the etsy meetup

the etsy meetup was great. there were some people that i knew from last time and some new. it's nice to see what people are making and to be able to chat about the ins and outs.
on the way home i had a look in the gallery bookshop and found these pantone universe coloured pencils that i really wanted {didn't buy them as they are $40 for 12}. would love to try them out – if you have used them, please let me know how they are! am pretty stuck on my lyra pencils which i love coz they are so pigment rich and such good colours.

melbourne etsy treasury and meetup

there is going to be a catchup for melbourne etsy sellers this sunday which will be great. it's a little intimidating to meet so many people at once, but great for inspiration and getting to know other artists/crafty types.
annalaura has put together this treasury with a melbourne theme - it includes my campsite drawing {2nd row, far right}, which is very exciting, thanks anna.

new collages

new collages: poolside {etsy}, spring garden {madeit}, native garden {madeit}, last glimmer of afternoon sun {etsy – sold}, sunlight {etsy}, sunlight 2 {etsy}.

madeit.com.au

i've opened gretchenmist on madeit.com.au – a lovely site for australian artists/makers. i'll be updating in stages!

dave and his dog

i had some fun playing lego with my son! i forgot how good it is to feel the pieces click together. am glad it's the weekend.
happy friday night!

etsy front page

my van/home drawing {bottom left} made it to the front page thismorning. thanks to the treasury curator earmark for including me. it's funny how these things work – i just discovered the work of paige russell which is really good on a different front page and there she is on the same one as me! hers is the left on on the 2nd row.

pic via JDWolfe.

when research and story time collide

i'm always checking out the shape of cars from the back {research for drawings} and when i see a personalised number plate i usually look away . . . but whenever i see this one 'luke luck likes lakes, luke luck licks lakes' from fox in sox {dr seuss} runs through my mind. this has been a favourite in our house recently and it really does stick.
either that or it means look, look, look, look, look, look??
i'll never know for sure.

a love of green

i decided to change my banners . . . they contain one of my favourite colour combinations: bright green and pale 'citrusy' green with a soft black or dark grey. i think it reflects the direction of my art work at the moment.

lauren nassef

i've been eyeing off this beautiful drawing, regent street by lauren nassef for a while now. . .
her daily drawing blog is really interesting.
happy friday night.

rights to the pic belong to the artist.

three books and a review

in 2004 when i brought my maternity leave forward by a couple of months i bought this book. i had plans to learn new techniques, make heaps of things and paint. the book {which is excellent} still sits on the shelf – it's for people who are streets ahead of me. i don't have a massive studio set up with all the appropriate equipment for starters.




last week my son, who is nearly 4, and i made this book with a recycled floridex box, some paper, a potato and some red acrylic paint. it was lots of fun to make together and it inspired me want to learn a thing or two about hand printing. . .


printing by hand by lena corwin is a great book. it's right up my alley and it is full of projects and techniques that can actually be created and achieved at home. the projects are varied and they are things that i want to make. i love it! the instructions are clear and easy to follow and her style is frank and informative. there are lots of tips that could save a frustration and too much trial and error {i'm hoping}. and best of all the book looks good – it's beautifully photographed and made.
i bought if from amazon.
i was interested to find that lena corwin has a website and a stylish blog
happy reading and making!

wes

in a previous post i mentioned the effort etc that people put into public/wall art thesedays and i had this one in mind. i find it amazing {and good} that someone went to the trouble and expense of drawing and printing or getting this printed, then sneaking around to stick it up in a public space for us to have a laugh at and appreciate. every time i walk past the empress i have a snigger! sorry about the dodgy photo, there always seems to be a truck parked in front of this.

. . . will post my review of the printing by hand book next . . .

the book has arrived

first thing this morning . . .
can't wait to read it.

the perils of blog reading

– having access to the work and writings of so many creative types has recently had me in a spin!
. . . sometimes i think i'll have a quick look at {. . . . } before i start my work and find myself following link after link until my brain becomes over-inspired and overdone. then i think about my own work and feel a little scattered! i find the best thing to do is to step back and let the images and ideas {and wealth of inspiration} settle like sieved flour into the bowl and just hope that they rise up later transformed and nicely cooked, with my own flavour . . .
i used to feel this sensation when i read wallpaper magazine in its really early days.
here is an image that i found in our filing cabinet {no idea where it came from prior}. i've had it near my desk since.

courtyard garden in a treasury

thanku to maritercr from totart for including me in this beautiful treasury. we are on different sides of the planet feeling the need to escape from opposite weather extremes {it's not so bad here, just a little cold today}! it's very exciting to have my work next to 2 of ashleyg's, i love her work :)