collecting colour....

The new installation of my work at the Pop Up....

Some may say that it's LONG overdue.
Others may claim that Im just a little bit old fashioned.
In any case I have a tiny confession to make.
I am not a big phone person, and as such, Ive held onto my tiny old Nokia mobile for years and years. It had a black and white screen, no camera, no video, and no way of seeing any kind or Internet action.
It was basic. I admit.

When I walked anywhere I looked around me and enjoyed the moment, instead of checking to see if I had received a text or email every two seconds. I was never a slave to it and loved that it was purely a phone, and not a mini computer.
But now the situation has changed.

A friend was upgrading and asked if I would like to try her old phone for a while, and keep it if I liked using it. And now Im sold! And what I love most is being about to take photos with it rather than constantly carrying my camera.
Yes the quality may not be as sharp, but I do like the moody lighting...
See what you think of my camera phone technique.
These photos were taken in the last few weeks...
And Ive also joined instagram if anyone would like to find me!

Fake flowers at Spotlight... Love those artificial colours!

This image was taken by Mel Young at her workshop at Object Gallery
a couple of weeks ago. I wish I had been there so I could have
learnt how to make these woven beauties...

Inner city laneway graffiti I found on my walk through the streets...

Love the doorway on the left, covered in graffiti and artificial light.

Its like a Klee painting...

More spotlight flowers... Just to finish off.

What do you think?
Am I getting there with my camera phone action?
I hope so...

makin' hay...

A sneak peek inside the wooden box
 that is filled with new drawings for the solo show in June...

Do you know the saying:

Making hay while the Sun shines?

Well - that was me today... 

I was out of the house and in the studio as soon as I saw the blue sky and bright shiny Sun. It was like heaven and it felt like a day to savour, as we start to feel a cool Autumnal breeze in the air. But not today. Today felt like summer and I was eager to get started on the long list of things to do, as my exhibition looms ever closer. 

I just cant believe that it's May and that it's the start of yet another month! Truly - how did that happen? Can someone please tell me? I'm trying to keep calm and be happy with what Ive completed so far.... Ive found my colours for the new drawings, Ive felt my way through my mark making, and Ive discovered what this new body of work wants to 'be' and look like. 

But there is still alot I would like to achieve. 

And I guess that's always the dilemma - How do you make yourself happy with what is in front of you, rather than what is in your head? 

I guess, in the end, all you can do is keep on going.

Don't stop. And just enjoy the ride.

And so far Ive really enjoyed working on this new series of artworks that are energetic, colourful and full of life.... 

New large diptych drawing for the Breathing Colours exhibition in June...

Detail of another large drawing that talks of patterns on the land and in the sea...

memories of 2011... pt 5

The passing of Cy Twombly in 2011 made me look back to a treasured trip  to see his retrospective exhibition  at The 2001 Venice Biennale ...

Home may be where the heart is but for me, home is also where the art is!

Art is my everyday life. I don't seem to be able to remove one from the other...
And i wouldn't have it any other way... 

From visiting an exhibition, to photographing a colour, or creating a new artwork, my life is utterly wrapped within a focus for all things artistic, soulful, and creative.  And that is the true essence of this blog I call tinytrappings, a space that I have loved sharing with you for these past 3 years or so...

In this final retrospective look at 2011, i recall some of my favourite art moments for the year. What made me smile, what made my heart flip, and what i loved to create...

This image is from one of my favourite exhibitions/art festivals for the year...
Outpost at Cockatoo Island November 2011.

One of my favourite photographic moments also came from my trip to see Outpost at Cockatoo Island.
The light, the moment, the backdrop...the little boy... so beautiful!

This blog features alot of street art... as I find it all so inspiring. The colours, the graphic mark making, and the urban backdrops all grab me when Im in the city with a camera at hand. This is one of my favourite graffiti shots for the year... taken in Surry Hills, September 2011

Favourite shot of colour + texture in a quiet street in Surry Hills, August 2011

No contest - Favourite art space and art experience for 2011... MONA. Hobart. Tasmania. The museum made my heart beat faster, as I was challenged, inspired and blown away!... April 2011

Was treated to some amazing nights out to see some truly great art performances... And on this cold winters night at the Opera House I was lucky enough to catch the new dance piece by The Bangarra Dance Company. 

And then there was the studio! I painted, embroidered, weaved and sketched... and for some
great projects too... This wintery studio shot was from June when I completed a new
photo realism oil painting for an art prize...

