Ben Zen

2011-01-05T19:42:00.000+11:00

It's been a good few months since my last post, but don't worry... I've been busier than ever and a lot has happened, including a wonderful Christmas holiday, having an illustration published in a magazine, and quitting my job to go travelling in April!

This will be my last post on this blog, and you can find my new blog over here:
iamlarsen.blogspot.com

New things...

2010-10-19T12:35:00.000+11:00

I've been doing a lot more realistic style drawing lately in the hope of moving my style along and learning some new things. I'm not sure that it's a style I'll stick with, but I'm learning lots about light and shadow, and while I've found this style of drawing really challenging, it's also really enjoyable. Hopefully I'll be able to bring some things back from it into my other work.

Travelling fox

2010-09-08T21:21:00.000+10:00

This is a drawing I did straight into my sketchbook while I've been experimenting with using my pencils and watercolours in a rougher style than I usually do.

When I was working on this drawing, I was probably thinking about how the afternoons are slowly getting longer, the days a little sunnier, and how spring is almost here. I can't wait until it's warm enough to go on mini Saturday afternoon adventures with friends again!

DisBand drawings

2010-08-30T19:40:00.000+10:00

Fox song

Mon bateau (my boat)

These are 2 foxes I drew for the DisBand exhibition that was recently in Melbourne. The exhibition has now ended but my framed original drawings for the show are still available for sale at the Leeloo website if anyone is interested. There was so much amazing work there, and once again it was a privilege be be involved along with so many talented artists. A big thank you must also go to Renee and Angela from Leeloo for oganising the show.

Trouble on the high seas

2010-08-27T13:11:00.001+10:00

This is the first of three pieces I created for the DisBand exhibition at No Vacancy in Melbourne which opened last night. A big thanks goes out to all the people who came along to see the show.

If you couldn't make it last night, the show continues today and tomorrow (27th & 28th Aug) from 11am - 5pm, details are here.

Any works left after the show will also go on sale on Leeloo's website soon.

Lines and adventures

2010-08-23T21:15:00.000+10:00

Lately I've taken to drawing on loose sheets of paper in a more open and care-free fashion than normal, in the hope that it might lead me somewhere good. The above are two of these rough drawings completed on the weekend... ideas that I may or may not come back to down the track, but thoughts recorded on paper none-the-less.

The weekend just gone was spent catching up with creative friends, seeing the Tim Burton exhibition, and giving dollar coins to buskers performing entertaining dance routines in Swanston street. The city is slowly coming back to life after a very long winter.

And don't forget... DisBand opens this Thursday!

One week until DisBand!

2010-08-19T18:51:00.000+10:00

Just a reminder to anyone in Melbourne that it's only one week to go until the opening night of DisBand, a wonderful group show that was at aMBUSH Gallery in Sydney in May, and will be opening at No Vacancy in Melbourne next Thursday night, the 26th. See the exhibition website for more details.

I've done 3 new drawings for the show, and they're all finished and in their frames, ready to go!

Károly Reich

2010-08-16T18:45:00.001+10:00

How amazing are these Children's book illustrations by Hungarian Artist Károly Reich! I came across them a little while ago, and I haven't been able to find much information about the artist himself (most of it is written in Hungarian) but he illustrated over 500 books during his life, and exhibited his work around Europe, including Paris. His work reminds me why I want to be an illustrator/artist and inspires me to keep working!

Yen

2010-08-06T12:43:00.000+10:00

A big thanks to Yen Magazine for putting me up as the featured illustrator on their website this week!

Boat

2010-08-05T12:42:00.000+10:00

Above is just an experiment from my sketchbook for a new piece I'm working on for the DisBand exhibition which opens at No Vacancy Gallery in Melbourne 3 weeks from today! Details are here and there's a facebook event page here. It's my first exhibition in my home city so I hope lots of people come!

Tonight a friend and I are going to see Johnny Flynn, Boy and Bear and Laura Marling perform... excited!

Back to work

2010-07-31T19:25:00.000+10:00

July's been such a busy month with moving house and sorting out a bunch of other stuff, but I feel like i'm finally on top of things again and finally have time to get back to making some art. I've spent the most part of this weekend so far listening to French tunes and drawing, and nothing makes me happier!

By the way, I'm in a group show called DisBand at No Vacancy Gallery in Melbourne next month. If you would like to come, there's a facebook event page here!

Fox lantern

2010-07-26T12:45:00.000+10:00

I managed to take a few days off last week to go visit my parents who live in the country, where I spent my time catching up on winter sunshine, sleep, good food and drawing. There are a few exciting things coming up for the rest of the year, including my first group show in Melbourne! More details on that later. Busy times ahead!

