Posts Tagged ‘jacky winter’

beci x gorman and new lamington drive opening

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

things have finally settled down in our world. the family is healthy (well raph has a touch of man flu – but that doesn’t count), and i am busy and working late into the night and happy once again. even ari woke up in a good mood today.

some exciting news – the first of my collaboration tees with gorman is now in store. the print is featured on gorman’s lovely soft organic cotton tee-shirts, and $5.00 of the sale price is being donated to friends of the earth. there will be another 5 prints coming out over the next few months. 

gorman_2gorman_1gorman_3

some more exciting news – the new lamington drive gallery opens tonight! the compound interest has moved from their cozy fitzroy quarters to an epic space in collingwood. the new space will feature not only lamington drive, but also jacky winter HQ, a retail shop (selling among other things, our products), a print and framing workshop, a motorbike restoration company, an architecture gallery and a 150 person cinema! i also heard whisper of a new cafe/deli opening there in near future too. could this be the curtin house of collingwood? 

the opening exhibition is from the very talented eamo donnelly and is titled “health food of a nation”. it apparently includes an awesome installation of vintage australian junk food ephemera. 

exhibition opening and new-building-warming is  tonight from 6pm-9pm, 19-25 keele st, collingwood. oh and the beatbox will be there serving burgers and other deliciousness too! what a night! cant wait!

lamington_drive

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hello again

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

i’m back. well actually, i didnt go anywhere, i just haven’t felt compelled to blog. possibly something to do with melbourne winter taking hold. in the space of a week a huge cloud of cold has descended on us and now i can no longer ride my bike without gloves and a scarf and all i want to do is eat and read my book in bed (not at the same time. maybe sometimes). and some nights i have even been able to do just that, as the studio has been maintaining a comparatively leisurely pace of late. that was until i wrote a new “to do” list today and discovered i am soon to be back in the land of the manic deadline and late night working.  

despite the calm, there has still been plenty going on, in the studio and otherwise.

most importantly – tyke turned 7. it seems ridiculously old to me, and i still trying to work out how this all happened. but it does suits him. one of his presents was a kite. a proper kite, not one that falls apart after one session of flying. he has been loving it. 

kitetyke_kite

i have also been on a book buying frenzy. everytime i step into metropolis books molly always shows me the absolute best things which i can not resist. i have been re-visiting some of my old favourite second hand book haunts too. plus there was the books at manic sale, where i picked up an enzo mari “il posto dei giochi” (the place of games) for a quarter of the normal price! i cant tell you how long i have lusted over one of these. and even better now i have kids who love it too – for them its like the awesome-ness of a cardboard box on a whole new level.

Picture 1

books

also included in my book booty (which is not at all shown justice by this exceptionally crappy photo) is latest book illustrated by marc boutavant (my current illustration hero), a book about contemporary japanese paper (heaven) and also one on the book covers by celestino piatti - a swiss illustrator heralded as the most productive book designer of all times. score!

the beatbox kitchen has also been going great guns lately. raph and the beatbox have been catering for the likes of wilco, plus many other bands and special events. the friday night jams have been going strong, and he has now added saturday morning breakfast in the same spot. the breakfast menu includes potato tacos with salsa verde and creme fraiche (everything made from scratch including the tacos), minute steak and egg roll, and pour over coffee made from very special coffee beans from seven seeds. if you are northside in melbourne (crn park and rathdowne st  nth carlton to be precise) on the weekend GO! for details check beatbox site

beatbox_breakfast

and as far as work, well of course there has been plenty of that going on too. we have just finished up a very cute job for gorman, some new decor for cookie and are midway through some new prints and embroidery designs for irony. i am also in the middle of an illustration job which came through jacky winter. its quite big, and will go across print and TV, but not in this country! will post about that when i can.

speaking of jacky winter, i recently recieved some pics of the new field guide which will be out in a few weeks. it looks amazing – hard cover, cloth bound, gold foil text, printed end papers and comes in its own printed cardboard box too. lucky me was asked by JW to illustrate the afore mentioned end papers. was one of my favourite jobs to date, made even better when i saw it had been printed in flouro pink!

