Mizu Designs

botanical and textile happenings

2012-01-21T13:26:00.005+11:00

I've been drawing. Without realising it I've been absorbing the garden and the summer weather resulting in the production of botanical sketches. Which then morphed into a set of three botanical cards printed on post consumer recycled card stock.

And this morning I was able to hear and meet Clara Vuletich speak at Harvest Workroom. Clara's the designer in residence this week at Harvest (visiting Melbourne from London) where she's focusing on the idea of 'local cloth'. She showed us the ideas that she's worked through over the week in both visual and verbal forms. We were also able to hear her talk about her interest in social innovation in textile design. Really fascinating and inspiring stuff! Clara's blog 'love & thrift' can be found here. Enjoy the rest of your stay Clara and thanks Harvest for a fab session!

GOMA & the drawing room

2012-01-12T08:13:00.005+11:00

In my travels north I visited the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane to see the Matisse exhibition. The show is a large collection of his drawings and prints and while I'm impressed that such an extensive exhibition has made it all the way to Australia, I wasn't all that fussed with it. Maybe I'm not such a Matisse fan?

BUT the best thing by far about going to GOMA to see the Matisse show is the Drawing Room at the end of the exhibition. It's amazing and very beautiful. The clip above gives you an idea of what they've done at GOMA to encourage people to sit down and draw after seeing Matisse's work. Both pen and paper and digital formats were on offer for people to draw with. And there was even a model lounging on a gorgeous sofa for life drawing. Everyone was loving it! It was incredibly inspiring to see so many people in the Drawing Room sitting down and, well, drawing. Kudos to GOMA for organising this.

And if you want to interact with the technology from the Drawing Room at home just click here. You can email it to a friend afterwards if you like.

So maybe just skip through the show if you're not much a Matisse fan like me and hop on into the Drawing Room for some drawing and inspiration and a few moments of real beauty.

2012

2012-01-08T19:54:00.004+11:00

The succulent flowers in the back garden are in bloom again. Some have even started drying out and fading to pink (from orange).

The new year is here and I'm feeling quiet. I'm resting, reading, gardening and playing lots of spelltower. I also just did a huge driving trip up north totaling 4ooo kms. That's a of lot of music listening and singing time!

So 2012, year of the dragon. What do you have install for us all. Eh?

a market worth its salt (& pepper)

2011-12-04T18:00:00.002+11:00

The Harvest Xmas Market was so wonderful last year that you'd be completely mad (IMHO) to miss it this year. But get there early; it's going to be packed & crazy & super fun! And just look at the line up of talent.

18th December.

the new artisans

2011-11-16T09:00:00.001+11:00

Inside The New Artisans by Olivier Dupon.

A really beautiful book showcasing the work of 75 artisans from across a number of different countries. I really like the way the author thinks it's time to reclaim the word 'artisan' and put it up in lights. Too true. There are very good reasons for having birthdays and this book is one of them (even though it's a tad early). Even better when one gets to specifically point out the gift.

I can't imagine this as an e-book, by the way. It just wouldn't do it justice. I think Louise Adler (from University of Melbourne Press) is right when she says that some books will always remain available in hard copy. I think this is one.

creative mojo[ness]

2011-11-08T15:02:00.006+11:00

I found this great TED talk today with painter Kimberly Brooks talking about an experiment she did to uncover her creative process. She talks about it boiling down to 8 stages:

1. vision
2. hope
3. diving in
4. excitement | 5. doubt | 6. clarity
7. obsession
8. resolution

later she added 9. exhibitionism
and a pre-stage: silence.

For her daydreaming is a critical part of how she gets to the 'vision' and 'hope' stages. Many artists talk about this dreamy first step in their creative process where to an outsider, it looks like nothing is going on. The trick is to know how to work through the daydreaming so that something eventually emerges and you start to 'dive in'.

Kimberly also talks about the 'bricklayer' approach to creativity - that is you need to make a start and just keep working, "discipline and faith" being key to this. Kind of similar to Elizabeth Gilbert's idea of being the mule for creativity where you "show up" and "do your job". Or the idea of persistence as I've mentioned before.

You can read a little more about Kimberly's ideas on her stages of the creative process here. Or watch the talk on TED.

Is this how your creative process works for you? Are these your steps? Or are there other aspects that help you kick your creative mojo along?

the small things

2011-10-31T18:15:00.003+11:00

I'm not going to pretend that any of this sewing effort is fancy. It's not. I don't do fancy when it comes to sewing. But I can make a pair of pajama pants. Thanks to the Japanese pattern book, Sewing Talk, that is. Yes, I know, I've made these several times already so I really should break out, experiment a little and sew something different. I'm not likely too though as even remembering how to sew button holes nearly did my head in with this pair.

But hey, look at that pin cushion. It's the small things in life that can give you so much pleasure. Instead of dropping pins all over the floor each time I move this little number keeps them all in one spot. And I didn't even use a pattern. I know, genius! Just don't look too carefully at the button holes on those PJ pants, ok?

sunday

2011-10-23T14:40:00.005+11:00

Soothing tired nerves with hand work is a good thing. I'm working beautiful balls of angora and alpaca wool into a something useful. Hopefully....

My quirky 2012 calendars are now available at Mr Kitly. So if you're local (to Melbourne) and would like one pop on by. There is so much beauty in that sweet shop.

Some of my giclee prints are now listed with Fair Artisan. Much goodness abounds there too.

Edible Austin have illustrated a lovely article about zen and food and cooking with a woodblock print of mine called tea in black + white. It brings me a lot of happiness knowing my print is sitting there alongside such wise words.

What are you reading? I'm enjoying 'You'll be Sorry When I'm Dead'. Watching? Bright Star about the poet John Keats and his lover Fanny. Quite a moving tale.

generating the spark [thoughts on creativity]

2011-10-21T08:16:00.005+11:00

I read a lot about creativity. As someone immersed in making|designing|creating I find it an endlessly fascinating topic. And as a researcher, I do too.

There's quite a bit of information out there from psychologists that attempt to explain what creativity is, where it comes from, and how it works.

There are also a range of people immersed in teaching art or design who think about creativity from a making perspective. If you ever feel inspired to read more on this I recommend reading a book called Studio Thinking. These folk know about creativity from an insider-maker's world and that's what they focus on in their book.

The Studio Thinking people write about the 'habits of mind' that need to be developed for creativity to flourish in a studio environment:

develop craft|engage & persist| envision| express| observe| reflect| stretch & explore| understand art world

What I find interesting to think about are the kind of environments or atmospheres that encourage the possibility of creativity (and ones that don't). Creativity is about expansiveness. You can see that when you look at the habits of mind the Studio Thinking people have highlighted. So environments that encourage that expansiveness, ones that allow mental and physical space and movement, freedom, a sense of adventure, exploration and risk taking are really important when initiating and developing creative projects.

My question then, is do we have or allow enough opportunities for this? Do we have the kind of environments where this kind of creativity can spark and come to life?

These are important questions for individual artists|designers|makers, small and medium sized organisations, and also especially, I think, for large organisations and corporations to think about. And I mean organisations of any kind, not just the explicitly creative kind. Because creativity is important in all kinds of work and all kinds of projects.

I read and hear so much about large organisations being fearful of creativity and employees with a creative streak. These kinds of people scare inherently conservative folk because of their expansive natures and ways of working. There is a lot of emphasis on control in many organisations (small, medium or big ones) and, sadly, the loss is creativity. Creative folk and their thinking often freak out those who like to keep hold of the reigns. Imagine how much this impacts on creativity and innovation all over the world! And imagine how much untapped potential lies dormant because of this fear.

But things might be starting to change. 'Blue sky days' are now starting to creep into the way some innovative organisations structure their working week to enable the space for creative thinking (and doing). Google calls this their 20% time where they allow staff to spend one day a week on the dreamy, expansive thinking and doing needed for creativity to spark. There are many websites and books out there encouraging self-employed people to do the same whether they are artists|designers| makers or work in areas not traditionally connected with creativity.

Even those of us who are makers can get stuck in a rut and need to carve time out for some expansive thinking and doing. Do you have a structured way for doing this? If so, what is it and does it work for you?

inside a Kyoto print studio

2011-10-08T09:41:00.021+11:00

Here's a bit of nostalgia I've been meaning to share.

I took these photos in about 2003 when I was living in Kyoto, Japan. This is the inside of a traditional Japanese woodblock printing studio in the centre of Kyoto. I was very priviledged to go with my woodblock printing sensei (teacher) to meet Sato-san whose studio this is. I spent the morning there watching everyone work. Incredibly, there were 5 people working together in this intimate little studio. It was amazing to watch. Every square inch was crammed with materials and yet people seemed to be very happy and calm as they worked together printing woodblocks. The skill level was phenomenally high, leaving me feeling like a lazy printmaker when I left.

