (loved by all and which happily sits amongst my book collection), Studio Violet, Camilla's wares at Third Drawer Down, Book By Its Cover sketchbook series
> Andrew's website, Andrew's wonderful book on his work (which is also on my bookshelf), Fecal Face interview
> Jonathan Levine Gallery - exhibitions re Saleeh and Andrew & other great folk

the collision of clouds

2010-12-03T17:14:00.002+11:00

So much rain in ye ol' Melbourne town.

vera moller

2010-11-29T20:21:00.009+11:00

Many moons ago I worked in a non commercial gallery and studio complex in Fitzroy, and one of the local studio artists at the time was the beautiful Vera Moller. Before immigrating to Australia in 1986 from Germany, she studied Biology, Microbiology and Theology with the intention of becoming a freelance biological illustrator (such a fabulous background) - which never eventuated. I was always intrigued with her artwork (at the time she was using striped stockings and knitting large striped constructions), but unfortunately I lost touch over time. It's only been more recently that I've rediscovered her online. With the eye and curiosity of a research scientist and an enduring propensity for stripes and spots (especially stripes), she has cultivated a distinct surrealist colony of flora 'specimens' that could easily flourish in the sea or on land. They are quirky and sensuous and rhythmic and incredibly detailed, and I could effortlessly spend days languishing in her magnificent imagined world.

> Vera's work at Sophie Gannon Gallery, Vera's work at Tim Olsen Gallery, 2005 interview

storm palette

2010-11-27T00:03:00.008+11:00

If was an incredible evening, the sky rumbling with the threat of a serious storm (still yet to break), the contrast between the ominous dark scene from the front of my apartment with the glowing orange (reminiscent of fire storms) scene from the back of my apartment was quite startling.

friends come out to read

2010-11-26T16:18:00.010+11:00

I'm so pleased these little friends have greeted my recent second hand book purchases with such enthusiasm! Besides an obvious natural affinity with the subject matter, they have become captivated with the ageing beauty of the covers and pages within. They agree as a whole (even the birds) that the first book, 'The Life Of Spiders' (1912) is indeed a special find. J.H. Fabre, scribes his research with a poet's prowess, and there is something about the tone of writing in this era that I personally love - and I'm sure they'll agree. The pages smell dusty and woody, and one feels drawn into the drama of an unfolding tale, as though we've been shrunk in size so as not to miss anything in this eight legged world. The second book 'An Australian Bird Book' by J.A. Leach (1923) is in contrast far more literal. Facts accompany colour and b/w plates, preparing us for a day of serious bird watching with binoculars, safari hat and a thermos of tea(!) in hand. Tally Ho!

> Ceramic spider: by Megan Bogonovich - her work is wonderful
> Yowie Birds: Once upon a time, Cadbury chocolate developed a product a bit like Kinder Surprise. I just happened to REALLY like the birds the most.

dingo study

2010-11-26T01:25:00.004+11:00

... and the weird ghost image of the odd ink drawing on the other side of the page!

mark manders

2010-11-23T22:12:00.011+11:00

Mark Manders has been a fave from way way back when I was completing my honours in sculpture. His ongoing project of over 20 years entitled 'Self-Portrait As A Building', reveals itself in installations of objects and drawings and maps/plans - 'fragments' of imaginary rooms built - fluid narratives abstracted - poetic placements - as an architect of sorts, he is forever rearranging his rooms.

I was in London late August, early Sept 2009, and I was kinda beside myself to find that he was exhibiting with a number of other artists at the Hayward Gallery at Southbank Centre. And lo and behold, one of my most favourite sculptures of all time (pictured above) was on display. I couldn't believe my luck. I'm sure this work heavily influenced my need to tie things together, and I fight not to directly copy this idea. Made in unfired clay, it's so very very beautiful - in my mind, a perfect impression. 'Black Bird, Dead Bird, Current Thought' (cover also pictured) is a second hand catalogue from a 1997 exhibition in Ireland, that I stumbled across ages ago - gotta love those finds!

> mark's website, hayward gallery exhibition, video interview at artforum, artdaily profile, contemporary art daily profile, mousse magazine interview, artist talk

volcano head and general explosions

2010-11-18T17:48:00.003+11:00

It's just been that kind of day... so i pulled out this very apt drawing...

but then I found these next to it... which are considerably more calming!

allyson mellberg

2010-11-12T13:32:00.015+11:00

Flourishing micro organisms cultivate on the skin, as vegetation and organic formations - moody dreamscapes unravel and entice - resting and compromised figures, forlorn and betrothed in tender sweet relations.

