Walk

Back from the walk. I will get Tim to upload his photographs this weekend to show you. Making travel plans for this year/next year and they are fun and exciting.

Soon

At the end of the week I am going on my long walk for a month. If you want anything from my shop, then please make your order before the 14th of December. If you put the word "GOODBYE" in the code part with your order I'll let you have 10% off also.

Hello hello!

Thought I would do a bit of a shop-related post as it is coming up to holiday gift-giving season. Ok, so, I've got some new things in the shop, and some things on special. Let me begin...

Two new hand-knit pairs of mittens for you cold hands...

Purple mittens HERE

These ones HERE

Finally a NEW ISSUE of my zine (gotta take some better photos this week too! HERE

New postcard, featuring my galah ("New Years Eve and an Awkward Kiss") drawing. $4 HERE

I've put this print on sale for the next few weeks, I am selling two of these cotton circle scarves, newly listed drawings, plus heaps of other things.

Right now Tim and I are working on the plans for our big walk in two weeks. We are starting at Cape Reinga (the very tip of New Zealand, where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea meet, then walking as far as we can in 3-4 weeks. Going to be so so much fun, I love walking.

p.s. if you are in Auckland and want to hang out I'll be there maybe around the 10th of January. We can drink tea and coffees and beers and eat snacks.

Drawing

Wellington! Zines!

Hi! It's a long time between posts these days (I've kinda switched to my tumblr account and have been working a lot on commissions lately) but heres a blog post to tell you Wellington people that I'll be at the zine fair tomorrow. It's at Mighty Mighty, from 12pm - 5pm, come and hang out and read zines. Here's the flyer if you want to see it:

Booklet

If you are in Tokyo sometime between the 8th and 13th of November, this looks like a show worth checking out. Lots of zines and publications from around the world (including a few of mine) from the library that Booklet Press has been putting together.

Dialogue

Everything you create, whether it exists as visual art, a passage of writing, or something different, becomes part of a dialogue as soon as someone else other than yourself sees it. This is absolutely unavoidable, and sometimes I think people don't really understand this, or maybe they don't want to or they struggle with the idea and fight against it.

Having an intelligent discussion (about art, life, or whatever) where two sides have opposing views can be very enlightening and interesting. If each party has the ability to weigh up the evidence provided to them, and change their point of view based on the evidence, then the world can be like some kind of giant cultural open source project where things slowly get better.

Sometimes it is not possible to have an intelligent conversation (for example a normal person trying to have an evenly weighed argument with a racist or hateful person, or between an atheist and religious person, or with someone who adamantly believes that fairies exist) but generally, in the context of art, writing, etc, it is possible to talk things through and come up with some kind of conclusion (whether that means one of the parties agreeing with the other or not).

If you are not willing to become part of the dialogue you have created, or you are a viewer and just want to add "your two cents" without continuing the conversation, then you should probably seriously consider why you don't want to hear what the answer is going to be.

In other words, please don't leave anonymous comments on my blog and then delete them so I have no way of replying to you. Jerk.

Drawing, painting.

Terrible Things are Possible.

A large drawing from 2010, finally edited all the scans together to make one image.

So Awake

Two new Kickstarter projects that seem cool...

Comics in Cambodia

and

Albuquerque Zine Fest

Print/Blanket Magazine/Criminals

A few months ago, Lizzy Stewart, Paul X. Johnson, and I were part of a project where were were given descriptions of female criminals from Australia (from 1915 to 1930), and based on the written descriptions alone, we created illustrations of what we thought they would look like.

Now the project has been collated, the illustrations and actual photos of the criminals have been put side by side, and you can see the results in the new (and first ever print issue!) Blanket Magazine.

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Tim emailed me this and I watched it just now and it makes everything less confusing.

Better

Today/yesterday have been the absolute best days ever... I started sewing my new (and first) quilt, finally got to eat a macaron for the first time, and I resolved my issues that I was having with someone recently without confronting them (confronting people about things is something I absolutely try to avoid at all costs, although I guess I can do it if I have to).