The quality of these photos isn't great - I had to scan them as this was pre-digital camera for me.

You can see more recent photos of Sato-san printing here on Annie's blog.

creativity & abundance

2011-09-25T16:16:00.009+10:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about consumption of late. More precisely, the fact that I don’t participate in much of it anymore. Not that I ever was a big shopper but lately I’ve noticed I don’t buy anything at all except for food. And books. And art supplies. That’s about it really.

Then these thoughts started connecting to stuff I've been thinking about in terms of abundance. This bubbled up especially while I was reading Daniel Pink’s book ‘A whole new mind: why right-brainers will rule the future’. Quite a good read for lots of reasons (more on that in another post). Dan emphasizes how we live in a time of abundance and how this allows people to have the time to, amongst other things, question the meaning of life and to focus on quality and beauty in our lives. It must be said that Dan is talking about abundance in relation to the wealthy West and not the whole globe. Abundance is clearly not something enjoyed by all.

Then yesterday I saw Kate Holden’s article where she tells a funny tale of realising she’s doesn’t have much stuff when it came time to fill out a home contents insurance form. As I read it I thought, yes! I know that feeling well. I too was overwhelmed when I had to fill out a similar form. Abundance gone mad. Every time I walk into a large department store these days I feel overwhelmed with all the stuff in the world. I wonder who buys it and why we need it all.

This theme is now being picked up in recent newspaper articles claiming that small houses are beautiful. Most of us don't need big houses. They're vast spaces to clean and heat and cool. And they're expensive to build and maintain. At last some common sense!

It's somewhat challenging and tricky then, as someone who prints, designs and illustrates to think about how I fit in with the consumption/abundance thing. I think anyone who makes anything and sells it (including skill) thinks about this at some time or another. The good news, if we're to follow Daniel Pink's argument, is that people with design and conceptual capabilities are going to be very much in demand in the future. This is starting to be the case already. Anyone with skills that can't be replicated by a computer will be needed as we move into an era dominated by abundance and automation. Pink explains that this means there will be a demand for clever design and beauty as abundance moves us away from a focusing merely on function.

Kind of heartening, don't you think?

greens

2011-09-10T08:48:00.003+10:00

Veggie garden greens and a some grevillea flowers. That broccoli is a bit special, no? The cabbage moths normally eat our broccoli plants before they get this big so we're a bit psyched about this year's crop.

And that grevillea is a young plant but she's popped out lots of flowers for the first time ever.

What's happening in your garden?

art worth seeing

2011-08-31T17:28:00.003+10:00

Chute, 2011 by Sarah Amos
collograph and gouache

Fink Truss, 2011 by Sarah Amos
collograph and gouache

New works by Sarah Amos are showing now at Flinders Lane Gallery in Melbourne. These two images are just a delicious taster. And if you're lucky enough to be in town this Saturday 3rd September go along to the floor talk at the gallery, 2pm sharp. I've been a huge fan of Sarah's work since I saw her massive prints at an exhibition 2 years ago in gallery 101. Gorgeous stuff. Lots of fine line detail and imagery. Images above courtesy of Flinders Lane Gallery.

Belinda Fox
August bloom II (blue), 2010
etching, aquatint and screenprint on hand stained paper

Seems Melbourne folk are very lucky at the moment. Belinda Fox is also exhibiting in our neck of the woods. Belinda is a mind-blowingly talented printmaker. No exaggeration - her work makes me weep with joy. This time she's showing at Niagara Galleries and is exhibiting mixed media pieces and ceramics. I first saw Belinda's work several years ago in Sydney and could not believe how beautiful it was. I think what I'm especially drawn to is the reference to Asia through her use of lotus flowers and jagged mountain ranges. Image above from Niagara Galleries.

Go see and enjoy!

lines + shapes

2011-08-22T18:10:00.005+10:00

The Yarra Valley can be incredibly beautiful at this time of year. I was a bit absorbed with lines and shapes while I was there on the weekend. Oddly enough (given the location) not the wine. I don't know what that's about but am hoping my taste buds are just having some brief time out. Most of the time I do love a good glass of red. There were lots and lots of spring baby lambs out frolicking with their mothers. Too cute for words.

what colour is your confetti?

2011-08-18T10:04:00.005+10:00

I know, freaky, isn't it, pics of my 2012 calendar now, at this time of the year? Yes indeed, the calendar making world thinks well in advance of real time and as painful as that might be for most of us 2012 isn't that far away. Really. When you think about it.

Ok, so maybe this is a tad early. But I got all carried away with sumi ink and water colour and a confetti of reds & pinks that appear in graceful little pools on the pages of this design. And before I knew it the whole thing was done. Or almost. I have yet to complete the cover.

And if I don't stop gawking at these pics of Kathryn Tyler's house (from last week's episode of Grand Designs) I think I might just die with envy. The woman has taste by the bucket load.

travels in the red

2011-08-06T09:17:00.018+10:00

red dust about 3 hours north-east of Katherine (in the Northern Territory). we camped here overnight.

the most exquisite orange gum flower

dawn at our camp around the half-way point

morning vista over the escarpment (half-way point)

dusty, hot camping feet

the journey... follow the red dotted line

and a bigger map of Australia (in case you're not from here & don't know where the Northern Territory is)

So, a little more about the weaving trip. For those who like a map to get some idea of the journey I've tracked a red dotted line indicating our drive - 2 days by 4WD from Darwin to Mapuru (NE Arnhem Land) - see first map. Keep in mind that the bitumen road runs out after Katherine. And that the last half day drive is not for the faint-hearted - very rough 4 wheel driving indeed! In fact on the way in on that part of the 'road' we managed to get bogged in sand and break the tow-bar off the back of one our troopies (we had 2 x 9 seater 4WD troop carriers each towing a trailer full of food and gear) leaving our trailer stranded. Luckily for us, gorgeous folk from Mapuru rallied to the drama and came to pick up our stranded trailer in the middle of the night. Yay Mapuru locals - you guys are awesome!

All the pics above are from the drive in and most are of the half-way point camping spot overlooking a majestic escarpment. If you'd like more of an idea of what Mapuru looks like and the weaving set up check out the Mapuru weavers site.

The journey in is incredible but also pretty full-on. Two days each way in a troopie sitting sideways looking at your fellow passengers is a close and bonding experience. Still, it sets up a very good base for working together at Mapuru itself.

The weaving experience was wonderful. Sitting on the ground with the women in the bark weaving shelter each day was very calming. Watching their hands and learning from them about pandanus (we went collecting pandanus leaves one day), about colour (natural dye), and about the various weave techniques was pretty magical. The whole time kids and dogs play in and around the women as they work. Babies sleep in between piles of dyed pandanus leaves waiting to be woven. Weaving is all very much part of the daily lives of the people in the community.

It's only possible to go on one of the weaving trips during the dry season (May - October). And for good reason too! I can't even begin to think of negotiating those roads during the great NT 'wet'. It's warm enough during the dry though - a hot but pleasant 30-32 degrees celcius each day. Excellent weaving and camping weather!

Oh and the Mapuru weavers now have a new online shop.

weaving the land

2011-08-02T08:56:00.005+10:00

one of my pieces. i loved learning this weaving style.

dilly bag by Gitjpulu

open weave bag by Gitjpulu

basket by Margaret Bambalarra

dilly bag by Gitjpulu

dilly bag by Gitjpulu

Oh my goodness. I cannot begin to put into words how I feel after the 10 day weaving trip I've just finished to a very remote community in north-east Arnhem Land (in the Northern Territory, Australia). So much learning on a cultural and making level! These images of my precious purchases will have to suffice for now. Please note the first image is one of my humble weaving pieces (I'm a beginner). All bags are hand made from pandanus leaves stripped and dyed with natural dyes. If you'd like any more information about the community or the weaving program please click here.

thoughts on technology + artists

2011-07-15T07:54:00.008+10:00

I've just finished reading a very good essay about change and technology and the publishing industry by Christina Thompson (editor of the print version of the Harvard Review). It's in the current edition of my favourite journal, Meanjin which is still only really available as a print journal (and that's ok with me).

The essay was a great read because it raises lots of interesting questions about the skill set writers need now and for the future, skills you wouldn't usually associate with writing literature like the ability to use photoshop and design web pages. This is because the publishing industry is changing rapidly and the way writers interact with it is changing too. Thompson talks a lot about the need for writers to embrace the technological skills needed as it will enable them to have more control and therefore more say in their working lives. Things like being able to design a website rather than give it to someone else to do for you because if writers don't develop this skill they won't be able to maintain and update their web presence independently of a third party. And to not be able to do so is disempowering.

