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Above: I came across a lovely blog this week which reminded me of these little 'diary entries' that I did a few years ago as part of a class exercise at Latrobe College. It's surprising (a) how few of those clothing items I am still wearing three years later even though I am trying to be green and not changing my wardrobe as crazily a fashion industry employee might (b) what a negative frame of mind I was in!
I
love Indian miniatures, for their unexpectedly pleasing colour and pattern combinations, incredible detail and compositions which challenge western eyes long accustomed to perspective. I have owned and loved a copy of Indian Painting by Douglas Barrett and Basil Gray (Skira, Geneva 1978) for over fifteen years but (sshhh!) I have never read a word of it. So unfortunately I know nothing about their iconography or social context. I have bravely reproduced some of my favourite pictures here anyway. The captions are as they appear in the book too, except that I have changed the measurements from inches to centremetres. Above: Madhu-Malati: The Resourceful Lover. Bilaspur Style, Kulu Valley, dated 1799 (15.5 x 12 cm), p. 192. What bold contrasts of colour and pattern! One could easily design an entire range of very 'now' textiles based on the beautiful patterns in this work. Hmmm...
Above: Lady Listening to Music. Guler Style, Jammu, about 175o. (25.5 x 21.5 cm), p. 181. 
Above: The Approaching Storm. Guler Style, about 1750 - 1760. (15 x 23 cm) British Museum, London, p. 175. 
Above: After the Bath. Bundi School, about 1775. (15 x 22 cm) Allahabad Museum, p. 148. Does this look familiar to anyone who has used the facilities at my house? A little framed photocopy of this lives in the bathroom.
Above: Lalita Ragini (from a Ragamala), painted by Sahibdin. Mewar School, Udaipur 1628. (15 x 21.5 cm) Khajanchi Collection, Bikaner, p. 135. The composition! The bold contrasting colours! That dark red against the yellow! The horse, a rather strange breed with a pretty horizontal pattern! I could stare at it forever. Even better, I could visit Bikaner and see the real thing.
Above: just to completely contradict the previous post, I present a little toucan which is not yet available but will be appearing in Seed stores shortly as a girls' t-shirt print. Although I have designed many many a bird print, I am particularly fond of this one as he is quite exotic and not a little kitsch in a late 70's/ early 80's way. Speaking of this era, I think that my bird would go particularly well with a listen to The Models' Two Cabs to the Toucan from 1981. This 7 minute + YouTube clip includes my favourite Atlantic Romantic too and is great fun.
Above: I generally wait until my work arrives in store before I can post it. This is because obviously there are thousands of people out there who read my blog and are going to immediately copy my designs otherwise. Ha! The problem with posting designs at least four months after coming up with them is that I can't remember what my thought process was anymore. Here I offer physical evidence: it's my first version of the fabric print below. All of the painted bits were done separately -- in black ink actually -- then they were layered over one another in Photoshop. The bird silhouette, then its wing, the three layers making up the flower, etc. I am no more technical than that, and I admit that with some shame.
I would think the final birds a little bit Collingwood magpie-like if it wasn't for the fact that they are actually navy and white. See them flitting about on a dress or some very funny little pants here.
Above: I love folk art and I have always been particularly fond of the traditional Swedish Dala horse. I visited Sweden last year and loved it so much that I wanted to keep reminding myself of its wonders after I got back to work. This was the first thing that I did in Sweden's honour. I hope that I haven't messed with its horse too much.
Above: work in progress. Of course my main resources were the photos of actual Dala horses on the left, but I also copied and pasted a more realistic horse to refer to for the headgear and tail. The tail especially is a bit of poetic licence, as Dala horses don't really have one except when they are sometimes painted onto the back of the body. My sketch is on the bottom right.
Above: the finished t-shirt, which can also be found here. It looks nice in pink too!
Above: I have just finished my entry for this year's Illustrators Australia 9 x 5 exhibition. With the anniversary theme of "20" I thought that I might make twenty illustrations showing twenty different types of illustration, therefore twenty different reasons why one might want to be an illustrator. Illustration for children, mapmaking, food, fashion, travel, automotive, books, textiles, decoration, plants, animals and medicine. Perhaps not quite twenty, but these are all things that interest me and the opportunity to research and then draw/paint them is always a pleasure. Thanks to the very kind brother Nick for cutting the little pieces out -- and so carefully!
Above: Yesterday I completed this wooden assemblage of painted and saw-cut figures, inspired by those in the costume treasure trove of Racinet. They are part of the Lady series which I started a month or two ago. I might pause with them here as I have the sudden idea to paint odd subjects on a completely different sort of material (I'm so mysterious). If the results are worth showing, I will post them here in due course. 
Above: the lady and her load, disassembled and resting on a quilt that I made a very long time ago.
