Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts

Friday, December 6, 2013

Amelia Herbertson - an Orange Friday Friend.

I'm in love.....with Amelia Herbertson's art!
Seriously how sweet is it?
And she is the sweetest person too.....read on.....

Who are you and what do you do?



My name is Amelia Herbertson and I am an artist living in Orange in regional NSW, Australia.
I like to paint with watercolour and gouache, as well as use fine tipped ink pens to create intricately detailed patterns. 
I turn my artworks into art prints, greeting cards and gift tags. 
I am also a print maker, and have a range of bold colourful lino prints and lino printed greeting cards.


Who or what inspire you?
 I am inspires by old children's books and have a large collection of them. I scour book sales and op shops for them and my favorites are from the 1950's and 60's. I love the style and simplicity of the illustrations. I also have drawers and boxes full of paper ephemera - postage stamps, scraps of vintage gift wrap and wall paper which I also love to look through for inspiration. 



Your signature or favorite item.
My "Big Bird" lino print.
It's my largest print and has been my biggest sellers over the years. I really love that design and I think it is probably the most recognisable of my designs.


What do you most enjoy doing?

I most enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and a fresh sheet of paper and my paintbrush. 

I like to get lost in my thoughts and lose track of time. 
I don’t get to do this as often as I would like, as I have to take care of all the other aspects of running my tiny business.


How did you start along this road? 
I have always been creative and loved to make my own greeting cards when I was a kid.
I have never had a proper 9 - 5 job and this just seemed like a natural progression.
Years ago, when I was still at school and first discovered design blogs, I came across the work of artists who sold their work on a (then) little webite called Etsy, and I thought "I want to do that." Seeing them doing it made the possibility of being an artist seem more available to me.
I began drawing in a sketchbook every chance I could and learning as I went.
It took me a long time to gather the courage to show anyone my work.



5 things you would say to other new artists/crafters/home businesses.

  1. Work hard and keep practicing. Make new things as much as you can and keep at it. It can seem daunting at first but just do a little bit everyday and you will get there.
       2.Make mistakes. Don’t be afraid of failure. You will make mistakes (it won’t be the end of the world) and you will learn from them. Every single artist/maker/business owner you admire has made plenty of mistakes to get where they are.
3     3. Be true to yourself. Don’t listen to others who try to put you down for being brave enough to take a risk and try something that goes against the conventional way of making a living. Prove them wrong!
4     4. Don’t give up. You will want to give up many times but remember that you will have always have ups and downs and things will get better again.
            5. Have fun. The most important thing to remember is that you are doing this because you love it, so remember not to get bogged down in the little things and enjoy it! 




I regularly (well, twice a year) catch up with Amelia at the Millthorpe Markets and her stall always look so fabulously enticing.



You can find her here -
www.ameliaherbertson.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AmeliaHerbertson
https://www.facebook.com/AmeliaHerbertsonArt

ps. I apologise for the font-strangeness and the uneven layout but I'm having all sorts of problems with my blog today. I feel like I'm shouting a bit and I'll try and fix it up later.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Mel Jones and her fabulous Pochoir Art - Friday Friend

.....and now for something completely different!

Pochoir art!
"What is that?" I hear you ask.
I'll just let talented pochoir artist Mel Jones explain it to you.



Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Mel Jones, and I paint using a hand cut stencil technique that the French call Pochoir. I draw and cut all of my own stencils and create my art works as single stencil paintings, or multiple stencil paintings. I may use the stencils to create one to four different paintings, then I retire the stencil and create a new art work.


In between my stencil creating and painting, I also make recycled book journals from a wide range of antique to second hand books with recycled blank paper inside. They are great as diaries, art or inspiration journals or drawing books. They also make great gifts for all ages especially children.



Who or what inspire you?
I am inspired the most by Monet, and Margaret Preston. Although I find inspiration in a lot of local and modern art, and I also love social media like ‘Pinterest’ and the creative flow of art, craft, architecture and even food.



Your signature or favourite item.
I love to create large paintings, but to create a large stencil painting, 4 of 5 feet tall and 3 or 4 feet wide takes me months of preparation and hard work. Because of the amount of time I can only create one or two per year, and they always create interest.



What do you most enjoy doing?  
Painting, painting, painting, I would paint all day every day if I could!



What you would rather be doing?
Painting painting painting need I say more.


 

Where you see yourself in 5 years time?
I would like to only have to work part time so I can paint more.
 