I really wish I could find the camera battery so I could take photos of my new projects... I'll have to look really hard in the next few days.

Other things...

Here are some really good Kickstarter projects you might be interested in:

Roman Muradov Comics

Tween Dreams 2

Craphound 8

I'm planning my trip to Sydney (in a few weeks) and I am excited. If you have suggestions of fun things I can do there from the 18th of August - 5th of September then please tell me!

:)

Tasmanian

I've been in Tasmania for a while... I found out the reason (I think it was the reason, it was at least one of the reasons if not the main reason) that I was really tired and ill all the time (since February) was that I had really low levels of vitamin D. I'm feeling a bit less tired now that I'm sorting that out (still a little ill though) and I just wanted to put an update of sorts on my blog in case you wanted one....

1. If you have commissions that I have been working on, they are now speeding up and should be ready real soon (I'll email you about it also).

2. I have made some really nice sewing and knitting projects I want to share. Gotta find camera batteries.

3. I'll be in Sydney from about the 18th of August until about 3 weeks after that. I may be going to Melbourne for a few days beforehand, maybe not as I do have a lot of work to do before then. But if you are my friend and in Sydney, send me an email and we can maybe meet up.

4. I completed the new game "Avadon: The Black Fortress" from Spiderweb Software while I have been home. A good game.

5. To all the people who have done something that has upset me and I have been avoiding while I've been sick and not really wanting to deal with it, prepare for confrontation soon. Not that I should be warning you, but maybe I should just tell you to think about it.

6. On a lighter note... It has been so great being home and getting healthy for the past month and a half. I've read a lot of books and feel like I've renewed my interest in a lot of things like art and nice food and films and such. A little more inspired perhaps. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year and hopefully this year there will be a warm summer!

Marcel Dzama

More inspiration for drawing.

(via Astulabee)

Days of Heaven

This is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. You really get a sense of the atmosphere of the place, and the narrative feels more true to life, a lot of things are implied rather than spelled out. I also love the costumes. Any of the trailers for this film that you will see do not do it justice (I was a little put off by the fact that Richard Gere was in it), you just have to watch it.

IMDB link

Why I live Here

Sometimes we go to volcano lands and see Emerald Lakes and such. I went here in the Summer time, Tim went back a few weeks ago (that's why there is snow in his picture).

Some shows... (Portland and Berlin)

If you are in Portland (Oregon) or in Berlin, I have some things in some shows at the moment.

Details?

In Berlin there is a cool group show called "The Wunderkabinet/Reading Raum 3", featuring zines and small objects. I didn't realise it, but the show is at Etsy Labs, which is nice. More details about that show here: thewunderkabinet.wordpress.com

In Portland, I have sent a whole lot of drawings and prints for a show at Lille Boutique. It opens on Friday the 3rd of June (a.k.a. TOMORROW, 6-9pm) if you would like to go to the opening. I think there will also be a launch of some fancy lingerie there then too. The address is: 1007 E Burnside, Portland, Oregon.

Hope you can make it to the shows if you live in either of those places :)



My zines on display at The Wunderkabinet.

I am trying to say something but no one is listening...

Most of you who read this blog are also people who spent heaps of time on social media, so you probably already know about this situation.

Basically, Urban Outfitters, a large chain store in the US, Canada, and I think the UK (is it anywhere else? Online too I guess) has once again copied and mass produced an artist's handmade design.

The obvious response from Urban Outfitters, after receiving negative feedback from all over the internet, is that they have stopped selling the product on their website. They have pretty much said "Oops, sorry about that."

An apology is just not good enough. If you continue to buy products from unethical stores, like Urban Outfitters (or American Apparel for that matter) then they will continue to steal designs and make money from them. They are only making products that they think that they can sell. If their (copied, sweatshop made, sexually exploitative etc) products do not sell, they will not sell them next time. They will either go out of business, or come up with new ideas and things will get better.

