esta sketch

How to be alone

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 10:13:00 +0000

I wanted to share this video by Tanya Davis & Andrea Dorfman quickly, which, if you haven't seen yet, is a beautiful expression of an important message (and one which I i've spent the last couple of years exploring in my own art practices, so I guess it's close to my heart).

Found via The Society Pages; and if you're interested there's some always lively discussion that might be worth reading in the comments over there.

Ikea, made for cats

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:27:00 +0000

Some cat photos, since it's been a while, and as a person with a cat, a camera and the internet I feel somewhat obligated to do my part.

And right after uploading these to flickr and thinking how much my kitty loves my (her?) ikea stool, ikea bed, ikea throw & ikea bench, I spotted this story on twitter - IKEA Let Loose 100 Cats Into Store To 'See What Happens' . Go and watch the video! At first I thought it was a little mean, stressing the poor cats out, but it's just too adorable, and I can't help but think my kitty would love a whole ikea to herself to explore in. But to avoid the caging and transporting and other trauma I'll just have to continue to bring the ikea home to her.

Pinwheels

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:57:00 +0000

Two more new drawings I've been working on over the past few days. (Now was the time to make a copy before I try and fix something and accidentally ruin it completely (does happen)).

But I have to say I'm pretty happy with them. Besides making some lines smoother and details clearer, then deciding how to add colour, tone, shading etc, the basic draft is done. I've been in such a creative slump lately so it's a huge relief to see I still have something left in me. Now we just have to see if I still remember how to use all my printmaking gear, and there might just be some new prints up in my etsy store shortly..

Illustration Friday - Atmosphere

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:35:00 +0000

A new drawing for this week's illustration friday theme - Atmosphere

(click for larger..)

I tried to depict the atmosphere as something swirling around you, dynamic, constantly moving, changing & possibly overcoming you (in a good or bad way..)

This drawing seemed to take forever.. hours erasing lines, changing things, rubbing almost completely back and starting again. This is how I normally work, even with basic sketches it takes me a while to get what I'm looking for, but I've learned to stick with it, since all that work leaves a lot of smudges, faint lines & texture which gives a lot of depth without me even having to think about shading & colouring. I'm still looking for a way to get all of that into the final product... but anyway, for now I'm quite happy with this ( & a couple of others I was working on at the same time, which I might post later..).

The sketchbook project

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:27:00 +0000

If you haven't yet read about the sketchbook project, be sure to check it out! You get a sketchbook, a spot on a national tour, an individual barcode so you can track your book and see who's viewing it, and the motivation to keep you creating from now until the start of 2011. There's a list of topics to choose from too which helped seal the deal for me; for some silly reason I work a lot better with a theme and a deadline (which is why I'm so productive at university and so lacking in motivation during breaks I think). Looks to be lots of other community bits coming to the site too, where you can interract with other artists, view location of participants on a world map and share work, which sounds pretty cool. Participation is open to anyone, anywhere in the world, so don't miss your chance to be a part of this catalogue of artists worldwide.

Illustration Friday - Star gazing

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:18:00 +0000

A rough sketch I've been working on for this week's Illustration Friday theme.

Though admittedly, when I first checked the theme I got it into my head it was 'under the stars' rather than 'star gazing'... probably due to some multi-tasking malfunction, mixing it up with whatever else I was supposed to be reading or writing instead of browsing the internet. Anyway, I guess it still kind of works, I mean who has the time to be stargazing anymore... When the stars are out I'm more likely to be rushing to make a deadline or collapsed in bed anyway. In fact, it's been so long it seems I have forgotten what stars even look like, let alone how to draw them, ha. I'm just happy to be drawing again, albeit a little poorly, after a bit of a creativity slump.

FYI

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:36:00 +0000

Just FYI -

Free shipping store-wide at esta sketch! If there's anything you've had your eye on, any special birthday's coming up, now is a great time to buy! And as a bonus you'll be helping me get a little closer to the elusive 400 sales mark (And the remaining Recycled Comic Book Collages are still 30% off - though only a few left, so get in quick!) So tell your friends, tell your family, and thanks for reading!