Adventure time

2010-07-05T12:27:00.002+10:00

Reading fox

2010-06-28T12:58:00.000+10:00

It's funny how you can agonise over some drawings for weeks or even months until you come to something that you're happy with, and others just seem to naturally happen over the course of an afternoon, as this one did.

It's safe to say that Autumn has left us for another year, and winter has well and truly arrived... perfect weather for staying warm, reading a book, and drinking chai tea like it's going out of fashion! I have been busy lately learning to draw some new things, and saving for a big adventure next year!

Autumn - Big Scary

2010-06-05T19:26:00.001+10:00

It's been a while since I posted a song up, so I thought I would share this one. I caught these guys when they supported Florence and the Machine when she played in Melbourne in February, then I heard this song on the radio the other day, which reminded me how much I loved it.

This weekend I've been catching up with some friends, and using the cold and rainy weather as an opportunity to stay inside and draw. Now that the pieces for the last exhibition are all finished it's been good to start work on a few new things. I've been getting a bit more experimental with my paints, so let's see where it takes me!

Time/space disband

2010-06-02T20:49:00.001+10:00

This is the third and final piece for the recent DisBand exhibition in Sydney. This one is about separating with a certain time and/or place in your life for various reasons.

Now that the pieces for the exhibition are all done i'm really looking forward to starting work on some new drawings and getting experimental with some different techniques. And Melbourne people, don't forget that DisBand will be showing at No Vacancy in August. I'll post more details closer to the date!

Solitude

2010-06-01T18:03:00.001+10:00

A rabbit who just needs to get away from it all sometimes...

This is the second piece I created for the recent DisBand exhibition at aMBUSH gallery in Sydney.

DisBand exhibition - fly, fly

2010-05-31T18:54:00.002+10:00

This is the first of the three pieces I did for the DisBand exhibition which was held in Sydney last week. The theme was inspired by the 40th anniversary of the Beatles disbanding, so all the artworks were based on the idea of the ending of relationships, be they romantic or otherwise. This piece is obviously about letting go when it's for the better.

The exhibition looked incredible, and congratulations to everyone invloved, particularly the curators Renee and Angela. Some of the work (including mine) is still for sale online via Leeloo.

DisBand - sneak peek

2010-05-20T18:35:00.000+10:00

Exactly one week until the opening night of DisBand! My artworks are all finished and have arrived in Sydney safe and sound, ready for the show. Above is a small sneak peek... I'm not going to give too much away though, so if you want to see the rest and you're in Sydney, you'll have to head on down to aMBUSH gallery in Waterloo next Thursday night (May 27) between 6pm and 9pm. There are some truly amazing artists on the line-up, so it's sure to be a great night. There is a facebook page here, and for more info on the other artists, head on over to the exhibition website here.

Unfortunately I can't make it up to Sydney for the opening night, but i'm going up on the weekend so I can't wait to see how all the other artists have interpreted the theme. My little sister who lives in Sydney is taking me to the Glebe Markets on the Saturday, and i'll be catching up with friends for breakfasts in Newtown, and gallery hopping in Surrey Hills. If anyone can recommend some other good things to do in Sydney, let me know!

If you're in Melbourne, DisBand will be showing at No Vacancy Gallery in August... more details closer to the date!

Saturday

2010-05-08T22:11:00.000+10:00

Studio space + mixtape

2010-04-27T22:31:00.000+10:00

Lately I've been noticing a lot of other artists blogging photos of their studio spaces, and I thought that I'd also share some of mine, as I always really enjoy looking at images of where other people create. If you look closely, you can see some roughs of my pieces for the DisBand show next month.

___

In other news, I was recently asked to design a mixtape cover for my friends at Junior. If you haven't heard of these guys yet, they run a series of events in Sydney and Melbourne which usually involves a speaker, drinks and chatting with a whole bunch of other friendly creatives. Head on over to their site to check out the mixtape cover I designed for them, and what event's they have coming up soon.

New Exhibition: DisBand

2010-04-21T19:31:00.000+10:00

I'm going to be part of a group exhibition called 'DisBand' in Sydney next month... alright! The theme is inspired by the 40th anniversary of the Beatles breaking up, so all the artworks will be centered around the idea of parting ways, in one way or another.

Opening night for the Sydney show is Thursday May 27th at aMBUSH gallery from 6pm - 9pm, and the exhibition runs until Sunday May 30. For more information, the exhibition website is here, and there's a facebook page for the event here. The exhibition is going to be set up as an installation of sorts, and the opening night will feature a short play. I'll be there, so come on down and say hi!

And... the exhibition is going to be shown in Melbourne at No Vacancy Gallery in August, so i'll post more details closer to the date!