Even though the essay is about the publishing industry I think there are a lot of parallels that can be made in terms of technology and the future for artists/designers. Those of us who have an active web presence already have a whole lot of skills that creative folk wouldn't have had 10 years ago (and many still don't have today). A lot of us don't even think about the technological skills we have mastered in recent years. For example, I'm a printmaker (and a pretty low tech one at that as my area is relief printing) but because I've been interacting on the web for almost 6 years now I know how to maintain a blog on the two main blogging platforms out there (and a lot of bells and whistles that go with it like inserting videos and sound files), use image storing sites like flickr, maintain an online shop, set up and maintain a basic website, use twitter, use a digital camera, use photoshop, and the list goes on. My point is I didn't know any of this stuff up until 6 years ago. And it's not the skill set you would usually associate with a printmaker. But because I've chosen to interact online and have an active web presence I have accumulated these skills along the way and now people are seeing them as valuable, and some even as necessary (like Thompson) to work in our contemporary culture.

Interestingly, I now also use this skill set in my main income earning job. Up until recently these kinds of skills weren't really necessary there either but more and more in many different types of jobs it's becoming necessary to get across the technology that is very much a part of modern life in western societies.

And I think it's very important that artists and designer do this. It's a bit like the point Thompson makes in her essay about writers. "We also need to remind young would-be literary types that it's not going to be enough in the future simply to be good with words. If they want to be players in the world of publishing they had better become proficient in a few of these technologies so that they really understand how to take advantage of the changes that are taking place" (p 54). And so it is with artists and designers too. I have friends who are painters and continue to slog away interacting with the traditional gallery world. The disappointment and frustration is endless for them. I keep telling them they need to build a web presence and interact with others online. That it's not enough anymore to just do things the old way. That there's a whole world out there beyond the local gallery shows where people can see their work and where they can make valuable connections. I don't think they can appreciate the value in that just yet. But hopefully soon they will.

In the meantime those of us who are used to interacting online will continue to accumulate technological skills that will be useful in a whole range of contexts and will help us feel more connected to other artists and designers all over the world. Now that, in my mind, is very empowering.

life in b&w

2011-07-10T14:56:00.005+10:00

Some garden produce: brocollini, lettuce & thyme. Not much else is growing this winter except Italian flat leaf parsley, some sage and rosemary.

The speckled light pic is of a peace lily which is in flower and I don't seem to be able to stop photographing it!

Last pic is of my boo, sunning herself yesterday in the lovely winter light.

Carving continues but is slow going as I'm distracted with thinking/planning for the trip to Arnhem Land coming up. The northern heat will be a bit of a shock coming from Melbourne winter at this time of year.

What are you drinking at the moment? I'm sipping some black Daintree tea and it's good & strong. I have to really stop myself from drinking too much hot chocolate at this time of year. But I will make Stephanie's double choc brownies later today. A rainy winter's day just screams out for them.

carving

2011-07-03T16:00:00.004+10:00

It's been slow going these last few weeks but this morning I managed to put the first colour of this print design onto wood and start carving. I decided to rub the design onto the block with a boning tool & tracing paper instead of with carbon paper (my usual way). There are tiny little elements to this design so I need to carve carefully. One slip and the wood I want to keep will be gone. Patience + care.

Forgive me for using hipstamatic again but I'm loving these smokey yellow shots at the moment.

This article about Cibi and Mr Kitly in Saturday's Age made me smile. So beautifully written by Dan Rule. I'm so happy two of my favourite places in Melbourne are getting some media attention.

light + new york + weaving

2011-06-26T11:27:00.001+10:00

Winter light + hipstamatic seems to give the house a lovely soft glow.

Congratulations New York! This is an important win for many reasons even if I personally have views about marriage more aligned with Elizabeth Gilbert's. But it's all about choices and having them. So yay NY!

On a totally different note have you seen the promo for IOU Project's fair trade for weavers? How fantastic is that?

two places

2011-06-19T09:29:00.003+10:00

A new series of woodblock prints is in the planning stages. These pics are snippets from my drawings. I'm a little bit excited about them but the proof (as every printmaker knows) will be in the printing. I'll be using some of that gorgeous shina ply I had shipped over from Japan via woodlike matsumura.

On other creative matters have you heard the debut album from seeker lover keeper (aka Sarah Blasko, Holly Throsby & Sally Seltmann)? I especially love this song. I've even put it on my blog side bar - see the ipod widget. Three amazingly talented Australian musicians! Sadly, I will miss all four of their performances in Melbourne next month as I'll be in Arnhem Land on the weavers trip. Some say escaping Melbourne winter for a bit of northern territory warmth is a good thing at this time of year. But this is one time I'd really like to be in both places at once!

do we value art + design?

2011-06-10T11:08:00.007+10:00

Challenging times we live in. Those of us who value art and design, that is.

I recently read this story about a glass studio at Monash University (in Melbourne) having to close. I hear it's an expensive course to run. And that may well be true. But hear me out as I have a few thoughts to share. If universities keep closing specialist courses like this one where will our next generation of artists, makers and designers go to learn about their chosen fields? Sure, there are ways to learn an art or design process outside of the walls of universities. I'm not suggesting that it's the only way someone can learn to paint, weave, design computer games, or blow glass, for example. What I struggle with though, is the idea that universities are on a roll with the idea that art and design courses are too specialist in nature and too expensive to run. Small, niche fine art courses are closing in many universities. The unspoken seems to be that they're not valued for what they can offer. If art and design programs are not valued in universities, what does that say about what we view as important in education? And what does it say about our society more generally? Do we value art and design? Do we want our world to be without art and design? Can we even imagine how that would look or feel or be like?

I've been thinking about these questions for weeks (you can blame the PhD) and was even more intrigued when I saw that the UK is about to open it's first ever super-private, US-style ivy league university - the New College of the Humanities. Yep, that's right, for a very big price tag (about $AUD 27 000 per year) you will be able to study with some of the finest philosophers and thinkers at this new university. Astonishingly, this has happened because public funding to the arts and humanities has deteriorated so badly in recent times that the folk behind this venture felt the need to rescue these disciplines from the deathbed of education. There are huge equity implications for such an education venture and the media has been full of articles questioning the direction this new university has chosen to go in (see the UK Guardian for more stories).

So this is where my mind is going - will university fine art and design courses be forced to go in this direction too? That is, set themselves up in private (read very expensive) universities because publicly funded universities keep cutting costs and courses in these areas? Is that even possible? It will be a sad day indeed if art and design courses are siphoned off into mega-expensive private universities only for the rich to enjoy.

What do you think? Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

tea circle in two

2011-06-03T08:29:00.002+10:00

Tea Circle is finally available in print form. And in two colours. It's taken me a while to get around to transforming this sumi ink illustration into prints. So here they are. I also have a green version but am still not happy with the colour so I might just leave it at two.

Thanks for those lovely comments about my botanical sketches [last post]. I'll gradually keep adding to them and may post an update to the digital album once I have more completed. I love drawing plant life. The lines and shades and tones and squiggles and swirls all add to up to some crazy nature activity. Fascinating stuff.

Am deep in reading for the PhD. I'm loving it but the more I read the more I find to read. Still it's a luxury and I'm conscious of it and thankful for it every day. I might be deluded but am hoping not to give up reading fiction over the next three years. So many people have said that it's impossible to keep reading fiction while doing a [non-fiction related] PhD. That would feel like cutting off an arm to me. So I'll keep reading fiction at night and see how far I go. Am reading Siri Hustvedt's The Blindfold at the moment. Very intriguing.

moving botanicals

2011-05-29T20:49:00.000+10:00

I put together a little album of some of my botanical sketches recently. I'm starting to fill the pages of a gorgeously simple black covered Daler-Rowney book I have. 150gsm acid free cartridge paper and all. Let me know if you think the photography is too dark with these as they were taken on a cloudy day. I can always re-shoot.

ten thumbs + wooden moments

2011-05-27T11:02:00.005+10:00

Some items from my small collection of wooden kitchen items from Japan. I'm very particular about chopsticks and will only use Japanese style ones at home (they have a narrower, more delicate end than chopsticks from other countries). It drives me mad to have to use chunky non-Japanese chopsticks in most Asian restaurants (other than Japanese ones) in Australia. I feel like I have 10 thumbs with those clunky things. Is this ridiculously fussy or what?

