FK talks to Lauren Carney, the Brisbane based artist is the winner of our recent Art Competition and will be featured at our next Brisbane Markets.

Tell us about your style of art and what makes it unique?
I’m detail obsessed. My illustrations don’t have to overload the page, but what is there must be intricate and detailed in some way. Most of the content is based upon dreams, nature, and childhood memories. I like to explore femininity in various works too. The peculiar theme with traditional and digital mediums clumsily meshes together to create a portion of who I am on paper/canvas  etc.

When did you begin creating art and how do you think your approach has changed since then?
I was always making creative messes of epic proportions since I was 8, but began to take art more seriously in high school. My artistic style has drastically changed since then, and the content of my work reflects who I am now. To grow creatively and spiritually goes hand in hand. I always liked drawing at best, but now I’m starting to branch out and play with mixed mediums, paper craft and sewing. Fun times!

Who inspires you creatively?
Ultimately artists inspire other artists. It’s amazing how another’s work, whether it be photography, painting, music or sculpture, can impact on you. I need daily inspiration to function. Plus I am a total blog fiend, and lurk online for a good hour in the mornings peeping at other creative blogs like Daydream Lilly, The Design Files, and Where the Lovely Things Are (blogging plus tea sipping is a morning ritual).

What is your favourite creative thing to do in Brisbane?
I love going on adventures to places to be creatively inspired. I love people watching actually (it sounds creepy, but people are so fascinating) I can’t go a week without taking my art diary to a coffee shop to do drawings and take in the surroundings. Queen Street is the best for it – there are so many quirky characters that come and go.
Apart from that, frequenting art galleries, visiting markets, and checking out indie boutiques are favourite pastimes too!

What materials do you love working with and why?
I go through phases with materials, one week I’ll be obsessed with patterned paper, the next water colour paints. But I can’t go on without the traditional art liner pens and moleskin paper. I adore sewing with crazy bright patterns also, and get sewing withdrawals if I go too long without stitching up a pretty something or other.

What is it like to work as a freelance artist?
Challenging would be the key word! It is such fun, and I adore it, but channeling my creativity into a particular time frame is the hardest part!
I don’t really have any proper structure in my days, which probably isn’t a good thing, but at least each week something new and exciting is going on. I love what I do though, which is the most important thing!

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
I have a huge art crush on Catherine Campbell, Mel Stringer along with street artists Ghostpatrol and Creepy. Any opportunity to collaborate with them would totally rock my world! Such a clever bunch!

What does winning our Finders Keepers Art Competition mean for you?
So much!! (Emphasis on the double exclamation marks) I went to the Brisbane markets last year and was blown away by the talented stallholders and the young trendy folk whom flocked from far and wide to see the goodies on display! I remember thinking “golly, it would be swell if one day I could be a part of this”. So I was delighted that I was given the opportunity to be a part of this year’s Finders Keepers!

www.laurencarneyart.com

Brooke Johnston from the Finders Keepers shares her top 5 picks for March:

1. Owl wall hanging by Bride and Wolfe
2. Caged on Army Men’s Shirt by Timber
3. Teak bird Brooch by Naomi Murrell
4. Blossom Deer Print by Courtney Brims
5. Clutch by Kitty Came Home

Johann Kim from Perth shop Pigeonhole shares his top 5 picks for March:

1. Forest of Selfish Lovers by Sean Morris
2. Log Vase With Mushrooms by Have You Met Miss Jones
3. Desk Organiser by Woodtec
4. Jackalope Head by Made 590
5. Plank Ring by Ball & Chain

Kelly White from the Made by White shares her top 5 picks for March:

1. Minty Green Bambi Canvas by Scotatto
2. Tiny Woodland Ring by Woodland and Belle
3. The Kiss Mini Print by Schmooks
4. Gnome-adic Wallet by ModCloth
5. Mens Owl Pattern Tee by Bonbiforest

Liss Winnel from blog Daydream Lily shares her top 5 picks for March:

1. The Birds and the Beards Dress by ME&OLI
2. Deer Pendant by Sophie Hill
3. Wall Decals by Curly Bird
4. Forest Finds button set by Tabitha Emma
5. Howling Moon print by Courtney Brims

Lyndsay White from the Made by White shares her top 5 picks for March:

1. The Woodlands Purse by Odd Little Forest
2. My favourite Spot in Winter Cushion by Belle And Boo
3. Pine Cone Pendant by Oh Deer!
4. Fairytale Forest Skirt by Hannah
5. Lox the Fox Lino Brooch by Betty Jo Designs

Suz Wiltshire from Tassie shop Cocoon shares her top 5 picks for March:

1. Antler Girl by I’m Smitten
2. All good things by Enormous Champion
3. The Kingdom Animalia Fox by Enormous Champion
4. Foxy Fungi by Night Owl Paper Goods
5. Bear Foodchain Perspex Brooch by Beci Orpin

FK talks to Suz from Tasmania about her gorgeous shop, Cocoon

Tell us about your store Cocoon and what things we can expect to discover.
We love to think that Cocoon is a ‘haven’ for hand made! We aim to cover all bases on the senses front, from our creative merchandising, our windows adorned with Ghostpatrol love (at times when the very talented street artist has time & is visiting our shores) we have our handmade all natural body products & candles (locally made of course!) which smell divine & lure our customers off the street, followed by our cheeky smiles & love of life that comes through every time a customer enters our shop add an ever changing array of handmade treasure from all over the world…. a sure recipe for fun!

What is your background and how did it result in opening Cocoon?
I have managed a number of other retail stores since i was a wee thing! I really wanted to inject my passion for design & hand made into Launceston. I thought there was such a niche here to fill. To be able to bring such different handmade labels to this part of the world.

What was the inspiration with Cocoon and how has the location shaped the direction of it?
Cocoon has always been such a lovely word to me… it evokes a cosy, warm, safe feeling. Very suitable for our seasonal chill. By creating this warm inviting space where customers can just pop in & say hi & have a cuppa with us (we stock T2, very handy indeed) or ask advise for their homes or help choosing a gift. Launceston has been such a great place to start a small business, locals are fiercely loyal & word of mouth is such an amazing tool here. We also have heaps of visitors all year round.

What do you look for in the products and labels you sell?
We look for products that firstly we love & would love to own… quirky for sure & well designed & certainly well made. We like to think that we appeal to everyone with our price & product range, you can come in & find T2, Graphic Design & Architecture books through to furniture, lamps, jewellery, handmade chocolates from our local chocolatier, home wares, organic baby range from New Zealand, Spacecraft cushions, stationery, Mattt bags, Zaishu stools & much more.

What do you like the most about your shop?
I love it most when customers leave with a smile on their little faces or when we make a new friend! When people say such lovely things about the way the shop looks, the products or how it smells…. it has to be a total experience I guess. I love how we are constantly changing our range, adding new products, finding new amazingly talented makers to support. Also by re-merchandising our shop every couple of weeks keep it fresh & intriguing.

What has been the biggest challenge since you opened?
I think the biggest challenge is keeping up with constantly sourcing new products, being one step ahead & finding makers that are happy with just stocking us in Launceston, after all it is a big country town!

Where do you find inspiration in Launceston, and what do you love most about Tasmania?
We have lots of lovely locals who are making amazing products for Cocoon, they keep me constantly inspired along with our lovely customers. Just seeing their excitement when we get new stock in. Tassie is full of amazing talent & great fresh produce, it is almost a haven itself for handmade. We are all quite homely in this neck of the woods, our climate is certainly inducive to that way of life.

What advice would you give others hoping to set up a similar business?
I really think that you have to be extremely passionate about what you do if you are contemplating setting up your own business. Seek out something that you know will be a niche in your area, be innovative & don’t be scared of long hours or hard work. There is so much behind the scenes with running your own business. It is also the most rewarding thing you will ever do!