Planning and sketching

2010-04-19T18:56:00.003+10:00

A home upon a misty lake. I keep finding boats popping up in my work... one of my friends suggested that it's my desire to travel subliminally coming out in my drawings!

A boy who loses himself in books.

Practicing tiny details for a much larger drawing.

Autumn = soup time!

Roughs roughs roughs. Drawing in my sketchbook trying to learn new things. Some exciting news to share later in the week!

The middle of nowhere

2010-04-02T12:16:00.003+11:00

This week i've been staying up in the country, after I came back here last weekend for the wedding of a good friend. Have a great Easter everybody.

All manner of things...

2010-03-22T13:16:00.000+11:00

Above is a tiny snippet of a new drawing I was working over the weekend, while I've been teaching myself to use gouache. I ended up ruining the rest of the painting, but I thought that i'd still post a picture up as some work in progress.

__

I'm excited because this Thursday night a friend and I are going to see Angus and Julia Stone, then on the weekend I'm heading back to my hometown for the wedding of a good friend of mine. I have the following week off, so I am going to stay at my parents farm for some well deserved rest and relaxing. Can't wait!

The boy who slept for too long...

2010-03-15T12:49:00.000+11:00

This is a boy who slept for too long. When he woke up, he found that a tiny village had been built around his shoulders.

A good thing to remember...

2010-03-05T13:42:00.005+11:00

“A woman saw Picasso on the street and asked him to sketch her.

After studying her for a moment, he used a single pencil stroke to create her portrait. Then he handed the women his work of art.

‘It’s perfect!’ she gushed. ‘You managed to capture my essence with one stroke, in one moment. Thank you! How much do I owe you?’

“Five thousand dollars,” the artist replied.

“B-b-but, what?” the woman sputtered. “How could you want so much money for this picture? It only took you a second to draw it!”

To which Picasso responded, “Madame, it took me my entire life.”

From Picasso, Paula Scher, and the lifetime behind every second, and thanks to my good friends at Junior.

Good music month

2010-03-03T12:19:00.002+11:00

Both Angus and Julia Stone and Laura Marling have new albums coming out mid this month. Exciting!

___

I haven't posted up any new drawings in the last few weeks for a couple of reasons, a: I keep finding myself distracted by the many outdoor activities Melbourne presents during summer, and b: because i have been busy practicing new things which aren't quite ready to show you yet. New drawings and news to share soon though!

Cautionary tales

2010-02-08T14:09:00.004+11:00

Be careful what you wish for... you don't want to end up like Dorian Gray!

Boy with a keen sense of adventure

2010-02-01T12:35:00.002+11:00

In fact, he's not quite sure what's stopping him from packing his suitcase and leaving tomorrow...

New work in progress

2010-01-28T18:27:00.002+11:00

Well it's been a very busy start to the year for me, with lots happening here in Melbourne to keep me occupied, but here's a peek at a new picture I've been working on over the last few days.

I've been teaching myself to use gouache, and I'm going to use some when I finish this picture. Nervous nervous!

Clean white love

2010-01-28T13:27:00.002+11:00

This video makes me want to pack my bags right away and escape the city for a while with my friends. Enjoy!

Lapin tea

2010-01-19T12:32:00.003+11:00

Bespectacled rabbits like peppermint tea best!

Nightingale and the Rose

2010-01-18T12:41:00.004+11:00

A while ago I bought the complete short stories of Oscar Wilde which I've been slowly working my way through. The other night I read 'The Nightingale and the Rose', which inspired this little sketch, which will eventually be part of a bigger picture. It's a really beautiful story, and you can read it online here.

Summer listening...

2010-01-15T12:33:00.004+11:00

Oh Mercy

Grizzly Bear

Megan Washington

I'm going to see Phoenix when they come to Melbourne in March! Am so excited!

Bright eyed and bushy tailed

2010-01-11T12:46:00.000+11:00

Hello 2010.

I'm back after a nice little break, and excited for whatever this year's got in store!

Rabbit hearted boy

2009-12-18T09:01:00.004+11:00

Hello.

Well this will be my last blog post for 2009. It's been a really amazing year and I'm really glad that I got to do most of the things I wanted to, met some really inspiring people, and made some great friends along the way. I'm also really looking forward to some changes, and more adventures in 2010.

Thanks to each and every one of you who has visited since I started my little blog at the beginning of the year, and to all the people who leave nice comments. Your nice words really do inspire me to keep drawing.

Have a great Christmas everyone. See you next year.

Ben

Magic

2009-12-15T12:37:00.002+11:00

Megan over at The Ever Dazzling just posted this video for The Middle East's song 'Blood', and I thought I would share it here also. It's so devastatingly beautiful that it leaves me lost for words just a little bit, so just go see for yourself...

Created by Greedy Hen.

