t h a n k y o u

Inside Out Magazine, 100th Anniversary issue, Nov./Dec. 2012

Oh boy -

For someone who doesn't feel that comfortable having their photo taken....
I believe I have just completed a quantum leap!!
Last week the latest edition of Inside Out Magazine was released onto the newsagency shelves, and look who made the final cut! eep!

Inside Out is a magazine I have collected and coveted for many many years, so it was a huge shock and a huge honour to have been featured on their artist profile page, in their special 100th issue!! Especially when I had the privilege of being interviewed by Lee Tran Lam , and photographed by Craig Wall.

Thank you to Kate H. for all her help and support too.
I never really put myself, or my art 'out there' in any big way.
So to have this happen was a BIG surprise. 

Artist Profile page, Inside Out Magazine...
And...yep.... that's me!

And since people have started to see the article, all the questions that have come my way have been about my tiny jumpsuit! And I can't take any credit for that. The jumpsuit was made by my mum in the late 1960s - so I was very lucky to have inherited it from her and be able to fit into it! The earrings im weaving are by my amazing friend Mel Young, who coincidently has a huge exhibition opening at Craft on October 19! (formally called Craft Victoria)...

The exhibition is called Unnatural Tendencies and Lauren Simeoni will also be exhibiting her beautiful creations in this two person show that will be all about colour+ texture... in jewellery form!!

And finally - the ring that you can 'just' see in Craig's photo is by a lovely Sydney jeweller called Penny Snars. A ring that I wear ALOT! Thank you Penny...

But thank you again Inside Out!
Its a brilliant new edition and an amazing opportunity for my work...
.........
And on that note Ill sign off and see you in a week! 
Im taking a tiny break for a few days and so ill see you when I get back. 
Take care and have a lovely week....
{oh - and ps - if you would like to book in for any of the pop up workshops for October please email me and Ill get back to you...} cheers x

Wall styling.

Inside Out, Jul/Aug, 2007. Photography: Gaelle Le Boulicaut. Love the tones in this image.
From the warm modern floral wallpaper on the wall, to the taupe colour on the skirting, and
the bronze light that adds shine and visual interest... its all really simple and really clever.
 

It's raining its pouring 

The old man is snoring! 

I wish I was... 

Instead I was woken up early by a cat who wanted to avoid getting his paws wet. 

Anyway... today is indeed wet and the light is trying to get brighter and more daytime in feel... 

By now you may know Im working hard in the 'Cobweb + Laundry' studio.. aka the space underneath the house for a solo show in June... and on a wet and gloomy day its not the easiest place to create. 

{Which is a shame as I was getting on a good roll with the larger drawings... Boo hoo}.

So this morning I decided to turn to magazines for some light relief... and some inspiration as I love looking at the artwork people collect, and the creative ideas they have for their walls...

Yes. Crazy as a mad matter. I know. I know.

Today's inspiration comes courtesy of Inside Out circa 2007. And this time its not one article but a smorgasbord of images that featured throughout the issue. And in 2007 it was all about the re discovery of pattern, wallpaper, and textured treatments. 

My kind of interiors...

Still liking these cut out wallpaper projects that look great in a kids bedroom... This print is lovely and is
retro styled... as it comes complete with a cuckoo clock light. Its by Wonderland and the image
was styled by Claire Driscoll. Photography: Amanda Prior

What makes this wall amazing is not just the brilliant artwork hung in a salon style on the wall
but the added element of the chairs! They are amazing and are sculptures in their own right. Its like the
artwork on the wall has made its way to a 3d format on the floor. The image was styled by Shannon Fricke
and features in her book Sense of Style:Space. Photography: Prue Ruscoe

Love the colour and vintage feel of this image.
And all starts with the wallpaper print called
'Deer' by GP & Baker from Mokum. 

From red to bright yellow.
This beautiful image stands out not just for the fact there is a bright yellow chair sitting front and centre...
 It stands out because of the amazing textured and dishevelled wall treatment
 that tells a story...and adds character.
It also makes the pattern in the tiles work.
Styling : Claire Driscoll. Photography: Jason Loucas

And then there is the clever Glen Proebstel and his styling idea for pinning coloured swatches on the wall...
So simple. So clever. Framed or unframed this would add colour and texture in one hour to any wall space!

Quicker than eight months in the studio creating a series of artworks.. that's for sure.
Photgraphy: Amanda Prior.

crafty collecting master class.

The home of Penelope Durston from the Melbourne store Cottage Industry,
captured on the pages of Inside Out Magazine, Nov./Dec. 2010

This article from Inside Out Magazine is an oldie but a goodie. 