Illustration Friday - Double

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:35:00 +0000

My entry for illustration friday this week-

'Sleeper Cell' 2 colour silkscreen on rice paper.

The layering of bodies in this series of images intended to portray the way two separate people's lives overlap but also the way an individual repeats patterns in their own life. So, a double print and a double meaning. (and you can see more in my etsy store if interested :)

How to whip up an emergency birthday present in a couple of hours

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:30:00 +0000

A week or so ago I was invited over for a birthday dinner, a bit of a last minute thing but I still wanted to bring along a little something special (I love an excuse to go shopping, make or bake something I guess), so being that this friend was in the coffee-roasting business and has just recently opened a very nice cafe in town, I rushed home to whip up something using his very own, freshly roasted coffee beans.

I went with this recipe for little coffee biscuits (or biscotti al caffe, if you will) which I'd spotted on Dulcis in Furno - an amazing recipe blog I've been reading over the past few weeks and working my way through some of her very tempting recipes. They were fairly quick to make and I had all the ingredients I needed - the only change I made was to add a tiny dab of espresso-flavoured icing, just to hold a coffeebean on top of each and make them look a bit more fancy. (and hell, to add a little more coffee to them.)

I went through my pile of box & envelope templates to find something to package them in - and a good supply of kraft paper & board never fails to come in handy. So with a pencil, stanley knife, ruler & double-sided tape I was able to knock out a little box while they were baking. Then just line with tissue paper, fill with biscuits, tie up & attach a card - voila!

And as far as the biscuits went, they're well worth a try - with a little more time I could have made them a little more attractive but the aroma and taste of coffee was just right!

Super Super Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:02:00 +0000

July is going to be a month of sales at estasketch!

I am just so close to 400 sales, and also looking to clear some room for some new works so I thought this was the perfect time for some great deals, just a little thank you to all my customers & friends for the support over the years!

So we're starting with 30% off + free shipping on all my Superhero recycled comic book collages (of which there are not many left, so if you've ever wanted your own superhero, now is the time!) Check out my store right here for more

And more great deals will be announced later this month, so keep checking back!

Wonder Woman - Now with pants

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:12:00 +0000

Wonder Woman is 69, can you believe it! And in honour of her birthday she's been given a make-over - a more sensible, street worthy outfit; all the better to foil your evil plans with. Read more about it here if you haven't already.

So I thought I'd flick through my favourites and find some items to add to your street walking, undercover super persona:

Cape with Tie in Forest Green and Black by margerydaw0 .

Just what you need to keep you warm, keep you concealed, deflect lasers and keep you everready for a dramatic getaway.

Wonder Woman Cuff by laughingravendesigns

A cleverly disguised weapon? Or a little reminder of who you are and what you stand for to help you make the right decision next time you see injustice afoot.

Incognito Leather Mask in Silver by TomBanwell

When it's of the upmost importance that nobody discovers your true identity... or when you want to be the best dressed person at the office costume party.

new addition

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:31:00 +0000

So, long (very long) time, no blog. I've been a bit busy with other things lately, nothing spectacular, just too many late nights, early mornings and days spent running all over town to sit down and write anything out.

But now for some pictures of one of the cuter reasons for my absence:

This kitty took up residence on my verandah one very rainy, stormy week and just never left. I've no idea where she came from, but after a few failed attempts to help her find her way home I finally caved in and started to feed her, and she's now making herself quite comfortable on any soft or sunny spot around the house she can find.

It's amazing how cats can always seem to find a cat person to look after them - our family adopted a few strays when I was very young, my aunty has almost always had cats, it seemed like as soon as one passed on another would show up in their yard looking for somebody, and while I hope this is not the beginning of a slow descent into crazy-cat-lady status, I think it's a wonderful thing to care for a creature in need (especially one so adorable) and so if you are able, go to your local shelter and adopt a cat today!

