Sketchalot : Fun-loving bohemians

I've been watching seeds sprout and I can't even explain how exciting it is to have a vegie garden in its early stages... in our backyard! We've got parsley, capsicum, chilli, tomatoes, snow peas, butter beans, green beans, rocket, cucumber, baby carrots and spring onion so far. Thrilling! One day I'll make a salad from it all and that'll be super delicious.

Speaking of fresh, how ace are these illos by Vanessa, aka Inkblot? I like Vanessa from sunny Brighton. It appears we have a few things in common: jogging, red nail polish, pistachio ice cream, polar bears, math... but enough about the sisterhood, here's Vanessa in her own words...

What's to love about Brighton?
Brighton is the kind of place where 'anything goes', it is truly bohemian and has a thriving creative culture. The combination of the multicultural, fun-loving, friendly inhabitants, the huge community of artists and the sea and fresh air is extremely inspiring indeed. I have grown up here and love it. Also all the museums and shops in London are only a short train journey away.


Who inspires you?
My family inspires me. My siblings are all ambitious and hard-working and very encouraging and supportive of my achievements, talents and goals. I particularly admire people who have become successful from having nothing and coming from poor backgrounds and working their way up by sheer hard work and determination.

There are also many Etsy artist/designers that inspire me. I think the work of Betsy Walton is incredible, it makes me feel like I am dreaming, it is so weird and beautiful. I came across Art and Ghosts recently, which is also amazing, dark and beautiful. I love the work of Brandi Strickland for her unusual and vibrant collages.
(PS Brandi was featured on Cloudburst Beauty back in April... for the interview go here).


Any hidden talents?
I do not have many 'exciting' hidden talents... I think I must put all my energy into my art and design! If I had to find some things, I would say that I think I can run quite fast, have an A-Level in Maths, am an experienced skier and am extremely good (read competitive:-)) at Pictionary and usually on the winning team!


Favourite blogs?
I absolutely love printpattern.blogspot.com and also designspongeonline.com (especially the 'Sneak Peeks'), I have only recently got into reading blogs and have spent more time reading through the archives of these than finding new ones but I know there are loads of cool blogs just waiting to be found! I love yours for a start, so I will have to add it to my list! (Thanks so much V!).

Illos from top down: Teacup, Bloom, Lovebird and Leaf.
More: inkblot.etsy.com

Fryup : Compulsive behaviour

Let's start this new week with a big high five for me. I've made it a month without alcohol or coffee! I've also eliminated sugar in most of its guises (save for wee nibbles of dark chocolate, occasional scoop of gelato or a touch of maple syrup on my porridge) and a whole bunch of other processed garbage.

And don't I feel good. I've been waking early and jogging most morning with the dog. Energy levels are awesome, thanks for asking. Jeans aren't so snug. Eyes are clear. I can skip past a pub at 5 on a Friday and not cry, order a chai latte at a cafe without eyeballing the coffee beans and I can even get to 3:30 on a Monday without thinking about a block and a half of milk chocolate. It's a little virtuous and a whole lotta fab. Let's see if I can make it to three months.

Now if I had come across Canadian dude Neil, aka Beepart, and his bacon bits a few weeks ago, I would not have looked on his work so favourably. But now I'm able to withstand the sight and smell of bacon without turning into a craving, dribbling mess, I love it. All of it. I love the reclaimed wood, rounded edges and randomness of it all. Go Neil.


Have you always been creative?
I think I started drawing as soon as I could pick up a crayon, it's something I've always done. It's a type of compulsive behaviour. I've always been drawn to the aesthetics of things and wanted to recreate stuff I saw on paper.

What are you most proud of?
What I'm most proud of professionally would be just being able to make a living as a freelance illustrator...when I first started out I wasn't sure it was going to be possible. I'm sure my family wondered too...


What makes you laugh?
Witty, intelligent humour... and South Park too.

Fave blogs?
I have to sheepishly admit that I'm not a big reader of blogs, but I do get email updates from Cupcakes Take the Cake so I can look at tasty cupcakes throughout the day.


FYI I still eat ham... the urges must be cared for somehow.

More: beepart.etsy.com
Pics from top down: bacon, yellow vespa, love sucks and yellow ham

Multitalent : Overwhelming joy

I haven't discussed my issues with Being a Gemini in a while, but today is the perfect day to do so. Why? you ask. What's wrong? you enquire. Well, let me tell you. It makes me eternally fidgety. Some peeps feel a bit restless here and there, but mine sits with me most of the time. Which means a bunch of good stuff, like I'm flexible, spontaneous, laugh a minute, all that. But it also means that every day has to be different. You'll rarely see me in the same outfit, eat the same meal (certain exceptions exist, namely roast chicken with leek and potato) or watch the same movie twice (alas, Pretty Woman, American Beauty, Pulp Fiction, you can light up my screen any day).