In a broader sense, why don't you just think about everything you purchase. Research and understand what is advertising jargon designed to make you feel better about buying something. Buzzwords like 'organic', 'handmade', 'GM free', 'all natural' etc can mean a lot of different things, and do not immediately mean something is better or more ethically produced. Don't just take things at face value, even if they are pretty and shiny. An example of something which frustrates me to no end is when people buy fake designer furniture... if the original, beautiful wooden lounge chair is specially made by craftspeople and out of your range monetarily, getting a factory made copy is exactly the same as buying an Urban Outfitters version of a handmade necklace.

Being an intelligent, informed person is fun and rewarding (if a little disheartening sometimes), but I definitely recommend it if you want to live the best life you can (eudaimonia, man).

Watch this ok

Scuba

Scuba are an amazing art team who make paintings that I really like. Most of the paintings are really little, which I also like, because I have a tiny house and not very much wall space.

They currently have a show, titles "How Did I Get Here" at Together Gallery in Portland. All the work (well the work that is not already sold that is) is available online. This is also excellent news.

"Growing a Little Every Day" 10.5" x 8"

"Pool House" 7" x 6"

"Mountain Home" 6" x 5"

comics news

I am excited about this.

Kramers Ergot #8: The Trailer from Dan Nadel on Vimeo.

Sort of a journal entry...

Stuff happening lately:

• It is getting really wintery at the moment. I love living in a warm and not damp apartment, don't know how people cope with living in regular houses sometimes.

• Have been sick-ish for like four months. Not really really sick, just medium sick, but I have not idea what it is so that makes it so frustrating.

• Working hard on doing lots of work so I can save up to move somewhere (most likely America or England). Although I wish that I had a good group of easy going friends and things to do here, then I would not want to leave at all, it is nice and the air is clear (this paragraph is just me saying what I think please do not comment about it).

• Stood up for myself on the phone when someone called and asked if the could speak to my parent or caregiver (happens all the time, I don't even really think I have a very child-like voice)...

"Hi, actually I am 24 and find it very disrespectful and judgmental for you to immediately assume that by the sound of my voice I am a child. I'm going to hang up now, goodbye."

I am fairly bad at being assertive/sticking up for myself most of the time so for me it is a big deal.

• A girl was wearing a real, non-vintage fur jacket at a crowded bar on Saturday night... hardly thinking about it, I shoved her so hard she spilled her drink on her jacket/friends. Not that shoving someone is a good solution to any problem, but I was heading out the door and it was the first thing that came to my mind in the .3 of a second I had to think about it. I am so sick of people thinking that it is fine to wear fur as a fashion item and not caring at all.

• Didn't come last in Risk last night.

• Organised to take care of someone's kitten in a few weeks.

• One of my favourite people from Melbourne will be in town at the end of this week.

• Finally got a new shipment of my stickers, and put an animal sticker set into my shop.

• Working on an exciting, semi-secret poster project. It's bigger in scale than my usual work and has taken absolutely ages for me to do the shading since it is mostly all in pencil, but more on this soon.

• Bought a funny shirt.

• Watching way too much of The Simpsons. Last night I saw the "That 90's Show" episode, from season 19, I love how all the characters are the same age as they were when I was watching it as a child, so now Homer and Marge have to have grown up in the 90's. Seasons 20-22 seem to be much better written than some of the previous seasons in the 00's though, I wonder if they got new writers or something, or if they just decided to try harder.

• Putting the finishing touches on the third issue of my zine.

• Sorta kinda thinking of cutting my hair short again. It looks better/prettier long, but I have the most brittle/dry hair ever (I don't dye it or blow dry it at all and use ridiculously expensive shampoos and conditioners to try and help to no avail) and it gets so frizzy and broken. Also, for other people with long hair: Does your hair moult everywhere? I have no idea how so much of it can fall out everywhere and yet I still have giant hair. It gets in/on everything no matter what. Still only just thinking about this at the moment though, it's taken so much effort to grow out from when it was short last time.

