We’re back on January 14th ready for a massive 2013. Thanks to everyone for such wonderful support this year.
Have a Happy New Year!
We’re back on January 14th ready for a massive 2013. Thanks to everyone for such wonderful support this year.
Have a Happy New Year!
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Living on the Peninsula has provided no shortage of inspiration for artist Debbie Mackenzie. Less than an hours drive south of Melbourne, her little seaside village oozes style, charm, sophistication and an understated elegance – all of which is abundantly shown in Debbie’s work. From the beach to the bushy surrounds, this locale heavily influences Debbie’s often whimsical and always charming work. She lives with her (also creative) husband and two young children in their recently renovated ‘old Orchard Cottage on the hill’. It sounds gorgeous!
Tell us a little about your background?
I’ve always been obsessed with drawing, even as a young child I would completely immerse myself into a fantasy world drawn from my imagination. After year 12 I was offered a place in what was my dream course, Illustration, at what is now Swinburne. I thought long and hard about it and decided I would never suit being a "poor artist". I was too much of a consumer and admirer of aesthetics. I decided to go with my second option Graphic Design, at least this would provide a career in which I could afford all things beautiful in design. In the end I spent a wonderful early twenties in the Film Industry followed by a decade in Multi National Ad Agencies. It was a great career for a young girl. A few years after meeting my husband we decided to move to the Peninsula and that is where I explored my desire to paint. Other than meeting my husband and having my two beautiful children, nothing fulfils me more than painting. Its a euphoric experience!
What are the main influences on your work?
Nature is a constant influence for me. I'm also obsessed with the composition of a painting and I think my Graphic Design background plays a big part in how I structure a painting. When I look at a landscape I cant help but feel that our surroundings are so big and we are so small, so when I paint, my skies are LARGE and everything falls into place scaled down from the sky. I've seen people look at me strangely when I'm staring into space completely absorbed in looking at the colours in a cloud or the depth of the texture of a pine tree. All of nature triggers a major creative burst. I'm currently very taken with how many butterflies there are. They are everywhere and things like this make me feel creative. With my illustrations I often draw little fable like characters. I will see a photo and my interpretation of it instantly becomes "fable" like. My little owl man came from an image I saw on Pinterest and I just had to draw him. My Auntie & Uncle also had a MAJOR influence on my illustration work. As a child I would walk around my uncle's art studio in awe. He always had amazing things in there, like dead dragon flies and bugs on his window sill and then right beside them an intricate drawing of them. My Auntie showered us with beautiful books on the wonder of fairies and goblins and it was really the birth of "fable like creatures" and my imagination from there.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Up at 6.30am scurrying around getting lunches and breakfasts done and my daughter ready for school and then usually do a mad dash to school with my 4 year old in tow. We do try and keep active during the day so my son and i are usually either at the gym or at soccer or swimming. If not we are at home cooking or making play dough. My 4 year old requires a lot of stimulation at the moment and he is very much looking forward to kinder next year (so is Mummy)! Then after a short stint its school pick up and I'm usually playing peace maker and diplomat to the children. Then its dinner, bath and bedtime. It can be a bit "Ground Hog" day but my goodness its great and they are just the funniest little people!
What are you looking forward to?
So many things! I've given myself a challenge for next year, I'd really like to have an exhibition somewhere or at least get some of my work into a gallery. I'm also looking forward to watching my children learn and grow and loving my husband even more (if that's at all possible)! He's a ripper! x
I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by. So much has happened – a new baby for me (3 months old now and sleeping pretty well touch wood), and the business is doing super well! It’s busy busy times and there’s so much to look forward to next year as well. We’ve got LOTS planned and are seriously excited.