When I visited Allyson's Etsy shop recently, I became completely smitten with her paper cuts. I seem to have a thing for hairless androgynous figures at the moment - I have no idea what that's about(!!) - so it's no surprise that I was drawn to buying the top image. It's just beautiful. In contrast to these, her charismatic drawings/paintings are created with a soft palette made from natural pigments/washes such as walnut, spinach, organic paints from the Kremer series and egg tempura - which seems to very much reflect the lifestyle choices she and her artist husband Jeremey Taylor (they often collaborate) make. All incredibly inspiring.

> Allyson & Jeremy's blog, Allyson's flickr, Allyson's Etsy shop, Cinders Gallery profile page, nice interview on Readymade about painting naturally, interview on Concrete Hermit blog, Juxtapoz mag article, Gallery F.J. France, Kremer Pigments, Third Drawer Down tea towel

birds emerging at b flat

2010-11-06T23:46:00.003+11:00

So where DID that profile image of mine come from?!
I stumbled across a fabulous image online from a vintage natural science mag (have unfortunately since misplaced the link), where a man was on his hands and knees in the forest with a bird helmut on, trying to be inconspicuous in the act of studying birds in the wild. Just brilliant! Not sure why these guys are pantless... it was just necessary I guess.

petra hilbert

2010-10-30T18:22:00.005+11:00

I found these gorgeous gorgeous painted plates on Etsy last night by Slovakian artist Petra Hilbert - I really really want one - (I'm developing a painted/drawn plate fetish I think)! Petra graduated from the Department of Puppet Stage Design of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava - what amazing experience I imagine that would be, as puppetry has a remarkable history in Eastern Europe. Her drawings are pretty wonderful too - there's certainly a strong 'heart organ' iconography running through the works - at times just ever so sinister. She doesn't have a website link on Etsy, so I had to pull on my investigator's hat and conduct a little searching with the o-so-handy google website translating option (LOVE this!). You can find some extra links below to learn more about her.

> Etsy shop, website, Slovak Illustrators Association profile/portfolio, nice long profile on Citarny - choose your language when you get there!

i'm coming tracey...

2010-10-29T19:27:00.007+11:00

I'm not at all proud of myself... I had an exhibition some time ago and I was so amazed and grateful that a school friend and her family turned up. They bought this little drawing and once I pulled the exhibition down I subsequently misplaced it. Terrible!! I've finally found it (it was safe n sound amongst a stack of paper) so it's time to head to the Dandenongs - she lives on the edge of Sherbrooke Forest which is just divine - well known for its Mountain Ash/Stringy Gum trees, glorious ferns and the extraordinary lyrebird. I think I need to take yummy treats and wine as well...

monika grzymala

2010-10-26T21:20:00.005+11:00

Today I was scanning through my blog feeds while things were quiet at 'work', and was immediately struck by these astounding space drawings by Monika Grzymala posted on the 'contemporary drawing salon' blog, established by artist Yifat Gat (you should check out her work too). Monika has transformed her spaces with different types of adhesive tape, lead tape and graphite - (I sighted somewhere that in one exhibition she used seven kilometres of it!), crafting an immense physicality that is at once melodic in it's entirety (rushing and plucking with measured invervals), reminiscently digital with it's streaming dots and dashes, and wonderfully organic as lines weave and contour to create garnered lengths and self imposed features.

> Monika's website, contemporary drawing salon blog, Art World article (pdf), exhibition with Kelly Wood

feathered friends

2010-10-24T20:55:00.006+11:00

Earlier this year I bought a couple of very gorgeous birdies. They were looking mighty fine in the Spring filled air today... I'm sure they wanted to take flight... but somehow they seemed happy to just hang together... funny little feathered friends...

