two places

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!

moving botanicals

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.

breakfast work

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.

drawing + reading + watching

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.

2011 calendar

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 shop now. And I'll even pop a free greeting card in with each purchase.

thinking ahead

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...

black and white

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?

new: botanical musings

I've been really inspired by botanical matters this week and have produced some drawings which I've made into new giclee prints. These two will both be in the shop by tomorrow. The three pods print (here with pale blue-grey background) is already there. The other print, two stems, (with a very pale green background) will be in the shop by tomorrow. Both are also available in just black and white (without coloured backgrounds) if you prefer. Just let me know....