painting love monday

Sometimes you just see a painting and smile - in a good way. This was one of those times. "Please Be Careful" original acrylic painting on board from Jeremy Miranda.  Like Jeremy says "Icebergs and cruise ships don't mix well so please be careful". I really love this piece. Hope you're all having a lovely start to the week. 

Cat Portraits

When our two cats passed away within a year of each other, we were devastated. Godiva was 17, and Minkie was 12. It was without words really. Shortly after this loss, I started this small painting. It's not finished, and somehow I don't think it will get any more finished. It wasn't a consious effort to paint our cats, but I like how the painting started, and it does make me smile. Looking at it more, maybe it is finished? Those little paws are so pretty, and there's something complete about it I suppose. 

I miss you angle

The fascination with angles, and geometric shapes has been abundant, and a fixation of sorts since art school and a subject I periodically walk away from, then back to  like a co-dependant relationship, but a nice one.  I like the tactile aspect of canvas and paint, and the infinite potential of shape.  With painting I'm really more abstract, and structure, form and texture play a big part. Here's a couple of oldies.  I am hanging out to do some larger scale painting soon hopefully. 

symbols continued

And here's one more work (for now) in the symbols range. Not sure which I like better - the first version of "echo chamber of commerce" (see post below) or this version of it.  In other news? We got our first water bill today. We nearly passed out when we saw the amount. It costs a good five times more in the country compared to the city.  Apparently Grampians Water tell me this is what the Government say they can charge, so they do, and apparently it's cheaper in the city because there are more people in the city.  I'm beginning to understand (first hand) some of the challenges people in the country face. On that note, I'm off to have a cup of tea. Although buying a bottle of coke would be cheaper! 

cold + landscape

I have a cold. It's horrible, and as hard as I try to do the things I normally can, I can barely walk five feet without having a coughing fit that feels like a fire in my chest. Yes... looks like I have a chest infection. Woo-hoo! Hooray! Having said all of that - the worst is over, and I'm starting to come out of it on the up side.

The weekend was full of painting our new place, we move in about a week.... I will close both my madeit and etsy shops this weekend and re-open in perhaps two three weeks. If you're after something, perhaps now is the time, but I'm not saying you want inaluxe goodies, just in case you do though. ha ha ha.  Here's a a detail pic of a painting I did a while back - 'water in landscape'.

I will write more before the move, but just so much to do right now, our house loks hysterical - boxes everywhere! People are not joking when they say moving is a stressful experience. Particularly when you have collected years and years of stuff you don't need - but love!  hugs.... xo see you all soon.

our little friends

Thank you to my lovely new bird book, here are some weekend paintings. For now, lets call these "our little friends" I hope you're all well, and having a blast!

Foxy Spring Garden

Here's my two entries for the Uppercase call to all foxes. :) I couldn't decide which I like better.  A big thank you to Belinda for thinking of my foxes and letting me know - you are a legend! xo

I would also really like to thank Hazel for the lovely little write up on my work. It was a great pick me up to find this morning. Hazel has the gorgeous blog the art room plant. And what a fabulous name it is too! Go looksie. :)

waiting for rain

Foxy is waiting for rain. This is the first painting I've worked on in ages, and you know what, I really really missed it! I just have not had the time. It's interesting working on different projects - you start one, have another idea, go into another direction, and before you know it, you've done nothing. I have too many things on the go, and I'm behind, and I'm not really getting the things I love done - ironically. The Fox and cloud, flowers are all gouache on paper. Foxy is huge, taking up a whole A4 sheet... I put him here on this lovely linen background as he's not quite finished yet.  Off to rest.

Big City

It's hot today. It was hot yesterday. We didn't sleep much at all. Jase could not get out of bed this morning, so it was just as well he had an appointment with his Osteopath. He needed it. Now he needs an ultrasound. Looks like something might be stuck somewhere in between bones. Don't ask me, even he doesn't understand it, but Lucy the Osteopath is amazing. She rocks! I feel sorry for him - he sleeps: all the time!

So while we bake and try to find relief in this sweltering city, life goes on. While Jase slept, I did a little painting. I call it "Where are you?" The inspiration was largely life in the city. There are so many of us around. We barely talk to each other, so busy getting on with making money, working, making more money, trying to survive, to get by.  We never rest, and we try and cram five lives into one (already) dishevelled and overloaded disaster.

This piece is more about connections. Somewhere out there, there are people who understand us, who we will like, people who inspire, and make us question things once in a while. Maybe even someone special to love, and spend your life with....

Which brings me to other (long overdue) news. Jason and I are getting married in a few months - May infact. Rock-n-roll!

It's going be sweet, and small, and kind of like Mexico, Spain, France, Croatia, and Australia all wrapped in one. Fun - and slighlty nuts! But that's perfect for us. I just need to make sure Jason doesn't break before then... thank goodness for doctors, and osteo. Kibi is going to be our flower girl. That's as traditional as it is going to get!   

And before I go, I just want to say thank you to all of you who left lovely comments over the last few weeks. Thank you, and I hope you're having a truly awesome time of things! See you soon. xo

a white weekend

I had a very white weekend, as opposed to a wild weekend. I don't think I remember what those are like - feeling so old these days! 

Anyway, back to my white weekend.

I pretty much painted everything in sight that I could find that wasn't white - white.

A hall table that was brown, two frames that were brown, two ornate carved boxes that were brown, and lots of little hand cut rounds from cardboard that were brown.

