Texture tryouts

I had some sponge stuff from some packaging materials so have been mucking about with using it to apply ink and paint. I'm to get a bit more mess and texture into my work. It's quite fun to use but can be quite hard to control. I also want to try making off areas but I've never had much success with masking gum and need a better knife before I go cutting intricate stuff out.

This piece I did for Chromacon's artbook. Chromacon is a NZ indie arts festival happening soon, will post more info soon.

This is from a zine I'm working on about inappropriate urges or desires. Sometimes I just feel like licking the ground for some reason. I've been soliciting more of these thoughts from friends so feel free to leave some of your own in the comments.

Sponge play.

Plant sitting

I'm currently looking after this beautiful plant (I think it's a type of Christmas Cactus...?). Shortly after painting this all its flowers fell off so I've moved it to a cooler part of the house and it seems to be doing ok, no new flowers though.

Selfie

As part of my Three Words submission (all done now yay!) I had to do a self portrait, so I thought I'd take my Oiseau pseudonym literally and add a nice beak. 

As I've said before I can be very picky about my colours, the strip below show all the incremental changes, trying to get it juust right.

Takeaway lids make great palettes!

Cameo-yo

Yet again I have some works in Seed Gallery's xmas-y show (30 artists are given 10 identical wooden items to artify). This years shape is the delightful cameo oval. Here's a sneak peek at some of my arts, the exhibition opens tonight at 6pm and is up until the 6th of December. 

Three Words

I'm super delighted and excited to announce that I will have some work in Three Words, an upcoming anthology of female cartoonists in New Zealand. You can find out more about it on the Three Words blog or facebook page.
The comic I submitted is sort of about a dinosaur wearing a helmet, I won't put it up here now but here are some images which didn't make the final edit. Had fun using watercolours for a change!

It turns out my idea of a dinosaur looks pretty much like an aligator but without the nose and eye bumps...oh well.

Scout the slugger

Here's a little birthday painting I did for a good friend of her cat re-imagined as a boxing champ.

He's a tough guy with a heart of gold and an excellent withering look (see below).

Ananas

A commission for a friend as part of my fundraising  for my cat's vet bills, he wanted a pineapple. I think he's taking the bottom one (did two versions cos I wanted to see what it looked like with yellow behind the blue), so I'll probably put the other one on my etsy, if anyone is keen...

Just a little painting for fun, still love drawing and painting bats.

Sup dog

Here's a recent commission for a friend, based on my Hello dog card design. Sausage dog demonstrates his stretchiness again. 

Seal of Approval x 2

This is my latest card design, the Seal of Approval, haw haw. I initially wasn't happy with the first design so I did another one, but then I added some detail to the sea and now I like him better, I'd be keen to know which one other people like though. Seals are pretty fun to paint, great for drybrush. 

Egg head

Another painting for Hot X Buns which is on this weekend Friday 11th April, 6pm - late, Saturday 12th April, 11am - 4pm, Sunday 13th April, 11am - 4pm. On Sunday there will be hot cross buns, from Bread & Butter Bakery and Cafe, Kokako Organic Coffee and hot chocolate in the studio. From 1pm the Quick Draw sketch gang will be in the studio, come along and commission an on-the-spot portrait for only $10 (realistic or monster version).

You egg

These are a couple of works for an Easter exhibition, 'Hot X Buns' which will take place above St Kevin's Arcade in Auckland. The exhibition will up from the 11th-14th of April. More info to come!

New card design

I should have this friendly fellow ready by next week or so. If it looks a little familiar that will be because I based on my Dasch it! sketch from last year, love that colour combo of purple, brown and red.
Also some of my cards are now available at the wonderful Time Out Bookstore in Mt Eden, Auckland.

It came IN THE NIGHT...

Sketchbook doodles in paint

My sketchbook is mostly filled with rough drafts and scratchy pencil drawings, these days I much prefer paint to pencil. These are a couple of recent paint sketches, feeling spooky!

Sorry we are out of space, filled up with plants

These are some of the paintings I'll be showing at the 'Sorry we are out of space' exhibition which is part of the Hamilton Fringe Festival. I've been getting pretty into painting plants recently, I'm interested in their physical forms, how you choose a pattern to follow, each one has it's own set of rules and I've also been thinking a lot about what is it that they contribute to a room, why is it appealing to keep plants indoors and where does the balance lie between it being pleasant to have some greenery around and it seeming like the wilderness is invading your house.

I've also been really enjoying using limited palettes (again), working more like a printmaker layering flat colour than a painter mixing colours to create tones, and using different papers, gouache is so opaque it can handle dark papers nooooo trouble.

Lil' still life

Mucking about with gouache last night, this was an unplanned sketch. Sometimes it's nice to just see what come out. My brushes are getting so ragged from all the drybrushing I've been doing, but it gives it some brushy nice texture.

Blue dude

A little detail from something I'm working on

Still life with lemons

We have a large, bountiful lemon tree at our flat, keeping us well stocked for juicy lemons this winter. More limited palette gouache work.

Zinefest Octopus part III & IV

My final two illustrations for Presence Zine's Auckland Zinefest spotlight.

The lower one is reading 'Incredibly hot sex with hideous sea creatures' a play on the long standing Wellington zine 'Incredibly hot sex with hideous people'.