I haven’t posted many photographs lately (possibly because I haven’t taken many I really like), so I thought I’d remedy the situation by posting a selection of slightly older images.
This photograph was taken in Nelson several years ago using my (then) brand new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20. It may not be brilliant quality by today’s standards, but I still quite like this shot of a New Zealand native wood pigeon (kererū).
A recent post by seattleinspired reminded me of a barcode I designed for a student project this time last year. The brief was to design a logo and six labels (previously posted here — underneath the Chef labels) for a boutique bar and brewery. I imagined the bar, The Old Mill Brewers, as an old, converted textile mill and decided to make women my target market (and why not?). I looked at a lot of William Morris textiles before drawing the finches and ingredient illustrations which became the logos and menu pattern. For example, those are hops that the little birds are sitting on.
A business card for a local potter. The main image is based on a photograph of one of Della’s teapots which I’ve reinterpreted and layered over a hand-painted background. The Della’s Pots logo has been created using the client’s own handwriting.
Della’s Pots background – acrylic on artboard, 105 x 160 mm, 2012.
The background is acrylic paint applied to artboard with a palette knife. The plan was to make a texture reminiscent of the turquoise glaze Della uses on her pots.
I’ve started writing letters again. Not emails. Not texts. Real letters.
Earlier this month, a girlfriend and I were fondly remembering our letter-writing days and wondering if it really had become a lost art when we hit upon a plan to start writing letters to each other again — something we probably hadn’t done for a decade or more (okay, definitely more). Oh there have been birthday cards and holiday postcards… but no letters. A sorry state of affairs.
The rules: no cards, no postcards, only letters in envelopes posted the old-fashioned way. With a stamp. A sketch (anything from a 10-second doodle to a one-hour masterpiece — at the writer’s discretion) would also have to be included in the letter.
We have now written, sent and received two letters each.
happy birthday Jess – mixed media, 190 x 255 mm, 2012.
Question: what to do when you want to make something a bit special for an arty friend who has seen practically everything you’ve made over the last three years?
Answer: something else.
The background photo and the toy museum dolls (in the window) were taken in Nelson, December 2011. The vintage circus girl, shell and chrysalis are found images. Acrylic paint, a black copic marker and felt pens (probably also vintage) were used to complete the design.