All the specific details:

Cocoon
109 George Street
Launceston
Tasmania 7250

Trading hours:
Mon – Fri 10am – 5pm
Sat 10am – 2pm
Xmas Trading Dec Sunday 12pm – 4pm

Phone (03) 6331 0611
Fax (03) 6331 0622
www.cocoonlaunceston.com.au

FK talks to Matt Huynh, a comic creator and illustrator based in Sydney.

How would you describe your style and what makes it unique?
I don’t actively pursue a ’style’ because it makes me think of putting on a costume or a funny accent, but something comparable might be a creator’s ‘voice’ or the most comfortable and instinctual way that I can make pictures. That’s the persona, accent and language I’ve developed from a lifetime of influences and hard lessons and the rest of it is making sure I keep out of its way. I started my adventures from a comic making background so my early illustrations featured robust brushwork with a view for clarity in print, but I have since enjoyed the subtleties of dense mixed media and getting away from heavy inks to play in charcoal, pastels and other dry media away is invigorating. I have a slight, oft unwitting, bent for surrealism and sometimes my work’s been described as a little menacing, but I don’t believe those lies! One of my favourite comments came from a good friend when I showed some new work and they told me it felt like me but didn’t look like my work – it’s reassuring to think I can be the same person at 15 and 25 whilst growing out of my physical skin.

When did you start making art, and how has it evolved over time?
I played as a kid, like any kid, but it’s just that I didn’t stop. Because I started in comics, my work was initially quite figurative but has had the surreal and abstract dials turned up in the mix slightly since. Swimming between the comics and illustration pools over the years has let me play with more media, colours and production techniques too. It’s let me explore a greater spectrum of subtlety and density in the pictures, which can be a magic trick to learn and un-learn as I negotiate the two disciplines. My works have had a pretty consistent preoccupation with identity that’s danced between the personal to the wider, external world and a greater focus upon community, collaboration and audiences. As I’ve grown more assured of my work and able to more readily identify myself in an expression, I’ve felt increasingly uninhibited from mediums and ’specialising’.

Who are your biggest creative influences?
One of the qualities in a work that turns me on is when I can recognise a mythical effort poured into a work. Sometimes this can excuse whether the work is a ’success’ on any other criteria – technically, aesthetically, conceptually, whatever else – and sometimes that manifests in a display of fearlessness, like a rebellious punk rock disregard or a demonstration transcending the creator’s personal limits and conscious ability. At its absolute best and purest, this quality alone imparts the adrenalin of a heroic adventure, a myth, a grand legend. On the other hand, I also adore seeing work so organic and natural that it appears effortless, as though an uncensored and inevitable gesture from the artist.

With this in mind it’s obvious that I’ve just realised I read the question incorrectly! But it may explain why some of my favourite artists are a mix of both those with a globalised voice and influence, and those who are very independent and unique or belonging very much to a particular world. A mishmash of my favourites include Jillian Tamaki, Paul Pope, Yuko Shimizu, Akina Kondoh, Barron Storey, Josh Cochran, Ted McGrath, Chester Brown, David B, Dave Choe, Akira Kurosawa, John Steinbeck, Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Vivienne Flesher, Marlene Dumas, Gipi, Suiho Tagawa, Craig Thompson and Brad Holland.

Where do you find especially inspiring in Sydney?
It’s difficult to pin down because I’m inspired by places where I can catch myself unawares and often that’s somewhere that I can reflect or react to rather than a place that’s completely pleasant or familiar – it’s only my ‘especially inspiring’ spot for a moment! But I was in an empty shopping mall yesterday and it felt wonderful. I’m sensitive to my own footsteps so I like walking in the middle of roads whenever I visit a new place. There are two lemon trees I sit between that let me write, they are only a meter or two apart but one blooms and one struggles to grow at all. There’s also a museum forecourt which I visit more than the museum itself.