Lucky for me (and for you) that we have Mr Kitly to keep those of us outside of Japan stocked up with gorgeous Japanese wooden items.

autumn colour

2011-05-20T08:56:00.004+10:00

Loving these autumn days. The light is so lovely and gentle. The grape vine on our back fence has changed into its autumn shades and the leaves are slowly dropping to the ground. Crunchy dry leaves from elm and plane trees are floating down the streets all over town at the moment. So lovely to walk in! A favourite spot to ride my bike at this time of year is the gorgeously autumnal Royal Parade, apparently an old northern stock route in the 1800s. The canopy of leaves is so lovely along there. Such pretty golden yellows.

It's definitely chai weather now. I'm aiming to make this classic French pear tart over the weekend. I made it last year and cannot describe how good and rich and buttery it was.

moku hanga [woodblock printing] clip # 2

2011-05-13T08:12:00.001+10:00

No matter how much I play with other printing methods, my one true love will always be moku hanga (Japanese style woodblock printing).

Ages ago I posted a link to this popular video about moku hanga. Today via Ximena's blog I found a link to this other really good moku hanga video (above). And the narration is in English. At one point you will even see someone wrapping a new bamboo leaf around their baren (circular hand press). This, as Annie will attest is a pretty difficult skill to learn. It's a good video covering the basics and you can see the way people traditionally worked this method by sitting on the floor (on zabetons) at a low printing table. In Kyoto there are still a few small workshops that continue working in this way. I was lucky enough to visit a working studio when I lived there. I am still amazed how closely they worked together on the floor with materials stacked all around them. One day I will scan my photos of this visit and post them here for you. Promise.

Why is moku hanga my one true printmaking love? I think it's due to the simplicity of the materials and yet how tricky they are to master together. The video mentions the variables - there are many to learn how to work with (and around). This is so true! Does that sound like madness?

Do you have one creative medium you keep going back to?

wallpaper love

2011-05-09T06:45:00.004+10:00

photo credit: Emma Byrnes

photo credit: Emma Byrnes

photo credit: Emma Byrnes

There was a lot of love going on in the Harvest Workroom yesterday. The three of us (Emma, Anna and me) carved lino blocks, listened to music, sipped tea, listened to the rain fall on the tin roof, chatted away about life, the universe & everything, ate good food, AND printed wallpaper. Yep it's amazing what three people can achieve in one day when you're having that much fun.

If you'd like to make your own wallpaper why not join us for the wallpaper class coming up at Harvest? Click here for more info.

More pics of the printmaking process here and here.

paper cuts [but not the painful kind]

2011-05-06T07:20:00.007+10:00

This new paper cut book is definitely on my wish list. More pics inside here on a little hut in case you're interested. And on the subject of paper cut goodness have a look at what printmaker Bridget Farmer is cutting - a flock of doves for her wedding decorations. I'm not much of a fan of weddings (yep, I've said it, don't yell at me) but if you have to have one then a flock of paper doves is a must, no?

My favourite paper cut artist, Beatrice Coron, has some beautiful new work happening on her website. Go be inspired. I'm really enjoying her paper cuts of city scapes in white on white.

On other cutting news, I'm off to cut lino blocks. A whole different cutting experience. But still very therapeutic.

colour/color everywhere

2011-05-02T07:00:00.001+10:00

I've been thinking a lot about colour in the last week or so as I was immersed in these beautiful sandstones tones at Aireys Inlet. I could just look at the blues of the ocean and sky and these gorgeous sandstone cliffs forever. There's also something about the autumn light which begins to put a more gentle feel to things in Australia at this time of year.

Anyway, as I was saying, colour.....I've been thinking about the colours I'm drawn to using in my work and even the ones I wear. And also how colours are made. It came up again over the weekend when I went to a briefing for the Arnhem Land Weavers trip I'm doing later in winter. We saw some amazing photos of the women weavers cooking up colour from the earth to dye their pandanas leaves before weaving them into glorious baskets. All those swirling earthy colours in the pots looked so rich and almost edible. Yum!

I find mixing colours to print (woodblock print, lino block print or screen print) really very challenging. I know I love a dirty colour (picture dirty red, dirty green, dirty blue); to me a good measure of black in there just seems to help ground the colour. I'm on the hunt for some good colour recipes so if you know of any or where to find some please feel free to share. I'd also love to hear what colours you're drawn to. Fluros anyone?

block print your own wallpaper

2011-04-19T08:30:00.002+10:00

We're getting things in motion in preparation for the block print your own wallpaper class with Harvest Workroom in June. Would you like to join us? All levels of printing ability are welcome including beginners. Let us step you through how to design and block print your own wallpaper. It will be so much fun! More info here.

Also, follow this link on Design Sponge for some Lynne Testoni wallpaper goodness if you need a little inspiration.

risk taking + creativity

2011-04-15T08:33:00.000+10:00

How often do you take risks in your creative work? By this I mean do you find yourself mostly working in a way you're comfortable with, same method, same materials, same approach? What does it take for you to step outside your comfort zone? Are you prepared to take big or small risks in your creative work?

When I think about the way I work it's usually in quite a tight, fairly small scale way. I draw and print with quite a bit of control. But I love looking at loose, 'messy' drawings and love prints that are layered and built up in a seemingly uncontrolled (or loosely controlled) way. I try to push myself to work against the way I'm used to, not to try to consciously change my 'style', but more as a way of stepping outside my comfort zone, take a few small risks, experiment, play, see where accidents take me.

It's not easy! It can even feel a bit crazy. But it can be a lot of fun.

When I lived in Kyoto I knew a printmaker who worked in a very tight, controlled way basing his prints on intricate, finely detailed drawings. His prints were incredibly detailed and accurate. He told me he was in awe of another printmaker we both knew who worked in a very loose, organic, experimental way. She would sometimes do wild things like blow torch the surface of her woodblock to get a certain texture, or add chemical substances to the wood and then sandpaper them (or then blow torch them) all in the name of texture. She rarely worked by drawing first. She usually just approached the block and started. Her prints was quite abstract but very, very interesting. I was also in awe of this kind of risk taking. To her it was very natural to work in such a way. She probably didn't even see it as taking risks.

My point is, sometimes it's good to step away from the safe, the known, the familiar patterns of working. Sometimes happy accidents can often follow and new ways of working can open up.

What do you think? How open to risk taking are you?

how do you identify?

2011-04-11T17:07:00.004+10:00

photo credit: Emma Byrnes

As I said a few posts ago I'm reading a whole of lot of stuff these days, most of it interesting, some of it mindblowing, and a little bit of it taking me off on small but pleasant tangents.

Recently I have been reading and thinking about artists, designers, makers and identity. Yes, that old curly chestnut. Things like where, how and when does identity form for artists and designers, and does it happen in formal situations (like an art degree) or does a lot of it happen informally (or both)? What goes on in the heads of artists and designers as we think about and form our creative identities? Does it happen quickly or evolve over time (a life time)? Does it happen in a torturous, painful manner? Or does it in fact happen with ease and confidence for some? Do key people influence this development? And does it help if there is someone mentoring us through the process of claiming of an identity as artist and/or designer? What does the support needed to claim a creative identity look like? And what are the key issues we battle with in claiming this identity (family expectations & pressures, financial pressures, popular images of artists/designers, cultural and/or gender expectations)?

Believe it or not there is hardly anything written on this topic. Lots out there about corporate identity, branding, marketing and identity, that kind of thing, but not about the stuff I've listed above.

I warned you my head has been rattling on this topic!

Anything to share on this or any answers to these questions to offer?

And in terms of your creative-maker self, how do you identify?

what are you working on?

2011-04-08T08:32:00.002+10:00

For me it's been this new giclee print in the last few days. And I'm happy to say I've been practicing a bit of letting go in honour of those words in that last post. I had an earlier version of this that I was almost happy with. But not quite. So I got tough on myself and culled it. Not easy to do but I do think it has to be done from time to time.

What are you working on? Experiencing any bumpy bits?

on creative process

2011-04-04T17:45:00.001+10:00

silk screen prints, Kylie Budge

While sitting in my doctor's waiting room recently I was flicking through a 1996 edition of World Interiors and came across an article about the English modernist potter Edmund de Waal. His work is deeply beautiful, simple and clean, and very influenced by Asian aesthetics. A simple sentence from the article struck me as being quite significant. To paraphrase (no, though tempted, I didn't take the mag home with me) de Waal is known for rigorous critiques of his work, which means that he destroys about half of what he makes after it is fired.

I find this fact about his process very interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, at the time of the article de Waal was working with an expensive kind of porcelain but nevertheless he wasn't afraid to destroy something he created. Perhaps he could afford to be this ruthless, perhaps not. Secondly, he focuses on releasing the best of what he can make (or what he considers to be the best), and nothing less. So quality is clearly important to him. And third, there is something deeply thrilling to me about the idea of letting go of the 'lesser pieces', the work that hasn't quite resolved itself (to use an art-y term), and being ok about that. Not tearing yourself up about it but just letting it go and accepting that it is part of the process of developing and creating.