I think this is due to the fact that I miss snow. And maybe I've been watching too many American Christmas films. There's always snow. Snow on rooftops, trees, people, snow in beards, eyebrows, snow on windowsills, snow snow snow. White all over the place. It's beautiful.

It's a rainy day here, and our house is dark, so taking photos of the frames, boxes, and hall table are out of the question, but here are the little white rounds - with trees, and park benches, and birds... in not so white.  I bought some rubber stamps, and they arrived yesterday.... so finally I had something to do with my little white rounds. I've decided to call these "little worlds" (for now anyway). Until I change my mind.  I don't yet know what I'll do with them. Any ideas you might have would be welcome.

Brendan Halyday Feature

Brendan Halyday
Artist / Illustrator
Melbourne Australia

I want to share a bit of an insight into the talented (and way awesome) Melbourne artist Brendan Halyday.

An illustrator/designer living in Melbourne, Australia, Brendan has worked in the industry since 2002, illustrating childrens books, educational and chapter books, posters, comics and more for both children and adults, working on original and licenced properties. Prior to working as an illustrator, he worked as a designer and continues to do so on a project by project basis.  He's a man of many talents!

I first found Brendan's work on Etsy. I think I was cruising for comics and zines....

So, there I was going through check out, and here I am some many months later writing about how great he is.  I love his sense of style, humour, honesty, and personal approach to his work.  I also have to say that getting packages in the mail from Brendan is like getting a present. Even the envelope looks amazing!

In a recent email exchange, Brendan filled me in a little on what he's been up to, what's happening, and future plans. He has also (quite excitedly) just completed his Diploma in Illustration.

"I have recently finished a new collaborative zine called the garbage truck failures with James Andre, it has an awesome cover by Bobby N too. I also have a small zine called The Funnies that I did earlier in the year. I have illustrated a couple of comics for other writers this year, including a three page story for the Tango anthology published by Cardigan Comics, and a 10 page story that was recently published in the anthology Kagemono: Tooth and Claw. At the moment I am working on 3 projects (i like to work on multiple projects concurrently, so if I ever get bored or hit a mental block with one I can just switch to another. I find working that way always keeps me fresh too).

The first project I am working on is sketchbook four, and I am working really hard to get this finished asap. The drawing is pretty much done, it's just the writing that is holding me up with this one. I am writing about some pretty personal stuff and have been struggling to express myself the way I want too. I'm also working on a comic anthology that will be about 32 pages in colour. It's about half finished, I hope to finish it this year. I'm also working on a small little kids book, hope to get it done in the next month but we'll see.  All these are projects that have been in the work for a while and are slowly moving towards completion. I have another couple of projects that I've agreed to do but havent really started yet, but hopefully soon..."

Below are examples of some of Brendan's work. You can purchase some of these delights here :)

Check out Brendan at these locations!

Brendan's  website, shop, & blog

Thanks heaps Brendan - you're a champ!

for the love of r e d

below is an idea I've been working on - it's all to do with tattoos, fabric, and well, psychadelic pattern. I have way too many projects going on at the moment, but I am enjoying this zig zag process. Sometimes you've got to go sideways to get to your destination - but then, who actually cares about the end of the road? It's the journey! the journey that matters!

bird in the hand

These little artworks are small enough, they almost fit in your hand. 

A bird in the hand is.... well, it's a very special thing! Unless it decides to go to the toilet on you, which these promise not to do!

I'm slowly adding to my etsy store... they are original little one of a kinds. Buy one, collect more... I think they would look amazing framed in a group - a row, or box or any way you like.  the textures are beautiful, and I'm really loving working with paint and paper at the moment.

life's little trials

I'm been a little

f  l  a  t 

lately.

Ever since we got the bad news about Mingus, I've been a little b l a h . 

I have mountains (okay, not that many) but quite a few emails to reply to, but I just haven't been in the headspace.  I'm working through it.  I did some little paintings/illustrations yesterday.  I like to think of these as "life's little trials" or  "having a not-so-great day" or "what the hell is going on?" or maybe "I feel kind of crap, but it's all good"

Really I have no name for them, but needless to say Mingus was an inspiration.... I think they're cute, tender and hopeful, rather than tragic, hopeless, and lost. 

*If you click on the image it will enlarge, so you can see the details and writing

nest pattern series

Nest pattern.

I can't get enough of this new series I've just started. It is so much fun - I can't think of the last time I felt so inspired, and had so much fun! The two images above are seperate works. You can buy these in my etsy shop. woo-hoo!

Nest Pattern

september birds

b  i  r  d  s
My bird explorations continue.
The process is interesting (to say the least).

Cool For Cats

For JJ. Because he's always loved my cat paintings.  And he's a walking talking spot on music suggestion man. And he's really, a one in a million kind of guy.

Roads

All roads go somewhere.  Sometimes they're dead end roads, and if you're lucky and live in Europe (for example), you may end up in another country altogether just by being on a road. Sadly, this is impossible to achieve when you live in Australia.  This little work is today's journal entry. It's a mid-week doodle really, and it proved rather frustrating to complete. But, and I do say this with paramount importance - It has roads! Boy does it have roads! Lots and lots of them!

So in the end
it did
r e d e e m
itself.

It was tough going there for a while, but we pulled through. Eventually.

Flux

1. a flowing or flow.
2. the flowing in of the tide.
3. continuous change, passage, or movement.

A beautiful word.
A gouache study for a beautiful word.
I'm in lovely flux today.