What materials do you prefer to work with and why?
I lean towards the school of thought that an artist should be able to freely loiter between materials, but some of the materials I use for illustration are paints and spray-paints, inks, pastels, charcoal, pencils, digital, acetate and wax. The choice of materials just depends on whatever best serves the communication, I quickly switch materials if I can sense the choice of material’s forcing me to work against a friction, it’s about what feels intuitively right so there isn’t a struggle between the image, idea and media that might make it difficult for my hand.

How hard is it as an artist to balance creativity with business?
It’s not easy to resolve with a blanket answer because it’s quite a personal set of choices every individual artist has to address according to their own values, goals, risk aversion, responsibilities, caffeine addiction and sleeping habits. It’s something that needs to be constantly reevaluated as priorities and passions shift as you grow to keep you sane and happy and passionate and delicious. Although I think it’s noteworthy to remember that they do not have to be mutually exclusive, yes there is both cake to be had and eating to be done.

What would be your dream project to work on?
I love theatre, I’d love to direct. I love music and guitar. I love fiction and poetry. I love visualisations and augmented reality. I love graphic novels and am developing on a new one on my own steam and fortunately that’s a dream project in itself…I’d love to work as an ‘embedded’ artist for something like National Geographic or NASA! I pick you, National Geographic is my answer, it seems timely.

Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
There are not a lot of ‘bosses’ or ‘coaches’ to make you faster on your feet when you’re working as an artist on your self-initiated projects (as opposed to maybe the client in commercial projects), so it would be wonderful to find a challenging and thoughtful editor or art director who suits my personality and aspirations, listens to the music I dig, likes long walks on the beach…I’m not sure who this magical match is but it is true that some of the superstars who I admire from that world include Chip Kidd, Francoise Mouly, Mark Siegel, Nicholas Blechman and Soo Jin Buzelli.

I also love working with people who are not so directly related to arts, the wider world. It would be wonderful to combine the expressive and emotional qualities of my work with those whose occupations are quite intellectual, like psychologists and scientists; as well as those whose professions are very physical, like ballet dancers, boxers and soldiers.

www.matthuynh.com

FK talks to Victoria Mason from Melbourne about her jewellery label full of miniature treasures!

Tell us a little about your jewellery label.
I hand make silver miniatures then make them into jewellery. I try to choose objects that are a little under the radar but remind me of quiet, happy times, like having a cup of tea or hanging out the washing on a warm day. I like the idea of wearing little reminders to calm down and focus on the things that truly make us happy, it’s so easy to get swamped.

I didn’t have any great plans to start a label, it came about after working in the jewellery trade for so many years, I was tired of making the same commercial designs over and over & started making pieces just for me that made me smile.

What is your creative background?
I started making jewellery in my first year out of high school and haven’t ever stopped. I studied jewellery design at Sydney College of the Arts, then trade school for 3 years at Enmore Tafe while I did my apprenticeship, worked at the bench for a couple of jewellers, moved to Melbourne, then started on this path about 7 years ago. It’s actually all I’ve ever wanted to do so I think I’m pretty lucky that I get to design and make exactly what I like every day.

Describe your workspace and creative surroundings.
I work from a beautiful light-filled studio in the Century Building in Melbourne. It’s tiny (like a large cupboard) but I am totally excited to go there every morning!

I moved in about 6 years ago when all I owned was a bench and some hand tools, all of the larger equipment (which can a big investment when you’re just starting up) like a polishing machine, rolling mills & an ultra sonic, I was lucky enough to borrow from a friend when he moved to Germany. Now though, it’s crammed full of good things to look at like 1960s cabinets ring stands, and paintings.

What have been some of the most interesting parts about starting your own label?
Having creative freedom. I make pieces because I like them, I don’t tend to worry about what’s fashionable, just about what I think works and I try to make designs I haven’t seen before. I’ve received a lot of fantastic encouragement from people too, that’s an amazing privilege and something that I never take for granted.

What are your favourite creative things to do in Melbourne when you’re not working?
I love going to exhibitions and festivals (there seems to be a new festival every month!), if I ever feel that I need a bit of a change of environment (I work on my own so it can be a little intense sometimes!) I go down to the NGV and have a walk around..or a supermarket, I really like supermarkets. Especially since I started out on my own, I’ve met a lot of creative people and one of my favourite things to do is hear about the different projects that they’re working on.

