#11

Inspiration can come from funny places... I spend a lot of time on the computer. Over the years, the Apple Mac trash can has proven both trusty comrade, and formidable foe. It's about time it was immortalised, at least by me.

#9 & 10

I've always wanted to create an artwork with "after" in the title; as in it was either inspired by, or directly ripped off from, somebody else.

The panel on the left is called "Apple — After Dick Bruna, Holly Throsby and Dee Huxley". The panel on the right is called "Grenade — After Dick Bruna, Sylvester Stallone and Ghandi".

Incidentally, Dee Huxley is the person who first taught me to use gouache — and I suspect that if she knew how I was using it now, she never would have let me pass first year colour class.

#8

This painting was inspired by the Book of Genesis. At the time I hadn't used gouache for many years (since design school), and it is here that I re-learned that undiluted gouache can crack up big time.

Le Dominateur

I call my husband "The Dominator" because he always seems to catch every single wave in the session. Not that he's pushy, he just has an annoying knack of always being in the right place at the right time (or more likely, has the the ability to put himself there).

So this drawing is in honour of Le Dominateur (it sounds more charming in French!)

Happy birthday Joe.

#7

I painted this in 2008 at an end-of-year church camp at Broken Bay. Instead of drinking tea and eating sponge cake (or whatever it is church ladies usually do) we all sat around and played with my paints for a few hours. Tops stuff. Perhaps inspired by the laundry facilities typical to a communal camp, this one is called "Coin Operated".

#6

I have no idea what this means. But I think he's cute, in a sinister kind of way.

#5

"The Longreef area of Sydney's Northern beaches offers a wide selection of reef and beach breaks that work in a wide variety of swell and wind conditions. There are plenty of reef breaks to found in this area."

From Mark Warren's Atlas of Australian Surfing, 1988.

#4

Then, it was electric.

#3

I don't know if the Thunderbird is 100% anatomically correct.

10 Squared

In 2007 I decided to create a series of 5 inch x 5 inch paintings. The goal is to paint 100 of them (that's where the 10 squared comes from).

I do a painting whenever I get time. So far, I've averaged 1 painting every 2.5 months. I'm currently up to 15.

I think it's safe to say it's going to take me a while!

This little diptych constitutes paintings # 1 & 2.

Number 8

We recently bought our first house, which was both scary and awesome. And we now have the pleasure of living in one of the most beautiful, yet strangely under-rated, parts of the central coast. The best thing about owning your own house is you get to draw on the letterbox.

Sydney Surf Group

Mark Sefton from Sydney Surf Group contacted me recently about designing a tee shirt. The design needed to communicate pretty much what the name of the group stands for: a bunch of like-minded people in Sydney, surfing in all conditions on all kinds of craft. The catch — the design needed to be instantly understandable by surfers and non-surfers, locals and tourists alike.

I don't know if the idea of surfboard fins forming the Sydney Opera House has been used before, but I was pretty chuffed when I landed on it!

New Valla tee

Here's a new tee shirt design I recently did for Valla surfboards.

If you've looked at this blog before, the typography may seem a little familiar... I reckon when you're on a good thing, stick to it!

If you're near Nambucca this summer, swing past the factory and pick one (or a few) up. Can't wait to get mine.

The Gruen Transfer

Sometimes my day job as a designer crosses into my world of scribbling. Recently I designed a book called The Gruen Transfer, written by the producer of the Australian TV series of the same name.

As part of the design, I created an illustration for each chapter opener, based on the content of that chapter. I didn't realise the size of the collection until the book was finished—I just drew them as needed.

They probably don't make a whole lot of sense out of context, so if you want to see the whole package, you'll have to go out and buy the book :)

The Locals

I was recently invited to take part in an exhibition with the theme "Bird" – which is a wonderful fit for me, as anyone who knows me will tell you. My contribution is called The Locals, and features some of the feathered friends I regularly see around my area. This is a bit of a departure for me – instead of drawing in pen, I stitched the lines with cotton thread. Definitely a labour of love! My sewing finger is still full of tiny holes.

It's a little hard to see the detail here... but if you want a closer look you can always buy one :)

The exhibition opens on November 12, at the aptly named Nest in Tumbarumba. Featuring the wonderful Katy Moore, Wendy Campbell, Jane Moore, myself and others.

Business/Pleasure

I've really been neglecting this blog lately. But on the other hand, it must mean I've been busy doing other things! So here's a little drawing I did a while ago. Originally intended to adorn the bottom of a surfboard for the SurfAid charity auction (I ended up doing something else instead), so presently just adorning a page in my notebook.

Audio Riot

A bit of shameless cross-promotion. The Mandelas is a HOT new band featuring the dulcet tones of Joe Hall, complemented by Bill Abel on guitar, Trev Hancock on bass and some weird girl on drums...

This is the second EP we've recorded together, but the first one under this name. I had a great time designing the cover, in particular getting reacquainted with my old ink pot and brush. See and hear more of The Mandelas here.

The Worthys

Way down near the bottom of this page is a portrait I did of Derek Hynd, for Surfing World's inaugural competition of all things portraiture – The Worthys.

After months of anticipation, the exhibition is finally on next Thursday at The Sugarmill surf emporium in Narrabeen. I'll be there for sure! For details visit the Surfing World blog.

Surfing Suits

It seems to me that the surfing fraternity is pretty evenly split down the middle – those who surf for work, and those who surf for play. And I don't just mean those who are paid and those who aren't, but the difference in attitudes – the surfers who get really competitive and take each session very seriously, and those who just go out and have a good time (I like to think I'm among the latter).

SurfAid is having its annual 'Surfing Suits' fundraising bash next week. They asked some artists to paint on surfboards which will be auctioned off at the event. I thought the whole idea of surfing equating to either work or play (or even both) fit their theme pretty well, so that's what I did (original pen drawings above, and evidence of their translation onto the board over several hours with poscas and paint below).

Balancing Act

It's beautiful to see a whole family surfing — mum and dad alternating between catching waves and introducing their young ones to the joys of the ocean. I find it enough of a balancing act just making a section on a hollower day, let alone juggling small children and all the commitments they bring, with maintaining a surfing lifestyle. And although I'm not among their ranks yet, I'm looking forward to one day attempting that balancing act too.