mad hatter's tea-party grand opening

We had quite the whirlwind weekend, with the very grand opening of our show, 'Mad Hatter's Tea-Party: A Curious Art Exhibition with Marita Albers, Kate Bussey, Andrea McKey and Mel Macklin'. Let me take you on a little tour of our mad morning!

 

By 10.30, the gallery was crammed full of people!

 

 

 Gargantuan ceramic flowers beautifully made by Kate Bussey.

 Gorgeous mixed-media sculptures by Kate Bussey.

Me in one of Andrea McKey's mad mirrors. 

Andrea McKey's gorgeous neck-candy. Andrea has been a huge influence on my own artwork over the past ten years, and it was she that taught me how to make fimo beads, many moons ago! She is as fantastic and dear a friend as she is an incredible artist. 

You can see more of Andrea's gorgeous work on her website: http://www.artbyandreamckey.com/

 

Gorgeous mixed-media sculpture by Kate Bussey; 'The Lady's Mad Hair' by Marita Albers. 

 'Lionel Rich Tea' and 'Much More Curious' by the marvellous Marita Albers. I can't help but smile whenever I see Lionel, he's such a sweetie! That pink sweater just melts my heart!

 Beaut babushkas by the marvellous Marita Albers.

Fabulous felt finches made by me, and just a snip of some of Marita Albers' gorgeous paintings. I always think of her canvases like glittering little jewels, with all sorts of secrets hidden in them. Every day I look at them, I see some new, wonderful thing. 

A little tableau of my art dolls, and a very fancy garland made up of watercolour miniatures by one of my all-time fave art heroes and very dear friend, Marita Albers. 

   

My pastel pilgrim art dolls, inspired, amongst other things, 

by Wednesday Addams and gelati.

 Lucie Diamonds, my star art doll.

Our exhibition was opened by former Chief Minister for the Northern Territory, and TactileARTS patron, the lovely Clare Martin. Just over ten years ago, Clare made a speech at my own high-school graduation, and I have always remembered how warmly and fondly she spoke. We are so lucky to have Clare such an active part of our arts community, and I was absolutely delighted when she accepted our invitation to open our show. 

My very dear friend, and an absolutely incredible illustrator, Sandra Kendell. Sandra has been a huge source of support and encouragement for me in my own dreams to illustrate picture books, and hers are some of the most unique, detailed and downright beautiful I have ever seen. You can see some of her work right here: / http://www.sandrakendell.net/

Our very wonderful Ingrid Gersmanis, who quite rightly took home an artist prize for her fantastic Wonderland threads! Ingrid is the marvellous manager of Darwin's art-supply store, Jacksons, as well as an artist herself, and a keen mermaid fancier. She is also the very proud adoptive mum to quite a few of my dolls and prints! I will really miss people like Ingrid, who so proudly support their local arts community.

Just a small sample of some of the mad hats that frocked up to our art show! Kate's styro hearts made a curious 'doinking' noise every time they wobbled around in the breeze!

 Our gorgeous Kate.  

My friend Sonia made my absolute year with her fabulous princess outfit! She looked so gorgeous I got an extra artist prize together just for her. Alice would be so proud (and jealous!)

Feeling so darn lucky to be exhibiting with such awesome friends and artists! Thank-you SO much to everyone who supported us- it is you, sayers of sweet things, fabulous friends, and adoring adopters of our work who keep us smiling and dreaming.

'Mad Hatter's Tea-Party' will be showing at TactileARTS til Sunday, August 4th, 2013. 

juicy sunshine and the purple parrot

 

It seems I'm on a wee bit of a food theme, here!

This was originally going to be called The Blood-Orange Breakfast, as I had initially drawn the little orange-girl with vampire teeth . . . I know, genius. But they looked a bit funny, and the aesthete in me won over. 

Instead, she's just a sweet little cannibal with a weakness for frilly petticoats and stripy straws. Her best friend, Pedro, is a very rare purple macaw, maybe even the last of his kind in the whole world. He understand what it's like to be a little bit different, and he loves Juicy Sunshine very much ♥

I like to think my blondes always have the best fun- Princess Lily makes macarons, the Cat-cher chases cheeky cardinals through the snow all day, and one is the heavenly guardian of all things holey and doughnut-related . . . They each remind me of the boundless possibilities and potential for happiness that art can provide us ♥

cameo lover

Here's a wee tribute I just finished of the very gorgeous Kimbra. I so admire her adventurous outfits that always seem to come together so beautifully and eloquently with that mischievous, infectious smile, like a small child plotting to rob the cookie-jar! 

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

The Cat-cher and the Cardinal

"Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. 

True, and they have many other fine qualities as well." 

