Llft and se

I had the opportunity to choose a selection of great work for an Etsy Treasury today. I chose some fellow Etsy Dust Street Team members, some friends I've met online and just a few from my list of favourite items on Etsy. Click this link to see the Treasury live on Etsy (only available until August 2, at 8.54pm Etsy time). It takes a little while for the screen to load but it is worth the wait because then you can click on the items and see larger images and info and even buy them if you want. Take special note of ninox's Mole Knight (bottom R). Oh, I just may as well put links to most the lovelies here:
Emma, Kate and her 11 year old son, Janey, melanie, Esta, Shannon, Rob, and Vivian.

ps See the name of the treasury? "Llft and se". I wonder what that means? Well, as I made it up I can actually tell you what it means... It means the phone rang while I was doing it and after several typos I got panicked and pressed enter! It is the one thing in Treasuries that cannot be changed - of course.

My True Self Revealed

A bit of fun

Considerate Creator

Do you agree?
Do your own at http://personaldna.com/

So close I think I'm there

Here are the Moleskine exchanges I've been working on that have brought me just about up to date. This one is in Melissa's moleskine and is part of Moly_x_25. There is no theme for her book but I took my lead from Clare's turtle and made mine a water image too with a local flavour added to the exotic wave inspired by Hokusai by including the South Solitary Island and it's lighthouse that can been seen from my beach.
For moly_x_portrait 1 I made a little book to attach inside the front cover as my 'sign-in' page. Each participant in the exchange will draw a quick self portrait in this book. Each page is cut into 3. At the end of the exchange it should be quite a fun little book to see.


For this exchange I drew my self portrait. It now goes on to the next person who draws themselves and me (from photos). And on it goes.

...closer and closer...

I realised I didn't clearly explain the title of the previous post. It's there but you have to read each sentence to get it. What I'm getting closer to is being caught up on some of the projects I've let wait.

And wait. And wait. What is this procrastination? What is the resistance? I struggle procrastination and resistance continually. I'm hung up on knowing they will be perfect before I start which is ridiculous because they are never perfect in the end, so why do they have to be perfect at any point?

But it's not 9am yet and I have gesso all over me, in my hair, everywhere. Gesso is one of my all time favourite art materials. So simple, but I love it's off white toothy brushy texture and the way it interacts with what comes before and what will come over it. So this is my desk this morning. I'm putting it up on flickr so I can annotate all the gesso that's there and my other favourite art supplies too.

Now I'm off to have coffee with Sara Bowen and I'm really looking forward to it! We live very close to each other and have met a few times, but our friendship has grown online. I'm having a bit of an online-relationship time this week. Yesterday I met up with another lady who I met here in the virtual world. It is really interesting.

My man asks "Why can't I meet up with any of the women I meet online?"

I think I'm getting closer...

I finished my print of the cute little brown-eyed beagle Suzette. She is right in the middle of her dinner dance. She is disguising her power with delicate curls and gold and silver embelishments, but don't be fooled! She has you in her power and she will get exactly what she wants and when she wants it!
I printed Suzette with three Gocco screens and then overprinted with my current favourite - dance steps - in gold.
A flourish that I drew and then printed in silver just finishes her off.

And speaking of finishing... my plan for today is to finish off the Moleskine pages for the exchanges I'm in and get stuck into my other collaboration with ninox.

And speaking of ninox, she tagged me again!
Thanks Jenn! How nice! I think you are brilliant too but I can't give it to you because you've already got it. So here's what happens now...

The rules of accepting are as follows:

1) Put the logo on your blog

2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4) Add links to those blogs on yours.

5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

So here are mine..