So while I’ve been on ‘mat leave’ (not really, as I’m in the studio nearly every day anyway),I’ve been playing around with Instagram. Are you on Instagram? I must admit, initially I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t get it. The photo filters made images look weird - twitter just seemed to make much more sense. But now Instagram is my number 1. It’s like twitter in that there is interaction and conversation but it’s done through a visual medium. Twitter through a text medium. It’s the ability to capture a moment, a single second in time, that is lovely about Instagram.
I’m about to take a snap of the apricots Kate brought in today – from her tree at home. Watch out for it on Instagram!
Michelle
xx
I have serious love for these new cushions by Madeleine Sargeant, the super lovely lady of Made by Mosey fame. I first met Madeleine last year, pretty much around this time, at a lunch that Tess and I hosted. I was super excited when she came to us to help recreate hankey cushions. I’m actually going to buy a couple for my girls for Christmas!
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"Little Wren" by Rachel McCarthy |
“Mirabel Foundation does important work, supporting kids who are affected by parental substance abuse. They also support family members who might be caring for those kids.Did you know that lots of kids move from the care of their parents to grandparents or aunties and uncles? Mirabel provides support to these children and their extended family, making sure that they all know how special they are, and that they are not alone.Each year we run Softies For Mirabel with The Mirabel Foundation. We encourage you to make a soft toy (a softie!) for a Mirabel child. We think that it's really important to show these kids that they are in our thoughts and that we care about them. A handmade buddy can be a loyal companion to a child who may have the weight of the world on their shoulders at times.”
(excerpt from Meet Me at Mikes)
I’m hanging out at home with mummy for the next little while but soon I’ll get to go to the studio with her and I can’t wait! At the studio, there’s lots of colour and nice things to look at. And my cousins hang out there a bit too which will be super fun!
I’ve met the girls in the studio and of course my aunty Jacqui and they’re all really nice. There’s Rachel, Kate, Jess and Robyn now, a growing little F&S team! Anyhoo, I’m off to have a sleep now. Ciao for now!
Love Olivia
xx
So, with only 2 weeks to go until my third bub is born, there’s no slowing me down! Next week, not only are we hosting the Curvy Exhibition as part of Semi Permanent, but it’s Brown Owls time again!
We’re keeping it simple this month – a BYO project and a chat with a lovely cuppa. So be it quilting, crochet, a little knitting, decoupage or embroidery, bring it along and have a fun night in:) If I get a chance to get the supplies, I might try my hand at this tutorial and make these cute magnets!
Date: Thursday 13th September
Time: 7:30pm onwards
Venue: Frankie and Swiss, Ground Floor, 199 Toorak Road, South Yarra. It’s the building on the corner of Toorak and Claremont Street. Right on the #8 tram or a 2 second walk from South Yarra station. I’ll also have parking available underneath the building. You’ll need to call me (9826 4261) to buzz you under:)
So Design Made Trade is over for another year. Every event/market/fair/thing I go to in Melbourne, I’m always blown away by how many awesome talented people there are! So. Many!
So first up is Sandra Eterovic. Her stand was so gorgeous and right in the entrance as well, fabulous exposure for her work which has also been in Inside Out and Frankie. We printed The Lonely Polygamist for her:) So cute! See her lovely blog here. And an interview here.
I think everyone knows by now how much we love Rowena Martinich and so working with her and her partner Geoffrey Carran on their new collaborative range was really cool:) The cockies were super popular! More (and much better!) photos over here on The Design Files. (sorry, crappy iphone pics here…)
Belinda Christie is the designer behind Surface, a Textile and Surface Print Studio, and she’s really quite amazing. It was really great working with Belinda on her launch range for DMT, her designs are intense and they are printed on the organic cotton/hemp. You should check out her other work – so beautiful! Her Facebook page is here.
And Maraya from Print Paper Cloth’s new range of cushions and tea towels is also gorgeous. There were so many people buzzing around her stall, very popular! Our favourite is the cushion below – it printed so well! My photo is so crappy it’s hard to see – but the contrasts between the black and white elements to the coloured feathers worked so well. Her lovely blog is here.