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indie art & design blog
graphic bags
A surprise is in store when you purchase the May/June issue of Inside Out magazine! Talented designer Grace Lee (who is responsible for adding gorgeous handwritten text flourishes throughout the pages of Inside Out) has dreamed up this cute little accessories bag. Inside Out collaborated with Australian label Apple & Bee to produce the hemp bag organisers - one especially for each Inside Out reader! Grace's bag may not take charge of your hectic schedule, but it promises to keep you handbag contents under control.
Inside Out has recently launched their own blog to which all the staff contribute. Sally (editorial administration manager) asked Grace to draw a little portrait of her cat, Olive, which you can see on her Saving Grace post, (along with two more of Grace's illustrations).
BRAND NEW Small Make-Up bag by Apple & Bee, AUD $21.95
Apple & Bee is an Australian label that designs and makes cosmetic, travel and baby bags. Their impressive debut range sprung up in stores all over the place early last year, and the brand has already gained a loyal following! The bags are finished beautifully, and the fabric prints really set them apart. Pictured above is the Small Make Up bag from the BRAND NEW range which will be availble from next week. Loving the colour palette (as well as the cute birdie print)!
Fold Out WC by Apple & Bee, AUD $49.95
I do love all the fabric designs, but I think the navy peacock print remains my favourite. We've given the travel cosmetic bag pictured above to a couple of lucky mums! (I think I might just purchase one for myself too...)
BRAND NEW Pencil Case by Apple & Bee, AUD $30.00
Behind the Apple & Bee label are Brett Pattinson and Claire Morris. Brett is the founder of successful natural skincare company bod and bod for bubs and Claire is the former Art Director of marieclaire. Through Apple & Bee they've combined their experience and design skills with a committment to making the lowest possible impact on the environment. Both share a passion for the best in contemporary design and a belief that it can and should be applied to practical, everyday objects.
BRAND NEW Wooden Handle Clutch by Apple & Bee, AUD $89.95
The gorgeous Wooden Handle Clutch pictured above is proving to be really popular, so if you'd like one for yourself, don't be slow! (It will be available to purchase from next week.) It is lined with the finest bamboo silk and is a great accessory for day or night. The entire Apple & Bee lineup comprises eco-friendly material choices - natural fibres such as certified organic cotton, bamboo silk, hemp, burlap/calico and genuine leather. Apple & Bee is a carbon neutral company and applied its philosophy to every level of the business, from design and sourcing to manufacturing, warehousing, packaging and delivery services.
Large Make-Up bag by Apple & Bee, AUD $36.95
Apple & Bee products are available throughout Australia, as well as in the UK and USA. Visit www.appleandbee.com to locate your nearest stockist or to see more of the range!
peppermint magazine
ISSUE TWO of the very lovely Peppermint Magazine is out now... and it has grown! Boasting a larger format and 90 pages (100% post-consumer recycled, naturally!), the mag is bursting with the freshest green fashion on the planet. One look at the dreamy cover & you'll most likely recognise the beautiful girly-girl style of Melbourne graphic designer & illustrator Bec Winnel. (We'll also be posting a follow up artist interview with Bec very soon!)
The day I received Peppermint in the mail, I pored over it for hours on end - my favourite pages being the "Welcome Back" photo editorial. Dizzying late afternoon light, saturated colours, ...and balloons!!
Each issue, Peppermint Magazine runs an Art Eco Competition, and the theme for this issue was "what goes around comes around"... The theme can be interpreted using any creative medium - design, painting, illustration, sculpture etc. and three finalists are selected by guest judges. This issue's winner is Alyson Pearson from Byron Bay (NSW) with her illustration "Land of Letterville" (above right). On the left is a super crafty entry by Bethany Watt from Newmarket (QLD). She used freestyle pattern making (!!), single machine stitch and recycled fabrics to create her summer dress entry. She has even included Lenny Kravitz lyrics (What Goes Around) on the sash.
By the way, the theme for Issue 3 is "Water: every drop counts" so creatives can get thinking now!