For many of you in Melbourne, or in the know about anything and everything crafty, today's article will be familiar to you.... I mean... how could you be out of the loop when talking about the amazing Penelope Durston. Her store {Cottage Industry} and blog {Miss Pen Pen} are legendary, as is her crafty and creative style for all things colourful, textural and vintage. 

She isnt called the Craft Queen for nothing! 

When this article was published on the pages of Inside Out magazine in 2010 I fell in love. It was my dream space. Lucy from The Design Files, who wrote and styled this story, did an amazing job at capturing her flair and enthusiasm for collecting and assorting her many objects into beautifully curated displays that 'tell a story'. And that is truly the key for all of us out there who love collecting objects that others may call HOARDING! Its not I tells ya! Its collecting and appreciating things that have a touch of the hand made about them... objects that have a history, a soul and an expression of a time and place. 

I call it 'textural time travel'. 

And if youre thinking ?????, just look at the way Penelope does it.

Penelope sitting on her staircase next to a beautifully embroidered owl... you know I love that!
The key to Pen's collecting is to constantly sort and display in an array of
lovely vessels, jars, wooden boxes etc. 

This is my favourite photo. Love the salon style hang of 1960s sample embroideries
on the wall... all colourful and complementary to each other. The wooden furniture adds warmth and
character and a sense of history...

Pattern on pattern. Nothing wrong about that! 

Pressed Metal splash backs are so great for a kitchen. Left unpainted they add texture and shine
and interest without being fussy or delicate. Its industrial but crafty at the same time...

Credits: The Crafty Home, Inside Out Magazine, Nov/Dec 2010, pg. 79
Words + Styling: Lucy Feagins
Photography: John Laurie

the quiet seduction...

New York home of Maya Marzolf, Inside Out Magazine, Sept/Oct 2010

Have you ever noticed that sometimes it can be the quiet + unassuming things that can be so so seductive? This phenomena happened to me yesterday as I was unpacking a box of ceramic pieces at Object Gallery. The package in question was from the lovely Honor Freeman and the ceramics were beautiful production pourers and beakers that were destined for the store. 

I don't think its any surprise to you all that I love ceramics and the work of Honor. Her work is quiet, delicate, fragile and so skilfully crafted that its hard not to love it! But that can sometimes be its Achilles heel. Her pieces do not scream or shout at you to look at them. They sit and wait for a patient eye to look at their details, and a slow hand to pick them up and feel their marks and glazes. There are no strong colours or graffiti statements to grab you and demand your attention.

Its the complete opposite. 

The same could be said of this Brownstone home in New York. The look by Maya Marzolf may be 'World Traveller' but the way that it has been collected is anything but colourful, textural and wild. 

Maya who was a photographic producer for Vogue, but now owns an antiques store called Le Grenier, is a French/Finnish 34 year old who moved to this atmospheric Greenpoint apartment in Brooklyn seven years ago in order to renovate and create a unique space to reflect her love of eclectic, exotic and industrial things that 'hold a tale'. 

Maya in her quiet space... 

Rough, white, textured walls... love it. They add character and warmth to a quiet space.
And that bookcase is amazing. It was made by recycling old timber beams
to look as if it was always meant to be there...

I guess this is what you would call an antique, industrial, world traveller look! I love all the wood
that warms up the space and the vintage icebox that was been converted into a liquor cabinet.
The Dutch chandelier adds a feminine lightness to the the look and her Burmese cat Le Golgot loves the
light pouring in through the window!

Lots of small textural details from her many objects on display. From a pure white
ceramic collection on the mantel, to a rustic birdcage found in upstate New York....
I love the antique bed too with a lovely round mirror above it. The tiny objects displayed
above the light switch adds a beautiful touch too.

My favourite shot. Has to be one of the best ideas for a bathroom wall - a hand drawn mural
 of nautical objects which Maya has called 'Things that get washed up on the shore'.
It was completed by artist Weston Woolley and he has used a style similar to what you
would find in old botanical books. 

All these details may be subtle and quiet - but isn't that what you sometimes crave in a home space? 

The chance to breathe, be still and just let the eye wander over the small and delicate details that normally go unnoticed...

Credits: 

Article :The Cosmopolitan 
Inside Out Magazine
Sept/Oct 2010, pg 109
Words: Hilary Robertson, Photographer : Matthew Williams

the personal touch

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Like Starbucks in the noughties, Christmas decorations seem to be springing up in the blink of an eye! What is it about glitter and fairy lights that makes people get excited? 

Dont get me wrong... Im no Scrooge. 