Some of my favourite projects came from a very heart felt place. And in October
I was commissioned by my brother and new sister in law to create a drawing
for their wedding invitation... which I loved!

Another heart felt series took shape this year, a series of blue illustrations
of my dog Monte. These proved a hit with many of you out there... and it felt
like a fitting tribute to a much loved member of the family...

Another great commission that I was asked to complete way back in January was a
Harbour scene diptych for an old friend who missed out on buying a piece at the
Primrose Gallery exhibition in 2010...

And then there was an exhibition in May. Our 5th annual 'Make' exhibition, which features many artists' who have worked at one time or another for Object Gallery in Sydney. I love this exhibition every year, and in 2011 I loved creating a new series of works that I produced under this year's theme of 'white'.
Will hopefully expand on this series in 2012... so watch this space!

New contacts and collaborations were created in 2011, and one in particular that I enjoyed being involved with was for a new children's interior design showroom in Switzerland! These 4 embroidered owls flew over to Zug to be a part of the launch in October...

And finally there were all the weaving projects. I absolutely love making these colourful woven bowls, and in 2011 they were seen in Melbourne, at Sydney Gallery Breathing Colours, and on my tinytrappings store.
In 2012 I hope to expand the project, and also teach people of all ages the love of this meditative craft...

I hope you have enjoyed sharing some of these moments with me and that you'll come and visit me throughout 2012 as I start afresh in the studio, experience new travel adventures, and seek to create and discover new inspirations to live with... and dream on.

See you soon...

M A D E ... {with love}

And so we come to Friday... and its time to say

a massive Merry Christmas to you all.

I hope you have a lovely day with family + friends

 surrounded by all the wonderful tastes, smells, colour, laughter and fun

that the season has to bring...

Ive loved making and sharing this Christmas 

and I hope Ive given you a few ideas

for the weekend ahead!

Most of all I hope you relax, recharge, celebrate 

and play

on this Sunday's Christmas day!

See you soon

x

a special invitation.

wedding invitation designed by Matt Grainger...with illustration by me!

I cant quite believe that its finally here. 

My little (well not that little) brother is gettin hitched. 

It's funny when life suddenly sees you doing all things big adulty things...

Big things like get married, have kids, buy a property... 

Geez - I'm amazed when I do my tax return and drive myself to the other side of the city! 

I find that big events can become even bigger when they happen to your brother or sister as you're happy, but amazed that time has already marched on to that point where you are marking such special moments! Where DID the time go??? 

But THAT day is here... and a few months ago I was lovingly asked to help with the wedding invitation. I had never been given a brief such as this so I wasn't sure how it was all going to turn out. My  soon-to-be-sister in law Kym asked if I would do a drawing for the invite that was not too prissy, cute, overtly feminine or too soft. Well that's no problem... my work is usually colourful, playful, non gender specific. 

But what to draw? A landscape? A portrait? No -  it has to be something more symbolic. 

It had to be birds.... 

Two birds that mirrored each other and stood tall as a couple... but on closer inspection were individual characters. 

And so this little illustration was born. 

Once I had the approval from the clients it was then worked into the invite by my brother's good friend Matt who is a graphic designer. Matt was great at finding the balance of what needed to be included, but also how to make the whole thing very personalised, as you see many wedding invites out there that are very generic. So it was great to see the the drawing start to become part of a project that spoke about Andrew and Kym, and not just about the wedding itself.

I really enjoyed this tiny project. 

But more importantly I'm looking forward to the day itself, when we can all celebrate and enjoy another big moment in my little brother life... awwww

the dog + the dish

Monte, September 2011

So like I was saying to you a couple of days ago, last week was filled with a lot of high highs and low lows, with one of the lows being the sudden illness of my very old pooch named Monte. 

If you have followed this blog for a little while now you will have met this certain dog of mine a couple of times. He is a major part of my life, especially when he keeps me company when I'm having a hard time with my health. These days he sleeps for much of the day as he is getting on in years (16 in human years!) and our walks have become shorter and less frequent. Oh the poor little dear...

Anyway I thought it was time to immortalise him as I realised the other day that I had never committed his little mug to paper. So this was my attempt at trying to capture his big personality, in a tiny body!

Oh and by the way...he is feeling much better this week after a visit to the vet. 

Yay to him... he truly is an EverReady bunny as he just keeps going and going...