How did you start along this road?
Desperation after my son turned 18 months old to do something arty!
Previously I had painted for many years with oil paints, but being toxic I had boxed them up and I wasn’t willing to get them out with a small child around.
So I went to an art class and learned about stencilling, I was immediately inspired by the technique and thrilled that I could use non toxic paints.
I haven’t stopped since - developing my own technique and style that reflects my vision of the Australian landscape.



5 words of advice for others.

Start small and inexpensive
Make sure you can pack it away and unpack it again to keep out of the kids reach – plastic lidded tubs are awesome!
If creating your own stencils for painting, start A5 size, this way you can finish it on a day to see the result
Be kind to yourself and your first efforts, remember you’re just starting out!
Turning your art works into gifts or cards for relatives at Christmas time is a wonderful gift to give anyone!

Anything else you'd like to add.
I'm teaching at Sturt in the Southern Highlands in January 2014. For more information please visit 
 http://www.sturt.nsw.edu.au/education/summer-school  but be quick as the workshop is nearly full.
You can find my work at The Nook Leura.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Five Fabulous Friday Finds

I feel that I am always posting the same sort of things in my Friday Faves.

I have a penchant for rings, coin purses, photographs and quirky art - that's all!

I love the simplicity of these diamond stacking rings - would love to have all three of them! (The link goes to a listing for the bottom ring only).
Hey! I can dream - right?!

white diamond stacking ring by LexLuxe

Continuing my love of sweet little zip pouches - I have to severely restrain myself from buying every zip pouch/coin purse that I see!
I could easily pocket all of these -

fabric purse by WhimsiesbySusanJames

I'm a bit the same way about notebooks - you can never have too many can you?
This one has adorable original artwork on - reminds me of children's stories, or nursery rhymes.

notebook by NeskeGraphic

The next find fills my addiction to both dreamy photography and cushions!
I would need to buy some more chairs if I bought more cushions - but I can dream!
I admit that I saw these over on Red Parka - thanks Jen for sharing!

You really should go and check out this shop - it has many beautiful applications of her photographs -

pillow by andrekart

.....and now for something completely different!
From my lovely on-line friend Deb of Two Cheeky Monkeys - a range of eye-popping neon necklaces.
Wow!
pink neon pearl necklace by Two Cheeky Monkeys
I promise next week I will break away from my "usual" picks and find some mad, unusual stuff!.....off I go to search....

Have a great weekend!

Friday, January 4, 2013

Five fabulous Friday finds

Happy New Year!

Starting the first Friday Finds of the year with a sentiment that I'll try and live up to this year.

prints by mateoandtobias

And then following with a few of my favorite things!

Chook! Well actually a rooster.
I have a soft spot for watercolours - love the almost oriental simplicity of this style.

rooster by cat2owl

Oh, yes! and cats!
If you love cats go check out this shop on etsy. It is full of all sorts of cheeky, naughty, whimsical cats.
These chubby little cats sitting on a sofa reading just tickled my fancy!

cat tote by jamieshelman

And I still seem to be obsessed with rings!
How about this trio of aquamarine rings?
Delish!
stacking rings by metalmorphoz

Oh! and blue! How I love this colour.
These hand made suede shoes look sooooo comfy. I'm sure my feet would just melt into them.

ballet flats by elehandmade
Have a great weekend!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Five fabulous Friday Finds

So much fabulousness everywhere at the moment!

He are some snippets of gorgeous to brighten your weekend.


I'm a sucker for Japanese art and imagine how fab it would be to carry this around with you all day.

wallet and phone pouch by TinderandBloom

Just loving the whimsey of these clocks by iluxo, couldn't decide between this or the Paris one!


Sydney clock by iluxo

Wooden't you just love to have this fabulous shelf as a feature on your wall?
I also have a few old books I could put on there.

Atlas by designlipe

If not - or maybe, as well you could hang this bookshelf on your wall.
Does this look like your bookshelf? It is a bit like mine!

Illustration by BookCub
And I can't go past some pretty earrings.
These look like they would be so light to wear and I can just imagine how they would swing as you walk!

native american style earrings by Anabel27shop
What fabulousness have you found this week?

Friday, October 26, 2012

Friday faves

I love digging through my faves on Fridays.
Revisiting some old faves, making friends with some new ones, getting lost in shops...