However, I'm right on the Cusp of Taurus. Stubborn, unchanging, persistent, self-indulgent little bulls. So although fleeting, when I find something I like, nay, something I LOVE, I stick to it. Like house-building glue. Until I change my mind of course, but that's another therapy session right there.

Which brings me today's illustration by Kai at KootiesCloset. It's called Modern Love and I'm so in love with it I had to feature it in all three colours. (And look, twin birds, such Gemini appeal). Kai has a treasure trove of an etsy shop, containing bespoke stationery, gift tags and cards, stickers, pocket mirrors and jewellery. So enough of me, here's Kai... (such a sweet name)...


What do you love about art?
The overwhelming joy that manifests in my solar plexus as a result of appreciating or producing it.

What makes you laugh?
The Mighty Boosh!!! Nighty Night, Bill Hicks, Ricky Gervais, Larry David, Russel Brand's Ponderland, anything Douglas Adams, Metalocalypse, Home Movies, David Sedaris, This American Life, Conchords, Zack Galifinakis, silly animal bloopers and 80s pop videos.


Any hidden talents?
Let's see...I can wiggle my ears, write with my toes, sniff out a lie... do these count?
(Absolutement!)

Fave Etsy Shops?
Well, I love my friends, of course - GypsyDreamcrafters and sickboyvintage, and my mom - Enzedr (she's from New Zealand). I also LOVE lakeillustration, matteart, PressaRussa, 12fifteen, FourcrowsArt and too many others to mention, so browse my favourites already!

More: kootiescloset.etsy.com

Talentcomp : If you love something

The fam got together last night at a Malaysian restaurant to celebrate my sis-in-law's birthday. After we gorged ourselves on curries and delicious things I was playing with my niece on my lap, she was trying to put my hair up my nose. After a while she cackled and said "Aunty Kris is funny." Made my night. What a little gem.

I think laughing at yourself is so important. Last week I spilled tea on my laptop. All over it. Ruined it. I was devastated, really down on myself and terribly annoyed. After I took it into Apple and realised repair costs for this would be too expensive, so I'll have to buy a new one, I let myself feel sad for a minute and then realised - hey, I'm healthy, hubby's healthy, puppy's healthy, the fam is healthy, I have a magical life and this isn't going to bring me down! So I laughed at myself for being a dork and moved on.

Happily, Am, the self-taught graphic artist behind 3LambsGraphics chuckles at her own flaws too. Her prints here have really brightened my day... as have her answers. Here she is...


What makes you laugh?

Ironies and idiosyncrasies - the little things you notice about people and situations that make you laugh, but also endear them to you and make them memorable. And I laugh at myself - a lot! I'm not the most coordinated person...


What other creative outlets do you have?

Photography is my other love. I always have a camera on me! I collect old film cameras as well, most of which are sadly neglected at the moment. It's finally warmer here, though, so I'm hoping to use quite a few of them before the summer is over.

I'd really like to learn how to use metal clay, just for fun. It seems so versatile, but I'm a bit intimidated by the firing and polishing aspects!


What are you reading?

I always love Martha Stewart, especially for color palette ideas. HOW Magazine and Print are great as well. Flipping through their design annuals always helps me get over artist's block.


What are your fave blogs?

For blogs, I can't help checking out Just Something I Made on a daily basis. She's always coming up with original and creative projects, and she posts wonderful freebies (many of them vintage!). Design*Sponge, Modish, Housemartin, The Dieline, and Green Island Studios are other favorites. I also read quite a few cooking and baking blogs - messing around in the kitchen always de-stresses me! Smitten Kitchen, Orangette, Dorie Greenspan, Chocolate & Zucchini, and Creampuffs in Venice all have delicious recipes and great stories to go along with them.


Pics from top:
If You Love Something, Set it Free; The Feathered Family; Dandelion Wishes; Blossoming Dogwood and Yield to Love.
3lambsgraphics.etsy.com

Sketchalot : Bird, bike, boom and belonging

Today, my peeps, was delightful. It was so busy, but busy when you're freelancing has an underlying feeling of gratitude instead of stressiness. It was also warm. Real warm for mid-winter. I stopped by Bronte beach this morning - where I used to live... sigh - on the way to a shoot for a story I'm writing. I also ate burnt fig jam, honeycomb and caramel ice cream this afternoon in the sun. In between I was crazy busy dancing on this laptop, but tis all good.