> large bird, small bird

baroness elise raymonde deroche

2010-10-23T04:16:00.005+11:00

With an addiction for the skies, this remarkable aviation pioneer made the (natural!!) progression from ballooning to become the first woman to hold a pilot's license in 1910. Sensational stuff.

takashi iwasaki

2010-10-17T20:49:00.004+11:00

Oh my... Takashi Iwasaki. Where do I start... how I chose these three from his vast folio of embroideries (which these are), paintings, drawings and collage is a mystery! All I knew is that I needed to post something bright, playful and outstanding!... coz it's been a biiig week. I'm back on the 8.30am-4.30pm office wheel, which unfortunately does awful things to my psyche, I've said goodbye to my partner for another six week period and I updated the Blogger editing interface which is giving me more than a headache. These works introduce a little light and equilibrium!

> Takashi's website

homage to omo

2010-10-11T02:47:00.003+11:00

My sister bought the book 'Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa' by Hans Silvester, which is a stunning photographic portrayal of the Surma and Mursi tribes who live in the lower valley of the Omo, at the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan. The youths in particular, extravagantly adorn themselves with body paint, vegetation, horns and other found matter, and their sense of colour and form is truly exquisite. While visiting her one day a couple of months ago, I made these funny little drawings after flicking through the book - nothing at all like the real thing, but kinda fun!

benconservato

2010-10-09T19:46:00.001+11:00

With a skip in my step, I headed to Melbourne's The Finders Keepers market today at Shed 4 at Docklands (behind the good folk at Open Channel). With funky live music, there was a great vibe and so much delectable work it hurt. I was thrilled to come across the store of 'benconservato' aka Emma Kidd. Her shop was one of the first I discovered at Etsy, and immediately I fell in love with her enigmatic monsters and characters. The main thing that struck me today, was how different her original works were in the flesh. Emma often uses gold ink, which photos just don't pay justice to. Her works literally shimmered in the light, which gave them an added depth and beauty that made me want to take home several immediately! Her colouring book, prints, softies and cards were also a delight, perfect for anyone wishing to get in touch with their inner monster. It was definitely my favourite stop, so I suggest all you Melburnians head down in the glorious weather they're predicting tomorrow!

> Emma's website, blog, Etsy shop, Flickr, Redbubble shop, The Finders Keepers market

ana & renilde

2010-10-07T22:07:00.000+11:00

I'm discovering the amazing world of contemporary stitch/needlework, and the artists who incorporate it into their body of work, or who perdominantly play in this medium. And the talent out there has blown me away. I'm a complete convert, and would love to at some stage dabble myself. I remember mum's gorgeous needlepoint work when my first nephew was born. She didn't think she was being 'creative' because she was working from a pattern, but it was all truly truly lovely. For the moment, I'm just going to focus on two artists for this post because they seem so well suited to each another. Plenty of time for the others!

I profiled Ana Botezatu's work recently, but as I try not to clutter each post with too many images, I just included a selection of her drawings. She's such a talented gal, who seemingly works effortlessly with different materials, and her little cross stitch works are just superb. If you head here, she'll acquaint you with her textile work, but I recommend scrolling through from the beginning, because all her work is wonderful.

Renilde Depeuter's gorgeous blog is 'at swim-two-birds'. Her incredible works have been covered quite a bit across the blogosphere - as they should! There's a wonderful abstraction to her Worm Hole series which are also quite rustic (an interesting mix), while the Metropolis series are more pictorial like Ana's.

> Ana's blog, website, Book By Its Cover sketchbook feature
> Renilde's worm hole series on flickr, her blog, nice interview I found on Fine Little day blog

hairy is beautiful

2010-10-06T16:40:00.000+11:00

I've had a brilliant day... I discovered the macro option on my little Canon point and shoot. Oh my!!! How excited am I... happy days indeed. I would dearly love the real thing on a brand new DSLR, but this will certainly do for the moment. It all started while I was sitting on the nature strip (such an odd name for the bit of grass between the footpath and the road - it's like society's token gesture) while my partner changed a flat tyre. Good lad. It's been super windy, so there's a lot of foliage on the ground and flying through the air. I picked up a seed pod next to me, and was amazed, I mean truly AMAZED at how hairy it was... infact it looked like a tiny animal pelt! I picked up a few more and took them inside to place them next to the beautiful bunch of native Australian flowers I bought for the birthday boy. I thought I'd take a few happy snaps, which is something I don't do much. Then... then... there it was... the macro setting. Why had I not spied this before?! I wish I had discovered it when I was staying at the lighthouse on the Shetland Islands (yes... it was incredible) because I wanted to document this really fabulous plant growing amongst the rocks that looked like little strawberry tops. So I had a play, and it was when I zoomed in on the flowers that I realised that they were really hairy too! I just couldn't resist posting this little suite of hairiness.