My friends are totally inspiring and over the years I’ve watched lofty ideas grow legs and become real and I love to see it happen. There are so many choices that need to be made, (often an early one is financial!) but I’ve noticed that if you’re creative, being in that environment is totally rewarding.

What can we look forward to seeing from Victoria Mason in 2010?
I have a couple of new designs almost ready, one is a new set of rings in the same range as ‘morning tea’ (spoon, teacup & biscuit) but this time it will be ‘lunch in the park’ with a sandwich, apple and a book. I have some new envelope earrings that were really fun to make, I soldered a stamp on the back of them but that’s something that only the wearer will know!

Also, I’m planning this to be ‘the year of collaborations’. I think good things can happen when you marry two different styles or materials so this year I’ll be teaming up with some creative people that I know who use different things like leather or sewing or words to create amazing works.

www.victoriamason.com

FK talks to Samantha from Sydney based Fashion label Samantha Chan

Can you sum up Samantha Chan the brand in 3 words?
Whimsical, quirky and nostalgic

Where do you find inspiration and what appeals to you?
When designing my range, I will often think of the whole story. The story can be triggered from anywhere; a particular time in history, a character in a film, a theatrical set, a place I have travelled to or a costume in a play. Design images start to form in my head and then they somehow fall together into a collection. I love to take things from the past, dust them off and bring them it into a modern light.

What hobbies or interests do you have which influence the nature of your brand?
I have a love of all design disciplines. After dabbling in design school with graphics, textiles and spatial/environments design, it was fashion that remained closest to my heart. I find myself using my multi-disciplinary design background and translating it into fashion. It has really shaped the way I look at traditional garment construction. I love the unconventional use of traditional details and manipulation of conventional silhouettes.

What has been the highlight of starting your own label so far?
There hasn’t been that one pivotal moment since starting the label that I could call my greatest highlight. Since starting the label I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs. I get excited over the little things; seeing a range fall together, watching a complete collection come down the runway, seeing some one on the street wearing my label and having someone ask me where my dress is from!

What challenges have you overcome to get this far?
Mostly having to take on all the different roles involved in establishing and running a fashion label. It’s not all about tinkering around in a design studio and I learnt that very quickly! I’ve had to get my head around commercial production, marketing and selling my ranges. It can be a bit overwhelming and I sometimes feel like yelling “I’m a designer! I never signed up for any of this other stuff!”

What can we look forward to from you in the next range?
I’m currently designing my spring/summer range for 2010/2011 which is a continuation of my last autumn/winter range ”Odette et Odile”. I was watching a documentary about the Ballet Russe one day and was completely inspired. Odette and Odile are opposing characters from the infamous ballet “Swan Lake”. The good and the evil swan represent purity and innocence verses seduction and temptation. In my next range I want to play around more with detailing and silhouettes inspired by dancers costumes that have a lot of movement and grace.  I also wanted to evoke the temptress and bring a bit of edginess to my style. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do after that…probably stay clear away from anything swan and ballet related! I want to make sure the label keeps evolving and continue to play and experiment with different things.

www.samanthachan.com.au

Lauren Carney from Brisbane! The below artwork is what Lauren submitted to us and we think it best portrays who we are at the Finders Keepers! Congratulations Lauren and we’re very excited to see this artwork on t-shirts that will be available to buy at our upcoming events throughout 2010. Lauren wins a free stall at our markets in Brisbane so look out for her work on sale in June!

The winning entry! Lauren Carney from Brisbane http://www.laurencarneyart.com/

Lauren Carney is a polly pocket sized artist who inhabits the city of Brisbane. She is a curious, forgetful, quirky, confused and extremely indecisive piece of white meat, who enjoys the company of youngtrendies and artytypes. she also has a fine appreciation for all things handmade, arty, crafty and vintage.