Does anything from this ring a bell for you in terms of your process?

work comes from work

2011-04-01T08:04:00.006+11:00

seed pod, illustration, Kylie Budge

One really nice thing about doing a PhD is I get to do a lot of reading. I mean this is how I'm supposed to be spending my time for the next 3 years, right?

A recent find has been a collection of essays in a book called Learning Mind, Experience into Art by folk connected to the School of Art Institute of Chicago. There's some very thought-provoking stuff in there about art, art schools, the art market, galleries, and the like.

One piece by Jerry Saltz (art critic for NY Magazine) called What Art is and What Artists Do has this great bit about persistence.

"Work comes from work," Bruce Nauman said. Artists: the number one thing is work. You have to work in times of doubt, in good times, bad times - work. In a way, you don't do your work. Can you pick your style? It partly picks you. There are certain things you decide, but certain things you don't. In a way, art is working through you. In a sense, you don't exist; your art exists. So you have to get out of its way and work. (p 30)

Now ain't that the truth? I think about the need for persistence a lot. It's a hard, but oh-so-pleasurable grind, the creative gig. When I'm having a difficult patch I get out the pencils or inks or whatever and just try to play. No pressure. No end product required. Just pure play. Some good music on, a pot of tea nearby and some time to just see where the ink takes me.

Any strategies you use to 'get out of the way' of creativity and 'let it work'?

PS. something amazingingly honest on this topic I discovered the other night in twitter-ville.

succulent thoughts

2011-03-28T19:00:00.000+11:00

The end of summer is a funny thing. The garden starts changing, mornings are darker, the birds get up later (a good thing as we have some noisy ones around here), even the cat sleeps in :) And the season of serious chai drinking begins!

I rescued these succulent blossoms as they were beginning to wither and dry out on their plants a few days ago. When they're fresh they have a beautiful orange colour, but when dry as you can see here, quite pink. Am I a bit of crazy woman for having dried out succulent blossoms, old seed pods, and driftwood all over the house? Other people have fresh flowers, me the deader and more dried out the better. I love the way their stems go a boney-white, a bit like Georgia Okeefe's paintings of cow bones dried out in the New Mexico desert sun. I just love that washed out look.

Cow's Skull with Calico Roses, Georgia O'Keefe

I quite like pressed leaves and flowers too. Here's a quick wikihow link to flower pressing in case you're keen.

Are you a fresh or dried flower person? And are you a collector of things?

blue noodles in texas

2011-03-25T08:02:00.002+11:00

Blue Noodles, Japanese woodblock print, Kylie Budge

I was really very touched when food magazine, Edible Austin (as in Austin, Texas) approached me about using one of my woodblock prints featuring Japanese food to illustrate a story about this same topic. So Blue Noodles sits proudly alongside this great story about Japan's gift to good food in the world. You can see the web version here. Hard copies are available from Edible Austin. They've included some fab resources and recipes.

Blue Noodles was created about 8 years ago while living in Kyoto, Japan. I was surrounded by incredible food all day long and it seeped into my creative consciousness, and then leaked out into my printmaking. At that time I was very fond of eating enoki mushrooms and renkon (lotus root) and so if you look carefully you'll see them swimming around in this print. You can buy fresh renkon in some Asian grocery shops in big cities in Australia. It's highly nutritious (why don't we eat more of it in the West?) and really nice lightly fried with a touch of soy sauce or chilli powder (zing!). Add it to stir fries for a bit of pazazz.

Here are some links to a couple of Japanese cooking blogs if you feel inspired to learn more:

justhungry
justbento

In terms of other Japanese favourites I'm a bit of a closet fan of okinomiyaki. Each region has their own way of making this dish but I do love the Kyoto version. A friend from Hiroshima once made me their local style (with noodles). Interesting! Do you have any favourite Japanese food/s?

nihon power

2011-03-19T19:20:00.005+11:00

A beautiful post about how Japan will rebound, from David Bull, long time Tokyo resident and woodblock printer extraordinaire. You might find it a refreshing break from the news coming thick and fast from the mainstream media. Thanks to Annie for alerting me to it.

of white & blue

2011-03-14T07:53:00.002+11:00

It feels quite fitting with my current egg obsession in illustration (pics below) that I should now be the owner of this beautiful egg vase by Melbourne based ceramicist, Anne Ronjat. Really, how lovely is this? It's gorgeously thin and delicate - an example of very good crafts-person-ship. Ask any potter, it's not easy to make pottery this thin. Bought from a place not to be missed if you're in Kyneton, Victoria: the Stockroom.

Mr Kitly has a beautiful raffle of Japanese products going on to raise money for disaster relief in Japan.

breakfast work

2011-03-05T09:51:00.008+11:00

Egg studies in red - work done in my pj's this morning. It's a breakfast thing, these eggs.

Beautiful drawings can be seen at BSG this week. Two artists in this exhibition whose work is beyond words: Simone Capogreco and Gisele Zuchner-Mogall. Such small detailed lines and patterns with pencil.

what's on the shelf?

2011-02-26T08:47:00.007+11:00

A little while ago I got all nostalgic for the small shelves of bowls and cups I had in my wee kitchen in Japan. They were tiny and sat just above my sink but had a window behind them so the light came through the back of all that lovely pottery. It was very pretty to look at in the morning. Nostalgia is a funny thing.

So out of a natsukashi moment came this illustration-come-giclee print. It's available in green and blue, my two favourite colours at the moment. Almost any shade of green or blue is likely to come from my fingertips these days.

I have a good kiwi friend who lived in Japan when I did. She emailed this morning talking of the sorrow they are going through post Christchurch quake. My heart goes out to you NZ.

paper

2011-02-19T16:29:00.006+11:00

I really wished I'd known that Cibi in Collingwood was having a launch last November of these beautiful Cibi Siwa washi paper bags. Nothing like discovering things too late, is there? I think these are so wonderful in their simplicity and really sum up the idea of wabi sabi perfectly. Given Cibi is only a short bike ride from my house and has some the most delicious Japanese food on offer in Melbourne I'm hoping they still have some of these in stock in their shop. Would it be too sacrosanct to consider printing on one?

BSG has a good works on paper show on at the moment. At the opening last night I was especially impressed with a giant (not kidding it was HUGE) lino cut by Victorian printmaker Sue Fraser. You can see it here (it's #40).

blue

2011-02-13T18:00:00.001+11:00

And then there was blue.....
But screen printed this time. Once again on 100% flax coloured linen tea towels. I cut a stencil by hand and modified the design just a little so it could be screen printed. I've decided to call this design banksia pod because it was inspired by some ink paintings of pods I did last year. M just told me these work really well with our kitchen colours. But I am letting them go: if you fancy them they're in the shop now.

texture

2011-02-07T18:14:00.002+11:00

I love the course texture of 100% linen. But it's not the easiest fabric in the world to block print on. This is a test run on an oatmeal linen tea towel. I'm still perfecting it but think I like the dirty red colour against the warmth of the oatmeal.

UPDATE: I've worked out all the kinks and so now have some of these in my shop.

linen

2011-02-04T17:54:00.010+11:00

This is a beautiful film by Benoit Millot about linen, a fabric I simply love for all kinds of reasons.

"......linen is rather like wood. There's a structure. It's a living material."

I hope you watch it and enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks to Lena for helping me find it.

BE LINEN MOVIE from Benoit MILLOT on Vimeo.

swirls

2011-01-29T07:15:00.004+11:00

And another using this online sketch tool called harmony. I've just worked out you can change the pen and background colours. I wish it had an eraser but I can't seem to find one. This lot of swirls was done using the web brush.

digital doodles

2011-01-28T06:50:00.010+11:00

I was reading Geninne's beautiful blog this morning and was led to this amazing online sketch tool. I was just doodling with it but am in awe of the different brush effects. Just start drawing on the page with your mouse. Imagine what you could do if you were concentrating :)

Which reminds me, I was lucky enough to get a wacom tablet for christmas and have not really discovered all that it can do yet. Must make time to play.

on paper

2011-01-23T11:42:00.008+11:00

Before it got too warm this morning I printed two test runs of my new banksia pod inspired wallpaper design. I made a repeat for this one and used a large lino block. As you can see I tested two colours: a pale green and a pale grey. Both colours look a tiny bit different in real life but you can get the idea anyway. I deliberately carved quite lightly so that some of the texture of the block came through. This was a lot of fun and the added bonus of block printing is the clean-up is minimal including the amount of water used. More pics here.

