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indie art & design blog

one night of illustration

Jacky Winter Group web site screenshot

FOR TONIGHT ONLY (Thu 20th Dec), The Jacky Winter Group is having exhibition & party! Opening at 6pm, it's at The Carlton Studios and Gallery which is located at 193-197 Bourke Street in Melbourne. How I wish I lived in Melbourne right now, as the lineup of artists is incredible...

Jacky Winter native Australian Robin
The Jacky Winter Group represents talented Australian illustrators & connects them with an international client base. The group is named after a native Australian Robin that shares its initials with its founder - the friendly little guy pictured above! (The real J.W. is in fact Jeremy Wortsman, a designer and art director originally from New York.) The nest of artists has recently doubled in number, and the flock now includes: Andrea Innocent, Biddy Maroney, Cailan Burns, Dylan Martorell, Eamo, Ebony Ellerslie, Fontaine Anderson, James Gulliver Hancock, Justin Lee Williams, Justin Maller, Karl Kwansy, Kat Macleod, Kate Banazi, Lachlan Conn, Lillian Piri, Madeleine Stamer, Marcela Restrepo, Mel Stringer, Niels Oeltjen, Oslo Davis, Pandarosa, Rik Lee, Tim Molloy and Tin & Ed.

Jacky Winter Group exhibition invitation

At tonight's exhibition (20th December 2007), each artist will be displaying original works and reproductions across 12 rooms. Some work will be for sale, as well as the last copies of the 2007 field guide, and you will be greeted at the door by a talking bird. Possibly two.

The Jacky Winter Field Guide mentioned above is one way in which the agency promotes its artists. Limited quantities of the guide are available at Metropolis Bookstore, Greville St Bookstore, and Brunswick St Bookstore in Melbourne, and Ariel Booksellers in Sydney. The irresistible description is as follows:

Common City Birds - The Jacky Winter Group Field Guide 2007

"Australia houses a wealth of artistic talent, but, due to geographic limitations, Australia’s artists, designers and illustrators can be difficult to spot in the wild. The Jacky Winter Group Field Guide seeks to assist the reader in identifying some of Australia’s more impressive specimens.

Included are a selection of folio samples from artists represented by the agency, as well as their take on the Jacky Winter, a native Australian robin. The call of the Jacky Winter is a clear two-note whistle of "Peter-peter-peter" repeated over and over and over and over.

For the enthusiast, this guide has been bound so that individual pages can be easily extracted for safe-keeping. The final page of the guide may be removed and folded along the marked creases to form a convenient desk-frame to further aid your identification efforts."

Stay tuned for a couple of "feature artist" posts on Madeleine Stamer & Fontaine Anderson which will be posted later today! (Both artists are represented by The Jacky Winter Group & will have work on display tonight.)

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Thursday, December 20, 2007.

fozi photography

Fozi Tripod in Pink from Timetale

Fozi is the new credit card sized tripod designed by Timetale to improve your digital camera snapshots! This incredibly convenient little gadget folds flat so you can carry it everywhere you go. When presented with a photo op, simply unfold Fozy & fasten the hinge to create a stand suitable for digital cameras, phone cameras or even media players. Made from polypropylene, the Fozi features three main supports and a variety of little plastic teeth. It has been designed to hold your camera in a number of different ways and the hinge has been tested to last more than 1000 full reversals. Especially good for low light situations, you could use Fozi to take photos out on the town, or perhaps at dinner with friends - including ALL of your smiling faces of course! (By using Fozi with your camera's self-timer.)

The Fozi tripod is available in 7 different colours: pink (as pictured above), blue, red, black, white, clear & clear striped. It is availble to purchase from the Timetale web site & the price is hard to believe - AUD $5.95 including postage to anywhere in Australia! That certainly won't break the Christmas budget...

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Sunday, December 16, 2007.

young blood christmas 2007

Christmas 2007 Young Blood designers markets at the Powerhouse Museum

Opening this evening is the Christmas 2007 Young Blood designers markets. Over 40 labels are participating & will be selling a range of new and original designs, including furniture, lighting, home wares, accessories and fashion. Pictured above are the stalls of Bamboo Chutney and People Like Us Collective. Make sure to check out 0049 Design who will also have a stall - their felt goodies are fantastic! Just look at their felt Christmas cards & boxes below...

0049 Design - felt Christmas cards and felt Christmas boxes for Christmas 2007

The Young Blood design markets are on at the Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris Street Ultimo. Friday 7th December, 6:00pm – 9:00pm, Saturday 8th December, 8:00am – 5:00pm.

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Friday, December 07, 2007.

tipping point

Ochre Tree 4 by Jade Oakley, from the Tipping Point exhibition at Mori Gallery, December 2007

I'm looking forward to seeing new work by Sydney artist Jade Oakley. Her exhibition "Tipping Point" opens tonight at Mori Gallery and continues through to the 22nd of December. The work pictured above is "Ochre Tree 4", 2007 (wire, sandstone, paper & gouache). Jade is an installation artist who works closely with the environment to create site specific artworks and is currently artist in residence at Bondi Public School.

Mori Gallery is located at 168 Day Street, Sydney. I've seen Jade's work quite a few times in the past and it has always been incredible. Can't wait to see her new work & tell you more!

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Wednesday, December 05, 2007.

yoshi jones for men

Mens cotton shirts by Yoshi Jones - made using uniquely patterned fabrics sourced from Japan

I love shopping at Yoshi Jones in Newtown. The light-filled store is colourful & vibrant, bursting with great gifts to suit all occasions, and I know I'll always find gorgeous clothes that I love to wear... but apart from all those girlie things, I'm always impressed at the large selection of interesting menswear on the shelves. Yoshi Jones carries t-shirts aplenty, with screen prints guaranteed to please the boys. They also stock a unique collection of cotton shirts that are something else! They are designed & made in Australia by Yoshi Jones, using contemporary cotton fabrics sourced in Japan.

Mens cotton shirts by Yoshi Jones - made using uniquely patterned fabrics sourced from Japan

The striking patterns feature geometric shapes and colour palettes that work brilliantly. A couple of my favourite colour combinations include peach partnered with both warm & cool blue variants (as pictured at top) and orange, brown & aqua (as pictured below) both on a crisp white background. The various designs suit all tastes but mostly they are unique in a bland environment where the male shirt seems to be reserved for the conservative workplace.

Mens cotton shirts by Yoshi Jones - made using uniquely patterned fabrics sourced from Japan

The mens shirts are available in two different styles - fitted and a side vent style that can be worn with jeans, shorts or a skinny pant. (Perfect for all those summer celebrations!) There are both short sleeve & long sleeve options, and prices range from AUD $99 - $125. Pictured below is a detail from one of the shirts showing a more delicate design - both in its hand-drawn style and the mauve & eggplant colours - again on a crisp white background, punctuated by orange & blue highlights.

Mens cotton shirts by Yoshi Jones - made using uniquely patterned fabrics sourced from Japan

The fabric range is so eycatching it has appealed to men and women alike leading Yoshi to design a range of colourful shirts for us girls as well as the boys. This new range will be appearing instore throughout this month, so if you are in Sydney, be sure to check them out! The Yoshi Jones store is at 134 King St, Newtown (near the intersection of King St & Missendon Rd).

Mens cotton shirts by Yoshi Jones - made using uniquely patterned fabrics sourced from Japan

P.S. If you're a coffee lover, stop by Campos Coffee (a block down Missenden Rd) for the best coffee & beans ever!

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Monday, December 03, 2007.