Wednesday 29 May 2013

ham-bunny


This little bunny was inspired by a number of things. 

Firstly, the very great John Tenniel, who illustrated the very first editions of 'Alice in Wonderland'. 

Also, hamburgers, because I love them, and recently discovered on a three-week stay in New York that I could, in fact, eat them every single day and never grow tired of eating them.

And buck teefs, because actually, teefs are a lot of fun to draw. 

You can catch my ham-bunny in an upcoming exhibition, Mad Hatter's Tea-Party, which opens at 10am, Saturday, July 20th, at TactileARTS in Darwin

Saturday 25 May 2013

parasols and paths cherry-scented





Of all the places in the world I have yet to visit on my bucket-list, Japan is right up there. 

This may have a whole lot to do with my many re-readings of Haruki Murakami novels, which are surely more of a surreal parallel to the Japan that exists in reality, but since I was a teenager, his is the country I imagine. And he loves cats, so he's clearly pretty awesome. 

It could also have a lot to do with a lifelong love of Hello Kitty, and my not-so-secret dream to visit Sanrio Land. I also think it would be rather jolly to find me a Totoro and sit on a strawberry-shaped bus-stop. Probably my heart would explode with happiness and I'd need a hug from Keropi to calm me down.

When I finally manage to save my pennies enough for a plane ticket, I would love, most of all, to see Japan in spring. In my mind, I cannot think of anything more beautiful than rows upon rows of cherry-blossom trees in full bloom. This little geisha seems to think the same, as she takes a leisurely promenade through the old city one spring morning.

There were a lot of things that inspired me stylistically with Sora, my little geisha. I am always fascinated to find those stylised, hand painted vintage postcards from Asia in the early 1900's. I know they were terribly unrealistic and manufactured mainly for tourists, but the geisha of yore are so compelling with their quiet, sweet faces and painted lips. 

Like my other girls, Sora is super-stylin'. I was lucky enough one Christmas to get a pack of kimono fabric from my excellent Auntie and Uncle, and I discovered that even in the plainest of patterns, it is incredible: heavy, and lush and so elegant. You might also notice that her okobo are a little like Dutch clogs; I really enjoyed playing with very heavy, pear-shaped forms in this picture. 

Traditionally, I know geisha spend many hours painstakingly styling their hair into impossible up-do's, but Sora is still quite young, and a little mischievous- the breeze is having a grand time ruffling her hair, and very soon, if it's keeps blowing about like that, I imagine her hair will soon be full of cherry-blossom petals!

 Hope you enjoy my little Sora as much as I did creating her x

Friday 3 May 2013

mimi crinoline and the wonderful wabbits




For a very long time, I have vehemently denied being a girly-girl. 

Perhaps it was simply that it took me a long time to find the particular shade that suited me, but for most of my life I thought pink was revolting, frills were for babies and high heels were invented by Satan.

I still think high-heels are the work of the devil (though by golly, those hidden platform jobs look absolutely lovely. I can however, only admire and appreciate and covet in a vicarious sort of way, since I would look like an insane drunk attempting to walk in them). 

I LOVE clothes, and if it weren't for a bit of timely advice about the particular course on offer at my chosen university, I always planned to be a designer, not a fine artist. I do wonder how different my life might have been had I put my foot down and gone to fashion school.

Naturally, all my characters have clothes I would want to wear myself. And in the world of art, where everything is possible, why not?! 

Mimi Crinoline was inspired by all the dainty little illustrations I loved as a child; lots of silky hair with a life of its' own, perpetually surrounded by butterflies (again, because I love them and I can), and wearing, not incidentally, very, very high heels . . .

It may be time to admit that really, there might be just a teeny-tiny part of me that LOVES being a girly-girl!
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