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indie art & design blog

welcome jade!

The Indie Wire - News from indie art & design

We're thrilled to be introducing another new contributor to indie art & design - Jade Suine who also writes the lovely girl.ferment blog!

Jade is a spirited hand-maker (and handmade supporter) who currently lives in Canberra. (We're also looking forward to showing you some of her creations in the future...) Enjoy her debut post on the new Shop Handmade store!

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Monday, May 17, 2010.

modish creators market

Melbourne's first Modish Creators Market kicked off last weekend and there were over 60 stalls at the market's Malvern Town Hall locale. Business partners and cousins, Kylie Loy & Kelly Jenkins, are the gals behind Modish. As well as running the market all day, they each had their own stall: Kylie's Tiges and Weince and Kelly's Cool Kids Creations.

Bushka Baby rattles and fine-wool scarves by Morgan Wills

Bushka Baby rattles and fine-wool scarves by Morgan Wills

Colourful pin-cushion apples and fabric Russian dolls caught my eye at Morgan Wills' eco-friendly stall. Morgan's Bushka Baby rattles are made with recycled fabrics, remnants and vintage tea towels and her fine-wool scarves and baby blankets are made from recycled jumpers.

Bird cage necklaces by Mecino

Bird cage necklaces by Mecino

I first came across Mecino's bird cage necklaces while browsing Etsy a few months ago and was delighted to see Michelle Luna's stall at Modish. Her jewellery was displayed on antique saucers and plates - the perfect pairing to the vintage findings Michelle uses in her designs.

Totes and more by the rabbit & the duck

Totes and more by the rabbit & the duck

One of the widest array of wares was at the rabbit & the duck stall. Shannon's collection covers everything from cards and journals, cushions and totes, bags and purses and the cutest fabric-covered magnets - a pack of which I couldn't resist for an extra Mother's Day gift.

Collages by Look at the Wall

Collages by Look at the Wall

Monique Gaspar creates paper collages on ready-to-hang wooden panels. The fabulous peacock has more than 200 pieces of paper in its tail - yes, I counted them! Monique uses a variety of paper in her designs including origami paper and even recycled maps. I was chuffed to see my local Smith St as a fence post with a red cat perched on top. Carolyn featured Look at the Wall on indie art & design back in 2008.

Printed textile goods by Me & M'lee

Printed textile goods by Me & M'lee

At only eight months old, Me & M'lee had a nice selection on offer. Cushions, totes, aprons and wheat pillows in coordinating prints. Maria's range came about after friends told her she should 'go large' instead of just making pieces for school fetes.

Crocheted necklace by Loré Loré

Crocheted necklace by Loré Loré

I spotted this crocheted necklace amongst the delicate knitwear clothing and accessories at Loré Loré. Each one-of-a-kind piece is handcrafted by textile designer Lorena Gonzalez. Keep an eye out for her upcoming line of mens knitwear.

Upcycled vinyl record creations by Record Attempts

Upcycled vinyl record creations by Record Attempts

The coolest prop of the day was the spinning turntable at Record Attempts. Mark Farrell upcycles preloved-vinyl into ring-bound journals and 50s-style flying ducks for hanging on the wall of your den.

The next Modish Market will be the 19th June. The Malvern Town Hall is located on the corner of High St and Glenferrie Rd, Malvern. Keep up-to-date via the Modish blog.

All photographs taken at Modish Creators Market by Emma Starr.

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Friday, May 14, 2010.

jade oakley: headland

Saltwater IV by Sydney-based artist Jade Oakley

"Saltwater IV" by Jade Oakley, 2010, 55 x 54 x 54cm , gouache, paper, polyurethane resin & stainless steel wire. Photograph by Anthony Pearse.

Opening tonight (Thursday 13th May) is Jade Oakley's latest exhibition of mobiles, Headland, at Australian Galleries, Smith Street in Collingwood, Melbourne.

We showcased Jade's work last year when we visited her studio as she worked on mobiles for the Estuary exhibition in June 2009 at Australian Galleries Glenmore Road in Paddington (Sydney).

This time, our Melbourne-based indies will have the opportunity to experience the wonderful play of balance and movement as the individual "leaves" of each mobile rotate effortlessly. The overall effect is an everchanging installation of delicate shapes and shadows.

Treasure I by Sydney-based artist Jade Oakley

"Treasure I" by Jade Oakley, 2010, 9 x 10 x 9cm, bronze, copper & stone. Photograph by Anthony Pearse.

Headland is an exhibition of mobiles inspired the memory of a place. The works are meditations on the bush, the coastal heathland and waves breaking over rocks. The colour palette for the paper mobiles is drawn from the sea and the forest – flecks of cerulean and ultramarine amidst the ochres and umbers of the bush. The viewer becomes like a bower-bird, gathering the flecks of blue by glancing from one blue element to the next.

In addition to 32 stainless steel and paper mobiles, which are intended for interior spaces, Jade has introduced mobiles that are designed for the outdoors. The mobiles from the 'Shoreline' and 'Waterline' series are free-standing and robust, made from copper, stone steel and bronze. The mobile elements are filled with a delicate web of hand-woven copper wire.