We’re also very excited to share our fantastic runners up! Who will also be featured on our website over the coming months at our events. See below.

Ant Hayes artist based in Sydney http://www.antisant.com/

Ant is an Australian born illustrator / designer / doodler based in Sydney. His black and white illustrations sometimes feature a splash of colour as well as an unhealthy obsession with tentacles and pyramids. His illustrations can be found on anything from the back of a coaster right through to shoes, toys and t-shirts.

Emma Kidd from benconservato http://www.benconservato.com/

I am a Sydney based artist/illustrator obsessed with monsters and the strange. I like creating in gouache on paper, but have a degree in photography and printmaking too.

Jordan Clarke from the Art of Jordan http://theartofjordan.com/

Fascinated by all things dark, whimsical and vintage her work is characterized by a collision of Victorian vignettes, rockabilly pin-ups, religious iconography, tattooing, 20th century circus and fairground lore, to name but a few. Employing a variety of traditional and digital techniques, Jordan aims to create haunting, bold and colourful artworks.

Jefferton James from Cute as Fudge artist based in Sydney http://www.cuteasfudgefactory.blogspot.com/

Sydney based illustrator and graphic designer, Jefferton James, has been running his own small Design studio since 2007, focusing on design for the music industry. Cute As Fudge was born from a conversation with a peer, speculating about the “perfect” design studio – one that’s sole basis was designing for the world of the performing arts. Starting with only one band the business expanded through word of mouth and by early 2008, Jefferton was designing for major companies including MTV and Sony Bmg. Although the vision of the studio is to remain independent and to nurture a continuing relationship with bands over many years , the occasional big job helps make this a reality.

Beth Emily http://www.beth-emily.com/

Beth-Emily is multi-disciplinary creative with a background in illustration, print-making and graphic design. Based in Hobart, Tasmania, Beth likes to collaborate with other like-minded creatives.

Beth takes delight in the study of nature and her approach to figurative illustration combines the fantastical world of her imagination with representations of real-world flora and fuana. She also loves to draw from her roots as a printmaker and experiment with fusing figurative illustrations with abstract and tactile imagery.

Congratulations on all our winning entries and look out for these artists to be featured at our events on our website in the upcoming months! We would also like to thank and acknowledge all the entries we got for the art competiton – we had an amazing response and here is a sneak peek of some of the other amazing entries we got in!

Adam Lau - http://www.adamlaudesign.com/

Eugenia Tsimiklis – http://www.emikli.com/

Yuki Nakano – http://yukinakano.com/

Megan Manning – http://theeverdazzling.blogspot.com/

Ashleigh Steel – http://ashdesignsthings.blogspot.com/

Jess Hyde – http://www.truthbetolddesign.blogspot.com/

Meeri Anneli – http://meeri-anneli.tumblr.com/

Alison Richards – http://www.alisonrichards.net/

Nathaniel Kiwi – http://www.nathanielkiwi.com/

Kirbee Lawler – http://sugarsweetdreams.tumblr.com/

FK talks to Rabia from Sydney label Ginny & Jude Designs about her range of fashion accessories.

Tell us about the name Ginny and Jude Designs and what we can expect to find:
At its core, Ginny & Jude Designs create items of fancy for the perennially overdressed amongst us. The signature collection of headwear is complemented by seasonally inspired ranges of jewellery, belts, knitwear and clothing. I came up with the names Ginny & Jude after looking through old cigarette card photos of actresses from the early 1900s. Ginny & Jude were two characters that I imagined encapsulating two specifically unique aspects of femininity back then – the sexy, mysterious vamp and the light, mischievous nymphet. Everything I create addresses an aspect of styling these two characters as they flit between seasons and contexts.

What is your background and how does it affect the outcomes of the pieces?
I worked for costume jewellery designer Victoria Spring for several years and her design and production team taught me the basics of construction, form and the skills required to create handmade fashion jewellery. A sense of theatre and whimsy was definitely instilled in me through working there. Every day was another excuse to put together a fabulously over-the-top outfit! Although not as obvious, my formal training as a writer has meant I instinctively make a narrative of every collection I put together.

