Choose

This weeks topic for Illustration Friday was choose. I spent some time thinking about what I could or should draw and ended up choosing the K-Mart catalogue. The drawing started in pencil and I wanted to keep the line work really smooth. However as I got to the end it was taking on a much more sketchy look. So I went over it all with fineliner and erased the pencil lines.

By this time I had already decided to scan the image and colour it in with photoshop. I ended up spending quite a while on this as the image needed some cleaning up, plus there were a lot of colours to consider. Selecting the colours is my favourite part and I love the bright red and blue ankle boots the best. I went with a grey background to start with but suddenly realised it didn't work at all.

Daily Obsessions

A few weeks back I met up with a lovely German lady called Undine. She runs an online shop called Daily Obsessions and my badges and some pouches and bags are now available on the site.

The Cuter Ones

I've just finished off a new batch of ladies last night and today I photographed them to put online. I was looking at each one and as always some stand out as the cutest ones of the bunch. These two were my favourites, particularly the bottom one. The expression on some of their faces is quite funny.

In this group I have one that looks like her seduction level is set to 11, one that look like she is thinking of a bitchy come back line, one that looks high, one that looks a little angry and one that looks stunned. My favourites are always the ones that look a little bit venerable, like they are thinking about what would happen if their puppy ran away.

High Waste

I'm going to go and sew some badges and watch a film in a moment. I've been watching films that I have seen before while I sew the badges. Last week I saw Romancing the Stone and The Truman Show. At the moment Gareth is watching Star Trek and I don't like that show much. Our television aerial isn't working and although it has been three weeks without "normal" television, I have not missed it too much. I don't even know what the new shows are at the moment.

I did catch up with Project Runway and Lost the other night so I am not totally without and I'm feeling the need for a dose of Gordon Ramsey very soon. I need to hear some mindless swearing as I'm no longer around teenagers thus not getting my daily quota.

The image here is a crop of a larger artwork. I liked this area of the drawing and the line work so cropped it pretty much as soon as I had scanned it.

T to the A to the G

I've had a quite weekend after great night out on Friday. The Mix Tape Launch was lots of fun and I read my copy waiting to meet up with Gareth. We went to Rabbie Burns for dinner in Collingwood and had a lovely meal. We only ever eat in the bar because we never book, and you need to book to get into the other bit, but the food is it always so good and such a bargain.


So Aunty Shabby has tagged me, and I don't think I have done a tagging in a while, so I thought I would give it a whirl. This one is seven things which might be hard.


1. I have one of those Shane Warne VB things. The ones that are meant to talk when the cricket is on. I am sure at 1am on a Tuesday there is cricket match on somewhere in the world but it just makes me want to chuck it because it's really quite scary to hear a loud male voice when you think you're alone. Plus Shanie doesn't drink VB, or so someone told me.

2. I wore shoes the other night which hurt so much I ended up buying another pair to wear. Friday Night shopping saved me.

3. 10 Years ago I had just arrived in Gent, Belgium as an AFS exchange student.

4. I got my drivers licence when I was 21.

5. I measured one of my hairs the other day and it was 69cm long. Because of this I keep pulling it because it gets caught in things all the time.

6. I have a massive pile of VHS tapes that I didn't want to get rid of before the move. They are mainly episodes of Rage I taped in the mid to late 90s. I have not watched any of them in ages, but I can't get rid of them. Now that the internet is stronger faster better I can watch The Violent Femmes Gone Daddy Gone whenever I want, but they still remind me of a time when it was such a find and I can't let go. (watch it to see how little and babylike Gordon Gano is)

7. This is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. St. Kilda Festival 2004 will be remembered for the megadog. I removed the heads of the people because I don't know who they are and because it looked funny. I'm not sure what he was standing on, I tried to take a piture over the fence but it was too high. I think there was two of them as well.

Okay, I don't think I will find 7 people to tag so I am going to tag Bridbird, Pocket Carnival and art4friends.


And the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Now go forth and tag!

Why is your top dirty?

Tonight I'm going to the Mixtape zine launch for the Festival of the Photocopier. I'm looking forward to seeing some arty/crafty people and talking shop. I have however realised I need to get a riggle on and actually get out of the house. I always leave things to the last minute which is annoying, but sometimes it can be fun to create a challenge. Can I get ready in 20 minutes and still arrive on time?

I found this photo while looking through some old folders. This is me 6 years ago. I had just finished art school and was living with my parents on the family farm. I was working 6 days a week, 7.30 - 5 packing vegetables. That is why the top is dirty, from all the carrots I had to shift. I worked at the factory from Feb till April. It was a really horrid job, so mundane and boring. I had my sister working with me for the first three weeks but she left to go to uni, so it was just me and the vegie folk.

Fall In Love With Art - It's Fun!

You know when you get that giddy feeling, with the sickly funny thing in your throat, the song "someone's got a crush on you" going through your head and everything makes you happy. I'm getting that with a lot of the art I'm seeing at the moment. I just joined Talent Database and found some artists on there that are making me go a little gaga. Like in highschool when I was obsessed with Brett Whiteley and had his blue book out on loan for all of Year 11 and 12. My Mum finally got it for me because she was probably embarrassed when she walked passed the librarians at work.

Here are a few things making me a little gaga at the moment.

Here is a little sketchbook work I did last night. I called it "My fringe shows the results of my lie detector test" and it is pencil on paper. Pacer style pencil. You can see it bigger at Flickr. If you're in the city tomorrow, come visit me at the Rooftop Market. 11-3.30, Curtin House, Swanston Street, CBD.

Two Blankets

This weeks theme for Illustration Friday is blanket. This is a little section of the artwork I created, a mixed media work with stitching collage and fineliner drawing. To view the whole thing you can go here.

In other blanket news, an interview I did with Caitlin Gahan in this issue of Blanket Magazine. If you have not read Blanket, I suggest you go and download all 8 issues because it is a really inspiring online magazine. When I first had a look inside I was amazing and impressed by the artwork. Some very beautiful images and interviews with people. They did a feature on Inaluxe last issue and this issue there is a healthy dose of Australian artists and designers to read about including Sew Your Own and Limedrop.

A Collage A Day

I joined Magic Jelly's "A Collage A Day" group last month with the aim of doing exactly what it states. However due to the move I only ended up doing it every 2nd, 4th or even 8th day. I like how I can blame the move for things I might not have done. I think that will last for about 4 more days.

Have a look at the group pool as you can really see the different styles coming through. I'm getting good at spotting people and their style and I'm really liking this this this this and this.

Here are three of mine which have a similar theme. I thought it looked a little cubist, but Martine suggested Bauhaus and I think she may be right. If you're looking at doing some kind of art each day, even if collage isn't your thing, I suggest joining. Hopefully I will start doing it on a daily basis.

Market

I had a busy weekend starting with Rose Street on Saturday. I spend a good part of Friday afternoon looking for something to hang the bags from and some picture frames. I didn't have too much success but did come away with some fancy Pierre Cardin shoes that look like they have never been worn. When I got home I realised the white partition my Dad made would work and maybe I didn't really need anything after all.

I was worried that it would be much harder at the market because I was on my own. The last five I did before Christmas were with Jodie and having someone with you all day much such a difference. However as soon as I arrived Bridget from Bridbird came up and said hello and was quite close by with her friend Hayley just next door. I also got one of Bridget's bird pins which are so beautiful. I didn't know which one to get because they were all so beautiful. In the end I selected the willy wagtail and I'm very happy with my choice. I also suggest having a look at Bridget's new blog, I found it on Saturday night and was excited because the drawings are so beautiful.