Here is a new one that I found this morning.
This shop has a lot of bike decorated glasses and tshirts, but I just love this crafty one - 

crafty pint glasses by vital

This bag may be newly noticed by me but the shop and maker are not!
OK this is made by my friend K, but she seriously makes the best messenger bags around.
I usually go for the bright fabrics but I love the 50's feel of this fabric - reminds me of some curtains from my childhood I think.

small messenger bag by needlevsthread

I love pottery! Did you know that I was a potter before I was a jewellery designer?
And I guess it's still in my blood but these days I leave it the expert practitioners.
This ticks a couple of boxes - it's a jewellery display pot - how useful is that?

jewellery bowl by CaractacusPots

And here's another piece that ticks a couple of boxes.
I have a soft spot for waterecolours (I also tried that!) and of course I'm a cat person.
Plus this is a french, revolutionary puss - aw!

Les Mews by amberalexander

It's sort-of-summer, time to reassess ones wardrobe - maybe I'm in the market for a new skirt, but it's so hard to decide which one!
What do you think of this one - it's denim (love), got some brightness (love) and it's wrap around (too comfy) - yep, that ticks a few boxes too!

wrap around skirt by boutique mia
Phew! All that ticking boxes has me worn out!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Mad about lace

 Lace. do you love lace?

You know lace isnt just the stuff associated with wedding gowns!
Who'd have thought you could have metal lace, plastic, crocheted lace, in fact you can make lace with just about anything!

Wikipedia says "Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric"

And it is the in-between open spaces which are as important as the solid parts when it comes to lace!

I felt very inspired to create my own lace after visiting the Love Lace exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney today.

Here are some of my faves and some unusual creations.

I love this tea set and photoprinted tea bags, traditional lace, but non-traditional treatment

steeped in memory by Linda Galbraith

This dress is so wearable, it has quite a fragile look though.

whitework by Anne Farren

 Now who would think to crochet Henry Ford's first engine - using wire?
Um, not me!
But this is a wonderful contruction!

Detroit's shadow by Ann Mondro

Or who would think to use Darwin's Origin of Species to make little cut palnts out of.
There were reams and reams of paper her, but I was fascinated by the little plants.

A brief history of time by Jenny Pollack

Did you know you can make lace of of coathangers?

Sacred geometry by Lyndal Hargrave
 Or leaves?
Such a simple idea, but oh so effective.

The garden of leaflessness by Golnar Roshan

I think this was my favorite - how could it not be?

It's jewellery, right?

Lacqueus by Alison Wheeldon
 And there are many more wondrous lacey creations to be seen at the Powerhouse Museum, so if you are in or near Sydney I urge you - go and have a look!

Make lace - not war!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wednesday Wishlist


So long since I've posted a Wednesday wishlist, and my wishes are piling up!

Even though we have now entered autumn I still covet everything in this shop -

ruffled flowers tshirt by nikacollection

I'm seriously on the lookout for a new handbag.
This one is on my short list.
I love the fabric so much and last weekend I saw a lady with a skirt made from this fabric. It was great!


This artwork speaks to me.
I dont know if it's my fondness for antique maps, or the balloon, or the bird?
It's the combination of these elements that make the whole.

Life's Journey by CrimsonCircleStudios

What are you wishing for this week?

Remember to leave a comment to go into the draw to win the earrings I'm giving away this week!
thanks

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wednesday wishlist

I'm in the mood for birds!

Maybe because it is spring!

bird and berries by studiolyon

And I can hear the birds tweeting outside!


What are you in the mood for?

Please leave a comment on any post and I'll collect all the names together tomorrow and one person will get a surprise!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Wednesday wishlist

um, bit late! What can I say?

sorry!

Here are a few things I covet from my favorites.

I do have a 'thing' about fingerless mitts, armwarmers, wrist warmers - call them what you will.
There are many things to love about these particular ones by BlueKimonoStudio.

1. the bright colours
2. stripes make me smile
3. reusing, recycling
4. the look warm
5. they look soft
6. it's a great product photo.



A market friend of mine Brooke from Trove is sadly closing down her shop and has reduced prices.
I'm so tempted by these earrings, sooooooooooooo tempted.
She also had lovely pendants and necklaces. Have a look before they all go!



Lastly I spotted this new seller and am in lurve!

petitbirdsings has the cutest artwork and I couldnt decide, but this selection of four mini works is irrresistable.
Which one would you choose?



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