I am drawing so much I think I’m going to wear my arms out. I’m a bit chuffed because “Things you should never say #1″ was picked to go on the feature page on Red Bubble. I swear that little community is inflating my ego.
Apparently some people are having trouble commenting. I’m so sorry!! Can I ask a huge favour? Can I get all 3 of you reading my blog to try and comment on this post? Cheers!
So, I’ve joined another print on demand site called redbubble.com. After joining imagekind the other week, I’ve been sniffing around other services to see if I can go one better…. and I have!!
Red Bubble is an amazing community of artists, writers and photographers and offers t-shirts, laminated prints, cards, posters, mounted prints, canvas prints and framed prints. While you can’t customise the matt board and frame to the same extent as on imagekind.com, you can buy a wider variety of products – including t-shirts. So instead of going through all the hassle of rating and waiting on threadless, you simply create and upload your design and BAM, it’s available! I also love that you can buy cards – buying art in a smaller format is wonderful for me, because I have an “inspiration wall” at home that is aching to be filled up with yummy eye candy.
And – the most awesome thing? Red Bubble is Australian and based in Melbourne. That rocks! I’ve been really disappointed in the lack of fabulous Australian sites. The great thing is that there are lots of artists around the globe involved in this community. They print in both Australia and America, and I’ve heard that a UK office is just starting up too.
Over the next few weeks I’m going to scope out the best of Red Bubble and post it all here for your enjoyment. Of course, don’t forget that I’m selling my own illustrations there too!
Bernard Maisner‘s calligraphy is beautiful and sumptuous, I think this style of hand lettering is the direction I’m going to take our wedding stationery in, however, I’m going to give it my own twist. Thanks, Lost at E Minor, for exposing me to Maisner’s work!
Well, I’ve had it for a few months but it was missing a power cable and USB cord. I’ve felt a little lost without a scanner, and now I can scan in my doodles and colour them. As if I don’t have enough arty/ crafty endeavours already!
I’ve also put some of my illustrations up for sale on imagekind.com. Check them out – you can buy a simple print, or you can create a custom frame/ mat combination, or even order a canvas print! The prices are really reasonable too, and of course they give me a decent cut of the profits too, which is nice!
As well as these illustrations, I’ve also completed a few more paintings, three of which will go up in a cafe for sale. I’ll post pictures once I’ve delivered and installed them!
In other news, I’m having a huge problem with spam trackbacks at the moment. I can’t seem to disable trackbacks fully or find some verification tool that only allows genuine trackbacks. Please help, blogland!
If I can’t have a ffffound account, well I’m just going to dump images I like here! Hope you enjoy as much as I did – I think I’m a freak, I totally pour over images I find!
This is one of the posters that LA Pop Art create – they’ve used the first four chapters of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to illustrate this scene. Awesome.
I found this in a vintage picture community – my eye was drawn to the detailing on the tablecloth immediately.
Patterns from the spines of Penguin books (via ffffound via The Serif)
Delicious Wood type notecards from Cary Graphic Arts Press – $7 for 8 cards, bargain! (via ffffound)
I love that ffffound can connect me to sites I’d never think to look at. This beautiful example of leaf script is from a page that teaches you the technique! Visit Sam Alfano’s Tips & Tricks for Hand Engravers for a LOT more.
another monster head found in a circle trap by Mindy Shapero (via ffffound)
A Humument by Tom Phillips.
I’ve been wanting a ffffound.com invite for the longest time, so I thought I’d put it out there on my blog :P
The past week has flown by in a daze of international rock stars, shopping, my birthday and alcohol, plenty o’ it. I helped Kate O’Brien (our wedding photographer) out on a photoshoot with Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls fame on Wednesday. It was all kinds of fun, Amanda and The Danger Ensemble were lovely to work with. Watch Kate’s site for the photos!!!