Monsieur Lapin

2009-12-09T12:26:00.004+11:00

Here is a new picture I made this week. I quite like the idea of a bespectacled rabbit riding a bike. I'm not quite sure where he's going, however I imagine it would be somewhere fancy, as handsome rabbits only wear their red and yellow tights on very special occasions.

Happy walls

2009-12-08T18:48:00.003+11:00

I spent most of Saturday morning being frustrated because I had pictures in my head but I couldn't get the drawings to happen (creative block... grr). Anyway, I decided to get out of the house for a while so I went along to the No Vacancy Christmas markets at QV, where I bought these prints. The first one is by Cat Rabbit, and the second one is by Eveline Tarunadjaja...

If you like these, both artists, along with many others, will be selling their wares at the pop-up shop at Extended Play Gallery, beginning this weekend, so you can go along and buy some nice Christmas presents for people.

___

Last week, I also received this little drawing in the mail from my friend, Chrissy Lau. It's me in a boat... cool, isn't it! Chrissy and I have been blog friends for ages, and we only met in real life a few weeks ago at the Once Upon exhibition we were both in. Thanks Chrissy! Drawing coming your way soon :)

Wolf spirit summons

2009-11-30T12:23:00.003+11:00

Paris

2009-11-27T12:41:00.007+11:00

I don't know what it is about Paris. I've only spent one whirlwind day there last year, in which a lot of boxes were ticked, but I think I would like to live there one day. I came across this picture by a photographer called Dejvicka yesterday here and it reminded me.

__

I've had a fairly busy week as my little sister came to stay with me for a few days. We checked out some of the sites in the city and had some good food, but we also managed to fit in lots of doing what we do best, which pretty much involves laying about eating snacks and watching truly bad television.

I've been rather enjoying seeing the paste-ups of Miso around Melbourne lately, and she's having her own show at Gorker Gallery, opening next week, which promises to be a treat for the eyes.

Once Upon - The Emperor's New Clothes

2009-11-23T12:21:00.007+11:00

Yesterday I got back to Melbourne after a few action packed days in Sydney for the Opening of the Once Upon exhibition. 38 artists were involved and each were given a fairy tale to interpret, mine being 'The Emperor's New Clothes'. For my pieces I decided to focus on the cheeky tailors that managed to trick the greedy Emperor because I liked their characters so much!

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the opening night on Thursday, and a HUGE thanks to Renee and Angela from Leeloo for organising the exhibition.

I spent the whole weekend in Sydney being shown around by my lovely friends who live there. It's such an amazing city, and i was sad to leave, but my heart smiled as I caught a glimpse of beautiful Melbourne's skyline as I was flying back in. It's amazing how a few days away can make you feel so motivated and refreshed!

Once Upon... opens tomorrow night!

2009-11-18T12:48:00.004+11:00

Hello everyone. The exhibition i'm in opens tomorrow night (Thurs 19.11.09) at Ambush Gallery in Sydney! I'm flying up from Melbourne for it. Gosh, how exciting! If you're in Sydney please come along. It's going to be an amazing show. Have a look at the exhibition website for more details, and the stellar line-up of artists. Hope to see you there!

Below is a very small sneak peek of one of my finished pieces. If you want to see the rest, you'll have to come tomorrow night ;)

Possibly the best t-shirt i'll ever own...

2009-11-16T12:53:00.000+11:00

Sneak peek - new editorial work

2009-11-11T12:39:00.000+11:00

Here's a sneak peek of an editorial piece I've just finished for a new Melbourne magazine, due to be released by the end of the year. I'll post more when the issue is released!

Swaps

2009-11-10T18:02:00.001+11:00

Yesterday i got home after a very long day to a lovely package in my mailbox from my blog friend Maddy, as part of a picture swap we did. If you haven't seen Maddy's blog yet, go and have a look at her wonderful drawings.

It's so hot in Melbourne this week which means I've been enjoying 2 of my most favorite things... big juicy mangoes and evening walks down to the beach!

Ghost horse

2009-11-09T12:36:00.001+11:00

__

I've just gotten back to Melbourne after a week at my parents house, where i had a lovely time hanging out with my folks, catching up with a few good friends and general relaxing. I also did this drawing. It's always wonderful to escape back to my quaint little hometown, but also strange at the same time, because most of my friends have also moved on to Sydney or Melbourne, so it's not quite the same.

Anyways, i have a few exciting things coming up... i'm going to see both Ladyhawke and The Basics this week! And next Thursday i'm off to Sydney for the opening of the exhibition... alright!

New drawing in progress...

2009-11-05T21:43:00.000+11:00

Hello. This is part of a new drawing I've been working on. I've got some time off this week, so I'm staying at my parents house in the country. The last few months have been really busy, so it's been nice to have a little break from city life and catch up on some sleep, reading, drawing and family time.