If you're interested in learning more about how to block print your own wallpaper why not sign up for a class I'm teaching with the gorgeous women from Harvest Textiles? Come play in their lovely new studio in East Brunswick and design and print your own block printed wallpaper. You'll find all the info here.

wallpaper block in progress

2011-01-22T17:52:00.005+11:00

Nearly there with this wallpaper design. The lino block is almost carved and I'm doing a repeat this time. I'm so nerdy that once I finished designing the repeat I put it into Photoshop and arranged the repeat panels in a long rectangle just like it would look on a piece of wallpaper. I wanted to see how the finished product would look before I print it for real. And then I played with different colours until I decided on a few to trial. Nerdy, no? Hoping to print tomorrow if I don't get swayed by serious Sunday lounging activities.

tea-ness

2011-01-20T07:28:00.006+11:00

A new giclee print I've called steam - sumi ink and artline pen illustration.

Small tea cosy in burnt orange. Photo from The shop of on Argyle St

Speaking of things tea check out these contemporary tea cosies at the shop on argyle st. I'm waiting on this bright little one to arrive in my kitchen having recently been won over to the power of a good tea cosy. I had no idea they could work so well. I think I've never been able to go there in my head because I'm not overly fond of the knitted/crocheted nanna styled ones. But this one is right up my alley.

muses and such

2011-01-17T16:58:00.005+11:00

My muse, especially for things like my 2011 calendar. Like all cats though she can be a total scallywag at times. Got to love how it's their agenda or no agenda. I still have a few left if you haven't got yourself a calendar this year yet. Or if you need to buy a Capricorn a birthday gift. Poor Capricorns, the forgotten end of the zodiac (too close to xmas and new year). My mum's one and I struggle every year to remember her birthday. You could say that's my crappy memory, but I say no it's a bad time of the year. Anyway, I'm sure they'd love to be remembered with a gifted calendar.

pretty paws

2011-01-13T19:14:00.004+11:00

My neighbours were trimming the flowers off their gorgeous kangaroo paw plants last night so that more can grow. I stopped them in the street and asked if I could take flowers from their bin. They laughed and snipped me a beautiful branch full of perfect flowers to take home. I can't stop looking at them - they're just so sunny and furry and lovely and uniquely Australian. I mean just look at those gorgeous furry paws! Aren't they beautiful?

These neighbours don't know how much I covert their front garden. They have lots of healthy clumps of red and yellow kangaroo paw and a lovely weeping gum tree too. Top all this off with a stylish black wrought iron fence and you have one pretty special inner city front garden.

Will it ever stop raining? Everything is so damp inside and out. And we haven't even been flooded like our poor fellow Aussies up north.

flood appeal: prints

2011-01-12T19:13:00.013+11:00

Unfortunately, here we go again (the Victorian bushfire horror still feels so recent). It's disaster relief time in Australia again, this time for the flood victims of Queensland.

As part of the Brisstyle Handmade Ark Flood Appeal the proceeds from these 2 prints from my shop will go to the QLD Premier's Flood Relief Appeal.

SOLD

More info about Brisstyle can be found here in case you'd like to sell something crafty and handmade of your own to donate.

Update: thanks to both people who bought the two prints above. You are total stars! I'm about to send the proceeds to the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal as promised.

drawing + reading + watching

2011-01-08T13:27:00.004+11:00

It feels nice to start drawing again after a tiny hiatus. Pic: sumi ink and artline pen.

An update on reading over the summer break: I finished reading Franzen's new novel Freedom while I was at the beach and loved it. What a humungous read about the double-edge sword of 'freedom' in modern life! There's an interview with Franzen here on npr if you're keen to know more. I'm now reading Auster's Sunset Park and while it's also very good I can't help comparing it to Freedom because it's still fresh in my mind. Not very fair to Auster is it? Sorry about that Paul!

On films: I saw the totally quirky Life During Wartime last night. Amongst the cast is the brilliant Allison Janney (ex West Wing) who was superb in this. Be warned though, this film is not for mainstream taste buds. It's totally OTT out there but enjoyable as a critque of contemporary American life/relationships in a kind of campy, deliberately overacted way.

a bit of texture

2011-01-06T19:52:00.011+11:00

Rested. All pics taken in Tomaree National Park, NSW on my phone so the res is not so good - apologies. Swimming in that soothing ocean and walking amongst those gorgeous red gum trees was enough to make me feel very happy.

How is the new year treating you?

light, joy + year end

2010-12-20T07:30:00.002+11:00

I love the play of light and shadow at various times of the year in our living room. These are dried succulent flowers in case you are curious.

Have a great holiday season everyone. Take it easy, be safe, happy and of course a little bit indulgent. See you in 2011!

something fresh, something green

2010-12-16T09:00:00.000+11:00

A new colourway, a re-work of an old favourite, something fresh: three pots of tea, fresh, that is!

My dentist inquired as to whether I drink a lot of green tea. What's a lot? I asked. Apparently I have a slight green tinge to my teeth which they can remove when I get my teeth cleaned there. I like to think green tea is worth the green tinged grin. Do I have any supporters?

Have you saved the 18th December to head on down to Harvest Xmas Market? Hope so. Should be full of goodness + craftiness.

hand printed wallpaper

2010-12-12T13:19:00.004+11:00

Rainy days can be surprisingly productive.

Block printed wallpaper test strips: succulent blossom in silvery grey and red. Two different blocks were used for each one because the red one has the motif in lines and the grey is more randomly distributed across the paper. The grey one looks even better than the photos make out. I can see how this print would work in a bedroom; really soft and delicate.

I had Jen Cloher and then The Waifs playing in the background to help me get into the groove.

out and about

2010-12-11T09:00:00.001+11:00

I will stop with the hipstamatic pics soon, I promise. These were taken out and about at The Auction Rooms cafe in North Melbourne. A truly lovely space. My banana bread with espresso butter and maple syrup was heavenly. And the cafe is only a few doors down from Ramona Tienda, a shop with exquisite hand made lovelies. Muy bella!

btw, a little 'Freedom' update: I've read the first 100 pages and love it!

iro iro

2010-12-06T09:00:00.003+11:00

I finished printing and sewing up the tea towels. Succulent blossom in black on natural linen/cotton blend.

The opening of Mr Kitly last Thursday was fun! Such a sweet space filled with beautiful Japanese inspired zakka. If you're in Melbourne do go see. It's on Sydney Rd in Brunswick.

All my new summer reading has just arrived via post from the Book Depository. Happiness!!! One of them is Jonathon Franzen's Freedom. Has anyone read it yet?

green

2010-12-02T20:00:00.001+11:00

Walking through Melbourne's Carlton Gardens this morning I was mesmerised by the all the green around me. There's no denying it: we've had a lot of rain. I've recently been gifted a 4th hand iphone (yes that's one with 3 previous owners, now how green is that?) so I whipped it out and used an app I'm currently in love with called hipstamatic. Got to love those 70's colours, no?

three

2010-11-29T20:44:00.001+11:00

The succulent blossom design is back.....
This time I've printed it a bit differently with 3 succulent blossom motifs to one block so it's quicker. These were block printed on natural linen and will eventually become tea towels.

snapshots

2010-11-26T07:47:00.006+11:00

Sumi ink illustrations...work in progress.....

Hurtling between hot, sunny days and humid, wet ones.
Cold glasses of white wine in the evenings.
Throwing snails from the vegie patch onto the shed roof. Trying to protect the young seedlings.
The tomato plants are growing tall and strong. Will we have a bumper crop this year?
Fantasising about my first summer swim in the ocean and the long days of sunshine ahead.

Harvest xmas market

2010-11-22T20:00:00.003+11:00

Melbourne folk, this little market at the new better-than-gorgeous, super beautiful new Harvest Workroom is going to be full of goodness. One day only: Saturday 18th December, 10am-5pm. 512 Lygon St, East Brunswick.

Come along and be part of this crafty magic to launch the new Harvest Workroom. It's going to be a great chance to buy your loved ones unique presents and to support local makers. There will be craft, clothing, homewares, textiles and music stalls, as well as fun activities like "print your own wrapping paper" and craft activities for kids.

There will be 2011 Mizu Designs calendars on sale as well as a selection of my giclee art prints. So if you're the kind of person that likes to avoid postage costs [who doesn't?] come purchase these in person and experience the joy on the day.

vintage kimono textiles

2010-11-19T08:50:00.004+11:00

A new batch of vintage kimono cards for a custom order. I really liked the way they looked all together this morning so thought I'd show you. Old kimono fabric is so gorgeous in terms of colour palette and pattern, don't you think?

2011 sketchbook project

2010-11-15T21:00:00.003+11:00

Do you know about the wonderful 2011 sketchbook project? When you sign up you're sent a simple moleskin sketchbook which you are to fill (according to your chosen theme) by the deadline [15th January, 2011]. Then, the thousands of sketchbooks submitted will be exhibited at galleries and museums on a tour across the United States. But note: anyone in the world can enter! How cool is that?