• Going home to Australia in a month and a half. I am really looking forward to seeing my family (except for Steven I haven't seen any of them in a year or more). Also it will be nice to visit some of my friends and go to cafés to discuss what's been happening and so on.

• I have a show coming up in Portland in July... (once again, more soon).

Maybe there are other things but that's all I can think of right now. Oh, I bought a copy of "The Little Prince" that I'm going to read tonight :)

Nice video of a studio visit with Misaki Kawai

A great video to help inspire me to make art today.

Quinoa

My New Roots - How to Cook Quinoa from My New Roots on Vimeo.

Saw this here. Such a sweet video, had to share (both here and on tumblr too, covering bases).

Honest Ed's

The old days.

Interview...

I did an interview for the blog Studio Sweet Studio and little while ago and it is now been posted.

This is me in my studio. I am looking serious. Really I am not though.

Repairs

Mended Sweater Sleeves from/by Sweetie Pie Press

I have been repairing a lot of things lately (notice my new blog layout? still not completely done with that though). I have discovered the wonders of resoling shoes, made a bicycle from a pile of old bike parts, and most recently, I have learnt how to darn holes in clothing (and I am ridiculously excited about it, photos soon, but must tidy house first).

It is hard to express this in words (I have been trying to write this current sentence for the past 40 minutes) but right now mending things feels important. I have never really been one for adding too much sentimental value to objects, preferring the simple, useful object to one overly adorned and less functional, and not caring that much if something breaks and has to be thrown away. As I grow older, my views are changing a little. First of all, my idea of what if means for something to be useful have become more in line with what I do as an artist, which is create art and objects where the only purpose is to be something to look at, and to maybe make someone think about something other than usual as a result. Thus I have more pretty necklaces and dresses.

Secondly, as my career/life continues, I can finally afford to buy some nice things. Unlike a cheap, pilling old cardigan like I used to wear (which could also be easily and cheaply replaced once it passed it's use by date), now it would be a shame to throw my nice woolen cardies because of a hole or two. A lot more costly to replace too.

Finally, and despite my unwillingness to want to admit this to too many people in real life, I am sort of putting more sentimental value on the items I have. Maybe this is because of the two reasons above, or perhaps because I am a bit nostalgic and missing the "old days". Maybe because pretty much everything I have these days comes with a story that relates to an adventure I have been on. I don't know. Anyway, no matter what the reason is for me wanting to keep my things, mending and fixing is fun and good to do.

Here are some interesting repair-related resources to help to inspire you to mend things too...

Love and Thrift: Focussing on sustainability and textiles. Both good things.

Repaired Things: All sorts of different things, repaired.

Karen Barbé's Blog (mentioned below): here is another really interesting repair post from her.

Sweetie Pie Press: Becky keeps her favourite items of clothing forever and continues to repair them (as documented on her blog). She is a big inspiration to me for many reasons, but in the context of this blog post, especially her mending (also, if you haven't already, please pledge money to her Kickstarter project!)

Corky Saint Clair: Chris reviews an interesting product for fixing sweaters. In a kind of unrelated note to mending, he has also just updated his online shop this weekend, so you should look at that too.

In general, the internet is a fantastic resource for finding out how to fix something... if you are someone who has to see something being done to understand it (rather than just follow written instructions, this is how I am quite a lot of the time), there are so many videos on Youtube these days which are really helpful. Oh, and don't forget Instructables either.

This is what I am trying to say when I meet someone talking about spiritual energy or whatever at a party...

An illustration for the food column "Eatiquette" . This one is about seeing someone at the supermarket and waving to them/saying hello and them not noticing (perhaps on purpose, perhaps not).

Brrrr Wellington is getting closer to winter every day, and I am definitely feeling it! I have lots of warm clothes though, and am looking forward to wearing many layers (I think I have been looking at too many fashion blogs lately!) so that's ok with me.

Hetterson

Beautiful, handcrafted clothing from Hetterson (photographed by Anja Verdugo).