hanging rock

2010-10-05T22:40:00.002+11:00

On Saturday I took my partner to Hanging Rock in Victoria for a birthday picnic. This unique volcanic area is chocoblock full of extraordinary history, and is geographically stunning - it was the first time we had headed out there, which is kinda crazy since it's only about an hour from our place. We climbed almost all the way to the summit (not rock climbing, well formed paths guided our way, but I was certainly a bit out of breath at the end!) and found a fantastic little precarious rocky spot to lay out my bag of goodies - an assortment of yummy food and wine. We just sat there for ages, watching: a mob of kangaroos play in a paddock far below and then move across the racecourse (neither of us had seen so many kangaroos at once) - a flock of sheep being herded into another paddock, their bleeting remarkably clear - and delighting in a sole hawk that hovered and soared and dived throughout our stay. All in all, a very perfect day. Here are a few little studies from one area, not sure how I feel about them.

alasdair mcluckie

2010-10-03T03:17:00.000+11:00

I was recently in Sydney for a few days, and managed for the first time to see Primavera, an annual curated exhibition at the MCA (Museum for Contemporary Art), for artists in the early stages of their careers. Since it was launched about 18 years ago, I've had a couple of friends and known quite a few artists included in the line-up - which was a sensational experience for them - but overall I'm somewhat critical of this type of showcase. I can be a grumpy ol soul sometimes! All that said, I was intrigued to see who curator Katie Dyer had chosen to highlight. So off I went, and as I entered the first room I was immediately struck by Alasdair McLuckie's work 'The Highest Mountain Peaks Right Before Dawn'. This mural style drawing made up of individual panels that effortlessly interrelated, occupied most of the wall - the photo really doesn't do justice. I initially thought that he had burnt the images and text into the wood, but on closer inspection discovered that he had drawn directly onto the plywood with black biro pen. Crazy! The graphic style and apocalyptic narrative (I do find myself kinda partial to artists who explore a darker theme!) carried throughout is really amazing, making it a brilliantly considered epic piece. He says in his artist talk that making this body of work literally exhausted him (& kinda sent him a bit insane!), so he turned to working with craft techniques (beading) throughout the following year! Listen to his artist talk by clicking here and find his name on the right hand side. Hopefully this link will remain as it is! Emma White's meticulously handmade polymer clay models of everyday objects (mainly office stationery and art supplies) installed on the next level were also pretty special.

> Alasdair McLuckie's website, MCA Sydney

bee-mused

2010-09-30T23:05:00.000+10:00

I know... I know. The title's kinda tacky, but bemused I was indeed when I noticed this poor wayward bee (almost a poem!) firmly attached to our very own window sill friend. I know Queen bees are larger in size, but one would surmise that maybe, just maybe, he had some sort of size distortion fixation? Then lo and behold, I swung around and there was another bee clinging to dear life from the candle wax overflow. Now I'm not sure what would be more precarious in this instance... pseudo ice climber adventurer aiming for dizzy heights, or escaping indiana jones-style from a formidable elephant holding a damn long sword (a beautiful label on a pot of Indian chutney that hasn't quite made it back to the fridge). Ah... spring has arrived.

lovely laura

2010-09-30T19:17:00.000+10:00

I've been very lucky to have made several trips to the post office this week because of my recent online, well... lets just say... 'activity'!! Amongst the beautiful items that have graced my desk, I'm very excited that my wonderful, wonderful painting from the 'new england' series arrived from the stunning Laura Ferrara. The front of the box itself made we almost squeal (and I'm not a squealer by nature) aloud in delight, because she included this sensational quirky fella - a little thought bubble stemming from his crown with my address details enclosed. Oh my!!

The painting was wrapped with blue gridded paper and a set of her tender little drawings greeted me, begging to be framed immediately. I have to find a spot for the painting, but at the moment it's on the bedroom table (yep, next to the phrenology head and a worn copy of 'What Bird Is That').

> previous post about Laura's drawings, Larabee and Liza blog, Etsy shop: emerson's bookcase

... a not so secret obsession!