What inspired you to start your own label?
I had been collecting vintage and antique pieces for years – textiles, millinery, crystals, cabochons, findings – and about 18 months ago, after a gentle push from my friends, I decided that I would do something with them for other people. I wanted to create pieces which were outlandish and theatrical – handcrafted accessories that ‘made’ an outfit.

Describe the creative process
Generally it starts with the smallest idea – the light in an old photo, the shape of leaves, evocative smells – pretty much any single thing that stands out. I think ‘well, that’s pretty neat’, and play and build upon it until I’ve created something complete. It’s not a very conscious activity; it’s more like colour-coding ideas. A great deal of my work is made from vintage and antique materials that I restore by hand before re-imagining into something new and unique. The craftsmanship and care intrinsic to each of these small pieces of history provide my most constant source of inspiration.

What are some of the challenges you faced running your own business?
Being the director, designer, production team, PR and marketing manager, web technician, book-keeper, graphic designer, data entry clerk and stylist can be overwhelming. It’s an awful lot of work for one brain to keep up with, but I now have the most wonderful holistic understanding of my business. Thankfully I work best when required to multi-task!

What can we look forward to from Ginny & Jude Designs in 2010
Currently I’m working on ‘Harlequin’; my Winter 2010 collection. Its focal point is a delicious colour palette of cream, buttercup, coral, blue and green with accents of charcoal, black and navy. In winter when clothing tends towards the darker hues, this will be a fabulous range of accessories to inject colour and spirit: fluffy pom-poms, pearls, stripes, and structured dyed quills and straw. I’m quite excited about it as it’s a bit of a departure from previous work I’ve done and feels like the most ‘complete’ collection I’ve put together so far.

www.ginnyandjude.com

FK talks to Katrina from Adelaide label Kitty Came Home about her range of fashion accessories and her business journey.

Tell us about Kitty Came Home and what products you offer?
The Kitty Came Home label unites vintage-love with contemporary design. The product range gradually expanded from the original Vintage Fabric Button Clutch to now include the Super Clutch, Journals, Diaries, the KCH man style wallet as well as a small collection of sterling silver jewellery. Using predominantly reclaimed materials, such as PVC, vintage fabrics and buttons, which I collect in opp-shops and from my travel adventures.

How did you come up with the name? and what lead you to starting your own label?
My friend Holly & I came up with the name and at the time I was only making one product the ‘Vintage Fabric Button Clutch’. I wanted to use the word Kitty because I like to use the phrase ‘put your money in the kitty’ and being a clutch purse, that worked perfectly. I love cats and all things cute and cats + cute = kitty.

Kitty is also a reference to my name, although most of my friends call me Kat. ‘Came Home’ because so many of the fabrics & buttons that I find must think that their life is near over, so its great that they get to come home with Kitty and have a fresh start. Also the fabrics that I use have so many little stories to tell so using Kitty Came Home as a name provided the narrative I was after.

Where do you find inspiration?
In the little details mostly … perhaps because of my jewellery background I always find myself lost in the most tiny details of the bigger picture. Other inspirations for me would be travel, design, fashion, furniture, food & of late I must say that classic vintage Euro cars have been my thing so curvaceous & cute it’s weird but I can’t take my eyes off them!
I’m also very inspired by process both hand made and industry processes. I enjoy exploring the limits of a material through process.

What have you learnt most since starting in 2004?
Almost everything I have learned along the way by making mistakes. I was very lucky in the early days to have had a product that I was able to sell whilst still ironing out the flaws in production. Listening to (brutally honest) advice from my friends about how I could improve the original clutch purse was most helpful.

Probably my biggest lesson learned is that I cannot do everything myself. I have a handful of key people that I outsource components of the making process to. This is especially important to relieve me of that robot feeling that I had when doing everything myself & keeps my time free for experimenting with new product designs.