Today i was hanging out at my Nan's place and while we were chatting and eating biscuits, as you do at your Nan's, i noticed a certificate she'd been given for 70 years service in the Red Cross. I asked her about it, and she was telling me she first joined when she was 21 (she's 91 now!) and her and the local girls would meet up at the local hall and knit socks to be sent to the men fighting in the war. Go Nan!
____

In other news, my pieces for the Once Upon exhibition were sent off to Sydney yesterday. I've seen some sneak peeks from some of the other artists involved and they all look amazing! It's going to be a great exhibition, so if you're in Sydney please come along and have a look. Opening night is in 2 weeks, November 19th at Ambush Gallery in Waterloo. Check the website for more details.

Another forest boy with magic powers

2009-10-30T12:20:00.000+11:00

Hello. This is a picture I made for an art swap with my blog friend Maddy. He's like the last boy i posted, born with the power to do something special, but not really sure what to do with it.

This weekend I'll be drawing, finishing off my pieces for the Once Upon exhibition. After that, I'm off to spend some time on my parents farm in the country for about a week which will be great. City life is fun but tiring. Then I'm back in Melbourne for a week or so before I jet off to Sydney for the opening night of the exhibition. I'm really looking forward to it, and also really looking forward to saying hello to a few blog friends in real life. If you're in Sydney on the 19th of November you should come to the opening! Check out the exhibition website for more info on the amazing line-up of artists.

Boy who was born with a magic power he's not sure how to use.

2009-10-26T12:50:00.001+11:00

A few things...

2009-10-16T12:19:00.001+11:00

This morning the artist line-up for the 'Once Upon' exhibition was released, and I'm very excited to be exhibiting amongst some of my favorite illustrators, so Sydneysiders, make sure you mark November 19th in your diaries and come along and say hi. It's going to be a great exhibition and there are some amazing artists involved!

And secondly, Bat For Lashes, will you pretty please tour Australia soon??

occupé occupé

2009-10-09T18:33:00.000+11:00

Ok, So i half mentioned this in a post a few weeks ago, but i'm going to have some work in the Leeloo exhibition, 'Once Upon', which is happening at Ambush Gallery in Sydney in November. It's the first time i've exhibited, and i'm also going to be making a trip up to Sydney for the opening night, so it's all very exciting! Each illustrator has been given a fairy tale and mine is 'The Emperor's New Clothes', by Hans Christian Anderson. Below is a sneak peek of some very very rough initial sketching....

Another illustrator in this exhibition is the very talented Chrissy Lau, whose lovely work you can check out at her blog Decipher the Day.

___

Last Sunday night i also had the pleasure of seeing Sarah Blakso, who may well be one of the sweetest little ladies ever. Needless to say, she was amazing. Below is about the best picture i could manage...

This weekend my friend is having a French themed house party! Ohlala! What should i go as??

Boy with baby owl

2009-10-02T12:46:00.001+10:00

Hello. Here's a quick drawing/watercolour i made the other night. I think the baby owl is telling him something.

___

I've got a few exciting little projects happening during October that hopefully I can tell you more about soon. Also i'm going to see Sarah Blasko at the Forum on Sunday night which I'm really excited about! I've been a fan of hers for a long time. I hope you all have a great weekend, let's hope the sun comes out to say hello.

bz

Little forest boy with a toy boat : Part 2

2009-09-28T12:40:00.001+10:00

Little forest boy with a toy boat

2009-09-27T11:15:00.000+10:00

Here are some stickers I made yesterday and put up around Fitzroy. For some reason I'm really enjoying drawing toy boat related things at the moment. Thank you also to the friendly man on the bike who yelled a nice comment to me while he rode past, while I was putting one up on Leicester St :)
___

I'm also rather excited to announce that I'm going to be part of the Leeloo 'Once Upon' Exhibition at Ambush Gallery in Sydney in November. I'll be illustrating 'The Emperor's New Clothes'. More details, and sneak peeks to come over the next few weeks.

No Turning Back

2009-09-24T13:02:00.000+10:00

Have a look at this video for Sarah Blasko's song, 'No Turning Back'. It was illustrated and directed by Melbourne local, Celeste Potter. Aren't the illustrations great? I think I'm in love anything that involves magical modes of transport. Doesn't it make you wish you could ride a wolf bike to work in the mornings?

For the last few weeks I've been finding it a bit hard to draw. My day job has been keeping me very busy, and I'm feeling really tired. This weekend I think I'm going to rest up and have some good food, and hopefully I'll have some new pictures for you to look at next week. Can anyone recommend some good movies? I watched 'Vicky Christina Barcelona' and 'Lost in Translation' the other weekend, which are both great, but did nothing for my travel bug :)

Midnight Messenger

2009-09-17T12:44:00.000+10:00

Owl with a letter

2009-09-16T13:06:00.001+10:00

A sneak peek of a new drawing I have been working on.

