Tea & Sympathy

It's taken me a few days to figure out what to write about this. I've checked back about 10 times (probably more) to make sure that it's real. A little while ago I entered Tea & Sympathy (above) in the ACMI Tim Burton competition, and it has made the cut for the final 14!

It kind of feels like the Christmas morning when you open your presents and find that, this year, your parents actually got you exactly what you wanted. Just knowing that Tim Burton saw my picture and liked something about it makes me very happy. That might be silly, but right now I really don't care.

This image started with the names of the two characters. I was listening to one of my Split Enz cds while I was painting and the song Sugar and Spice was on. Tea and Sympathy is half of a line from the song, and this time when I heard it I thought to myself, I wonder what they would look like as characters. The result from that wondering is the painting you see before you now.

Exhibition set-up

The show is off and running. Here are some photo's taken just after it was all setup and straightened out and given a final polish.

Opening night was great, thank you to everyone who came along. So many opening nights happening at the same time gave the whole gallery an awesome atmosphere.

'The Sideshow Train'

I have become a bit of a hermit in the last few months, but with good reason. I have two exhibitions opening next week, and the opening nights are literally one after the other. One of these happens to be a solo show, and that is scary on a scale I cannot describe.

The Sideshow Train started off as a small idea, a bunch of characters that feel like they don't fit in, like they are the from the sideshow that sits at the edge of everything. I had some of the names sorted (Tea & Sympathy, Nonsense & Riddles) but that was all. Then my husband looked through my sketches and started writing stories to go with them, and the little idea I had has become a lot bigger.

So, on Friday 24th September we will be spending the day turning the black room at Brunswick Street Gallery into the sideshow room. By 6pm it will be ready to go, and all are welcome to join in the fun that opening nights always are.

Illustration Friday - Rescue

This was one of those images that came to mind as a complete picture all at once. When I think of being rescued I think of music. I'm talking about the emotional kind of rescue, when you get stuck in your own thoughts and need something to pull you out.

I think most people would have a certain band or a certain song that always makes them feel better. For me it has always been Crowded House, every time I hear the first few notes of Weather With You my heart feels a little bit lighter.

Christmas chocolate box

I have recently had the absolute pleasure of doing some illustrations for Koko Black. I have been going to their shop in the Royal Arcade for years, I still remember the day I found out they did a hot chocolate mocha…yum.

The picture above is of their Family Novelty Box from the new Christmas range. That’s my handy-work sitting on the top there. All pen and ink and a large amount of detail, just the way I like it!

Illustration Friday - Music

'Cinnamon Girl'

Inspired by the song by Neil Young

Just because

I thought I would put these images up because they seem to be the ones that people like the most. It is always surprising to me which ones are the most popular, it never seems to be the ones I think it will be.

The first one is titled 'Threads' and the second is 'Red's Path'.