New to madeit

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Sat, 08 May 2010 11:26:00 +0000

Listed!

Original, eco friendly, ready to hang artworks made from recycled prints, papers and fabrics. Aiming to make original artwork affordable, easy to install and applicable to whatever space you may inhabit. See more at http://www.madeit.com.au/estasketch .

Preview

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Thu, 06 May 2010 06:39:00 +0000

Today I was finally able to finish up a few mini projects and photograph everything, ready to go into my madeit store - so expect an update in the following days, possibly longer depending on when I next have a free day for that.

So now onto the next project on my ever-growning list..

Penguin book cover art project

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:06:00 +0000

A little project I undertook recently to turn some bookcovers into some affordable, modern home decor.

What I used:
2 x Ikea RAM frames, 38 x 48cm (these are super lightweight, using perspex instead of glass, so they can be mounted with 3M Command picture hanging strips (no need for holes or hooks in your walls!)

2 x Pieces white mountboard, available at your local art store or framing store, cut to same dimension as your frames.

1 x pack photo mounting corners (pictured below.. various brands and styles available, check the photos/frames or scrapbooking/crafts sections of your department store. )

And of course some things to frame, I used Postcards from Penguin - 100 book jackets in one, a beautiful collection of classic Penguin book covers printed onto beautiful glossy postcards. (But this tutorial would work with photographs, vintage postcards, any collection of similar sized images you wish to display.

Tools: A ruler, a square or protractor, a pencil and an eraser.

First, the hard part, choosing only 8 covers per frame. There are so many great titles and designs in this collection, but I decided for now to stick with a blueish selection to compliment my the blue/grey tone of the room. (though I could have easily gone with a bedroom themed selection, with such titles as The Big Sleep, Hotel Splendide, Tender is the Night, The Horizontal Man, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Together, or perhaps Mantrap, Dangerous Curves or even Vile Bodies for those with a stranger sense of humour..)

Though glue or double-sided tape would work if you wanted something permanent, I didn't want anything sticky to damage the postcards in case I decided to swap them out for different covers as my mood changes or use them for something completely different later on, so these photocorners were perfect. One side sticks to the matboard, and the postcards just slot into the little plastic triangle on the other side. Leaves absolutely no sticky marks on your precious photos or postcards!

Arrange your postcards to acertain how many you can fit in one frame and what kind of spacing you'd like. I think I ended up with a 3cm border on the sides and a 4cm border on the top and bottom, with a little less than 2cm in between each cover. Since I was only working with eight covers, all I really needed to do was measure up the outside border and first line up the four covers in the corners perfectly, then it's pretty simple to align the inside covers with the pre-existing edges by eye. A square or protracter will help you ensure you're perfectly lined up, because although being a millimetre out at one end can be hard to detect, it quickly turns into a centimetre further down the line.

Since I was only working with eight covers per frame, all I really needed to do was measure up the outside border and first line up the four covers in the corners perfectly, then it's pretty simple to align the inside covers with the pre-existing edges by eye.

Voila! Erase any visible pencil marks, double check that you're happy with your selection and arrangement (because if you're not it's super easy now to pop the postcard out and replace it with another, the photo mounting corners stay stuck on the board and perfectly lined up). Now just pop it in the frame and decide where to hang it!

Perfect to display with, or in lieu of, a book collection.

The Wine Label Show

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 07:02:00 +0000

Last week we took a little drive up the hunter valley to re-stock on a bit of wine, and to also check out an exhibition of wine labels, which was quite interesting, from an art/design point of view or that of a wine enthusiast.

It showcased a huge collection of wine labels collected over the past few decades, as well as a bit of the history of wine, wine bottles, classification, etc and the process behind deciding what makes a good, descriptive and eyecatching label. In the past I've tried to select wine via the nicest looking label for a reasonable price (smart enough to stay away from the $6 a bottle special at least..) but
it's a pretty hit-and-miss method. Lately I'm trying the 'stick to brands recommended by my parents' method, which is much safer, if a little pricier :)

(oh, and The Wine Label Show is on at McGuigan Cellars, Pokolbin until April 26th if anybody is local and interested)

Shop update

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:22:00 +0000

I finally found the time to breathe some new life into my madeit store.