I do love the sentiment of 'good will to all men', and I love spending time with my lovely family and friends. It's just the over kill of tacky plastic trees and green and red baubles in every 7-11 and service station that gets me! Would you miss all those decorations if they weren't in front of your eyes at every turn? 

I think that is why I like these two images. They are about Christmas, but done in a very personal and quiet way... They are courtesy of Lynsey Fryers, an English stylist who lived in Sydney and worked for magazines like Inside Out a few years ago before moving back overseas... 

And you gotta love that beautiful leather seat in the image below! Love it...

x

Photos courtesy of Inside Out Christmas Edition 2008, taken by Petrina Tinslay.

toy time... any time.

I think its true to say that I am young at heart.

I may also be touched with a little of the 'peter pan' syndrome...

Maybe... just maybe!

I like to stretch out our notions of child hood and playtime... and I practice my theory by creating in a colourful studio, and leaving my 'grown-up' thoughts at the door. Maybe its denial of the fact that I'm gettin' on in years, but I believe that people that live with that sense of fun, adventure and play in their daily lives are happier, and less stressed with what life tells us we should be focused on... such as mortgages, money, job security, planning for the future, weight issues...and... and..and...

So when I see a home that shares my love of all things creative, fun, nostalgic and whimsical I am immediately inspired. And one home always springs to mind, is the space of Natalie Jeffcott + Nicholas Fitzgerald, owners of the amazing online store Arthurs Circus.

This article comes from Inside Out Magazine circa Sept/Oct 2009, but it still feels fresh today. And why is that? Well because Natalie and Nicholas have filled their home with furniture, toys + memorabilia that are timeless, colourful .... and just plain fun!!

In this shot you can spy their son Arthur who inspired the name of their business. And surrounding him is the most amazing collection of 1950s kitchenalia that I have ever seen! It is perfect! The colours, the linoleum floor, the sense of quirk... it is truly all there! And I LOVE the old cabinet that bares a striking resemblance to one that I co-own with my mate Kylie! {which is a story for another time...}


Love the red racer on the floor! My uncle owns one of these too, and like me, he also shares the theory that you are never too old to play with, and display, a beautifully crafted toy!! But the signs on the kitchen wall, the 1950s blue couch, the cushion fabric made from old advertising logos for flour, all blend together to keep the theme of 'fun' going.


Such a great shot by photographer Sharyn Cairns {who incidentally just completed an amazing shoot in Bathurst with Pia Bijkerk that features this month issue of Country Style.}


The colours in this space are primary and bold which adds to this sense of being 'children's bedroom', but with the addition of beautiful wooden 60s furniture it all becomes alittle more sophisticated yet user-friendly for a family lounge room.

Love the tiny shot of Arthur's room with globes, large wall maps and a train set on the floor! The colours bounce of the white walls and make each piece a stand-out in its own right. For example... the old wooden games that have been hung in multiples on the wall to give texture and pattern to the room. It's not wallpaper. It's much more fun than that!

And its so clever...

This last shot is great too, and again, looks at hanging a collection of objects in multiples to make a wall feature. This time its a grid of framed photographic canvas' that were taken by Natalie and hung in the master bedroom...

Now that's how you have have fun and be inspired from the moment you wake up in the morning... Nothing dull in that!!

If you would like to find Arthur's Circus, Natalie and Nicholas have a market stall at Camberwell Markets every Saturday in Melbourne. And for all of us that are in other places around the globe they also have an online blog/website/store that you can check out here...

Article from Inside Out Sept/Oct 2009. Words by Rachelle Unreich. Photography by Sharyn Cairns.

rifling through the files.

How beautiful are these two images?

I was head down, bum out yesterday

in the studio filing cabinet... flicking through

old newspaper clippings, exhibition invite cards,

old drawings and bits n pieces...

when I discovered these two photos from the

SMH newspaper.

And don't they explain colour + pattern

in the purest of ways?!

The image above is from Guatemala in 2005 and the article

talked about how the villages want to attract tourists there again

after 10 years of military dictatorship.

The Mayan craft industries

were trying to display all that is beautiful and creative in small

towns such as this one called Santiago Atitlan...

I would love to own one of these beautiful bedspreads

but they look amazing all together in the place where they were created?

Its like one big painting!

This beautiful shot of red comes from Vietnam.

The sticks are dyed red bamboo that that are drying +

waiting to transformed into incense for the Buddhist temples.

The town is called Ha Tay and it is in the north of the country.

I would love to visit both countries one day..

but for now I can enjoy the inspiration that these two images...

... give me.