I Linda at Freyed Edge. I love her blogs subtitle and the diverse and interesting content.
II Hanna at iHanna. She shares some good web finds and her journal book is on my wish list.
III New blogger Jennelaine at On This Side of Things might be new but her blog is interesting and she draws maps!
IV Walter Logeman as finished his thousand sketches and is still creating.
V Christine at Yarn about Yarn does yarn about yarn and also yarns about some other really cool creative stuff.
VI Karina at Magic Jelly. Everything over there is yummy!
AND (you know how in movies and TV shows after they run through all the fabulous stars they have another one to blow your mind and they are listed after 'AND' - well this is that kind of 'AND')
VII Sara from Double Elephant, The Daily Drawing and Complicities. How does she do it all? I guess I have to choose just one of hers so I'm going with Double Elephant.

Well, what a round up! I hope you all enjoy this little bit of link love. Oh, and Suzette in 'Dinner Dance' is available now in The Little Shop of Horus if you just love her.

Edited 17th July
I forgot to add the image of the original painting I did of this cute little beagle. You may notice that in the painting I tried to show her dastardly side by emphasising those cute little bumps on her head, making the shadows of them just a little more prominent... they almost look like devils horns...

Creativity Central

I've been busy since I got back from Sydney. I'm working on a new dog print, this time with a beagle as the star.
I'm also making a quilt. It is my second ever quilt and it is satisfying my need to sew at the moment. I don't sew much these days as I find it sucks up so much of my time, but I love sewing, it's just that I'm not that good at it. Anyway, this quilt has a greater level of difficulty than my first one and I'm loving being immersed in the 1930's reproduction prints I've chosen. Colour and pattern! I'm happy.
I'd also like to draw your attention (again!) to Eric Maisel and this time to his newly vamped up blog Eric Maisel Creativity Central. He has set up this blog as a place where we can get our info fix about creativity with Eric Maisel and his guest blog correspondents from around the world writing on creativity, creativity coaching, and the creative life. I'm thrilled and honoured to say that I am one of the blog correspondents. In fact my previous post here (on the Sydney Biennale) was also my first post on Creativity Central. From here on, every week or two I will post an article about the art world in coastal NSW and my own creative journey. I will also be posting the same article here, but if you click on over you can read the very interesting articles from people all around the world who write, compose, paint, dance, draw and watch TV! As the blog develops it will have photos (it's hard for me without them!) and imbeded links. There are even bigger plans for it down the track, so keep an eye on it and make sure you scroll down - there is heaps there already.

But wait, there's more news! Today has seen the unveiling of www.janallsopp.com.au
It is still under construction at the moment, so it is another thing that will develop in the future. Right now it can take you to my shop and here to my blog. It will gain gallery and information pages as it grows. I'd like to thank my friend Melanie Cook for all her patient assistance in getting the site up.

There is plenty more happening here today and this week, but more about that later. Have a great day!

Biennale of Sydney - Part I

The Sydney Biennale is full steam ahead at the moment and I travelled the 570 kms to see it. I’ve seen some past Biennales and found them largely inaccessible with only the odd beacon of light to show my brain, eyes and heart the way. I’m not sure if this years Biennale just seems better to me or if it actually is. I’ve got a few more years stored below deck and my studies are drawing maps in my thinking, but my companions on board were equally thrilled with our discoveries as we navigated the waters of several art galleries.

OK, even I think that’s enough with the maritime metaphors! What’s so watery about the Biennale anyway? Well, for the first time the best of the best of the Biennale are exhibited on Cockatoo Island, the largest island in Sydney Harbour which has been an imperial prison, industrial school, reformatory, gaol and shipyards and now a heritage site. The fact that the art works have been set up in several locations on the island adds to the idea that visiting is like an exploration expedition across the water and into the unknown.