The first in a new set of recycled print ornaments are listed, with more designs and styles coming shortly, including some pretty cool little tiles collaged with little pieces of recycled prints and collected papers which I'm pretty excited about, even if they're taking quite a while to make with all the gluing, drying, sanding, repeat, etc..

Studio tips - Vertical storage

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:21:00 +0000

Some more photos and more tips from my freshly revamped studio, and a lesson in vertical storage.

Since relocating to a much smaller space, I've learned to make the most of the wall-space with an assortment of noticeboards, hooks, pins, rails, clips, magazine holders, magnetic boards and magnets, drawer handles, and of course the pre-existing and incredibly handy picture rail.

Bulldog clips can hold *anything*. If you go through a lot of paper, bind the offcuts with a clip and hang it off your noticeboard for an everready notepad to scribble ideas or measurements down on.

Also, if you haven't already made a thousand of these great little boxes, courtesy of etsy's blog, they're also a great way to use up scrap paper, then pin to your noticeboard to hold spare tacks or whatever else you please.

This corkboard strip came from Officeworks but I've seen them in the stationery section of other places. They're great in addition to, or when you don't have enough space for a noticeboard. Mine sits above my desk and keeps my thread and tape from getting tangled up.

Most tools can stay in the box or the garage, but it's good to have some things on hand, you can never find a tape measure or pair of needle nosed plyers when you need them quickly.

This magazine rack and noticeboard are from good old ikea; they can hold a whole lot of stuff yet it's still easy to find what you want quickly. They also sell magnetic hooks and pen holders to stick on each to get even more stuff up off your desk.

The picture rail comes in handy all the time, not just for hanging frames! I use mine to display drawings and prints while I contemplate the next step, as well as to just hang aprons and bags, and keep my acetate crease and tear-free.

Rail and hooks also from ikea. Great for holding pens, pencils, paintbrushes, rulers, etc, but also for keeping paper towel and rags at hand to take care of spills as quickly as possible. When you're in a small space you can't always keep things like clean paper and paints completely separate and little spills can cause big problems if not attended to.

Not the most glamorous space but most importantly, it works. I hope you've picked up some ideas, or if you have any tips for keeping things organized I'd love to hear!

Studio tips - Magnart

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:09:00 +0000

I am constantly rearranging my relatively small studio space and always searching for new ways to keep things organized and working for me, so I thought I'd share a few of the ideas I've come across.

First of all, it's Magnart! - The magnetic hanging system. (available at a great price from Biome (Australian based) stores; or google for a stockist close to you.

I bought these to hang my exhibition last year, they're just perfect for unframed paper works; a very strong, reliable hold which leaves no marks or holes on your artworks like you would get with pinning or double sided taping works. The backplate is attached to the wall with doublesided tape (which comes in your magnart kit) for a more permanent fixture; though blutack works great too, not quite as strong but much easier to remove/rearrange. The magnets are super strong and will hold just about any sized paper up easily.

But since then I've found them to be amazingly useful around the home - a great way to display artwork, documents and other bits and pieces without damaging your walls. It's also super easy to switch things out when you feel like a change of scenery. Since I've run out of room on my bulletin boards, I've expanded my cuttings, postcards, sketches and various other things I like to have in front of my while I'm working on to the next wall. Having a row or two of magnets just above your desk makes it incredibly easy to view reference materials or stick up one sketch while working on another.

And did I mention they're strong? I found these small 4x6" frames at a framing store, the edges are metallic (and so magnetic) and they just slip over two magnets and stick to the inside back of the frame perfectly. [btw, those prints are by the talented Matouenpeluche if you're interested!]