Today's post, therefore, is all good and should make you feel like you've got a smile full of sunshine and a belly full of yum. Meet John W. Golden (you're already smiling at the name, aren't you?), a digital artist with a love of vintage and a handy knowledge of fun. Here's a couple fast facts about Mr John...
What's your earliest creative memory?
My earliest memory of drawing was a game a friend of mine and I used to play. We would draw tanks and airplanes and other military type stuff on pieces of paper. Then we would place a pencil point on one of our drawings. Using one finger on top of the pencil's eraser (to hold the pencil upright), you would flick the pencil point toward your opponent's drawings, resulting in a pencil mark "fired" from your drawing. If the pencil mark hit your opponent's drawing, they had to draw a scribble-y explosion on top of that drawing. The loser of the game was the first to run out of drawings.

Did you get in trouble for it?
I definitely got in trouble for it, as it was usually during school that we played the game.


What's your favourite magazine, book and blog?
I read Juxtapoz (mag), The Business of Holidays (book), and blog-wise, I follow AshleyG, The Black Apple and a dude named Matt Logelin.

Pics from top down: Belongs to You, Band Legged Blue Green Striped Bird Collage, Cycles per Second and Boom.
You know you want more: johnwgolden.etsy.com; jwgdesign.blogspot.com

Posterjoy : Sharing the love

Things I learned from my Mum: I can do anything and be anyone I want to without exception, to laugh often and loudly, a love of writing, a instinct for cooking... and a glass of wine solves just about anything.

Things I learned from my Pop: do your best in whatever you do, a love of maths, an instinct for gardening, to stand up for myself, to appreciate the details... and to know when to hit the beach after a day of hard work.

Some things just run in the family. Like curly hair (thanks Pop) and long fingers (cheers Mum), some things are just in us. I think once we accept and embrace these (talents, freckles and all), life becomes easier and more fulfilling. (Which means any day now I'll stop straightening my hair. Soon. Really. However, if I may point out I have taken a trip to brunette-ville for the first time in a while. Yes, yes, no more bleach. I'm proud of me too.) Where were we?

I was thinking about heirlooms after I read all about the gorgeous JJ, a Melbourne-based designer. I was drawn to her work instantly, it was like a bright beacon lit up the room. Then I found out her father was the illustrator of many portraits on Aussie currency and her 10 year-old daughter has just finished her first novel. Crikey. Here's a few words from the designer herself...

What makes you laugh? Hands down, my 10 year-old daughter Angel. She is the funniest, wittiest person I've ever known. She always making me laugh with her quick comments and insightful mind.

What music do you listen to as you create? When I'm drawing I nearly always listen to music, anything from Debussy, French music, Sigur Ros, Coldplay, Radiohead, Motown, Bob Dylan or the Beatles. When I'm designing, I rarely play music. I usually am so engrossed in what I'm doing that I don't even think about putting music on, and I also like the creativity to be pure if you know what I mean. I am so profoundly moved by music that I find it a distraction.

What are you reading? Currently I'm reading 'The Passion Test' by Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwood, and 'City of Bones' by Michael Connelly :)


theloveshop.etsy.com

Top set, left to right: Je Taime, Never Give Up and Do What You Love.
Set above, left to right: Laugh Love Dream, Love in Manhattan and Carpe Diem.

Talentcomp : Colour me calm

Phew. Today was busy. Busier than most days in the wonderful world of magazine making. So I'm having a calm evening with the hubby. Roast chicken, lemon and honey tea and pastels. I tried the bold thing around our house a few years back and realised (before it extended to the big items thankfully) that bold is not for me. Oh no. Colour and I now have a perfect understanding - it's pastels all the way. I breathe deeper that way. It's a good thing.

Check out the fabulous work above by Mara at Printspace. She's a Melbourne-based illustrator and graphic designer who has a clear obsession with birds and love (snap!... plus we share the same fave colour, olive green, and she's *gasp* addicted to home magazines). Anyway, enough about soul-sisters, this woman is talented. The works above are hand drawn in ink, coloured digitally and printed by an epson on soft white art paper. You can also find her new stationery shop here and her cute blog here. So much love!

Giclee prints clockwise from top left: Sweet Too, Hoot. Hoot. Little Owl, Love is Bigger Than All Of Us and Hello Coco.