Posts tagged art

ADOBE IDEAS

Is the app I like the most, it’s more straight forward than sketchbook. The first image though was done on Drawfree. Really good for recording those thoughts and impressions quickly.

TYPICAL XMAS COMPLICATIONS

Preparation of xmas lunch had to wait for Suki to take Mama to casualty today because she spilled hot tea over herself yesterday. Why does it always happen at Xmas? While I was waiting I drew my xmas presents using pen and ink and watercolour. Happy Xmas

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION CONTINUES

So to continue the idea of six degrees of separation.. yes, ellen shapton led to bella, which led to Jenny Bowers. Jenny is from Brighton, and I have noticed in my ramblings on the web that alot of talent emerges from the southern part of UK, namely Brighton… Both Bella and Jenny are represented by waynepate.com so that is how i discovered jenny. 

here is her site. http://www.jennybowers.co.uk/

FUNNY ISN’T IT HOW ONE THING ALWAYS LEADS TO ANOTHER

This is the work of Bella Foster (great name.. “Bella”). I discovered Bella via my new discovery Leanne Shapton. Then through Bella I have discovered Jenny Bowers. You will just have wait for Jenny, because we can only digest so much at a time. So don’t be greedy! Here is some work from “Bella”. Beautiful tumbly scribbly work, that looks so effortless to the untrained eye. But the trained eye can see the great skill it takes to make all those wonky lines look so “perfect”. Bella is from UK, and has been practising for roughly 10 years. That is all I can discover at this stage… enjoy the fresh and so beautiful work. 

THEY’RE READY

I had to package them up in order to stop eating them. I felt so dreadful this morning after eating far too many last night. Merry Xmas to you all dear readers, may peace and love be with you always. 

SPEAKING OF SILLY

Oh no! I am ashamed to say that I think that I have become one of those weird dog owners. But what is the tell tale sign you ask? The answer is that I have gone and purchased a slightly ridiculous coat for my little schnauzer Gertie.

Really, the coat is more suited to a White Parisian Poodle, as it has just the appropriate suggestion of nineteen fifties french chic. Hardly sensible and germanic for a Schnauzer. Nevertheless, I could not resist. Ridicule me if you must, but I just love it so much. It’s gorgeous and completely impractical. Happy Xmas Gertrude. 

Am I mad? 

Move over Moira (Kalman) that is.. here comes another one. Moira Moira Moira.. yes, i still love you so much! But, i have just discovered this woman named Leanne Shapton, who draws so well too, but her stories are deeper, more poignant, and more layered or complex. 

I love her stuff so much.. 

Leanne is interested in how pictures can tell a story, and she has created many many books that do just this. You can read about her ideas here, where she talks about a book she did called “Is She Pretty?”http://www.bookslut.com/features/2009_04_014308.php

For the New York times she has done the “Month of” series. A month of Sunday Walks, A month of Monday Showers, A month of tuesday blooms, A month of Wednesday Patterns, A month of thursday nights out, A month of friday swims, A month of saturday flea markets, and a month of Sunday night movies! what a great concept.. each of the series is absolutely sublime.. you can see it here: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/opinion/2011-Shapton-Months.html

And here is her website to have an enjoybable dig through.. 

Personally, I havent felt so inspired by anything in months. Her work is so personal and timeless. Really interesting stuff!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

PHOTO SHOOT FOR PRESS RELEASE 

What do you think of my official photoshoot photos for the Kit for Uptight White People. Now Proudly stocked by Metropolis Books, Brunswick Bound, and Brunswick Street Bookstore. (see links below) for $16 a copy. 

To be honest with you, its always stressful peddling your creations. You should be proud that you have come so far, and done something that is actually pretty good. Its up there. But no, that feeling of humility never does leave and you always feel slightly ridiculous. But you have to push on. Yesterday was an exhausting.. I bundled up my books in a bag, and drove around to six places with my books. One shop was closed, and another shop (Heidelberg Gallery, known for being very stuffy and difficult to deal with on many recounts) of course were too busy to see me. Another major bookseller Reading’s buyer Daniel was so busy, but still made a bit of time, and said he loved it but was so drowning in books to put out on the shelves, that it would get lost in his pile. Could I please return in the New Year. So that’s great.

The owner/buyer at Metropolis books http://www.metropolisbookshop.com.au/ is called Molly, and she is a lovely lady with a soft kind gentle face. One of those rare people who takes the time to listen carefully. I am really stoked that the Kit is in this shop, as it is the most beautiful bookshop ever. Full of really interesting titles. 

Brunswick Bound http://www.brunswickbound.com.au/is a pretty awesome shop too, as is Brunswick Books: http://www.brunswickstreetbookstore.com/. If you ever come to Melbourne, I would say these 3 shops plus Readings and Perimeter Books are the ones to visit!

So I should be pleased really. 

Then I emailed our famous blog here in Melbourne with the above photos included, and others that you are probably all familiar with. I posted a hard copy off to a magazine you might have heard of called Frankie.. will I hear back from them.. ? tick tick tick tick goes the minutes, days…… I hate this. But you have to do it. 

If you would like to read the kit you can do so here: 

http://issuu.com/veronicagrow/docs/kitforuptightwhitepeople

NEAR & FAR

First sketch of Zoe’s gorgeous garden, plus the shoes you wear in the garden! Then bear with the randomness, but in the theme of personal space (gardens), we have Faisal’s Diwania in Kuwait, with Faisal and Ms Budjinsky! Finally we have the personal space for my new neighbour, Mia Feunfgeld, the beautiful newly born daughter of my lovely neighbours Sophie and Heartmund. 

Tomorrow, its back to the kit, I have 30 hard copies which I am going to bundle into the car, and hoik around to the best bookshops in melbourne. I wonder how the adventure will go? 

I HAVE HAD A DRAWING BREAKTHROUGH AND IT IS EXCITING

How? Maybe its through the discovery of another Veronica? (Veronica Lawlor wrote the book called “One Drawing A day”. I bought it because I liked the approach. 

Something really different happend this morning, when I followed Veronica’s approach, which was (wait for it) to hold the pen right at the end, because it makes you more relaxed and free… Well the difference in the way I felt was profound, and also the outcome looked so different. The lines had a beautiful fluidity and feel to them that I have been trying to produce for like the last ten years! I am so happy… ! its the smallest things that make all the difference. 

Then she got me experimenting with ink and a bowler pen, doing flowers. The pen is reallly fluid to work with. She had another simple tip which was to dip the pen in water, which keeps the ink flowing. It felt like fluid velvet, and the lines just poured out of it. 

So I really recommend these two experiments.

1. Hold the pen at the end

2. Use a bowler pen with different nibs, and dip it into water every now and then for some magic. 

AMAZING COLOUR!

If you had told me that dusty pink would work with orange, and hot pink, I would have thought “naaaa”. But look at this great accidental melange that only mother nature could produce! It happened when I quickly dashed outside and grabbed a bunch of blooms to use for my drawing practice. I was blown away by the combination and I hope you are too! As my father always used to say, somehow, in nature, everything always works together!