2010-09-28T16:34:00.002+10:00

small blessings | annamaria potamiti

2010-09-22T17:46:00.001+10:00

I'm very excited to have received this beautiful, beautiful little water colour from Annamaria's Small Blessings series. I love the fact that I was able to buy the original from her Etsy shop, where there are many, many more works to tempt and delight - it's her confident approach to composition, abstraction and colour that I'm especially attracted to. I originally stumbled across her daily 'visual thoughts' project on her blog, where she used different papers (though predominantly graph paper) to create a body of drawings that display such a wonderful complexity in their simplicity - I hope that makes sense! But she also paints figuratively, and more recently returned to oil painting with a more realistic interpretation of her surroundings. And although they are very different to the bulk of her other work, I love their integrity and the fact that she continues to play, explore and challenge herself - as difficult as that can be sometimes!

The painting (along with two others), was included in the publication From Orchards, Fields, and Gardens, which looks pretty damn fabulous. It features writing from 11 authors, and photos and illustrations from 21 artists - and it just so happens that quite a few of the works are by some of my favourite artists - I think that means I have quite good taste!! I haven't had a chance to buy it yet, but it's definitely on my wish list, and I think it would make an excellent Chrissy present.

Links: Annamarie's blog, Etsy shop, From Orchards, Fields & Gardens book

please... take a seat

2010-09-19T19:54:00.000+10:00

according to birds | linde faas

2010-09-17T22:32:00.000+10:00

There's a wow factor to Linde's exquisite animation 'Volgens de Vogels' (According to Birds), which screened in Melbourne at MIAF in 2009 & won best student film at the Holland Animation and Film Festival in the same year. As a beautiful hand drawn observation of birds in their habitat, it effortlessly charms with sublime movement and the purr of wind, water, bird calls & insects. You can watch it on her website (if it plays a little slow, click on the You Tube link to watch it there). It's just gorgeous.

Links: Linde's website

iris schwarz

2010-09-15T23:25:00.000+10:00

There are many elegant, sensuous ladies in Iris Schwarz’s life …confident ladies gowned & poised …ladies with light hearted skipping intentions …ladies riding horseback with honour …ladies with pleated shoulders, crowned & corseted …ladies with a frida sensibility …and those holding just a little more mystery than the average gal.

The fluid simplicity in much of Iris’s work, can in no way be understated – it’s not at all easy to do this well! And the antiquity achieved with line and ink and vintage images makes so much sense once you read her Etsy profile - where she says she sometimes thinks she was born in the wrong century… I know a couple of people who feel this way.

‘Paulette Edition’ was established three years ago, and is the umbrella for her prints, illustration, small editions and pieces of original fine art. And it’s SEVEN, the weekly editions that appear on Sundays that are for me the most captivating. Every seven days, seven prints are released. What a brilliant idea! Love it. Her most recent one (the top image), completely caught my attention, and I galloped enthusiastically to her Etsy shop to buy one. She is just gorgeous, and can’t wait to have her framed and on show.

Links: Iris's blog 'Paulette Edition', Etsy shop, 2008 interview with pikaland, interview on the lovely golly bard blog, 'Book By Its Cover' sketchbook profile

flying backwards | oohhh aahhh wwohhh oooooh

2010-09-12T21:55:00.000+10:00

Such an old image, but oh so appropriate at the moment! (It's actually made me feel heaps better just finding it!!)

daniela tieni

2010-09-11T13:20:00.000+10:00

When looking at Italian artist Daniela Tieni's work, I feel like I'm being guided through a continuous fable, where the characters are revealed in solitary contemplation, sharing awkward and tender moments, or parade in a kind of perverse, burlesque festivity. There's an emotional & physical intensity that I think many of us can relate to, which dances with ease between a bright, bold colour palette and detailed monotones. Once again, there are so many wonderful images to highlight, so I strongly recommend you explore her sites.

Links: Daniela's blog, flickr site, ultra book page

circadian rhythm

2010-09-10T00:26:00.001+10:00

I'm afraid my circadian rhythm is all out of whack. Getting to sleep at 5am-ish is all good and fine at the moment, but I'll have to return to paid work very soon, so that means it's time to somehow regulate "normal" slumber patterns.

kelie bowman hanky

2010-09-05T17:15:00.000+10:00

I've been feeling awful this week. The dreaded lergy (a nasty cold) took hold, and it's taking a very very long time to leave. Most unwelcome! So on this mildish, wet spring day, I headed out to buy some filing trays, and found myself detouring past Luft, a lovely shop of fine goodies in North Fitzroy. And I just couldn't help it... really... I HAD to buy this gorgeous handkerchief by Third Drawer Down with one of Kelie Bowman's works from a few years ago. And no... I'm not going to use it to deal with my snuffly nose, I'm going to find a way to hang/peg it on my wall, because the stitching and printing is wonderful. Does anyone actually still use hankies anymore??!! They were certainly used when I was growing up, I remember my brother and father in particular, stuffing their man size hankies back in their pocket after use - eew.

