Definatalie

Gifts that can not be kept

definatalie@gmail.com (Natalie) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:49:42 -0700

I came across this video portrait of Milton Glaser by Hillman Curtis on the Drawn! blog and I was struck by something he quoted from Lewis Hyde about gift exchanges in primitive cultures that serve to stop people from killing one another because they create a common link. I have been thinking more and more lately about how what I draw is often a gift I give to people. I don't mean a "gift" in a trumpet-blowing or "this is a mystical creative gift from the gods" sort of way, because y'all should know that's not what I'm about! The gifts I give people through drawing and making are the labours of my efforts and time, and also the amount of wrist pain it takes for me to commit something to paper. It's a kind of gift that stands separate from the value of "good" or "bad", it's a gift from me to someone special. You know like when a child draws you something, and you feel so honoured to be receiving it? I feel honoured to be around my loved ones, and I like to give them gifts of my making because I want them to feel like they are in receipt of an object that means something. Of course, I also want them to think of me fondly :)

The gift may be kept for 10 minutes before being thrown in the bin or for a lifetime in a treasure chest, but it can't be kept forever. It's just a "thing" and only really as effective as words, in that they don't last very long either, however I am much more comfortable drawing my feelings than speaking them! The idea is that the intention or the motivation is special, and helps develop better relationships. They don't last forever either, but for as long as our lives last, we can live peacefully.

Now I am very curious to read "The Gift" by Lewis Hyde! I'd also like to read "Drawing is Thinking" by Milton Glaser. So many books, so little money!

Bits and pieces (including but not limited to stuff and nonsense)

definatalie@gmail.com (Natalie) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:00:29 -0700

Ms Mitzy asked me for a custom illustration - she particularly loves my flower balls, and wants to get them tattooed on her! I couldn't actually bring myself to title this "Flower Balls" so it is henceforth known as "Flower Baubles". There, much more lady-like!

Senorita Makalita took a photo of the canvas print she bought, out of the packaging and up on the wall, and if I say so myself... it looks great! I'm never really sure about printing to canvas (especially for photos) but Red Bubble have proven it definitely suits my work, hahah!

In other news: Beth Ditto's line at Evans launched today. Ms B.Ditto divides opinion, but I quite admire her adventurous take on fashion. I was one of those crazy fat ladies hitting refresh on the domino dress page, waiting until I could buy it. I think within the very minute sales were enabled, I had hit the checkout. I am that rabid about this dress!

I am pretty much 99% sure you will see me wearing this at the opening night of the Illustrators show at KILN. Fabulous. Now if someone can find me a pair of flat red ankle boots...

Things that make me laugh

definatalie@gmail.com (Natalie) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:12:43 -0700

Everyone likes a larf, right? Here's some stuff that's made me giggle.

• Matt Preston, one of the judges from MasterChef Australia. Aside from being a dapper dresser, he has a way with words. He described a perfect panna cotta as having the consistency of a "5'10" rubenesque woman on stilettos = perfect".

• This is from a Something Awful thread, which I can't access EVEN THOUGH I HAVE AN ACCOUNT. CAPSLOCK INSANITYYYY. It was years ago and a friend bought it for me as I didn't have a credit card and they didn't accept Paypal back then, so I have no record of my account. Consider this a BOOHOO Something Awful, thanks for taking my money and being jerks. Anyway, this picture is hilarious. And free.

• Kittens Inspired by Kittens. And old 'un but a good 'un. I don't even like cats and I cry with laughter at this.

• Les Larbey and Margaret Bland's Galaxy of Dance. Classic. CLASSIC. When I need cheering up I always come back to this video.

• I found this on tumblr. Sure, it's childish but... don't judge!

• And now, a dramatic reading of a REAL breakup letter from a REAL person. I don't know how I missed this, but I only came across this last night. I had tears streaming down my face, it's that hilarious! Promise.

• Another tumblr find... it's funny and sad!

• sadtrombone.com. I am giving you the power of the sad trombone. It's a powerful tool. Use it wisely. Or you could just cut and paste the url in response to friends' whingey facebook status updates.

Video, yip yip yip

definatalie@gmail.com (Natalie) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:36:22 -0700

I thought I'd get off the video thing but yesterday I realised I hadn't done a "video portfolio" and I wanted to see if I could top my old one, done in September last year. Because I've now got an iMac, I also have iMovie... so I'm able to do all kinds of rad edity things that I couldn't do last year with Windows Movie Maker **gag** You might notice on most of the still frames there is movement across them - that's called the Ken Burns Effect, and I might have abused it a little bit on this video because I just learnt how to do it. ha!

The music in the video is all Creative Commons licensed! Isn't it awesome? Melissa Maples recently turned me on to CC resources, and I've been so impressed by the quality and the scope of music available. You can see who created the three songs I've used in this video by hanging out until the end, or just going to the YouTube page where I've also supplied links to the song pages on ccMixter.

Video has been intriguing me lately. I never thought I could do it - in the past I've attempted animation but the one thing that kept tripping me up was the dimension of time, and how to manipulate it while using all the other design principles that have been drummed into my head for two dimensional work. I am having heaps of fun experimenting with iMovie though, it's definitely a less intimidating jumping off point into the world of video editing. I've boldly told Nick that I would like a video camera for my birthday, plskthx! (Though I'm fairly realistic about my small chances there... unless I pull some super huge fantastical commissions soon!)

I'm not sucking up at all (Hey Nick ILU pls buy me a video camera) but here are some photos of the beautiful bunch of flowers he bought me the other night. It is a HUGE bunch. There are literally 20 billions of dimensions of flowers in them!

They make me want to start drawing flowers more.

Do you have any requests for video stuff? It seems like there's a whole world out there for me to talk about, but I don't know where to start! Leave me some requests or suggestions in the comments or on my YouTube channel and I'll do my best to get some new videos up!

How to love yourself - redux in video format!

definatalie@gmail.com (Natalie) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:30:37 -0700

I did a vlog version of the "How to love yourself in 8 really hard steps" today because I thought it might be good practice to get into the swing of talking and making videos. I actually surprised myself - I think I had about 20 minutes of babbling that I had to edit fairly brutally in order to come under YouTube's 10 minute limit!

Please watch, rate, comment, subscribe and give me your first born child's toenails. I bronze them and sell them on Etsy as earrings.

:P