JW_FG1jw_fg_2jw_fg_3

and last but not least i also designed a little avatar for my sister emily’s etsy store, where she sells very very cute handmade owls (called jorpins) and other things too. i am also (not so) patiently waiting for her to start a blog – she is much better at writing than me and its sure to be a good one. 

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thats about it for now. surely that makes up for my little venture into hibernation? hope you are staying warm x

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finally…

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

…i think i get to have a break! not anything crazy like a holiday (although there are family whispers of that soon), but an actual whole day off. i plan to spend it with ari. i used to spend one day a week hanging out with just him but the past few months i have been so busy that that fun duty has been passed on to papa, which has made me a little miserable at times.

oh my god i am so sick of talking about work. so i wont too much – but needless to say there has been no reprieve and it has been another manic week full of late working nights and stressful deadlines. keeping me busy this week has been: cute new project for frankie (more on that in the near future), an illustration for US magazine popular mechanics (thanks JW – who also have a new site!), seven seeds new website (coming soon!)/business cards/tee-shirts/coffee packaging/anything else they can get me to do, textile prints for jethro and jackson plus other on-going projects. dude – i am exhausted.

anyway, like i said, no more work talk. so here instead are my current 5 favourite things:

1. “sequential” top from pam

sequintial

i got this a few weeks ago and i have been wearing this flat out. it has become one of those pieces of clothing that i am sad to wash because it means i wont be able to wear it for a whole 2 days.

2. bow headband from south for the summer

ss_bow

how good is it?!  i also have an inez feather headband on order. bow will hopefully make me feel like hello kitty, and also match perfectly with sequential tee. i am all about a bit of colour co-oridnation. (creator jen also has a blog)

3. “the language of graphics” book

 book_coverbook_1book_2book_3 

i brought this after a quick glance from my favourite junk shop. i had no idea of the awesomeness that lay inside. once i got home and opened it i was blown away – every single one of the 320 pages is an absolute joy and inspiration.

4. ‘after’ shop

after_1after_@after_3after_4

i discovered ‘after’ about a year ago and now every time i visit it has something original and cute to offer. their eclectic selection (from recycled paper bowls to african woven bags, pretty porcelain pieces to vintage medical containers) is too good to resist. it’s also conveniently opposite queen vic’s deli section, so you can stock up on delicious pantry treats while you are at it. 78 therry st, melbourne, 300o. hours:10 – 4 tues, thurs, fri, sat & sun

5. tsumori chisato s/s 10 collection -

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pure mind-blowing genius. via bird & banner and lena corwin. more here

hope you are having a nice crisp-morning, leaf-falling, soup-making, cake-baking, autumn-type weekend. x

ari_walk

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scrambling

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

i hate to start with another yet another whine, but these past 2 weeks i just cant keep up. we have been so busy day and night, weekday and weekend – i feel like i am scrambling to do anything and everything. there are a million emails/messages unanswered, the cupboards are empty, the washing is piling up a mile high (clothes and dishes), children are feeling neglected and i am feeling like there is no way on earth i am ever ever going to get it all done.

what has been making us so busy? well, there was the justine clarke film shoot, (which was a manic and amazing experience), a decent-sized freelance job for a major banking corporation (thanks jacky winter), delivery of tiny mammoth AW range into stores, on-going illustrations for a UK published DIY book (think bunnings catalogue’s, but a nicer, colour version) and not to mention artworks/preparations for my very-fast-approaching exhibition at lamington drive. 

although i do love all my work equally, i have been most excited with the latter. i have titled the show “the infinite shape of rainbows”. all the works are going to be brightly-multi-coloured or black & white. i am also looking at opposites. so far its working out pretty well, and i have been producing pieces in a feverishly ecstatic state – often completely losing track of the time (oh look, its 1.35am, how did that happen?) who knows if this will translate into the pieces actually being any good, but at least i am having fun making them.