Some beautiful rugs which have been floating around work lately. They are made from pieces of antique rugs painstakingly handsewn together like a quilt. I find them very beautiful in that crazy more-is-more Kaffe Fassett way: they might even be my inspiration for a knitted blanket or cushion.
The final rug shown here has been chosen to add a special warmth to the floor of the new Seed store in Bowral, NSW. From my observer's vantage point, no other Seed store has had this level of attention paid to it -- our visual merchandising department even enlisted the help of the local historical society. I'm told it's a very beautiful spot. Sometimes life in the office seems so extra prosaic....
Rugs from Loom, Armadale. Thanks to my colleague James for the photos. (There are plenty more: if anyone out there wants to see some, I'd be glad to post them).
Above: my bathroom cabinet of curiosities, which boys can look at as they pee. These are a few of my favourite things:
A photo of my dear uncle Spaso, me (eyes shut) my brother (the little captain -- awwwwwww) and assorted cheeky cousins just outside Pucisca in 1974.
Po Chai Pills, from Hong Kong: "This medicine is good for fever, diarrhoea, intoxication, overheating, vomiting and gastrointestinal diseases." Super - and I just bought it for the box!
Three Flowers Face Powder by Richard Hudnut. "A powder Bouquet of SCENTED BEAUTY: Roses for ROMANCE, Violets for CHARM, Lilies of the Valley for YOUTH." I just opened it in the name of informing my readers, and the scent reminded me of old lady in damp coat on tram.
San Ing Face Cream. Made in Taiwan by the Shun Yih Chemistry Factory. This one also smells of old lady on tram, as well as the corner of a certain exotic supermarket on Victoria Street in Richmond. Unsurprising, seeing as that is where I found it.
Some of my favourite bloggers (Elizabeth Dunker and Camilla Engman for example) are excusing themselves from their duties and taking a summer break. As I upload the photo above of my scarf in progress, (taken outside with autumn leaves in the corner as proof of which season we are in here in Melbourne), I remember with envy all the people I know in the Northern Hemisphere who are taking their summer break.
So, it is with this in mind that I generously present my dear Northerners with this little gift. A bit of exotic vintage Australiana to print, glue onto cardboard, cut out and use as a fan. Unfortunately none of my relatives will be out of the deep blue Adriatic sea for long enough to go inside and turn on their computers until well after their holidays are over.
...Well, I wouldn't!
(Image from Symbols of Australia by Mimmo Cozzolino and Fysh Rutherford, 1980. Previously discussed here.)
Above: the now famous doll face which I first posted here last year has a new sister! She is a bit of a flirt with her winking eye and Parisian beret. I like days at work when coming up with a new design means 'evolving' an old one, to put it kindly...
...Perhaps because it leaves more time to draw something new? Robots are not new, admittedly, but mine is a my own combination of about three or four of the most charming vintage tin robots that I could find on the internet. I like his lo-fi buttons and gadgets. His grin reminds me of that eager-to-please-stunned-rabbit expression that children sometimes wear in school photos.
Above: I came across a lovely blog this week which reminded me of these little 'diary entries' that I did a few years ago as part of a class exercise at Latrobe College. It's surprising (a) how few of those clothing items I am still wearing three years later even though I am trying to be green and not changing my wardrobe as crazily a fashion industry employee might (b) what a negative frame of mind I was in!
I love Indian miniatures, for their unexpectedly pleasing colour and pattern combinations, incredible detail and compositions which challenge western eyes long accustomed to perspective. I have owned and loved a copy of Indian Painting by Douglas Barrett and Basil Gray (Skira, Geneva 1978) for over fifteen years but (sshhh!) I have never read a word of it. So unfortunately I know nothing about their iconography or social context. 
Above: Lady Listening to Music. Guler Style, Jammu, about 175o. (25.5 x 21.5 cm), p. 181. 
Above: The Approaching Storm. Guler Style, about 1750 - 1760. (15 x 23 cm) British Museum, London, p. 175. 
Above: After the Bath. Bundi School, about 1775. (15 x 22 cm) Allahabad Museum, p. 148. Does this look familiar to anyone who has used the facilities at my house? A little framed photocopy of this lives in the bathroom.
Above: Lalita Ragini (from a Ragamala), painted by Sahibdin. Mewar School, Udaipur 1628. (15 x 21.5 cm) Khajanchi Collection, Bikaner, p. 135. The composition! The bold contrasting colours! That dark red against the yellow! The horse, a rather strange breed with a pretty horizontal pattern! I could stare at it forever. Even better, I could visit Bikaner and see the real thing.