____

Also a few exciting things coming up in Melbourne soon that I am attending...

100 Kites - An exhibition by Clemens Habicht, opening tomorrow night (September 17) at Lamington Drive.

Safety in Art - A gathering of all sorts of creatives for a day of making stuff together! This Saturday (September 19) at Guilford Lane Gallery. Head over to Kelly's blog, Catacomb Creative, for more details.

Hello Frankie!

2009-09-11T12:40:00.000+10:00

Yesterday I was super stoked when Frankie Magazine gave me a little mention on their lovely blog. Frankie has long been a favourite magazine of mine, and if you haven't already, check out their blog for all the latest on sweet art, cool fashion, craft and great music. Thanks Frankie!

A little boy with a floating toy boat

2009-09-10T12:17:00.001+10:00

Here is a new picture for you to see. I stayed up quite late last Friday night working on this one, and I think he is one of my favourites so far. When I draw pictures like this I just kind of slip into my own little world for the moment, and anything that might have been bothering me slips away.

____

Thank you also to all the lovely people who keep coming back and commenting, and who have joined my little blog lately. When I question why I spend so much time drawing, you keep me going :)

Puppet Show

2009-09-08T12:27:00.000+10:00

Hello. So I stayed up late the other night working on this one. I had only intended for this version to be the rough, but I liked the paper, and how it was going so decided to stick with it.

I was trying to describe it to my housemate, but I always have trouble putting things like this into words, which is why I use pictures. I guess it's just about feeling small but having to be in control of something much larger...

____

I am really enjoying Sarah Blasko's new album at the moment, and listened to it a lot when I was making this picture.

Girl in a teacup

2009-09-06T09:57:00.000+10:00

This is a picture I made for my sister whose birthday is today. It's a bit different from my usual style, but I'm really happy with how she turned out. I think pictures are always nice if you're making them for someone else.

___

I've been feeling quite creative this weekend and have got lots of drawing done. I don't know what's brought it on, but I figure, if you're on a roll, then go with the flow. I got home from dinner with a friend in Brunswick St last night and started working on something new... here's a sneak peek.

I am going to make an attempt to post more of my process stuff on here.

New stickers

2009-08-30T10:06:00.000+10:00

Wizard ghosts and are known to hover in pairs and can be spotted around Carlton and Fitzroy.

___

In other news, yesterday my friend Kate and I headed out to check out a few exhibitions, including Rik Lee at Lamington Drive, Creepy at Gorker Gallery and Ghostpatrol and Sean Edward Whelan at No-Vacancy, which are all really worth seeing. We made a stop-off for coffee at Seven Seeds, and wound up the day with a drink at Southpaw in Gertrude St, so despite the pouring rain, it was a pretty perfect Melbourne day, enjoying all the radness that this fine city has to offer.

A sneak peek of something new...

2009-08-26T13:20:00.001+10:00

I've been trying to develop my style lately by sketching lots and seeing where it takes me. This is something I came up with last night.

Lighthouse

2009-08-21T12:34:00.000+10:00

Who wants to run away to live in a lighthouse with me? We'll draw, paint and drink tea all day long, and at night we'll play music and drink beer on the beach, until we fall asleep on the sand.

An old storybook owl with no name

2009-08-17T13:00:00.000+10:00

Hello. I kind of liked the owls I put out on the streets a few weeks ago, and wanted to spend a but more time on that drawing. She is a very old mother owl, who doesn't have a name. She came across the little tree man lost in the forest one day and has been looking out for him since. She is very old, and very kind.

Me, Myself and I

2009-08-14T13:34:00.001+10:00

The real world all gets a bit much at times, and my way of dealing with it is to just disappear into my own little world for a while, maybe with the help of a good book, or one of my favorite albums. I'm no loner or anything, but why do people think it's strange when you just want to spend some time on your own? And how do you explain to them that it's just your way of processing your thoughts after a long day?

Catacomb Creative Interview

2009-08-10T15:22:00.001+10:00

I recently had the pleasure of being interview by the lovely Kelly, for her blog Catacomb Creative. You can check it out here.

I also got to meet one of my favorite illustrators, and a big inspiration to me, Ghostpatrol, on the weekend, who is just as nice in real life as his drawings.

There is a new show opening at Gorker Galler this Thursday night, which I'm going to head along too. Details here, looks like it's going to be a good one.

Oh, and I'm now also on Flickr.
That's all for now!

2009-08-04T12:30:00.000+10:00

Some will try to row,
Yet the water will decide,
The voyage you take.