Water over Rocks II by Sydney-based artist Jade Oakley

"Water over Rocks II" by Jade Oakley, 2010, 52 x 71 x 71cm, gouache, paper, polyurethane resin & stainless steel wire. Photograph by Anthony Pearse.

Jade describes the Headland exhibition as follows: "There is a place in my mind's eye where a house is perched on a cliff, as lightly as an insect. Where I have walked barefoot along a ridge top over sandstone and fallen banksia leaves, looking down through the angophora forest to see glimpses of the sea below. Through the forest and out into the heathland, thick with birds and bottle brush and whispering grasses tossed by the wind. Beyond that are the cliffs where waves break and pool over the rocks – and past that is the great sighing sea. This is my dream place – where I flee to in my mind to escape my noisy urban home – this is the Headland."

Heathland II by Sydney-based artist Jade Oakley

"Heathland II" by Jade Oakley, 2010, 79 x 76 x 76cm, gouache, paper, polyurethane resin & stainless steel wire. Photograph by Anthony Pearse.

If you're in Melbourne, make sure you get along to Jade Oakley's Headland. Her mobiles are stunning individually, but it's really worth seeing them installed in a gallery setting - a gently moving skyscape of graduated colour! The exhibition opens tonight, Thursday, 13th May 2010, 6pm-9pm, and continues until Sunday 6th June at:

Australian Galleries
Smith Street
50 Smith Street, Collingwood, VIC, 3066.
Opening Hours:
10am - 6pm Monday to Saturday
12pm - 5pm Sunday
Phone: 03 9417 0800

Saltwater III by Sydney-based artist Jade Oakley

"Saltwater III" by Jade Oakley, 2010, 50 x 170 x 170cm, gouache, paper, polyurethane resin & stainless steel wire. Photograph by Anthony Pearse.

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Thursday, May 13, 2010.

ladies first at bsg

Flyer for Ladies First exhibition at Brunswick Street Galleries
indie art & design is proud to be supporting the upcoming "Ladies First" group exhibition at Brunswick Street Gallery. The show has been curated by Melbourne's Tessa Yee, who has a strong interest in street art and illustration. She wanted to bring together works by female artists who work in illustration, exploring ideas of femininity - through portraits of beautiful women, flirty girls, cute and kooky illustrations. Tessa chose artists who each have a really unique style, and there will be a contrast between extremely feminine, fariytale-like images, and more twisted, mischievous, images of femininity.

To introduce you to the 13 talented ladies whose work will be on display, we've included a selection of artworks from the show below, accompanied by brief artist profiles. Another post will follow later this week, showcasing the work of the seven remaining artists - so stay tuned!

Artwork by Marie Larkin - to be exhibited in the Ladies First exhibition at Brunswick Street Galleries

"Ahoy Ahoy" (left) and "Waiting for the North Wind" (right) by Marie Larkin, both 2010, acrylic on canvas, 30cm x 30cm.

MARIE LARKIN "My art focuses unashamedly on the feminine, and, while I have not deliberately aimed at this, it seems also to revolve around a romantic fantasy world of innocent and beautiful young girls and small animals.

Recently I have been intently focusing on painting endearing whimsical stylised female figures with sad expressive faces. They seem lost in their own little world and are often in possession of a small 'treasure' such as a kitten, rabbit or even toy pirate ships. These 'treasures' are reflected in their personal adornment as well.

I am moving towards a group of works inspired by fairytale and nursery rhyme narratives, tinged with dark humour and revenge twists. These will be very detailed works in acrylic on canvas and at the moment are appearing as graphite pencil drawings as I develop ideas and imagery. Even more recently my strange little figures have begun appearing as sculptures. I am exhibiting quite a number of paintings, drawing and the sculptures at the Ladies First show in Melbourne."

You can see more of Marie's work at www.marielarkin.com.au and www.paperdollandpony.blogspot.com.

Artwork by Courtney Brims - to be exhibited in the Ladies First exhibition at Brunswick Street Galleries

"Darkness Creeps" by Courtney Brims, pencil on paper.

COURTNEY BRIMS is a Brisbane-based artist who graduated with a degree in interior design before turning her attention to illustration in 2008. Her drawings are influenced by Victoriana, ghost stories, old photographs, daydreams and nightmares.

Working with pencils, Courtney creates dreamy worlds of lost girls and bewildering creatures, focusing on the beauty of nature and its dominance over time.

Courtney had her first solo exhibition at Sydney's Monster Children Gallery in 2008 as winner of the Mooks Artspace competition. Since then she has had solo shows at LA’s Black Maria Gallery and most recently at Brisbane's Nine Lives Gallery as well as numerous group shows across Australia. Courtney has created illustrations for such companies as Element Clothing, Something Else, Hurley, Pony Rider, 1300Flowers and The Finders Keepers Markets and has had her work featured in Empty magazine, Frankie, Yen and Monster Children Magazine.

