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indie art & design blog
heart kareena
New work by Kareena Zerefos.
I'm delighted to tell you that Kareena Zerefos is having another solo exhibition - this time in Melbourne. It's opening this Thursday evening (13.11.2008) at the Famous When Dead gallery, West Melbourne. The exhibition flyer describes Kareena's work very succinctly as "illustrative work exploring themes of isolation and escapism through the depiction of children and their imagination".
"French Kitty" by Kareena Zerefos.
We really enjoyed Kareena's last solo exhibition at the MTV Gallery in East Sydney back in June, and so it seems did everyone else - the opening night was packed! Her illustrative works were beautiful - so delicate & quiet... Kareena is obviously careful not to overwork her drawings, in keeping with the often fragile children & animal subjects.
The "French Kitty" illustration pictured above was a commissioned work, so not part of the upcoming exhibition - but I couldn't resist including it the post. My kitty was patched up yet again by the vet this afternoon. He should really choose his friends more carefully...
"Bumblebee Girl" (left) and "He stood there, swaying unsteadily" (right) by Kareena Zerefos.
If you live in Melbourne, it's your turn to see Kareena's illustrations.
Get along on opening night to:
Famous When Dead
Thursday 13.11.2008 from 6pm
& continuing until 23.11.2008.
207 Victoria Street, West Melbourne, 3003.
Opening hours:
Tue-Thu: 11am - 6pm
Fri: 11am - 7pm
Sat-Sun: 10am - 3pm
For more details, visit Kareena's web site at www.kareenazerefos.com or the Famous When Dead web site at www.famouswhendead.com.au, and don't forget to tell us all about it!
my new dress!
Bamboo Dress by Kisu
New dress! New dress! As I type, I'm wearing the prettiest new addition to my wardrobe - the Moon Flower Dress by Sydney label Kisu. I'm over the moon about this new find, first spied through the window of Kisu's Newtown boutique a couple of weeks ago. I chose the black/grey patterned option pictured in the style below left (in the red/orange colour combo). It's hard to see the pattern in the photo, but it features same delicate geometric design as the Jasmine Dress on the right.
Moon Flower Dress (AUD $139) and Jasmine Dress by Kisu
It's always a challenge for me to find a dress that fits well. The extra curves don't really suit the strappy dresses or crossover tops which have been everywhere the last few years. Not only does the Moon Flower style have a gorgeous neckline and fitted & flattering A-line cut, it is also made from cotton with a little stretch, so it really sits beautifully - and not just in the tiny size being modelled in the pic! The detailing around the waist is so cute too...
Butterfly Shorts and Summer Grove Top by Kisu
Kisu is the creation of Sydney fashion designer Mylinh. The doors opened to the Newtown store a couple of years ago - any Sydney indies from the Newtown area will recognise the cute & enormous head of the Japanese mannequin as well as other characters who have appeared in Mylinh's colourful window displays. It's always hard to resist popping in to admire her designs (and shoes!) which are totally different from anything else in the area.
Red Leaves Dress by Kisu
You can download Kisu's full Spring/Summer 2008/2009 catalogue from the web site at www.kisudesign.com.au or visit the store at 179 King Street, Newtown 2042 (phone: 02 9519 2668). The designs are all quite different - so something to suit everyone!
Spearflower Stitch Dress and Lotus Dress by Kisu
spooky!
Here are a few treats to haunt your Hallow's Eve! Above is the "Skeleton Gentleman" pendant by Northey Designs (from Moose: Art for Living, AUD $80). He cuts quite a figure! Below is "Halloween in the Hood", an original print by Katie Muth (8" x 10", US $40).
Lastly, the Kooky Spooks creation "Orpin" below might just sneak up behind you... "BOO!"
Orpin is available from Australian online store YTBA (Yet To Be Announced) for AUD $35 (+ free shipping within Australia!), or direct from Kooky Spooks. Measuring 50 x 275 x 145 mm, Orpin is one of a limited edition of 200 and comes with personalized swing tag hand numbered by the artist.
"Chivalry is far from dead, and Orpin is always well dressed for the occassion. Orpin is gentle and wise and will astound you with his in depth knowledge of the creation of inter connecting burrows and ideas for his latest vision... the above ground burrow."
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
win $50 from georgie love
Georgie Love has just been relaunched with a shiny new summer coat and plenty of handmade pleasures! We've been eagerly awaiting the "surprise relaunch" for a while now & it's so exciting to see the new site online. The cheery collage images, buttons & stitching details reflect the quirky handmade nature of Sally's product selection, and of course, there are plenty of pics of George bounding through the web site.
To celebrate the relaunch, Sally and George (her gingery mutt) have offered us a $50 voucher to give away to one lucky reader! Simply leave a comment telling us the name of a product(s) you love from www.georgielove.com - there are many crafty goodies to choose from - jewellery, accessories, clothing, artworks..., and the new site layout makes it even easier to choose! You can also check out all the artist profiles simply by clicking through their bios on the homepage - it's so lovely to know a little about the people who handmade the products...
I'll start the ball rolling by commenting on something I have my eye on, and I hope there will be many comments to follow! Competition closes at the end of Monday 17th November 2008 - in perfect time for a little Christmas shopping.
lino lacework
Set of 3 hand carved original linocut prints as 4.4" x 5.5" greeting cards (blank inside) with complementary coloured envelopes. (US $14.99 from www.katiemuth.com)
Katie Muth is a Canadian artist, illustrator & printmaker currently living in Sydney. She has a beautiful collection of hand printed linocut designs made into cards, accessories and prints, including a range inspired by the intricate wrought iron lacework on Sydney terraces (like mine!)...
Left: A repurposed can gets new life when covered with an intricate, hand carved linocut print and lined with complementary liner paper. (US $16.99)
Right: Hand printed sturdy canvas card journal cover with colored spine and elastic cord. Comes with a large (12.7cm x 20.9cm) Moleskine cahier journal. (US $29.99)
Since graduating from Ontario College of Art and Design in 2002, Katie has used a variety of printmaking techniques such as etching, screen and litho printing to produce work ranging from large hand printed kites to intricate limited edition artist books. However, she always returns to linocut relief printing as she loves the clean, binary nature of the lines (there is no grey - it's either printed or not printed), and the way the hand is slowed by the process of carving, making the images strong and deliberate.
Step 1 & 2: Carving the transferred design into the lino square, leaving the raised areas to be printed, and rolling ink onto the raised areas with a brayer.
Linocut printing is one of my favourite techniques for creating very person work. I love the process of carving out the design (despite the occasional tears and requirement for a band-aid) and the anticipation you feel as you begin peeling away the finished print. Applying even pressure with a handheld barren can be hard work though! In the images above & below, you can see the process by which Katie creates her designs.
Step 3 & 4: After careful placement of the paper onto the lino block, pressure is applied with a baren, or in this case, the back of a wooden spoon. The print is then carefully removed & placed to dry.
Also on offer are a range of detailed, 2 & 3 colour figurative prints with their own stories to tell - one of which I'm saving up for a feature post in 4 days time... The sweet birthday & thank you card designs (pictured below) would surely bring a smile to the face of any crafty friends & relatives.
8 greeting cards in turquoise envelopes in a clear plastic box (2 of each card in the picture). (On special for US $16.00)
Katie Muth Original Prints are stocked all over Canada & the US, and in Australia at:
NSW: Publisher Textiles (Leichhardt)
WA: William Topp (Perth)
ONLINE: Made It, www.katiemuth.com