Above: just to completely contradict the previous post, I present a little toucan which is not yet available but will be appearing in Seed stores shortly as a girls' t-shirt print. Although I have designed many many a bird print, I am particularly fond of this one as he is quite exotic and not a little kitsch in a late 70's/ early 80's way. 
Above: I generally wait until my work arrives in store before I can post it. This is because obviously there are thousands of people out there who read my blog and are going to immediately copy my designs otherwise. Ha! The problem with posting designs at least four months after coming up with them is that I can't remember what my thought process was anymore. Here I offer physical evidence: it's my first version of the fabric print below. All of the painted bits were done separately -- in black ink actually -- then they were layered over one another in Photoshop. The bird silhouette, then its wing, the three layers making up the flower, etc. I am no more technical than that, and I admit that with some shame.
I would think the final birds a little bit Collingwood magpie-like if it wasn't for the fact that they are actually navy and white. See them flitting about on a dress or some very funny little pants here.
Above: I love folk art and I have always been particularly fond of the traditional Swedish Dala horse. I visited Sweden last year and loved it so much that I wanted to keep reminding myself of its wonders after I got back to work. This was the first thing that I did in Sweden's honour. I hope that I haven't messed with its horse too much.
Above: I have just finished my entry for this year's Illustrators Australia 9 x 5 exhibition. With the anniversary theme of "20" I thought that I might make twenty illustrations showing twenty different types of illustration, therefore twenty different reasons why one might want to be an illustrator. Illustration for children, mapmaking, food, fashion, travel, automotive, books, textiles, decoration, plants, animals and medicine. Perhaps not quite twenty, but these are all things that interest me and the opportunity to research and then draw/paint them is always a pleasure. 
Above: as in the previous post, a selection of pictures from the wonderful Agence Eureka. From a time and place where shiny new toys were not so easy to come by. There are hundreds more like these on the site -- print them out in any size and make yourself an entire town to live in. Or even better: be inspired and make up your own! 
All images from Agence Eureka, the most brilliant blog I have ever come across. Go there now -- but you may never want to leave your computer again. Who is this crazy French woman with too much time on her hands, a collection of incredible ephemera and a lot of patience for scanning?! I have no idea but I am eternally grateful. Her connected 15,000 image strong Flickr site is amazing too. Some of the images are very high quality indeed...hmmm....
Above: Yesterday I completed this wooden assemblage of painted and saw-cut figures, inspired by those in the costume treasure trove of Racinet. They are part of the Lady series which I started a month or two ago. I might pause with them here as I have the sudden idea to paint odd subjects on a completely different sort of material (I'm so mysterious). If the results are worth showing, I will post them here in due course. 
Above: the lady and her load, disassembled and resting on a quilt that I made a very long time ago.
Above: my bathroom cabinet of curiosities, which boys can look at as they pee. These are a few of my favourite things:
A photo of my dear uncle Spaso, me (eyes shut) my brother (the little captain -- awwwwwww) and assorted cheeky cousins just outside Pucisca in 1974.
Po Chai Pills, from Hong Kong: "This medicine is good for fever, diarrhoea, intoxication, overheating, vomiting and gastrointestinal diseases." Super - and I just bought it for the box!
Three Flowers Face Powder by Richard Hudnut. "A powder Bouquet of SCENTED BEAUTY: Roses for ROMANCE, Violets for CHARM, Lilies of the Valley for YOUTH." I just opened it in the name of informing my readers, and the scent reminded me of old lady in damp coat on tram.
San Ing Face Cream. Made in Taiwan by the Shun Yih Chemistry Factory. This one also smells of old lady on tram, as well as the corner of a certain exotic supermarket on Victoria Street in Richmond. Unsurprising, seeing as that is where I found it.
Some of my favourite bloggers (Elizabeth Dunker and Camilla Engman for example) are excusing themselves from their duties and taking a summer break. As I upload the photo above of my scarf in progress, (taken outside with autumn leaves in the corner as proof of which season we are in here in Melbourne), I remember with envy all the people I know in the Northern Hemisphere who are taking their summer break.
So, it is with this in mind that I generously present my dear Northerners with this little gift. A bit of exotic vintage Australiana to print, glue onto cardboard, cut out and use as a fan. Unfortunately none of my relatives will be out of the deep blue Adriatic sea for long enough to go inside and turn on their computers until well after their holidays are over. 
Above: the now famous doll face which I first posted here last year has a new sister! She is a bit of a flirt with her winking eye and Parisian beret. I like days at work when coming up with a new design means 'evolving' an old one, to put it kindly...
...Perhaps because it leaves more time to draw something new? Robots are not new, admittedly, but mine is a my own combination of about three or four of the most charming vintage tin robots that I could find on the internet. I like his lo-fi buttons and gadgets. His grin reminds me of that eager-to-please-stunned-rabbit expression that children sometimes wear in school photos.