Monday Project - Being Brave

2009-08-03T12:42:00.000+10:00

There's a lot of people in this world. Most of them are very nice, i'm sure, but for some reason, some people can be pretty mean sometimes. Unfortunately, mean people happen, and for some reason they feel the need to bring others down to make themselves feel better.

When things like this happen, one little negative can cancel out all the positive and things can get the better of you. To keep my head up in these situations I've learnt to just think of all the amazing and wonderful people and things that make my life so great, and everything comes back into perspective again. That includes all you people who leave such nice comments and send me nice emails on my blog :)

This is my submission for this month's Monday Project.

Blasko does Xanadu

2009-07-30T15:26:00.000+10:00

I've been listening to Sarah Blasko's cover of Xanadu all afternoon... Check it out.

2009-07-26T14:40:00.001+10:00

Around Little Lonsdale and Brunswick Streets.

Florence and the Machine

2009-07-24T12:44:00.000+10:00

I think I am in love with Florence and the Machine I love her song 'Rabbit Heart', I love the video, and I love the cover art for her album 'Lungs'.

I've been sketching up a few stickers which I'll take out tomorrow and post some photos of next week. Have a good weekend everyone :)

2009-07-20T12:21:00.000+10:00

Hello Hello. Well last week I escaped from the city for a few days, to spend some time at my parents farm in the country, which was great, and very relaxing, but it's always nice to come back to Melbourne. In other exciting news, I'm collaborating on a rather large project with 2 other Melbourne artists, Drab and Oppy, so stay tuned. More to come over the next few weeks...

2009-07-13T12:37:00.000+10:00

A couple of watercolours from the weekend inspired by flicking through a fashion magazine.

Thanks Stranger...

2009-07-11T17:20:00.000+10:00

I was just out in Gertrude St, and walked past where i put my cup of tea stickers a few weeks ago. The stickers must have started peeling off the pole, so someone's put some sticky tape over them to keep them from falling off. Aww... thanks stranger... you've made my month :)

Friday Song

2009-07-10T10:19:00.000+10:00

Monday Project - Jumping in Puddles

2009-07-06T12:46:00.000+10:00

So it's the first Monday of the month again, which means it's time for my Monday Project submission...

This month's theme was 'Jumping in Puddles'. When I originally read what the theme was, I was excited as I knew straight away exactly what I wanted to do, however when I went home and started sketching it just wasn't working, and I ended up going around in circles until I got fed up and nearly threw in the towel.

Then I had a thought... you see, over the last few years, I've been very lucky to have a friend (i know you'll read this, and you know who you are!) who has encouraged and challenged me me creatively, and once offered me an invaluable piece of advice, which was just one word... 'play'. I thought back to this advice, and realised that I was putting to much pressure on myself, and drawing for the sake of it, rather than doing it because it's something i really love to do.

Then I thought back to this months theme, and decided just to have some fun with it. The sketches below don't have anything visually to do with jumping in puddles, but they're more of a result of my own creative 'puddle jumping', just being random, experimental and having fun with it.

Check out the Monday Project... anyone can get involved.

"I have birds in my hair"

Lady of the forest

She looks a bit too cool for school, doesn't she... but with kicks like that, who can blame her!

Paper aeroplane

2009-06-29T12:25:00.001+10:00

Any of you who were in Melbourne over the weekend, would know how great the weather was... Sunny winter days are the best :)

Songs to enjoy on sunny winter Sundays:

Sunday, by Sia
Destiny, by Zero 7
Put Your Records On, by Corinne Bailey Rae
Sunnyroad, by Emiliana Torrini
Paper Aeroplane, by Angus and Julia Stone

Tell me some of yours :)

Thé avec Monsieur Lapin (Tea with Mr. Rabbit)

2009-06-22T12:36:00.001+10:00

Every Monday morning, bright and early, the little tree man starts the week with a walk into the forest near his house, to meet his wise old friend Mr. Rabbit. They tell stories, and make peppermint tea, in their red polka-dot teapot.

A nice cup of tea...

2009-06-20T20:04:00.001+10:00

Gertrude St, Fitzroy

2009-06-16T12:24:00.000+10:00

Sketchbook

2009-06-10T12:59:00.001+10:00

Here's a few bits and pieces that have popped up in my sketchbook over the last few weeks for a new character I'm working on. She's the tree man's soulmate but they're still wandering through the forest searching for each other...