"When people view my drawings I like to think I fill them with a sense of curiosity and a feeling of nostalgia. Drawing is my way of storytelling where I can take the viewer off the winding path and into the deep woods reminiscent of a fairytale. I primarily focus on themes of displacement, abandonment and loss of self, telling tales of neglected creatures trying to find their place in the world."

You can see more of Courtney's work at www.courtneybrims.com and http://courtneybrims.blogspot.com.

Artwork by Megan Dell - to be exhibited in the Ladies First exhibition at Brunswick Street Galleries

"Talkin Loud, Sayin Nothing" by Megan Dell, February 2010, acrylic, gouache, varnish on used skateboard, AUD $300

MEGAN DELL "After growing up in country Victoria, I moved to Melbourne at the age of 17 to study Graphic Arts. Inspired by local stencil artists, I became involved in the street art scene. A lot of the time my work incorporates spray paint and markers, with a preference to paint on used skateboards - as they come with their own character and history."

You can see more of Megan's work at www.megandell.com.

Artwork by Jessica Stewart - to be exhibited in the Ladies First exhibition at Brunswick Street Galleries

JESSICA STEWART Melbourne based artist Jessica Stewart likes to draw portraits of dreamers wishing for another day to arrive. Using pencil, paint and pastel she draws ships, homes and animals to represent a freedom from their current situation. She has also just completed a artist collaboration with surf wear brand Rip Curl, along with running her own small limited edition clothing company Leon Vault.

You can view more of Jessica's work at http://whenyouescape.tumblr.com

Artwork by Rhiannon Mowat - to be exhibited in the Ladies First exhibition at Brunswick Street Galleries

"Cinnamon Girl" by Rhiannon Mowat, 2010, nspired by the song by Neil Young, a nursery rhyme and a lifetime of finding comfort in music.

RHIANNON MOWAT "I find a lot of my inspiration in words. Stories and poems, songs and philosophy. A line of text, a thought scribbled down, sometimes a word sitting all on its own. I take them out of context, spin them around then put them down on paper with characters and colours.

It feels like I am always searching for parts of a puzzle that are floating in the ether waiting to be found (and the corner pieces are always the hardest to find).

I really hope that when people find my work they see something that makes them feel a little better than they did before."

You can see more of Rhiannon's work at www.piecesofcolour.com.au.

Artwork by Sylvia Newton - to be exhibited in the Ladies First exhibition at Brunswick Street Galleries

"Freida" by Sylvia Newton, April 2010, acrylic paint, recycled dressmakers pattern paper and paper ephemera on 12"x12" stretched canvas, AUD $150.

SYLVIA NEWTON "I am a full time mother to 4 children, part time uni student, casual night filler and an artist. My works are hard for me to describe but I see the works as ghostly girls with a lot of hormonal mood swings trying to fit in somewhere, somehow. People comment on them as if are all the pieces I paint are one person. In my head they are not but they are the one person I guess to some extent as they all more than likely have something to do with my subconscious... I paint when I feel moody. I work with acrylic paints. Dressmaker's pattern paper is my favourite background. I have started to work with a bit of various ephemera too. Hopefully I will broaden use of mediums as experiment more."

Sylvia Newton is based in Newcastle, NSW and you can see more of her work at www.sylviamay.blogspot.com and www.sylviamay.etsy.com.

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010.

finders keepers this weekend!

Artwork print by Claire Cimbora from Schmooks

A charming collection of signed prints, greeting cards and a new range of jewellery by Claire Cimbora from Schmooks

We're really looking forward to Finders Keepers Markets, which are on again in Sydney this weekend! As always, there are lots of new labels to discover (especially with an increasing number of interstate makers travelling to Sydney for the event), and some familiar faces too... (The lineup includes a selection of labels we stock here at indie art & design.)

Handmade vases by Angus and Celeste

Jewellery, accessories and homewares handmade from the finest porcelains by Melbourne-based design duo Angus and Celeste.

The next Sydney open at CarriageWorks on Friday night, 7th May 2010 (6pm - 10pm) and continue on Saturday 8th May 2010 from 10am – 6pm. With 80 different stalls you're sure to find plenty of irresistible goodies, while you enjoy music from local indie musicians and perhaps a drink from the bar... Entry to the Finders Keepers Markets is free but there is no ATM on site, so bring enough cash with you to cover your purchases. (Otherwise, there are ATMs in nearby Newtown.)

Jewellery by Corky Saint Clair

Corky Saint Clair - Jewellery designed and made in Melbourne by Chris & Louis in their studio in the CBD.

The beautiful old CarriageWorks buildings are located at 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh NSW 2015. The pedestrian entrance is at the corner of Codrington Street and Wilson Street and there is wheelchair ramp and level access at all entrances. The nearest train stations are Redfern or Macdonaldtown.

Lasercut wooden jewellery by White Square

Laser cut jewellery and hand painted wooden boxes by Perth-based husband & wife design team White Square

Pictured here are just a few of the talents we'll be checking out. We'll have our camera in tow so we can show you some of our favourite things afterwards too... Look forward to seeing some of you there! (If you're a stallholder, please leave us a comment below - we'd love to say hello to our indie readers.)

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Thursday, May 06, 2010.