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indie art & design blog
three of a kind: madeleine stamer
Limited edition giclee print by Madeleine Stamer
Three incredibly talented Melbourne girls have joined forces to bring us the upcoming "Three of a Kind" exhibition. We are thrilled to be supporting this show, and will be bringing you artist interviews as well as pics from the opening night, which will be at
Lab X Gallery on Friday 20th November 2009, from 6-8pm.
Madeleine Stamer (of Little Circus Design), Irene Grishin-Selzer (of Iggy & Lou Lou) and Beci Orpin (of Beci Orpin & Tiny Mammoth) are the 'artists three' and they've launched a pop-up blog at http://threeofakind09.blogspot.com to cover the exhibition!
We've asked each artist a series of questions about the show, and first up is Madeleine! Her artworks are just beautiful, with fluid graphic and illustrative elements. I think people feel a strong connection to her work as it seems very personal. Each image tells a story, with inspiration drawn from the characters & creatures from her childhood, natural history, Mexicana, folk art, vintage prints & patterns.
Madeleine has taken a little time off from exhibition preparations to tell us about the show, and working with Irene & Beci...
Limited edition giclee print by Madeleine Stamer
I What makes you 'three of a kind'? The motivations behind your works, your techniques & approach or the themes that run through the artworks, or a little of each?
MS Our three of a kind theme is multi-faceted. Broadly speaking it covers our fond admiration for each other's personal style and shared interests. The three of us have a similar work aesthetic and we are motivated by similar medium choices and inspiration. Our work often possesses folk traditions and like-minded ideas injected with a humorous yet dark edge. Building up to the show we have maintained tight communication with one another via email and we have been privy to digital images of each other's work that we are including in the show. Obviously we haven't seen absolutely every piece of work but we trust each other completely. I personally can't wait to see how it will all come together.
"Bird on a Cross" Limited edition giclee print by Madeleine Stamer (AU $150 A3 size or $330 56x76cm)
I What led you down this career path?
MS I chose to pursue illustration because I simply adore the drawing process. I have two small children and limited studio space plus I sold my kiln so illustrating became a very appealing career choice. I’m also a part time art teacher so luckily I have access to a kiln. I still love working with clay and I regularly get the students involved with clay-based projects.
The Blackeyed Susans "Reveal Yourself" Album cover by Madeleine Stamer
I What do you love most about being an artist/designer?
MS Luckily for me I have the regularity of a good part time teaching job but I also love the thrill of being involved in freelance opportunities and agency work. You never know what is around the corner and there are so many wonderful opportunities to become involved in. Obviously my illustration work is sporadic but somehow it all comes together. I push myself to be ultra organized and communicative otherwise opportunities fall by the wayside. I also have a very loving and supportive husband who encourages me to keep moving! When I’m not teaching and if I don’t have any deadlines I squeeze in my personal art such as the work that I have compiled specifically for the three of a kind show. Being able to combine so much of what I love makes me a happy person, but it takes hard work and determination particularly when you have kids.
Illustration by Madeleine Stamer
I Does living in Melbourne influence your artwork?
MS Unknowingly I think it has an intrinsic connection to my work. My environment and experiences influence my work a great deal. My art often references fond childhood experiences and interesting encounters. I lived near Dampier Creek in Mount Waverley. In the 70's, Mount Waverley was semi-rural! Milk was delivered by horse and cart (now I'm really showing my age!) Most geographical areas have a personality, Melbourne certainly has great characteristics and I love it very much!
I What is the focus of your work for the Three Of A Kind exhibition?
MS 2D work, large-scale giclee prints and I have designed some limited edition birdie mobiles made of laser-cut acrylic. The themes vary, but as usual most images include a bird and a little touch of Australiana.
Limited edition giclee print by Madeleine Stamer
I What do you love most about the work of the other two girls?
MS Their originality and the personality that shines through their work.
Thanks so much, Madeleine for sharing a piece of the Little Circus world with us, and best wishes to all three artists for the show! It will be a special one...
You can see more of Madeleine's work at Little Circus Design, or revisit our previous posts about her work: 20.12.2007 "feature artist: madeleine stamer" and 15.4.2007 "run away with little circus". If you're in Melbourne, make sure to visit the Three Of A Kind blog and of course, the show!
The exhibition opens at Lab X on Friday 20th November 2009, from 6-8pm, and continues until November 29.
