journal
interviews with our Australian makers & latest handmade news
porcelain lumps intricately dotted with little holes
for the most delicate of stems...
one-of-a-kind & handmade in Melbourne by Jess McCausland
interview with Jess coming soon!
x x
A big hat-tipping nod goes to instagram for the discovery of yet another talented creative . . . this time around it was a native-moth illustration that led me to emerging-artist Jamii Brown. Three months & several emails later, six original variations of the illustration that I first fell head-over-heels for - Bogongs over the Milky Way - are now available. Read on for the interview . . .
tell us about your creative background & studies
I spent all my time drawing as a kid. Even when I injured my index finger, I just learned to hold my pencil a different way! I studied art at school and am oh-so-close to finishing my Bachelor of Communication Design at Swinburne University.
how did your craft begin and how has it evolved to this day?
Coloured pencil has always been my weapon of choice and more recently I’ve been experimenting with watercolour and paper illustration. I’m a bit of a perfectionist so when I was younger I would destroy all my previous work every time I improved. It’s a bit disappointing as it would be interesting to look back over it now and see how my style has changed.
how do you approach your work?
I daydream a lot and come up with random thoughts and ideas which I write down in long lists all over the place. I’m never sure if anything will come of them. I hope they’ll all have their time eventually. I do a lot of planning, sketching out a composition and agonising over colours until I realise I’ve drunk all the tea and it’s three in the morning.
is there anything or anyone that inspires you or your work // where do you look for inspiration or does inspiration find you?
Mostly I wander around in a daze and inspiration finds me! In saying that, my absolute favourite illustrator is Shaun Tan who is a magical human and his book, The Arrival, is one of my favourite things in the world. I also really love the work of Nicomi Nix Turner and Courtney Brims.
what has your creative journey been like so far?
Exhausting, confusing and rewarding.
what’s one of the most important things you’ve learnt about being an artist?
Don’t waste time wondering if it’s an unrealistic ambition . . . if you want to be an artist, just go for it!
do you have any insight or advice you’d like to share with aspiring artists?
Have confidence in your ability and don’t compare yourself to other artists. You might think other people are better than you but I think it’s more that everyone has a different style and possibly a different audience.
is there anything you hope your artwork brings into people’s live or gives to the world?
I’m interested in imagination and interpreting real experiences into a sort of surreal scenario so I suppose I’d like to bring people into a different world which sparks their own imagination.
what do you love most about Australia?
The crazy awesome animals. Swooping magpies, spotted quolls, red-bellied black snakes, flying foxes and the rest. They’re all great.
Thanks for sharing with us, Jamii !
Jamii's Bogongs are now available instore
x
another batch of reclaimed-timber servingware from Elk Craft is now in store . . .
all handcarved in Melbourne from local birch, applewood & spotted gum
birch & spotted-gum butter dishes
extra-large birch spatulas
beautiful grain in these applewood spoons
Elk Craft make very small quantities . . .
each piece is handcarved from select timber and no two are alike.
x
emerging artist & recent VCA graduate, Hayley Martin,
creates her nature-inspired artworks with pen, ink, gouache, tape & metal-leaf
layered on watercolour paper . . .
read on to discover more about this young Australian artist
tell us about your creative background & studies
Last year I graduated from the VCA with a bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual art.
how did your craft begin and how has it evolved to this day?
I grew up in the country surrounded by nature and my parents' wonderful garden - a little oasis off the beaten track. My siblings and I would fill our days with various creative projects; painting, drawing, sewing and playing in the garden. I definitely think this upbringing has had a huge influence on the love I developed for art and creativity. I don't think those close to me were surprised when I decided to study visual art at a tertiary level.
is there anything or anyone that inspires you or your work . . . where do you look for inspiration, or does inspiration find you?
Absolutely! I have scraps of paper filled with scribbled notes that I have jotted down at a gallery, come across in a book, or just discovered or thought of at a certain moment . . . wherever I may be, whatever I may be doing. I came across a famous quote by Picasso a few years ago and it has stuck with me - 'inspiration exists but it has to find you working' . . . I think there is a lot of truth in it! My main source of inspiration is definitely nature - the magical colours, organic shapes and various textures that appear.
' the beauty of the landscape continually inspires me '
what’s one of the most important things you’ve learnt about being an artist?
Believe in yourself!
is there anything you hope your artwork brings into people’s live or gives to the world?
Happiness. I hope the calm and organic nature of my work brings joy to people.
what’s one of the most exciting things to happen in your creative career so far?
I had my first solo show in Melbourne earlier this year - that was pretty exciting! But even more so is when someone tells me the joy they get from my work - for me, it doesn't get any better than that!
what do you love most about Australia?
I think Australia is a wonderful place for so many reasons! It is the beauty of the landscape that continually inspires me.
visit Hayley's maker's page
to find a hand-picked selection of her original artwork
x
