curtain / grave / piano

An attempt at being a bit freer when it comes to applying paint.
I think i had been ignoring the marvellous things watercolours do when left to their own accord.








two paintings from the past, now finished!

acrobat

This weeks theme over at illustrationfriday.com.

sunday pastilles

Yesterday was a slow sunday spent playing with paint and cooking pasta for friends.





Prissy miss debutante who also works at a funeral parlour to earn pocket money.
Has gotten married to herself to prevent any future heartbreak. (A Forward thinker.)







Spring has sprung and all i can think about in sunlight and small animals.
(a rainbow bouquet to brighten up your day!)









Because i didn't say hello when i should have.
liquid jellybean skirt.







Something from many months ago when i thought it would be fun to imagine living on my own in a little house with my own life. Now it's real! But i left my ghost salt and pepper shakers behind.





this is what this spring should be: blue mermaid juice, fresh flowers, cool breezes.
oh, and maybe some love?

1,2,3.

Because I've got cats on the brain.



tepid bathwater, love in the bathroom, spring cleaning.
Something I've been slowly working at for months now. I've had a pile of half done paintings in my room for some time and at last i am beginning to complete them. I can only move on to different things once all of these are put to rest.
p.s. this is the only kiss i can give!

cats in the neighbourhood

1. Biggie smalls, a neighbouring cat with a fat face and dopey ochre eyes who lives somewhere in the street and comes to lie on my floor if i leave the door open. He likes string and sunshine.












2. The small white pussycat without a name who followed us home two nights ago.
after seeing her almost get squished under a truck we bundled her into our arms and took her home for a good sleep and some tuna! She was very friendly and purred loudly and when we dropped her off at the vet it was sad to say goodbye.











i'm kind of wishing for a springtime miracle to take place so that someone drops a basket full of kittens off on our front doorstep. i love them so.

rococo

Some wednesdays are spent photographing antique store windows at night with a brain full of champagne.

sausages and eggs

sunday sausage dog scribbles +  a quick painting that turned into count Dracula in creepy pyjamas at breakfast.

dessert

Getting all nostalgic for illustrationfriday.com.

allsorts

paper allsorts, not licorice ones.
lately I've been thinking about ancestry, flying time, self absorption, changing directions, maturity, sadness, and the happiness and ease that one can only find with family.
It's time for things to change, and i am aware that they are, albeit at a slow pace. Natural progressions.
Today i drew an old woman for the first time in my life. It's so easy to become stuck and depend on drawing pretty pictures of pretty girls, and i would really like to branch away from that a little bit.
Being a girl, a girl who unashamedly enjoys vintage dresses and pastel miniatures, I'm not going to ignore that subject matter completely, but i do feel that there is a more mystical, darker and sadder side to everything which it is time for me to delve into.  I would like to combine the two. Nerdily enough, I've got plans to draw pictures of all the men who i like watching on tv: Donald Draper, Stephen Colbert, Stephen Fry, Harvey Levin, Heston Blumenthal, Roger Sterling, Mike Rowe. ( i like tv.)
But i also wanted to challenge myself this week. So I am asking you, members of this strange and vast internet land, to help me. please leave a comment and suggest something/someone for me to draw. (but be kind!) If my hands will permit, I'm willing to attempt to try everything.
+
bits and pieces of things on paper. old and new. :

September 2

this week = Donald draper obsessions + how many cats can you see on the street? + night walking + doing the dishes + terrible chai lattes + brain transplant.
aaand some recent commissioned work.

1. A girl mascot for Kelsey Genna, a young NZ fashion designer who makes delectable candy coloured frocks and knickers. The dress included in this illustration features a petal skirt and will soon be available in Kelsey's online boutique, along with her newly released collection of hand embellished dresses.









2. A blog header for Jenny and Meggy of Fashion For Writers, an extremely intelligent fashion blog that will charm your socks off and which views the fashion world with a refreshingly erudite eye.













3. And lastly, an illustration for Lisa Lindoe, who creates knitted blythe accessories from alpaca yarn. Her etsy shop Drop Dead Cute is a bubble of absolute cuteness.

frankie charity blanket

A couple of months ago Frankie magazine selected a small bunch of Australian illustrators (myself, Catherine Campbell, Mel Stringer, Sean Morris and Beci Orpin - to name a few) to design some squares for a big winter quilt. 
Being in the midst of a chilly winter, i drew up a selection of toasty winter outfits and a cat jumper i wish was hanging in my wardrobe. (My square is up in the top left corner! )
The collaborative quilt is now finished (thanks to brother sewing machines and some very talented embroidering hands) and looks pretty neat! The aim of the game is to auction the quilt off, with all proceeds going to the Salvation Army, a charity which provides help to those in need here in Australia.
So if you would like to own this very special quilt (which i'm sure will make sleepovers and snuggling all the more pleasant), all you have to do is send an email stating your highest bid to quilt@frankie.com.au. Bidding closes on October 19, and if yours ends up being the highest, you'll win the quilt and your donation will be given to the Salvation Army. It is such a worthy cause and this one of a kind blankie would be such a treasure to own.