Lab X
40 Pakington St, St Kilda, 3182.
ph. 03 9534 8838
Gallery hours are 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
finders keepers - brisbane!
Ceramic magnets by Little Jane St.
STARTING TODAY: The first ever Brisbane Finders Keepers markets!
Our favourite designers markets have headed North to welcome Queensland fans to indie shopping heaven. Many Queensland-based designers & makers will be exhibiting at Finders Keepers markets for the first time. They'll be alongside designers who have travelled from up from Sydney, Melbourne & elseware to showcase their products to a new crowd.
Below, we've pictured a small selection of delights you'll find this weekend at the Old Museum (next to the RNA showgrounds in Brisbane). Featured is the work of Little Jane St, Courntey Brims, Edward & Lilly and Bespoke Letterpress We'll let you discover the rest...
Sweet ceramic herb nametags by Little Jane St
Little Jane St is the stationery label of Brisbane-based designer, Alarna Zinn. She makes a great variety of greeting cards and gorgeous little accessories like the ceramic herb nametags and paper garlands pictured below. There are many more beautiful photos on her web site, www.littlejanest.com.au and blog, littlejanest.blogspot.com. Do visit! (Both her sites and her stall at Finders Keepers!)
Greeting cards by Little Jane St - displayed in a cute vintage suitcase.
Paper garland by Little Jane St - who also makes cute confetti packs from the paper cuttings!
Courntey Brims is the Brisbane-based artist responsible for the exquisitely beautiful illustration on the Brisbane Finders Keepers markets flyer (which we pictured in our post about Brisbane applications). Her work is so finely detailed - with fairytale girls and shy forest creatures drawn into intriguing tales of their own.
Greeting cards by Courtney Brims
Don't you LOVE the "Blossom" illustration below - where the little dear's antlers have sprouted blossoms (and attracted a couple of resident spiders)?! You can see more of Courtney's gorgeous drawings at www.courneybrims.com.
Greeting cards by Courtney Brims
Embroidered Kitty softie and sweet girl illustration by Edward & Lilly
Rebecca incorporates her embroidered designs into accessories, softies and decorations beautifully. The pile of birdie shapes below will have been filled with lavender by now so that you can decorate your Christmas trees with Christmas birdie cheer! You can read more about Edward & Lilly and see many more photos & designs at www.edwardandlilly.com, or visit the MadeIt and Etsy stores...
Embroidered brooches and lavender-filled Christmas birdies by Edward & Lilly
The prints are illustrations by a variety of artists including Nancy Mungcal, whose "Honey In Sunshine" design is pictured directly below, and Chrissy Lau, whose "Geraldine & Walter in Love" illustration is underneath. You can find out more at www.bespokepress.com.au and the Bespoke Press blog.
The Finders Keepers opens today at Old Museum (next to the RNA showgrounds in Brisbane), cnr Bowen Bridge Road & Gregory Terrace,
Herston. Hours are as follows:
Saturday 31st October: 12pm - 9pm
Sunday 1st November: 10am - 5pm
Best wishes to all the Brisbane indies who will be attending or exhibiting at their first Queensland Finders Keepers!
unsw ceramics sale
The work of talented Sydney-based potters Deb Taylor and Murray Topham is currently on display, and ON SALE at UNSW! The Pottery Sale (at the Kensington Campus) began this week. It's open tomorrow 30th November, and continues next week from Tuesday 3rd to Friday 6th November 2009 (11am - 4pm).
With two locations, the Blockhouse (Level 2, G6 on the Campus Map) and the Quadrangle Colonnade (G6 on the Campus Map), you're sure to find some perfect gifts for Christmas - at surprisingly low prices. We spent ages admiring the designs & taking photographs, and there were many, many pieces priced from approximately $20 to $100. Some of the larger pieces were between $100 and $200 which is great value. I bought two sweet little cups on Monday, and I think I may return next week - though I really want that extra piece for myself!
You'll need cash for purchases, but there are a couple of ATMs just outside.
I LOVE the typewriter-style text which has been pressed into so many of her pieces, including the cute pendants above and the "Intoxicated" cup pictured at top! My favourites had been "Dark Horse" and "Black Sheep" but Deb has recently added a whole new range of words for Christmas too. We'll be returning to the studio in a few weeks time to capture Deb's work in progress - so keep an eye on our site for the upcoming Studio Visit post!
