The Wonderkind Bazaar took place last Wednesday, and from the numerous photos, it seems there was plenty of wonder! Here's a snapshot of the event...

Above: Weird and wonderful softies by Nikko De Jesus, who shared a stall with fellow softie-maker & indie interviewee Julia Rose Pattenden. Both are Communication Design students from Swinburne.

Above: Photographic Coasters by Reece A Duncan (who we interviewed in our previous post) and apparel by RMIT fashion design student Karn Kulla-Ark, who was selling his sample collection of jeans, shorts and tees.

Fabric bags (above) and purses (below) by Michele Taylor who buys fabric in Japan to make into her lovely creations. They are part of her label Harper & Edie. You can see her photos of Japan as well as a selection of her products on her Flickr page.

Above: Crystal Bead Dogs by Bio Tech student Jo-Ann Lai, who makes these super cute handphone/bag accessories out of crystal accessories as her hobby.

Above: Merchandise for an animated series by The Little Slobbers (Pei Jien, Sabrina Tee, Given Seranos and Jacky Yu) Visit their blog to find out more or join their Facebook group...

Above: T-Shirt design by Karn Kulla-Ark and yellow cases by Quentin Irvine. Quentin was unable to man a stall at the Wonderkind Bazaar, but his housemate (and one of the organisers of the Bazaar) Reese Geronimo took charge.

Above: The Wonderkind Bazaar team sporting their cute parachute-printed tees. Look out for Media student Simon Ramirez, Advertising student Reese Geronimo, Journalism student Andrew Chung Wei Wen, Advertising student Mia Hood and PR student Emily Lehmann. Congrats to you all!

3D gift cards with 3D glasses by innocentgirl (Andrea Innocent), available from Yradier

This month, we're thrilled to be offering up some fabulous finds from the new Yradier online store! Paloma Cole, who launched Yradier earlier this year, has chosen three very different products from Australian designers for one lucky indie to win. These are:

3D gift cards with 3D glasses by innocentgirl (Andrea Innocent), available from Yradier

Paloma Cole is a photography student at the Queensland College of Art and is surrounded by amazing artists on a daily basis! She launched the Yradier online store with the aim of featuring original artworks by emerging Brisbane artists. She also stocks jewellery, homewares and stationery by small Australian designers, and a small selection of quirky, hard to find goods from overseas... and GUESS WHAT? From now until the end of June, indie art & design readers can save 10% on purchases at Yradier! Simply enter the top secret discount code: indieness on the checkout page. Thank you Paloma!

Red Cup Studs by Trove Designs, available from Yradier

The store itself is slick & sleek! The photos are a treat & you can go straight to Australian products, or to the Brooch section (a Yradier specialty) to find some truly unique items. You'll also find original artworks including some intense acrylic paintings by Luke Kidd, as well as photographic prints by Paloma herself.

Small Rectangular Tokyo Handmade Wooden Photography Brooches by Jen Hall, available from Yradier

I was rather intrigued by the name "Yradier", and Paloma explained that it is actually the name of the composer who wrote the song 'La Paloma' - AND she also likes the way it looks when written! (By the way, it is pronounced 'irre-dear'.)

Large Rectangular Tokyo Handmade Wooden Photography Brooches by Jen Hall, available from Yradier

To enter the draw, all you need to do is suggest an Australian label/artist/designer you'd like to see stocked on Yradier's virtual shelves! Just comment on this post with your suggestion. (A one-word answer is enough, though if you know of a web site for your suggested label, please include it so we can all take a peek!) Entries close on June 30, 2008 and we'll draw a name at random & annouce the winner in the following week. (Oh, and make sure to visit http://yradier.bigcartel.com to check that your suggestion isn't already in the lineup!) I'm looking forward to hearing your ideas...

Leave a comment - we'd love to hear from you!

This will be an exhibition not to be missed (if you're in Sydney, that is)... Not for profit online publication [weAREtheIMAGEmakers] is presenting an all girl exhibition with a crazy talented line up of female Australian artists. Hailing from all corners of the country, participating artists include:

• akina (lang leav) - www.akina.com.au
• andrea innocent - www.otoshimono.org
• brooke bobridge - www.brookebobridge.com
• eugenia tsimiklis - www.emikli.com
• kareena zerefos - www.kareenazerefos.com
• lillian piri - www.littlegalaxie.com
• love ariel - www.loveariel.com
• melissa stringer - www.myspace.com/girliepains
• mini graff - www.minigraff.com
• nanami cowdroy - www.nthread.net
• rebecca wetzler - www.rebeccawetzler.com
• smitten by stephanie - www.smittenbystephanie.com
• team kitten - www.teamkitten.com

I'm sure that list of talent you might wish you possess is motivation enough - but just in case you need some inspiration, I've included a selection of works that I adore from just a few grrrly girls below...

These subtle and moving limited edition art prints are by Kareena Zerefos. Each print is AUD $185 and available from Kareena's "corner store". Above left is "Owl" and right, "Alex from Patras". "Owl" is also available as an A2 poster (printed on 100% recycled paper) for AUD $12. I'm very much looking forward to seeing Kareena's exhibition pieces!