Photo credits: Guatemala image from AP/ Rodrigo Abd. Vietnam image from AFP/ Hoang Dinh Nam.

Pattern master class.

If you haven't already coveted Ilse Crawford's work in a magazine shoot, hotel, home or store, then you must have missed her name in the credits! Ilse is an amazing designer from England, that started her career as the launch editor for Elle Decoration UK many moons ago. These days she is called an interiors guru, and her business called Studio Ilse creates a brand of designing that is clean, modern and nostalgic in feeling....
This sense of style can be gleaned from her mood board that surrounds her in this image above, taken from UK decoration January 2005 { hence this article coming from the tiny archives!!} Her inspiring images come from travel, nature, and past memories...
And speak of the past... a lovely example of Ilses' love of nostalgia can be seen in a remodelling project that Ilse completed a few years back for Ye Olde Bell Coaching Inn - in collaboration with 6a architects in Berkshire England - that was featured in Australian Vogue Living August/September 2008.

Ilse said that she 'wanted to create a warm and welcoming 'home away from home' for travellers passing through...To make it feel like a place that they belong to'.
Interesting approach don't you think?

Why I was drawn to this particular story and wanted to share it with you was use of patterned fabric in the interior spaces of the inn, a theme that I seem to be featuring A LOT this month!

It's unusual to see such bold use of pattern in a public dining room..{seen in this image above}. Slinging large pieces of fabric over these big, dark, wooden booths is ingenious...

It creates texture and life in an area of the pub/inn that can be dull, uniform and heavy. Many pubs try to appeal to what they think a man would be comfortable relaxing in. But this room is bright and modern while still using many traditional materials and details, that you would usually associate with a masculine space.

LOVE the image in the box on the top right of the page.

It is a small detail shot of one of the inn's bedrooms.

The warm textures on the bed look so inviting, and i love the use of red in the radio sitting on the old stool. Its spartan but not cold or unfriendly.

You can see more images of this space, along with many other projects from this amazing designer, on the studioilse website that is well worth a tiny browse.

..........

And if you need just ONE MORE FIX of ingenious use of pattern play...

.... look below ...

.... at the beautiful detail from the Marni Fall 2011/2 collection that was shown in Milan just a few days ago...

I love fashion designer but rarely talk with you about it on this tiny blog!

But today I could not help myself as i fell in love with this collection and the use of the Octagon print in all manner of ways! From clothing, accessories, wallpaper and flooring, it was wall to wall pattern madness by Marni head designer Consuelo Castiglioni...

Beautiful and inspiring...

Images courtesy of Elle Decoration UK, Australian Vogue Living + Style.com

Light work : Copenhagen

Well that is a weekend for the history books!
Never ending days of 30c + heat in Sydney, with Saturday reaching 42c!
It was exhausting and difficult to achieve anything... except reach over to the fridge for a cold drink or three! CRAZY!!

But its now 'back to business' Monday and Ive already been interviewed by a student for a major project, had some of my drawings critiqued, and seen a photography exhibition which was brilliant, picked up a drawing from the framers, AND, excitingly booked a flight for an overseas adventure! Phew...I'm making up for lost days in sweltering heat!

So today I thought Id post up another favourite article for the tiny archives....just to give myself a little break!
The year was 2005, the magazine was Inside Out, and the featured home was by Louise Campbell in Copenhagen.
The theme was white on white with a side order of colour accents...{seen in the image above}.
And it was beautiful...

Louise is a furniture designer from Denmark and her style is beach-side villa...as it is situated in a coastal fishing village, 45 minutes outside of Copenhagen.

Well I say beach-side villa, but her home definitely has a European twist on the theme!

Every type of material is used...from painted wood, metal, woven cloth, glass and plastic. And because of the white, it all blends together and looks fresh and comfortable, with a little colour to give just the right amount of quirk...

I love the row of photos placed above the desk, {in the image above} and the wire bag hung over the desk with a big metal hook! Clever...

So much beautiful light streaming in through the big windows...

And then you reach the bedroom door and find that all the white has been softened with lots of textiles and textures, as Louise has placed a whole lot of bed throws at the foot of the bed, which makes the space feel cozy and not overly neat and sterile, which can happen in a white room.

That is what I love about this place.

Slay bed.

Very lovely...

And even more lovely, is that Louise spray painted parts of the dark wood frame to accent the features and individualise it. Now that takes guts!

In the bathroom Louise strung up a large kettle from the ceiling, to sit right next to the bath. Amazing idea which adds a historical feel to the bathroom. I'm glad we don't have to boil hot water for the bath anymore, but I like the look of a big gun metal grey kettle in the space!