This is the part I like: after the tour, all sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library, where they will be barcoded and available for the public to view. Also, you can opt to digitise your sketchbook so people who can't go to see them on the tour in person can flip through them on the web.

I've just signed up! I love drawing, I love sketchbooks, I love the concept behind this project, and I love Brooklyn.

whispers

2010-11-12T07:43:00.004+11:00

A new giclee art print Whispers has been recently released separately from the calendar. The background colour has the softest, most subtle tinge of green to it. Really quite calming to look at. And yes, made from one of my sumi ink illustrations. If you're shopping for pressies (like I am at the moment) it's here.

kyoto design house

2010-11-05T11:45:00.005+11:00

A little glimpse inside the beautiful world of Kyoto Design House. There are things there so lovely that they will make you weep with joy. Promise! Located in a new building designed by Tadao Ando, this wonderful contemporary design space on Tomonokoji (just south of Oike) is a must visit if you're in Kyoto. And opposite is Benrido, the prettiest postcard shop you've ever seen. That's another promise.

Those first 2 pics are of boxes for sweets. So colourful! The ceramics could have burnt a hole in my pocket there were so many things I wanted to take home with me. Luckily, restraint ruled the moment and I left with just one beautifully crafted off-white porcelain cup.

aizen kobo

2010-11-02T08:58:00.007+11:00

In Kyoto last week I went along to Aizen Kobo, a natural indigo dyeing workshop in an old machiya house, located in the Nishijin textile district. Owned by indigo dyer, Kenichi Utsuki, this place was a real pleasure to visit. Ken-san is very passionate about natural indigo dyeing and will patiently talk you through the difference between what he does and chemical indigo dyeing processes. His kobo (workshop) is located in a very large machiya which is pure bliss to explore with Ken as he shows you samples of the fabrics he has dyed and his wife Hisako has designed into finished products.

The white fabrics in the top pic show Japanese style shibori before it has been dyed. Check out those tiny little knots!!!! Underneath those fabrics sit ones which have been dyed a rich indigo blue using the natural dyeing process. I asked Ken how he was able to make the vivid green in the scarf (2nd pic) and to my surprise he said by combining indigo with the dye from gardenia seed.
Check out these vats of indigo dye in the process of fermenting! I won't lie - they did smell a bit as you would expect from a natural fermentation process.And here is the front of the machiya where Ken's kobo is located. He has a lovely shop in the front where you can go crazy looking at all that gorgeous shibori dyed fabric he has on offer. Needless to say I did not leave empty handed.

two things

2010-10-30T09:54:00.013+11:00

A place to draw breath on a busy day in Kyoto: Nanzenji. With autumn approaching in the northern hemisphere and along with it the spectacular visual feast that is momiji you need to get there early in the morning though. Before 9am or it's very, very crowded.
A big thanks to the ever generous Holly from Decor8 for posting my 2011 calendar in her annual calendar round up. There are some gorgeous calendars out there this year! There is still time to purchase one if you're thinking of giving it as a gift for the coming holiday season.

More pics from Kyoto to follow.......

zakka

2010-10-29T07:03:00.015+11:00

Oh my goodness what I wonderful trip I've had (to Kyoto). Fabulous, every second of it. So much has changed and yet so many things are still as they were all those years ago. Many thanks to friends who fed me during my stay. You're all so sweet.

If I could sum it up in one work it would definitely be 'zakka'. Zakka is about so many things in contemporary Japan. By the time I had left I was feeling sucked into its beautiful vortex and wishing I could bring it back to Melbourne with me to enjoy.

Which I can in a small way as Mr Kitly is opening soon in Brunswick. Stay tuned as this project from ii ne kore unfolds in December.

Speaking of zakka, I fell head over heals in love with NID magazine while in Japan. All pics posted here are from edition 17.

hens

2010-10-13T09:00:00.003+11:00

rose tea

egg for you

And then there were hens......

What wonderful paper/ink/stationery-related goodies will I find in Kyoto this trip? And how much can I stuff into my bag on the way home?

Please note: all purchases from the shop between now and the 28th October will be shipped on 29th.

egg-ity

2010-10-08T07:23:00.007+11:00

twig

solo

two eggs

These are a few new prints from the growing egg series based on sumi ink illustrations. All available here.

Melbourne folk - are you going to Finders Keepers this weekend? If I can work out how to get to Shed 4 I will be.

6 sleeps until Kyoto for me.......

a little bit of soul

2010-10-06T21:00:00.002+11:00

I've discovered something about myself recently that you'd think I would have worked out by now. I really like classic R&B. All these years when people have asked what kind of music I'm into I've said, you know, a bit of everything. But as it turns out I'm a classic late 70's-80's R&B fan. It makes sense. I like music with a bit of soul, lyrics you can sing to, and something you can dance to = classic R&B. I found out by trying a whole lot of radio stations all over the world through itunes while I've been working in the studio. I've found this great one based in Chicago. It's a bit daggy but it gets me moving.

And the pics above? More egg studies in sumi ink. But this time with twigs.

light

2010-10-03T08:53:00.008+11:00

Late afternoon light. That first pic is of one of our apricot trees in flower (growing in a pot). A friend grew it from seed!

I just love early spring weather.

Are you doing anything special today?

shoe fetish

2010-09-29T20:40:00.000+10:00

Covet: TWS by Camper. What I like to call 'investment footwear'. But that's not such a bad thing if they do last a long time.

egg

2010-09-26T11:18:00.005+10:00

Sunday morning studies in egg-ness with my beloved sumi ink. We're baby-sitting a friend's chickens for a week.

2011 calendar

2010-09-21T18:26:00.011+10:00

Here it is....well a few pages of the finished product anyway. The calendar has two months to a page of my original illustrations and sumi drawings. Tea features strongly. As do eggs, and furry critters such as cats and chickens. And a few unusual things with legs and feet. All printed on archival quality paper with inks that will last forever. It's in my sho p now. And I'll even pop a free greeting card in with each purchase.

thinking ahead

2010-09-19T20:59:00.004+10:00

A sneak preview of the 2011 calendar I'm making featuring my illustrations and sumi ink drawings. It should be available in the next few days...

persistence

2010-09-17T11:01:00.006+10:00

These gorgeous old Japanese medical prints made me smile after discovering them via print interesting the other day. Just look at that detail!

I've been pondering creative matters at length in the last little while. For work and for pleasure and now somehow they've become beautifully entwined. I've been particularly focussed on how creativity is fostered and nurtured for creative folk, particularly those in art and design. If you too enjoy thinking about these things check out Elizabeth Gilbert's wonderful podcast on TED about nurturing creativity. It's 19 minutes of your life that will be well spent. I have watched it a number of times in the last year and each time I come away thinking about something new. Today it was about the importance of persistence. Now ain't that the truth?

Is there something about persistence and your creative process that you'd like to share? Do you have any magical methods/approaches/routines that work for you?

snug

2010-09-10T16:12:00.005+10:00

My feet are in heaven and it's because I found Ingoote. These lovely felted slippers (pic from Ingoote) made from linen and wool arrived today in the post all the way from Lithuania. And I swear my feet are smiling they're so comfy. Melbourne and Tassie folk - if you have a house with floorboards and you need some warm foot comfort consider these lovelies. And Ingoote is so sweet to deal with even when I mistakenly told her my feet are 38cm long (!!!!!!) instead of saying they are EU size 38. Smart woman that she is she double-checked that I didn't have ridiculously long feet before making my pair :) And now they are snug as a bug in a rug. Haven't heard that expression in a while, have you?

hand work

2010-08-13T11:50:00.005+10:00

Finally, a product from my 3 colour screen printing effort with Harvest Textiles. Now if I could only find the perfect cushion insert and get rid of the crappy one I currently have inside it. Any suggestions?