Peppermint Magazine offers feature articles on avante-guarde activist and Discovery Planet Green's model correspondent Summer Rayne Oakes (pictured above), fair trade in the fashion industry, green graphic design (pictured below right), and haunting series of photos and accompanying interview with visual journalist Juriaan Booij about the sinking of Tuvalu. There's also "Breaking the Pattern" - our indie art & design interview with Umbrella Prints! Read the full interview here.
Something the crafters among us are sure to love is new Peppermint Magazine feature "little miss sew & sew". This issue will teach you to make a blouse out of an old shirt - just like the one below!
Peppermint Magazine is available for AUD $9.95 from Borders, MagNation, selected newsagents across Australia and online at Leeloo. (I spied copies in the newsagents in Newtown & Erskineville in Sydney!) If you are already a big fan of Peppermint (like me), why not subscribe now, and receive 4 issues (starting from Issue 3) delivered to your door with free postage! Subscriptions are AUD $40 for Australians, $60 for New Zealanders, and $80 for folk from the rest of the world.
We are also excited to have two copies to GIVE AWAY! To win, simply leave a comment on this post and I'll draw two winners at random on 1.5.2009. Good luck!
zoo tomorrow
Oh Dear by Karlee Rawkins - on display at the Zoo Tomorrow exhibition at Iain Dawson Gallery, Paddington, Sydney.
I was swept away last night when I discovered the work of Australian contemporary artist Karlee Rawkins. Her current exhibition, Zoo Tomorrow is showing at Iain Dawson Gallery in Paddington (Sydney). It will be finishing this Saturday (18.4.2009) so Sydneysiders will have to be quick to see these works in person!
Janis by Karlee Rawkins - on display at the Zoo Tomorrow exhibition at Iain Dawson Gallery, Paddington, Sydney. (Sold)
Karlee's paintings demonstrate a long running interest in animal imagery. Zoo Tomorrow focuses on animals that are traditionally hunted, for example bears, deer and game birds. Through these works, she hopes to achieve a sense of vulnerability and explore the contradictory romance and status involved with the hunt.
Forget The Sun by Karlee Rawkins - on display at the Zoo Tomorrow exhibition at Iain Dawson Gallery, Paddington, Sydney.
Karlee studied Visual Arts at the Southern Cross University in Lismore (NSW) in the late 90s. She has since exhibited in numerous group and solo shows and has had artist residencies in Darwin, North India and Nepal, & Paris.
Ewe by Karlee Rawkins - on display at the Zoo Tomorrow exhibition at Iain Dawson Gallery, Paddington, Sydney.
I love pretty much everything about these paintings - the high key colours, painted textures, seemingly quiet animal subjects and areas of detail. Karlee takes inspiration from medieval tapestries and the forest scenes of traditional Middle Eastern imagery, and is interested in devices used to signify sacredness. She sees the circular repeated motif in these latest works as "part arrow and part tree, sprouting like foliage from the figure". Through this imagery she hopes to express a sense of ritual.
Spider Catcher by Karlee Rawkins - on display at the Zoo Tomorrow exhibition at Iain Dawson Gallery, Paddington, Sydney. (Sold)
Zoo Tomorrow is showing until Saturday 18.4.2009 at:
Iain Dawson Gallery
72a Windsor Street, Paddington, NSW 2021.
Phone (02) 9358 4337
Karlee's artworks range in price up to about AUD $3500. I would dearly love "Oh Dear" (pictured at top) - which one(s) are your favourites? (Tell us by leaving a comment!) You can also see many more of Karlee's paintings and mixed media works at www.karleerawkins.com.
9.4.2009
INDIE JOINS TWITTER
Yes, you can now see what we're up to, say hello & keep us up-to-date with your world by clicking below, then clicking "Follow"...
advertising
8.4.2009
INDIE AD RATES
Changes are in the works! In the meantime, we're offering discounted ad rates to indie designers and related businesses.
Email us for ad rates... first in, best dressed!