- Missy Dizick

Number 33 for Cloud Park Corner

It occurred to me the other day that I have been thinking about heaven a lot lately. 

Don't worry; I'm not about to go all Natalie Portman and sprout wings and go all cray-cray at Mila Kunis. Nor, sadly, have I transformed into a statuesque blonde with the ability to intimidate loan-sharks a-la 'Angela'. I should also point out I remain staunchly agnostic about religious matters, and I am not questioning my mortality or seeking existential answers any more than usual. But still, there is this recurring fascination with a child-like interpretation of that fluffy place above us. 

My notion of the Hereafter is probably more like a sort of metropolis-come-funfair. I like the idea of angels with less-than angelic behaviours (not unlike Neil Gaiman's character Islington in 'Neverwhere', though perhaps not quite so malicious). Mine would have vices aplenty, and you'd find them doing all sorts of unseemly things, like scoffing whole bratwursts behind the moon, or relieving themselves as their cloud passed over Tom Cruise, or using their friends' halo as a basketball hoop. 

Very probably, Heaven would be a bit like London. It wouldn't just be angels that lived there, but all sorts of other characters too (though of course, I would love to see a Cockney chimney-sweep angel, that would be fabulous). There'd be bridges made out of rainbows, and mice on the moon, and cows mooching about in the Milky Way. Mary Poppins would be up there too, a pleasantly dotty old biddy with no teeth, carrying on about cough-syrup and her diabetes. Everything would be edible too: the clouds would taste of marshmallow, and each colour of the rainbow would taste of something different (the orange would be marmalade, and you'd think the red would taste of strawberry, but, FYI, it's chilli).

I always imagined my character the Cloud Princess lived in Heaven, or somewhere very like it; maybe a few thousand feet below in Cloud Land, or Fluffy Town, or Fairyflosstopolis. I had a lot of fun creating her character and, though I am long sold out of the small edition of 20 prints I made of her two years ago, I am still asked about her all the time. And so, I thought it was high-time to revist her.

As some of you might know if you follow my adventures on Facebook and Instagram, I am a relatively new slave to two Beaglier puppies, Sandro and Lily. At 5 months old they are quite the handful, and of course, I couldn't imagine what life would be like without them, and their sweet droopy faces. I have affectionately named these characters Princess Lily and Sandro Spottydog in honour of them, and I hope that I have conveyed just a little of the love and warmth between these two friends. 

The Cloud Princess, as I imagine her, loves to bake all sorts of cakes, but macarons are her absolute favourite (and not, incidentally, mine too!). She and Sandro have nipped up the shops for a few foodie supplies, and now are waiting for the Starbus to take them back home to Cloud Park Corner. The sun is just about to set, and Princess Lily always cooks her best macarons by the light of the moon!

I learned so many new things creating this piece, and I am particularly pleased with the slightly eighties, acid-wash look of the light on the clouds. All the best characters came out of the eighties for me: Lady Lovelylocks, Rainbow Brite, Strawberry Shortcake, and these were just a few of the inspirations behind Princess Lily's look. As always too- piles and piles of hair. And why not? Heaven hath no need of hairspray!

 

I hope you like this heavenly duo as much as I did making them.

Have a gorgeous day,
Mel x

astrid

Hello, hello, and happy Tuesday grumpy stars and pink galahs!

I have had a beautiful week with my latest Wallflower, 'Astrid'. I love the sound of this name; the soft hiss of the 'As', and the muted thud of the 'id'. I have a bit of a love-affair with the way certain names sound, I must confess; like a Robert Frost poem, there's something about the way that names are said that brings them to life and gives them three dimensions.

 

'S' sounds in particular give me little goosebumps. Just for a bit of fun, have a read of this poem. Then read it out loud (for best effect, try to maintain the iambic rhythm if you can!).

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost, 1923

 

I think this is my favourite poem mostly because I feel like I've been somewhere else when I read it. It haunts me in a beautiful sort of way; long after I've finished reading I imagine echoes of snow falling and feel a sense of, I suppose, delicious loneliness. The little snowflakes around Astrid are a sort of tribute to this aural beauty, and in contrast to the daisies in her hair- because, this is a joyous and happy picture after all!

 

And, quite fittingly, her name means 'fair, beautiful goddess'- suits her very nicely, don't you think?

 

Speaking of all things divine, 'The Goddesses of Small Things' opens this Friday night at 6pm, DVAA, Woods Street, Darwin. This little flyer was designed by my fabulous and very clever friend Marita Albers, and you can come grab yourself one from my Mindil or Parap Market shops, or from Jacksons Art Supplies. This little gem of a show is all about miniatures: beautiful little things for you to love, and small enough to make your wallet smile too! Really looking forward to seeing you there.

 

Have a brilliant rest-of-the-week!

Mel x