If no man is an island, Australia certainly is. We are a long way from just about everywhere. In the past the artistic distance has been almost untraversable; three months on a ship meant only a small percentage of Australians viewed key works ‘in the flesh’. Air travel has meant many of us have now seen the real Mona Lisa but it is still 24 hours on a plane and many thousands of dollars to do so. Consequently most of my art education, and many other Aussie’s, has been primarily from books. So imagine how I felt seeing Duchamp’s first Ready-made Bicycle Wheel. It looks like he made it yesterday! Beautiful. At the Art Gallery of New South Wales I also saw works by other names I’d only read about before: Joseph Beuys, Bruce Nauman, Jean Tinguely and learned to love many new-to-me artists, especially Gianni Colombo and his Elastic Space. I was swimming in a sea of conceptual art ideas. I literally drowned (ok, not literally, but it seemed so) in the video work of an artist whose name I’m sorry to say I can’t recall. [Out of time. Going to Cockatoo Island tomorrow.]

[Overnight rain, cocktail party. Slow morning start.] The ferry to Cockatoo Island leaves from in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art at The Rocks which turns out to also be the venue for the Aroma Festival: Chocolate, Coffee and Spice on that day. The whole area was packed when we arrive so we retreated into the MCA first. The island could wait an hour or two.

The very first work you see as you enter is Leon Ferrari’s Western Christian Civilisation which I suspect the organisers where hoping would be controversial and drive the entrance numbers up. I was looking forward to seeing it. The thing I love most about art is its ability to communicate ideas and concepts that are either difficult to describe in words, or impossible. Ferrari’s Christ crucified on a scaled replica of a US FG 107 fighter plane had done just that to me when I viewed photos in books. Disappointingly not so when I saw it as it was hung so badly that all meaning and interest is immediately diffused.

Maurizio Cattelan’s Novecento did the reverse, with its materials list “leather, rope, horse” it is strangely affecting. It is in the same room with some hanging wooden sculptures, which I actually saw some people carelessly bump their heads into as they made their way to a wall exhibit. No one could approach the horse in this manner. I saw people determined to walk under it as it dangled at a great height. Unable to do so, they tried again with their eyes tightly closed, still unable to desecrate the life force around this powerful taxidermied body. Another great pleasure was spending time (not enough time, never enough time) with two Alexander Calder mobiles, one black, one white. I could have watched the elegantly unfolding motion of the white mobile for many, many hours but Cockatoo Island called.

Outside the Aroma festival had flourished into an odorous crush. The queue for the ferry was long and the time remaining until it closed was short. [Plenty of time for Cockatoo Island tomorrow.]

To Be Continued.

Biennale! Biennale! Biennale!

The Biennale of Sydney calls and I must answer.

*sings* *dances* *cheers* *screams* *dances* *sings*

Usually I don't get all that excited by the Biennale but this year I am! And I'm going for a week! And I head off tomorrow!

But why so much excitement this year? Well, there is Marchel Duchamp and Alexander Calder. Really that is almost enough. But there is also Joseph Beuys and even some living artists! But actually even this doesn't require this level of excitement.
What I am really excited about is seeing the William Kentridge exhibition at Annandale Galleries and on Cockatoo Island. Now, straight away, click over onto the Annandale Galleries site and have a really good look. Yep, that's what you will be missing out on if you don't get away from this screen and get there! Just because I know how hard it is to actually leave the internet at times, I've put some images of the Kentridge exhibition here to start your blood pumping.
Isn't he brilliant! My guess is you can see why he is my favourite living artist!

Two for Taking

In a recent post about my progress on my artist book I mentioned that I layered the lino prints over gocco prints. The gocco print I've titled Thoughts.

I've printed it alone onto these Moleskine Cahiers. The busy drawings in the Gocco print look fabulous printed in soft grey ink against the black covers. I printed each one with a different section of the screen so each one is unique.
And now it seems I just can't leave lino alone. I've been printing away with my new handpress. I originally made his particular lino block for another artist book. Naked, I also discovered, looks great on Moleskine covers.
I've only printed two of these and both of them I also used a different part of the block, so each one these is unique too. (I'll have to show you the other one another day.)
Both of these are available in my Etsy shop now.