The dreamy coloured pencil work of Lilly Piri is very well known & so beautiful. The artworks pictured above are "Off To See The World" (left) and "Relocation" (right).
A miniature print of "Relocation" (7.5" x 9"), is available from the Thumbtack Press for US $19.99. It is one of 25 different works which are for sale in this format. Gift cards, button sets, original artworks, postcards and the limited edition "silent water zine" (featuring 10 previously unpublished drawings by Lilly Piri and her husband, Heiko) are also all available through Lilly Piri's online store.

The distinctive, graphic & very lovely artworks below are by artist Brooke Bobridge. Having grown up in Perth, she's lived in Singapore, Nairobi, London & Edinburgh and currently calls Melbourne home. Brooke is inspired by big cities and travelling, and draws from Asian influences in her work. She is always exploring new designs and ideas for her hand-screenprinted works. Limited edition prints of her work are available from a number of online stores including one of our local favourites Moose: Art for Living - and her label, nightsidedown is coming soon!

The artwork above is "Lanterns 2007", and below, "Darjeeling 2007". I especially love the colour palettes Brooke has used in these two. The soft grey tones, reds & purples contrast beautifully with the crisp white elements. mmmm....wintery!

The Grrrls exhibition opens at 6pm this Friday evening (8.2.2008) at aMBUSH Gallery in Waterloo. It continues until Sunday 24.2.2008, with gallery opening hours of 12pm - 5pm, Wednesday through to Saturday. Special thanks to Liss for drawing my attention to this exhibition through her beautiful blog, Daydream Lily.

Could I be under the influence of a sugary spell, or have I simply fallen in love with the wonders of Magic Jelly? I have a feeling that the powers behind this flavoursome label have decided to use their artful magics for good - with just hint of evil here & there. The powers of which I speak take the form of Karena Colquhoun, a professional artist, illustrator & designer from Adelaide. She has an impressive range of artworks & gift items available for sale through her Etsy store at www.magicjelly.etsy.com and you can also find her at www.magicjelly.com.au and her blog www.magicjelly.typepad.com.

Pictured above are two limited edition art prints. On the left is "Miss Ruby", a hand-painted screen print from a limited edition of 40. Here, the inspiration, image and substrate have been intertwined to create a unique work. The gaze of the subject transfers her character into the present while the viewer is taken back almost 100 years into the past. Karena has printed onto pages of an old damaged book called "The Tennyson Birthday Book". The book itself was given to Miss Ruby Holder on her birthday, 29.3.1911. Since the book is filled with the hand written names of her friends and family, Karena chose to depict Miss Ruby, looking a little weary as she may have done after posing for a portrait photograph from that era. She created the print (US $35.00) using her Print Gocco and hand-coloured the image with acrylics.

On the right, we have the popular "Stuff No. 1" limited edition Gocco screen print (US $12.00). This is Magic Jelly's tribute to spot illustrations & limited colour palettes, a celebration of halftones, ink & paper! Light-hearted in orange & indigo, it is filled with the flotsam & jetsam that collect in our lives & remain vivid in our memories.

Among the Magic Jelly goods on offer are the greeting cards "Magic Jellies" - such a jaunty design (as my great aunt would say!), and "Heart Attack" which spreads the peace & love with little red hearts (US $4.50 each). Both have been screen printed using the Print Gocco. Isn't it great when your greeting card really is a gift in itself?

The pocket mirrors pictured above would make fantastic gifts. The "Black Forest" design (US $12.50) comes personalised with the recipient's name, surrounded by a few shadowy friends, and the "Good Dog" (US $9.50) is my favourite - his zipped up smile is so cheeky & his brown eyes so adoring! The Magic Jelly packaging with handprinted backing cards tops it all off.

Above left is the 4 colour Gocco limited edition screen print "Fox and Flowers" (US $12.00). The fox's coat features a gorgeous orange pattern, complimented by the floral star shapes in the background. The "Sunday Morning" digital art print (right, US $12.00) is a striking comic-style illustration named after the Velvet Underground song of the same title.

"Floyd's epiphany arrived in the shape of a fat white dove just as he was about to deliver a killer right hook to his opponent. He pulled off his gloves & went for a walk in the sunshine... Everybody needs an epiphany sometime!" (from Magic Jelly's description)

This two-tone image has been Gocco screen printed onto the pages of a surveyer's notebook from the 1930s. The inks are vibrant and the double image seems to suggest the moments just before and after that sudden change of heart. Another detail that you may not notice at first, is the boxing gloves have been cut independently from a second page of text creating a subtle contrast between the gloves & the rest of the image. Another limited edition, is it available for US $18.00.

"No. 5" (left, $45.00) is an original mixed media artwork from the "Benediction" series of 60 unique pieces. It features screen printed and collaged elements (from vintage ephemera and new papers). There is a wonderful balance created by the careful selection & placement of textures and colours, and by the arresting gaze of the masked woman's face. The photograph on the right shows a different piece from the "Benediction" series framed.

Both the images above are limited edition art prints on canvas panels. On the left is "Gone To Earth, Plate Two" (US $18.00), an eerie meeting of fairytale woodland creatures and a carefully arranged human portrait. "Giddyup" (right, US $18.00) is similarly wicked but drawn in the elegant style of vintage engravings, using lines & halftones.

One final surprise: when I contacted Magic Jelly (whom I discovered on Indiepublic), Karena was kind enough to offer me some of her goodies as samples! So the first Indie Art & Design giveaway will really be something special - certainly not to be missed! Stay tuned for my next post...