Third Drawer Down sells seriously funky stuff. Their limited edition teatowels printed with the work of contemporary artists such as Camilla Engman (image above, and her work was highlighted here on the 1 Aug), Betsy Walton (I bought this one for my mum last Xmas), Luke Best & Allyson Mellberg, are now known far & wide - and in many ways, kicked off the trend of artists printing their own teatowels that is now so popular (and rightly so!). Director Abi Crompton has grown the business into a 'storefront museum', online retailer & consultancy/agency that works with international art and design museums on the production of art souvenirs. But despite the growth of their products, it's their textile range that continues to hit the spot for me.

Links: Kelie Bowman, Third Drawer Down, nice little interview with Abi Crompton

sketchbook

2010-09-03T17:47:00.001+10:00

Sometimes the oddest things make it onto the sketchbook page...

ana botezatu

2010-09-02T17:17:00.001+10:00

I came across the work of Romanian artist Ana Botezatu some time ago. It was her startling collages that initially caught my attention, but once I spent time scrolling through her work, I found myself loving her exquisite sketches, paintings, prints, paper cut outs, softies, dioramas, light boxes, funky embroidery, pattern developments, pop up books and tender little narratives accompanying her posts. Yep, yet another exceptionally talented gal who can apply herself to so many different forms of expression, and often with a gentle but kooky divinity! It's always too difficult to pluck just a couple of images from so much diversity, so I'll have to trust you to go exploring yourself!

Links: Ana's blog, website, Book By Its Cover sketchbook feature

an affair with bruegel

2010-09-01T23:19:00.000+10:00

Oh Bruegel the Elder... you kooky fella you. The deeper I explore your paintings, the more oddities and poetics of everyday I discover... so it's been only apt to pay homage to some of your little characters.

flying backwards | origami sparrows

2010-08-31T00:07:00.001+10:00

Birds on their back. Birds in conversation.

cathy cullis

2010-08-30T18:10:00.001+10:00

Cathy works in a range of mixed media to create images and objects that are monoprinted, painted, drawn, stitched, machine embroidered, montaged and paper mached. And as a poet, words often interweave through her works - evoking dreams and memories - in small, incredibly detailed fabric and stitched works, limited edition zines and artist books. She brings a kind of Victorian sensibility into her practice - vintage fabrics and photos and titles such as the 'Romantics' series support this, and it is not surprising that the prevailing subject is that of the female figure/character. And they're beautiful. With her latest monoprints, Cathy explores a more abstracted form, taking her right back to her college days, and it's brilliant to see these resonate next her other works. Her new 'Autumn' selection will be available from the 6 September, alongside a new zine which she hopes to produce quarterly to reflect the seasons and her current obsessions and dreams.

Links: Cathy's blog, shop, flickr

flying backwards | yowie birds 2

2010-08-24T20:28:00.001+10:00

Just to prove that... well... (clearing throat) yes... my little obsession with Yowie birds extended beyond the work below! The first drawing is from an exhibition several years ago, and the island (part of the 'movement for expanding east' series) is from my last exhibition. Still really like both of these.

flying backwards | yowie birds

2010-08-22T01:30:00.000+10:00

Once upon a time in a land far away, some little brown plasticine birds gathered to hold in their mouths, little watercolours of Yowie birds. As they do! (The maker had become quite obsessed with the little plastic toys, and started eating quite a lot of cadbury chocolate to reveal the treasure within, because all she really wanted... was the birds. Not any of the other animals or trinkets. Just the birds.) Then, the little brown birds found themselves transformed into a pint size painting a bit further down the track, but this time they held little paintings of guns in their mouths, or were they hairdryers... one could never be quite sure.

tad's nest | petra freeman

2010-08-21T01:49:00.001+10:00

It's always difficult to choose a fave when it comes to animation goodness - as there are just too many that vie for my affection! But one that continues to play in my mind, and you'll see why, is the glorious film 'Tad's Nest' by Petra Freeman, commissioned and produced by the brilliant UK initiative Animate Projects for AnimateTV 2009. Definitely check out this site, because they have commissioned work by many of the key figures in British animation from the last twenty years. Great great stuff!