the show opens on the 15th of april – no doubt i will posting more in depth about it soon.

rainbows_flyer_blog

some other things that have been getting me through my busy-ness - 

my sister sent me an awesome package -

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she just moved from hong kong to seoul in the last week, and sent me this bunch of lovely korean-designed stationary to tempt me into visiting (not much tempting needed!). not only did this make me feel very happy, but also equally lame – i am totally crap at sending packages (owe you one too gini) and have had her birthday present waiting to be sent on my desk for 6 weeks now. she has just moved her whole life from one country to another and she can still get it together to send me an exceptionally thoughtful and very cute package. sigh. how did i miss out on those genes? 

i met megan morton.

homelovecover

oh. my. god. what a lady. warm, heart-felt, hilarious, fascinating and not to mention ridiculously talented and enterprising. plus mother of 3 kids! she has a new blog and also a new book (above) out titled “homelove” through penguin.

sarah showed me this. sarah has been working in our studio on casual basis for a little while now. she is awesome and i am beginning to think we cant live without her. especially when she bring things like this into my life. if you are into english accents, cats talking and need a good laugh this is the video for you.

our house was featured on design files today -

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once again thanks go out to lucy feagins – you and your blog does such great things for melbourne! and thanks also for making my house look nice, it was worth the 16hr clean-up (stayed like that for all of 20 mins once children were let back in…) also while at design files check out  tinker by print inks beautiful new homewares range.

we went to raph’s nan’s 91st birthday. there are few things that make you feel better than a sunday lunch in the country on a beautiful autumn afternoon. we also went fishing here (tyke said it was the best day of his life!)

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happy birthday dot!

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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!

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domestic

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

my past few weeks have been distracted and domestic. i cant seem to get it together and start the year. just when i think things are starting to flow, i have a sudden urgency to hang out the washing or plan for dinner (even though its only lunchtime).

it’s also my first experience of having to amuse/distract tyke during what seems like eternal school summer holidays. we have been on a lot of outings, but i still have work to get done. i feel like i am constantly explaining to him that if i am going to work at home, it means i get to hang out with him more, but also means that sometimes he has to amuse himself (sans tv/computer/ds). he claims to understand and agree, but generally 10 minutes later  will return to loitering around my studio with chants of  ”i’m bored”.  most of the time its easier to stop work and play rather than go through the increasingly tense conversation once again. i am loving spending all the extra time with him, but it doesn’t make for a very productive work practice.

here are some of the domestic things that we have been doing - 

tending to my vegie patch - in august my dad transformed our small garden from a dirt patch with a concrete path to a very cute and much more user-friendly space complete with cubby house, sandpit, decking, grass and 2 raised vegie patches. my winter veg did great but our summer crop is even better. we have had zucchini’s (green and lebanese), beans (runner and butter), cucumbers (apple and lebanese) a-plently and are about to start picking corn and have some small pumpkins appearing on our massive pumpkin vine. 

gardengarden_2

cooking – raph gave me the kitchen garden companion for christmas, which has inspired me to try lots of new recipes. my favs so far have been chicken curry with mint (from afor mentioned book), lamb cutlets with basil pea sauce (an old recipe from good weekend) and cabbage, mushroom and herb salad (from karen martini). both our digi camera’s are currently broken so unfortunately no photos of my culinary achievements. here is one from the kitchen garden companion of the chicken curry. 

chicken_curry

re-arranging – i am quite happy with this little corner in our studio.

new_arrange

the two new succulents and polka dot pot are from the amazing collectors corner, which was introduced to me by shauna. if you like succulents and would also like to buy some crystals, bonsai,fossils and possibly a dream-catcher at the same time, this is the place for you. its def worthy of a whole blog post  in the near future.