How was your ‘out of Adelaide’ experience with being at the Sydney Finders Keepers?
Double excitement actually. Firstly because I had spent months prepping stock and displays for the Finders Keepers which was my first big Market in Sydney. So I had my fingers and toes crossed that all would go well.

Secondly because the day that I flew in, so did my boyfriend from Hamburg who I had not seen in 3 months! Needless to say there was quite a bit of kissy, kissy in between selling, selling, selling
All up it was a fantastically busy weekend, a great opportunity to sell to the public & gain some exposure in Sydney.

What do you love most about doing what you do?
Making things, dreaming about what I what I want to create next & having the ability to make it happen. I love working from home with my cat Fella, being my own boss and having the flexibility to be able to travel.

It’s hard to say what I love the most but I think it would be the hunting down of all the little treasures that make their way into Kitty Came Home.

http://www.kittycamehome.com/

FK talks to Presser from Dead Galaxy about the art of his collage making, and his upcoming exhibition Life Dust.

Tell us about the world of Dead Galaxy.
Dead Galaxy is the name of my art project/ company name. It is named after of 1 of my collages. I used to joke with friends that my house was a dead galaxy, a other universe where strange shit would happen. I guess it’s in reference to a loss that made me fall apart but now it’s just a name I like to work under.

Give us a little insight into your history and how you discovered art making?
I played drums in Gerling for 14 years. During that time Darren (Gerling) and myself did the artwork for our albums. I would spend most my time off tours and on weekends doing collages, kinda bedroom art. Nothing really left my house, I sold a piece to a friend and rest sat in the spare room of my house. When I moved out, my Aunty was intrigued by the collages and said ” You gotta do an exhibition!” so I did. That was November 2007, and I’ve spent the past 2 years getting this exhibition together.

Where do you gather all the resources to make your awesome collages?
I use books and magazines from the 60’s-80’s. I spend hours in op shops and second hand book shops digging through the fantastic old and forgotten images. I give them a new life as part of a collage. I don’t use computers, everything is handmade and considered.

What kind of messages do you like to convey in your work? are they planned before hand or do you let the images do the talking?
Most of my work features a subliminal message, subtle or immediate. I name each piece but I prefer people to get their own translation of the artwork, rather than explaining the purpose. I’ve created a few pieces by having a vision in my head, and searching hours on end to create the piece. Some take forever to finish, some could be finished overnight, and sometimes adding 1 tiny thing will change the outcome.

What inspires you and what are you always searching for?
My inspirations come from alot of different elements. Sometimes a dream, music or a certain emotion can draw out those components that I can react with. I was on valium for a a while, shit I created some very interesting work… I don’t think I’m really searching for anything, just set a goal one after the next.

You had your debut exhibition last year, what was the reaction like and what did you learn most about running your own show?
Yeh, the first exhibition was in 2007. It was only up for one night, I wouldn’t do that again though. Too much work and stress for a 4 hour display! The main thing I learnt about doing a show is that you need plenty of time and good people to help along the way. The exhibition itself was a total success and I was so emotionally impressed by the response, and being basically a word-of-mouth event, there was plenty of people and it was pretty much a sell out show.

What would be your ultimate project to work on?
I got a few projects I’d like to do. I’ve started doing t-shirts for bands, so far I’ve done t-shirts for Decoder Ring and Dappled Cities. I’d like to do album covers and even do skateboard decks. I wrote a book that hopefully will see the light of day, but also to be able to do exhibitions overseas would be fantastic.

Can you give us some insight to what new things we can expect to discover at your new exhibition Life Dust on Feb 25th?
All this work for Life Dust was created while dealing with depression. The artwork itself helped me regain my life, pulled me out of the shit hole that I was in. To me this exhibition is very personal, almost an insight into a mind that was lost for a long time. To me, this is a start of a new life and I hope that people will see the light that I have been rewarded with. 2010 = good times!

Life Dust will be showing at:

Mart Gallery
156 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills

26th Feb to 13th March
Gallery open 12-5pm Tues – Sat

Dead Galaxy’s Facebook