This is my favourite image.

The accessories on the light fixture, make it seem like a contemporary but fun re-styling of a chandelier! So clever and a great way to add colour and texture to a room without adding clutter...

These are the little tricks that I try to remember for future reference...

As I do have a lot of odds + ends that need to get off the floor, and out of the way!

A constant problem for an artist who loves to collect things....

Right! Time to....dream?!

Sorry!
What I meant to say is... Time to clean!
Clean!!
That's what I meant!!
It's January and in this tiny pocket of the globe it's summer..and a wet summer we're having too!
There is alot of grey, alot of rain and alot of humidity...
which all together means...
It's another day indoors...! Time to clean and get something done, especially as it is the new year, which ususally means new... and clean beginnings!
So ive been looking at my tiny spaces that i inhabit, and ive been down to the studio to sort and get ready for a commission that has a looming deadline. But what I haven't been able to do just yet is reorganise my stuff inside the house!
Maybe it's because it's too big a challenge??
Maybe Im still in summer beach mode?
Maybe im just lazy?
Maybe it's all of the above...!!
What I have been doing is dreaming...!
Dreaming of perfect spaces and places...
Dreaming of Tuscany!!
And this article from the tiny archives DOES NOT help!!
This beautiful home is from Inside Out magazine circa July 2003 and it is of a Tuscan farmhouse owned by Elena Barthel and styled by Tami Christiansen.


Elena is an architect and many of the pieces in her home have been salvaged or recycled.
So definitely my kind of home!
The farmhouse was previously uninhabitable until her father, Riccardo Barthel, restored and revived the place, as he runs an interior and architecture business, where Elena also works.

The space looks open and spacious, like a grand loft. And the big bookcase in this photo is so amazing, as it is a feature of the large room, but still looks warm and open....

The light in this image is so so beautiful...
The Tuscan hillside in the backdrop does make me dream!! I love the patio right outside the door, and the way the indoors and outdoors merge and blend with each other... with the use of wood tones, greens and an amazing light feature that looks like a plant!


This is my favourite shot! The textures, the old chairs, the farmhouse kitchen table, and the amazing old wooden kitchen cabinets!! Oh and the light fixture!! I LOVE it all!!
It all looks so inviting, with alot of character and warmth, and that lived in feel!

Great vege patch!!Imagine working in that...while looking out to THAT landscape in the distance?!

Now that's the way to use colour in the bedroom...

Love the bedspread...And the framed drawing used as a bed head!

And....

Can YOU SEE the beautiful pair of painting overalls hung on the wall like art?!

Now that is the way to do it!!

Maybe while I'm cleaning I can find a wee bit of wall space with which to hang my yellow King-gee overalls???

Interesting thought....

the spare room.

I'm back again...yay!
well...I'm back...just! I got home yesterday afternoon and have been sleeping ever since! You know that feeling when you've been in hospital or sick at home, and you're body sort of relaxes into a position on the couch and then...that's it! You're there for the rest of the day?!
Well that been me...tucked up on the couch trying to relax and calm my body down from the operation... which went well by the way!
So I'm home.
And I'm still alittle out of it...
But i wanted to post something up on me blog!
So.. what to talk about?
Well...another tiny archive actually!
I took magazines to hospital...and a book...but in the end I found nothing in the pile to share with you....
So Ive turned to my old stand-by's....my pile of old Australian Vogue Livings...
And this article called The Spare Room that was featured in their June/July issue circa 2003!
I just had to share it with you!

Artist Brendan Smith collaborated with the magazine to decorate this room....
And what he did was so beautiful!!
It's quiet...personal....filled with tonal colours...and a lot of space and light!

The murals are so simple and yet you never see many people having the guts...or the space to be able to go with their creative ambitions and paint abstractly onto the wall! It does take guts but the results, when done right, are so so amazing....I could definitely see this effect in a children's bedroom too...not just a spare space within the home!

I love the textures too...on the wall itself, that is alittle rough and uneven. It tells a story of who was there before and what the room was used for. And then Brendan has used soft colours and brushstrokes to make the whole effect whimsical and light! Orange, dusty red, soft grey and blue...its all there....but done sparingly.

And then this flower motif!

Crazy...!

Especially with the wooden pole, but it works somehow!
I love that. When you take a chance and it just works....

I think that is painting itself! You never know what effect you are going to have until you get started....

And remember that less is sometimes more!!

Oh and ps....

I just remembered that a couple of years ago I read Helen Garners book called The spare Room and it was such a beautiful read.... worth looking up if you're in-between books!

Have a great weekend...

and ill see you on the other side...

x