Two for Tea

I know I've shown my cup prints before, but I have such a lot of fun changing each one a little when I hand colour them, and this is the first Cards and Cup Converge print that I've coloured with these colours, caramel, cream and strawberry.
These two cup images vie for my number one favourite position. It usually comes down to do you like cards or pattern best? I don't know. I think I've just chosen the cards over the fabric patterns simply because they have faces and therefore make a better avatar.
This is also the first time I've used this colour scheme on Fabric and Cup Converge. Purple and indigo - ahh, how nice. I've been building up my shop lately, adding more as often as I can. These two prints are listed now. And I've got more newies to add soon.

5 Favourites

Jenn (ninox) tagged me! I haven't done a tag for a long time, but it is always a lot of fun, and when I saw it was to list 5 favourite things, well... of course!

Also it is a coincidence because last night I finished my entry into Clare's Moleskine as part of Moly_x_25, and she has set the Moly's theme as "a few of my favourite things!" In my drawing I just drew 4 favourites - my dog Roly, my coffee, my books and pattern.

For Jenn I think I might have to add another. I guess it would have to be...
this is hard...
Ok, I have it...
One of my favourite things is saying "I don't believe in favourites!"

I usually say this just before I say what my favourite for that split second is. I change my mind a lot.

Do I have to tag someone else? I don't think it's a law, so I'm going to let it slide.

Artist book emerging slowly

I've done the printing for my marquette for the artist book I'm working on. I am not sure about some aspects of the prints and will definitely do some more tests. But these ones will be good to sew into a book form, experimenting with how it might be.
I played around with ghost prints of the lino prints. I used my handpress again. I'm getting used to it. Actually, I don't need to press very hard at all, which is great, although I have actually bent one of the bars when I was thinking I needed to put some real effort into it. I didn't think it would be possible. I guess it shows just how powerful a lever can be. These prints also have some underprinting with Gocco.

And speaking of sewing it together - look what my very generous, supportive and talented man made for me! A sewing frame!
I've never used one, so this will be interesting. He used the plan of Keith Smiths in his books.
He made some slight alterations to Smiths plans and I think it will work very well... assuming I can work it that is.

Did you know I love books?

Probably you did. I love making them, reading them, hoarding them, collecting them and looking at the pretty pictures in them. For quite some time now I've been enjoying another aspect of books - bookplates. I've been hanging out in bookplate groups here and there and visiting the link you may have noted here Confessions of a Bookplate Junkie.
I've been dreaming of making bookplates for most of my life. One day I'll...
Now with my trusty Gocco available, I came face to face with the means to make them. That's when the stress began - what will I put on them?
I especially love the old bookplates on the Bookplate Junkie site, but I just don't create in that style.
Then I recently disclosed my intention to a friend and fellow book junkie. She confessed to me that she has bought some bookplates recently. "What's on them," I asked? Star Trek on one lot and Celtic designs on the other! That is so her!
Well, if she gets bookplates that scream of her taste, then that made me think I can simply put images on mine that scream me.
And here they all are. I think they would be perfect for those how-to art books we all collect, because they all have a how-to vibe. I've printed this lot on high quality bright white acid free paper. Other sets are on parchment paper. I've made them easy to use by making them self-adhesive - acid free of course. They come in packs of 12 (2 of each design)and I've designed a cute little pouch for them to be safe in until the right book comes along. Available now in my Etsy shop.

What's been happening in my shop

Well firstly, I've changed my banner. I've had such lovely feedback about my 'Suppertime' print that I've used those eyes in my banner. I've sold one of these prints to Clare who is also an artist I'm collaborating with in a Moly exchange. I wonder whose home my next puppy will go to?
I have been seduced by how-to images for years and how-to-dance charts have been something I return to again and again. And this time they come in cards. I gave Mallory one of these for her graduation, but I think I could use these cards for just about any occasion.
And for the first time I've added some ACEO's to my shop. Above is A Very Happy Unbirthday. Below is Beware of Black Balloons.
One of the things I've loved most about using my Gocco printer is the layering of prints, the test prints and the just plain old playing. With lots of unfinished prints lying around I just couldn't resist turning them into something unique.
It is the unique nature of each Gocco print that was part of the reason I originally became interested. But now that I can play with this quality, add other snips of paintings and ephemera and layer colour with both simple and complex techniques I'm having a ball! Above is Playing Games. Tiny little artworks - what a great idea whoever first thought this up had!