Moving house

2009-06-05T12:17:00.001+10:00

This weekend I'll be moving house, so if I'm a bit quiet on here for the next week or so it means that I've been busy packing and unpacking. I'm excited though, as life can fall into predictable little patterns sometimes, so i think it will be good to have new people to meet and a new area to explore. Once I'm all settled, I'll be back with some new things for you to look at :)

In the meantime, here's a little list of things that have been keeping me inspired lately:

Listening:
New albums by
Bat for Lashes
Passion Pit
Friendly Fires

Reading:
books...
Collected Short Stories, by Roald Dahl
When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris

blogs...
I Found You In Melbourne... A guide to all things Melbourne
My Charlie Girl... Stunning illustrations
Drab... Melbourne Street Artist
Dandy Long-Legs... Cute little drawings and observations
Paola Zikimi... Drawings and hand made dolls
Happiness etc... Visual pleasantness
We Make Words... typography on a new level

Anticipating:
Liquid Desire, the Dali exhibition opening at the NGV next weekend (June 13)
Where the Wild Things Are movie
The Weather and Your Health... "The enchanting story of a woman in a small town whose belief in beauty transcends the ups and downs of life". My clever friend Beth's own solo show at LaMama theatre in Carlton, check the link for more details.

New piece in the works...

2009-06-04T12:22:00.001+10:00

I've had the idea for the piece floating around in my head for a while now, and over the last few nights I've finally had time to sit down and put some thoughts onto paper. I like the way it's going, but I think her face still needs some work. I'm also trying to find a nice sheet of paper to do the finished piece on.

Alas I cannot swim - Monday Project

2009-06-01T17:01:00.000+10:00

There's a house across the river,
But alas I cannot swim.
And a garden of such beauty,
that the flowers seem to grin.

There's a house across the river,
But alas I cannot swim.
I'll live my life regretting,
that I never Jumped in.

____

This is my submission for this month's Monday Project, the theme for the month being 'Sadly, no'.
Words by Laura Marling. Listen to the full song below...

Dr Sketchy - Miss Voodoo

2009-05-28T13:03:00.000+10:00

Last night I went along to Dr Sketchy for the first time, which turned out to be a pretty fun way to spend a cold Melbourne Wednesday night. Our model for the evening was Miss Samantha Diamond who came dressed in her Voodoo Lady costume.

Here's one of the sketches I did. I mixed it up with some origami paper I came across when I was going through some stuff and found a stash of letters a Japanese pen friend had sent me years ago...

Days like these call for songs like this...

2009-05-27T15:56:00.000+10:00

Home Sweet Home by Lady of the Sunshine.

Little things

2009-05-25T12:10:00.001+10:00

Autumn Story

2009-05-22T14:08:00.000+10:00

Check out this beautiful video I saw on rage last weekend for the Firekite's Song, 'Autumn Story'. I love how they've used chalk drawings to create an animation.

Have a great weekend :)

Ben is...

2009-05-19T12:48:00.000+10:00

bored at work.

Forest dwellers lost in a big city

2009-05-14T12:26:00.003+10:00

Gertrude St, Fitroy

Electro Ninja Lovers

2009-05-13T12:36:00.000+10:00

I love the paper bags you get at Polyester Records...

2009-05-08T12:21:00.000+10:00

Paper like this is too good to waste... i think Laura Marling's 'Alas I Cannot Swim' came home in this one.

The Monday Project - Treasure

2009-05-04T12:14:00.000+10:00

There's a little blog called the Monday Project, where a theme is set each month and on the first Monday of the month you blog your response to that theme. Anyways, this months theme is treasure and I decided to jump on board. My response is based on the idea of what we used to treasure as children. I used to have a box that I'd put things in I'd found, like old keys, rocks etc, just simple things. I've probably thrown the box away since which is a shame, but I think as adults, it wouldn't hurt to take some time out each day to enjoy the simple things rather than be caught up in the day to day humdrum that seems to occupy most of our time...

I have a bird in a box

I have a key, a bird and a heart

I have a music box

Alone but not lonely

2009-05-01T12:39:00.001+10:00

Lastnight I had the pleasure of attending the opening of Melbourne Illustrator, Andrea Innoncent's exhibition 'Alone but not lonely' at the Lamington Drive Gallery in Fitzroy. It's probably one of the best exhibition's I've seen for a while. It runs until May 23, so if you're in the Fitzroy area it's definitely worth checking out. Details below...

If you're in the area you should also pop on down to the Gorker Gallery on the corner of Gore and Kerr streets. The current exhibition is by Acorn. I haven't been to check that one out yet, but I might do so this weekend!

Stickerbombing

2009-04-27T12:40:00.001+10:00

Around Fitzroy in Melbourne and Newtown in Sydney

Brave

2009-04-22T12:44:00.000+10:00

Emiliana Torrini - Big Jumps

2009-04-22T12:13:00.000+10:00

Check out this neat little video for Emiliana Torrini's song ' Big Jumps'. I love the illustrative style. I think the wind up snail is my favorite thing...