This was my first introduction to the work of Murray Topham, which we both thought was stunning. Just look at his creations above! There is a lot of careful detail in each of his pieces, but they retain a "light" feeling with the surface decoration complimenting the ceramic forms. There shapes have both geometric and organic elements, and the texture of the pieces above could be inspired by the same corals & sea creatures that seem to have influenced the structures.
Both artists contrast delicate matt outer surfaces with lustrous glazed interiors to great effect. Don't you love the gradients of blue peeking out from the white above?
Once again the shapes in the pieces pictured above are fantastic - the boats, cones and spheres...
So much time must have gone into the creation of Murray's pieces below... The pink polyp especially is incredible!
For more information about the artists, visit Deb Taylor's web site at www.littlewhitedish.com.au, or contact Murray Topham through the ARC Potters in Residence at UNSW, or of course, visit the Pottery Sale! The artists themselves look after the sales, so you'll have the chance to chat to the makers of these gorgeous ceramics.
prime mover giveaway
Prime Mover is a new Australian film directed by David Caesar (Mullet, Dirty Deeds), which will embark on a road trip throughout regional NSW this Thursday. The two week exclusive 'country' preview season is believed to be a first, and celebrates the communities and locations where Prime Mover was filmed.
The film opens nationally on November 12, and Transmission Films has generously given us 10 in-season double passes for indie art & design to giveaway! Check that you can make it to one of the cinemas where Prime Mover will be screening (listed below), and comment on this post by Friday 6th November to enter! (Why not tell us your favourite mode of transport... truck, motorbike, sedan, bicycle, bus, hot-hatch, 4WD, caravan, tangara, combi van, mini, ute, scooter, your first car, your new car, by foot?)
Starring an ensemble cast of Australian actors, including Michael Dorman, Emily Barclay, Ben Mendelsohn and William McInnes, Prime Mover is a diesel charged romance about ambition, pressure, responsibility and the love shared by a man, a woman and his truck. It is a bitter sweet crowd pleaser with action, some singing and a little bit of dance.
Dorman plays a talented truck pinstriper in Prime Mover, and there is a special section on the web site devoted to the various trucks and other vehicles that star in the film! The web site itself is really impressive, with a truckin' interface & an oversized load of pics...
"A funny and moving slice of everyday life mixed with a smattering of magic realism, Prime Mover offers a whole new perspective on the Australian trucking way of life." Melbourne International Film Festival
The Prime Mover Soundtrack features Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, Michael Dorman and Abbe May with the original score by Paul Healy.
NSW: Palace Verona, Dendy Newtown
VIC: Carlton Nova, Village Rivoli
QLD: Dendy Portside
ACT: Dendy Canberra
WA: Luna Leederville
If you can make it to one of those locations, make sure to comment on this post and enter our draw for one of 10 double passes!
bicycle fashions!
Through their innovative new label, Spoke + Spool, Sydney designers Alia Parker and Laura Pike have threaded together their love of both fashion & cycling. They've released a fantastic range of creative clothing for guys and girls with all garments designed & made by Laura. The label was launched at the recent "Where To From Here" exhibition at Fraser Studios (Chippendale) which celebrated bike culture in Sydney and showcased the work of a number of progressive designers, artists and makers around town.
The Spoke + Spool collection is remade from existing vintage clothes which are made from beautiful fabrics such as silk and wool. The clothing is transformed with an emphasis on functionality - achieved specifically through reflector tape, screenprinted bicycle map linings, and compasses for navigation. I really love the little bolero pictured above. When the coat tails are buttoned up, the woven reflector tape patches look like a pair of ladybird wings!
Aren't these photos beautiful? The photo shoot was at local Sydney Park (the grassy hills seemed very familiar!), and the talent behind the lens was Sudney photographer Laura Friezer. This pretty bike fashion is a far cry from lycra bodysuits!
I think this is my favourite from the range. The "onesy" has been totally transformed from the original garment, with legs that were once sleeves, and frills which used to be a belt... The diamond-shaped reflector detail makes a cute pattern which matches the stylish, airy feel of the outfit.
The Spoke + Spool range is stocked exclusively at The Vintage Clothing Shop, Shop 7/80 Castlereagh St, St James Arcade, Sydney. To find out more about this collection of "Freewheeling Clothes for Bikelovers", visit www.spokenspool.com. With compass vintage wristbands to guide them, these girls know where they're going!