dreaming of a renovation - so much so that i booked a first meeting with an architect friend to talk about possibilities. what we want to do is quite major (extra room upstairs, new kitchen/laundry/bathroom/living area downstairs) and i am not even sure that we can afford it, and if we can it wont happen for a few years… but having my dad helps the cause (he’s a builder) and i want to get the ball rolling so we stay inspired. here is one of the pictures i always go back to in the hope of one day having a functional, open plan, light-filled kitchen. 

kitchen

despite my complaining i have been getting some work done. this week i finished 2 prints for an upcoming jacky winter group show at lamington drive (details soon) and also here is a sneak peek at a paper collage i made for inside out’s 10th birthday issue.

inside_out

still another 2 and a bit weeks until that school bell rings – anyone who has some home-office kid-amusing tips please let me know.

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i am still sorting through photos ….

Friday, October 9th, 2009

well actually, i feel like i hit the ground running since we got back, and i haven’t had a single minute to choose the best ones. but in the meantime here are some other things i have been up to:

we went to the opening of johann’s exhibition – raph has 2 little bro’s – joh and rudin. joh is the youngest (23), and he has just curated a show called “room service” which opened last night at the carlton club. joh’s artists selection is smart – each artist work is different,  but as a whole exhibition it comes together a really well. my favs were rudin’s (raphs other brother, who formally starts his career as a tattooist this week – go rudes!) beautiful old school tattoo style ink drawings, marty bell’s insane drawings and oliver and yoko’s room of paintings and screen prints. also in oli and yoko’s room was a little cupboard installation with their 3yr-old son akira’s drawings covering the walls and a “chuppa-chup grow room”! too much! below is a pics from their zine – colour versions of these paintings in the show. the exhibition is on until the 22nd – more details here. if you and melbourne its def worth a look.

RM_Flyer_Web-smalloli_yoko

noe made a costume for sarah blasko. sarah blasko is currently on tour and noe made her stage costume. i went to see sarah perform on sunday night and the costume was sooooooo beautiful – noe did and amazing job. not only does it have crazy technical sewing detail but it has two surprises – the front drops down to reveal and patchwork spectrum heart and also just before she performed “no turning back”  the sholders popped open to reveal beatiful concertina colour detail! genius!

noe_sarah_costume

leah made this print f0r fundraislinn exhibition - isn’t it amazing? i also put in piece, and many, many others contributed.  unfortunately aislinn passed away  on the day of exhibition. was also the day before her 30th brithday. i didnt know her, but its such a tragedy. the exhibition did raise $30,000 which will be passed onto her family and breast cancer research. 

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i finished this illustration for myer’s emporiom magazine. another nice job which came through jacky winter

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i am giving a talk in hobart tomorrow it is been organised by the tasmanian branch of the AGDA, and its called “breakie with beci”! cute!

breakie-with-beci-hero

have a nice weekend! x

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hello jacky winter!

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

jw_logo

as from today, i am officially part of illustration agency jacky winter! needless to say i am honoured and excited to be part of this great agency – ever since i saw the first “jacky winter field guide” i have been endlessly impressed by their group of artist and also the way the agency promotes itself. i will be in fine company with the likes of we buy your kids (biddy maroney easily one of my fav aus talents), niels oeltjen, dylan martorell and jonathan zawada, just to name a few. rebecca wolkenstein will still be representing me in sydney, on behalf of jacky winter. (b.t.w – rebecca being the super-star she is has also joined forces with jacky winter to form new agency rock of eye - check it out - their line up is pretty epic)

on another note, this past weekend my folk face cushion was in the age sunday life magazine. it was part of the my space section, this week featuring author vanessa holle’s house. i was particulary psyched to see the cushion in someone’s home (especially in a house that i really liked the look of – i have been hunting one of those arabia heart bowls for ages!) and also flattered she said the cushion “becomes a piece of art itself” – shucks! thanks vanessa! 

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i originally made the folk face cushion as part of a princess tina range, but we are releasing them again as part of new beci orpin line next month.

also, we will be showing tiny mammoth winter 2010 collection over the next few days at  life in style tradeshow in melbourne. if anyone out there is around come and say hello!

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