Wednesday 27 August 2014

Luerzer's Archive 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide 2014-5

Very, very excited (particularly after the slight ego bruise of this morning) to receive my copy of the Luerzer's Archive 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide 2014-5 book with a double page spread of MY work in it!!!  SO honoured to be included with such a variety of talented people from around the globe.

Terrorium!!!



Lilla Rogers is a US based illustration agency which holds an annual global talent search competition.  After reading about it in Uppercase Magazine, I decided to enter.  There are three elimination rounds.  The theme of the first was 'terrarium'.  Despite my increasing enjoyment of plants and my monthly Gardening Australia illustration assignment, I groaned when I read 'terrarium', because choosing something so blatantly 'in' implied that what they were searching for was something extremely commercial.  'Mass market' even, if I may lapse back into fashion industry speak for a moment.
Feeling that I was probably doomed from the start, I tried to subvert the theme a little, without taking it too far.  But I had a lot of trouble with the sketches, and that's generally a bad sign (not always though, a world of pain at sketch time can occasionally turn around too -- I would love to hear some opinions on that one).
(Sorry, these photos are in the wrong order -- damned Blogger.)  I painted the background in first.  The dark acrylic paint that  I chose was an annoyingly translucent one, which didn't help my attempt at a professional finish.  



Overall, it took way too long to complete.  But I am actually kind of happy with how it turned out, although surprised at how kids-y it looks too.  I had imagined it as something that teens might like, but in retrospect it's definitely for the smaller ones.  I prefer the close-up above, and in retrospect it might have been more interesting to just show the interior of the terrarium (as some smart entrants did), rather than the entire object.

Needless to mention, I have not made it to round two.

Sunday 24 August 2014

Around the place this week

Above: I have decided to use my market peg board as a temporary hallway gallery and apron hanger (until I bang the kitchen door into it and smash one of my mirrors).
 Above: In the bathroom with Tom Polo last Saturday.  Spring 1883 at The Windsor was such a treat!
Above: The kitchen climber is now long enough to tickle the pencil holding man, but he doesn't look very happy about it.
Above: Mirror painting day last Wednesday.  These will be in my Etsy shop next week (please note that some are already on hold).
Above: I think that cake mixes are a crock but painting this one was quite fun.
Above: Please note that my window exhibition at Craft Victoria will finish at the end of Tuesday August 26, a week earlier than was originally advertised.  Most unsold items will still be available through the Shop.

Have a fine Sunday!

Sunday 17 August 2014

A maze brain for Gardening Australia magazine

Hello!  Please excuse this bad photo of this month's Gardening Australia magazine.  I sneakily took it at Mag Nation.  Frustratingly,  the subscription hasn't arrived yet.

This is actually my favourite illustration so far.  I am really pleased with how the 'brain maze' turned out.  It was painted using acrylic on wood, separately to the little thinking man below.
They were both cut out in Photoshop and then he was superimposed.

Here is the first version of the sketch, with the maze part kind of in reverse.  It didn't work as well as the final version.  In both cases I traced over an actual diagram of a human brain.

Monday 11 August 2014

A4 prints of Design Files Open House portraits

Hello!  I have five of each of these prints in my Etsy shop.  They are A4, therefore 3/4 of the size of the original portraits which were featured in The Design Files Open House last year.  They're printed on a beautiful French textured paper, weighing around 270 gsm.

Saturday 9 August 2014

Illustration for Frankie magazine: my bedside table



I was chuffed to be asked to contribute an illustration to Frankie magazine for an article about bedside tables.  Five illustrators were asked to draw a picture of their own table, and answer a few questions.  I was very honoured to be included among Anna Blandford, Dawn Tan, Caitlin Shearer and the marvellous Aiko Fukawa.  Warning: my written response is a bit gross.  You will have to read the article to find out why.
The artwork is acrylic on wood, which is becoming my go-to medium.  (Partly because you can layer the acrylic on wood in ways that you could never do on paper, meaning that you can fix mistakes more easily.  I also like the warmth and texture that it adds to the work.  And, of course, you can cut it into funny shapes.....)

More shots of my Craft Victoria window, and a couple of regrets....


I am fortunate to have two windows showcasing my work at Craft Victoria until September 2.  If you read my previous post, I mentioned that I had a few regrets regarding my display.  I really, really wish that I had made the left window above look more obviously like a bedroom.  I might have designed a special wallpaper, put up a nice candle sconce, maybe even had a glass of water by the 'bed'.  But I didn't.  And so I have to rely on the work itself to make the window engaging.  But I have been looking at the work for so long that I can't tell whether it is engaging anymore.
 The right hand window contains an unfinished scarf.  Partly to show that my knitted work is ACTUALLY MADE BY HAND, but mostly because I like the idea of work-in-progress being displayed against finished work.  It gives it more life, I think.  I also wanted the viewer to wonder what it might say when it was finished.  So, no regrets for the right hand window at least.

Friday 1 August 2014

My Craft Vic window is up!




My two windows at Craft Victoria are up!  Here is PART of one of them, above.  Thank you so so so so much to Anita Cummins and Wanda, who worked so hard into the night getting everything into the window precisely in the way that this fussy (and -- ahem -- somewhat unprepared) person wanted it.  Great ideas, skills, dedication and patience.  

I don't know how they find these amazing women who work at Craft Victoria, but our lives are absolutely the better for it.  

I must admit that I went to bed last night thinking: people might be looking at my work RIGHT NOW.  It's there for all to see RIGHT NOW.  And tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after....YIKES!!....it freaked me out a little.



Above: here is an introduction to my work, as it appeared in the email sent to Craft members yesterday.  I am not sure who wrote this, but I love it!  Why is it that I have a degree in art history yet I am completely paralysed when it comes to writing about my own work?!  I read the above and was shocked by how beyond-spot-on it was.  Whoever wrote it (Anita?!): thank you!

Sandra Eterovic's distinctly acerbic brand of darkly confessional humour is painted, printed, knitted and stitched into a domestic bedroom scene.  Sandra deftly illustrates the absurdity, cynicism and raw power of intimate relations in works that include oversized hand delving Y-fronts, odd socks, faux fires and delicately embroidered Stay or Go? pillowcases.  Bed Strange Fellows is currently available for viewing around the clock in the Craft Window Space until 2 September 2014.


I will post photos of the other window, which shows the 'bedroom scene' as soon as the weather is decent enough for me to take a photo....not today.  I will also tell you what I regret not including in that bedroom scene.  You live and learn.