'Tad's Nest', which is a paint on glass film, is all about the spontaneity of continuously working, and in this case, on a light box. Here, she can change the composition ever so slightly, images journeying from one to another, frame by frame. As a self confessed compulsive drawer who draws everyday, a repetition of imagery has prevailed in her work, so it's no surprise that she has further explored her artistry through animation. The film is a very personal recollection of a childhood memory in Cornwall, and the title translates to 'the place where eels mature and are sent on their journey back home using only memories of sensations to guide them'. Petra talks about the process of making her glorious film here, and I also found a great blog entry that covers the history of her work.

Links: Tad's Nest animation, filmed Petra Freeman interview, Animate Projects, The Lost Continent blog: the films of Petra Freeman

little gentle

2010-08-19T21:53:00.000+10:00

conjurer

diaspora

It's funny how things turn out. I had it in my mind to highlight the work of Laura Ferrara next, when lo and behold, this very lovely woman just happens to be the first person to post a comment on my blog. Thank you so very much, I am more than delighted.

Laura has two blogs herself, one called 'littlegentle' which is a stream of images accompanied by a word she 'happens to like' (a small example: tepid, brine, wig, frost, elucidate, bludgeon, winsome, obelisk, kingdom, chimera, twine, midsummer, lark, cellar, hirsute). And little gentle is indeed what they are... softly drawn in pencil and coloured and smudged ever so slightly. These are soulful creations by someone who knows how to consider her space. They allow us to ponder the tenderness and the tension of a simple, but considered mark or implied movement. Larabee and Liza is her personal blog, a natural extension of herself which includes postings of her images, paintings and inspiration. Her paintings are equally wonderful, as she manages to convey the qualities of her drawings with ease (or is it the other way around?!). There's a dreamy quality throughout where the figure morphs and plays with subtle compositions of backgrounds, minimal landscapes, objects and gestures.

links: littlegentle blog, Larabee and Liza blog, Etsy shop: emerson's bookcase, Flickr site

the family gallery

2010-08-16T02:42:00.001+10:00

clearing for heightened octave

Funnily enough, it was my mum who bought this at an exhibition a couple of years ago at Chapman & Bailey. I thought it was such an odd choice for her. When I asked her why this particular one, she simply replied that she liked the fact it was about music. It hangs in a beautiful wooden frame on the main wall of her little apartment, and I just love seeing it when I visit, as it's one of my favourite drawings.

in search of trees 1 & 3, climatology reader 1

It also really surprised me to see my sister and her boys get excited about choosing works to take home, I was so incredibly chuffed, and was once again quite intrigued by the choices. Gotta love wonderful supportive family! Thankyou my lovelies xx

treasure frey

2010-08-14T18:31:00.000+10:00

Etsy, for those in the know, is all about discovering fabulous work in the online shops of even more fabulous artists and makers. If you haven't heard about it yet (I'm always so surprised when folk haven't!!), then you really need to set some time aside and hit the site. A good way to introduce yourself is to check out the home page showcases, treasuries (which are little member curated galleries highlighting a diverse range of work and objects being sold through Etsy) and don't forget to view the 'favourites' section of a shop you stumble across and like. It's akin to heading to a website and exploring the links page, then clicking to look at the next website's links page, etc etc - you end up being lead on a wonderful meandering journey in the wider ether. There's really great stuff out there folks!