I can't stop thinking about sashiko embroidery lately. I've never tried it but am keen to. I'm thinking something simple to start with like this pattern of mine in red on black calico. But maybe even that's too ambitious??? Only one way to find out.

in black

2010-08-08T08:01:00.010+10:00

A black calico version of pattern b from Sewing Talk by Michiko Kayaki. This time I left the bottom edge of the top loose rather than using elastic. I think it might be good in warm weather that way. I've been meaning to make this for weeks. The third pic is a gorgeous little wooden hand painted brooch I bought at a junk stall in the Dandedong Ranges about a year ago. I like it against the rich blackness of the calico. Warning for those sewing with black calico for the first time: pre-wash with salt and vinegar before sewing because you might find, like I did, that a fair bit of colour will run out the first time you wash otherwise. Eventually it will stop and all will be good. Promise.

shots of blue

2010-08-06T14:17:00.005+10:00

Sharyn Cairns creates the most beautiful photography, many shots infused with gorgeous hues of blue. The pics above are mine where I've tried to apply a similar idea. They're not a scratch on Sharyn's photography but were fun to play with. The Design Files has a story on Sharyn and some of her work, including some of her exquisite photograhy from Inside Out. Take a look if you're in need of a shot of inspiration.

small wonders

2010-08-02T13:51:00.009+10:00

This beautiful piece of design in Madrid is called Unlimited Space: the Ceramic House and is the work of architect Héctor Ruiz-Velázquez. What I love about it is how space is used in such a wise way. There is clever layering of rooms minimising the need to have a large footprint. This is a topic I feel very strongly about as our cities continue to sprawl and suck up the natural environment on their peripheries. I am passionate supporter of designing and building smaller and smarter.

More pics here at the ever inspiring Daily Icon.

movement

2010-07-30T07:14:00.005+10:00

This morning's sunrise through the bare branches of our neighbour's crazy old wisteria vine.Bright sunny yellow wattle flower. I just love this time of year. The early signs of spring are popping up everywhere. I saw a magnolia tree beginning to flower in my street a couple of days ago. Who doesn't love a magnolia in flower? So sculptural to look at.
Even the camelias (not my favourite plant) are looking good.

in blue

2010-07-02T08:09:00.004+10:00

It never ceases to amaze me what a beautiful piece of software Photoshop is. I don't even know a fraction of what it can really do for me but the fact that I can take some rough hand drawn patterns like these dashes of mine and then make a variety of repeats in different colourways like this just fills me with joy. Is that nerdy or what?

There is a birthday in our house today. If I'm organised enough there will be a Jamie chocolate tart for dessert tonight. Got to get my skates on!

dash

2010-06-29T11:16:00.010+10:00

Swirls of dashes in repeat on paper. I'm testing the repeat before I commit it to fabric.

This recent cold weather has found me cooking and eating apple, rhubarb and pear pudding with fresh cream. I'm not sure there is anything better on a cold night. Except perhaps the pea and ham soup that was eaten before it.

And speaking of foodie things I recently had the joy of eating the best eggs benedict ever at the newly opened Aquarium Cafe, 382 High St, Northcote.

Have you seen 'I am Love' (lo sono l'amore) yet? If not, do! You won't be disappointed. It's epic, it's gorgeous, it's Italian and it has Tilda. What more can you want in a film?

light

2010-06-21T07:26:00.005+10:00

Happy winter solstice to everyone in the southern hemisphere (and happy summer solstice to those in the north)!!! From tomorrow we will begin to have longer days with more daylight. Although I love winter I don't mind having a bit more light once we pass the solstice.

Here are some more pics of our new wild fennel art piece from Spacecraft. They also have a blog now.

whiskers

2010-06-19T08:39:00.007+10:00

trees with whiskers, edinburgh gardens, fitzroy north, melbourne

Last Sunday I had a drawing date with a friend in the lovely Edinburgh Gardens. We had so much fun sitting there drawing in that gorgeous winter afternoon light. We worked until our hands grew frozen and then wandered up the road to a cafe for hot chocolate and other sweet treats. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. We've decided it might be a semi-regular thing and we'll invite anyone we know who would like to come along and draw.

I've been totally drawn into Design for Life. Is anybody else watching this amazing series? French product designer Philippe Starck takes a group of young UK design folk and puts them through a series of exercises in the hope of finding someone who will get to work with him in Paris for 6 months. Thankfully it's not as painful or cheesy as most reality shows of this kind. From a teaching point of view it's absolutely fascinating and everyone at work is talking about it. You can see episode one here. If you're quick eps two and three are here on iview. And there's a good description of the series here.

black and white

2010-06-14T09:00:00.007+10:00

I don't know where these headless dresses are going, do you? I've been drawing these for the last few weeks and they keep multiplying.
And this is a close up of one panel out of a set of four purchased from Spacecraft in Gertrude St at their recent sale. Black, grey and white wild fennel screen printed on canvas. To go above our bed. Looks like that wall isn't going to be wallpapered after all. But am I complaining?

bookish notes

2010-06-11T06:52:00.006+10:00

This book isn't a light read by any means, but it's truly compelling and confronting, and also beautifully written. I'm finally reading Chloe Hooper's much awarded book The Tall Man. The blurb from the Penguin site says this about the book:

"The Tall Man is the story of Palm Island, the tropical paradise where one morning Cameron Doomadgee swore at a policeman and forty minutes later lay dead in a watch-house cell.

It is the story of that policeman, the tall, enigmatic Christopher Hurley who chose to work in some of the toughest and wildest places in Australia, and of the struggle to bring him to trial.

Above all, it is a story in luminous detail of two worlds clashing - and a haunting moral puzzle that no reader will forget."

The Tall Man is confronting for me on many levels because I grew up in North Queensland culture and this is so well described in the book. Reading the first few pages was like a trip back in time on a personal level. And yet the story is a contemporary one - Cameron Doomadgee's death happened in 2004 - giving the reader even more food for thought. The setting is so familiar to me and brings back memories of mango trees, fresh coconuts, and burning sugar cane fields. And yet all of these things and more are so unfamiliar to the average Australian southerner who has possibly never been north of Brisbane. The north and the south are two distinctly different worlds. I'm halfway through the book and can't put it down.

Another bookish thing I have to share is my discovery of The Book Depository who will ship free to 30 countries in the world including Australia! I say no more. I have Isabelle Allende's new novel The Island Beneath the Sea as well as a few other book goodies on their way to me right now.

wet

2010-06-06T14:40:00.005+10:00

Things to do when you've got rainy weather on your hands:

1. Make a cushion cover. This one is screen printed and sewn by me. You can't tell in my hopeless photograph but it has a black cotton back to it which gives it a nicer balance than just the all-over natural cotton look.

2. Make a pear tart. With pastry from scratch (I think it's a first for me). We used a combo of the pastry recipe from here and the pear and fragipane tart filling from here. This would be one of my last meals/things to eat on earth if I had to choose. Tons of butter but as we all know that's why it tastes so good.

repeat

2010-05-30T08:36:00.005+10:00

The resulting print: 3 colour repeat screen print on calico of my slightly deco influenced flower motif. Do I have table envy of what after using that lovely long one again at I&S? Try as I might I can't replicate this amazing set up at home.

Thanks again to the lovely women of Harvest Textiles - the workshop was fab. There was such a lovely buzz around the studio yesterday. Very inspiring!

a little bit deco

2010-05-28T13:14:00.004+10:00

My design prep for a 3-colour repeat screen printing workshop with Harvest Textiles at I&S studios tomorrow. I think I'm going to use this motif I designed and put together using luscious black sumi ink. The repeat you can see in the background is what it looked like once I scanned it into Photoshop and played with the colour. I wanted to get an idea of how it might look in repeat before I committed to it big time on fabric. I'll be adding one more colour to the mix. Should be so much fun!

all things blossom-like

2010-05-25T18:39:00.005+10:00

And this is what the block printed succulent blossom fabric was used for - pajama pants. And not even for me I might add.

Speaking of succulents, I was mezmerised by the light and shadow play on my living room wall a few mornings ago. Dried succulent flowers (a different kind to those in the pjs) were responsible for the lovely shadows. Don't you just love autumn light?

succulent blossom en masse

2010-05-23T08:08:00.008+10:00

It's really interesting how doing something repetitive for a long period of time can be strangely meditative. And I think it has to do with your frame of mind at the time and how you choose to see the task. This 1.7 x 1.2m piece of light-weight cotton fabric took me hours to block print my succulent blossom design yesterday afternoon, but oddly enough I enjoyed it. I didn't focus on my aching arms or the time. Instead I just went with the flow. I thought I might stop half way through and do the rest today but once I got into the rhythm it was strangely addictive. And moving about the fabric also kept me warm when I knew the room was becoming chilly. The hardest part was navigating a hungry cat who kept getting under foot for about the last 40 mins.

Then I baked an apple cake and had a glass of red as a little reward.

a womb/kyoto loveliness

2010-05-15T11:59:00.005+10:00

I'm starting to make a list of my favourite places to visit when I go back to Kyoto later this year. One place I adored and became a regular of was A Womb on the north eastern side of the city. It's incredible and not at all womb-like. In fact the interior is stark and modern but at the same time also incredibly serene. They serve sushi like you've never ever experienced anywhere else. It's so gorgeous to look at and presented like artwork. One time they made me and my guest a special dessert that was a landscape of the most incredibly delicious and beautiful sweet morsels.

I'll be heading there for the sushi kaiseki.

They also have a blog.