Preview

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:33:00 +0000

A little preview of some new items soon to be listed in my poorly neglected madeit shop.

All I need now is a sunny day to take some more photos, and some free time to edit, list, write descriptions, and everything else that seems to take twice as long as making the thing did... stay tuned!

Moo cards!

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:29:00 +0000

My new business cards arrived today; courtesy of etsy.com and Moo.com who have a great deal on for etsy sellers right now, and really great products in general for everybody.

This, sadly, is the first time in my years of selling that I've had business cards professionally printed. Of course, working with paper and recycled materials has allowed me to create something effective, affordable and in line with what I sell up until now; but these were just too irresistable to pass up any longer. They are such wonderful quality, rich colours and eyecatching layouts, it's going to be hard to actually let go of them, but I think it'll be nice to add a professional touch to my packages from now on with these little cards, while keeping everything else mostly handmade, recycled & minimal/ unwasteful as possible.

Garden, part 1.

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 08:22:00 +0000

Some pictures today from my steadily growing garden. A couple of weekends ago (and around six months after moving in) I finally got around to digging out the various weeds in the front garden bed and planting some new life. It's a little sparse at the moment but the label assures me these four little bushes will eventually grow together and hedge quite nicely. They're bordered by some lovely vibrant purple and green leafy plants whose name escapes me right now, transplanted from my mother's garden since they've been propagating like crazy. And of course, a little birdbath in the corner for all my visitors.

Also donated by my mother was a chilli plant for the backyard and a jade plant for the front verandah, to provide me respectively with more chillies than I can handle, and hopefully some luck and/or money if the tales are true.

Ada Lovelace Day

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:45:00 +0000

Today (24th March) is Ada Lovelace Day - an international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in technology and science. Click here to find out more about Ada and how you can get involved. Since these days my heart lies in the Art community I thought I'd commemorate the day with a few works of art by women inspired by the sciences.

(Click the images or links below to see more of each work)

1. Cellular Intaglio prints by 622press; 2. Ida, Count Lovelace Linocut by Minouette; 3.Blue Hill Observatory woodcut by AzureGrackle; 4. Five Fossils, blind embossed woodcuts by Meliors

And for even more examples of printmakers taking on science, check out the amazing Periodic Table Printmaking Project: Printmakers from around the world, working in a whole range of different printmaking mediums, illustrating the entire periodic table of elements [organized by the wonderful and talented AzureGrackle, featured above].

Custom order

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:53:00 +0000

I've been trying my hardest to spend any free time tidying up and putting a few finishing touches on my house. We spent last weekend digging up the little garden bed out the front and putting some new plants (and a birdbath!) in. I spent this weekend framing some more artwork and hanging it on the walls. I prefer things hung in pairs or groups, for some reason it looks nicer.. more symmetrical, or purposeful, or something. But this one little print I wanted hung didn't have a parter.. I did, however, have a matching frame and matt so I treated myself to a custom order for myself to help fill the gap.

I went looking through my drawers of prints, drawings and various works for something that might happen to be the right size. I was tempted to unlist and hang one of my Superhero recycled comic book portraits, but instead decided to duplicate it in colours matching my existing decor a little better... and within a few hours, a blank piece of paper and some shards of former comic books became one, and now adorn my bedroom wall, which until now had been bare far too long.

Company

noreply@blogger.com (esta sketch) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:21:00 +0000

I've spent the last few days confined at home trying to catch up on some work, which has been somewhat successful.. procrastination hits now and then but since I'm at home it usually results in me cleaning or cooking.. so at least I have spring rolls, fresh laundry and a nice clean kitchen, if not everything crossed off my to-do list.

I've also had a little company, in the form of the flocks of doves and galahs who've taken to dining in my backyard daily.

They're also proving a nice distraction during creative lulls.. they're great fun to watch. Maybe I've been living in apartments too long but I've just been fascinated by all the different birds around here since I moved in. And speaking of distractions, I should probably get back to it...