Archive for February, 2010

an nice end to my not-so-great week

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

my past week sucked. my problems were all work-related. there has been a hold-up on a job i am working on which left me in limbo (i hate being in limbo). i un-intentionally put a new friend whom i very much admire in a professionally awkward spot. i did a pitch for a job and did it badly, and knew it was bad, and still submitted it, and then felt terrible, like i let a lot of people down. and i had a major cannellini bean recipe failure too. the whole week just felt like a mess. 

but last night i went to an opening at hell gallery and saw some of my favourite people (and babies) who also told me their weeks were not so good. then i got to look at some great drawings, eat raph’s burgers (beatbox was there!), drink beer in the park  and watch the pink clouds in the sunset sky while my kids were happily going crazy in the playground. it made everything feel a million times better. amazing what a night away form the computer in the last of summer twilight can do.

this morning we also discovered this gigantic zucchini in our garden. i am going to slice it length-ways and fry in a pan with olive oil and add lemon juice, fresh chopped mint, parsley, oregano and serve it with goats feta. yum.

zucchini

scratch it

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

nothing

scratch and sniff sticker collection via nothing is new (hands down my fav RSS feed in my inbox). more sticker collections here. have a had quick look but cant wait to explore in detail… i have a feeling its going to be a loooooooong night.

justine clarke project and other new things

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

late last year (on christmas eve, to be precise) i was asked if i was interested in art directing the new justine clarke’s 3rd CD and DVD release (titled “great big world“). for those of you who don’t know justine clarke, she is an australian actress who has been in many films and tv series, is often on playschool, and also has a solo career singing songs for kids. she was also in mad max 3.

in the past we have helped justine with some merchandise through tiny mammoth, and she had been a joy to work with. and i always love to work on kid-related stuff, and wanted to try my hand at art directing – so i said yes. 

we have just finished the artwork for the CD (see cover below – released through ABC in april), and are now finishing the concepts for the 15 film clips on the DVD. yes, that’s right, for my first venture into film and animation i am making not one, but  fifteen film-clips. i don’t like doing things in halves. and am quite willing to hand over my sanity for the next few months. 

cover_low_res_blog

other goings on in the studio this week – we have been helping my favourite coffee retailer and cafe seven seeds with some invites for an event they have coming up at the melbourne food and wine festival (you can read more about their event here) we decided to gocco them all on thick poster board… ink didnt like the stock very much and it took all day but we are quite happy with the results. hopefully will be doing a few bits and pieces for seven seeds this year. unfortunately (or probably fortunately) i dont get paid in coffee. 

seven_seeds_invite

this week i also once again entered the strange world that is feminine hygiene marketing. i have been there before and its been in interesting experience. who knew that guiding a females pad or tampon choice was so complicated. believe me it is. i cant say much more than that for now, hopefully can show/write about it more in the near future. has been fun. and weird. very weird. 

and one last thing – the beatbox kitchen website is now up! includes a calender showing which events we will be at in the near future (including good vibrations this saturday) and some other good stuff too – www.beatboxkitchen.com

beatbox

peachy for your valentine.

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

peachy_goodness

today i put together a special valentine’s dish (titled “vanilla peaches hearts raspberry fool“), which has just gone up on three thousand. you can see the recipe here. my recipe is the first to be featured  in a new series titled “celebrity non-chef”. available on three thousand every tuesday from now on.

look what arrived on my desk last week…

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

BBW_DRESSES

the new built by wendy book! was pretty satisfying to see all our illustrations in place for a third time around. cover worked out quite nicely too. it is officially out in the US tomorrow – you can pre-order from amazon, and also from BBW site, but a little birdy told me it might also be available locally at metropolis books in the near future.

here are some of our fav drawings we made for the book -

bbw_favs

and also speaking of online shopping… dare i say it… we have been testing our online store this week and all the cyber-space gremlins that have been causing us much grief have been chased away, so it is now very close to being live. perhaps i have said similar things in the past, but this time it is for real! once its up will be sure to post. possibly even with a little giveaway as well. 

and if you are looking for some kitchen accessory envy/inspiration (as i always am), check out lisa cogdon (of rare device, SF) amazing cathrineholm collection on dwell. her plate display (and pretty much everything else) is great too. (via the lovely seesaw designs)

lisa_kitchen

risographica!

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Risographica

i am proud to announce that this week i will have work in my first jacky winter group show at JW gallery Lamington Drive. the show is titled “RISOGRAPHICA” and features many of the very talented JW artists (including the amazing we buy your kids, who are fast becoming my fav local act). all the prints are A3, editions of 25 and are selling for a tres cheap $50! also a percentage of all sales will be donated to Medecins Sans Frontiere (Doctors without Borders) for the haiti crisis – so many good reasons to check it out. Opening night is this thurs 4th feb 6-9pm @ Lamington Drive – 89 George St, Fitzroy. Exhibition runs 5th feb – 20th feb. more info here.

here are the 2 prints i have in the show (although please note these are the illustrator files – not finished product). they are titled “as day”(top)  and “follows night” (bottom).

riso_1_blogriso_2_blog

on the opening night lamington drive will also be announcing their exhibition schedule for the rest of 2010 (you might just see my name up there…)

in other news this week that school bell finally did ring (HOORAH!) and things in the studio were starting to feel productive and normal again for a few minutes, and then poor little ari got sick. ah kids… gotta love ‘em. but despite this i have been thrown out of my previous starting-the-year-doldrums and into full working action by a new project that we will be working on for the next two months. not sure when i will receive the all clear to tell-all by the powers that be, but i can say it’s something for kids, involves a lot a character design and working with an animator. i think its going to be a good one.

ALSO a quick thank-you to anyone who waited in the very long line to eat from beatbox kitchen at laneway festival! aside from the fact there were only 5 food vendors to feed 8,000 of you, it was our most successful event to date and your patience was very much appreciated!! 

ciao for now x

* UPDATE! UPDATE! beatbox kitchen will now also be at the opening of risographica! will be the first time our much tried and tested burgers will be available to the public! (will still be shroom burgers and fries for vegos). dont mind the rain – come and enjoy!