Handpress Update

Once I had my studio in a decent state again I was quick to try out my new handpress.

I experimented with different papers, both soaked and not.
I printed some lino cuts I've been working on. I played around with different amounts of pressure.

I discovered that it works well, even creating some embossing and that I actually don't need to exert all my force on it at all. A simple press down on the lever (thanks to the glory of physics) creates equal pressure as pressing as hard as I can and hurting my hand, arm and shoulder (or no visible difference anyway).

I think it is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

EDITED 27th June
For those interested in my handpress - it has no brand on the press itself. It came with a single photocopied instruction sheet which also doesn't have a brand on it. The sheet does have an owl logo and 'ABIG' (I'm not sure, it might be 'A BIG') on the bottom but it is not clear if this is the manufacturer or the distributor. When I purchased it from Parkers I was told it was imported from Germany.

Celebrating

Last weekend we celebrated my youngest daughters 21st birthday. Actually we are in the early stages of her birthday season - she is having 5 parties over about 5 weeks! She doesn't live nearby, so for her back home party she wanted to revisit a favourite weekend destination - Tom's Cabin in New England National Park between Ebor and Armidale.

The national park is now a World Heritage area and is absolutely beautiful with several different ecosystems including an arctic beech forest, heath and of course eucalyptus forests which are all the more beautiful for growing over the granite cliffs and down into the deep valleys. This drawing is of the area just a few minutes walk from the cabin which we have very affectionately always called Fairyland. It is truly magical with a creek, waterfall, and lichens and mosses everywhere, hanging like beards from the trees and forming cushions of vivid green on the ground, rocks and trees.
It was very cold and windy when we arrived. The cabin itself is VERY basic, but we soon had it warming with a fire that we lit (we all think we are fire experts and there was a bit of discussion as to the best method). I have to finish this drawing - it was too cold to sit still drawing for very long.
I am going to add a key for the plan of the cabin. I have actually numbered EVERYTHING in the place and around it. It doesn't have a lot going for it, but the shower is generally agreed to be the best shower of your life. There is plenty of hot water and the window is in the shower, so you look out on the bush as you enjoy the warmth.
Gas hot water, solar electricity, wood fire inside and bbq outside. We cook in a camp oven at night and on the bbq for lunch.
Not only are we all fire experts, but we also have a touch of pyromania. How mesmerising are fires!! Yes, that's the birthday girl poking the fire. We had a fabulous time.

Finishing, clearing, starting

Last week I completed a project that I've been working on for 6 years.

It was finished when the second book of the two I was making was given as a gift. After I gave the first one as a gift 4 years ago and hadn't kept a scan or a photo, I intended to document the latest one. I forgot again.

It has been a process I have loved but was huge and involved countless hours of work. In spite of loving it passionately, I found it also haunted me... "I probably should be working on [that] book"...

After so long working on a project it takes a little time to fully realise that it is finished. I have so many current projects that are no where near finished. I need SPACE! The space of time as well as the space in my brain.

I'm reorganising my studio. [Those that know me are used to hearing that sentance!!!] I have a very small studio space in my home. I feel lucky to have the space. But I still find it in me to complain about the lack of SPACE in my space. I reorganise perpetually. Juggling furniture, items, stock, etc etc etc etc to try to create a little more space.

And I'm messy.
Which doesn't help.

I'll be uploading these photos to Flickr sometime today [I've also got to finish tidying the studio!!!] so I can annotate them. There are a couple more images too. I love looking into others studio spaces, so if you are at all like me, embrace your inner voyeure and click on over to check it out.