If you watch this clip of the guys performing “Umbrella” in Edinburgh, at 1:43 you’ll see a hot chick in red – that’s Peta, I went to primary school with her! Now she’s gadding about with Amanda and the Ensemble. Nice work chicka!
I created the above pattern for the illustration in the entry below and thought I should submit it to Naked & Angry because I wasn’t really happy with my first submissions. I’m at least happy with the balance in this pattern, as well as the colour scheme.
If you like it, please vote for it at Naked & Angry!
I asked my friends a few questions and let their answers guide me.
This is just an exercise in illustration I guess. I’ve been pretty busy (thanks silly season) but I wanted to make a few designs that incorporated copy. I’m going to keep adding to this set on flickr. Check back regularly!
In other news, it feels like technology is conspiring against me. My inkjet isn’t printing properly (the colours are all faded even though it’s a new cartridge!) and I can’t use three canvases that I bought because the priming medium is too thick/ non-porous. It’s all a bit depressing!
Today I’m going to do a clean up and purge all the bad craft vibes. I bought some nice stackable storage boxes on castors that are going to house all my homeless art materials.
I have been struggling to come to terms with my decision to have a break and do the art/ craft thing for a month or so. For as long as I can remember, I have followed everyone’s rather sensible advice about keeping your job until you’ve got another one to go to, never quitting when you’re angry, being professional, etc etc etc. So my decision to resign from my job this month was a really difficult one to make, and it’s also proving a difficult decision to reconcile with too. I am the ultimate worst critic of myself, and believe me I’ve been having some stern discussions between brain and heart this week.
Two things have made me feel a lot better about where I am, and ergo, where I can go from here. I even have a name for what I’m about to embark on… it’s the Craft Odyssey!
The first was this bangle by Delias Thompson. Simple by design; forged and hammered: this bangle spoke to me… It’s exactly me, rough and simple and direct. When I read the description Delias wrote, I saw that the letters pressed into the piece were actually a poem.
I will not forget who I am
I will never forget from where I came
To myself I will always be true
On this path I will call home
I have only gotten around to writing this entry now, and as I sit here writing it, I see that she has sold out of these bangles! I hope they inspire their wearers like they’ve inspired me. And hopefully she gets around to making some more! I will continue to drop my fiance not-so-subtle hints about this piece AND the stackable rings until then :)
The second thing was watching Stefan Sagmeister’s talk at TED in 2004 – “Yes, design can make you happy”. He spoke of using visual milestones and writing lists and really investigating happiness in design, or happiness through design. Above all his lists made me feel that I can do what I want to do, as a designer, crafter or artisan, because I think about the same things Stefen Sagmeister thinks about! Hopefully you get as much out of them as I did.
What I like about my job – Stefan Sagmeister
Thinking about ideas and content freely – with the deadline far away.
Working without interruption on a single project.
Using a wide variety of tools and techniques.
Travelling to new places.
Working on projects that matter to me.
Having things come back from the printer done well.
All the things I’ve learned in my life so far – Stefan Sagmeister
Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.
Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.
Being not truthful works against me.
Helping other people helps me.
Organising a charity group is surprisingly easy.
Everything I do always comes back to me.
Drugs feel great in the beginning and become a drag later on.
Over time I get used to everything and start taking it for granted.
Money does not make me happy.
Travelling alone is helpful for a new perspective on life.
Assuming is stifling.
Keeping a diary supports my personal development.
Trying to look good limits my life.
Worrying solves nothing.
Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doses.
Having guts always works out for me.
I have been fiddling around with different shapes and making them in to scatter and pattern brushes, and I thought I’d post these here for you all to play with to! When you open the Illustrator file, be sure to check out the brushes palette for some bonuses!
Download CS3 .ai file – Vector Florence Shapes
Download .svg file – Vector Florence Shapes
It’s probably obvious, but I named these for Florence Broadhurst, queen of ornament and my role model!
Fashion
Body Image
Art
Life
