THE DRIVE HOME
Earlier this year I signed up for the Print Exchange 2013.
500 printmakers from around the world were asked to interpret the theme “The Drive Home” and produce an edition of 12, 5″x7″ prints using any method of printmaking. Two of the prints will be kept for exhibition and archive purposes while the remaining ten will be distributed amongst various participants. The Art House Co-op have begun sorting through the thousands of prints arriving in the mail and they look amazing.
Here is a peek at my submission. It started out as a linocut but I decided that it looked better embossed onto the paper.
I can’t wait to receive my bundle of ten prints in return. I wonder which artists and continents they will come from?
LOOK WHAT I MADE!
Mini gift cards!
One thing I struggle with is writing messages in cards. I sit for ages wondering what to write. I decided the best way around this is to give smaller cards! If you suffer the same affliction as me or are searching for some cute and quirky, handmade gift cards, they are available here. 
DESTRUCTIVE/CONSTRUCTIVE
Portrait of urban and environmental activist Jack Mundey, by Vhils.
Back in March, I heard about a Portugese street artist named Vhils. He was in Sydney to complete a new public work in The Rocks, along with this there was an exhibition titled Dissolve at The Rocks Pop-up so I went along to take a look.
Exploring the marks inhabitants leave on their environment, Vhils uses various subtractive processes to create his artwork on a range of surfaces, including paper, metal, wood and plaster.
Sadly the exhibition is over but you can still see the portrait of Jack Mundey and you can read more about this exhibition here.
VIA INSTAGRAM – YOU CAN NEVER SEE TOO MUCH ART
Whoops! A little unintended blogging hiatus!
Clockwise from top left: Ambush Gallery; Vhils; Ben Quilty;
Ben Quilty at NAS Gallery; Beastman and Phibs.
PERFECTLY PAIRED
Gosh! It feels like I haven’t posted anything in ages. With family in town and university starting again I have been struggling to settle into a routine. And since I completed 52 Fridays I haven’t felt much of an urge to pick up a pencil—except for the illustration above. A good friend of mine celebrated 5 years of marriage recently and she asked me to draw a little portrait of her and her husband. Happy anniversary you two! Perhaps this could be the start of a new project? Portraits maybe? Monthly mugshots?
WASTE NOT
When artist Song Dong’s father died in 2002, he encouraged his mother to sort through the thousands of everyday items she had collected throughout her lifetime, in the hope that it would help her cope with her grief. Since his mother’s death in 2009, the artwork that was created from this process has been arranged by Song Dong, his wife and his sister in various locations around the world. With over 10,000 items on display in this exhibition it still feels quite intimate, the objects manage to evoke all kinds of emotion, along with a slight sense of bewilderment. Having said that, I am sure that—even in this current age of reduce, reuse and recycle—if I laid out all of my worldly possessions, I would question why I have held on to certain things.
The exhibition is currently on at Carriageworks in Sydney until March 17 2013.
VIA INSTAGRAM – COLLECTIONS
Clockwise from top left: cuckoo clocks in Berry, plaster beads from Etsy, plates in a tea shop, cans from Song Dong exhibition, cigarette lighters from Song Dong exhibition, blueberries in my kitchen.
OUT AND ABOUT IN NSW
One of my resolutions for 2013 is to explore the suburbs close to where I live. I have noticed that my husband and I tend to frequent the same shops and cafes and travel the same routes, so we have decided to venture a little further this year. And hopefully we can apply this not only to our surrounding suburbs but also to the state we now call home. For Christmas we made a last minute decision to load the dogs into the car and escape from the city. Brilliant idea! We spent a relaxing couple of days near Berrima and Bowral in the Southern Highlands. We didn’t get to explore as much as we would have liked as it rained for the majority of the time that we were there and most places were closing up for Christmas but we were quite content curled up in the cosy cottage we had rented. I am looking forward to future trips and enjoying what this region has to offer. So time and funds permitting, we will be seeing a lot more of this lovely state.
DEVOLUTION
I didn’t get around to posting many of the prints I made last year. University is about to start again and I have been sorting through my work, trying to get organised and energised for a new semester. This series was inspired by the way people market themselves and curate their lives for social media. If you have a QR reader on your phone you will be able to scan the code and see the final image. Or you can click here.
I like social media but at the same time it drives me a little crazy. How does it make you feel?
FIFTY-TWO FRIDAYS: FINALE
Week fifty-two: finale.
Well. That’s it! My final illustration for 52 Fridays. I’m not really sure what a finale looks like so I am awarding myself a trophy and first place for finishing!
What a year it has been. My most popular post in the last 12 months wasn’t actually an illustration but a post about the Vivid Festival. Maybe I should start a photo project next? Hmmm, so many possibilities.
A huge thanks to all of you for reading and following my blog. I have gained over 1500 new readers since I started 52 Fridays! And a special thank you to Paper + Lace, Two Black Dogs, Eve Amaro and Blogcean for giving me blog awards. I don’t really know all the rules when it comes to blog awards but I appreciate your encouragement and lovely comments, sorry it has taken me so long to acknowledge you. Thanks for sharing the love.
Wishing you all a super happy Friday.
Until next time,
Picturette xx