One person I came across on my way, is the talented Treasure Frey. Her images fit oh so comfortably into the body of work I've been showcasing to date. Both Treasure Frey and the equally talented Dr Kennedy Jones (see post below) were included in a recent treasury by Suzanna Scott of Etsy shop 'sushipot', and there's no denying why I like the work of these two.

links: Treasure's website, Treasure's Etsy shop

in search of trees

2010-08-12T17:18:00.001+10:00

I really enjoyed drawing this series, so here's a couple of examples that accompanied the last work I posted.

birds emerging at c minor

2010-08-09T22:45:00.000+10:00

birds emerging at c minor

It really has been a while since I've had the head space to draw, so I thought it would help to get me going again by posting one of the last works I did - and... which just happened to sell! Thank you to that wonderful person... can't believe I walked in just at the right time to meet you!

a rare bird

2010-08-08T22:40:00.001+10:00

There's a wonderful tender beauty in the work of Portland (Oregan) artist Julianna Swaney - a folk inspired, woodland aesthetic, brushed in water colour, autumnal tones - devine. It's this approach to picture making and story telling that originally drew me to earlier works by artists such as Amy Cutler and Marcel Dzama (both extremely difficult to find a good representation of their works online) - all three sharing a similar palette. And one can't ignore the fact that there's been a more recent explosion of contemporary artists finding a voice in this style - it's easy to understand why. Julianna's work is currently on show at Blackbird Attic in Beacon NY, and it's a crying shame (yet again!!) that I'm stuck on this side of the world. The great thing though, is that she has two wonderful blogs, 'Oh My Cavalier' her drawing blog known to many, 'Rare Red Bird', a shop and a facebook page - all to enable you to love her even more!

Links: Oh My Cavalier, Rare Red Bird, Big Cartel Shop, Marcel Dzama, Article on Amy Cutler via artnet

dr kennedy jones

2010-08-04T23:17:00.000+10:00

From a name scribed in the corner of a handwritten prescription from the late 1800's, the alias Dr Kennedy Jones was born. Hollie Chastain brings together the poetics of coffee stained pages, splotches and scribbles, vintage images and her own line drawings and cut out paper, to create wonderfully engaging mixed media works that I just love. For me personally, what resonates most, is the performative nature of many of the pieces - staged characters (often greyscale, but increasingly less so) play with flourishes of colour and movement, and an overriding feeling of playful investigation (by the Dr!) rings true.

Links: Hollie's blog/website, Dr Kennedy Jones Esty shop, Interview with Art Hound

camilla's craft

2010-08-01T22:14:00.001+10:00

Swedish artist Camilla Engman has gathered a following which is oh so well deserved. As a painter, graphic designer, illustrator, publisher and one of the team behind the fabulous Studio Violet, she's an inspiring force for many, including moi. Her paper works in particular have reminded me how much I love this way of working, and I'm currently having a play with a series of collages/drawings to depict my Shetland Islands, Eshaness Lighthouse stay last year (yes folks, it WAS sensational!).

I bought her book 'The Suitcase Series' from Uppercase last year. It blitzed the blogs after it was released and when I received it in the mail, I knew why. Beautifully designed with some lovely little added extras thrown in, the book details the lives of artists and designers, which we all know... is always a good thing!

via: Camilla Engman, Uppercase, Studio Violet

splendid blu

2010-07-21T21:22:00.000+10:00

'Big Bang Big Boom' is the latest stop motion masterpiece from the brilliant artist Blu. I think he's officially fallen into a crumpled heap on completion of this work, which is no surprise. When you watch it, you'll be stunned by the sheer magnitude of the project. Admittedly, this is nothing new for Blu. He is a prolific artist whose passion for drawing, predominantly over entire walls, buildings, streets, the ground and anything else that he passes, is truly awe inspiring. The first time I was introduced to his work, was when 'Muto', another stop motion animation, hit the internet a couple of years ago with lightning speed. It then naturally hit the animation festival circuit, including MIAF here in Melbourne, where the scale of the cinema screen perfectly complimented the scale of the sites he had rendered - forget the wee window of a computer screen - the cinema was the absolute go for viewing this film. His stand alone wall drawings and sketches are also sensational, and I just can't wait to see what he does next. Check out his work.

Links: Blu's website, Blu's Vimeo site

stacey rozich

2010-07-18T04:03:00.000+10:00

Am absolutely loving this new body of work by Stacey, so there's no better way to start my blog than by showcasing her work, which just happens to be currently on show at the artist's cooperative gallery 'pun(c)tuation' in Seattle, USA. I'm always an absolute sucker for narrative driven work and beautiful detail, which will be more than obvious over time! I've also happened to notice that she has a print available for purchase at The Working Proof. Hmm, so very tempting.

12.09.10 And Stacey has just posted this wonderful interview.

Links: Stacey's website, pun(c)tuation gallery, The Working Proof, My Love For You Is A Stampede Of Horses interview